The NHL is going crazy right now with a massive flurry of trades. Teams around the league are gearing up for the final stretch of the regular season and beyond. With the trade deadline not until Friday, there’s still time for more transactions to happen.
The Eastern Conference figures to be a bloodbath over the coming months. The six best teams in the NHL are all in the Eastern Conference and those teams are only getting better as they look to make additions at the deadline. It’s a classic arms race as the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, and Tampa Bay Lighting have all made significant acquisitions this week.
Here is a quick recap of today’s biggest news around the league.

Patrick Kane joins the New York Rangers

After being in the rumour mill for the past week, the Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers trade has finally started to be officially revealed. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff was the first one to break the news of the return, which includes a conditional 2023 second-round pick and a 2023 fourth-round pick.
That second-round pick can become a first if the Rangers win at least two playoff rounds, though it will move to either 2024 or 2025 in that scenario.
The Arizona Coyotes have been reported as the third team in the trade that will retain a portion of Kane’s salary. Despite some speculation that the Canucks would be that team, that is not the case.
Kane has 16 goals and 29 assists for 45 points through 54 games so far this season.

Marcus Johansson moved to the Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild acquired winger Marcus Johansson from the Washington Capitals for a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Johansson has 28 points in 60 games this season and carries a cap hit of just $1.1 million for this season. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
The Wild currently sit third in the Central Division and seem like a lock to make the playoffs. This trade helps bolster their middle-six as the team looks to make a push for the division title. Johansson previously played on the Wild during the 2020-21 season so the organization is familiar with his game.

Pittsburgh Penguins clearing cap space

The smoke around a potential J.T. Miller trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins continues to intensify. Those rumours were aided by two moves that the Penguins made today, where they waived Brock McGinn and Mark Friedman. Multiple reporters have confirmed that there have been at least some discussions between the Canucks and Penguins as well.
With Miller, Brock Boeser, and Conor Garland all as rumoured potential trade pieces, it does seem as if the Penguins and Canucks could make sense as trade partners. This is a situation to keep an eye on over the coming days.
THE DAILY FACEOFF TRADE DEADLINE SHOW
Join us on March 3rd for the Daily Faceoff Live: Trade Deadline edition as Frank Seravalli and the panel break down all of the latest rumours, news, and rumblings from around the NHL. The show will be live on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter from 9 AM-1 PM PT to keep you up to date on all things trade deadline no matter where you’re watching from.