Welcome to NHL Trade Buzz. There are 16 days left until the 2024 NHL trade deadline (March 8th at 3:00 PM ET). Take a look at the latest deadline status across the league.
vegas golden knights
Mark Stone will be out “for a while,” Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon said on “The Sick Podcast” Wednesday.
The forward suffered an upper-body injury late in the second period of the Golden Knights’ 5-3 loss to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday and did not play in the third period. McCrimmon said on his podcast that Stone went to get tested Wednesday morning.
It remains to be seen how Stone’s injury will affect Las Vegas’ approach to the deadline. The Golden Knights are in a tight spot on the NHL’s salary cap, but they could put Stone on long-term injured reserve to give them more space.
Stone, the Golden Knights’ captain, leads the defending Stanley Cup champions with 53 points (16 goals, 37 assists) this season. He tied for second in goals (11) with Las Vegas’ William Karlsson in last season’s playoffs, second in assists (13) and third in points (24).
McCrimmon said Jack Eichel’s rehabilitation after lower-body surgery is progressing as planned and he expects him to play center in the not-too-distant future. Eichel hasn’t played since Jan. 11.
toronto maple leafs
The Maple Leafs on Wednesday assigned goaltender Joseph Wall to Toronto of the American Hockey League on a conditional rental.
Wohl is recovering from a lower-body injury he suffered when he was helped off the ice in the third period of a 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 7.
How he looks could impact whether the Maple Leafs look for a goalie at the deadline.
The 25-year-old is 8-5-1 with a 2.80 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in 15 games (13 starts) this season.
Wohl went 1-2 in the playoffs last season with a 2.43 GAA and a .915 save percentage. He started two games against the Florida Panthers in the second round of the Eastern Conference. With Toronto leading the best-of-seven series 3-0, he started Game 4 and made 24 saves in a 2-1 road win, then lost 3-2 in overtime in Game 5. He also made 40 saves.
new jersey devils
The Devils could be in the goaltender market, recalling goaltender Isaac Poulter from Utica of the AHL and assigning goaltender Akira Schmidt.
Poulter, 22, has played in 24 games with Utica this season, posting a 14-7-1 record with a 2.70 GAA, .908 save percentage and three shutouts. He has never played in the NHL.
Schmidt, 23, has appeared in 15 games (13 starts) for the Devils this season, posting a 5-7-1 record with a 3.26 GAA and .893 save percentage. He went 4-4 in the playoffs last season with a 2.35 GAA, .921 save percentage and two shutouts.
