Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin was ejected from Thursday’s game for his slash to the head of Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin.

And now he will sit out five games after the NHL Player Safety department announced a suspension on Friday, March 6, for the center. He will forfeit $158,854.15 in pay.

Malkin was responding on March 5 to a cross-check from Dahlin near the Sabres net in the second period. He swung his stick and hit Dahlin in the side of the face, receiving two minutes for cross-checking and five minutes and a game misconduct for slashing.

‘This is a dangerous stick swing that strikes an opponent at a dangerous height and is delivered with requisite force for supplemental discipline,’ the department said in a video.

Malkin has a history of being suspended for stick infractions. He received a four-game suspension in 2022 for cross-checking and a one-game suspension in 2019 for slashing. He also has been fined five times, including once this season for slashing.

What is the impact of the Evgeni Malkin suspension?

The timing isn’t good because Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is out with an injury suffered at the Olympics. His initial timeline was he would miss four weeks after the Olympics, but he was at practice on Friday.

The Penguins currently sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division.

Jayson Tatum recorded a double-double in his season debut as the Boston Celtics earned a 120-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.

The six-time NBA All-Star has 15 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in front of the Boston fans at the TD Garden.

‘It was surreal,’ Tatum told ESPN after the game. ‘It was an emotional day.’

Tatum’s right Achilles tendon ruptured during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks on May 12, 2025, leading to him missing the rest of the playoffs and much of the NBA 2025-2026 regular season.

The forward built confidence throughout the game, after a slow start as a scorer. He produced five quick points in the final minutes of the first half. He continued to build upon that confidence in the third quarter.

He entered Friday’s game having averaged 23.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game over 585 career games played during his career. Tatum signed a contract extension with the Celtics on July 6, 2024.

Follow along as Jayson Tatum makes his long-awaited return to the NBA:

Final: Celtics 120, Mavericks 100

Jayson Tatum finished out the game with positive results, sitting out the final minutes of the game after producing a double-double performance.

Jaylen Brown had 24 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Boston, while Neemias Queta added 16 points and 15 rebounds.

Cooper Flagg had 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Mavericks.

Nikola Vucevic injury update

Celtics center Nikola Vucevic suffered a fractured right ring finger during the game against the Mavericks. He is expected to undergo a procedure on Saturday for the injury and will miss a month, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Jayson Tatum remains hot in third quarter

Jayson Tatum started the third period for Boston and continued to build off the confidence he gathered in the closing minutes of the first half as a scorer.

Tatum is closing in on a double-double performance. He has 12 points, nine rebounds and six assists with 2:40 left in the third quarter.

Halftime: Celtics 58, Mavericks 53

Jayson Tatum finished the first half shooting 2-for-8 from the field and 1-for-4 from the 3-point line. He had five points, five rebounds and five assists for the Celtics in 14 minutes of play. Jaylen Brown added 10 points, four rebounds and two assists, while Derrick White had 13 points and two steals. Both played 17 minutes in the first half.

Cooper Flagg went 4-for-11 from the field for 10 points in 15 minutes of play. He also went 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. Flagg added four rebounds, three assists and a steal in the first half.

Jayson Tatum scores his first basket

Jayson Tatum provided some momentum for the Boston Celtics at the end of the first half. Tatum scored his first baskets since his return, with the first being a putback dunk that drew a strong reaction from the home crowd at TD Garden.

Tatum quickly followed up the play with a 3-point shot in the corner. Celtics lead Mavericks 58-53 at halftime.

Jayson Tatum misses dunk attempt

Jayson Tatum missed a driving dunk attempt with 9:10 left in the second quarter. Moussa Cisse recovered the defensive rebound for the Mavericks. Naji Marshall made a 7-foot two-point shot down the other end to give Dallas a 29-26 lead. The Celtics decide to call for a timeout with 8:59 left before halftime.

Neemias Queta subbed out of the game during the timeout for Luka Garza. Tatum remains in the game. Tatum would later check out of the game with 6:25 left in the first half.

Jayson Tatum checks in for second quarter

Jayson Tatum will start the second quarter, replacing Baylor Scheierman. He played just under six minutes in the first quarter.

1Q: Mavericks 22, Celtics 21

Boston trailed by one point at the end of the first quarter. Payton Pritchard had an offensive rebound and made a shot, but it was reviewed and overturned by the referees during the break.

Jayson Tatum remains ready

Jayson Tatum remains on the bench with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter. He was seen on the exercise bike, staying warm while he is out of the game.

Jayson Tatum subbed out

Jayson Tatum’s first stint on the court lasted nearly six minutes. The forward headed to the bench with 6:08 left in the first quarter. He went 0-for-2 from the field but recorded two rebounds and two assists.

One of his two assists went to Jaylen Brown, who made a 3-pointer to give the Celtics a 5-4 lead against the Mavericks with 8:25 left in the opening period.

Cooper Flagg injured early

Flagg limped off the court after he drove toward the basket, while splitting two defenders, for a shot attempt. Flagg’s shot was short as he went to the ground and immediately began to hold his left leg and ankle. He did return to the game after the timeout and did not miss any time.

Jayson Tatum records first assist of season

Tatum had his first statistical impact of the game, completing a short pass to center Neemias Queta for an assist.

Jayson Tatum introduced at TD Garden

Tatum was introduced in front of the home crowd on Friday for the first time this season.

Will Jayson Tatum start for the Boston Celtics tonight?

Jayson Tatum is ready to step back on the court in his regular role, just 298 days since he tore his Achilles.

‘I ain’t coming back to be no role player,’ Tatum told his doctor during a visit that was shown in a documentary series about his recovery.

He went through pregame warm-ups without an issue.

Is Jayson Tatum playing tonight vs. Mavericks?

Yes, he will make his highly-anticipated season debut, barring any unforeseen setbacks. The Celtics officially listed Tatum as available on the latest injury report Friday early afternoon. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla confirmed that Tatum would start the game.

The initial injury report published Thursday had listed Tatum as questionable for the first time since he tore his Achilles; previously, the Celtics had listed him as out. As of Friday morning, Tatum had retained the questionable designation, though local media at the Celtics facility reported that Tatum was present at the team’s shootaround, staying mostly in the weight room area.

This is standard procedure for Tatum; in September, he told USA TODAY Sports that, on gamedays, he lifts weights every morning prior to tipoff.

Tatum and the training staff will presumably check off any last-minute preparations to ensure Tatum is physically and mentally locked in. In any case, it’s safe to assume that his minutes will be closely monitored.

“We only have (20) games left, so it’s going to have to be a quick process whenever that happens,” Celtics forward Sam Hauser said Friday of incorporating Tatum, according to the Boston Herald. “As much as you want, like, a grace period for that, we don’t really have that luxury, so we’re all just going to have to figure it out on the fly. That’s a good thing for us to have to problem-solve whenever that comes up and figure things out on our own. But I think overall, it’s a positive.”

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla speaks about Jayson Tatum return

Joe Mazzulla held his pre-game press conference Friday and addressed Tatum’s return.

“It wasn’t what I wanted to see, it was what he wanted to see for himself,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Friday of any requirements that needed to be met for Tatum to return. “What the sports science team and trainers wanted to see from him.

“It’s been a long journey and the culmination of a new journey begins today. It’s just a credit to, one, him, obviously for the work ethic he has put in and, two, the support staff, his family and his support staff with the Celtics to get to this point.”

Mazzulla confirmed that Tatum would start the game, did not disclose if Tatum would be on a minutes restriction and expressed gratitude for Tatum’s return.

“At the end of the day, our team is whole now,” Mazzulla added.

What does Jayson Tatum’s return mean for the Boston Celtics?

This is a clear indication that Tatum and Boston each think they can compete for a title. And, given that the team is 41-21 and just 4 ½ games back of the top seed in the Eastern Conference, it’s a sound position to take.

It’s also an indication that Tatum feels he’s able to return at least close to his previous form. Tatum had said multiple times that he wasn’t interested in returning until he was sure he could reach his regular levels of production and said he didn’t want to be a distraction from the team’s success. Still, it will take some time for the Celtics to fully incorporate Tatum into their operation, so fans shouldn’t expect him to match his career averages quite yet.

And while there may be some initial growing pains as Tatum reacclimates, don’t expect any potential headwinds to be permanent; Tatum is intimately familiar with the system Boston runs, and the coaching staff’s stability and continuity are assets in this scenario.

And, if Boston is able to get Tatum to return to previous form, it immediately makes them a legitimate contender for an NBA championship.

“One silver lining I had through all of this, I’ve had (time) to kind of rehab and strengthen my calf to get it as strong as my left one, or stronger, but also really work on my body,” Tatum told USA TODAY Sports in September. “I’ve been in the weight room six days a week, working on my core, working on legs, quads, hamstrings and all that. I’m injured, but ironically, the rest of my body is as strong as it’s ever been. So I see a world in which I came back and it’s like, ‘Yo my body has never felt this good probably since I was 19.’ ”

How many minutes will Jayson Tatum play vs. Mavericks?

At this point, it’s not set in stone, and the Celtics will almost certainly not reveal their precise plan for Tatum in his debut. Still, a minutes restriction is a near certainty, as he works his way back to game shape. Coach Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics have maintained that they would be prudent with Tatum, so there’s no reason to rush him back to a full workload, especially since the Mavericks (21-41) are not a particularly strong opponent.

Tatum hasn’t played a live basketball game since mid-May, so his conditioning will be tested. Last season, Tatum averaged 36.4 minutes per game. He likely won’t come close to that Friday night.

Reporters asked Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla if Tatum would be on a minutes restriction, and Mazzulla played it close to the vest, saying: “I have no idea.”

Given the stature Tatum has, however, and his importance to the franchise, a good estimate for his playing time is around 20-to-25 minutes.

How to watch Jayson Tatum’s potential season debut vs. Mavericks: TV channel, live stream

• Start time: 7 p.m. ET
• Location: TD Garden (Boston)
• TV channel: ESPN
• Live stream: ESPN, Fubo

Jayson Tatum 2024-25 stats

Last season, Tatum averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game in 72 appearances.

New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart is doubling down on her support of WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson after a letter written by Stewart and Kelsey Plum became public. The players raised concerns about the union’s handling of CBA negotiations with the WNBA came to light earlier this week.

‘That letter was supposed to be… private,’ Stewart said during Team USA media availability on Friday. ‘It was unfortunate that it became public knowledge. I’m sure (the media) loved it, but I didn’t love it as much.’

Stewart and Plum, who both serve as vice presidents of the WNBPA executive committee, sent a three-page letter to Jackson that was obtained by ESPN. The letter cited ‘a lack of adequate player involvement in the process’ and warned of the harm a potential work stoppage would do to the league’s financial outlook.

The WNBPA executive committee responded by publicly backing the negotiating team of Jackson and players’ union president Nneka Ogwumike. Stewart again pledged her allegiance on Friday, adding the letter ultimately led to some ‘tougher’ conversations that got ‘the (executive committee) back on track.’

‘Plum and I had some concerns that we wanted to kind of address … making a path forward to really have the best deal possible,’ Stewart said. ‘But listen, Terri (Jackson) is our executive director. We know that she’s leading us in the best way possible. And while there might be some differences of opinions or questions that are being asked, it’s all in good faith of knowing that we want to make sure that we do what’s right for all the players.’

Stewart said the executive committee met on Tuesday, two days after the WNBA submitted a counterproposal to the players’ union on Sunday, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to USA TODAY. The proposal was in response to the WNBPA’s Feb. 27 submission.

On Wednesday, the WNBPA released a statement saying the league’s current proposal ‘is not worth taking.’ The executive committee also met on Thursday, Stewart added.

‘We had a little bit of a tougher call Tuesday night between the (executive committee) and then Thursday when we reconvened again, it just seemed a lot more productive,’ Stewart said. When asked when the WNBPA expects to respond to the league’s latest proposal, Stewart said she has ‘no idea.’

‘I don’t have any updates on when (the proposal) is going to be sent back,’ Stewart said. ‘We had a (executive committee) meeting (on Thursday) just talking about some topics that we want to address, but I don’t have specifics on when it’s going to go back.’

The WNBA said March 10 is the final day for a new CBA term sheet to be completed in order to avoid a delay to the start of the 2026 season, which is scheduled to tip off on May 8, as of now.

Stewart expressed concern on the season’s expected start date and said that uncertainty has impacted her training: ‘We don’t know when the start day is happening. That makes things a little bit more complicated as far as training. But what I do know is beginning of April, I’m going to Turkey. I’ll be there for two weeks.’

In the WNBA’s latest proposal, the league offered to make first- and second-team All-WNBA players on rookie contracts eligible to sign a maximum contract in their fourth year. Those players wouldn’t be eligible for a core designation following that extension. A player on a rookie scale contract that earns MVP could similarly be eligible for a supermax deal.

The WNBA’s latest offer also increased the Year 1 salary cap to $5.75 million, up from $1.5 million in 2025. Based on conservative league projections, the salary cap would grow to roughly $8.5 million by 2031 in the final year of this proposed CBA.

The league and WNBPA last met virtually on Feb. 23. More than 50 WNBA players were on the call, including the entire WNBPA executive committee, along with league staff, the labor relations committee and owners as CBA negotiations continue. Revenue sharing, and specifically what percentage of the league’s revenues will filter to the players moving forward, remains a key sticking point.

WNBA players voted in December to give the WNBPA executive committee the authority to ‘call a strike when necessary,’ a decision that ‘was not taken lightly,’ the WNBPA added on Wednesday.

‘Despite our differences and tough moments, we must make crystal clear that we are focused, we are resolute, and we are together,’ the WNBPA executive committee said. ‘We want to play basketball in 2026. We want to be in front of our fans playing the game that we love. We will not stop fighting. There is no WNBA without the players.’

Many players echoed those sentiments on Friday.

‘I want to play and I want us to figure it out,’ Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper said during her Team USA media availability. ‘I want us to be able to negotiate and both sides get something that they like and I would like us to figure it out quickly so that we can have a season.’

Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray added: ‘We’re still in this fight to get what we deserve. The state of our union still sees that as our main focus with any transformational (change), there’s going to be conversations and debates that happen behind the scenes, but everybody wants to do a common goal to be paid, to be treated, to be valued like we should.’

Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young said the players ‘want to play,’ but also ‘want to feel valued.’

‘We’re all just fighting for what we think we deserve. I just want to feel valued,’ Young added. ‘That’s the biggest thing. So I mean sometimes you have to have hard conversations to get to our goal.’ 

USA TODAY Sports reporter Meghan L. Hall and Mark Giannotto contributed to this story.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

GREENVILLE, SC — As No. 2 Vanderbilt faced elimination the SEC Tournament — trailing No. 7 Ole Miss by 22 in the fourth quarter of Friday night’s quarterfinals at Bon Secours Wellness Arena — Commodores head coach Shea Ralph was ejected from the game by a referee.

Vanderbilt rallied and trimmed the deficit a bit, but Ole Miss ultimately went on to win 89-78 and will play in the semifinals on Saturday.

‘I’m really proud of the fight that my team showed today,’ Ralph said after the game. ‘Maybe I should have gotten kicked out sooner in terms of the way that they played, the fight that they showed, the togetherness — that’s the team that I know. This changes nothing about our season, changes nothing about what we’ve done, and I think it only adds fuel to the fire for what’s ahead.’

With less than 10 minutes to play, SEC Player of the Year Mikayla Blakes was whistled for her fourth foul during a scuffle on the floor for a loose ball. Upset with the call, Ralph — who was voted SEC Coach of the Year — dashed onto the court and began yelling at the referees.

Microphones on the SEC Network broadcast clearly picked up part of what Ralph said to one official: “How? How is that a (expletive) foul? She dove. You can’t call that. You suck. You suck (expletive).”

Just as Ralph’s husband — Vanderbilt associate coach Tom Garrick — was trying to get her to return to the bench, the referee blew his whistle, gave Ralph a tech and tossed her from the game. It’s the first time Ralph has been ejected from a game in her five seasons as the head coach of the Commodores.

‘I wasn’t trying to get kicked out,’ Ralph said. ‘I also think that at that time, what I said was warranted, and the action that I took was warranted, and I’ll stand behind that. You want to kick me out for it, they can kick me out. What I do love is the fight that my team showed. There’s only so many ways you can say something over and over again, so I said it differently, and I got kicked out, which is fine.’

Before Ralph was escorted off the floor by a police officer, she gathered up her five starters in a brief huddle and delivered one last message. She then high-fived the players on her bench and left the floor.

‘Coach Ralph comes in and fights for us every day,’ said Vanderbilt’s Sacha Washington, who finished with 16 points. ‘So when she got ejected, I know personally, I didn’t want to do anything else but fight for her.’

Vanderbilt trailed by as much as 32 points in the game. Minutes after Ralph’s ejection, they broke off a 23-6 run, but it wasn’t enough to trim the deficit to single digits.

Blakes started the game shooting 0-of-10 from the floor, but finished with 24 points on 8-of-26 shooting. She was not brought to the postgame podium and Vanderbilt’s locker room availability had closed to the media by the time Ralph’s press conference ended.

‘She missed some open shots that she normally makes. … And she didn’t have a bunch of points, but she always competes,’ Ralph said of Blakes. ‘I also thought, you know, she was fouled. She was being held, and there’s only so many ways you can respond to that. So, what I know about her is that she is going to fight to win the game. Never count her or us out. And that kid fought until the very end, because that is who she is.’

Cooper Flagg’s homecoming at TD Garden was nearly cut short in the opening minutes of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics.

Flagg limped off the court after he drove toward the basket, while splitting two defenders, for a shot attempt. Flagg’s shot was short as he went to the ground and immediately began holding his left leg and ankle.

The Maine native did return and finished out the game in the eventual 120-100 loss to the Celtics.

Flagg returned from an eight-game absence on Thursday in a 115-114 loss to the Orlando Magic. Flagg had suffered a left midfoot sprain on Feb. 10.

Cooper Flagg stats vs. Celtics

Points: 16

FG: 7-for-23 (0-for-4 from 3-point line)

Free throws: 2-for-2

Rebounds: 8

Assists: 6

Steals: 1

Blocks: 0

Turnovers: 3

Fouls: 5

Minutes: 30

The Houston Texans and running back Joe Mixon are parting ways.

Houston released Mixon on March 6, one day after the running back requested his release, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The veteran running back is immediately free to sign with another team.

The Texans will save $8 million against the 2026 salary cap as a result of the transaction, Schefter reported.

Mixon, 29, missed the entirety of the 2025 season while dealing with what Texans general manager Nick Caserio in January called a ‘freak’ foot injury, which the running back suffered last offseason. Neither Mixon nor the Texans have specified the exact nature of the injury.

Caserio said in January that the ailment was less a result of reckless action by the running back – ‘He didn’t jump off a building. He wasn’t cliff diving or anything.’ – and more a ‘medical situation that … really didn’t improve maybe as much as everybody would have hoped.’

Mixon initially landed in Houston via a trade in 2024. The Cincinnati Bengals sent the running back to the Texans for a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Mixon signed a three-year, $27 million extension with Houston shortly after the trade.

In 2024, his first year with the Texans, Mixon earned the second Pro Bowl nod of his career. He led Houston’s rushers with 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns on 245 carries, and he led Texans running backs with 36 catches for 309 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.

Mixon was due to play out the final year of his contract extension in 2026, but he’ll hit free agency for the first time in his career instead.

The Texans traded for Lions running back David Montgomery on March 2. He’ll join second-year RB Woody Marks in the Texans’ backfield, while veterans Nick Chubb and Dare Ogunbowale are set to join Mixon in free agency when the new league year begins March 11.

In his latest NFL mock draft, USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis had Houston selecting Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller with the No. 28 overall pick.

HOUSTON — Dante Bichette Jr.’s bright green hair attracted some attention when he took the field for Brazil’s first World Baseball Classic game against Team USA on Friday night at Daikin Park.

Bichette Jr., the son of former MLB All-Star Dante Bichette and brother of New York Mets infielder Bo Bichette, is playing in the WBC for Brazil, his mother’s native country.

The dye job, meant to match the main color of the Brazilian flag, wasn’t new. Bichette Jr. explained that he enlisted his hair stylist friend to help him with the transformation two weeks earlier in Los Angeles.

“My friend Shea (Scarpa), she goes by @happihair on Instagram,” Bichette Jr. said. “Last year I had green that turned into yellow, this year I put dark green so it would stay a little bit. Whoever touches my hair is important to me, so I love her a lot for that.”

Bichette was also sporting a Brazilian flag bandana under his helmet.

Brazil, making its second-ever WBC appearance and first since 2013, entered the tournament as a massive underdog in a Pool B group that also includes host country USA, Mexico, Italy and Great Britain.

Buy World Baseball Classic tickets!

That’s when the trade of Washington Capitals franchise defenseman John Carlson to the Anaheim Ducks was announced, and the Buffalo Sabres acquired defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn.

But that left the question of whether there would be any news left.

For a while, it looked that way as the day started slowly, and it looked like the St. Louis Blues’ trade of captain Brayden Schenn to the New York Islanders might be the best deal.

But just like last year, the bombshell dropped after the 3 p.m. ET deadline as the NHL worked through the queue of last-minute deals.

The Colorado Avalanche were trading for Calgary Flames forward Nazem Kadri, bringing back a key contributor to their 2022 Stanley Cup title run.

Last year, the big news was the Florida Panthers’ acquisition of Brad Marchand and he helped the Panthers repeat as NHL champions. Kadri, who plays a similar gritty style, will try to help the Avalanche get back on top.

There were 20 trades involving 33 players on deadline day. USA TODAY Sports provided news and analysis on the moves (previous trades can be found here):

Scott Laughton trade details

The trade: The Los Angeles Kings acquire forward Scott Laughton from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2026 conditional third round pick.

Analysis: Laughton, like McMann, is a pending unrestricted free agent and the Maple Leafs got what they could. But they gave up a 2027 first-round pick and a prospect to land Laughton a year ago. The pick the Leafs received in this year’s deal could become a second-rounder if the Kings make the playoffs.

Bobby McMann trade details

The trade: The Seattle Kraken acquire forward Bobby McMann from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2027 conditional second-round selection and a 2026 fourth-round selection.

Analysis: The Kraken rank last among playoff-positioned teams in goals per game. McMann scored 20 goals last season and his 19 goals this season would place him second on the Kraken. The 2027 second-round pick will be the latter of the ones that Seattle previously acquired from Winnipeg or Columbus.

Nazem Kadri trade details

The trade: The Colorado Avalanche acquire forward Nazem Kadri and a 2027 fourth-round draft pickfrom the Calgary Flames for forward Victor Olofsson, the rights to unsigned draft pick Max Curran, a conditional 2028 first-round draft pick and a conditional 2027 second-round draft pick.

Analysis: The Avalanche have been looking for a Nazem Kadri-type player since he left in free agency. Now, they have Kadri again. He played a key role in the 2022 Stanley Cup run. Colorado has tremendous center depth with Nathan MacKinnon, 2025 acquisition Brock Nelson and 2026 acquisitions Kadri and Nicolas Roy, The Flames will retain 20% of Kadri’s $7 million cap hit.

Sabres acquire Tanner Pearson from Jets

The trade: The Buffalo Sabres acquire forward Tanner Pearson from the Winnipeg Jets for a 2026 seventh-round pick.

Analysis: A depth move for the Sabres. But he won a Stanley Cup with the Kings, and playoff experience will be important to a team that seems poised to end a 14-year postseason drought.

Nazem Kadri returning to Avalanche, per reports

Finally a big trade. Return not reported. Kadri won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022.

Capitals acquire Timothy Liljegren from Sharks

The trade: The Washington Capitals have acquired defenseman Timothy Liljegren from the San Jose Sharks for a fourth-round pick.

Analysis: The Capitals needed a defenseman after trading John Carlson. He’s not Carlson, but he’s a depth addition. The Capitals also acquired forward David Kampf from the Vancouver Canucks for a 2026 sixth-rounder.

More trades trickling in

Per Elliotte Friedman, Scott Laughton is heading from Toronto to Los Angeles. The Boston Bruins announce they acquired forward Lukas Reichel from the Vancouver Canucks for a 2026 sixth-round draft pick

Justin Faulk trade details

The trade: The Red Wings acquire Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues for a first-round pick and third-round pick, defenseman Justin Holl and unsigned draft pick Dmitri Buchelnikov, a forward.

Analysis: Faulk, a right-shot defenseman, is expected to slot in the second pairing, according to the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. He has another year left on his contract.

Panthers hang on to free agents

Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and forward A.J. Greer are staying. The Panthers will work to re-sign them, according to Pierre LeBrun.

Brayden Schenn trade details

The trade: The New York Islanders acquire forward Brayden Schenn from the St. Louis Blues for Jonathan Drouin, goalie Marcus Gidlof and 2026 first- and third-round picks.

Analysis: The Islanders get a top six forward in Schenn and Drouin gets a fresh start. Gidlof, 20, plays in Sweden. The first-rounder was the one that the Islanders got from Colorado in last year’s Brock Nelson deal. The Islanders also signed Jean-Gabriel Pageau to a three-year extension.

Players who are sticking around

Vincent Trocheck is staying with the Rangers and Rasmus Ristolainen is staying with the Flyers. Both had good Olympics and have term left on their deals.

More trades reported

According to Elliotte Friedman, Ryan Strome is going from Anaheim to Calgary, Justin Faulk is going from St. Louis to Detroit and Bobby McMann is going from Toronto to Seattle. Also the Rangers announce they acquire forward Aidan Thompson from the Chicago Blackhawks for defenseman Derrick Poulio

Kings sign Mathieu Joseph

Joseph and the Blues agreed to a contract termination to make him a free agent. He played for new Kings coach D.J. Smith on the Senators.

It’s 3 p.m. ET

But remember, trades are still good if they’re in the pipeline at Central Registry. Brad Marchand was announced after the deadline last season.

Islanders acquire Brayden Schenn from Blues, per report

The trade: The New York Islanders acquire forward Brayden Schenn from the St. Louis Blues for a prospect and first- and third-round picks, per TSN’s Darren Dreger

Analysis: The Islanders need more offense and Schenn has had eight 20-goal seasons. He wins 54% of his faceoffs and has been Blues captain since 2023.

Penguins acquire Elmer Soderblom from Red Wings

The trade: The Pittsburgh Penguins acquire forward Elmer Soderblom from the Detroit Red Wings for a 2026 third-round pick.

Analysis: The fourth-liner is 6-8, 252 and ranked second with 9.22 hits per 60 minutes in Detroit.

Brayden Schenn deal in works

Multiple reports says the Islanders are working on a deal to acquire Blues captain Brayden Schenn. And TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Schenn has agreed to the trade.

Waiver pickups

Hurricanes acquire Nicolas Deslauriers

The trade: The Carolina Hurricanes acquire forward Nicolas Deslauriers from the Philadelphia Flyers for a 2027 conditional seventh-round pick.

Analysis: Deslauriers is a tough character who drops the gloves and protects his teammates.

Predators practice

Erik Haula and Jonathan Marchessault aren’t at the Predators practice, but it’s for maintenance days, according to The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network.

90 minutes to deadline

Been relatively quiet so far. But there’s time.

Wild trade Vinnie Hinestroza to Panthers

The Wild get future considerations. With all the additions that the Wild have made this week, they needed to move someone out. Hinestroza played nine games for the Panthers earlier in his career.

Kraken give extension to Jordan Eberle

The Kraken captain will average $5.5 million in the two-year extension, Sportsnet reports.

Sharks give extension to Alex Nedeljkovic

Nedeljkovic will average $3 million in the two-year extension.

Lightning acquire Corey Perry from Kings

The trade: The Tampa Bay Lightning acquire forward Corey Perry from the Los Angeles Kings for a 2028 second-round pick.

Analysis: Perry played for the Lightning from 2021-23, going to the Stanley Cup Final there in 2022. In fact, he has been to the Final six times, winning in 2007. The Kings will retain 50% of Perry’s salary.

Wild acquire Nick Foligno from Blachawks

The trade: The Minnesota Wild acquire forward Nick Foligno from the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations.

Analysis: Foligno, the Blackhawks captain, will join his brother Marcus in Minnesota. The two of them are physical players, as is Michael McCarron, who was acquired earlier this week. Does the Foligno trade open the door for Connor Bedard to be named captain in Chicago?

Capitals players react to John Carlson trade

The late-night trade of the franchise defenseman to Anaheim was a shocker. Capitals forward Tom Wilson was in near tears while discussing Carlson, who had been with the team for 17 years, per the Hockey News. According to Monumental Sports, captain and pending free agent Alex Ovechkin was asked how the trade would affect his future: “I don’t know. I’m still here so we’ll see. We’ll see what’s going to happen. It’s a hard one.”

The team put out a social media post on Friday thanking Carlson.

Wild acquire Bobby Brink from Flyers

The trade: The Minnesota Wild acquire forward Bobby Brink from the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman David Jiricek.

Analysis: Both are pending restricted free agents, with Brink having arbitration rights. Brink, who is 5-8, has good offensive upside. Jiricek is 6-4 and will report to the American Hockey League. He’s on his third NHL team at age 22.

Will Vincent Trocheck be traded?

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Rangers ‘have indicated they are prepared to keep Vincent Trocheck if they don’t get what they feel they need. Told teams, they are not trading him just for the sake of making a trade.’ Trocheck is signed through 2029. He was held out of the Rangers’ last game.

Sabres acquire Sam Carrick from Rangers

The trade: The Buffalo Sabres acquire forward Sam Carrick from the New York Rangers for 2026 third- and sixth-round picks.

Analysis: Carrick has won 53.9% of his faceoffs this season, and the Sabres are last in the league at only 45%. He also has playoff experience with the 2024 Edmonton Oilers, playing 10 games in their run to the Stanley Cup Final, including four in the conference final. He also had 86 hits while averaging 10:25 a game. He’s under contract for another year.

When is the NHL trade deadline?

The NHL trade deadline is at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, March 6. Trades usually are announced after that hour, too, because of a backup in the NHL approving the deals submitted beforehand.

Players who could be moved today

The following players were held out of the lineup on Thursday night for roster management purposes: New York Rangers forwards Vincent Trocheck and Sam Carrick, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann, plus Florida Panthers forward A.J. Greer.

Late-night trades

Several trades were announced after midnight ET.

The Anaheim Ducks acquired defenseman John Carlson from the Washington Capitals, the Buffalo Sabres acquired defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn from the Winnipeg Jets and the Columbus Blue Jackets acquired forward Conor Garland from the Vancouver Canucks. Trade details can be found here.