It’s time to switch gears and write about NHL news instead of NHL rumors. Rumors will commence again as we approach the draft and free agency. News is always hitting the NHL; it will be covered here to keep you informed. Without any delay, here’s the latest NHL news and comments.
With Ekblad’s suspension, Gustav Forsling will pair up with newly acquired Seth Jones on the blueline. Ekblad is the reigning franchise leader in games played by a defenseman. He will be done for this season and will also miss the first two games of the postseason serving his suspension. This could mark the end of his tenure with the Panthers, as he will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He has gathered three goals, and 30 assists in 56 games this season.
The Panthers are fighting it out with the other NHL team in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Toronto Maple Leafs are also in the mix. Five points separate the three teams in the standings. Ending the season with Matthew Tkachuk and newly acquired Brad Marchand injured may hurt the Panthers’ success.
Jones has yet to score a point with his new team in Florida after three games.
What has Toews been doing over the last couple of years? Traveling the globe, living the dream as the ultimate beach bum. A few months in Costa Rica. A few months in Bali. A spiritual and physical journey in India. Toews seems to be in a better place both mentally and physically. He sounds rested, upbeat, and proud of himself for prioritizing his health over his hockey.
Toews’ accomplishments are well known. He has won three Stanley Cup rings with the Chicago Blackhawks, two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada, a Conn Smythe Trophy, and a Selke Trophy. He seeks to play the game he misses, now that his health has improved.
“I’m not satisfied the way things ended in Chicago,” Toews told The Athletic. “It’s not about proving anything. It’s just that there’s something left in the tank and I want to explore that. I want to go have fun, have a blast, play with passion. But at the same time, I still have some high-level hockey left. I want to be able to step away from the game having said that I’ve given it my all. And I still think there’s something left to give.”
Toews has struggled to overcome his Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and symptoms of long COVID. Now, he seeks to get back to the game he loves. Winnipeg may be interested in signing him.
GM Don Waddell had planned to make some moves with the huge cap space he had available, but things didn’t work out. He had hoped to be a third-party broker to get some trade deadline action.
“We had two lined up yesterday and another one today, but unfortunately the teams we were working with didn’t get the players they were hoping to get,”
Instead, he added the bottom-six forward group, claiming Christian Fischer off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings and acquiring Luke Kunin from the San Jose Sharks for a fourth-round pick.
Here’s a fascinating look at Waddell and his staff the day before the deadline.
Waddell stated that trade talks at the deadline opened the door for potential deals in the offseason, as teams weren’t willing to part with significant assets in the middle of a playoff race. He also mentioned that his team is in a wild-card spot with 20 games left in the season. Who expected that? Waddell seems to have turned around the Jackets. They are the seventh-best scoring team in the NHL with 3.33 goals per game. It will be more than intriguing to see how well Columbus does in the playoffs. They are making the playoffs, right?
This concludes this edition of NHL news. Be sure to check in as this series will be published every Wednesday and Sunday to keep you up to date with the latest news in the NHL.
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