Rangers acquire Vladimir Tarasenko in trade with Blues Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane unsure about possible trade Kraken place leading scorer Andre Burakovsky on IR Flames’ Rasmus Andersson hit while riding scooter, is ‘doing well’ Colorado’s Cale Makar out with head injury

The Rangers acquired a high-scoring forward and defenseman. Niko Mikkola from St. Louis Blues for 2023 first and fourth round conditional pick, forward Sammy Blais and Hunter Skinner Avenue.

Tarasenko is giving New York even more offensive momentum in hopes of making another playoff deep after a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals. The 31-year-old Russian has 29 points in 38 games this season and is also a top scorer with six 30-goal goals in his NHL career.

Tarasenko’s acquisition comes on the heels of the New York Islanders acquiring a 30-head center. Bo Horvath from Vancouver and signed an eight-year, $68 million extension with him.

This is putting more pressure on teams around the Rangers and Islanders in the Met and the rest of the East, most notably the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes and runner-up New Jersey Devils, who lost All-Star center Jack Hughes for a week. up to a week of injury. Any of these teams would suit the 26-year-old San Jose Sharks forward. Timo Meyerwho is under the team’s control for at least the next season for $10 million and could sign a long-term extension.

The Rangers have targeted Tarasenko among the top wingers available, given the high asking price and salary cap associated with signing Meyer or Chicago. Patrick Kane, the latter of whom has yet to decide if he wants to be traded from the Blackhawks. Louis retained half of Tarasenko’s salary and $7.5 million, giving New York some flexibility to make more moves over the next three weeks.

“It’s something we’ve been eyeing for a long time,” Rangers general manager Chris Drury said in a video call with reporters. “It gives the two new players a little more time to acclimatize in our group, so they’re very excited to do that now and include them in the roster.”

Defender added as part of Rangers reshuffle Libor Hayek about not making room for Mikkola, a 26-year-old 6ft 5in Finn who gives them more depth on the blue line. Rookie Forward Will Cuyle was also sent back to Hartford from the American Hockey League.

Blais returns to the Blues less than two years after they traded him to the Rangers for a second-round pick. Pavel Buchnevich.

The Tarasenko deal could be the start of a sell-off in St. Louis as the Blues could miss the playoffs for just the second time in 12 years. Captain Ryan O’Reilly and boldly forward Ivan Barbashev free agents are also expected, who could be valuable rental pickups for contenders.

Asked if he was done trading, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong laughed and said, “That’s it for today.” He declined to respond about the possibility of signing with O’Reilly after the end of this season.

“Ryan is our captain,” said Armstrong. “I’m a big fan of Ryan. We talked behind closed doors, and I’ll leave it there. He knows how I feel about him.”

Tarasenko, who helped the Blues win the Stanley Cup in 2019 for the first time in franchise history, originally requested a trade in the summer of 2021 because he was unhappy with how the team handled his shoulder injury. However, he turned up at the camp and has played for them ever since, including being a pointsman last season.

“A couple of years ago I was given a list of teams he wanted to move to, so I started with that group and was able to find a match from that group,” Armstrong said. “I hoped that would not change. Obviously, New York is a celebrity city for all the league players, so I was comfortable when I called (his agent), I would be surprised if this was a problem.

Blues coach Craig Berub spoke to Tarasenko after the trade and told him, “Good luck moving forward (and) thanks for everything.”

“Of course, a difficult situation,” Berube told reporters after training. “Obviously we didn’t do well enough. That’s what’s happening: deals are being made. Both of them were good players for us.”

The first-round pick that St. Louis received will be the later one the Rangers or Stars picked — in a trade that brought defenseman Nix Lundqvist to Dallas — this year, unless The Stars won’t be in the top 10. The fourth-rounder next year will be third if New York makes the playoffs this season, which is highly likely.

CHICAGO – Bye Patrick Kane decides whether he agrees to leave the Chicago Blackhawks – his only home in the NHL – the veteran forward keeps an eye on the rest of the league.

So, yes, he definitely noticed that the New York Rangers traded a forward. Vladimir Tarasenko.

“If anything had to happen… that was the team I was definitely looking at,” Kane said. “Yeah, it seems like they kind of filled their void and went ahead and made a deal.”

The Rangers may be out of the picture, postponing a potential reunion between Kane and a former teammate. Artemy Panarinbut there are plenty of opportunities as Kane reflects on his future ahead of the March 3 NHL trade deadline.

Kane and Captain Chicago Jonathan Toews one year of their contracts expire. The Blackhawks are one of the worst teams in the league, but Kane and Toews have a no-move clause in extensions they completed in July 2014.

They could decide to end the season with their only NHL team. Or three-time Stanley Cup winners could tell general manager Kyle Davidson the name of the team or teams they would like to join.

As the deadline approaches, their decisions are closely monitored.

“Just trying to figure it out,” Kane said before the game against Arizona. “Maybe make a decision in the next couple of weeks here and just go ahead.”

There hasn’t been a word lately from Toews, who has been out all week due to illness and will not play against the Coyotes or a game in his native Winnipeg.

“We just let him get his feet wet and get strong,” freshman coach Luke Richardson said. “I think he had a great bike ride yesterday and felt good after that, so that’s a good first step.”

Depending on what Kane and Toews decide – along with interest in forwards Max Domi And Sam Lafferty – very soon the unassuming Blackhawks may look very different.

Richardson seems ready for whatever happens.

“I knew there would be a plan and we are not sure where it will go,” he said. “It just depends on what the other teams call and want to do, more so than what we really want to do here.”

Kane has nine goals and 26 assists in 46 games leading up to the Arizona game. This year, his performance has declined, but he has suffered from a lack of talent around him.

Just last season when Chicago Alex DeBrinkat And Dylan StromKane scored 26 times and had a career best with 66 assists in 78 games.

Kane, 34, also shrugged off reports of hip problems that had made contestants uneasy.

“I feel better than last year and had a pretty good season last year,” he said. “So it’s just one of those things. I think maybe the story is leaking and piling up a bit.”

The Blackhawks are rebuilding under Davidson, and Kane and Toews could add more assets for the team’s future plans. But the return on any deal can depend on how many teams are involved in serving each player.

It’s entirely up to Kane and Toews – Kane said he realizes this when he thinks about his next move.

“You want to do the right thing with the franchise and the organization here has been amazing for me and has given me so much,” he said. “So definitely wish for what’s best for both parties.”

NEWARK, NJ – Seattle Cracken Top Scorer Andre Burakovsky on the injured reserve with a lower body injury.

Before their game in New Jersey, Kraken coach Dave Hextall said that Burakovsky would be listed weekly.

Burakovsky’s leg seemed to give out on his first shift against the New York Islanders, and he played just 31 seconds in the 4-0 loss.

Burakovsky appeared in 49 of the first 50 games of his first season with Seattle after signing as a free agent. He leads the Kraken with 39 points, including 13 goals and 26 assists, and averages 16 minutes and 33 seconds on the ice per game. He is one of only six Seattle skaters to score at least 30 points this season.

Kraken activated defender Justin Schultz off the injured reserve prior to meeting the Devils after missing six games with an undisclosed injury. Seattle also withdrew the forward John Hayden from the Coachella Valley of the AHL to add depth to the forward group.

DETROIT – Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson was sent to the hospital after being hit by a car while riding a scooter in Detroit.

The team said Andersson was riding a scooter to dinner around 6 p.m. when he was hit.

“He was walking through the crosswalk,” Flames general manager Brad Treliving said. “The good news – and most importantly – is that Ras is doing well.”

A 26-year-old man has been discharged from the hospital after undergoing a “battery of tests,” the Flames said on Twitter.

Calgary was in Detroit for a game against the Red Wings.

The team says Andersson will stay with the team for the trip, but is listed as an everyday.

Andersson is in his seventh full season with the Flames and leads Calgary defensemen with 34 points in 51 games.

TAMPA, Florida, star quarterback for the Colorado Avalanche. Cale Makar will miss the last two games of the current trip due to a head injury.

Colorado Coach Jared Bednar made the announcement ahead of the game at the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Makar will also miss the game in Florida and will be re-evaluated when the team returns to Denver to face the Lightning.

“We just watch it day in and day out and see how it goes,” Bednar said. “He’ll miss the rest of this…