NHL trade deadline rumors, tracker: The latest on Patrick Kane and Rangers, plus Devils land Timo Meier

The 2022-23 NHL season is coming down the home stretch with the trade deadline set for Friday, March 3 at 3 p.m. ET. The league has already seen some big names moved prior to the deadline with Vladimir Tarasenko landing with the New York Rangers, Bo Horvat heading to the New York Islanders and Ryan O’Reilly being sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

But that’s not all. Stars like Patrick Kane, Jakob Chychrun and Erik Karlsson could be on the move prior to Friday’s deadline.

For all of the latest moves around the NHL, follow along with our NHL trade deadline rumors and tracker below.

Rangers still clearing cap space with hopes of acquiring Patrick Kane

On Saturday, Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane left the team’s California road trip and returned to Chicago, according to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. Kane won’t suit up for the Blackhawks leading up to Friday’s trade deadline.

Kaplan also reported that there is mutual interest between Kane and the New York Rangers. The Rangers spent the weekend attempting to clear the necessary cap space to get a potential deal for Kane done:

• New York traded 2018 first-round pick Vitali Kravtsov to the Vancouver Canucks in a salary dump to get the ball rolling.
• They also assigned defenseman Braden Schneider to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, on Sunday, which could signify that Schneider would be part of a trade for Kane. 

Maple Leafs acquire Sam Lafferty, Jake McCabe from Blackhawks

The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t made it out of the opening round of the playoffs in each of the past six seasons. Their front office is doing everything that they can to make sure that the team is set up for a deep postseason run this time around. On Monday, the Maple Leafs acquired forward Sam Lafferty and defenseman Jake McCabe from the Chicago Blackhawks.

• In addition to Lafferty and McCabe, Toronto received a 2024 fifth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick in the deal
• Chicago received forwards Joey Anderson and Pavel Gogolev, a 2025 first-round pick, and a 2026 second-round pick.

Lafferty has 21 points (10 goals & 11 assists) in 51 games this season and is signed through the 2023-24 campaign. Meanwhile, McCabe has tallied 20 points (two points & 18 assists) and is in just the second season of a four-year, $16 million contract. 

Devils land Timo Meier in massive deal

Timo Meier was one of the biggest prizes available on the trade market leading up to Friday’s deadline. On Sunday, the New Jersey Devils acquired the talented winger in a huge trade with the San Jose Sharks.

• The Sharks shipped Meier, forward Timur Ibragimov, defensemen Scott Harrington and Santeri Hatakka, goaltender Zachary Emond and a 2023 fifth-round pick to the Devils.
• The Devils sent a 2023 first-round pick, a conditional 2024 first-round pick, forwards Fabian Zetterlund and Andreas Johnsson and defensemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Nikita Okhotyuk to the Sharks.
• As a part of the deal, the Sharks are retaining 50 percent of Meier’s $6 million cap hit.

Meier is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and the Devils don’t have any type of contract extension in place as of right now. The 26-year-old star currently has 31 goals and 21 assists in 57 games this season for the Sharks. Meier had spent all seven years of his NHL career in San Jose prior to the trade.

Lightning add Tanner Jeannot

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, so being active at the trade deadline isn’t a big surprise. On Sunday, the Lightning acquired forward Tanner Jeannot from the Nashville Predators in exchange for:

• Defenseman Cal Foote.
• A 2025 first round pick (top-10 protected).
• A 2024 second-round pick.
• A 2023 third-round pick.
• A 2023 fourth-round pick.
• A 2023 fifth-round pick. 

Jeannot, 25, is in the final season of a two-year contract and can become a restricted free agent this summer. He has 62 career points (34 goals & 28 assists) in 152 career regular season games as a member of the Predators. 

Jets acquire Nino Niederreiter from Predators

The Nashville Predators moved one of their veteran pieces in the form of winger Nino Niederreiter to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick. Niederreiter is signed through the 2023-24 season, so he isn’t a rental for the Jets. Niederreiter has tallied 28 points (18 goals & 10 assists) in 56 games this season.

The Jets are battling at the top of the Central Division and adding a player of Niederreiter’s caliber should really give a boost to Winnipeg’s forward group. 

Bruins beef up blue line with addition of Dmitry Orlov

The Boston Bruins have been an absolute juggernaut this season. They made their defensive unit even stronger by acquiring defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals in a three-team deal. In exchange for Orlov and Hathaway, the Bruins sent the following to the Capitals:

• A 2023 first-round pick.
• A 2025 second-round pick. 
• A 2024 third-round pick.
• Forward Craig Smith.

The Capitals will also retain 50 percent of Orlov’s $5.1 million cap hit. In addition, the Minnesota Wild will also retain 25 percent of Orlov’s contract and sent the rights of Andrei Svetlakov to the Bruins for a 2023 fifth-round pick.

Orlov, 31, is in the final year of a six-year, $30.6 million deal and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. He’s tallied 19 points (three goals & 16 assists) in 43 games for the Capitals this season. Orlov will join an already stacked Boston blue line that includes the likes of Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm and Matt Grzelcyk.