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The NHL trade deadline showed that the race to succeed the Florida Panthers as Stanley Cup champions after they went back to back and fell short this season is wide open.
The Colorado Avalanche are rightfully the betting favorites, 5-2 on BetMGM Sportsbook, since they have been atop the league since October. Reacquiring center Nazem Kadri, who was part of their 2022 title run, while also shoring up forward and defensive depth only better positioned them for a deep playoff run.
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But plenty of other contenders made trades to take a shot at hoisting hockey’s hallowed trophy, including the Central Division rival Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild. The Eastern Conference-favorite Tampa Bay Lightning made a relatively minor addition but one that could help take them back to the final.
“There’s a lot of good hockey teams in the National Hockey League, and only one team is going to be happy at the end of it,” Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said. “We understand that has to happen on the ice. You can talk about it — the deadline, who wins this? Who wins that? None of it matters. It’s what happens on the ice.”
All the top contenders made at least one trade
Colorado got Kadri from Calgary, at a reduced price because the Flames retained 20% of his $7 million salary, for forward Victor Olofsson, the rights to unsigned pick Max Curran, a conditional 2028 first-round pick and conditional 2027 second-rounder. The Avalanche even got a fourth-rounder with Kadri.
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Dallas earlier this week fortified its defense by acquiring 6-foot-8 Tyler Myers from Vancouver, and filled a need up front by getting Michael Bunting from Nashville.
Minnesota’s blockbuster move came back in December, winning the sweepstakes for Quinn Hughes. This week, Wild focused on adding depth with center Michael McCarron, forward Bobby Brink and defenseman Jeff Petry.
Tampa Bay got Corey Perry from Los Angeles, adding a winger with edge to a group brimming with talent. Carolina had skill and speed but lacked obvious toughness, so the Hurricanes sent a late, conditional draft pick to Philadelphia for modern-day enforcer…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/stanley-cup-chase-wide-open-005407666.html
Author : STEPHEN WHYNO and JOHN WAWROW
Publish date : 2026-03-07 00:54:00
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