Daily Nuggets: Original Misfit Reunion; Avs, Oilers, Stars? Load Up

The Vegas Golden Knights play the fourth of a five-game homestand on Friday and might do so with a familiar face back in the lineup– on Thursday, Kelly McCrimmon righted a wrong and brought Original Misfit Reilly Smith back home. But as the rest of the Western Conference teams participate in an arms race, will that be enough? It might… but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to call the Boston Bruins and inquire about Brad Marchand.

Elsewhere in the Daily Nuggets, the rich get richer, and I pity the poor souls who draw the short straw for the honor of playing the Colorado Avalanche in the first round. The Edmonton Oilers added another defenseman; the Western Conference is shaping up to be a total gauntlet. There were nine total deals on Thursday, and there will be more on Friday.

Technically, there might have been ten deals on Thursday. The Dallas Stars were working on a deal to acquire Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes, as reported by Elliotte Friedman. Now, note the timestamp on this Tweet. It was tweeted– twote?– at 11:08 Pacific, or after two in the morning on the East Coast, where the Hurricanes are. 

Happy trade deadline day to all who celebrate. It’s been a long time coming, but we’re here now. To quote Les Misérables: “The time is now, the day is here.”

Golden Knights News

Where to start? Not much happened on Thursday… oh, right! The Golden Knights reacquired Reilly Smith from the New York Rangers for Brendan Brisson and San Jose’s 2025 third-round pick. If his wife’s Instagram story is any indication, Smith and his family are pretty happy about this.

The Boston Bruins are increasingly likely to move their captain, Brad Marchand, and I think Kelly McCrimmon should give them a call. I know, I know. He’s a pest on the ice, and he’s known for his antics. But consider this: in the postseason, wouldn’t you rather play with him than against him? He would only make this team better.

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

Colorado Hockey Now: Oh, brother. The West is going to be a total gauntlet this year. On Thursday night, the Colorado Avalanche traded a haul to the New York Islanders for Brock Nelson, and the Dallas Stars are working on a deal to acquire Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes. 

San Jose Hockey Now: The Detroit Red Wings paid the Sharks a second-round pick to take on Jake Walman over the summer. Well, the Edmonton Oilers just gave up a first-rounder and a prospect to get him. Surely, another offensively-inclined defenseman will fix the Oilers’ defensive issues, right?

New York Islanders Hockey Now: My word, the Islanders struck gold. On Thursday night, they traded Brock Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche for a conditional first-rounder, a 2028 third-rounder, and the 21st-ranked drafted prospect Cal Ritchie.

Sportsnet: It appears the Vancouver Canucks have committed to selling. On Thursday, they sent Carson Soucy to the New York Rangers for a 2025 third-round pick.

Boston Hockey Now: The Golden Knights weren’t the only team to reunite with an old friend on Thursday. The Bruins traded Justin Brazeau to the Minnesota Wild for a homecoming of their own.

New Jersey Hockey Now: Well, it appears the Devils are still going for it, even without superstar center Jack Hughes. They made a deal with the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday for a two-time Stanley Cup Champion defenseman.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Kyle Dubas acquired Luke Schenn as part of a deal on Wednesday. Despite what the NHL insiders think, he doesn’t sound primed to flip him– which is ridiculous, because Schenn is a tough top-four right-shot defenseman, and this is a seller’s market. But I’m not a general manager.

Florida Hockey Now: The Panthers made two moves on Thursday. First, they brought in an excellent fourth-line center. Then, they swapped goaltenders with the Winnipeg Jets.