Kane rockets up latest TSN Trade Bait board

Published Feb 24, 2023 at 11:19 AM ET

Finally, the NHL’s forward-thinking GMs have looked in the rear-view mirror.

It took a 16-year NHL defenceman to trade for the first premier rearguard during the deadline period.

Boston GM Don Sweeney, who played more than 1,000 games on the blueline, traded for newly available defenceman Dmitry Orlov from Washington on Thursday night, ending a mini run on forwards.

Centre Bo Horvat (Islanders), right winger Vladimir Tarasenko (Rangers) and centre Ryan O’Reilly (Toronto) were the first three big names traded. All to Eastern Conference teams, by the way. Just like Orlov.

It remains a mystery how the NHL’s best team – in the midst of one of the NHL’s all-time best seasons with an .816 point percentage – can get better.

But the Bruins’ No. 1-ranked defence featuring Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm has added a Stanley Cup-winning defenceman with 74 games of playoff experience.

Orlov never even made it to the weekly TSN Trade Bait list because no sooner was he available than he was traded.

That he was the first significant defenceman dealt was not expected because Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun (No. 3) and Columbus’ Vladislav Gavrikov (No. 4) – previously linked to the Bruins – have been staples among the top five on TSN’s list.

But they remain off the ice and in limbo for “trade-related reasons.”

San Jose’s Timo Meier is still No. 1 – where he has taken up permanent residence – while Chicago’s Patrick Kane has moved from No. 8 to No. 2.

Kane has seven goals and 10 points in his past four games.

The future Hall of Famer was publicly disappointed the Rangers acquired Tarasenko, but TSN’s Darren Dreger reports the Rangers are hunting for a third party to broker another deal.

Kane is in the final season of an eight-year, $10.5-million AAV contract.

All four major deals so far – Horvat, Tarasenko, O’Reilly and Orlov – have included salary retention, two of them (O’Reilly and Orlov) involving Minnesota as an intermediary retaining 50 per cent of an already halved AAV.

New to the TSN list this week are two of St. Louis three first-round picks. The Blues collected 2023 firsts from the Rangers and Toronto in the Tarasenko and O’Reilly deals, respectively.

TSN Trade Bait Board: February 24

Player	Pos	Age	GP	G	P	Cap Hit	2023-24
1. Timo Meier, SJ	LW	26	57	31	52	$6M	RFA
2. Patrick Kane, Chi	RW	34	54	16	45	$10.5M	UFA
3. Jakob Chychrun, Ari	LD	24	36	7	28	$4.6M	2 Yrs
4. Jake McCabe, Chi	LD	29	54	2	19	$4M	2 Yrs
5. Vladislav Gavrikov, CBJ	LD	27	52	3	10	$2.8M	UFA
6. Ivan Barbashev, StL	RW	27	58	10	29	$2.25M	UFA
7. Luke Schenn, Van	RD	33	55	3	21	$850K	UFA
8. Sam Lafferty, Chi	C	27	51	10	21	$1.15M	1 Yr
9. James van Riemsdyk, Phi	LW	33	39	9	23	$7M	UFA
10. St. Louis' 1st-Round Picks
11. Lars Eller, Wsh	C	33	58	7	16	$3.5M	UFA
12. Shayne Gostisbehere, Ari	LD	29	50	9	29	$4.5M	UFA
13. Carson Soucy, Sea	LD	28	57	2	10	$2.75M	UFA
14. Brock Boeser, Van	RW	25	50	10	37	$6.65M	2 Yrs
15. Mattias Ekholm, Nsh	LD	32	56	5	18	$6.25M	3 Yrs
16. Erik Karlsson, SJ	RD	32	59	18	76	$11.5M	4 Yrs
17. Cam Talbot, Ott	G	35	28	2.90	.905	$3.67M	UFA
18. James Reimer, SJ	G	34	30	3.29	.895	$2.25M	UFA
19. Vitali Kravtsov, NYR	RW	23	28	3	6	$875K	RFA
20. Jesse Puljujarvi, Edm	RW	24	56	5	14	$3M	RFA
21. Nick Bjugstad, Ari	C	30	58	13	23	$900K	UFA
22. Gustav Nyquist, CBJ	LW	33	48	10	22	$5.5M	UFA
23. Nick Jensen, Wsh	RD	32	60	2	22	$2.5M	UFA
24. Kasperi Kapanen, Pit	RW	26	43	7	20	$3.2M	1 Yr
25. Nick Schmaltz, Ari	RW	27	42	16	37	$5.85M	3 Yrs
26. Jakub Vrana, Det	LW	26	4	1	2	$5.25M	1 Yr
27. New Jersey's 1st-Round Pick
28. Warren Foegele, Edm	LW	26	44	10	16	$2.75M	1 Yr
29. Jordan Greenway, Min	LW	25	41	2	6	$3M	2 Yrs
30. Nick Seeler, Phi	LD	29	56	3	10	$775K	1 Yr
31. Max Domi, Chi	C	27	57	17	46	$3M	UFA
32. Evgenii Dadonov, Mtl	LW	33	48	4	18	$5M	UFA
33. Dmitry Kulikov, Ana	LD	32	59	3	15	$2.25M	UFA
34. Karel Vejmelka, Ari	G	26	40	3.38	.903	$2.73M	2 Yrs
35. John Klingberg, Ana	RD	30	48	7	22	$7M	UFA
36. Sean Monahan, Mtl	C	28	25	6	17	$6.38M	UFA
37. Tanner Jeannot, Nsh	LW	25	56	5	14	$800K	RFA
38. Erik Gustafsson, Wsh	LD	30	59	7	35	$800K	UFA
39. Joonas Korpisalo, CBJ	G	28	27	3.10	.914	$1.3M	UFA
40. Colton Parayko, StL	RD	29	55	3	19	$6.5M	7 Yrs