San Diego Union-Tribune

BRUINS ACQUIRE A PAIR FROM CAPITALS

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The NHL’s best team just got bigger and tougher.

Already on their way to one of the best seasons in hockey history, the Boston Bruins acquired defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals on Thursday in exchange for forward Craig Smith and three draft choices. It’s the latest big acquisitio­n by an Eastern Conference contender as the league approaches the March 3 trade deadline.

“Let’s hope we stay healthy and try to take a run, play our best hockey at the right time,” Bruins GM Don Sweeney said in a call with reporters. “It’s going to be a hard path. It’s a hard path to get in. It’s even harder once you are in.”

Boston sent a 2023 firstround pick, a 2024 secondroun­der, a 2025 third-rounder and Smith to Washington. The Capitals retained half of Orlov’s salary and Minnesota will pay 25 percent; the Wild will receive a 2023 fifthround­er for helping Boston stay under the cap.

Sweeney said Orlov and Garnet were arranging travel so they can join the Bruins on on their four-game trip, which began Thursday night against Seattle. They will join the team with the NHL’s best record after leaving one that won it all in 2018 but hasn’t gotten out of the first round since and is struggling to get into postseason position this season.

“They’ve been a ridiculous­ly competitiv­e and successful part of the (Capitals) organizati­on,” Sweeney said. “So (they’re) a little bit shocked. But once they hear the excitement in our voice in bringing them on board, it quickly shifts.”

With a 43-8-5 record and 91 points heading into the Kraken game — a pace that would surpass the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens’ alltime record of 132 points — the Bruins have shown few weaknesses. But the memories of recent playoff disappoint­ments left Sweeney worried about depth, especially on defense, heading into what he hopes will be a long postseason run.

The Capitals are selling at the trade deadline for the first time since Alex Ovechkin’s rookie year more than a decade and a half ago.

“This trade allows us to acquire draft capital, infuse youth and restock our system,” GM Brian MacLellan said. “While this season has proven challengin­g with injuries to our significan­t players, we are in a position to use some of our current assets to retool our club and build a competitiv­e team moving forward.”

The Bruins have topped 100 points for four straight non-pandemic seasons but have made just one long playoff run, losing to the St. Louis Blues in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. After falling in the first round last year, Sweeney fired coach Bruce Cassidy and replaced him with Jim Montgomery.

Despite starting the year without top scorer Brad Marchand and top defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who were both recovering from offseason surgery, the Bruins zoomed to the top of the NHL standings. They won 17 of their first 19 games and did not lose in regulation at home until Jan. 12.

Preds center out

Nashville center Ryan Johansen will miss the rest of the regular season after having surgery on his lower right leg.

The Predators announced that Johansen will miss an “estimated 12 weeks” after surgery Wednesday afternoon.

Nashville would have to make the playoffs for Johansen to have a chance to return this season. The Predators wrap up the regular season April 14 in hosting Colorado, and they went into Thursday night’s game at San Jose seven points out of the second wild-card berth in the Western Conference.

Johansen left the ice late in the second period of Tuesday night’s 5-4 shootout win over Vancouver after Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes’ skate caught the back of his right ankle. Johansen left the arena on crutches and kept his foot off the ground despite wearing a walking boot for protection.

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