Capitals ship Niskanen to Philadelphia
Washington opens up cap space with trade
Former Penguins defenseman Matt Niskanen now is one of the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Flyers acquired Niskanen Friday from Washington in exchange for another defenseman, Radko Gudas. While the moves enhances Philadelphia’s defensive corps, it gives the Capitals some muchneeded salary-cap space.
Niskanen, 32, will give the Flyers an offensive-minded, right-handed shot who can also help on the power play. Philadelphia is retaining 30 percent of Gudas’ $3.35 million cap hit, which means Washington saves $3.405 million going into an offseason with several players in need of new contracts.
“We feel this move provides us with financial flexibility as we look for additional ways to strengthen our team,” Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said. “In addition, we are pleased to welcome Radko to our organization. Radko is a good defensive defenseman that plays a competitive, physical game.”
Niskanen was a key piece of the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup run. He struggled for about half of this past season and finished with 25 points on eight goals and 17 assists.
Blues
A parade 52 years in the making will finally happen Saturday in St. Louis, when the city celebrates the Blues’ first Stanley Cup championship.
The Blues defeated the Boston Bruins, 4-1, Wednesday night in Game 7 in Boston.
The Blues joined the NHL as an expansion team in 1967 and had never before won a championship.
Rain is in the forecast for the parade and rally and both officials from the Blues and the city stressed that security will be tight.
Bruins
Boston captain Zdeno Chara said he broke his jaw in multiple places and played the last three games of the Stanley Cup final with “two plates, some wires and screws” holding it together.
The hulking veteran defenseman commended team doctors who put his face back together after he was hit by a deflected puck. Chara also confirmed an unspecified lower-body injury that kept him out of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final against Carolina as a precaution.
Bruins forward Brad Marchand said he was dealing with issues in his groin and abdomen, and also a sprained hand that he exacerbated during the intrasquad scrimmage scheduled to keep the team fresh during a long layoff after sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final.
Islanders
Jordan Eberle and New York agreed to terms Friday on a $27.5 million, fiveyear contract that counts $5.5 million against the salary cap. Unlike former captain John Tavares, who left for Toronto last summer in free agency, Eberle decided to commit long term to the Islanders much like teammate Brock Nelson did recently.
Coyotes
Arizona has signed defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to a one-year contract. Lyubushkin, 25, had four assists in 41 games in 2018-19, his first season with the Coyotes. The 6-foot-2, 201-pound native of Moscow was third among NHL rookies with 150 hits.
Sabres
Newly hired Buffalo coach Ralph Krueger has begun filling out his staff by hiring Don Granato and Mike Bales, the former Penguins goalie coach who will serve in that same capacity for the Sabres.
Bales has six seasons of NHL coaching experience, including the past two with the Carolina Hurricanes.
He was previously with the Penguins, where Bales was credited with scouting and developing that team’s current starting goalie Matt Murray.
Jason Botterill, the Sabres general manager, worked in the Penguins front office much of time Bales was part of the franchise.
Predators
Nashville acquired goaltender Connor Ingram from the Tampa Bay Lightning for their seventh-round pick in the 2021 NHL draft.