Columbus captain Foligno traded to Toronto

Nick Foligno’s time in Columbus is over, with the Blue Jackets trading their longtime captain to the Toronto Maple Leafs to chase the Stanley Cup.

Columbus received a 2021 first- and 2022 fourth-round pick from Toronto as part of the three-team trade completed Sunday, which also involved the San Jose Sharks. That was a worthwhile return for the Blue Jackets to part with Foligno, who was one of the faces of the franchise for almost a decade.

“This is an opportunity for me,” Foligno said. “Let’s be honest: It’s been a tough year here in Columbus, and I take a lot of that responsibility, so this is an opportunity that I get that I’m not going to waste.”

The Blue Jackets added their second first-round pick in as many days for a prominent player while agreeing to retain half of Foligno’s $5.5 million salary-cap hit.

“Given where we are right now, this move made sense for us as an organization and for Nick,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo

Kekalainen said.

Toronto also acquired forward Stefan Noesen from San Jose, which got a fourthround pick in this year’s draft for retaining 25% of Foligno’s salary. Foligno and Noesen must quarantine seven days under Canadian protocol rules before being able to join their new team.

Foligno, 33, has seven goals and nine assists for 16 points in 42 games this season. He was captain of the Blue Jackets for the past six seasons and is a veteran of 950 regular-season games with Ottawa and Columbus.

“Nick Foligno has been everything you’d want in a captain, in a representative of your team and ambassador for your community,” Kekalainen said. “His contributions to the Blue Jackets franchise and the impact he and his family have had off the ice is immeasurable.”

Devils

NewJersey acquired defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler from the Washington Capitals for a 2021 third-round pick. Washington clears $800,000 in salary-cap space before the trade deadline Monday by dealing one of the eight defensemen on its active roster.

New Jersey gets a 23-year-old left shot on the blue line for its rebuilding efforts.

Canadiens

Montreal bolstered its blue line depth ahead of the NHL trade deadline. The club acquired veteran defenseman Jon Merrill from the Detroit Red Wings for a fifth-round draft pick in 2021 and minorleague forward Hayden Verbeek. Merrill appeared in 36 games with the Red Wings in 2020-21, picking up five assists while averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time. The 29year-old from Oklahoma City has 12 goals and 66 points in 392 regular-season games with the New Jersey Devils, Vegas Golden Knights and Red Wings since making his NHL debut in 2013-14.

Predators

Nashville forward Michael McCarron was suspended two games for an illegal check to the head of Tampa Bay’s Yanni Gourde. McCarron was given a match penalty for an illegal check to the head and thrown out of the game Saturday night. He struck Gourde in the head with his left shoulder with 26 seconds to go and the Lightning leading 3-0.