A flurry of trade action highlights the NHL news ahead of the March 21 trade deadline. The Florida Panthers sent forward Frank Vatrano to the New York Rangers in exchange for a 2022 fourth-round draft choice; the trade clears over $2.5 million of salary-cap room for the Panthers, who lead the Atlantic Division and could bring in more players before Monday. The Rangers get a veteran forward known for a team-first approach that the Blueshirts want to boost going into the postseason. The Panthers also added defenseman Ben Chiarot, sending Montreal their first-round draft pick in 2023, a fourth-rounder in 2022 and unsigned prospect Tyler Smilanic. Chiarot will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, making this deal a rental for a Panthers team looking to shore up its few weaknesses going into the playoffs. As far as weekend action goes, check out our NHL betting recommendations.
Top Betting Games for the Weekend: Friday, March 18
Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes (7:00 pm ET, NHL NET)
The Capitals have bounced back from a three-game skid and have now won two in a row and five of six, including two wins in three games in Western Canada. They returned home to beat the New York Islanders at home, 4-3, on Tuesday, in a shootout. They head to Columbus on Thursday before hitting the ice against the Hurricanes on Friday. In the win over the Islanders, Alex Ovechkin scored his 767th goal to move into third place on the career NHL list, ahead of Jaromir Jagr. The Caps needed an eight-round shootout to get the second point, but getting that milestone goal added momentum for a team on the rise.
Heading to Carolina on the second night of a back-to-back will be challenging. The Hurricanes will look to bounce back from a 4-2 loss in Pittsburgh on Sunday in which they sent 43 shots on net but saw Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry stop 41 of them. Brett Pesce and Sebastian Aho scored for the Hurricanes, and Antti Raanta stopped 19 shots, but the Hurricanes could not dent the Pittsburgh defense. Carolina faces Toronto on the road on Thursday before heading home to welcome the Caps.
Final Score Prediction:
Carolina 3, Washington 2
Colorado Avalanche at San Jose Sharks (10:30 pm ET, ESPN+)
The Avalanche had a rough stretch, losing four out of five, including setbacks against bottom-feeding Arizona and New Jersey, but they have rebounded to win two shutouts in a row, taking down Calgary at home and Los Angeles on the road by identical 3-0 margins. The win over the Kings came on Tuesday and marked Darcy Kuemper’s second consecutive shutout, as he made 23 saves, giving him 69 over the last two games combined. Mikko Rantanen posted a goal and an assist, and the Avs moved past the 90-point mark as they push toward their second consecutive Presidents’ Trophy.
Next up is a trip to San Jose, as the Sharks had beaten the Kings 9-3 over two games in a home-and-home before losing at home to Florida, 3-2, in overtime on Tuesday. The Sharks have only lost twice this season when leading at the end of the second period, with both of those losses coming at the hands of the Panthers. Logan Couture and Nicholas Meloche scored for San Jose, and James Reimer made his return from a two-week bout with a lower-body injury to stop 31 shots, but it was not enough, as the Panthers tied the game early in the third period and then got the winner just over a minute into overtime – with both goals coming from Frank Vatrano, who (as we mentioned above) is about to take his leadership to New York. How will his absence influence the Panthers’ locker room and its offense?
Final Score Prediction:
Colorado 4, San Jose 2
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