A team in the Western Conference got better on Saturday.
The Colorado Avalanche announced on Saturday morning that they’ve traded Calvin de Haan, Juuso Pärssinen, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2025 fourth-round pick to the New York Rangers for Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey, and Hank Kempf.
Lindgren is the main piece of this trade, as the left-shot defenceman has two goals and 19 points in 54 games, already surpassing his career-high in the latter category. Vesey’s production has faltered this season as he has just four goals and six points after scoring 13 goals and 26 points last season. Kempf a defence prospect and a senior at Cornell University, scoring two goals and seven points in 28 games.
As for the Rangers’ return, they retain 50% of Lindgren’s contract and he’s an expiring free agent. The notable player they got was Pärssinen, who has four goals and 11 points in 37 points this season, with a career-high of 25 points in his rookie season back in 2022-23. Lastly, de Haan has been in the league for nearly a decade and a half now and has seven assists in 44 games this season.
Overall, the Avalanche got out of this deal.
Wild acquire Gustav Nyquist
Speaking of trades, there was another one on Saturday afternoon as the Nashville Predators traded Gustav Nyquist (at 50% retention) to the Minnesota Wild for a 2026 second-round pick.
Drafted in the fourth round of the 2008 draft, Nyquist had a career year in 2023-24, scoring 23 goals and 75 points in 81 games. However, his point production fell off a cliff in 2024-25, scoring nine goals and 21 points in 57 games.
With a 21-30-7 record (49 points), the Predators are well out of the post-season race as they are 24 points behind the Vancouver Canucks. Expect to see more trades from them leading into the Mar. 7 trade deadline.
The Wild, on the other hand, have a 34-22-4 record with 72 points, third in the Central Division.
Kirby Dach to miss the rest of the season
Some injury news for a team that will likely sell at the trade deadline, Montréal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach will be out for the remainder of the season due to knee surgery.
Dach was selected third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2019 but was traded to the Canadiens at the 2022 draft. In the forward’s first season with the Canadiens, he scored 14 goals and 38 points in 58 games. He played just two games in 2023-24 before tearing his ACL and MCL and missing the rest of the season.
Through 57 games this season, Dach has 10 goals and 22 points in 57 games. It’s a big loss for the Canadiens, who have a 28-26-5 record with 61 points, just five points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final Wild Card spot.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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