There are seven World Baseball Classic games slated for Sunday, which include Japan vs. Australia and the Dominican Republic vs. Netherlands.

Both Japan and the DR — the favorites in their respective pools — opened as top contenders to win the tournament behind the United States at +330 and +400, respectively.

New users looking to place wagers on the international baseball spectacle with MLB betting sites can access a bet $5, get $150 in bonus bets offer with the bet365 bonus code NYPBET.

bet365 Sportsbook bonus code NYPBET for World Baseball Classic

Before you sign up, punch in the bet365 bonus code NYPBET to enable the bet $5, get $150 in bonus bets offer in your account.

The $150 bonus betting value is given regardless of the outcome of your first bet.

bet365 is live in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia.

How to sign up at bet365 Sportsbook

1. Select your bonus offer: Bet $5, get $150 in bonus bets, win or lose!
2. Choose your state.
3. Hit the “Join Now” button.
4. Fill out your login details.
5. When prompted, enter the promo code NYPBET.
6. Choose your preferred welcome offer.
7. Make a minimum deposit of $10.

What our Post expert thinks about World Baseball Classic

The Dominican Republic has an explosive lineup, along with a rotation that still has plenty of power arms, even without Framber Valdez and Freddy Peralta. But it really comes down to the bullpen — if guys like Seranthony Domínguez and Camilo Doval can throw strikes and limit the walks, the Dominicans have the talent to bounce back from their 2023 disappointment and win this.

Japan’s path to another title hinges on how its rotation holds up without Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish and Roki Sasaki taking the mound. There’s still plenty of talent led by Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Yusei Kikuchi, but with less depth than in 2023, Japan likely needs Yamamoto to be dominant again if it wants to repeat.

Deposit Required. Paid in Bonus Bets. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. New Customers Only. T&Cs, time limits, and exclusions apply. 21+ (18+ in KY). Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Available in AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA only. Bet $5 and Get $150 in Bonus Bets at bet365. Minimum odds -500 of greater.

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.

TORONTO – Corey Perry arrived bleary eyed to Scotiabank Arena after a long travel day.

The veteran forward had agreed to a trade hours earlier that sent him from the Los Angeles Kings back to a franchise he knows well in hopes of chasing that elusive second Stanley Cup ring.

Perry then went out and made an immediate impact with his new — and old — team on the way to victory.

The 40-year-old scored as part of first-period explosion Saturday as Tampa Bay blew past the fading Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2.

Acquired for a second-round pick at the 2028 NHL draft just ahead of the league’s Friday trade deadline, Perry spent two seasons with the Lightning from 2021 to 2023, including the club’s march to the 2022 final.

“A little hectic, a little crazy,” Perry, who arrived in Toronto at 4 a.m. and didn’t clear customs for another 90 minutes, said following the morning skate. “I’m excited to be here and see where this can go.”

The Peterborough, Ont., product had 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points in 50 games with the Kings after suffering a knee injury that required surgery right before training camp.

Perry, who won the Cup with Anaheim in 2007, has made the final five of the last six seasons, but finished on the losing end in each title series with the Dallas Stars (2021), Montreal Canadiens (2021), Lightning and Edmonton Oilers (2024 and 2025).

Related Videos

2:40
Toronto Maple Leafs hold state of the union amid middle of winless skid

Previous Video

Next Video

“He’s a catalyst,” Tampa head coach Jon Cooper said. “He transcends time. It’s amazing what he can do. I don’t expect him to go in there and play 20 minutes a night, but I do feel we’re a better team.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

“It’s much more than the stuff he does on the ice. It’s on the bench. He sees things, he says things, and you’re just always like, ‘Huh? I wish I would have thought of that.’”

Perry rejoined an organization that topped both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings with 82 points heading into Sunday’s matchup in Buffalo against the second-place Sabres.

“It’s kind of like I never left,” he said. “A lot of old faces, some new faces, but it’s still hockey. It’s still the same things. You just go out and you play.”

Perry had a no-movement clause in his contract with the Kings, and wrestled with the decision to stay or go before deciding Tampa was the right call.

“Had a bunch of discussions (with) my wife,” he said. “You have a chance to win a Stanley Cup and come to a great team and great Cup contender, that’s what the end goal is.”

Cooper was asked how Perry — a former Hart Trophy winner as league MVP — has managed to stay relevant in a sport that continues to get younger.

“There’s an art to it,” said the coach. “Players get away with it between 19 and 28, 29 … they feel untouchable. But if you want to really have longevity and extend your career, there’s a lot that goes into it. He’s constantly stretching, he’s constantly just doing things that look after himself.

“He’s just built the right way.”

BOO BIRDS

The Maple Leafs suffered a seventh straight defeat (0-5-2) coming off the Olympic break to continue a disastrous stretch that’s seen their hopes of a 10th straight trip to the playoffs all but dashed.

The club was booed by the fans still inside an quickly emptying rink as the clock ticked down Saturday.

“People are going to be frustrated and they’re spending their hard-earned money to come watch us play,” Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz said. “We gotta find a way to crawl out of this, and just put together a complete 60 minutes.”

So why has it been so difficult to find that total effort on so many nights?

“We’ve beaten some really good teams this year,” Stolarz added. “It’s definitely frustrating. That’s something that’s gonna have to come from within the room here.

“We’ve got 18 games left and no one’s feeling sorry for us.”

ATLANTIC STRUGGLES

Similar to Toronto, the back-to-back Cup-winning Florida Panthers are also trending toward their first missed post-season since 2019.

Cooper was quizzed about what he’s seen from a pair of former division heavyweights this campaign.

“I’ve gone through what the Panthers have gone through,” he said. “Going to three straight finals, it’s trying, it’s tough. But we were fortunate to continue making the playoffs. They had some massive injuries … their run has been pretty special.”

Cooper also hinted the loss of star winger Mitch Marner has played a significant role in Toronto’s struggles.

“They don’t have the fruits of their labour like the way Florida does,” he said of a franchise with just two series wins since 2004. “It’s probably tougher to swallow for the Leafs in a way, but when there’s roster change, it can affect things.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 8, 2026.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run homer and Gunnar Henderson had four hits and two RBIs as the United States rolled to a 9-1 victory over Britain on Saturday night at the World Baseball Classic at Daikin Park in Houston.

Team USA improved to 2-0 in Pool B at Houston, while Britain dropped to 0-2.

Nate Eaton homered on Tarik Skubal’s first pitch to give Britain a quick lead it held until the fifth inning. But his teammates couldn’t muster anything else at the plate.

U.S. hitters had managed just one single when Ernie Clement reached on an error by third baseman Ivan Johnson to start the fifth. Pete Crow-Armstrong doubled before Clement scored on a wild pitch by Andre Scrubb to tie it at 1.

Schwarber followed with a 427-foot drive that landed near the back of the second deck in right field to put the United States on top 3-1.

There were two outs in the inning when Henderson’s two-run single made it 5-1.

Aaron Judge, who homered in Friday night’s win over Brazil, knocked out a panel in the metal scoreboard with a 109.6 mph RBI single in a three-run sixth that pushed it to 8-1.

Skubal allowed two hits with five strikeouts in three innings.

It’s scheduled to be the only start of the tournament for the two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner, who will return to spring training with the Tigers on Sunday.

Britain (0-2) plays Italy on Sunday.

The Americans are off until reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes pitches Monday night against Mexico.

TORONTO – Nikita Kucherov had three assists in a four-goal first period and added another in the third to give him 100 points on the season as the Tampa Bay Lightning cruised past the listless Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 on Saturday.

Jake Guentzel and Brandon Hagel, with a goal and an assist each, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Ryan McDonagh and the newly reacquired Corey Perry scored for Tampa (39-18-4), which snapped a four-game slide that came on the heels of a 20-1-1 streak.

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 27 saves. Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli added two assists.

Matias Maccelli and Nick Robertson replied for Toronto (27-26-11). Anthony Stolarz stopped 28 shots.

Related Videos

2:40
Toronto Maple Leafs hold state of the union amid middle of winless skid

Previous Video

Next Video

The Maple Leafs, who are now 10 points back of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot and were booed off the ice, have dropped seven straight (0-5-2) since returning from the NHL’s Olympic break.

Get daily National news

Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Tampa tops the East and the Atlantic Division with 82 points, which put them 17 clear of Saturday’s opponent.

Toronto captain Auston Matthews, who hit the post in the third period on a shot that glanced off Vasilevskiy, has now gone 11 games without scoring, and has just one goal in his last 15 contests.

TAKEAWAYS

Maple Leafs: The club said goodbye to three forwards ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline. Toronto shipped Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche, Bobby McMann to the Seattle Kraken, and Scott Laughton to the Los Angeles Kings for draft picks.

Lightning: Perry was reacquired from L.A. and arrived in Toronto at 4 a.m. Saturday. The 40-year-old played two seasons with the Lightning from 2021 through 2023, including a trip to the Stanley Cup final in 2022.

KEY MOMENT

With the scored tied 1-1 in the first period, Tampa buried three goals in a 2:36 span to pull away, with two coming on Kucherov setups.

KEY STAT

Toronto hasn’t won at home since a 5-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 10.

UP NEXT

Lightning: Visit the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday.

Maple Leafs: Visit the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2026.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

DURHAM, N.C. — Cameron Boozer had 26 points, 15 rebounds and five assists to help No. 1 Duke beat No. 17 North Carolina 76-61 on Saturday night in a rivalry rematch.

Maliq Brown added 15 points as Duke led by a single possession early after halftime before taking over with 16 unanswered points in what ballooned to a 24-2 surge.

The Blue Devils (29-2, 17-1) completed a second straight one-loss run through ACC regular-season play, this one coming a month after losing at North Carolina on Seth Trimble’s last-second 3-pointer.

Duke has won eight straight, including a neutral-court victory over then-No. 1 Michigan and a romp against No. 13 Virginia.

The loss capped a rough 24 hours for the Tar Heels (24-7, 12-6). They appeared on the verge of getting star Caleb Wilson back from a fractured left hand just in time for March Madness — and maybe this game — only for him to suffer a season-ending broken right thumb during a non-contact drill Thursday.

The freshman was on the bench with his right thumb wrapped in a black brace as North Carolina fell to 5-2 without him.

Derek Dixon had 17 points for North Carolina, which trailed just 47-44 on Trimble’s drive with 16:45 left before Duke made its decisive push.

The Tar Heels went six minutes without a point and managed one basket over more than 10 minutes as Duke blew the game open.

Duke played without starting big man Patrick Ngongba II, who sported a boot on his right foot after halftime after going without one before.

Then starting point guard Caleb Foster came up hobbled with 4:51 left before halftime and checked out, grabbing at his right foot before leaving the bench area.

He returned in the second half wearing a boot of his own on his right foot.

For weeks, Vincent Trocheck spoke like a player who was prepared to be traded.

He shared his preferences for a destination that his 12-team no-trade list afforded him.

He opened up about the impact it had on his family, most notably 7-year-old son Leo’s wholesome reaction to the possibility of his father getting traded that tugged at hockey fans’ heart strings.

Yet there was Trocheck on Saturday afternoon wearing red, white and blue, skating in his usual second-line center post as the Rangers lost, 6-3, to the Devils at Prudential Center.

The chances of him being in another team’s lineup that day had been high before Friday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline came and went without an offer that satisfied general manager Chris Drury.

“He’s been terrific,” coach Mike Sullivan said of how he saw Trocheck navigate the last few weeks. “He’s such a good pro. He’s a great person, he’s a great leader, and he’s a terrific hockey player. I think he’s done a really good job under difficult circumstances, just trying to navigate through it. I always use the word ‘compartmentalize’ it and try to go out and play when the puck drops, and that’s when he’s at his best. I think, moving forward, there’s a lot of unknowns. And so, right now, Troch is a New York Ranger, and we’re thrilled to have him.”

If Saturday’s game meant anything to either team, it would’ve been considered a riveting, back-and-forth contest.

Alas, the two clubs were stacked atop one another in the basement of the Metropolitan Division entering their first meeting of the season.

Both teams severely underperformed in recent months and are far out of the playoff picture.

The Battle of the Hudson moniker doesn’t really apply when neither team is battling for anything.

Saturday may have been meaningless, but it was a competitive affair nonetheless in a game featuring a Jack Hughes hat trick against his Team USA bench boss Sullivan.

Nico Hischier broke a 3-3 tie just over eight minutes into the third period, when the Devils captain converted on his team’s third straight power play after following up on a rebound.

The special teams game heavily swung in New Jersey’s favor.

After giving up another goal less than two minutes into the start of a game, when Jesper Bratt scored 1:06 after puck drop, the Rangers got a couple of goals from their defensemen.

Will Borgen notched the first before Vladislav Gavrikov recorded his 12th goal of the season, doubling his previous career high.

The Devils had only capitalized on one of their previous 26 power plays, but they went a perfect 3-for-3 against the Rangers.

With 12.4 seconds left in the first period, Dawson Mercer scored first with the man advantage to tie it up 2-2.

Hughes later cashed in on the power play in the second period, one of his three goals on the day.

It only lasted for just over a minute, however, as Will Cuylle notched his third goal in the last two games.

Hischier then scored his team-leading seventh power-play goal to give the Devils a 3-2 lead.

TORONTO – Oliver Ekman-Larsson was happy to wake up Saturday still a member of the Maple Leafs.

The veteran, Stanley Cup-winning defenceman was held out of two games by the woefully underperforming club ahead of the NHL trade deadline for “roster management purposes” as Toronto fielded offers for a player with two seasons remaining on his contract.

When the bell sounded at 3 p.m. ET Friday and general managers could make no more moves, the 34-year-old was relieved to still be sporting blue and white.

It’s also clear the last stretch weighed heavily on his mind.

“It’s hard, especially for me,” Ekman-Larsson said Saturday morning before the Maple Leafs faced the Tampa Bay Lightning at Scotiabank Arena. “I wanted to be here and we love it here … that makes it even harder.”

Asked if fences needed to be mended with an organization that signed him to a four-year, US$14-million deal in July 2024 after a title-winning campaign for the Florida Panthers, he smiled, shifted his body, and then chose the next words out of his mouth carefully.

“I don’t know,” Ekman-Larsson replied. “I was just, like I said, happy to still be here … that’s what I wanted, and that’s what my family wanted, so super excited about that. I still have a lot of belief in this organization and love being here. I was trying not to think about it too much.

Related Videos

2:40
Toronto Maple Leafs hold state of the union amid middle of winless skid

Previous Video

Next Video

“But it was pretty tough.”

Get daily National news

Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

The Maple Leafs (27-25-11), who sat eight points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot heading into Saturday and look poised to miss the annual Cup chase for the first time since 2016, have occupied a post-season spot for just 48 hours since Nov. 12, and own an ugly 4-10-4 record since topping the league-leading Colorado Avalanche in mid-January.

Ekman-Larsson was asked why he still believes in a roster that has painfully underperformed after making the second round of the playoffs — its ninth consecutive appearance in hockey’s annual spring dance — just over nine months ago.

“Still think that we can do something special,” said the Swede, who also represented his country at the Milan Cortina Olympics. “Hasn’t gone the way we wanted this year, but still like the pieces that we have.”

Toronto did wave goodbye to three forwards ahead of the deadline, with Nicolas Roy (Colorado), Bobby McMann (Seattle Kraken) and Scott Laughton (Los Angeles Kings) all shown the door in return for draft capital.

“It’s always tough,” said Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, who has made the playoffs each of his nine NHL seasons. “Every year you’re gonna lose guys. Obviously, this year’s a little bit different. But you lost some great people, great teammates, great players.

“You just gotta keep pushing forward.”

The list of issues for Toronto in a campaign that is circling the drain has included an inability to endure injuries to key personnel, a sub-par power play despite loads of offensive talent, difficulty sticking to head coach Craig Berube’s style, a seeming lack of engagement for long stretches, and a defensive output that had allowed a league-worst 31.9 shots against per game.

“You lay in the bed you make,” Matthews said. “But we can only control what’s in front of us right now, and that’s our attitude and our compete level.”

The Maple Leafs entered the Olympic break with three straight victories and hopes of making a push before a stunningly uninspired, disjointed 0-4-2 run in their return to action put what look to be the final few nails into their season.

“We’ve just had those swings too much,” Matthews said. “We’ll string together five, six, seven really good games and get on a good roll. And then vice versa, we’ll get on a bad swing of games … where it’s not going well or we’re disconnected. It’s always a roller-coaster throughout a season. No matter how good the team’s playing or no matter how good things are going, there’s always going to be ups and downs.

“Our swings have just been too high and then too low.”

Ekman-Larsson, who leads the defence corps with 35 points (eight goals, 27 assists) in 60 games, said it’s important Toronto sticks together despite the long odds.

“We’re not done yet,” he said. “We all are accountable for the situation that we’re in. We want to show that we can play better. We have a lot to play for — our fans, our teammates.”

A team and city Ekman-Larsson, despite a desperately disappointing season, remains happy to call home.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2026.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

Center Connor McGovern is coming back to Buffalo. 

The Bills center is signing a four-year, $52 million deal with $32 million guaranteed with the team rather than test free agency, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 

A third-round pick by the Cowboys in 2019, McGovern has spent each of the last three seasons with the Bills. 

Just a few days ago, it appeared McGovern was set to enter the open market. 

“[The Bills] haven’t contacted me once,” McGovern told The Athletic. “In my gut, that says it’s over and done.

“It is a business. I’m never going to take it personally. I want to be back in Buffalo, and I know they want me back. But sometimes you’ve got to look in the mirror and be realistic.”

After spending the first five seasons of his career at guard, McGovern moved over to center before the 2024 season, and since then, he has helped anchor one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. 

Over those two seasons, McGovern and Co. have allowed just 54 sacks, which is tied for the third-fewest in the league. 

Last season, the Bills’ offensive line ranked No. 3 in pass block rating and No. 6 in run block rating during the regular season, according to Pro Football Focus. 

McGovern was solid in 16 starts during the campaign, posting a pass block win rate of 97.2 percent, which was fifth-best in football, and allowing just six sacks. 

The deal takes McGovern off the table with several teams in need of a center after the surprising retirements of the Chargers’ Bradley Bozeman, Bears’ Drew Dalman and Vikings’ Ryan Kelly at the position, all of which had at least a year left on their deals. 

Ravens star Tyler Linderbaum remains the top free agent center and could get a record-setting deal with little competition on the market.

The Montreal Canadiens made stop two of a three-game road trip through California Friday. Stop one went poorly with a 7-5 loss in San Jose. The Canadiens wanted to play a lot tighter hockey against the Ducks in Anaheim, but they struggled terribly on defence, losing again in a 6-5 in a shootout.

Wilde Horses

The last time that the Canadiens had a 100-goal line was in 1993, when they won the Stanley Cup. Vincent Damphousse, Brian Bellows and Kirk Muller counted 110 goals. Thirty-three years have passed since then, and the passionate Canadiens fans still haven’t seen another 100-goal trio.

Last season, Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield played together for the entire year. They counted 85 goals. It felt like this was going to be the season it finally happened. However, head coach Martin St. Louis separated the trio this season, and for a long while that worked out.

Slafkovsky took charge and found that he could level up, carrying the puck a lot for his new line-mates, Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov. They lost their momentum after the Olympics and something had to be done.

The changes made sense as Alex Newhook was brought to the second line with four points in three games since returning from a broken ankle. It was hoped that Slafkovksy could find his game again and rejuvenate the thought that he is the perfect winger for the best two Montreal forwards.

Only three and a half minutes into Friday’s game, Slafkovsky had two assists already. He was the architect of the first, winning the puck on the forecheck. Slafkovsky set up Cole Caufield who fed Nick Suzuki, who fired it home.

The second assist was on the power play as Lane Hutson counted. The offence was rolling again. Suzuki also claimed two points in that first period. The rest of the night, the line just kept on rolling. Cole Caufield scored twice in the third period for 37 on the season to key a monster comeback.

Caufield equalled his career high in goals set last season. The top line was absolutely dominant. Suzuki had two points. Slafkovsky had two points. Caufield had three points. Right away, the mind races to the idea these three can be that 100-goal line if they play a season together next year.

In 24 games together this season, the line has 31 goals. Pro-rated, that is 106 goals for a season. There’s no search for a winger to play with Suzuki. They already have their guy.

The search is actually who can finish the rebuild on the second line. On a good day, it feels like Demidov and Kapanen are two-thirds in place. On a bad day, Kapanen seems overmatched and two players are required to complete that top-six.

The positive for the second line is that Demidov had a strong night. He had two breakaways that he didn’t convert, but he did get the chances. Kirby Dach had a strong game down the roster as well away from Suzuki and Caufield.

Get daily National news

Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Quietly, Hutson also had a three-point night. He counts points so regularly that it’s easy to miss his greatness. He has 63 points in 61 games this season. Hutson is fourth in the league among defenders in points.

The offence is in high gear. Ten goals in two games should be two wins.

Wilde Goats

Only eight teams have allowed more goals than the Canadiens this season, and it’s not getting any better. Montreal looks in disarray defensively. The Canadiens are third in the league in goals for, but defence wins titles, and this club doesn’t play it well.

They also can’t get enough saves from their two goalies. Both Jakub Dobes and Samuel Montembeault are in the bottom third of the league in save percentage and goals saved above expected. Dobes had his worst night of the season with a minus 3.55 GSAE against San Jose.

The head coach looked to Montembeault to turn that around, and he let in the first shot he faced. It was called offside eventually, but Montembeault didn’t know that when he let in a weak 40-foot wrister. Still in the first period, he let in a 55-foot slap shot by Radko Guda that was moving about 65 miles per hour.

In the second period, he let in another 50 footer. Admittedly, it was partly screened, but he wasn’t set for it, and he was in the wrong half of the net on a simple D-to-D passing sequence from the point. This is an extremely predictable moment in hockey and it seems odd that it would surprise a goalie so much that he was in the wrong half of the net.

Montembeault is strangely horrendous on the easiest shot for a goalie. He can’t stop 55-foot floaters. It is bizarre. The emergency back-up goalie in the stands in case of injury can stop the 55-foot floater. And it’s not the first time or the second time. It’s about the 15th time this season Montembeault has let in a ridiculously easy shot.

Another pattern that has played out all season long — and one that played out again on Friday in Anaheim — was the late goal against. The Canadiens allowed yet another goal with the extra attacker. Chris Kreider counted with 42 seconds left. Montembeault finished the night with an .848 save percentage.

It’s not entirely on him, though. The Canadiens are not hard enough on bodies to be successful as a defensive club. The opposition is allowed to establish themselves in dangerous zones repeatedly without seeing hard physical contact against them.

Montreal has an extremely talented team, but grinding it for a win is vital too, and the Canadiens have a lot to learn about establishing position, being physical and making the opposition pay before you’ll see growth in the goals against category.

When a club is third in goals and 24th in goals against, it doesn’t take Scotty Bowman to give you insight into what’s wrong. Seven goals allowed against the Sharks, and five goals allowed against the Ducks is all you need to know.

5:15
Call of the Wilde: Habs head into Olympic break on a high note

Wilde Cards 

The Canadiens fell minutes short of a major trade at the deadline on Friday. General manager Kent Hughes met the media an hour later than what was originally scheduled due to trying to complete a deal. Hughes is usually tight-lipped about specifics in trades, but he described the deal as significant.

Hughes said they simply ran out of time, but they would revisit the deal in the summer. Naturally, that is going to drive the passionate fan base to anxiety and leave everyone trying to make logical guesses who the player Hughes wants to acquire might be.

The first name that comes to mind when one uses the word ‘significant’ is Robert Thomas. The player must be available and the team must be in the mood to trade, and the St. Louis Blues fit the bill. There are naturally other trading teams with significant players who present opportunities. Names like Steve Stamkos, Filip Forsberg and Jordan Binnington come to mind as examples.

There simply cannot be a guarantee who Hughes was speaking of. There can only be a most logical guess, and Thomas fits the criteria. It will be a long summer for the personality type that doesn’t like mysteries.

Hughes also had some interesting thoughts on Patrik Laine, who was not moved at the deadline. Even though he has been ready to play for five weeks, he has not been given the nod by the head coach. Hughes said that Laine is available and has not been a distraction inside the locker room. He added that it is simply up to the head coach to put him in the starting lineup.

Overall, it feels like a missed opportunity to acquire a right-shot defenceman. One is needed because Martin St. Louis cannot get confident in Arber Xhekaj or Jayden Struble. This means that the Canadiens are basically a five-defender team when the going gets tough, and in the playoffs, it’s always tough.

Relying on Xhekaj for only seven minutes when games can go to overtime, and are a lot more physical, could leave the Canadiens shorthanded on the blue line in the playoffs. That’s an issue to worry about when the time comes.

For now, the rebuild continues with Montreal improving season to season from 55 points to 68, then 76 to 91, and now on pace for 104. Though it may seem like a down day due to the lack of excitement standing pat, a look at the big picture sees Hughes as a strong architect with a confidence in his long term vision.

Brian Wilde, a Montreal-based sports writer, brings you Call of the Wilde on globalnews.ca after each Canadiens game.

1:38
‘Distasteful’: Olympic hockey captain says Trump joke overshadows U.S. women’s team success

Previous Video

Next Video

EDMONTON – The Carolina Hurricanes were pretty quiet during the trade deadline period, but based on the way they’ve been playing of late it could easily be argued they didn’t really need to tinker with the lineup.

Jackson Blake had a pair of goals and K’Andre Miller had three assists as the Eastern Conference-leading Hurricanes registered a 6-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Friday.

Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and an assist and Shayne Gostisbehere, Jordan Martinook, and Jordan Staal also scored for the Hurricanes (40-16-6), who have won seven of their last eight games and have gone 16-2-3 in their last 21.

“A full team effort,” said Hurricanes defenceman Jalen Chatfield. “I don’t think there was a guy that took a shift off. We knew that was a good team coming in tonight and we had to play together and we needed everybody.”

Frederik Andersen only needed to make 13 stops to earn the win in the Carolina net.

Related Videos

2:14
Blades Bio January 2026: David Lewandowski

Previous Video

Next Video

“They’ve obviously got some very good players and we did a really good job of containing them,” said the veteran goalie. “They’ve got a lot of speed when they carry the puck up the middle, the D did a hell of a job containing (Connor) McDavid a lot.”

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

The only downside to the night was that the team lost Gostisbehere to an undisclosed injury.

“It’s obviously not good, he’s kind of been dealing with stuff, I feel like, all year,” said Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour. “Just when he kind of gets rolling, he keeps getting nicked up. So, I don’t really have an update at this time.”

Brind’Amour was impressed with how the rest of the defence stepped up.

“Those guys really dug in,” he said. “We lose ‘Ghost’ and we’re down to five, and are really playing four for the most part, it’s a lot to ask against that team and thought they did just a great job. They didn’t have a lot of chances and didn’t have a ton of shots, so we were doing a pretty good job.”

The Hurricanes did make one minor deal on trade deadline day, acquiring bruising 35-year-old forward Nicolas Deslauriers from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2027.

Deslauriers has dressed in 24 games for the Flyers this season, recording one assist and 33 penalty minutes.

Zach Hyman had a pair of goals and Vasily Podkolzin also replied for the Oilers (30-25-8), who have lost six of their last eight. Edmonton has allowed 56 goals in its last 12 games.

Tristan Jarry managed 26 saves in the loss for Edmonton.

“Obviously we need to find it and put together wins,” said Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch. “We’ve only got 20 games left and we’re on the brink of not making the playoffs. We can’t wait to find our game in the playoffs because we need to ultimately get there. We need to find another gear.”

The Oilers have had 10 home games this season with a save percentage below .840, an NHL high.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2026.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press