Mariners trade Pollock, Mathias to Giants

The San Francisco Giants acquired outfielder AJ Pollock and utility man Mark Mathias along with cash considerations from the Seattle Mariners for a player to be named later or cash, the teams announced Monday.

Pollock, 35, is struggling in the midst of a one-year, $7-million deal signed with the Mariners this winter. The former All-Star is hitting .173/.225/.323 with five homers and 15 RBIs over 49 games this season.

The deal marks a return to the NL West for Pollock, who’s previously played for both the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers over his 12-year career.

To make room on the active roster for Pollock, the Giants moved right-hander John Brebbia to the 60-day injured list. Infielder Isan Diaz was also recalled from the minors.

Mathias, 28, was stationed in Triple-A Tacoma and the Giants promptly sent him to Triple-A Sacramento upon completing the deal. His most recent major-league experience was with the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this year when he hit .231/.355/.269 with four stolen bases in 22 games while making appearances at second base and right field. He’s previously had stints in MLB with the Milwaukee Brewers and Texas Rangers.

Islanders trade Bailey to Blackhawks for future considerations

The New York Islanders dealt Josh Bailey and a 2026 second-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations, the clubs announced Thursday.

The Blackhawks placed Bailey on unconditional waivers for purposes of a buyout shortly after acquiring him, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. If he clears, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.

Bailey is entering the final season of a six-year, $30-million deal he signed with the Islanders in February 2018. Here’s how a buyout impacts the Blackhawks’ books for the next two seasons, per CapFriendly:

SEASON	INITIAL CAP HIT	BUYOUT CAP HIT
2023-24	$5M	$2.667M
2024-25	$0	$1.167M

The Canadian forward, who’ll turn 34 in early October, had played his entire 15-year career with New York.

The Isles drafted him ninth overall in 2008, and he never quite lived up to his potential. Bailey collected eight goals and 17 assists over 64 games this past season.

Oilers send Yamamoto, Kostin to Red Wings

The Edmonton Oilers traded forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Klim Kostin to the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations, the clubs announced Thursday.

Yamamoto is entering the final year of his contract, which carries a $3.1-million cap hit, according to CapFriendly. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency with arbitration rights next summer.

The American winger, who’ll turn 25 in late September, collected 10 goals and 15 assists while being limited to 58 games this past season. He established career highs with 20 tallies and 21 helpers in 2021-22.

Kostin is currently a pending RFA. The 24-year-old Russian registered 11 goals and 10 assists in 57 contests this season.

Oilers general manager Ken Holland said he had some competition in contract talks before opting to make the trade.

Holland says he was negotiating against the KHL on Kostin.

— Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) June 29, 2023

Kostin played eight games for Dynamo Moscow in the KHL to begin his pro career in 2016-17.

Both players were drafted in the first round in 2017. The Oilers chose Yamamoto 22nd, while the St. Louis Blues selected Kostin nine picks later. The Blues dealt him to Edmonton last October.

Senators trade Zaitsev, picks to Blackhawks for future considerations

The Ottawa Senators have traded defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, a second-round pick in 2023, and a fourth-round pick in 2026 to the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations, the teams announced Wednesday.

The move is purely a cap dump from Ottawa’s perspective, as Zaitsev carries a $4.5-million cap hit through 2023-24 with a base salary of $2.5 million. He signed the contract in 2017 while a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Zaitsev has only appeared in 28 contests this season, notching five assists while averaging over 17 minutes per night. He suited up in 203 games for the Senators across four campaigns.

Ottawa only has three defensemen under contract for next season – Thomas Chabot, Artem Zub, and Jake Sanderson – and has long been rumored to be in the market for a blue-liner with term throughout much of the season. This deal has now given the franchise more financial flexibility to potentially add one.

The Senators aren’t expected to be buyers at the March 3 deadline. The club sits six points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference despite a 7-2-1 run in its last 10 games.

Chicago, on the other hand, is fully in sell mode leading up to the deadline as the team stares down a significant rebuild. The Blackhawks’ biggest trade chip is former MVP Patrick Kane, who controls his own destiny with a full no-movement clause.

The Senators and Blackhawks previously connected on a blockbuster trade in the summer, with Chicago shipping winger Alex DeBrincat to Canada’s capital for three draft picks.

Wild trade Kulikov to Ducks for future considerations

The Minnesota Wild dealt defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to the Anaheim Ducks for future considerations.

Kulikov is under contract for the upcoming season with a pact carrying a $2.25-million cap hit, according to CapFriendly.

With the trade, Minnesota cleared a roster spot to give highly touted blue-line prospect Calen Addison a chance to crack the squad out of camp, as The Athletic’s Michael Russo notes.

Kulikov, who’ll turn 32 on Oct. 29, collected seven goals and 17 assists over 80 games with the Wild last season. He’s not known for his production, but he can make an impact in the offensive zone.

Dmitry Kulikov, traded to ANA, is a chance-suppressing defensive defenceman who likes to join the rush on occasion. Solid short-term band-aid for the Ducks' blueline. pic.twitter.com/xnheeuBLVD

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) August 31, 2022

The Ducks will be Kulikov’s seventh NHL team. He previously suited up for the Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Winnipeg Jets, and Buffalo Sabres after playing his first seven campaigns with the Florida Panthers.

Reds trade Pham to Red Sox

The Cincinnati Reds traded outfielder Tommy Pham to the Boston Red Sox for a player to be named later or cash considerations, the clubs announced Monday.

Pham, 34, is hitting .238/.320/.374 with 11 homers and seven stolen bases over 91 games this season.

Once an underappreciated corner outfielder, Pham has shown signs of regression in recent years. Despite owning a 118 career wRC+, he’s posted a 95 wRC+ over the past three seasons with 29 homers and 27 steals over 277 games.

Boston’s outfield ranks 27th this season by FanGraphs WAR. Alex Verdugo has struggled to a .269/.308/.376 slash line with six homers.

The Red Sox were second in the AL East as recently as July 11 but seem to have pivoted toward selling after plummeting to last place. They are reportedly sending long-time catcher Christian Vazquez to the Houston Astros.

Golden Knights ship Pacioretty, Coghlan to Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes have made another blockbuster trade.

The Canes landed winger Max Pacioretty and defenseman Dylan Coghlan from the Vegas Golden Knights for future considerations, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.

The Hurricanes reeled in Brent Burns via trade earlier Wednesday.

The move helps the Golden Knights become cap compliant. Pacioretty has one year remaining on his contract with a $7-million cap hit.

Pacioretty remains one of the game’s most lethal snipers, even though he’ll turn 34 in November. He recorded 19 goals and 18 assists in 39 games with Vegas last season. He’s averaged 31 goals per 82 contests in his 14-year career.

Coghlan projects to fill a void on the right side of Carolina’s third defensive pairing, behind Burns and Brett Pesce. The 24-year-old has one year remaining on his contract with a $762,500 cap hit before becoming a restricted free agent. He recorded 13 points in 59 games with Vegas last season while averaging 14:12 per contest.

Senators trade Matt Murray, picks to Maple Leafs for future considerations

The Ottawa Senators traded goaltender Matt Murray and two picks to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for future considerations, both teams announced Monday.

Murray has two more seasons on his deal at a cap hit of $6.25 million, but Ottawa will retain 25% of the 28-year-old’s salary as part of the agreement. He will cost just under $4.69 million against the Leafs’ books per season.

Toronto will receive the Senators’ third-round selection in 2023 and a seventh-round pick in 2024.

Murray won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017, becoming the first goaltender to accomplish the feat as a rookie in the process. He owns a sterling .921 save percentage and 2.18 goals against average in 51 career playoff appearances.

However, he was unable to live up to expectations after signing his current four-year, $25-million contract with the Senators in October 2020. Injuries marred his two-season tenure in Ottawa: Murray was only able to suit up for 47 games in Canada’s capital, where he authored a .899 save percentage and 3.23 GAA.

Murray saw a slight uptick in performance this past season after logging a career-worst 3.38 GAA in 2020-21. He sported a .906 save percentage and 3.05 GAA in 2021-22 while putting up one shutout in 20 showings.

A non-COVID-19 illness sidelined him to begin the campaign, kicking things off on the wrong foot. He then suited up for two games before sustaining a head injury. Murray eventually returned to action for another three contests before testing positive for COVID-19.

Then the team placed him on waivers and sent him to the AHL in November. At the time, Murray said he felt the Senators were making him the scapegoat for their early-season struggles.

“I do, yeah. I also think that’s part of what you sign up for as a goalie. I think that comes with the territory,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve been bad, but I haven’t been good enough to win.”

Murray returned to the crease in the NHL in January and improved markedly before being forced to miss the Senators’ remaining 29 games of the season. He rocked a 2.96 GAA and .912 save percentage during his final 14 appearances of the campaign.

The Penguins’ third-round selection in 2012 owns a career 2.77 GAA and a .911 save percentage in 246 NHL games.

Murray played junior hockey with the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds under current Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas and head coach Sheldon Keefe.

The Maple Leafs will reportedly be hunting for another cheaper goaltender, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. Pending unrestricted free-agent goaltender Jack Campbell was Toronto’s starter in 2021-22, and he’ll now almost certainly hit the open market on July 13.

Stars trade Bishop’s contract to Sabres

The Dallas Stars traded former goaltender Ben Bishop‘s contract and a 2022 seventh-round pick to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for future considerations, both teams announced Friday.

Bishop, 35, hasn’t suited up for a regular-season NHL contest since March 2020. He started three games for the Stars in the 2020 playoff bubble in August.

The veteran hung up his pads in December due to a knee injury. He underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in October 2020 and was sent to the AHL’s Texas Stars on a rehab assignment in 2021-22. He allowed eight goals on 34 shots in his only appearance.

Bishop has one year remaining on his deal and carries a $4.9-million cap hit. The trade helps the Sabres get closer to the salary-cap floor, while the Stars gain more roster flexibility by getting Bishop off their long-term injured reserve.

The three-time Vezina Trophy finalist authored a career .921 save percentage and 2.32 goals-against average in 413 appearances. Bishop was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the third round in 2005 and also played for the Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Los Angeles Kings.

Wild trade Victor Rask to Kraken

The Minnesota Wild traded forward Victor Rask to the Seattle Kraken for future considerations, both teams announced Monday.

Minnesota is retaining 50% of his salary.

Rask can be an unrestricted free agent after this season. Current Kraken general manager and former Carolina Hurricanes executive Ron Francis signed Rask to his current six-year, $24-million contract in 2016.

The 29-year-old has five goals and eight assists in 29 contests this season and last suited up for an NHL game Feb. 14. Minnesota placed him on waivers in early January.

Rask logged 10 points in 10 games with the AHL’s Iowa Wild this season.

A second-round pick of the Hurricanes in 2011, Rask has 215 career points in 488 NHL games.