The New York Rangers have gotten solid value for one of their top prospects Nils Lundkvist – but it’s still unfortunate for what could have been.

The Rangers announced it acquired a conditional first-round pick in the 2023 draft and a conditional fourth-round selection in 2025 from the Dallas Stars in exchange for Lundkvist.

The 2023 pick will reportedly be top-10 protected, while the fourth in 2025 could become a third if the Swedish defenseman puts up 55 points over the next two seasons with the Stars.

Should the Stars land a top-10 pick next season, the Rangers will get the Stars’ 2024 first-round pick instead.

The move by the Rangers came after Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported that Lundkvist was unlikely to show up to camp because he wanted another opportunity elsewhere.

The 2018 first-round pick was a highly touted puck-moving defenseman that was hoped to play important minutes for the Rangers in the future.

In Sweden’s tier one league (the SHL), Lundkvist holds the record for most points by an under 21 defensemen with 74 points.

However, the 22-year-old requested a trade in January after the Rangers sent him down to the AHL.

He wound up losing his spot on the roster to 2020 first-round pick Braden Schneider.

For the Rangers, there should be some mixed feelings on the matter.

Fans and the organization will wonder just what his ceiling could have been if Schneider did not emerge or if the Rangers did not have other long-term obligations on the right side of its defense.

Likewise, he wasn’t going to be anywhere near as good as 2021 Norris trophy winner Adam Fox.

However, he may have had a spot on the team if the Rangers did not commit for four more years with newly named captain Jacob Trouba, who carries a full no-movement clause until 2023-2024 with an $8 million cap hit, according to CapFriendly.

That said, it was still a job well done by general manager Chris Drury to grab a first-round pick in what’s described as a deep draft class next year for a player who wanted out but has an unknown factor when it comes to the NHL.

That said, he’ll get a fresh start with the Stars, who could use Lundkvist’s talent on the right side on the back end.

In 25 games with the Rangers last season, Lundkvist recorded four points.

Next year, the Rangers are set to pick twice in the first round after not having a selection in the top 32 this past draft.

Tuesday night at Enterprise Stadium, a game seven, was decided in double overtime. Nerves were at an all-time high in St. Louis. The Blues eliminated the Dallas Stars. The Stars fought back to bring it to overtime, and continued to grind through to a double overtime.

Earlier in the series, the Star’s defenders Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alex Radulov performed to their best as they carried their team throughout this series. In game seven though, the defense wasn’t exactly up to their usual standards. The only goal for the Stars was scored by Mats Zuccarello.

In game six, Alex Pietrangelo scored the third-quickest goal in an elimination game at just 1:03.

The Stars were pinned deep into their half for the majority of the match, buckling down defensively, preventing all they could to hold the Blues. The Stars needed grit and strength to finish strongly the way they were playing. They were against the ropes for a majority of the match. The shot differential was one of the main stat lines of the night, with the Stars getting outshout 31-4 in regular time. In total, the Blues shot the puck 52 times, compared to the Stars 22 shots.

“That’s kinda been the story of the season. When our backs are against the wall we play our best and find a way to fight through it,” Blues winger Robert Thomas told ESPN.

There are now two teams in the conference finals (Blues) entering the Stanley Cup playoffs with 300-1 odds, and the Carolina Hurricanes, with 100-1 odds, proving that the Stanley Cup continues to be one of the most unpredictable tournaments in American sports.

The St. Louis Blues played with all the grit they had in them during Sunday’s Game 6 of their playoff series.

Despite a do-or-die road game against the Dallas Stars, the Blues were cool and confident. They had every reason to be. They’re 5-1 on the road this playoffs, good for the best record among all teams. And the Blues had no reason to sweat a minor misstep if they made it early. This year, they’ve had a habit of coming back in games, outscoring opponents 11-2 on the road in the third period. Though there was no Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliot taking selfies moment in Game 6, it proved to be an exciting matchup.

Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo set the tone early. He reached the back of the net just 63 seconds into the game.

Jaden Schwartz would also come through for his team. He’d have one assist and one goal along with three more shot attempts. He’s leading the team with 11 points this playoff series. His eight goals are second on the team only to Logan Couture.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

Goalie Jordan Binnington was close to perfect in the game. He racked up a save percentage of .957 and only let one puck past him on 23 shots.

The Blues are also aware of their coach making some bold moves. When asked about the choice of Craig Berube, veteran David Perron said: “He’s got some balls. I know you don’t like to hear this word, but I didn’t think of anything else. Sorry, I’m French.”

With Game 7 approaching on Tuesday night, the Blues find themselves in familiar territory. This will be their fifth series against Dallas that goes all the way and the first since 2016, when St. Louis won. Currently, the Blues have a 3-1 Game 7 advantage over the Stars.

Though there was only one NHL game on Monday night, it didn’t disappoint.

The St. Louis Blues and the Dallas Stars played competitively the whole game and ultimately no team could come out ahead for 88 minutes. It wasn’t until the very end that the Blues notched a final goal and slid ahead for a 2-1 series lead, winning 4-3.

Blues Lead Series 2-1

The Stars came out onto their home ice in an evenly matched series hoping to get ahead. That hope is gone now. Fans were treated to a chaotic third period. Four goals were scored in five minutes. But that didn’t bother the Blues, who are used to walking away the victors in these close games. They’re 4-0 on the road, all one-score games.

While Dallas Center Tyler Seguin could’ve walked away the hero, ultimately, Patrick Maroon did. These playoffs have been filled with lots of “boy returns to hometown team, saves the season” stories but none have gone on as powerful as Maroon’s has. Minutes after Seguin tied up the game at 3-3, Maroon found the back of the net and victory on the road.

The Stars, while they lost, are a good team and their passing shows it. Looking at how the team moves the puck through opposing defenses, they’re a force to be feared. See this goal last night for an example of this:

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

When they hope to bounce back on Wednesday night, they’ll hope to shut down Blues wing Jaden Schwartz. After averaging only 0.16 goals per game this season, he’s turned it on for the playoffs. He’s averaging 0.67 goals per game and finding the net consistently.

There was also a Dallas fan who was hit by a puck during the game. However, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot was in attendance and came over to the fan and tried to cheer him up, taking selfies with the kid.

Miro Heisakanen looks to be the next phenom among rookies or new players that will be known across leagues. He has been getting a lot of comparisons to NBA star Luka Doncic based off of his early success as well his dominance in the game. Finnish-born defenseman Heisakanen played 23:24 in his first career playoff game, including 9 minutes in the third period. He was named the game’s First Star with two goals. He’s only 19 years old.

stars Rookie miro heisakanen wows

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

The rookie has gained a lot of attention for his early success, but it’s not just his scoring that has everyone on the edge of the seats: it’s his IQ as well.

Heiskanen plays with a poise that is just levels above other new players when they first arrive in the NHL, another reason he is often compared to Doncic.

Doncic is already one of the premier players in the NBA and he was younger than nine out of the ten starters for this year’s NCAA Championship Game. He has showcased once again why he’s levels above his current talent pool.

Being able to perform in the regular season is one thing, but even veterans struggle sometimes in the postseason.

In Heisakanen’s first career playoff game, he was able to dominate early on and came up clutch for his team.

Heiskanen was the youngest player and defenseman in Dallas Stars franchise history to score a goal in the postseason.

The confidence of the young defenseman is what really takes fans by surprise and puts the rest of the league on notice. Sizing up difficult shots from distance, as well as slashing past defenders on the way to score, fear of the moment is definitely not a problem for Heiskanen.

The Chicago Blackhawks re-acquired defenseman Johnny Oduya on Tuesday in a trade with the Dallas Stars.

Blackhawks Get Johnny Oduya In Trade With Stars

The Stars get former Blackhawks first-round pick Mark McNeill as part of the trade, as well as a conditional fourth-round draft pick.

Oduya will become a free agent at the end of the regular season, and according to reports, Dallas will retain half of his salary for the rest of the season in order to make the trade work.

Blackhawks vice president and general manager Stan Bowman said Wednesday that the team has been interest in the 35-year-old Swede for a long time, although “the price had to be right.”

As part of the deal, the Blackhawks (39-18-5, 2nd in Central Division) have placed fellow Swedish defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson on injured reserve as he continues to deal with an upper-body injury. Hjalmarsson, who exited Thursday’s 6-3 win over the Coyotes early, has already missed one game and is set to miss at least three more, according to head coach Joel Quenneville.

Chicago have won four straight games and nine of their last 10. They next host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night.

GLENDALE, AZ – FEBRUARY 18: Johnny Oduya #47 of the Dallas Stars in action during the NHL game against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on February 18, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. The Coyotes defeated the Stars 6-3. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

In December, Dallas Stars center Cody Eakin laid a brutal hit to the head of New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. On Tuesday night, Eakin got a taste of the Rangers’ revenge.

Watch: Rangers’ Chris Kreider Takes Off Cody Eakin’s Helmet, Uses It As Weapon

Early in the second period of the game between the two teams at Madison Square Garden, Eakin and the Rangers’ Chris Kreider dropped their gloves and began fighting.

It appeared the scrum began after Kreider pushed Eakin against the boards and the Stars center decided to respond. Struggling to land blows on Eakin, Kreider eventually did something rarely seen in an NHL fight: he took off Eakin’s helmet and used it to strike him repeatedly.

The crowd became very excited, and from this angle, it seems clear why:

Eakin was suspended four games for his hit on Lundqvist last month, so many will likely wonder whether Kreider will receive similar punishment for his behavior on Tuesday.

Kreider and Eakin were both assessed five-minute majors for fighting, although Kreider was somehow allowed to remain in the game.

SBNation’s Pat Iversen noted that Kreider should have been ejected for hitting Eakin with a piece of his equipment, a violation of Rule 53.

This isn’t the first time officials have missed such a call. In 2014, the Florida Panthers’ Willie Mitchell did the same thing and went unpunished.

NHL Player Safety later fined Kreider $5,000 for his helmet hit:

“That’s not something you forget about,” said the Rangers winger about Eakin’s hit on Lundqvist. “I’m sure someone will have a conversation with him.”

Kreider himself, however, has also gained a reputation for crashing into goalies, the way he did Tuesday with the Stars’ Antti Niemi: 

The Stars (19-19-8) eventually won the game 7-6. They will next visit the Islanders on Thursday night, when the Rangers (28-16-1) visit Toronto.

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 17: Chris Kreider #20 of the New York Rangers fights with Cody Eakin #20 of the Dallas Stars at Madison Square Garden on January 17, 2017 in New York City. The Stars defeated the Rangers 7-6. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Henrik Lundqvist returned to the New York Rangers‘ net Thursday night after sitting for the previous four games, and was welcomed back by a nasty hit from the Dallas Stars’ Cody Eakin in the middle of the first period.

Watch: Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist Takes Dirty Hit From Cody Eakin

Lundqvist went to play the puck behind the net during a Rangers power play when Eakin crashed into him at 9:19 of the first, sending the goalie down to the ice and his helmet flying. Lundqvist left the game in Dallas– which the Rangers won 2-0– and was replaced by Antti Raanta for the Rangers’ five-minute power-play, but then returned at 14:50 of the first. Lundqvist made 27 saves for the Rangers (21-10-1).

Eakin was given a five-minute major penalty for charging and a game misconduct in the Stars’ (12-14-6) loss.

“I didn’t see him coming at all,” Lundqvist said. “[The trainer] came out and told me, ‘You have to leave right away.’ … Felt pretty good. Did a quick test and tried to rush to come back out there because I really wanted to play.”

It was the first shared shutout in Rangers history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Raanta did not face any shots.

After two scoreless periods, Rick Nash and Mats Zuccarello scored for New York, who lost to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday after winning three in a row.

Nash took advantage of a turnover by Jamie Benn and beat goalie Antti Niemi with a wrist shot over his left shoulder for a short-handed goal at 7:08 of the third to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.

“That’s a stupid play on that. When you play a good team like that, you’ve got to make them make the first mistake,” Benn said. “It was my fault. I’ll take the blame for this one.”

Nash returned to the lineup after missing the past four games with a groin injury. Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh was also back in the lineup after missing Tuesday’s home loss to the Blackhawks due to the flu.

Zuccarello then scored into an empty net with 1:04 remaining to make it 2-0. His eighth goal of the season ended a 14-game drought.

Lundqvist was at his best on the penalty kill, when he made nine saves to help New York kill five Stars power plays. In the second period, he made point-blank pad saves on Benn and Devin Shore. 

Niemi made 28 saves for Dallas.

Stars defenseman Jamie Oleksiak was eligible to play after serving a two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of Philadelphia Flyers forward Chris VandeVelde on Saturday, although he was a healthy scratch.

The Rangers will next visit the Nashville Predators on Saturday, when the Stars host the Philadelphia Flyers.

DALLAS, TX – DECEMBER 15: Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers blocks a shot on goal against the Dallas Stars in the third period at American Airlines Center on December 15, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

The St. Louis Blues defeated the Dallas Stars 6-1 in Game 7 on Wednesday night to win their series 4-3 and advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2001.

Blues Beat Stars 6-1, Advance To West Final

Linemates Robby Fabbri, Paul Stastny and Troy Brouwer each scored one goal and assisted on each other’s tallies.

The Blues, who are in the playoffs for the 40th time and are pursuing their first Stanley Cup, will next host either the Nashville Predators or the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference finals.

The Predators and Sharks will face off in the deciding Game 7 on Thursday night.

Captain David Backes and Patrik Berglund also scored goals for St. Louis, who earned its third road victory in this series. Vladimir Tarasenko scored the final, empty-net goal with 4:40 remaining.

“It’s taken a lot of hard work from these guys. It’s taken a group that has really bound together when we’ve had our backs against the walls,” Backes said. “We know we’re one of the last four teams standing, and we’re halfway to our ultimate goal. We still have some work to do. It’s a good feeling in this room right now.”

Patrick Eaves netted the lone goal for the Stars, who also lost to the Blues 6-1 in Game 3 of this series.

Brian Elliott returned as goalie for the Blues and finished with 31 saves. Elliott had been pulled late in the first period of Game 6, which Dallas won 3-2, after allowing three goals in seven shots. Wednesday night also marked the Stars’ first Game 7 at home since 2000, and first in the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

This was the second time this postseason that the Blues won their series in seven games. They topped the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Brouwer’s winning goal in the Game 7 clincher at home.

In Game 7, the Blues dominated after the first period, even after having a goal taken off the board that same period due to a replay challenge by the Stars. Fabbri opened scoring with a backhanded power-play goal 5:23 into the game after Dallas goalie Kari Lehtonen was unable to control a loose puck in front.

With about two minutes left in the first period, Tarasenko shot from in front of the left circle, and although the puck got behind Lehtonen and into the net to apparently make it 2-0, Dallas challenged the call. The replay showed that Tarasenko was just offside before the puck got in the zone, so officials wiped off the goal.

Nevertheless, the Blues shrugged this off and proceeded to score two more goals in the last 1:38 of the first period, including a shot from Berglund just inside the blue line with 3.4 seconds left before the intermission, to gain a 3-0 lead.

Stars coach Lindy Ruff has used two goalies all season, and Lehtonen was replaced after allowing three goals in eight shots. Antti Niemi took over in the second period, when Backes and Brouwer scored, but stopped the other eight shots he faced.

PHOTO: DALLAS, TX – MAY 11: Ales Hemsky #83 of the Dallas Stars and Kevin Shattenkirk #22 of the St. Louis Blues skate for the puck in the first period in Game Seven of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 11, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Tuesday night turned out very badly for the Dallas Stars.

Blues’ Ryan Reaves Pummels Curtis McKenzie

The No. 1 seed in the Western Conference scored the first goal in Game 3 of its second-round Stanley Cup playoff series but then let in 6 for a lopsided 6-1 road loss against the St. Louis Blues. The defeat tied for the largest margin of victory of any playoff game this season.

The Stars also lost the game’s sole fight.

As the Blues led 5-1 late in the third period, Dallas’s Stephen Johns was whistled for boarding after checking Alex Pietrangelo from behind. A brawl ensued, and Blues right winger Ryan Reaves and Stars left winger Curtis McKenzie quickly broke away from the pack and dropped their gloves.

Reaves currently leads the Blues in fighting majors with five this season, easily crushed McKenzie, then added insult to injury by blowing a kiss toward the Dallas bench as he skated off the ice.

David Backes netted the sixth and final goal for the Blues just over a minute later. The Blues now lead the series 2-1, with Game 4 set for Thursday night, once again at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhS_PRIxdxs

PHOTO: CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 06: Brandon Bollig #52 of the Chicago Blackhawks has words with Ryan Reeves #75 of the St. Louis Blues as liesman Scott Cherrey #50 moves to separate them at the United Center on April 6, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

During yesterday’s Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames matchup, Stars’ defenseman Patrik Nemeth had to deal with an unusual situation. The Flames’ Jiri Hudler took the puck to the red line and attempted a simple chip and chase. But his chip ended up hitting Nemeth in the face.

Luckily the scary moment turned out fine, as the puck just got lodged in the defenseman’s visor, creating a nice eye patch that made him “look like a pirate,” according to analyst Darryl Reaugh.

Of course, the play was whistled dead, as Nemeth laughingly pried the puck out.