NHL Trade Talk Roundup: Oilers, Flames, and Kovalchuk Retires

In our NHL Trade Talk Morning Roundup, Connor McDavid cemented his place alongside Wayne Gretzky with yet another milestone, while the Calgary Flames suffered a setback with captain Mikael Backlund’s injury. Meanwhile, former NHL superstar Ilya Kovalchuk officially announced his retirement, bringing an end to an eventful 24-year career.

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Top NHL Trade Deadline Roundup Story:

Connor McDavid Joins Gretzky in Elite 60-Assist Club

Connor McDavid continues to etch his name in Oilers history. On Thursday night, he recorded his 59th and 60th assists of the season in a 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils. McDavid joined Wayne Gretzky as the only player in NHL history to register nine consecutive 60-assist seasons.

Gretzky set the benchmark with 13 such seasons from 1979 to 1992, spanning his time with the Oilers and Los Angeles Kings. Since being drafted first overall in 2015, McDavid has hit the milestone every year except for one. During his injury-shortened rookie campaign, he wound up with 32 assists.

Additionally, McDavid became the first player since Mario Lemieux to record a point in 16 consecutive games against the same opponent.

Flames Captain Mikael Backlund Out Week-to-Week with Injury

The Calgary Flames will be without captain Mikael Backlund for the foreseeable future after he suffered an upper-body injury in Wednesday’s shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks. The team has listed him as week-to-week.

Backlund exited the game in the first period after delivering a hit on Canucks defenseman Victor Mancini. While he skated off under his own power, he appeared to twist his left shoulder or upper arm. The 35-year-old veteran has not missed a game since the 2020-21 season.

With the Flames battling for a playoff spot, losing Backlund—along with Connor Zary’s two-game suspension is less-than-ideal timing. Backlund has posted 24 points in 64 games.

Calgary recalled Dryden Hunt from the AHL’s Wranglers on an emergency basis.

Former NHL Star Ilya Kovalchuk Officially Retires

Ilya Kovalchuk has officially announced his retirement, marking the end of a solid hockey career that spanned 24 seasons. In his heyday, the 41-year-old was one of the most electrifying wingers of his generation.

Drafted first overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2001, Kovalchuk was the face of that franchise for nearly a decade. He eclipsed the 50-goal mark twice and was the team’s all-time leading scorer until Mark Scheifele (now the Winnipeg Jets) surpassed him last month.

His NHL career took a sharp turn in 2010 when he was traded to the New Jersey Devils and later signed a controversial 15-year contract, which got the Devils in hot water. He left the league in 2013 to return to Russia. He won multiple Gagarin Cups with SKA St. Petersburg before making a brief NHL comeback with the Kings, Canadiens, and Capitals.

Kovalchuk retires with 443 goals and 876 points in 926 NHL games.

Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Oilers, Rangers, Avs and Rantanen to Stars