NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - The Ottawa Senators and New Jersey Devils may be on the verge of making some trades with their chances of making the playoffs all but over with less than two months left in the NHL season.
Forwards Mark Stone, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel were not on the ice for the Senators’ pregame skate prior to Thursday night’s game at the Prudential Center. Forward Marcus Johansson and veteran defenseman Ben Lovejoy were not on the ice for the Devils. All five were officially scratched from the lineups.
The Senators have the worst record in the Eastern Conference and the Devils are next to last.
All five players are seemingly healthy and will be free agents after this season, so it appears they may be involved in deals before Monday’s NHL trading deadline.
Stone and Duchene are the Senators’ top two scorers. Dzingel is fourth.
The 26-year-old Stone leads Ottawa with 28 goals and 34 assists. The 2010 sixth-round draft pick has 128 goals and 188 assists in eight seasons with the Senators.
Duchene, who was acquired from Colorado in November 2017, has 27 goals and 31 assists in 50 games this season. The recently turned 28-year-old has 228 career goals.
Dzingel has 22 goals and 22 assists. The 26-year-old is in his fourth NHL season, all with Ottawa.
Johansson has 12 goals and 15 assists. The Swede was acquired from Washington before last season and he has been playing well lately.
The 35-year-old Lovejoy is a steady defenseman, who won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh. He signed with the Devils as a free agent in 2016.
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