7:26 PM ET Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin honored the late Kobe Bryant by swapping his No. 8 jersey for the No. 24 during warm-ups on Wednesday night, ahead of the team’s home game against the Nashville Predators. The jersey will be signed and put up for auction, with proceeds benefiting the Kobe & Vanessa

7:00 AM ET We’re just three weeks from the NHL trade deadline, meaning most clubs are looking inward, then readjusting expectations. For this week’s ESPN Power Rankings, we take stock of how all 31 teams feel heading into the spiritual second half of the season. How we rank: The ESPN hockey editorial staff submits selections

7:05 AM ET http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/2590835/sami-vatanen Now that the 2020 NHL All-Star Weekend is in the rearview mirror, the league’s trade season is underway in earnest. The next several games for each team will be pivotal, as general managers decide whether their teams should be buyers, improving their chances for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, or sellers, perhaps

12:20 PM ET Associated Press BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo Sabres starting goalie Linus Ullmark will miss three to four weeks with an injury to his right leg. The team issued the update without revealing the nature of the injury Wednesday, a day after Ullmark was hurt in a 5-2 loss to Ottawa. Ullmark was untouched

5:59 PM ET Alexis Lafreniere, expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in June’s NHL draft, was suspended for three games Tuesday by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Lafreniere, 18, who plays forward for Rimouski Oceanic, delivered a head shot on Quebec Remparts forward Thomas Caron six seconds into the third period of

5:20 PM ET St. Louis Blues forward Sammy Blais has been activated from injured reserve, the team announced Tuesday. Blais, 23, missed 28 games while recovering from surgery on his right wrist. He played 20 games before the injury, posting five goals and eight points for the Western Conference-leading Blues. St. Louis went 17-8-3 in

10:57 AM ET The Pittsburgh Penguins have reached a five-year contract extension with defenseman Marcus Pettersson, the team announced Tuesday. The extension begins next season and has an average annual value of $4 million. The 23-year-old has tallied three goals and 31 assists since he was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks in December 2018. This

5:29 PM ET Seldom-used forward Travis Boyd, in the lineup because Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had to serve a one-game suspension, scored just his third goal of the season as Washington outlasted the Canadiens 4-2 in Montreal Monday night. The win was Washington’s fourth straight, and padded the Capitals’ lead atop the NHL standings to

5:29 PM ET The league’s top team returns from the All-Star break on Monday, but will be without its top player. Alex Ovechkin will serve his one-game suspension when the Washington Capitals take on the Canadiens in Montreal. Ovechkin is not eligible due to his decision to skip the All-Star Game in St. Louis Saturday.

12:23 PM ET Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Blue Jackets signed forward Eric Robinson to a two-year contract extension on Monday. The 24-year-old Robinson was pressed into action at the NHL level this season because of a rash of injuries to regulars. He has responded with five goals, four assists and a +10 plus/minus