Predators add grit with Wayne Simmonds, offence with Mikael Granlund

The Nashville Predators have added sandpaper to a group of point producers that includes, Filip Forsberg, leading goal-scorer Viktor Arvidsson and top scorer Ryan Johansen.

Physical winger Wayne Simmonds joined the Central Division club in a trade consummated with the Philadelphia Flyers just minutes before Monday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.

In return, the Flyers receive winger Ryan Hartman and a 2020 conditional fourth-round pick.

Nashville also acquired Mikael Granlund from the Minnesota Wild in an attempt to boost both its power play and overall scoring. Granlund has 18 points on the power play, which is five better than Nashville's best on the man advantage. He ranked second in Minnesota with 49 points, a total that would put him third on Nashville's roster. 

The Predators sent young forward Kevin to Minnesota in exchange. Fiala has 32 points in 64 games coming off a career season of 23 goals and 48 points. 

Simmonds, who is playing out the final season of a six-year deal signed in 2012, has 16 goals, 27 points and 90 penalty minutes in 62 games this season, so his pace has slowed from previous years.

In his first 10 NHL seasons, the 30-year-old native of Scarborough, Ont., scored either near or over 30 goals, 100 penalty minutes and averaged a little more than 44 points.

Simmonds is also durable, having missed only 24 games, and spectacular on the power play. But he doesn't often kill penalties and his defensive awareness has been questioned by some.

Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher reportedly waited until Sunday to seriously pursue trade talks involving Simmonds in case the team moved closer to playoff position. Entering play Monday, Philadelphia was seven points back of Carolina for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Bruins bring aboard Johansson

The Boston Bruins, clinging to second place in the Atlantic Division, added fast and skilled winger Marcus Johansson in a deal with New Jersey.

In his most productive NHL season, Johansson recorded 58 points with the Washington Capitals.

"He's a high, high character kid," Devils head coach John Hynes told reporters recently. "He's a great teammate, he's a great kid to coach."

But Johansson does have a concussion and history with other injuries that limited the Swede to 29 games last season and 48 this year.

Kinkaid joins Bobrovsky, Korpisalo in Columbus net

The Columbus Blue Jackets and New Jersey Devils got the dealing started early Monday.

Columbus acquired goaltender Keith Kinkaid from New Jersey for a 2022 fifth-round pick on Monday. Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen says his team is strong in goal with Sergei Bobrovsky and Joonas Korpisalo but that Kinkaid provides some depth.

"Keith's play throughout last season, especially his performance down the stretch, was key in leading this club to the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs," Devils general manager Ray Shero said. "He was part of this team's eventual transformation since he took over a regular role in 2014-15 and we greatly appreciate his efforts over his time here."

The moved cleared the way for the Devils to recall goaltending prospect Mackenzie Blackwood from Binghamton of the American Hockey League and join Cory Schneider in goal.

It's also an insurance policy for the Blue Jackets since No. 1 goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has declined to sign contract extension and will be a free agent at the end of the season. There has been speculation he might be traded.

Canadiens add centre Jordan Weal

In another move, the Montreal Canadiens traded for Jordan Weal from Arizona for fellow centre Michael Chaput.

The 26-year-old Weal has four goals and 11 points in 47 games this season and won 55.8 per cent of his faceoffs. In 153 career NHL outings with the Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers and Coyotes, the native of North Vancouver, B.C., has 20 goals and 44 points.

The Coyotes originally acquired Weal, who was selected 70th overall by Los Angeles in the 2010 draft, from Philadelphia for minor-league defenceman Jacob Graves and a 2019 sixth-round pick on Jan. 11.

Chaput, 26, had five assists in 30 games with Montreal this season. The native of Ile Bizard, Que., has recorded 22 points in 167 career NHL regular-season games with the Canadiens, Columbus Blue Jackets and Vancouver Canucks.

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Avalanche acquire Brassard

The Colorado Avalanche reportedly have traded for forward Derick Brassard and will send a third-round pick in 2020 to the Florida Panthers. Colorado also receives a conditional 2020 sixth-round selection.

Brassard, 31, joins his third team this season and his sixth in the past six years. He has 19 points in 50 games this season. Over 12 campaigns, he has collected 447 points in 766 regular-season games with Columbus, New York Rangers, Ottawa, Pittsburgh and Florida.

Other notable deals Monday:

• Columbus picked up veteran defenceman Adam McQuaid from the New York Rangers for two 2019 draft picks. The Rangers reportedly received fourth- and seventh-round selections,. McQuaid, 32, had five points and averaged 17 minutes 28 seconds of ice time in 36 games of his first season with New York. The six-foot-four rearguard spent his first nine NHL seasons with Boston, winning the Stanley Cup in 2011

• The Calgary Flames added some depth to their blue-line in Oscar Fantenberg from the Los Angeles Kings for a conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2020. The 27-year-old Swede has four goals and 12 points in 73 NHL regular-season games over the last two seasons with the Kings, including 46 outings this season.

• The surging St. Louis Blues added defenceman Michael Del Zotto in a trade with Anaheim. The Ducks, who acquired Del Zotto from the Canucks in January for defenceman Luke Schenn and a seventh-round pick in 2020, will recoup a sixth-round draft pick in Monday's deal.

• Carolina acquired forward Tomas Jurco from Florida and dealt forward Cliff Pu to the Panthers in separate trades. In both transactions, the teams are receiving future considerations in return. Jurco, 26, has 10 points in 14 games this season with the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds while Pu, 20, has six points in 44 contests with Charlotte of the AHL.