SAN FRANCISCO -- The animated verbal exchanges between Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant and Hall of Famer Gary Payton Sr. on Friday night were all in good fun.

"Just talking junk," Payton told ESPN's Jorge Sedano from his second-row seat at Chase Center after the third quarter ended with Durant and the 1995-96 defensive player of the year going back and forth.

But Durant meant every word of the trash he talked to Payton, the father of Golden State Warriors wing Gary Payton II, during the Suns' 130-105 victory.

"It's always good when I run into an older player, especially if they played in the '90s, because they feel like that's the golden years of the NBA," Durant said. "So I try to let them know, especially GP, I try to let them know what it would have been like if they'd have been on the court with me. They tend to talk down on the mentality of our era's players.

"G's a great sport about it -- one of my favorite players, somebody I look up to, got major respect for. I think we started in the summer with Team USA. We were all in the same room with Team USA, and the first thing I said to him was that he couldn't guard me. 'You're too small. Them dudes that played back in the day wasn't close to me.' I was just talking crazy to him, so I guess we picked it up from there."

Durant, who scored 19 points in 29 minutes during the win, traded trash talk with Payton for most of the third quarter. Durant finished the quarter with a trio of 3-pointers to stretch the Suns' lead to 19. At the end of the quarter, he made a beeline toward the corner where Payton was sitting, but Durant was adamant he didn't need a scoring outburst for fodder in their conversation.

"If I needed to show him that minute of basketball to let him know what I've been doing out here ... I've got 18 years of footage," Durant said with a smile. "That minute ain't do much. He knew that was coming."

Before heading to the Suns' bench, Durant walked to the block, letting Payton know that's the area of the floor Durant would use to score on Payton.

"We're going right into that post," said Durant, a 15-time All-Star who is 75 points shy of becoming the eighth member of the NBA's 30,000-point club. "He's too small, man. [Payton is] 6-4, not really physical like that. He's just too small for me. And he knows that.

"But GP is one of those players, you're not going to get that last word on him."

According to Durant, Payton has never explained how he would defend him.

"I still don't know," Durant said, briefly pausing before getting in another dig. "He'd probably just try to foul me, just like his son do."

Durant looks forward to hearing the fiery retorts from Payton, who retired the year that Durant was drafted, the next time they run into each other.

"It's always good rapport with the older generation," Durant said. "They respect me. I respect what they've done. But there's some players that still got that competitive edge and wish they were still out there and still keep that with them everywhere they go. That's GP, and I respect that about him. So any time, any chance I get to see him, man, we going to talk this trash until we die. It's all love."

SAN ANTONIO -- Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo took exception to a fourth-quarter foul by San Antonio's Chris Paul that left the Bucks star on the floor during the Bucks' 144-118 loss to the Spurs on Friday night.

With 3:46 remaining and the Bucks trailing 131-111, Antetokounmpo caught a bounce pass from Taurean Prince and spun toward the basket as Paul, Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell attempted to defend. Antetokounmpo spun between Sochan and Paul, who appeared to shove Antetokounmpo to the court.

Antetokounmpo landed on his right hip and back and immediately said something to Paul while pointing at him. Teammate Gary Trent Jr. helped Antetokounmpo up after the play and Sochan walked over to step between Antetokounmpo and Paul. Khris Middleton and Victor Wembanyama pulled Sochan away just as Stephon Castle approached to diffuse the situation.

Paul was called for a foul on the play, and after a review, it was ruled a common foul.

Antetokounmpo's frustration lingered after the game. He waited several seconds near half court for Paul after the final buzzer. The two exchanged words briefly as Paul waited to conduct a postgame on-court interview.

"People that know me, they don't try me," Antetokounmpo told reporters after the game. "If you try me, it's a different side. If you try me, you're gonna get that different side of me."

Antetokounmpo initially said "nothing" happened, calling it "a physical play," before adding, "I don't know if I was tripped or I was pushed." Then he elaborated when asked why he waited for Paul after the game.

"At the end of the day, I think we're all men. We all respect one another," Antetokounmpo said. "If words cross the line, then there's got to be consequences. I really don't say much. I don't say much to start with, try to play the game the right way. If I feel like you're putting my livelihood, my career and my body in jeopardy in danger, enough is enough, brother. I have a family to feed, and what makes you laugh can also make you cry sometimes."

After the play, a minor scuffle occurred that was quickly broken up by teammates and security personnel.

"Giannis is as levelheaded as anybody in our league," Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said. "So, if he was upset at something, I'm going to probably guess something happened."

The incident somewhat marred a competitive showdown between two of the league's top international players in Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama.

Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 35 points with 14 rebounds and 6 assists. It was Antetokounmpo's fourth consecutive game with at least 35 points and 10 rebounds, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the longest streak in franchise history.

Wembanyama posted his sixth career game with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks, tying the second most such games in the past 20 seasons.

The Spurs made a franchise-record 24 3-pointers, with Wembanyama connecting on 5 of 11.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Rob Ray the feared NHL enforcer gave way to Rob Ray the son, father and beloved teammate Friday night, showing his softer side upon induction into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame.

It took the sight of his parents sitting to his left, and a standing ovation from the thousands of Sabres fans on hand for Ray to nearly give in to his emotions before beginning his acceptance speech.

"OK, you got to stop or I'm going to cry," said Ray, who spent 14 of his 16 NHL seasons in Buffalo, where he inspired an NHL rule change, excited crowds with his fights, accumulated 3,207 penalty minutes, and remains a fan favorite in making a near seamless shift into broadcasting Sabres games.

"I came to this town, I didn't need glasses, I was in shape, I had hair, I left it all here for you guys," Ray said to open his speech.

"It's hard to believe I've been in this organization for 37 years," he said in closing. "And on those nights that I was coming off the ice, and there was blood coming out of your face somewhere, that wasn't red. That was blue and gold," he said, referring to the Sabres colors.

Ray, 56, was selected by Buffalo in the fifth round of the 1988 draft, and played for the Sabres from 1990 to 2002 before closing his career playing parts of two seasons in Ottawa. He became the 44th person inducted into the team hall of fame Friday night before a game against the Nashville Predators.

Ray's penalty minutes are a franchise record and rank sixth on the NHL career list. He finished with 41 goals and 91 points in 900 career games.

Memorable as his many fights were, Ray had a few notable offensive moments.

He scored a goal on his first career shift, beating Tom Barrasso with a slap shot from the left circle, and added an assist in a 4-2 win at Pittsburgh on Oct. 21, 1989. He scored three career playoff goals, including the winner in a 5-2 victory over Toronto in Game 4 of the 1999 Eastern Conference finals -- a series Buffalo won in Game 5.

As an enforcer, Ray was noted for wearing tear-away jerseys, which gave him an advantage over an opponent. It freed Ray's arms to keep punching, while his opponent was caught flat-footed with Ray's jersey in his hands.

This led to the NHL introducing a rule in which players who fought without their jerseys got game misconducts.

"He played the game with fire. He wasn't just a tough guy, but he was the toughest," former teammate Brad May said. "There's no better feeling knowing Rob Ray has your back."

From Stirling, Ontario, Ray adopted Buffalo as his hometown and is known for heading the Sabres alumni association and for his many charitable works, including distributing toys to underprivileged children each Christmas Eve.

Ray was celebrated on the ice with many of his teammates on hand, along with his wife and two children. Sabres co-owner Kim Pegula made her first appearance at the arena since experiencing a debilitating cardiac arrest in June 2022. Pegula watched from a suite along with her husband, Terry.

Ray paid tribute to each of his coaches, and to late NHL Hall of Fame broadcaster Rick Jeanneret, by saying, "I miss you, buddy. We all do." Jeanneret, who died in August 2023, provided Ray his broadcasting start after his retirement.

Tie Domi, who squared off with Ray on numerous occasions, sent a video tribute.

"They changed the rules because of you. The streaker, the fighting streaker," Domi said. "I'm proud of you, man. Our friendship goes way beyond hockey."

Ray lamented how the NHL eventually phased out the enforcer role by introducing a series of rule changes to limit fighting over the past two decades.

"I think that sometimes what we lose in our game is it's all about winning and losing and it's all about stats, you forget it's an entertainment business," said Ray, a member of the late 90s Sabres squads that were dubbed the hardest working team in hockey.

"We didn't win a lot of games back then. But we played hard and people respected it. They liked it," Ray said. "They knew that we might not win, but you know what, 'I may see a fight tonight. I might see two.' And that was kind of the draw that lured them."

NEW ORLEANS -- Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray left Friday night's 118-116 loss to Boston in the first quarter due to an injury to his lower right leg.

Murray drove into the lane and took a shot, then went to chase his miss. But he fell to the court and grabbed at the area near his right foot. When he got up, he hobbled toward the nearby Pelicans bench.

The Pelicans said Murray would not return to the game.

The injury-riddled Pelicans were already playing without Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones.

DETROIT -- Cade Cunningham scored 40 points a day after being selected as an All-Star reserve, helping the Detroit Pistons beat the Dallas Mavericks 117-102 on Friday night.

Cunningham matched a season high for points on 17-of-30 shooting. He added six rebounds and four assists while falling three points shy of his career-best 43 points.

Cunningham outscored his teammates 16-15 in the third quarter, including eight points in the final 2:42.

Friday's 40-point effort capped a stellar January for Cunningham, who scored at least 30 points in eight games. It also marked his fifth game of at least 35 points this season, exceeding the total from his three previous NBA seasons combined.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Cunningham, 23, is averaging career bests in scoring (25.3 points), assists (9.3), rebounds (6.4) and steals (1.2).

Tobias Harris added 17 points and Jalen Duren had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Pistons, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Kyrie Irving led Dallas with 28 points. P.J. Washington had 22 points and 13 rebounds.

After the Mavericks cut the lead to 93-91 with 10:13 left, the Pistons responded with a 10-2 run with Cunningham on the bench.

ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

SEATTLE -- Seattle Kraken center Yanni Gourde was expected to be out five to seven weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia.

General manager Ron Francis provided the medical update on Gourde on Friday, hours after the surgery took place in the morning.

That recovery timeframe risks the possibility that Gourde will not play before the NHL trade deadline on March 7. With the Kraken barely on the fringe of the playoff race in the Western Conference and given that Gourde is a pending free agent, he was expected to be one of the top trade options for contenders looking to add at the deadline.

Gourde, 33, has 83 games of playoff experience in the league, including back-to-back Stanley Cup runs with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and '21 before Seattle chose him in the expansion draft. A dependable two-way player, Gourde is skating an average of more than 15 minutes over 35 games this season and has six goals and 10 assists.

Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race for Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho, while Chelsea's Joao Felix is attracting interest from AC Milan and Aston Villa. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors and gossip from around the globe.

Transfers homepage | Done deals | Men's January grades | Women's January grades

TOP STORIES

- Sources: Aston Villa interested in Marcus Rashford
- PSV weigh options after USMNT's Ricardo Pepi injury
- Sources: Bayern's Tel rejects offer to join Spurs
- Source: Dorgu on brink of 35m Man United move

TRENDING RUMORS

- Manchester United have received an enquiry from Tottenham Hotspur regarding winger Alejandro Garnacho, reports Daily Mail. Spurs are believed to be keen on a loan for the 20-year-old, with talks expected to continue between both clubs over a potential deal. Chelsea and Napoli have been linked with interest in a permanent move for Garnacho, who the Red Devils would reportedly let go for an offer in the region of 60 million.

- The representative of Chelsea forward João Félix is exploring a potential move to AC Milan, reports Nicolo Schira. Agent Jorge Mendes is said to be in Italy discussing a loan move to the San Siro for the 25-year-old, who according to Sky Sports Deutschland, is also on the radar of Aston Villa as a potential replacement for Jhon Durán. Felix has made just three starts for the Blues in the Premier League this season.

- An approach for Porto midfielder Nico Gonzalez has been made by Manchester City, says Fabrizio Romano. Negotiations are reported to be underway between both clubs, and while the Liga Portugal side would prefer to keep the 23-year-old, he could be signed if Man City activate the 60 million release clause in his current deal. Gonzalez joined the Dragoes from Barcelona, who are in line to receive 40% of any future transfer fee.

- Manchester United are interested in a move for on-loan VfB Stuttgart striker El Bilal Toure, according to Foot Mercato. The Red Devils are reported to have "accelerated" in their pursuit of the 23-year-old who is on loan from Atalanta, and it is said that there could be a three-way deal situation emerging in which the Bundesliga club would make his loan become permanent for 18 million before moving him on to Old Trafford.

- An agreement has been reached between Tottenham Hotspur and AC Milan for centre-back Fikayo Tomori, reports Gianluca Di Marzio. An initial 25 million plus 5 million in bonuses is reported to have been agreed for the 27-year-old, and he is set to consider his future and a potential return to the Premier League after initially wanting to remain in Italy.

The transfer window is open across Europe as clubs look to do some midseason business. But what are ESPN's reporters hearing about possible deals?

Every Friday in January, we'll bring you the latest updates and insights on the biggest transfer news.

Will Christopher Nkunku be at Chelsea on Feb. 4?

Nkunku is determined to leave Chelsea in the next few days. The France international forward is not happy about being a fringe player for Enzo Maresca's team, where he features mostly as a starter in the UEFA Conference League. He has told the Blues' hierarchy that he wants to find a new project, and the club are not against letting him leave if their valuation is matched. However, they want to recoup the 60m they spent to sign him from RB Leipzig just 18 months ago.

The former PSG player would be happy to stay in England or go back to Germany. And sources said that Manchester United have asked to be kept informed of developments in case Alejandro Garnacho departs. -- Julien Laurens

Meanwhile, Chelsea are close to reaching an agreement to sign 16-year-old Corinthians left-back Denner, but due to FIFA rules, he could only make the transfer to England after he turns 18. -- ESPN Brasil

Could one of Arsenal, Chelsea, Man United, Tottenham or Villa land a late move for Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel?

Yes. Bayern Munich director Max Eberl has confirmed that the 19-year-old Tel wants to leave and said: "I've rarely had so many clubs call me about a player before." But although Chelsea have made a lot of the early running, Tottenham feel they have an opportunity to win the race by offering a clearer path to regular first-team football and had a 60m offer accepted on Thursday night. The player has yet to make a decision though and personal terms have not been reached.

Sources said that Manchester United, Aston Villa and Ligue 1 side Marseille are also interested -- although United must focus on outgoings first -- while it remains unclear if Arsenal pivot away from their pursuit of Villa striker Ollie Watkins. If they do, Tel will be one alternative. -- James Olley

After telling Bayern that he wanted to stay, Tel has changed his mind and has opened the door to a departure before the deadline as he has become frustrated by his lack of game time this season. Bayern want 60m for a permanent deal but are hoping that a bidding war breaks out between interested clubs; Tel wants to move to England and join a team where he will play regularly -- ideally one that is in the Champions League.

Currently, Tottenham are leading the way but are not in a strong position considering their poor league performance. United have been in talks with Bayern and Tel's agent for two days, but the club has to find an exit for Marcus Rashford first, and time is running out.

Tel could be Arsenal's second option if they don't manage to sign Watkins, while, as James says, Chelsea were the first club to get in touch about the player early in this transfer window and could yet move if Nkunku is allowed to depart. -- Laurens

Which players could leave Man United before the deadline?

Man United would consider offers to sign midfielder Christian Eriksen and defender Victor Lindelöf before the deadline, but that's optimistic because they will both be free agents this summer. Casemiro, 32, is available, and United are willing to sanction a straight loan while paying a portion of his wages. However, the Brazilian hasn't shown much desire to go this month, and he already rejected a move to Roma, which means it would take a good offer to get things moving.

Young striker Rasmus Højlund is another interesting situation. He's not playing well, but many clubs are looking for a striker on loan. United, however, could not afford to let Antony (who has already signed for Real Betis on loan), Rashford and Højlund leave without bringing in a replacement. -- Rob Dawson

And what about Rashford?

Man United want him out and Rashford wants to play, but this has now become a game of poker. Will United drop their financial demands or will Rashford agree to take a pay cut to move to another club? It's likely either will need to happen if he's going to go before the deadline.

It's possible that this one will go right to the wire on Monday. Which side is going to blink first? -- Dawson

Is Man City's business over for January?

They hope not. The possibility that midfielder Douglas Luiz could be allowed to leave Juventus has got City boss Pep Guardiola and sporting director Txiki Begiristain interested. City would be keen on a loan for Luiz -- who used to play for the club 2017-19, but he didn't make a first-team appearance until the end of the season with an option to make it permanent. Juventus have suggested they want a permanent move now or an obligation to sign permanently in the summer.

As right-back Kyle Walker has left for Milan, there's also interest in Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso, whose transfer is valued at around 80m, but that might have to wait until the summer.

One thing that could be of interest is the fact that Al Nassr have a delegation based in London ahead of the SPL deadline on Friday night and one of the players being discussed is City midfielder Mateo Kovacic. As of Thursday evening, City had yet to receive contact from the Saudi club, r but informal enquiries have been made to Kovacic's representatives. It's a hard deal to do but one to keep an eye on. -- Dawson

James McAtee is likely to stay at City this month because the club is unable to loan him out of the country. City have already used their full allocation of six loans and cannot sanction another, so unless Bayer Leverkusen are prepared to make a significant offer to sign him permanently rather than on loan, he will be staying at the Etihad. -- Mark Ogden

Tottenham are struggling in the league, will they sign anyone?

Ange Postecoglou certainly wants them to, but oddly, that is part of the problem. Postecoglou has a very specific style of play and wants players to fit that system, but the 59-year-old is under mounting pressure after a dismal run of results has left Spurs in 15th place in the Premier League. So do Spurs back a manager they may have to sack in the coming weeks? Or do they hedge their bets in the final few days of the window, either keeping their powder dry as players return from injury or sign a player the club feels is better suited to their future plans with one eye on life after Postecoglou? Either way, there is surely a consensus that the forward line needs strengthening and they've had that 60m bid for Tel accepted, although it remains to be seen if he wants to move to Spurs.

Central midfield has long needed more guile, hence the interest in Lille's Angel Gomes. Chairman Daniel Levy has long held a reputation for doing business late in the window, and here we are again. -- Olley

With only six months remaining on his contract at Lille, Gomes is attracting a lot of interest from the Premier League. At 24, the former Manchester United academy graduate wants to come home. He has been great with Lille in the last four seasons, playing in the Champions League and making his England debut. Tottenham are keen to sign him, like West Ham and Everton, but this one is probably more for the summer transfer window than the final days of January. -- Laurens

Any other interesting deals in the works?

- Brighton striker Evan Ferguson is the subject of interest from Bournemouth, West Ham, Everton and Bayer Leverkusen heading into the final days of the transfer window, with sources telling ESPN that the Republic of Ireland international could yet leave the Amex Stadium in a permanent deal. Sources said that a move to German Bundesliga would appeal to the 20-year-old, due to the success of a number of young players doing the same in recent years, but Brighton are open to a loan or a permanent transfer. -- Ogden

- Chelsea defender Axel Disasi wants to go to Aston Villa and the club has received an offer for a loan with no option to sign permanently. The discussions are continuing, but all parties are optimistic a deal will happen. -- Laurens

- Newcastle United have been looking closely at Real Sociedad winger Take Kubo, but the Spanish club won't let him leave this month. -- Rodri Faez

- Atlanta United is closing in on the acquisition of Middlesbrough striker Latte Lath, and is prepared to break the record for an incoming transfer to MLS in order to get the $22m (plus add-ons) deal over the line. -- Jeff Carlisle

- Former U.S. international forward Matthew Hoppe is set to sign with Danish side Sonderskjye, a source has confirmed to ESPN after Transfermarkt initially broke the news. Capped eight times for the U.S., Hoppe had been on the books of English Championship side Middlesbrough, but had his contract terminated by mutual consent earlier this month. -- Carlisle

- Napoli want to sign PSV Eindhoven forward Noa Lang. The Italian club have offered a fee of 25m, but PSV do not want to let the 25-year-old go and instead are looking to bring in a left-back themselves, following Matteo Dams' departure to the United Arab Emirates. -- ESPN NL

- Feyenoord do not want to let Mexico striker Santiago Giménez leave the club this month. But AC Milan are interested and are reported to be preparing a 35m offer for the 23-year-old. -- ESPN NL

- Ajax are looking to bring in a left winger, but they might already have the perfect option. Carlos Forbs, who is on loan at Wolves and has made just one start and nine appearances overall in the Premier League, is in talks over an early return to Amsterdam. -- ESPN NL

- Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo, who has previously played for Liverpool, Barcelona and Fiorentina, is one of the main targets for Santos after they announced the return of Neymar, but is set to move to Girona. -- ESPN Brasi

- Botafogo and Cruzeiro are both looking to hire a new coach. For Botafogo, Vasco Matos (Santa Clara) is an option, while there have been rumors about former Barcelona and Inter Miami boss Gerardo Martino and ex-Liverpool and Real Madrid coach Rafael Benítez that have not advanced. For Cruzeiro, Renato Gaúcho (formerly of Grêmio) has been tipped to replace Fernando Diniz. -- ESPN Brasil

- Flamengo are trying to reach an agreement to sign Arsenal midfielder Jorginho, after closing a move for Juventus defender Danilo. -- ESPN Brasil

- Palmeiras striker Rony has seen a move to Qatari side Al Rayyan collapse, while Palmeiras have not given up on the signing of Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira and will wait until Monday's deadline day before restarting negotiations. -- ESPN Brasil

- Toluca are still looking to sign a goalkeeper after the surprise departure of Tiago Volpi, who decided to return to Brazil with Gremio for personal reasons. Sources told ESPN there is interest in Marseille goalkeeper Pau López, who is on loan at Girona of Spain. -- Adriana Maldonado, ESPN Deportes

- Boca Juniors have made an offer to sign Roma captain and midfielder Leandro Paredes, and are now waiting for a response. -- ESPN Argentina

The Vancouver Canucks rocked the NHL with another Friday night blockbuster, trading forward J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers for forward Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini and a 2025 first-round draft pick.

Defensemen Erik Brannstrom and Jackson Dorrington were also part of the package with Miller to New York. The Rangers' draft selection is top-13 protected; it becomes an unprotected 2026 first-round pick should the choice be that high.

Miller also waived his no-trade clause to facilitate the deal, which the Canucks and Rangers had been working on for weeks. The Canucks nearly held Miller out of a game against Edmonton earlier this month with a trade percolating between the two sides, but it fell through.

Now Miller is headed back to the Rangers, who drafted him 15th overall in 2011. He suited up for New York from 2012-18 before they traded him to Tampa. Miller joined the Canucks ahead of their 2019-20 season and inked a seven-year, $56 million extension with Vancouver that began in 2023-24. He leaves the Canucks as their second-leading scorer on the season with nine goals and 35 points.

It won't be long now before fans see Miller back with the Blueshirts -- he's expected to be in the lineup when they face Boston on Saturday afternoon, and New York could use the help. The Rangers shockingly slipped out of playoff contention in the season's first half but are now just five points back of an Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

The trade had to be a relief for Miller, who had been the subject of trade talks well before the rumor mill heated up earlier this month about him potentially landing back with the Rangers. The previous extension seemed to quell some of that momentum, but recently it felt increasingly inevitable Miller would be headed out of town.

The trade materialized just days after Canucks president Jim Rutherford confirmed reports that Miller clashed with Vancouver's star center, Elias Pettersson. Miller and Pettersson had repeatedly denied rumors of strife, but Rutherford told The Globe and Mail on Tuesday that the tension between two of the Canucks most important players was real and hinted changes were imminent.

"I felt like for a long time that there was a solution here because everybody has worked on it, including the parties involved," Rutherford told the outlet. "But it only gets resolved for a short period of time and then it festers again, and so it certainly appears like there's no good solution that would keep this group together."

Rutherford's decision to corroborate those reports went against what Canucks GM Patrik Allvin said during his midseason media availability, that it was "unfortunate" how those types of rumors had been impacting his team.

"I'm proud of the guys they're capable of blocking a lot of noise out and just go out and play," Allvin said then. "We want to create an environment where they feel safe and trusted. The players have galvanized and played extremely well under the circumstances."

Chytil, a promising former first-round pick, has been slowed by injuries throughout his career and has 11 goals and 20 points in 41 games this season. The 25-year-old is likely to benefit from a fresh start -- when healthy, he can be a reliable middle-six forward in Vancouver's offense. The Canucks have struggled of late and sit one point back of a wild card spot in the Western Conference.