BOSTON — The NHL-leading Boston Bruins freed up salary cap space Friday by trading veteran forward David Backes and a first-round draft pick to the Anaheim Ducks for forward Ondrej Kase.

Anaheim also acquired 20-year-old prospect Axel Andersson, a defenseman, in the deal completed three days before the NHL’s trade deadline.

The Bruins benefit by trading the 35-year-old Backes, who is in the fourth year of a five-year, $30 million contract and has just one goal and two assists in 16 games this season. He had 39 goals and 94 points in 217 games with Boston.

The Bruins agreed to retain 25 percent of Backes’ salary.

Kase has seven goals and 16 assists in 49 games with the Ducks this season. The 24-year-old from the Czech Republic is in the second year of a three-year, $7.8 million contract.

Andersson was selected by Boston in the second round of the 2018 draft and had two goals and 22 points in 41 games with Moncton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

SABRES: Buffalo placed suspended defenseman Zach Bogosian on unconditional waivers with the intention of terminating his contract.

If Bogosian is unclaimed by noon Saturday, the 12-year veteran will lose what’s left of the $6 million he is owed in the final year of his contract.

BLUE JACKETS: Oliver Bjorkstrand, the team’s top scorer, has a fractured ankle and will miss the rest of the regular season.

General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen said Bjorkstrand will be out eight to 10 weeks and might need surgery.

Bjorkstrand has 21 goals and 15 assists in 49 games this season.

JETS: Winnipeg-born center Cody Eakin was acquired by the Jets from the Vegas Golden Knights for a conditional fourth-round pick in 2021.

Eakin, 28, has four goals and six assists in 41 games this season. He has 102 goals and 130 assists in 578 career NHL games with Washington, Dallas and Vegas.

FRIDAY’S GAME

RANGERS 5, HURRICANES 2: Mika Zibanejad had a goal and two assists, and visiting New York swept its four-game series against Carolina.

Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome each contributed a goal and an assist, and Jesper Fast and Brady Skjei also scored in the Rangers’ seventh straight road victory.