Western Notes: Zuccarello, Chiasson, Binnington, Karlsson

The Dallas Stars traded for Mats Zuccarello Saturday evening and brought him to Dallas early Sunday. The team traded two conditional picks for the veteran winger, including a conditional third-round pick in 2020 that could turn into a first-rounder if Zuccarello re-signs with the Stars.

However, Zuccarello was non-committal when asked about his thoughts of his impending UFA status, according to The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro. The veteran said he isn’t thinking about it right now and his goal in Dallas is to help the team get into the playoffs and beyond.

• On a negative note, Zuccarello, who fared well in his debut with Dallas with a goal and an assist, left Sunday’s game against Chicago as the Stars announced that he would not come back after suffering an upper-body injury. Zuccarello was hit in the arm or hand while blocking a shot by Chicago’s Ryan Murphy late in the second period (video link here). Forward Jamie Benn was also declared out with a lower-body injury as the team suddenly lost several players in their newly-enhanced lineup. No word on the severity of either injury.
• TSN’s Ryan Rishaug writes that the Edmonton Oilers might still make a move at the deadline with forward Alex Chiasson being the most viable trade chip the team has. The team would be looking for a pick and Rishaug believes that if a team is willing to offer up a third-rounder for Chiasson, the team will pull the trigger on a deal. Chiasson has 17 goals this season and has been one of the few bright spots during a dismal season in Edmonton.
• Fox Sports Andy Strickland writes that St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington will become a Group 2 restricted free agent this summer once the goaltender hits 26 games this season. The standard number is 28 games, but Binnington signed his entry-level contract in the 2012-13 season, which had a reduced schedule due to the lockout and the number of games was reduced. The 25-year-old goaltender, who spent a good portion of his career in the AHL, has a 14-2-1 record to go with a 1.70 GAA and a .934 save percentage. He is in line to get a significant pay raise.
• The San Jose Sharks were without star defenseman Erik Karlsson once again Sunday after he left Saturday’s game after re-tweaking his strained groin, which kept him out of nine games recently, and there is no word on how long he’s be out, according to Mercury News’ Paul Gackle. Head coach Peter DeBoer expressed optimism that it wouldn’t be long. Of course, DeBoer said the same thing when Karlsson first was injured, which could be worrying. “We have MRIs and those types of things, but you get put in spots, you can re-tweak, you can overextend it,” DeBoer said. “Everybody thinks it’s healthy and then you get hit a certain way. It’s a contact sport. You can’t control that stuff.”