West Notes: Lankinen, Kempe, Pouliot

During media availability today, the General Manager of the Nashville Predators, Barry Trotz, mentioned that the team has received trade calls on backup goaltender Kevin Lankinen (X Link). This announcement now confirms that both Nashville goaltenders are receiving trade interest, as some viable playoff candidates remain interested in Juuse Saros, as well.

In his second season within the Predators organization, Lankinen has continued to be a serviceable backup option for the team, producing an 8-4-0 record in 17 games played, coupled with a .892 SV% and 3.23 GAA. For any acquiring team, it is more than unlikely that Lankinen will become a serviceable starting option, although he has been required to play nearly half the season earlier in his career with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Fortunately, if Nashville ends up moving either goalie in their current tandem at this year’s deadline, Yaroslav Askarov appears ready to make the full-time jump to the NHL. Currently rostered on the Milwaukee Admirals, Askarov holds a 21-7-1 record, a .920 SV%, 2.11 GAA, as well as riding a current 19-game winning streak in the American Hockey League.

Other West notes:

• TSN’s Darren Dreger is reporting that Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe is returning to California to receive an MRI. Although the Kings have not performed as well as initially expected this season, the team still sits in the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference. With Kempe being the team’s leading scorer at this point in the year, and the recent injury to forward Viktor Arvidsson, Los Angeles may be an active team at the deadline in acquiring a top-six forward.
• The Dallas Stars have loaned defenseman Derrick Pouliot to their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, per a team announcement. Taking part in a critical game against the Colorado Avalanche tonight, the loan of Pouliot means that either Nils Lundkvist or Jani Hakanpaa are ready to return to the lineup tonight. In five games with the Stars since February 19th, Pouliot has failed to score a point while averaging a touch over 12 minutes of ice time per night.