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David Backes Considering Retirement

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It has been a tough last few seasons for veteran winger David Backes who has gone from being an impact power forward to someone who has cleared waivers multiple times, been moved in a salary cap dump trade, and has been a healthy scratch or on the taxi squad for large portions of this year.  With his contract ending at the end of the season and the fact he turns 37 next weekend, his playing future is certainly in question.  In a scrum with reporters today (video link), Backes strongly hinted at retirement when asked if hanging up his skates was a possibility:

Possibility…I’d say it’s more of a probability. But it’s not a certainty. That’s just kind of where I’m at. I’ve said it all year that every game you play in this league is a gift, every shift you play is a gift. It’s a great blessing to be able to play in this league.

I’ve taken a bit of notes from guys before me that in the emotions and the grind of a season to make a concrete, hundred percent decision is a difficult process. No offense to Brett Favre because he had a great career, but he retired six or eight times and still came back. I think when I say ’that’s enough,’ I’d like it to be enough and not have to go back and forth.

Backes was a second-round pick of the Blues (62nd overall) back in 2003 and became one of the more prominent power forwards in the league, notching six seasons of more than 20 goals and seven years of more than 200 hits.  That helped him land a five-year, $30MM contract with Boston in the 2016 offseason, part of that ill-fated free agent class.

His role has deteriorated significantly the last two years as he managed to play in just 22 games in 2019-20 and has suited up just 14 times this season with the Ducks where he has collected three goals and an assist while averaging just under 13 minutes a night.  If this is indeed his final season, he’ll wind up just shy of the 1,000 games played mark as he currently sits at 964, 18th among players selected in his draft class.

Backes indicated that a final decision won’t come right away but if it indeed winds up being the end of the road for him, his time in the NHL may not be done entirely as he noted that a job in a front office down the road could be in the cards.  In the meantime, he still has eight games left to focus on this season although with Anaheim evaluating some of their youngsters, playing time may be scarce the rest of the way.

Jakob Silfverberg Undergoes Hip Surgery

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The Anaheim Ducks won’t have Jakob Silfverberg back this season, as the veteran forward has undergone hip surgery to repair a torn labrum. The recovery timeline is between four and six months according to Elliott Teaford of The OC Register.

Silfverberg, 30, signed a new five-year extension with the Ducks back in spring of 2019, meaning he’s still under contract for the next three seasons at a $5.25MM cap hit. Unfortunately, his offensive productions declined rapidly this season, with just eight goals and 16 points in 47 games. Just five of those points came in the last 21 games, so perhaps shutting down Silfverberg to get him fully healthy is a good choice.

If he isn’t one of the victims of an Anaheim rebuild, the team will need him to get back to his previous level–that of a consistent 20-goal, 40-point man. When that kind of production is added to Silfverberg’s strong defensive impact, it creates a valuable player. If he isn’t scoring, that $5.25MM price tag suddenly looks pretty expensive.

With the league still looking at the beginning of October to start the 2021-22 season, there’s a chance that Silfverberg isn’t ready to go on opening day. He seems likely to miss at least part of training camp during his rehab, though obviously, things will have to be re-evaluated throughout the summer.

The 2021 NHL Trade Deadline Deals That Didn’t Happen

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The 2021 NHL Trade Deadline came and went with relatively little fanfare. Deadline day saw just 17 trades made (a new 8-year low) that involved only 26 players (a new 20-year low). The obvious downside to a quiet deadline is that it’s not very exciting to follow and doesn’t create the same number of stretch run storylines to follow. The upside? With so little news to cover, nothing slipped through the cracks. Insiders, such as Elliotte Friedman, have come out with more “almost-trades” than in most years and they have been compiled below. Enjoy reveling in what could have been:

Nicolas Deslauriers to the Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins and Anaheim Ducks came so close on a trade for Deslauriers that an article was published on the topic. Friedman reported that a deal was done, but then backtracked as talks fell apart. Pittsburgh ended up adding experience to their bottom-six from another West Division source, adding Jeff Carter from the Los Angeles Kings.

Jamie Oleksiak to the Edmonton Oilers

In the middle of the deadline day chaos, several pundits reported that Dallas Stars defenseman Oleksiak was on his way to Edmonton. Yet, as time ticked by and there was no announcement, it became clear that a deal had not been completed. Oleksiak had been linked to both Edmonton and the Toronto Maple Leafs but stay put, with the speculation now being the the Stars hope to re-sign him. The Oilers, who also missed out on Patrik Nemeth, ended up finding their stay-at-home defenseman in the New Jersey Devils’ Dmitry Kulikov.

Alex Goligoski, Vladislav Gavrikov, or Nikita Zadorov to the Winnipeg Jets

One of the biggest misses of the deadline was the Jets’ failure to add an impact defenseman. Winnipeg did add Jordie Benn late, but that hardly fills their gaping hole in the top-four. In retrospect, the mistake may have been focusing too much on defensemen who weren’t truly available. Friedman believes that the team tried to acquire either Gavrikov or Goligoski, or perhaps even both. Gavrikov would have been a very nice addition for the Jets, but by all accounts the young Columbus Blue Jackets defender was not really for sale. And while the Arizona Coyotes were expected to listen to offers for their expiring contracts, they ended up standing pat and not moving the veteran Goligoski. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Chicago Blackhawks were at least listening to offers for RFA blue liner Zadorov as well and the Jets made a push, but to no avail.

Taylor Hall to the New York Islanders or Vegas Golden Knights

Friedman began his post-deadline “31 Thoughts” by confirming the suspicions that Hall left the Buffalo Sabres little choice but to trade him to the Boston Bruins, stating that Hall had decided that was where he wanted to go and used his No-Movement Clause to make it happen. However, two other teams made a strong push and that was the Islanders and the Golden Knights. Hall was even open to joining New York, but once they acquired Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac he turned his focus to Boston even though the Isles maintained interest. The Sabres were seemingly very interested in making a deal with Vegas, as Friedman notes that multiple teams were contacted about acting as a salary cap broker for a potential deal. In the end, Hall preferred Boston and that is all that mattered.

Daniel Vladar or Jeremy Swayman to the Buffalo Sabres

Many have been critical of the Sabres’ return for Hall – a Boston second-round pick and forward Anders Bjork – but they tried their best to get more. Friedman reports that Buffalo asked Boston about moving one of their promising young keepers, as both Vladar and Swayman have shown NHL ability in recent weeks as the injury replacements in the Bruins net. However, once Boston knew that Hall wanted to go there and could control the decision, they held all the leverage. The team easily declined moving either talented netminder.

Conor Garland to the Toronto Maple Leafs or Vegas Golden Knights

While the team ended up acquiring Nick Foligno instead, Friedman notes that the Toronto Maple Leafs did express interest in affordable Arizona Coyotes forward Garland. Garland would have fit nicely under the cap, but would have been expensive to require and near impossible to re-sign for the cap-strapped Leafs. The team thus went in a different direction. The Golden Knights were also linked to Garland, but could not make a deal work with their division rival. Garland remaining with the Coyotes could be what is best for both parties in the long run anyhow.

Ryan Getzlaf to the Vegas Golden Knights or Montreal Canadiens

The Golden Knights just missed out on seemingly everyone, huh? Friedman notes that the team was close to adding Anaheim captain Getzlaf and the career Duck was open to the nearby move. However, Vegas allegedly was unwilling to meet the trade demands for the veteran center. For the same reason, the Canadiens likely missed out. Friedman notes that they had serious interest, but talks never got far. Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now adds that the Penguins kicked the tires on Getzlaf as well, but never made a serious offer. Anaheim clearly put a high price tag on the face of the franchise and never even approached him about waiving his No-Movement Clause.

Travis Zajac to the Pittsburgh Penguins

While it’s easy to lose track of when trades were made and talks were had around the deadline, per Friedman it seems the Penguins had their sights first set on Zajac from New Jersey, then Getzlaf, and finally Carter. The Kings veteran is not a bad acquisition for a third choice. The Penguins do have to face Zajac on a fellow East Division contender the rest of the way though and surely hope that Carter proves to be the superior player head-to-head.

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Hampus Lindholm Likely Out For The Season

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  • While the initial plan for Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm was that he’d miss six weeks and be back in the middle of April, that no longer is the case. GM Bob Murray told Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register that the blueliner probably is going to be out for the rest of the season.  He’s expected to be re-evaluated next week and while there is a chance that he could be fully recovered with a week left in the season, Murray said they wouldn’t ask him to play in that scenario.

Ducks Did Not Ask Ryan Getzlaf To Waive No-Move Clause

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Partway through trade deadline day, reports of interest from the Vegas Golden Knights in Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf surfaced. It wasn’t clear at all how the Golden Knights would fit the veteran forward into their cap situation, given as he carries an $8.25MM hit this season, but as a pending unrestricted free agent on a team unlikely to make the playoffs, it did make sense for Getzlaf to potentially join a contender for a stretch run. When it didn’t happen, reports, including one from David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, emerged that Getzlaf would have been willing to go to Vegas had a deal been worked out.

Yesterday, Ducks GM Bob Murray confirmed the reports, essentially saying that Getzlaf was willing to waive his no-move clause in order to help the organization should Murray be offered a substantial return. Today, Helene Elliotte of the LA Times spoke to Getzlaf who said the same but noted that he never actually had to make a decision on whether to waive the clause, suggesting that a trade was never all that close.

Now the question for the 35-year-old Getzlaf is what happens after this season is over. He has been a member of the Ducks for his entire career, winning a Stanley Cup with the team in 2007. His play has dropped off a cliff this year, with just three goals and 15 points in 37 games, but so has his enjoyment, as he told Elliotte it “hasn’t been that fun” to play without fans. The veteran center plans to make a decision later on about his playing future.

It makes sense that the Ducks couldn’t find a deal of any real significance, given Getzlaf’s enormous cap hit and trade protection. The Buffalo Sabres for instance were unable to get more than a second-round pick for Taylor Hall because of a similar financial and contractual situation, meaning the Ducks would likely be ending Getzlaf’s tenure with the team for a mid-round selection. For a legacy player like him, who has played 1,090 regular season games in an Anaheim uniform, that certainly doesn’t seem worthwhile.

If Getzlaf does return to the Ducks next season, it will undoubtedly be at a much smaller cap hit, but his role on the team will also likely be diminished. It already appears as though the club’s hopes will soon be tied to Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, with other young players there to support the retool. The team did acquire 24-year-old defenseman Haydn Fleury at the deadline, but will have some tough decisions to make on players like Josh Manson, Rickard Rakell, and Hampus Lindholm in the near future. All three are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents after next season and hold considerable trade value.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Trade Deadline Summary: West Division

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The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone. A relatively slow day ended with a late burst, as many teams jumped into the mix at the last minute. How do you think your team did? Share your deadline grades in the comments for teams in the West Division.

Anaheim Ducks
Status: Seller

In – D Haydn Fleury, F Alexander Volkov, 2022 fifth-round pick (TOR)
Out – D Ben Hutton, D Jani Hakanpaa, F Antoine Morand, 2022 sixth-round pick, conditional 2023 seventh-round pick

Arizona Coyotes
Status: Neutral

In – None
Out – None

Colorado Avalanche
Status: Buyer

In – F Carl Soderberg, D Patrik Nemeth, G Devan Dubnyk, G Jonas Johansson
Out – D Greg Pateryn, F Josh Dickinson, F Ryder Rolston, 2022 fourth-round pick, 2021 fifth-round pick, 2021 sixth-round pick

Los Angeles Kings
Status: Neutral

In – F Brendan Lemieux, D Christian Wolanin, conditional 2022 third-round pick (PIT), conditional 2023 fourth-round pick (PIT)
Out – F Jeff Carter, F Michael Amadio, 2021 fourth-round pick

Minnesota Wild
Status: Buyer

In – None
Out – None

San Jose Sharks
Status: Neutral

In – F Alexander Barabanov, D Greg Pateryn, G Magnus Chrona, 2021 fourth-round pick (TOR), 2021 fifth-round pick (COL), 2022 fifth-round pick (BUF via VGK)
Out – G Devan Dubnyk, F Stefan Noesen, F Antti Suomela, D Fredrik Claesson, D Nick DeSimone, 2021 fourth-round pick

St. Louis Blues
Status: Neutral

In – None
Out – None

Vegas Golden Knights
Status: Buyer

In – F Mattias Janmark, D Nick DeSimone, 2022 fifth-round pick (CHI)
Out – 2021 second-round pick, 2022 third-round pick, 2022 fifth-round pick

Anaheim Ducks Acquire Haydn Fleury

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The Anaheim Ducks have landed a coveted young player, acquiring Haydn Fleury from the Carolina Hurricanes according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Jani Hakanpaa will be going the other way with a sixth-round pick.

This is one of the stranger moves of the day, part of a puzzling deadline approach for the team currently sitting in second place in the NHL standings. The Hurricanes essentially stood pat on deadline day, switching out one defenseman for another. One could even call them sellers, as they arguably gave up the better player and netted a draft pick as part of the deal. Yes, Carolina was seeking a right-shot defenseman and Hakanpaa fits the bill. He has also adjusted his defensive game well in what amounts to his first full NHL season, providing physicality and sound checking on the Anaheim blue line. He’s surely not a bad acquisition.

With that said, it’s difficult to see this being considered a net gain for the Hurricanes. Fleury has been underutilized and underwhelmingly this season, but in the past has shown to be a very capable defenseman. The 24-year-old, who was the seventh overall pick in 2014, skates well, contributes in all three zones, and has been a positive possession player in every season of his NHL career. In contrast, Hakanpaa provides little support in the offensive end and is not relied on as a puck mover, due in no small part to some turnover struggles. Fleury seems to be the better, more well-rounded defenseman and is four years younger with term on his contract and team control remaining beyond that point as well. By most measures, Anaheim gets the better player. Sure, Carolina avoids losing him for nothing in the Expansion Draft, but could they not have done better than a limited rental with little NHL experience and a late pick? And why did they not make any other additions to the roster? These are questions that the Hurricanes hope their fans won’t be asking if the playoffs don’t go as expected.

Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Ben Hutton

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The Toronto Maple Leafs had already acquired some depth at forward and in net, but there was still a need to shore up the defensive group. They’ve done that now, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Maple Leafs have acquired Ben Hutton from the Anaheim Ducks. Frank Seravalli of TSN tweets that it will be a 2022 fifth-round pick going back to Anaheim.

Hutton, 27, has been connected to Toronto in the past but signed a one-year $950K contract with the Ducks this season where there was a much easier path to playing time. He has suited up in 34 games this season, but will likely be facing a fight for playing time in Toronto. He should put some pressure on Travis Dermott for that bottom-pairing role next to Zach Bogosian, but more importantly gives the Maple Leafs some insurance in case of injury.

There’s a lot of things Hutton can do, as he has contributed on both the powerplay and penalty kill throughout his career, but he doesn’t have a standout skill that helps him force his way into the lineup. He’s big but not overly physical, a good skater but not an excellent one, and a capable puck-mover but not a dynamic offensive presence. The Maple Leafs will certainly take that kind of depth, but it’s hard to say their group really improved with the deal.

For the Ducks, cashing in Hutton was a no-brainer, even if he only landed a fifth-round pick. The team has plenty of young defense coming and is still collecting draft picks for the rebuild.

Pittsburgh Penguins Discussing Nicolas Deslauriers With Anaheim

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3:48 p.m.: Friedman has backed off his original tweet, now reporting that the two sides are still in discussion about Deslauriers. Nothing is done.

3:24 p.m.: The Pittsburgh Penguins have been rumored to be interested in adding some size to their lineup and it looks like they’ve done just that as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Penguins have acquired winger Nicolas Deslauriers from the Anaheim Ducks. Terms or the trade have not been revealed.

It should be noted that the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins removed prospect defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph today from their AHL lineup. While that doesn’t necessarily mean that he is part of the trade, it certainly is a possibility.

The 30-year-old Deslauriers would give the team the needed physicality it is looking for. Well known for his fights against top enforcers, the bruising forward should give the Penguins much-needed grit on the ice. Deslauriers can even put the puck in the net at times as well, posting four goals and eight points in 35 games. He has also racked up 38 penalty minutes, 102 hits and four fights this year.

It’s likely Deslauriers will be useful against players such as Washington’s Tom Wilson, who he has a history with as well as other impact players with the New York Islanders.

Anaheim Ducks Demote Trevor Zegras

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No matter how it’s viewed, the Anaheim Ducks have made a unique move. The team has announced that rookie phenom Trevor Zegras has been re-assigned to the AHL. But there’s a catch; Zegras’ demotion is not being viewed as a punishment by the organization, but rather a reward. The team is actually so impressed with the 20-year-old forward’s development that they are shifting him from the wing to his natural center position and simply want to start him in that role with the San Diego Gulls before bringing him back to the NHL squad. The club’s press release stated as follows:

Our goal was to help Trevor transition more smoothly into the NHL, so we started him out on the wing. He’s ahead of  our scheduled progression, and as a result we are moving him to center ice effective immediately. He will need some experience in the AHL first, but our expectation is that he will be back with us in the near future and play center for the Ducks for years to come.

On it’s face alone, it is a stunning move to see Zegras demoted amid a strong first pro season. The 2019 ninth overall pick recorded nine points in eight games in the minors before he was swiftly promoted to the NHL and has added seven points in 17 games with Anaheim since (not to mention 18 points in seven games at the World Juniors before the season.) The cerebral forward looks like a potential first-line center for the Ducks moving forward, as the team acknowledged, so fans assuredly would have been shocked to see him demoted if not for the context. Especially in the midst of another poor season, some may have turned on the team for removing their most exciting young player from the lineup without reason.

Fortunately, the club did make clear their reasons for the move. It is very rare and very refreshing for an NHL team to be so transparent with their developmental path for a player. Whether or not this specific move is needed given Zegras’ ability is beside the point, as the team’s justification is at least logical. As they noted, Zegras may not need much time in San Diego to get comfortable down the middle either. The Boston University product has previously excelled at the position given his elite vision and passing ability. Zegras should be flying with the Ducks again soon.

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