Minnesota Wild To Acquire John Klingberg
The Minnesota Wild have made a last-minute trade, acquiring defenseman John Klingberg from the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks are receiving defenseman Andrej Sustr, a 2025 fourth-round pick, and the rights to 2019 sixth-round pick Nikita Nesterenko.
The Ducks are also retaining 50% of Klingberg’s $7MM cap hit. Sustr will report to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, according to a team announcement. The Wild have sent Dakota Mermis to the AHL in a corresponding move.
Notable regarding Nesterenko is the fact that, per The Athletic’s Michael Russo, there “has been talk in recent weeks” that Nesterenko wasn’t planning on signing with the Wild upon the completion of his NCAA career.
While the Wild should undoubtedly be excited to add a player with such an extensive resume at such a minor cost, this trade serves as a stark reminder of just how far Klingberg’s stock has fallen from where it was just a year ago. A year ago, Klingberg was putting the finishing touches on a platform season he would finish with 47 points in 74 games. He was set to hit the free agent market as one of its top defenders and was widely expected to receive a pricey long-term pact from a defense-needy team.
That deal never materialized, though, leading to Klingberg’s one-year, $7MM deal with the Ducks. Implied with that signing was that the Ducks would explore trade possibilities for Klingberg, potentially receiving a significant compensation package were he to find success next to stars like Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras on the team’s power play. That success did not come, and Klingberg instead has had a nightmarish season in Anaheim.
Klingberg’s numbers have taken a major hit, as he has scored just 24 points in 50 games. His fit on their power play never quite clicked, and his overall perception leaguewide began to shift from “dynamic two-way contributor with an offensive bent” to “one-dimensional offensive defenseman with some defensive issues.” Fair or unfair, that shifting perception severely hurt Klingberg’s value, and can help explain why he net his team just a fourth-rounder and the rights to an NCAA prospect when just a year ago he earned a $7MM annual guarantee.
For the Ducks, this is a trade that is likely to be disappointing given what Klingberg likely would have returned were he healthy, although it’s still better than nothing as Klingberg was unlikely to be in their long-term plans anyway. They get to add another draft pick for their building process, a depth defender who played 23 games for them last season, and the rights to a prospect they’ll hope to be able to sign. For what it’s worth, the 21-year-old Nesterenko has produced quite well this season, scoring 11 goals and 30 points in 32 games for Boston College.
For the Wild, they add a talented puck-moving defenseman who just a year ago was considered a quality offensive defenseman. While his stock has undoubtedly declined, it’s easy to see him as an upgrade over the veteran offensive defenseman the team currently employs: Alex Goligoski. While this move may cut into the opportunities puck-moving rookie Calen Addison receives, it would not be a shock whatsoever for Klingberg to improve his form in Minnesota and help them secure a playoff spot.
While this trade won’t solve the Wild’s most glaring issue — a lack of quality top-six centers — it does give them a solid bounce-back candidate to work with and is overall a trade with a chance to pop.
The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun was first on the deal, while The Athletic’s Joe Smith was first on the trade details.
Nashville Predators Extend Dante Fabbro
While some speculated that he may have been a name traded at today’s deadline, the deadline is now passed and Nashville Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro has actually signed an extension with the team, not been traded. According to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, he has signed a one-year, $2.5MM extension.
Last month, we covered Fabbro’s situation with the Predators, citing reports that the team had explored the possibility of trading the defenseman, potentially to an in-conference rival such as the San Jose Sharks. The 24-year-old defender has had a difficult season, seeing his production and ice time decline from last year. Last season, the smooth-skating former Boston University Terrier scored 24 points in 66 games and averaged over 19 minutes of ice time per game. 
This season, Fabbro has managed just eight points in 56 games and has seen his average ice time drop to just 16 minutes per game, with nearly a minute and a half of that coming on the penalty kill. While some believed that a change of scenery was necessary for the 2016 first-round pick, such a change did not come before today’s trade deadline and he has instead secured a contract for next season containing a $100k raise.
This does not, of course, rule out the possibility that Fabbro will be traded in the offseason and eventually receive that change of scenery that some believe he needs. What this does mean, though, is now on a more talent-depleted Predators team Fabbro will have the opportunity to finish his season on a strong note and potentially even impress the team’s new general manager, Barry Trotz, who will take after the season.
Securing this extension might have been made especially pressing given the Predators’ acquisition of Tyson Barrie from the Edmonton Oilers, as his addition to their lineup means that now Fabbro has two players (Barrie and Alexandre Carrier) above him on the Predators’ right-shot defenseman depth chart. Especially if the Predators decide to keep Barrie beyond this season (which admittedly seems unlikely at this stage given the amount of veterans they have shipped out) Fabbro’s future in Nashville, even with this extension, could be made all the more unclear.
No matter what, though, Fabbro’s contract for next season is secured and that means he’ll be afforded the opportunity to continue his growth as an NHLer and potentially realize some of the promise that got him drafted 17th overall in 2016.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Nashville Predators Acquire Rasmus Asplund
The Nashville Predators are acquiring Rasmus Asplund from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick, per a team announcement. Asplund is playing on an $825k cap hit for the rest of the season, from which point he will be eligible for restricted free agency.
Asplund was the 33rd overall pick at the 2016 draft, impressing scouts due to the fact that he was trusted to play regularly in the SHL for Farjestad at such a young age. Asplund played two more seasons in Sweden before coming over to play for the Sabres’ AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, in 2019-20. He played quite well, scoring 41 points in 75 games, and earned his first NHL call-up the following year.
Last season, Asplund finally emerged as a full-time NHLer, playing in 80 games and scoring 27 points. His energetic play and defensive abilities quickly earned him the trust of head coach Don Granato, who gave the forward over 14 minutes of ice time per night including time on both special teams units.
This season has been a different story, though, as Asplund has frequently been a healthy scratch for the team. While he has remained a contributor on their penalty kill when in the lineup, Asplund has gotten into only 27 games and scored just eight points. He’s played just six games in 2023 and none since February 13th. By moving Asplund to Nashville, the Sabres clear room for their new forward acquisition, Jordan Greenway, and also give Asplund a chance to get a greater opportunity playing for a new club.
While it might be slightly disappointing to receive such a low future draft pick in exchange for a player who once held quite a bit of promise, this season as a whole has been highly encouraging for the Sabres and it’s highly unlikely that this move has any major impact on the team’s chase of a Wild Card spot this season.
For the Predators, this is a savvy move to acquire a player who could thrive in a more regular opportunity in their lineup. Injuries have left the Predators absolutely starved for forward help in recent weeks, and the combination of Asplund’s versatility and defensive ability should make him a regular in the team’s lineup for at least the rest of this season, with the possibility to extend the relationship beyond this season.
While there are some who might prefer that the Predators hold on to every possible draft pick as they head into a rebuild-like direction, taking a flyer on a solid young player like Asplund is definitely a reasonable move to make, especially given the current state of the team’s forward corps.
Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek was first to report the deal.
Calgary Flames Expected To Acquire Troy Stecher, Nick Ritchie
The Calgary Flames are acquiring defenseman Troy Stecher and forward Nick Ritchie from the Arizona Coyotes, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, in exchange for Brett Ritchie and Connor Mackey.
This deal adds a player from the Coyotes’ second defensive pairing and third forward line to play likely lesser roles in head coach Darryl Sutter’s Flames lineup.
Ritchie, 27, is on an expiring $2.5MM contract and will provide useful depth to the Flames’ forward corps while also potentially taking Walker Duehr‘s role on the team’s fourth line. He’s averaged over 13 minutes of ice time per game this season including over two minutes on the power play, and has scored nine goals and 21 points in 58 games this season. He’s another big, heavy forward for Sutter to work with, and should add some possible goal-scoring touch to their lineup as well as some more skill than what his brother has been able to provide the Flames.
As for Stecher, the team is acquiring a 28-year-old on an expiring $1.25MM cap hit. In terms of average ice time per game, he’s been Arizona’s number-four defenseman this season and most recently has skated on their second pairing next to former Calgary blueliner Juuso Valimaki. Stecher hasn’t scored yet this season, but has seven assists and has soaked up nearly three minutes per night on the team’s penalty kill.
With over 400 games of NHL experience, Stecher is an upgrade for the Flames’ bottom pairing over Dennis Gilbert and has the versatility to be able to fit into roles on the Flames lineup as they might pop up as the season goes on.
As for the Coyotes, the most significant element of this deal they are receiving seems to be Mackey, a 26-year-old blueliner who the team can retain beyond this season as a restricted free agent. Mackey has just 19 games of NHL experience but played exceptionally well in the AHL last season, to the tune of 36 points in 53 games.
Perhaps the Coyotes feel that with an increased role on their squad, the smooth-skating defenseman can establish himself as a legitimate NHL defenseman.
As for Ritchie, his inclusion gives the Coyotes an experienced body to fill the role his brother has left behind.
The 29-year-old is operating on an expiring league-minimum salary and has nearly 400 games of NHL experience. He’s averaging under 10 minutes per night this season with no special-teams minutes, although his role could increase in Arizona.
While it might be preferrable given the Coyotes’ current direction for the team to receive draft picks rather than these two players in return for Stecher and Ritchie, the team could legitimately believe that Mackey holds some promise in the short-to-medium term.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks Swap Depth Players
The San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars have completed a trade to swap AHL centers. The Sharks are sending 23-year-old Scott Reedy to Dallas in exchange for Jacob Peterson. Reedy has been assigned to the Stars’ AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, while Peterson could end up in the NHL thanks to the Sharks’ trades of two forwards today: Vladislav Namestnikov and Nick Bonino.
This deal swaps two 23-year-old centers who have each spent the year with their club’s AHL affiliate, save for one NHL game completed by Peterson this season. As mentioned, the Sharks have shipped out quite a few forwards in recent trades, so this deal could simply be the team preferring so see what Peterson can do in their system rather than call up Reedy, who played 35 games for the big club last season
Reedy, 23, is a fourth-round pick of the Sharks from the 2017 draft who earned last season’s NHL chance after an impressive AHL performance. He finished with 18 goals and 27 points in 38 games, and ended up scoring nine points in 35 NHL games as the Sharks got to test some of their young in-the-system players in NHL games. He’s struggled in the AHL this season, scoring just 13 points in 38 games, prompting this trade.
The Stars get a player with less NHL experience than Peterson, although he could be someone the team liked back when he was a point-per-game player at the University of Minnesota.
For the Sharks, they are receiving a player with 66 games of NHL experience who has been more productive this year at the AHL level. The 2017 fifth-rounder scored 33 points in 46 SHL games for Farjestad BK in 2020-21, leading to him crossing the Atlantic to play in Texas. Peterson scored 17 points in 65 games for the Stars last year, averaging eleven minutes of ice time per night.
While he could instantly step in to replace Reedy in their AHL affiliate’s top-six, Peterson could also be a more experienced option for head coach David Quinn to tap to fill the spots in his lineup vacated by the departures of Michael Eyssimont and Bonino.
Buffalo Sabres Acquire Jordan Greenway
The Buffalo Sabres are expected to acquire forward Jordan Greenway from the Minnesota Wild, as first reported by The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. According to Pagnotta, the Wild are receiving a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 fifth-rounder in return.
Per The Athletic’s Michael Russo, the Wild are not retaining any salary on Greenway’s $3MM AAV deal, a contract that runs for two seasons after this one. TSN’s Darren Dreger notes that the second-rounder sent to Minnesota is the one the team received from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Jack Eichel trade.
Once officially completed, this deal will end Greenway’s at times highly promising, at times highly frustrating time with the Wild, a period that stretches all the way back to the 2015 draft, where former Wild GM Chuck Fletcher selected Greenway 50th overall. Fletcher plucked Greenway from the US National Team Development Program, where he was coached by current Sabres head coach Don Granato.
Greenway made his way to Boston University after the draft, and starred for three seasons there as a high-scoring power forward. He made his NHL debut in 2017-18, signing with the Wild at the conclusion of his collegiate season, and he showed some promise, scoring two points in five playoff games.
Greenway stepped into the NHL lineup and played 2018-19 with the Wild, scoring 12 goals and 24 points in 81 games.
His six-foot-six size and speed excited Wild fans, and there were nights where it seemed clear that big things would be coming for the American power forward.
Greenway’s progress began to stagnate after that point, and a mix of injuries and inconsistency spelled the end of Greenway’s time in Minnesota.
While he scored 27 points in 62 games last season, Greenway has scored just seven points in 45 games this year, and Russo reported last month that the Wild were “actively shopping” him. It’s seemed clear for some time that a change of scenery was the best path forward for the Wild and Greenway, and that change of scenery has been achieved through this trade.
The Wild not only receive a quality draft pick in return for Greenway but they also clear his $3MM cap hit from their books, something of particular importance given how they are still under the weight of the Ryan Suter/Zach Parise buyouts.
For the Sabres, this deal is a roll of the dice on their development staff’s ability to rejuvenate the career of a player with some tantalizing physical tools. NHL teams are always on the hunt to find the next power forward, and while a second-rounder and another draft pick is certainly a hefty price to pay for a player with single-digit points at this stage of the season, it’s easy to see why the Sabres might get excited about what Greenway could do on their team.
Should the Sabres end up unlocking the potential many have believed Greenway has long possessed, then they could receive a big, talented forward with some affordable team control left on his contract.
It’s definitely a risk, but seeing how the Sabres have developed other big forwards in recent years such as Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens, it’s an understandable home-run swing for the team to take.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Detroit Red Wings Expected To Sign John Lethemon
The Detroit Red Wings have signed goaltender John Lethemon to a contract for the rest of this season worth $750k with a $65k minors salary, according to PuckPedia.
The 26-year-old has spent most of this season with the Red Wings’ ECHL affiliate, the Toledo Walleye, and by signing him to this standard player contract the Red Wings have ensured his eligibility to play in the playoffs, giving them some added depth in case the team makes the postseason and runs into some injury trouble.
Notably, this deal will give the Red Wings the ability to make Lethemon a restricted free agent at the end of the year, meaning they could keep him from hitting the open market.
Lethemon has had a strong season for the Walleye, splitting the crease with 2021 15th-overall pick Sebastian Cossa. Playing in the shadow of the Red Wings’ presumptive goalie of the future, Lethemon has actually outperformed Cossa this season, albeit in a smaller sample of games.
In 24 contests Lethemon has posted an extremely impressive 16-1-3 record, 2.08 goals-against-average, and .927 save percentage. Lethemon is a former Michigan State Spartan who starred with a .935 save percentage in his final season playing college hockey.
Not only does this contract signing provide an added layer of emergency depth for the Red Wings in net, it’s also a nice reward for Lethemon’s quality performances this year. With Magnus Hellberg, Alex Nedeljkovic, and Victor Brattstrom all on expiring contracts, the situation in net could clear up for Lethemon to even parlay this year’s impressive performance into a chance to become an AHL netminder.
One would presume that the Red Wings would like to have Cossa get some AHL games under his belt next season, so they could even choose to retain Lethemon on another similar contract for next season and simply move Toledo’s tandem up a level.
One other factor worth noting with this signing, should the Red Wings have interest in keeping Lethemon beyond this season, is any impact it could have on the team signing Colgate University netminder Carter Gylander before the end of next season, when their exclusive rights to sign him will expire according to CapFriendly.
The Red Wings will also have 2020 fourth-rounder Jan Bednar to potentially sign to an entry-level deal, so their continued investment in Lethemon and the presence of Cossa could mean Gylander is squeezed out of a future in Detroit.
Gylander has taken a step forward this season for the Raiders, posting a .916 save percentage and 2.37 goals-against-average as essentially the exclusive starting netminder on the team, a performance that could draw the interest of some pro clubs intrigued by his progress and six-foot-four frame.
No Supplemental Discipline Coming For Austin Watson
Ottawa Senators forward Austin Watson will not face supplemental discipline from the NHL Department of Player Safety for a hit to the head area he made on New York Rangers forward Tyler Motte last night, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post.
The hit, which led to Watson receiving a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct, came in the first period of last night’s game. Watson appeared to hit Motte, who was his teammate just a few weeks ago, in the head area with a rising check, one that seemed to include an elbow making contact with Motte’s upper body.
A replay review by officials showed that Watson’s primary point of contact was with Motte’s chin, which is what led to Watson being ejected from the game. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reports that the Department of Player Safety determined that the hit “didn’t rise to Illegal Check to the Head,” that it was more of a “North/south hit through the body with unavoidable head contact.”
Motte did not return to the eventual Senators victory, and worth noting is the fact that Motte was knocked out for some time last season with an upper-body injury. He could miss some time now with the upper-body injury he suffered due to the hit, although no firm timeline has yet been released.
Motte, 27, was recently acquired from the Senators and has played six games for the Rangers this year.
Should he miss extended time, the Rangers will be pressed into an even more precarious situation, having already been forced to play with eleven forwards and five defensemen for cap-related reasons.
For the Senators, Watson escaping punishment from the NHL for this hit could help them as they look to make a push for a playoff spot. Watson was suspended last year for a high hit on Boston Bruins defenseman Jack Ahcan, meaning were he going to face discipline again he would be considered a repeat offender.
Now, though, despite the apparent severity of Watson’s hit on Motte, Watson will be able to remain in the Senators’ lineup for their Saturday game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It appears that the league has decided that the five-minute-major and match penalty is sufficient punishment for Watson, which is not fully out of line with some of their past decisions.
For the Rangers, this decision could come as another point of anger for the team against the NHL Department of Player Safety, especially with their own player, K’Andre Miller, currently serving a suspension.
It was just two years ago that the Rangers’ officially and publicly called for the firing of former NHL enforcer George Parros, the current head of the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. In a statement, they called him “unfit to continue in his current role” and his choice to not suspend Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson “a dereliction of duty” that seemed to permit what they called a “horrifying act of violence.”
While today’s choice to not levy additional punishment on Watson won’t to draw the same level of ire from the Rangers and the New York market, they’re unlikely to be thrilled to see Watson walk away unscathed while one of their players faces a possible extended absence.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Winnipeg Jets Expected To Acquire Vladislav Namestnikov
Vladislav Namestnikov‘s stay in the Bay Area has ended after just over a day. The San Jose Sharks have traded Namestnikov to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick. TSN’s Darren Dreger notes that this trade takes the Jets out of contention to acquire veteran winger James Van Riemsdyk from the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are already retaining 50% of Namestnikov’s $2.5MM cap hit, meaning he ends up in Winnipeg at a relatively affordable price. The 30-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. The Sharks aren’t retaining any salary on Namestnikov themselves to complete this deal.
The Jets have been on the hunt for a player to reinforce their forward corps, and in acquiring Namestnikov they get a capable, experienced name to work with. Injuries have absolutely ravaged their ranks up front, so this addition comes at an especially important time. He’ll be able to step into their lineup and immediately upgrade their bottom six.
Is Namestnikov going to meaningfully impact the Jets’ odds of winning a Stanley Cup this season? No, probably not. But he’s a veteran of over 600 NHL games with some playoff experience as well.
He fared decently well as a rental addition last year, scoring five points in 15 games for the Dallas Stars, and finishing his season with 16 goals and 30 points.
This year, his production is down, and he has only six goals and 15 points in 57 games, but with a more regular bottom-six role in Winnipeg, he could see his numbers tick up.
At the very least, he’ll be able to capably handle 12 to 15 minutes per night for coach Rick Bowness and could even see some penalty-killing time if necessary, as he did when he was a member of the Detroit Red Wings last season. For the price of a fourth-rounder in 2025 and as a no-strings-attached rental, adding Namestnikov should definitely help.
For the Sharks, this deal has essentially allowed them to turn a waiver claim into a mid-round draft choice. While not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, the Sharks know they won’t be competing for a Stanley Cup any time soon.
Getting a solid draft pick in exchange for a player the team had no long-term plans for is a sound bit of business for GM Mike Grier, and this is as a whole a trade that should leave fans of both teams satisfied.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first on the trade, while The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun was first to report the compensation heading back to San Jose.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Colorado Avalanche Place Cale Makar On Injured Reserve
In order to facilitate today’s call-ups from their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, the Colorado Avalanche placed defenseman Cale Makar on injured reserve, according to CapFriendly.
This move comes as Makar has dealt with concussion issues, something that has kept him out of the lineup since a February 18th contest with the St. Louis Blues. In that game, Makar collided with Blues forward Alexey Toropchenko, and he entered concussion protocol. That game had been his first since February seventh, when he was also sidelined with concussion symptoms.
While this placement on injured reserve is more about clearing a roster spot than anything else, it is an indication that Makar may still be a ways away from returning to the ice. It was not made clear if the IR placement was retroactive to the date of Makar’s last game, as the Dallas Stars did with today’s placement of Luke Glendening on injured reserve, but regardless one has to assume that Makar’s return to the ice isn’t imminent.
While the Avalanche have remained in the playoff hunt despite Makar’s absence for most of this month, this injury means the Avalanche remain without someone who is arguably their best player. The 24-year-old has shouldered an increasingly demanding defensive role this season and has scored 45 points in 46 games.
The reigning Norris and Conn Smythe Trophy winner is widely considered to be the best defenseman in the NHL, and his return to full health would do wonders for the Avalanche’s odds to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. But concussions are an extremely tricky issue, and the best course for Makar’s long-term personal health, as well as the long-term interests of the Avalanche, may be to be as patient with Makar’s timeline as possible.
Now, with Makar on injured reserve and his roster spot opened for another player to occupy, the team is free to give him as much time and space he needs to recover without the pressures of nightly games and roster math playing a major role.