Dallas Stars Acquire Jeremie Poirier
The Dallas Stars announced today that they have acquired defenseman Jeremie Poirier from the Calgary Flames in exchange for defenseman Gavin White.
At face value, this appears to be a transaction more focused on each club’s AHL affiliate, with limited immediate NHL implications. Neither player involved in this deal has made his NHL debut.
While this trade has limited relevance to the NHL depth charts of each involved team, the transaction is a significant one for each of the two involved prospects. Both Poirier and White are pending RFAs, and by landing in new organizations, they each get a clean slate to prove themselves in front of a new set of hockey decision-makers.
Poirier is the bigger name involved in the trade, just based on his pedigree as a prospect. The Flames selected Poirier in the third round of the 2020 draft, 72nd overall out of the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs. The Flames’ selection of Poirier was lauded at the time, as the public sphere ranked Poirier far higher than where he was ultimately picked. The No. 8 pick in the 2018 QMJHL Entry Draft, Poirier was the No. 26 prospect in the 2020 draft class according to Elite Prospects, No. 22 according to TSN’s Craig Button, and No. 33 on Bob McKenzie’s list for TSN.
Early in his pro career, it looked as though the media’s higher ranking of Poirier was entirely justified. He scored 41 points in 69 games in his debut AHL campaign, was named to the AHL’s All-Rookie team, and looked to be on the cusp of making a real push for an NHL call-up. After that season, he was ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the Flames’ system by Corey Pronman of The Athletic, who called his debut pro campaign “very successful,” but added that Poirier’s “big issue” was his defensive play.
That was the prevailing narrative surrounding Poirier’s development as a prospect. While his offensive talents were never in question, some scouts had reservations as to whether he’d develop enough defensively in order to be trusted enough to play in the NHL. In his draft year, scouts in the public sphere appeared more optimistic than scouts within the NHL on Poirier’s future as a player, and while his pro debut was strong, Poirier never was able to fully silence his doubters and land an NHL role with the Flames. Poirier’s offensive game remained steady, but questions surrounding his defensive game persisted.
Since Poirier’s value proposition as a player is entirely concentrated in his ability to generate offense from the back end, his status on a depth chart was always going to be highly vulnerable in the case his offense ever dried up. Consequently, the fact that Poirier has only managed six points in 35 AHL games this season is likely what spelled the end for of his tenure in Calgary.
Poirier was the Wranglers’ top power play quarterback in prior years, but other prospects have entered the picture, such as Hunter Brzustewicz and more recently Zayne Parekh, which has cost him that spot. Poirier is no longer considered one of the Flames’ top prospects, and this season, it has looked like he is drifting further from an NHL opportunity, not closer. It’s understandable that the team elected a change-of-scenery trade for a 23-year-old soon-to-be RFA in that kind of developmental position.
By trading him now instead of simply non-tendering him this summer, they get the chance to add a defenseman from outside the organization and evaluate whether he’s a fit to retain beyond this season. They also do a favor to Poirier, who thanks to landing in a new organization, gets a fresh opportunity that could help his development and renew his push for an NHL role. The move is also a worthwhile gamble for the Stars, who lack a true offensive defenseman in their regular AHL lineup. He’s likely to be Texas’ top power play quarterback, a role he lost with the Wranglers.
White, the defenseman headed to Calgary in this trade, is unlike Poirier in several notable ways, including in that he does not have a past as a top-rated prospect. The Stars selected him in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, and he’s spent the entirety of his pro career with AHL Texas, outside of a handful of games in the ECHL.
Although White played a limited role in each of his first two AHL seasons, his development trajectory looks positive. Through 23 games this season, he’s averaging a greater dosage of minutes than he received last season, and is even appearing regularly on the Stars’ penalty kill.
As a right-shot defensive defenseman, White holds almost the exact opposite kind of profile as Poirier, meaning his addition better fits the current construction of the Wranglers’ defense. Ryan Pike of Flames Nation wrote that the Wranglers have “regularly been playing left-shot D on the right side out of necessity,” meaning White will likely get the chance to play a greater role in Calgary than he did in Cedar Park.
Flames Reassign Justin Kirkland
Feb. 2: Kirkland has cleared waivers, per Friedman. The team later announced he’s been reassigned to Calgary.
Feb. 1: The Calgary Flames have placed forward Justin Kirkland on waivers, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
This is Kirkland’s second waiver placement of the year, as he was also waived in November. Kirkland has been on the Flames’ NHL roster since mid-December, serving largely as a spare forward option. He’s played 20 NHL games this season and has been a healthy scratch for eight, including yesterday.
In the 20 contests he was dressed for, Kirkland managed one goal and two points across 9:49 time on ice per game. He also managed to play a role on the Flames’ penalty kill, averaging nearly two minutes per game of short-handed ice time.
At the AHL level, Kirkland has been a steady top-six scoring option for the Flames’ affiliates, both when they were based in Stockton and now Calgary. Kirkland, who joined the Flames organization in 2019-20, has five goals and seven points in 14 AHL contests this season and had 30 points in 43 AHL games last year.
While there are some qualities that would suggest Kirkland is a candidate to be claimed — namely, the fact that he can play center and has played on an NHL penalty kill with some regularity — it seems more likely he’ll once again clear waivers. The fact that he’s set to make $900K this year as an owner of a one-way contract increases the likelihood that teams pass on claiming him.
While it’s certainly not impossible he gets claimed, largely for those aforementioned reasons, the most likely outcome is that Kirkland will remain in the organization he’s contributed to for the entirety of the 2020s.
Three Teams Connected To Nazem Kadri
Leading up to the trade deadline, Nazem Kadri of the Calgary Flames remains a speculative trade candidate for contending teams. However, the Montreal Canadiens, who have been frequently linked to Kadri in recent months, have cooled their interest in the former Stanley Cup champion over the last few weeks.
Latest On Yegor Sharangovich
As the NHL’s March 6 trade deadline inches closer, one of the teams that looks overwhelmingly likely to count themselves as one of the league’s sellers is the Calgary Flames. Calgary has struggled in a variety of areas this season, and does not appear to have a clear path to the playoffs.
While significant attention has been paid to a few of the Flames’ key trade chips, such as veteran center Nazem Kadri, some have wondered whether other Flames players beyond just a few older veterans could be moved.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported last week that while Flames forward Yegor Sharangovich has been named as a trade candidate by some, he does “not get the sense there is any activity surrounding the 27-year-old.” Unless something changes, it appears the Flames won’t be dealing Sharangovich before the trade deadline.
The forward had been named as a trade candidate in large part due to his offensive struggles over the last season and a half. Sharangovich broke out in his first year with the Flames, scoring 31 goals and 59 points in the 2023-24 season. Looking to ensure they had team control over Sharangovich as he inched closer to UFA status, the Flames acted early, signing Sharangovich to a contract extension on July 1, 2024.
At this moment, it appears the Flames might regret acting so decisively to re-sign Sharangovich. At the time, signing him to that extension at that moment was an entirely defensible calculated risk.
The Flames likely believed that if he could at the very least sustain his level of production, the deal would be an entirely fair one. If he could build on it, he would quickly provide surplus value on his cap hit. If Calgary believed Sharangovich was unlikely to decline too far from his scoring numbers in his debut season as a Flame, signing that deal at that point made too much sense — his price tag would only rise as he got closer to UFA status.
But unfortunately for the Flames, his offensive production declined the following year, going from the aforementioned 31 goals and 59 points to just 17 goals and 32 points. So far this season, that decline has persisted, as he has 11 goals and 20 points in 50 games.
While the expected steep rise of the salary cap softens the blow, without question, it’s clear Sharangovich isn’t living up to his $5.75MM cap hit, at least from a production standpoint.
Given his offensive decline and the contract he’s owed (2025-26 is the first of five seasons on the contract), it’s understandable that those in the Calgary market might want to see the Flames move on from Sharangovich. But his difficulty getting back to his prior level of offensive production, combined with the weight of his contract, makes him a difficult player to move. That’s a sentiment Pagnotta’s report echoed, and it’s also worth noting that Sharangovich’s deal comes with the protection of a 10-team no-trade list.
With limited league interest in trading for his services, Sharangovich’s best path forward will, undoubtedly, be to find a way to develop more chemistry with some of the Flames’ other top-six forwards.
It’s not as though Sharangovich is lacking in terms of opportunity, as he’s averaging 16:04 time on ice per game including 1:52 per game on the power play. He just hasn’t been able to capitalize the way he did in his debut season in Alberta.
As the Flames chart their course back to contention at some point down the line, getting Sharangovich’s scoring back on track will have to be a key priority.
Photos courtesy of Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Senators Interested In MacKenzie Weegar, Blake Coleman
That’s a hefty wishlist, especially for a team that’s 10 points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Garrioch reported that the Senators are interested in forward Blake Coleman and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar from the Calgary Flames, which would immediately fulfill both desires.
Still, Weegar has a full no-movement clause in his contract, meaning he would have to sign off on a trade to Ottawa. He is from there, but there’s been no indication that he is one of the players that the Flames are considering moving this season. At any rate, it’s clear that the Senators are trying to fill a pair of higher-level holes, and they’re looking for players with term.
Calgary Flames Recall Zayne Parekh
According to a team announcement, the Calgary Flames have recalled defenseman Zayne Parekh from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. The Flames sent Parekh to their AHL affiliate two weeks ago on a conditioning loan and were required to decide his immediate future, given that a conditioning loan may last only 14 days.
Parekh, 19, hasn’t played in a game for the Flames since November 11th. The former ninth overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft was loaned to Team Canada for the U20 IIHF World Junior Championships in December. During the tournament, he scored five goals and 13 points in seven games, contributing to the team’s bronze medal finish.
Although Calgary would have liked to have Parekh see more NHL action before his debut in the World Junior Championship, he lost nearly a month due to an upper-body injury. The Flames sent him on a conditioning loan to the Wranglers almost immediately upon his return.
Fortunately, he performed well throughout his first bout of AHL action. Parekh appeared in four games for the Wranglers, scoring two goals and five points with a +1 rating. Earlier this season, he tallied one assist in 11 games for the Flames, averaging 14:46 of ice time per game.
Unfortunately, Parekh didn’t draw into today’s game against the San Jose Sharks. Calgary acquired defenseman Zach Whitecloud in the recent trade that sent Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights, so he doesn’t have a clear path to playing time. Unless the Flames decide to move Whitecloud leading up to the trade deadline, or take Brayden Pachal out of the lineup on a nightly basis, Parekh may be the odd man out in Calgary, like he has been most of the year.
Coleman Out Until After Olympics
The Flames will be without one of their better forwards (and potential trade chips) for a while yet. The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Blake Coleman won’t return until after the Olympic break. The 34-year-old has missed the last eight games with an upper-body injury. Coleman had been skating for the last week in a non-contact jersey but head coach Ryan Huska indicated that they’ve now decided to shut him down for the time being, meaning that his first possible game back will be four weeks from now. Coleman was Calgary’s team leader in goals before being sidelined, collecting 13 while adding eight assists in 44 games.
Jonathan Huberdeau Returns From Lower-Body Injury
- According to Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg, winger Jonathan Huberdeau will return to the lineup tomorrow night for the Calgary Flames. The former Calder Trophy winner missed the Flames’ most recent game due to a lower-body injury.
[SOURCE LINK]
Latest On Jonathan Huberdeau
Pittsburgh Penguins fixture Kris Letang is absent tonight in Calgary as reported by Josh Yohe, Penguins Beat Writer.
The 38-year-old was listed as questionable yesterday, due to an upper-body injury. It’s not immediately clear what caused the ailment, as Letang continues to play heavy minutes, his 22:01 average standing as second-most on the team, behind Erik Karlsson, who is also injured and out tonight. With 25 points in 48 games, it will be the first contest of 2025-26 the Pens will not have Letang in the lineup.
Winners of six out of their last 10, firmly in the playoff hunt, Pittsburgh must turn to Jack St. Ivany, who has served as a depth defenseman this year. Ryan Graves will also remain on the third pairing, the 30-year-old eager to get on track after his struggles resulted in demotion to the AHL. Still on the outside looking in with an unmovable contract, Graves has been called upon due to the numerous injuries on the back end.
Both Letang and Karlsson figure to be back by Sunday as the group travels to Vancouver.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Shortly before tonight’s game against the shorthanded Penguins, the Calgary Flames shared that Jonathan Huberdeau is day-to-day with a lower body injury, and will not play. Missing in warm-ups, it was briefly speculated that the $10.5MM man could have been scratched, not entirely out of the realm of possibility, but instead he will miss his sixth of the campaign due to an injury. After a step forward last season where he recorded 62 points, good for second best on the team, this year has not been kind to the 32-year-old. He has just 21 points in 44 games, but as the Flames rank second-to-last in offense, Huberdeau still ranks sixth on team scoring totals. Martin Pospisil, recalled yesterday, will make his season debut, coming back from an upper-body injury sustained in the preseason. Huberdeau will look to be healthy by Friday, as the Flames host the Capitals.
- Ahead of tonight’s game at Colorado, the Anaheim Ducks updated that Mason McTavish won’t play due to an upper-body injury, while Jansen Harkins enters the lineup. The news was unexpected, as McTavish has not yet missed a game all year, finding the back of the net in each of his last two games. The 22-year-old has 30 points in 49 games, somewhat surpassed in a group of dynamic young forwards, but still a key contributor. Having won four in a row, Anaheim’s center depth has taken a major hit as star Leo Carlsson is out three to five weeks. The group will hope to have McTavish back by Friday in Seattle, but tonight is a tough test against the top team in the league.
Latest On Zach Whitecloud
The Toronto Maple Leafs announced mid-game that Oliver Ekman-Larsson won’t return due to a lower-body injury.
Ekman-Larsson did not come out to start the second period against Detroit. He was seen battling with Lucas Raymond for a loose puck, where the defenseman seemed to catch an edge awkwardly.
Dealing with health issues over the last few years, the 34-year-old has been durable this year, not yet missing a game, a distinction shared only with teammate John Tavares. With 31 points in 50 games, Ekman-Larsson has had his best output since 2018-19, although seasons since then were shortened from injury. He has averaged 20:54 a night, leaned on in all situations, as a top pairing defender on both the power play and penalty kill.
He had another lower-body injury scare in December, but avoided missing any time.
The veteran of 1,108 games is expected to help lead Team Sweden in the upcoming Olympic Games, but such could be in jeopardy with tonight’s news. The Swedes are already dealing with a shake up, as just yesterday, it became apparent that Jonas Brodin, another left-handed defender, would likely miss the Olympics along with forward Leo Carlsson.
Options such as Mattias Ekholm, Hampus Lindholm, and Simon Edvisson are thought to be replacements for Brodin if needed, and possibly, another of the trio could come along to Milan if Ekman-Larsson will miss time. Both Sweden and the Maple Leafs will hope such is not the case. Toronto is back in action on Friday, hosting Vegas.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Kevin Kurz of The Athletic shared additional details on Philadelphia Flyers forward Rodrigo Abols’ injury. The 30-year-old suffered a fractured right ankle, and according to Kurz, there is a chance he could make a return by the “final month or so of the regular season”. Abols landed on injured reserve on Sunday, with what was considered a lower-body injury, but the incident against the Rangers last Saturday appeared to be a gruesome leg injury, immediately serious. With the Flyers still in the Wild Card hunt, losing their steady fourth line center was a tough blow. 28-year-old Lane Pederson was recalled in a corresponding transaction, and figures to fill in for now. Also with Olympics implications, Abols unfortunately will not get to appear for Team Latvia next month.
- New Calgary Flames blueliner Zach Whitecloud could have a short stay in Calgary, as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period wrote that “several teams” reached out. Acquired from Vegas in Sunday’s Rasmus Andersson deal, Pagnotta emphasized Whitecloud’s very manageable $2.75MM cap hit, which runs through 2027-28. The longtime Golden Knight played 22:33 in his Calgary debut in a top pairing role, evident that he is valuable to the retooling club as a solid stop-gap capable of eating minutes. GM Craig Conroy has no reason to rush into such a move, but strong offers later in the spring may bring intrigue, especially with top prospect righty Zayne Parekh in waiting.