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Dallas Stars May Miss Chance To Trade Patrick Sharp Due To Injury

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Mar. 1: Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that Sharp’s injury is significant enough that it will stop him from being traded today.

Feb. 28, 4:00pm: If you’re a fan of the Dallas Stars and you hate that they’ve begun to sell off expiring assets this year, you may be in luck. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet is reporting that team doctors will meet with Patrick Sharp at the conclusion of the Stars game against Pittsburgh to discuss a nagging injury. Though he is able to play through it—he played two nights ago and is expected to be in the lineup tonight—it may keep him off the trading block.

Friedman says that Stars GM Jim Nill has been very up front with teams who have inquired about the pending free agent. Though this doesn’t by any means guarantee that he won’t be moved, any team looking for an immediate impact in their top six may look elsewhere.

Sharp is in the last year of a five-year, $29.5MM deal that he signed with the Chicago Blackhawks back in 2011 and is easily one of the most decorated scoring threats on the rental market. With eight 20+ goal seasons (including four in which he scored at least 33) he presented an opportunity to get a player who could provide a real impact with top-line players for the remainder of the season and in the playoffs.

We profiled Sharp a month ago and listed no less than seven teams that could have been interested in the three-time Stanley Cup winner. The fact that he has 47 goals in 142 playoff games and is only owed an actual salary of $5MM this season was just icing on the cake. Sharp is admittedly getting older at 35 and has seen his production slip this year because of concussion problems, but when the market is paying solid prospects for Alex Burrows and second-round picks for Brian Boyle, he still looked likely to command a hefty return.

Again, this doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed to stay with the Stars but it could definitely cool the market on him if he’s deemed to injured to help immediately. Teams may still acquire him if he had a shot at returning for the playoffs, but it would likely have heavy conditions on any picks sent back to Dallas. Obviously the type or extent of the injury isn’t known, but Michael Russo of the Star Tribune guesses that it may have been a collision with Nino Niederreiter on February 16th for which the Minnesota forward was given a five-minute major and game misconduct (video of hit).

Regardless of when it happened, it’s bad timing for the Stars if they wanted to get anything out of Sharp at the deadline.

Trade Candidates: Valtteri Filppula

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With the trade deadline now just days away, we’re wrapping up our profiles of several players whose names are still on the trade block and are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been busy, dealing Ben Bishop to Los Angeles, and Brian Boyle to Toronto. Another couple names keep popping up and one of those is center Valtteri Filppula, a player who can offer a playoff team depth down the middle.

Contract

Filppula signed with the Bolts before the 2013-14 season, a five-year, $25MM deal. With two years left on that deal, Filppula and the Lightning have a chance to help one another. The deal includes a no-trade clause which Filppula would have to waive, but should it be to the right team, general manager Steve Yzerman could make a deal to ease the financial strain on his team.

2016-17

Filppula is a defty centerman, known for creating plays and less for scoring goals. He’s only had two 20-goal seasons–once in Detroit and Tampa Bay. But he creates offense and is responsible in his own end, making him a valuable player come playoff time. This season, Filppula has already eclipsed his point total for last year, recording 34 in 59 games this year. He’s currently fifth on the team in points, and valuable in the faceoff circle.

Season Stats

59 GP: 7 goals, 27 assists, 34 points, +1 rating, 17:30 ATOI

January 17, 2017; Anaheim, CA, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Valtteri Filppula (51) moves into position against the Anaheim Ducks during the second period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Suitors

It’s going to take some creativity on Yzerman’s part to make this trade happen. Less than 24 hours from the deadline, Filppula’s name has been tagged in a number of scenarios, with Bob McKenzie tweeting that of the 13 teams listed on his no trade clause. It makes McKenzie’s tweet that much more interesting since one of the blocked teams could potentially work it out. The Florida Panthers, who have surged lately, could absorb the hit for another season and it would provide more depth. The Toronto Maple Leafs would be another option, reuniting Filppula with Mike Babcock, who he was a Stanley Cup with in 2008. Filppula’s playoff experience, and strong performances during those playoff runs, would make him valuable to a team looking to get that necessary bump in depth. If Tampa is willing to absorb even a little bit of salary, the Edmonton Oilers, or the Nashville Predators could be destinations. Even the New York Islanders, who are knocking on the door, could swing a deal with the right financial plan. The Oilers look less likely, however, after swinging a deal to acquire David Desharnais.

Likelihood Of A Trade

The challenge for Yzerman is getting Filppula to waive his no-trade as well as massaging a deal that doesn’t financially cripple a team. Retaining only half of the deal for an extra season would help, but still require more work as Yzerman has a number of moves to make in the offseason. Shedding the contract would be helpful for Yzerman and the Bolts while Filppula would help a team during a playoff run.

Blackhawks Acquire Johnny Oduya

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The Chicago Blackhawks have reached an agreement with the Dallas Stars to acquire defenseman Johnny Oduya.  In return, the Stars receive a conditional fourth round pick along with minor league forward Mark McNeill.  If the Blackhawks win two rounds this postseason and Oduya plays in 50% of the games or more, the pick will be upgraded to a third rounder.

Oduya is no stranger to the Blackhawks as he spent parts of four seasons with the team from 2011-12 through 2014-15.  He played a total of 219 regular season games with Chicago in that span, scoring nine goals and 34 assists while averaging 20:37 per game.  He left the team to sign with Dallas in the summer of 2015.

"FebThe 35 year old rearguard has been slowed by ankle problems this season which took him out of the lineup on two separate occasions.  As a result, he has suited up in just 37 games this year, tallying seven points (1-6-7) while logging a career low 18:10 per night in ice time.

Oduya should slot in as a considerable upgrade on the third pairing for the Blackhawks while giving them another option for their penalty kill.  Alternatively, he could be slotted back alongside Niklas Hjalmarsson (when he returns which is expected to be next week) as the two played together in Oduya’s first stint with Chicago.  Hjalmarsson was placed on injured reserve to free up a roster spot to make the deal.

From the financial side of things, the veteran rearguard carries a cap hit of $3.75MM.  However, the Stars will be retaining 50% as part of the deal.

As for McNeill, he has played in just one NHL game since being drafted in the first round (18th overall) back in 2011.  He has spent the entire season with Chicago’s AHL affiliate in Rockford, scoring six goals while adding 22 assists in 58 games.  He will report to Texas of the AHL.

ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun was the first to report that the Blackhawks had acquired Oduya via Twitter while TSN’s Bob McKenzie added in the details (all Twitter links).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ottawa Senators Acquire Viktor Stalberg From Carolina

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The Ottawa Senators aren’t finished. The team has acquired winger Viktor Stalberg from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2017 draft.<a rel=

As noted when the team traded for Alex Burrows yesterday, the Senators have needed depth on the wing all season and have now added both size and scoring potential in their two new players. Stalberg is a big bodied winger with speed to burn and a 20-goal season in his past, though he’s used more as an intimidating forchecker and penalty killer these days. A role-player in the Chicago Blackhawks 2013 Stanley Cup, he does have 43 games of playoff experience and will fit well into the bottom-six of the Senators.

With Ottawa just four points back of Montreal for first place in the Atlantic (with two games in hand mind you), owner Eugene Melnyk gave a clear directive for the Sens front office to follow. Playoffs or bust in 2017. The Senators are an internal budget team that relies on playoff revenue to continue to operate slightly above the cap floor, and with the two additions they’ve helped their case down the final 20 games. Though a third-round pick may seem pricey for a rental in Stalberg, they will likely recoup some of their lost draft selections with other trades—like a possible Curtis Lazar swap—before the draft this year.

For the Hurricanes, this represents an excellent value for Stalberg after signing him in the summer to a one-year deal. Though they had hoped that a playoff run was on the table this season, they still have an excellent young team and now own seven selections in the first three rounds of this summer’s draft. With the Metropolitan looking like a juggernaut for at least this season, but several teams (see: Washington) having multiple free agents leaving them this summer the slow burn of a Carolina rebuild may eventually pay off.

The Hurricanes still have Jay McClement and Lee Stempniak as possible veteran additions or a handful of young defenders to waive in front of team’s noses for the next 25 hours. They could easily acquire even more picks, or perhaps another young scoring forward before the deadline.

Pierre LeBrun of ESPN was first to break the deal on Twitter after Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet heard rumblings earlier today. Darren Dreger of TSN chimed in with a confirmation and the details on the pick going to Carolina.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Chicago Blackhawks Extend Jordin Tootoo And Michal Rozsival

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The Chicago Blackhawks have signed both Jordin Tootoo and Michal Rozsival to one-year extensions. Signing both players through 2017-18 will help to fulfill the forward and defense requirements (Roszival actually needs three more games) for the Blackhawks in the upcoming expansion draft. The team will need to expose another forward who fulfills the 40/70 requirement and is signed through next year. Marcus Kruger currently fills that, though they may want to protect him in the draft. Pierre LeBrun of ESPN reports that the deals are worth $700K for Tootoo and $650K for Rozsival.

Both players signed one-year deals with the Blackhawks this summer and have played bit parts in the Blackhawks latest run for the Stanley Cup. Combined, they’ve collected two points but do provide bodies for the team to move in and out of the lineup when necessary. For a team like the Hawks that operate right up against the cap, cheap veterans that can fill in are key to icing a competitive lineup every night.

Like the signing of Jeff Glass last week, this is a move simply to prepare Chicago for any eventual scenario at the expansion draft. With teams unsure exactly of what strategy the Vegas Golden Knights will use, having more players that can fill expansion requirements is a good thing.

Snapshots: Carter, Crawford, Faulk

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The Minnesota Wild have signed forward Ryan Carter to a one-year, two-way contract, according to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune. The deal is worth a pro-rated $575K at the NHL level and $250K in the AHL.

Carter had major shoulder surgery in October to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Many believed this was it for the 33-year-old left winger due to his age and the seriousness of  his injury. Carter has been skating with the Wild for the better part of a month, and told Dane Mizutani of TwinCities.com that he couldn’t give up his career without at least trying to come back.

“I wanted to be a part of it, and for awhile it hurt a little bit that I wasn’t a part of it. It’s good to be here now.”

Carter was reportedly in talks with the Wild for the past month, and last week signed a Professional Try-Out (PTO) with the Iowa Wild of the AHL. He is without a point in three appearances with the AHL club.

In a related news item, the Wild have recalled center Zac Dalpe from Iowa. The big forward has three points in nine games with the Wild this season, and two goals in 12 games with their AHL affiliate.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks will be without starting goaltender Corey Crawford when they take on the St. Louis Blues this afternoon, according to Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune. Crawford is battling an illness and won’t be able to dress. Coach Joel Quenneville told the media that Crawford does not have the mumps. Chris Hine, also from the Tribune, quoted Quenneville as saying that Lars Johansson will likely get the emergency call up from Rockford to backup Scott Darling.
  • The venerable Postmedia reporter Jim Matheson reported that Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk is in play at the trade deadline. Faulk is having a poor year with 25 points (just one assist in his last six games), but has a history of being a point-producing defenseman. Matheson cites the play of Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, and Noah Hanifin as the reason that Faulk is on the market. The Hurricanes would be need a young center in return, Matheson believes. Despite the fact that plenty of teams would be interested in Faulk even though he’s having a poor season, any potential deal may have to wait until after the season; Faulk makes $4.83MM and has three years left on his contract after this season.

Lightning, Coyotes Swap Minor Leaguers

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Though not quite as exciting as the two deals yesterday, another trade has gone down in the NHL today. As the Tampa Bay Times reports, the Lightning and Arizona Coyotes have agreed on a swap of forward prospects. Heading to Tampa is Stefan Fournier, while Jeremy Morin heads to Arizona. Neither minor leaguer is much of a threat to become an impact NHL contributor any time soon, but may be able to help their respective AHL franchises.

It’s not the first time that Morin has been on the move; far from it in fact. The 25-year-old winger was a second-round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers back in 2009, but was traded not long after in the summer of 2010. Following an 83-point season with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers, Morin was one of the main pieces that went to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Dustin Byfuglien. Morin then broke into the NHL in 2010-11 at the age of 19. However, he was used sparingly in five seasons in Chicago, recording 16 points in just 54 games. Believing that Morin had stopped developing, the Blackhawks flipped him to the Columbus Blue Jackets midway through the 2014-15 season for another struggling prospect, Tim Erixon. After just a half-season in Columbus, Morin was on the move again, heading back to Chicago alongside Artem Anisimov in the Brandon Saad trade. Chicago wasted no time in trading Morin yet again, this time in a deal that worked out much better than Erixon, a swap with the Toronto Maple Leafs for Richard Panik. Only two months later, Morin was part of a deadline deal that shipped him out of Toronto to the San Jose Sharks along with James Reimer. Finally in charge of his own fate, Morin signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Lightning when free agency opened on July 1st of this summer. In 43 games this season with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, Morin has 21 points, his best minor league season since 2013-14. However, that clearly hasn’t helped him find a permanent home, as he’s on the move yet again. Morin will report to the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners and will likely finish the season with the team before searching for a new opportunity once again this off-season.

Fournier has not had to endure quite the same treatment. The 24-year-old signed with the Montreal Canadiens in 2013 after a strong junior career in the QMJHL and played three seasons with the organization, in the AHL and ECHL, before being traded to the Coyotes alongside Jarred Tinordi in a three-team deal last season. Fournier has done little to help the Coyotes, or Roadrunners for that matter, in 2016-17 with just four points in 29 AHL games. With the move to Tampa Bay, more accurately the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, perhaps Fournier can find the scoring touch he had in juniors that he has been unable to find in the pros. Fournier will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, so the remainder of the season should act as a tryout for an extension with the Lightning.

Friday Trades Recap: Patrick Eaves, Tomas Jurco

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Friday featured a couple trades as the trade deadline approaches. Here’s another look at what went down today, and what it could mean for both teams down the road.

Trade #1: Anaheim acquires Eaves

Ducks Receive: F Patrick Eaves

Stars Receive: 2017 2nd round pick (conditional)

Patrick Eaves

The Details: This could be a huge win for both teams should the Ducks see the playoff success they hope for. Eaves has had a tremendous season, netting 37 points (21-16) for a Stars team that could never turn the corner. Eaves brings another dimension of scoring for the Ducks who are looking up at the Sharks and Oilers. The Stars did well, too, snaring a 2nd round pick at the very least for a player who only had one 20-goal season until this year. Should the Ducks advance to the Conference Finals, Eaves needs to play in at least 50% of those games for the 2nd rounder to turn into a first.

Who wins? It all depends on how far the Ducks advance. It’s a win-win should the Ducks go to the Conference Final or beyond since the Stars have a second round pick become a first. If Eaves bolsters their scoring or has a good playoff, it helps the Ducks case in dealing away a second round pick. Should they get bounced in the first round or Eaves not help out as anticipated, it would be a slight nod to the Stars.

Trade #2: Chicago acquire Jurco

Blackhawks receive: F Tomas Jurco

Red Wings receive: 2017 3rd round pick 

Tomas Jurco

The Details: The Red Wings and Tomas Jurco never worked together. A highly touted prospect, Jurco never gave the Wings what they sought while the Wings never gave Jurco the ice time or playing time he expected. Enter the Blackhawks. Chicago dealt a third round pick for the 24-year-old winger, who can slide in nicely on the third or fourth line that is less about grit (unlike Detroit) and more about goal scoring and puck possession. Two seasons ago, Jurco netted eight goals in 36 games. The Blackhawks boast a much stronger roster than the Red Wings, and it could be a steal if Jurco lives up to the potential many thought he had.

Who wins? If Jurco flourishes in Chicago, it’s an absolute win for the Hawks. Still young, Jurco never really broke into the lineup despite being known for his puck possession prowess. While Ken Holland is known for letting his prospects “over-ripen,” this seemed to be an “over-done” situation in Detroit. Regardless, they still got a third round pick for a player they would have most likely lost this summer. Another way of looking at it? The Wings weren’t playing him regardless, and getting a third round pick is an absolute win.  Should Jurco be a regular contributor for Chicago, a third round pick suffices as a nice giveaway and pickup for both teams.

Detroit Red Wings Trade Tomas Jurco To Chicago Blackhawks

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In another pre-deadline deal, the Detroit Red Wings have sent Tomas Jurco to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a third-round pick in 2017. Despite Stan Bowman’s comments to the contrary, the Hawks have indeed jumped into the deadline fray. <a rel=Tomas Jurco” width=”219″ height=”300″ />

Jurco is a 24-year old winger who has yet to make a real impact at the NHL level, scoring just 39 points in 159 career games. After scoring 15 points in 36 games as a rookie in 2013-14, his play and icetime have been cut down substantially, and has been held pointless in 16 games this season. Pierre LeBrun of ESPN however reports that the Hawks have been after him for the past six weeks and really wanted him at the deadline.

Chicago does have a tendancy of turning cast off wingers into something valuable, and perhaps Jurco will be the latest in that narrative. The former second-round pick (35th overall in 2011) does seem have potential upside left to unlock. One scout told Craig Custance of ESPN exactly that: “I’ve always thought he had a little bit more skill than what we have seen from him.”

Since Jurco is earning just $900K this season, it won’t cost the Hawks much in cap-space but did require a legitimate pick. Though the Hawks have their eyes set on a fourth Stanley Cup and a very low draft number, a third rounder is still a valuable asset. Earlier this week it was enough to pry Michael Stone from Calgary, though Jurco obviously comes with much longer control. He’ll be a restricted free agent at the end of this year, and is arbitration eligible.

The Hawks don’t have much room, but don’t let Bowman fool you. He’s always involved in what’s going on at the deadline, and Frank Seravalli of TSN tweeted that he thinks Patrick Eaves—who was dealt to Anaheim just minutes prior—was also a target for Chicago. The Ducks received a second-round pick that may turn into a first depending on their playoff results, something that the Hawks may not have been willing to part with.

Chicago has sent down Vinnie Hinostroza to make room for Jurco on the roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Maxim Shalunov Could Join Blackhawks This Year

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The Blackhawks may have their depth winger already in the system, if Maxim Shalunov’s agent can just convince his KHL team to let the Blackhawks sign him. The fourth-round pick from 2011 is still under contract in Russia, but The Athletic’s Scott Powers spoke to agent Shumi Babaev on Thursday evening and was told there is a chance—even if it is just 10%.

Shalunov left for the KHL after struggling in the AHL and spending most of 2013-14 in the East Coast Hockey League, but has found much more success in his native Russia. The leading scorer on Novosibirsk Sibir, the 24-year old has 19 goals and 37 points in just 49 games. While the KHL is not a perfect predictor for NHL success, it seems as though he’s developed nicely from his days with the Rockford IceHogs.

It’s not a given that he’ll come over to the NHL at all, as his team currently has him under contract until April 30th, and he has said he wants a trade to CSKA Moscow after that if he’s to stay in the KHL. That team can recruit just as well as any NHL squad, as it has with Minnesota Wild prospect Kirill Kaprizov recently. Shalunov’s agent still puts it at 90% that they stay in Russia, but he’ll discuss it with the team and see what he can do to bring him to North America. The Hawks may have just found their top-6 rental winger for the playoffs.

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