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Friedman’s Latest: Dallas, Colorado, Flyers, MVP

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Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman made his weekly appearance on Edmonton radio, and commented on a few topics from around the NHL.

Friedman broke down some potential sellers, saying he could see “a lot of teams throwing themselves at Johnny Oduya” out of Dallas. The Stars have lost six of their last seven games, and are now seven points out of the final wildcard spot. Other names out of Dallas include pending UFAs Patrick Eaves and Patrick Sharp, and “maybe” Ales Hemsky. The latter was expected to be done for the season, but will play again this season according to Mike Heika of the Dallas News.

One of the few clear sellers, the Colorado Avalanche, has set a “very high price” for their players, according to Friedman. However, there may be a wider market than many realized. Friedman listed Pittsburgh among others as unexpected teams calling GM Joe Sakic. Citing GM Jim Rutherford’s willingness to win now and “sort things out” in the offseason, Friedman speculated that the Penguins could consider moving Olli Maatta as part of a package for Matt Duchene. To be clear, Friedman isn’t suggesting the Penguins have made an offer, simply that they’re interested and Maatta is the kind of player that the Avalanche would be interested in. Another potential suitor for Duchene could be Montreal, but GM Marc Bergevin “doesn’t like the price.”

Former Canadiens forward and Flyers UFA signing Dale Weise will be a healthy scratch in Edmonton tonight; he has just two goals and five points in 46 games after signing a four-year contract worth $2.35MM per season. Friedman pointed out that many players struggle in their first year with a new team, but the Canadiens won’t be interested in re-acquiring Weise at his current term.

Staying in Philadelphia, Friedman said it’s not just Shayne Gostisbehere who “doesn’t look like himself.” The whole team is looking for answers; after their ten-game winning streak earlier this season, they’ve won just eight games of their last 25. Friedman told Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer that several teams scouted Gostisbehere “to death” over the summer, and he hasn’t been able to adjust his style.

It remains to be seen what will happen in the next couple weeks, as the GMs are all playing “one big poker game” leading up to the deadline, according to Friedman.

Trade deadline aside, Friedman chatted about the MVP race this season. With Brent Burns sitting between Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby at the top of the scoring race, Friedman predicted a scoring title would guarantee an MVP title for Burns. However, he also said that if Edmonton makes the playoffs, then Friedman “doesn’t know how [he’s] not going to vote for Connor McDavid.”

Another consideration is goal scoring. Both Burns and Crosby are outscoring McDavid considerably, but Friedman pointed out that McDavid has clearly put the Oilers on his shoulders and elevated them to a playoff team.

Injury Updates: Stars, Callahan, Nurse, Malkin, Predators

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The Dallas Stars got some good news and some bad news on the injury front as they start a three game road trip today in Nashville, writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.  Center Jason Spezza, who has missed the last four games with an upper-body injury, accompanied the team on the trip and head coach Lindy Ruff thinks he’s close to returning to the lineup although he won’t play against the Preds.  Although Spezza is having a down year offensively, he’s still tied for fourth in team scoring with 31 points in 45 games.

The news isn’t so good for blueliner Johnny Oduya.  He has sat out ten straight contests with an ankle injury and isn’t with the team on the trip.  The pending UFA is likely to garner some interest at the trade deadline but it would be much easier for Dallas to move him if he’s back in the lineup for a few games by then.

Right winger Ales Hemsky is also on the trip.  While he’s not expected to play, he is progressing well from hip surgery back in October and Ruff expects him to be ready before the end of the season.

Other injury news from around the league:

  • Lightning right winger Ryan Callahan is slated to be re-evaluated during their upcoming bye week, reports Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. He has missed the last four weeks while rehabbing his hip and doesn’t appear to be close to returning.  It’s possible that if the evaluation comes up poorly that the team could opt to shut the 31 year old down for the rest of the season.  Callahan has been restricted to just 18 games this season where he has two goals and two assists.
  • Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse appears to be ahead of schedule in his rehab from ankle surgery back in December, notes Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun. Nurse has been skating on his own for the last two weeks and is ready to participate in full practices.  The initial time frame for his return was 12 weeks; it has only been eight and considering he’s set to skate with the team, he should be able to play sometime within the next month.  That should be a nice boost for Edmonton’s back end right around the deadline.
  • While it was expected that Penguins center Evgeni Malkin would return to the lineup yesterday against the Coyotes, he was held out of the lineup for the eighth straight game with what is believed to be a lower body injury. Head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters, including Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that he’s still close to returning but that the doctors and Malkin agreed for him to sit for at least one more game.  Malkin remains eighth in league scoring despite not suiting up since January 24th.
  • Nashville has placed left winger Cody McLeod on injured reserve, reports Adam Vingan of The Tennessean (Twitter link). The nature of the injury is not yet known.  The 32 year old has played in 13 games with the Predators since being acquired from Colorado, scoring three goals while adding an assist.  Vingan also notes that left winger Harry Zolnierczyk has been activated off IR after missing the last three games with an upper body issue.

Expansion Draft Issues At The Trade Deadline: Forwards

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This trade season is one like never before. The addition of the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017-18 and the Expansion Draft that goes along with it add a whole other layer to trade-making this year. With each and every transaction, the expansion draft protection formula can change. Even in 2000, when the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets were welcomed into the league, the expansion rules were not a strict and general managers did not have to be as paranoid about their moves. This time around, everything is different. What does it all mean? For fans, there is a real possibility that this could be the quietest Trade Deadline in recent memory. Buyers interested in impending free agent rentals may not have to worry about the draft implications, but the sellers potentially taking back roster players with term certainly do. Trading is hard enough, especially in a season with very few teams significantly out of the playoff race, and expansion will only increase those barriers. Luckily, there are several teams that need to make moves prior to the deadline or they could risk being in very sticky situations when the Knights get ready to make their selections. With teams like the Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Anaheim Ducks, who have so much talented, veteran depth at multiple positions, there is really not much that they can do; they’re going to lose a good player. For others, a sensible contract extension can solve all of their problems. However, for these teams, making a trade before it’s too late may be exactly what they need. We’ve looked at the defense conundrums of the Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes and the goaltending scenario of the Philadelphia Flyers, but there a quite a few more teams with problems up front that need solving:

Chicago Blackhawks

Luckily for the Blackhawks, it’s hard to remember a deadline where GM Stan Bowman didn’t add a veteran forward. This year they may really need one though, regardless of their Cup run condition, to protect young scorer Ryan Hartman. The 22-year-old winger has 13 goals and 10 assists in his first full season with Chicago, and if nothing changes it would likely be his last season in Chicago. In setting their protected list for the Expansion Draft, the Blackhawks must protect Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, and Artem Anisimov due to their no-movement clauses. They would, of course, have protected those four anyway, but other than that group, the team has only two other players that meet the draft criteria of having two unprotected forwards that have played in 40 games this season or 70 games over the past two seasons and have term remaining on their contract: Marcus Kruger and Hartman. Kruger is not a great loss, but retaining Hartman is a major priority as the deadline approaches. The ‘Hawks could simply re-sign 30-year-old Andrew Desjardins or 34-year-old Jordin Tootoo, who both hit the 40/70 benchmark, but are impending free agents. However, the pair have combined for one point in 63 man-games this season and may not strike Bowman as players worth keeping, since they are nearly guaranteed to not be selected by Vegas. Richard Panik and Dennis Rasmussen are both restricted free agents who would also qualify if given an extension, but the team might think twice about exposing either player when they don’t have to. If push comes to shove, Chicago would surely rather lose Rasmussen or have to re-sign Desjardins if it means that Hartman is safe, but acquiring an affordable, serviceable forward with years remaining on his contract prior to the deadline may be the easier move for Bowman and company.

Dallas Stars

Despite their performance this season, the Stars are very much built like a team trying to make one last run at a Stanley Cup. Only five players on Dallas and on the AHL’s Texas Stars have both two years of professional play under their belt and term remaining on those contracts. The rest of the team is composed of impending unrestricted free agents and the AHL squad is mostly restricted free agents.  Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza have no-movement clauses and are obviously safe, as is All-Star Tyler Seguin. However, without any further moves, Dallas would have to leave 25-year-old center Cody Eakin and team enforcer Antoine Roussel exposed in the draft. With the likes of Radek Faksa, Brett Ritchie and (probably) Valeri Nichushkin needing to be protected as well, the Star’s may have to leave one or the other on the table, but certainly not both. Roussel is having a career year, on pace to beat his career-high 29 points while also skating a career-best 15 minutes per game. Eakin, who missed time earlier this year and has been held to just six points in 33 games, is regardless coming off of three straight seasons of 35+ points and is just entering his prime. If they want to protect one or both, moves need to be made. Dallas is not short on extension options, with UFA’s Patrick Sharp, Patrick Eaves, Jiri Hudler, Lauri Korpikoski, Adam Cracknell and even the injured Ales Hemsky meeting the 40/70 criterion. However, if the Stars want to make up for their disappointing season, trading several of those players for picks and prospects at the deadline seems likely may eliminate some choices. In the process of moving out that trade capital, it may simply be easier for GM Jim Nill to add one or two qualifying forwards along the way.

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Snapshots: Pacioretty, Deadline Sellers, CWHL All-Star Game

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Montreal fans can breathe a sigh of relief as reports of Max Pacioretty’s absence from the morning skate is a result of the flu according to the Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan. TSN has a video report of Pacioretty’s impact this season, highlighting the captain’s recent strong performance. Leading the Habs in both goals and points (27-21-48), he was lauded by bench boss Michel Therrien in Montreal’s 5-4 victory over Arizona Thursday night. Suffice it to say, the Habs–and their fans–are relieved to hear that the flu, and not injury, is keeping Pacioretty out.

  • The Hockey News has hedged their bets for the trade deadline sellers. Lyle Richardson lists the Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Detroit Red Wings as potential sellers, indicating their sub-par seasons gives them the incentive to start selling off pieces for a brighter future. He quotes Elliotte Friedman as saying that Thomas Vanek may go to Chicago, while the Lightning could go shopping out West, trying to pry a defenseman from the Anaheim Ducks. General manager Steve Yzerman isn’t short assets, having a number of players to deal away with another cap crunch on its way in Tampa. As for Jim Nill’s Stars, Richardson sees Patrick Sharp, and Patrick Eaves as targets to be moved. But he also adds that should Marc-Andre Fleury waive his no-trade clause, he might just be what the Stars need to get back into the playoff hunt.
  • Speaking of buyers and sellers, be sure to check out PHR’s  takes on the Devils, Blackhawks, Blues, and Blue Jackets as the deadline approaches.
  • The CWHL is set for the All-Star game in Toronto this afternoon at the Air Canada Center. Maple Leafs blog Pension Plan Puppets has a writeup on some of the players to watch while the CWHL’s official site has even more, including the rosters of both teams following yesterday’s fantasy draft.

Minor Transactions: 2/10/2017

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The flip-flop of young backups continues in Columbus. The Blue Jackets announced today that they have demoted Joonas Korpisalo to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and recalled Anton Forsberg to take his place. The 22-year-old Korpisalo won both of his last two starts, but was unimpressive, allowing a combined ten goals in the process. He did relieve Sergei Bobrovsky recently with 13 minutes of shutout hockey, but it was not enough to keep him around. Korpisalo has an .893 SV% and 3.57 GAA in five appearances this season. Ironically, Forsberg has not done much better. In his first and only game with Columbus in 2016-17, the 24-year-old allowed four goals on 27 shots in a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. With both young keepers set to go unprotected in the upcoming Expansion Draft, perhaps it is GM Jarmo Kekalainen’s strategy to not allow either to get hot at the NHL level in an effort to dissuade the Vegas Golden Knights from damaging the Blue Jackets’ future in net.

Columbus also sent Oliver Bjorkstrand down to the AHL. The 21-year-old Danish winger was expected to have a much greater role with the Blue Jackets this season, but to this point has just one point in five games. Bjorkstrand has spent almost the whole season with the Monsters, scoring 14 goals and nine assists in 35 games.

Elsewhere across the league:

  • Last night, the Edmonton Oilers recalled defenseman Jordan Oesterle and forward Anton Lander from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. The pair have been sent back-and-forth frequently of late while Edmonton balances their lineup. Lander has been demoted recently during struggles to make a difference with the Oilers, only to dominate the AHL level with 28 points in 18 games. On the flip side, Edmonton has tried inserting Oesterle into the lineup recently due to his 18 points in 26 games to lead all Condors defensemen.
  • Eric Gelinas has been reassigned to the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage by the struggling Colorado Avalanche. The Avs are desperate for defense, but Gelinas has not been the solution. The former New Jersey Devils top prospect was traded to Colorado at the deadline last year, and has been a major disappointment. After playing a prominent role for the Devils, he has just one point in 33 games for the Avalanche.
  • One of the main reasons that the Winnipeg Jets placed defenseman Julian Melchiori on waivers earlier today was to make room for fellow blue liner Ben Chiarot. The Jets announced that they have activated Chiarot from the injured reserve today. Chiarot has been out since early January for the Jets, and his presence will be much-welcomed with Tyler Myers still sidelined.
  • Buffalo announced via Twitter that they have sent forward Evan Rodrigues back to AHL Rochester.  He has played in just four career NHL games – two this season – but is having a strong season at the minor league level with nine goals and 18 assists in 43 contests with the Amerks.
  • The Sharks have made a series of roster moves, announcing that they have recalled defenseman Tim Heed and winger Kevin Labanc from San Jose of the AHL while assigning blueliner Joakim Ryan and center Ryan Carpenter to the Barracuda.  Heed and Labanc have been shuffled back and forth routinely as the team looks to free up extra cap space and will be available for a matinee game against the Flyers tomorrow.
  • Dallas has assigned blueliner Julius Honka to their AHL affiliate in Texas, reports Mark Stepneski of Stars Inside Edge (Twitter link).  Honka has played in ten NHL games this season, recording four assists.  The move suggests that Jamie Oleksiak could be ready to return from his hand injury; he has been out of the lineup since January 11th.

Western Conference Snapshots: Russell, Davidson, Coyotes, Stars

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Like many teams, the Edmonton Oilers will face some difficult choices when choosing whom to protect in the expansion draft. The recent emergence of Brandon Davidson and the team’s reported desire to re-sign Kris Russell beyond the current campaign has created a surprising logjam on the blue line. Assuming the team elects to protect seven forwards and three defensemen, it’s a near certainty that the Oil will keep Adam Larsson, Oscar Klefbom and Andrej Sekera, which means the team will have to expose Davidson. But David Staples of the Edmonton Journal offers up a solution for Edmonton: protect four defenders, including Davidson, and make Jordan Eberle available to Vegas to select.

While acknowledging that Russell has been a solid, if unspectacular addition to the team’s defense corps and probably would be worth a modest extension, Staples argues that Davidson, four years the former’s junior, is a better long-term option due to his cost and similar on-ice performance. As a pending free agent, Russell won’t have to be protected from the expansion draft unless he inks an extension prior, but Davidson will or the club risks losing him for nothing. One way to make the numbers work would be to leave Eberle unprotected. Eberle, who has two more years on a deal with a $6MM annual cap charge, has underachieved this season, registering just 11 goals in 55 games. If Vegas took a chance on the gifted offensive winger, it would solve two problems for Edmonton: one, it allows the team to keep Davidson and two, the team would save a sizable chunk of cap space which can then be allocated to long-term extensions for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who will reach restriced free agency following the 2017-18 and 2016-17 seasons, respectively.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference:

  • The Arizona Coyotes are one of only a small handful of teams known to consider themselves sellers ahead of the trade deadline and they have several marketable assets that will draw interest in the coming weeks. Sarah McLellan of AZ Central lists the players she believes could be moved at the deadline. Martin Hanzal headlines the list as she notes his size and two-way acumen would appeal to practically any playoff contender. Right-shot defender Michael Stone, in the final year of his contract, could be an attractive piece since most teams are looking for blue line depth, particularly on the right side, at this time of year. McLellan includes Shane Doan but writes that it may be next to impossible to find the right fit; a serious Stanley Cup contender in need of a player of his ilk. Perhaps the most interesting name to make the cut was that of Anthony Duclair. The 21-year-old winger was considered a foundation building block coming into the season but with just nine points in 41 games earning him a demotion to the minors, it’s clear he has fallen out of favor in the desert.
  • Mike Heika recently fielded questions from readers in a mailbag feature on SportsDayDFW.com and offered insight into a wide array of Stars-related topics. The biggest concern readers seem to share is the club’s struggles in the goal-prevention department. Heika points out that goaltending is a huge problem, with the team’s netminders registering a Save % of 0.904 compared to the Washington Capitals league-leading rate of 0.928. The Stars have committed more than $10MM of cap space to Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen, a figure more than any other team has allocated toward their top two goalies. If the Stars want to salvage their season they may need to strongly consider an upgrade between the pipes and as we learned yesterday, the team has apparently shown interest in Marc-Andre Fleury already. While the Penguins are likely going to deal Fleury before the upcoming expansion draft, it’s unclear how much they would get in return.

Trade Candidates: Marc-Andre Fleury

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has spent 13 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but this one could be his last. Finally forced out of the starter’s role by newcomer Matt Murray, Fleury now mans the bench as the clear backup. The only problem is that the Penguins now have a $5.75MM backup goaltender with a NTC and NMC, and an impending expansion draft. A proven goaltender with two Stanley Cup rings—albeit one as a backup—should be a hot commodity at the trade deadline, but the ever-evolving NHL wants less and less to do with high-priced veteran goaltenders.

Contract

Fleury has two more years left at $5.75MM a year. He also has a No-Trade Clause and a No-Movement Clause.

2016-17 Season Stats

28 GP, 25 GS, 14-7-4, .906 SV%, 3.15 GAA, 0 SO

Season Overview

Fleury had a golden opportunity to silence his doubters and take the reins back in Pittsburgh. With Matt Murray out with a broken hand to start the season, Fleury was poised for his resurgence. Unfortunately the season hasn’t unfolded that way, and Fleury sits with a less-that-stellar .906 SV% and 3.15 GAA. Fleury’s issue is inconsistency rather than mediocrity. Some nights the Penguins goaltender is a brick wall and stymies opponents left and right. Other nights he performs at replacement-level and posts disappointing stats. And since the Penguins now have Murray between the pipes, Fleury gets less and less opportunities to figure it out.

Suitors

The Dallas Stars are the main suitor so far. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun noted on TSN’s Leaf Lunch that the Stars covet Fleury and have made preliminary inquiries. PHR’s Zach Leach covered the story in more detail here, and the fit seems like a natural one. Dallas desperately needs a goaltender after another disappointing year using the tandem of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi. Both are putting up numbers as bad or worse then Fleury.

If the Stars trade for Fleury, expect a goaltender to go to Pittsburgh in return. Which goaltender goes the other way depends on what the Penguins add to the deal. Lehtonen has $1.5MM more of a cap hit than Niemi ($5.9MM vs $4.5MM), and both have one more year remaining after this season.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Likely. Because Fleury has a NMC, the Penguins are forced to protect him in the Expansion Draft unless he waives the clause. If the Penguins protect him, then they have to expose Matt Murray and they do not want to do that. So either Fleury waives his NMC or agrees to a trade where he can regain the starting position.

Keeping Fleury and buying him out at the end of the year represents the least efficient move by the Penguins. The Penguins would incur a $1.9MM cap hit for the next four years if they buy out Fleury. Conversely, if they trade for Lehtonen and buy him out, they incur a $2.56MM cap hit next season, and a $1.66MM cap hit the season after. If the Penguins up the ante and acquire Niemi, they incur a cap hit of $1.5MM for the next two years. The latter two buyouts represents a better deal for the Pens then dead money for four years.

The only reason the Penguins may hold onto Fleury is if they want insurance for a deep playoff run. Losing a starting goaltender significantly decreases a team’s chance at the Stanley Cup, and Pittsburgh may want Fleury as an insurance policy and accept a buyout cap hit for the next four years.

Stars Targeting Marc-Andre Fleury

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Marc-Andre Fleury has done little to improve his draft stock this season. The veteran goaltender has a pedestrian 3.05 goals against average and .906 save percentage through 28 appearances in 2016-17. He’s been pulled from three games and has surrendered four or more goals ten times already, including in two of his last three starts. Matthew Murray, who stole the show in the postseason last year and led the Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup title, has been back at this year, monopolizing the goal when healthy and forcing Fleury into a definitive backup role. However, for the Penguins to protect their prodigious young keeper in the upcoming Expansion Draft, they must find a way to rid themselves of Fleury and his no-movement clause. The best option for the team is to trade their longtime goalie, and Fleury has expressed a willingness to waive his clause to facilitate such a move. The problem now is that Fleury’s play had seemingly eliminated the market for his services. Many had speculated that any previous interest had dried up, and if the Penguins wanted to move Fleury out, they would have to send a top pick or prospect along with him to a cap space-rich squad.

That may not be the case, though. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reported in a radio interview this morning with Toronto’s TSN 1050 that the Dallas Stars have opened up preliminary talks with Pittsburgh regarding Fleury. If there’s any team in the league whose goaltenders have underachieved more than the Penguins’ vet, it’s the duo in Dallas. The Stars have long been considered a likely destination for Fleury due to their horrible situation in net. Kari Lehtonen has an 11-15-6 record in 36 appearances this season and is sporting a 2.89 GAA and .902 save percentage. He also has another year remaining on his contract, which carries an astronomical $5.9MM cap hit and limited no-trade clause. Antti Niemi has been even worse, posting a 10-8-4 record in 28 appearances with a 3.20 GAA and .901 save percentage. The former Vezina candidate has another year on his deal left as well, along with a limited no-trade clause of his own and a $4.5MM cap hit. The $10MM+ team has the Stars in 29th in the NHL in goals against in 2016-17, with a 3.17 average that is second-worst to only the lowly Colorado Avalanche. Last year, Dallas was able to overcome their 19th-ranked 2.78 average and make to the playoffs, but injuries and a loss of key contributors on the blue line have hurt the Stars’ scoring and team defense this year. Lehtonen’s struggles go back yet another year, to 2014-15, when he led the team to a 27th-ranked 3.13 team goals against and a tenth place finish in the Western Conference.

The Stars will be lucky if they finish tenth in the West in 2016-17. The team currently sits in sixth in the Central Division and tied for 12th overall in the conference, trailing the Calgary Flames by seven points for the final wild card spot. A closer look reveals that Dallas is averaging less than a point per game, putting them in a class with only the Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes, Winnipeg Jets, and Vancouver Canucks as the worst teams in the league. So, you might ask why the Stars should acquire Fleury with such little hope this season? The problem in Dallas extends beyond just this season. With Lehtonen and Niemi locked up for next year, unlikely to be tradeable assets or expansion selections, the team would be forced to buy out one or the other or stick with both of them for yet another season in 2017-18. The Stars also lack any promising prospects in the system to supplant either keeper. A trade with the Penguins seems to be the perfect fit to at least attempt to solve their goalie problems for a few reasons. First, Fleury can be the goalie of the future. At 32 years old, he is younger than both of their current options and was putting up high end numbers in each of the past two seasons. Fleury has shown an inability to play well as a backup, but when given an unchallenged starting role, has been much better. He also has two years remaining on his current contract with a $5.75MM cap hit, which is lower than Lehtonen’s. Any deal with Pittsburgh for Fleury would also help them to eliminate one of their two current goaltenders. If Pittsburgh deals away Fleury without finding a suitable veteran backup by the Trade Deadline, they will be left with the young Murray, who has had some injury troubles, and Tristan Jarry, who has yet to make an NHL appearance. An easy fix is to have the Stars throw in one of their goalies, likely Niemi, to serve as Murray’s backup. While he has been unimpressive in Dallas, Niemi at least has successful playoff experience should Murray get injured down the stretch or in the postseason. The Penguins can then always buy out Niemi after the season, which would be a much lesser burden in dollars and term than if they decide not to trade Fleury and are forced to buy him out instead. Finally, acquiring a solid starter in Fleury and trading Niemi (or Lehtonen) would allow the Stars, who have ample cap space heading into next season, to buyout their remaining backup, completely erasing the mistake that they made two years ago.

Despite Fleury’s struggles, he clearly presents an upgrade for the Stars. They also know that Pittsburgh is desperate to make a move to protect Murray. The fit is there and the cost will be cheap. Fleury to Dallas makes too much sense, so expect the chatter to only heat up as we head toward March 1st.

Western Conference Snapshots: DeBoer, Canucks, Spezza

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Player development is instrumental to a team’s success in today’s NHL. The salary cap forces teams to waive goodbye to key veterans every year and integrating young players on ELC’s is the most effective way to replace the talent lost. Having a coaching staff that can mold young talent into quality NHL players simplifies that process and speeds up the player’s development. Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area writes that Sharks bench boss Pete DeBoer has done an exemplary job of doing just that in San Jose, despite a reputation from his previous job that suggested otherwise.

One of the reasons DeBoer was fired in New Jersey was his apparent unwillingness to utilize the team’s younger players. However, as Kurz points out, Stefan Matteau, Mattias Tedenby and Eric Gelinas, prospects DeBoer was criticized for not developing while with the Devils, have managed little in the way of NHL success since the coach was let go by New Jersey. On the flip side, the way DeBoer has handled players like Tomas Hertl, Dylan DeMelo and Kevin Lebanc has demonstrated he knows which buttons to push and when to push them in order to further a prospect’s development. And as Kurz notes, when DeBoer recognizes a player is simply not ready for big league action, he has no problem shipping that player back to the minors even if the decision doesn’t sit well with fans.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference:

  • In a highly entertaining piece for The Province, Jason Botchford touches on a number of Canuck-related topics. Chief among them is his assertion that veteran defenseman Alex Edler would be a valuable addition to any contending team’s blue line. It’s an interesting notion as Edler certainly would add loads of experience and is still an effective second-pair defender at this stage of his career. He has been a top-pair blue liner for Vancouver this season, averaging better than 24 minutes a contest while registering 10 points in 39 games, but would certainly be better off with less ice time on a playoff contender. Teams may also be hesitant to absorb the remaining two years on his deal, which come with an AAV of $5MM each. Edler also owns a NTC as part of his contract but might be willing to waive that for the right situation. It’s not inconceivable that a contender desperate for a boost on the back end would give the Canucks a call to see what it would take to pry the veteran Swede away from Vancouver.
  • The Dallas Stars announced this afternoon that they have placed veteran center Jason Spezza on IR retroactive to February 2nd. The team has been ravaged by injuries to key contributors all season and Spezza is just the latest example of the Stars bad luck with health. Spezza has just eight goals on the season but is fifth on the team in points with 31. He will be eligible to be activated off of IR tomorrow. Mike Heika of The Dallas Morning News adds that the move might be procedural to allow the team to recall a player from the minors, either to practice with the club or for tomorrow’s game. The team was at the 23-man roster limit but now have an open spot should they decide to take that course of action.

Snapshots: Stars, Oilers, Bruins, Capitals

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After winning the Central Division in 2015-16, the Dallas Stars were expected to once again lead the way this season. Unfortunately for the Stars, that has not been the case.

Stars GM Jim Nill told ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun that “it’s been a frustrating season.”

The Stars have been playing catchup all season, as Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin missed all or most of the World Cup, then Mattias Janmark and Ales Hemsky were lost for the year before the season was two weeks old, and then the team couldn’t outscore poor goaltending to make up the ground.

After a 109-point season last year, the Stars are now 21-23-10 for 52 points in 54 games. They’re seven points behind Calgary for the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference. The team’s play isn’t exactly helping their cause, either. The Stars have lost three in a row, and could be sellers at the upcoming trade deadline.

Nill hasn’t officially decided whether or not to go for it this year, saying they’re “taking it game-by-game.” The Stars could do themselves a big favor by acquiring a big-name goaltender like Ben Bishop or Marc-Andre Fleury before the deadline and hoping for a hot streak. But if the losing streak continues, then pending UFAs like Patrick Sharp, Jiri Hudler, and Patrick Eaves could find themselves in new jerseys next month.

  • One team that could have interest in Sharp is the Edmonton Oilers. TSN’s Darren Dreger spoke about the Oilers’ deadline plans on That’s Hockey, and said while there’s no desperation, GM Peter Chiarelli would like to add a depth center for the playoff run. Sharp is a skilled veteran who has three Stanley Cups, who has played center before and is right-handed. That would fill two needs for Edmonton.
  • For the time being, Dreger believes the Oilers are comfortable with their defense. They’ll get Darnell Nurse back from injury in early March, which will serve as a solid addition to their defensive depth. However, a move could be made with either expansion draft-eligible Brandon Davidson or pending-UFA Kris Russell.
  • The fallout continues in Boston. The Bruins were criticized, not only for firing Claude Julien, but for the timing. Firing a coach while the Super Bowl parade happens across town is the sports equivalent of the Friday night news dump in politics. After the move was announced, the Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy called the firing disgraceful, among other adjectives, and questioned if the Bruins management thinks their fans and media are stupid. Now, Bruins reporter Jimmy Murphy tweeted that the timing of the press conference was not the work of the team’s PR department; it was ordered from “above.” Murphy also reported that the struggling Bruins are in danger of losing two major sponsors, and that the press conference timing did not help.
  • The Washington Capitals are currently five points ahead of anyone else in the NHL, and their 22-5-1 home record is clearly one of the big reasons. Rob Carlin of CSN reported a ridiculous stat; in their last eight home games, the Capitals have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 42-6. That includes a 6-0 victory and four 5-0 wins.

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