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Stars Rumors

Central Notes: Landeskog, Lehtera, Stars

January 17, 2017 at 1:41 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Colorado left winger Gabriel Landeskog has seen his name pop up in trade rumors over the past few weeks.  Despite that and the continued struggles that the team is having, he made it very clear to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post that he’s hoping to stick around:

“I want to be an Avalanche, to stay an Avalanche and be in Denver for a long, long time.”

It’s certainly easy to see the appeal that Landeskog would have league-wide.  He’s just 24 years of age, at one point was the youngest team captain in NHL history, and already has four seasons of 50 points or more under his belt.

However, this year hasn’t gone particularly well, something that can pretty much be said for just about every Colorado player.  Through 31 games this year, he has just eight goals and six assists, production that is comparable to the worst year of his career back in 2012-13.

Young power forwards with top six upside (or in this case, proven production) are hard to come by so GM Joe Sakic’s asking price has been quite high despite Landeskog’s struggles.  Including this season, he has five years left on his contract with a cap hit of $5.57MM, an amount that may be difficult to fit in on another team given that many teams are in cap trouble.  Accordingly, some have wondered if the better time to make a move with him would be the offseason when there could be more teams with the cap space to fit him in.

In the meantime, Landeskog is trying his best to not let the speculation get to him:

“Whether my name is floating around or not, I’m still approaching the game the same way. And that is to spread energy, be a good teammate, work hard and try to get better every day. Me being in trade rumors, that’s nothing I can control.”

More from the Central:

  • When it comes to the surprising lack of production of Blues center Jori Lehtera, count GM Doug Armstrong among those that can’t quite put a finger on it, writes Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Lehtera has spent the bulk of the season alongside winger Vladimir Tarasenko.  The Russian winger sits sixth in league scoring with 44 points in as many games yet Lehtera has just 13 points on the season in 39 outings.  Armstrong isn’t focusing on the negative when it comes to Lehtera’s play, however: “All I know is Tarasenko is in the top three or four in scoring and Jori is the centerman. So there’s something happening positive with Jori and Vlad. Obviously the point total is the point total, but when he’s not producing points, he doesn’t hurt you defensively and that’s something I don’t think maybe a lot of people focus on. But we try and focus on that.”
  • The penalty kill for the Stars has dropped drastically in recent weeks, notes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News. After killing just one of three power plays last night against the Sabres (the fifth time in their last eight games that they’ve allowed multiple goals on the penalty kill), they’ve now dropped to dead last in the league in success rate at just 74.4%.  While speculation is starting to heat up about who GM Jim Nill may consider dealing, it’s quite likely that he’ll be on the lookout for some help defensively, either on the back end or up front.  Dallas is just four points out of the last Wild Card spot and shoring up their penalty kill would go a long way towards trying to help close that gap.

Dallas Stars Gabriel Landeskog| Jori Lehtera

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Central Division Snapshots: Blackhawks, Avalanche, Korpikoski

January 16, 2017 at 4:00 pm CDT | by Glen Miller Leave a Comment

The Chicago Blackhawks roster still boasts many of the key contributors who have led the team to three Stanley Cup championships since 2010. And as long as Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Corey Crawford are healthy, the Hawks will be on the short list of Western Conference contenders even as the front office constantly juggles the rest of the roster to augment that core while remaining compliant with the salary cap.

That doesn’t mean the Blackhawks aren’t in need of reinforcements as the March 1st trade deadline approaches, however. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun Times argues Chicago desperately needs a top left wing in order to help pull Toews out of his season long scoring slump. For his career, Toews has averaged 0.86 points/game but so far this season he is nearly three-tenths-of-a-point behind that rate. Lazerus believes that the acquisition of a proven top-six winger would allow Vinnie Hinostroza to slot into the team’s bottom-six, further bolstering that group. In conjunction with the expected return of Marcus Kruger, the Blackhawks would be able to ice four solid and balanced lines in this scenario.

Lazerus lists Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog, who have both been frequently mentioned in trade rumors of late, as two potential options. Though given the team’s current salary cap situation – $65.7MM in commitments to just 14 players – it’s far more likely that Chicago will stick to shopping in the rental bin as opposed to adding a player with term remaining beyond this season.

James van Riemsdyk was also listed by Lazerus as a possibility though Toronto would likely hold onto the winger as long as they remain in the hunt for a playoff spot. He also has one more year remaining on his deal, representing an additional sticking point in this scenario. Jarome Iginla is undoubtedly available but at 39 and with just five goals through 41 games this season, Chicago would probably exhaust other alternatives before pivoting in this direction.

If Dallas decides to sell at the deadline, former Blackhawk Patrick Sharp could represent an interesting option, though that is just my speculation. Sharp has missed time this season on two separate occasions with concussions and has just two goals on the season but tallied 20 last year for the Stars. He’s in the final year of his contract with a cap hit of $5.9MM and given Chicago will only have roughly $3.3MM of available space at the deadline, the Stars will either have to retain salary or take back a contract to facilitate a trade.

Elsewhere in the Central Division:

  • The Colorado Avalanche, in the midst of a second straight dismal season, appear to be on the verge of a major shakeup, whether that occurs at the trade deadline or during the summer. Multiple high-profile players could be shipped elsewhere as management attempts to fix what ails the roster. The Denver Post’s Terry Frei compiled a comprehensive listing of the moves the team has made since Joe Sakic took over as the organization’s top decision-maker and the results are as you would expect given the current state of the team. Like many teams, the Avalanche have blundered when it comes to the term offered to unrestricted free agents. Among the players acquired either as a free agent or via trade and then subsequently extended were Brad Stuart, Jarome Iginla, Francois Beachemin, and Carl Soderberg. All were at least 30 when added to the Avalanche roster and only Soderberg was younger than 34. Needless to say, those deals haven’t worked out as the team had anticipated.
  • A late free agent addition that has panned out far better than expected was the Dallas Stars October signing of forward Lauri Korpikoski, as Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News writes. The Finnish forward had been bought out of the final year of his deal with Edmonton and was later released from his PTO with Calgary. In need of forward depth following the loss of Ales Hemsky and Mattias Janmark, the team inked Korpikoski to a one-year, $1M deal. While he hasn’t exactly lit up the score sheet, the nine-year veteran has contributed six goals and 15 points in 43 games. That’s solid production for a bottom-six winger and a relative bargain given the minimal investment the Stars undertook. Additionally, Stars head coach Lindy Ruff appreciates Korpikoski’s all-around game, saying: “He’s a solid contributor who is good on both sides of the puck. You’ve got a guy who is pretty diligent and plays the game the right way.” With five of his fellow forwards also set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, it’s at least possible Dallas considers an extension with Korpikoski.

 

Chicago Blackhawks| Colorado Avalanche| Dallas Stars| Free Agency| Joe Sakic| Lindy Ruff| NLA| Players| Snapshots Ales Hemsky| Brad Stuart| Corey Crawford| Duncan Keith| Gabriel Landeskog| James van Riemsdyk| Jarome Iginla| Jonathan Toews| Lauri Korpikoski| Marcus Kruger| Mattias Janmark| Patrick Kane| Patrick Sharp| Salary Cap

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Ranger Injury Updates: Raanta, Staal, Puempel

January 16, 2017 at 2:05 pm CDT | by Glen Miller Leave a Comment

Like many teams in the NHL this season, the New York Rangers have had their fair share of injuries. Star sniper Rick Nash has missed 12 games with a troublesome groin issue. Key offseason acquisition Mika Zibanejad has missed the last 25 games due to a broken fibula. And just last Saturday, goaltender Antti Raanta was forced to leave after the first period of the Rangers 5 – 4 loss to Montreal with what was called a lower-body injury.

Fortunately for the Rangers, Raanta is expected to only be out sometime between seven and 10 days, as the team announced today via their official Twitter account. Raanta has had an excellent season as Henrik Lundqvist’s backup winning 10 of his 14 decisions, while posting a GAA of 2.24 and a S% of 0.923. With 17 appearances already this season, the four-year veteran is well on his way towards besting his previous career high of 25, accomplished both last year and in his rookie campaign in 2013-14.

Meanwhile, in Raanta’s absence, the Rangers have recalled Magnus Hellberg from the Hartford Wolf Pack. Hellberg, who has yet to appear for the Blue Shirts this season has just two games of NHL experience, both coming in relief. In 25 games with the Wolf Pack, the 25-year-old goalie has a 10-9-1 record, a GAA of 2.91 and a S% of 0.905.

The loss of Raanta likely means the Rangers will rely primarily on Henrik Lundqvist in the interim, and that might not be a bad thing. Lundqvist has traditionally been at his best when given a heavy workload and with Raanta seeing more time than usual between the pipes this year, The King has not performed up to his admittedly lofty standards. Perhaps increased use leading up to the All Star game will allow Lundqvist to find his rhythm and get back on track.

Earlier today, Blue Shirts bench boss Alain Vigneault indicated that Zibanejad would be back in the Rangers lineup tomorrow when the team hosts the Dallas Stars. The 23-year-old pivot, acquired in the offseason from Ottawa in exchange for Derick Brassard, was off to a terrific start on Manhattan, tallying 15 points in his first 19 games. His return will naturally push someone to the press box and if today’s practice is any indication, it appears Oscar Lindberg will be the one to come out of the lineup.

Additionally, Marc Staal and Matt Puempel, both of whom are in the NHL’s concussion protocol, skated this morning prior to the team’s practice. This suggests both players are progressing in their respective recoveries though of course it doesn’t provide any clarity on a timeline for their return.

Alain Vigneault| Dallas Stars| Injury| NHL| New York Rangers| Players Antti Raanta| Derick Brassard| Henrik Lundqvist| Marc Staal| Matt Puempel| Mika Zibanejad| Oscar Lindberg

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Garrioch’s Latest: Coyotes, Snow, Devils, Bishop, Van Riemsdyk

January 15, 2017 at 6:40 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 4 Comments

Things aren’t going so rosy in Arizona right now.  Not only do they find themselves miles out of a playoff spot, the frustration is spreading to within the dressing room as well, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun in his latest Insider Trading column.  The decision to go to a more analytics-based decision making process hasn’t worked (so far, at least) and Garrioch adds that it’s not yet known what the fate of head coach Dave Tippett will be when the season comes to an end.

In the meantime, the focus will shift to who they can move prior to the trade deadline, particularly where it comes to the rental players.  We took a closer look at their situation earlier today.  The recent mention that Shane Doan could be willing to consider a trade in the right situation is drawing some attention; Garrioch notes that San Jose is a team that has shown some interest in the 40 year old over the last couple of years but obviously nothing came to fruition.

Garrioch also tackles several other topics from around the league.  Here are some of the highlights, though the full column is worth a read:

  • With the New York Islanders scuffling through the first half, he suggests that GM Garth Snow’s job may be in jeopardy. His decision to allow right winger Kyle Okposo and center Frans Nielsen to depart in free agency hasn’t exactly panned out with both players being named All-Stars earlier this week.  Left winger Andrew Ladd (signed to replace Okposo) hasn’t panned out and with six more years left on his contract with a cap hit of $5.5MM, that’s a near-impossible contract to move right now while John Tavares heading into his walk year is something that will need to be addressed sooner than later as well.  Accordingly, the team will have to make a decision as to whether he’s the right manager to try to fix things up and get Tavares locked up.
  • The Devils haven’t thrown in the towel on trying to make the playoffs yet but if they do, they could be a team to watch for. Only two teams have more cap space than New Jersey does which sets up the possibility of them becoming a clearinghouse for contending teams to free up some cap space.  GM Ray Shero could be open to doing so, provided he picks up some quality draft picks and/or prospects for doing so.
  • Dallas has inquired about the availability of pending UFA goalie Ben Bishop. Bishop, who ranked fifth in our UFA Power Rankings this week, isn’t expected to return to Tampa Bay next season with Andrei Vasilevskiy expected to take over as the starter.  The Stars already have the highest goalie cap hit in the league but have not received much bang for their buck so far.  However, GM Steve Yzerman’s asking price is quite high as it’s certainly quite possible that the Lightning will want to keep him around for their postseason push as well.
  • Toronto’s recent success may make their decision regarding left winger James van Riemsdyk that much more difficult. Garrioch reports that the team is fielding inquiries on him but he is a key piece in the Leafs’ lineup and if they plan to make a run at a playoff spot, they’ll likely want to keep him in their lineup.  The 27 year old has one year left after this season at a manageable cap hit of $4.25MM so it’s not a typical rental player situation while it’s also worth noting that van Riemsdyk has a modified no-trade clause.

Dallas Stars| Garth Snow| New Jersey Devils| New York Islanders| San Jose Sharks| Utah Mammoth Ben Bishop| James van Riemsdyk| Shane Doan

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Bruins Notes: Marchand, Miller, Miller

January 15, 2017 at 1:44 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

In his 500th NHL game yesterday, Brad Marchand celebrated in style. The pesky 28-year old scored five points (2G, 3A) and continued proving he’s one of the NHLs brightest stars. After setting a career high in goals (37) and points (60) last season, Marchand is on pace to shatter his assist high this year while setting the point mark once again. His 43 points in 46 games rank among the top 10 in the NHL and leads the Bruins by 10.

Remember, Marchand was a third-round pick for the Bruins in 2006 and was thought of as an under-sized bottom six-type player. Instead, he’s turned into one of the most consistent goal scorers in the NHL, racking up at least 20 in every season except the lockout-shortened 2012-13, when he scored 18. With 17 this year and no signs of slowing down, he may post back-to-back 30+ goal seasons and prove that he should eventually be talked about as a Hart trophy candidate.

  • In all the fun that was Marchand’s 500th came some bad news, as Kevan Miller was knocked out by Jakub Voracek during the second period. The defenseman has suffered a concussion and is “in the protocol” according to head coach Claude Julien. In Joe Haggerty’s latest column for CSNNE, he reports that Miller was absent from practice today and will be out indefinitely. Voracek did not receive any supplementary discipline from the league for the hit.
  • The Bruins will be without either Miller, as Colin Miller was also missing from today’s practice due to the lower-body injury that he’s been dealing with. Haggerty reports that Miller did skate on his own before practice however, meaning his return may be on the horizon. Julien seemed unaffected by the news of both Millers, saying “we’ve got some depth at that position. We still have enough guys up here to get through, and hopefully we’ll get some guys back sooner rather than later.” Joe Morrow will likely figure back into the lineup in their absence.

Boston Bruins| Claude Julien| Dallas Stars| Injury| NHL Brad Marchand| Colin Miller| Joe Morrow| Kevan Miller

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Snapshots: Senators, Blackhawks, Stars

January 15, 2017 at 10:09 am CDT | by Mike Furlano 2 Comments

News and notes from around the NHL this morning:

  • Ottawa Senators forward Clarke MacArthur skated with the team this weekend but is no closer to returning to action, reports the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. MacArthur faced a litany of tests on Friday to help determine if he is ready to return to action, but GM Pierre Dorion refused to divulge any new information. MacArthur has missed the entire season so far after suffering a concussion in training camp. The Senators are exercising caution with the forward because of his concussion history. GM Dorion did say that MacArthur would accompany the team on its five game road trip—but he is not slated to play during that time.
  • The Ottawa Senators also recalled goaltender Chris Driedger from the AHL Binghamton Senators this morning. The team reassigned goaltender Matt O’Connor to go the other way. Both goalies have struggled in the AHL this year. Driedger has a 2.74 GAA and a .909 SV%, and O’Connor has a 2.90 GAA and a .896 SV%. No reason was given for the move, but Driedger costs $135K less per season so this may just be a business decision.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks recalled forward Nick Schmaltz from the AHL Rockford IceHogs. The young forward hit the ice this morning during a team optional skate, reports CSN’s Tracey Myers. Schmaltz has bounced between Rockford and Chicago this year, tallying 1G and 3A in 26 NHL games, and 6G and 3A in 12 AHL games. The former first-round draft pick has yet make the jump Chicago was hoping for, but expect Schmaltz to remain with the club until Chicago determines how much depth they need to add at the trade deadline.
  • The Dallas Stars recalled defenseman Patrik Nemeth from the AHL Texas Stars this morning. Nemeth is averaging just under 16 minutes a night when he plays with the Stars, but has yet to register a point. The Swedish defenseman has struggled to make the big club since joining the organization in 2012-13, and is dangerously close to becoming a veteran AHL presence.

Chicago Blackhawks| Dallas Stars| Ottawa Senators

2 comments

Central Moves: Nemeth, Schmaltz

January 14, 2017 at 5:25 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

With Jamie Oleksiak expected to miss 3-6 weeks after suffering a hand injury on Tuesday, the Dallas Stars have recalled Patrik Nemeth from his conditioning stint. The defenseman played four games for the Texas Stars, scoring three points.

Nemeth was recently listed as the most likely Stars player to be traded by Mike Heika’s mailbag. The 24-year old has somehow only played 84 games in the NHL in his career, despite being with the team for long stretches. Remember he was the player who lost almost an entire season to a deep laceration in 2014.

It’s still not clear if he will be inserted into the lineup on a regular basis, as Stephen Johns took Oleksiak’s place immediately. The 24-year old Johns may be more valuable in the spot since he is one of two right handed defensemen on the roster (John Klingberg being the other).

In Chicago, the team has decided to call up Nick Schmaltz as insurance for Artem Anisimov’s illness. The team is carrying only 12 forwards, and if Anisimov couldn’t go would have had to dress seven blueliners.

Schmaltz was signed out of the University of North Dakota this spring after two very successful seasons. The 20th overall pick in the 2014 draft, Schmaltz has played 26 games for the NHL club this season. Just 20-years old, Schmaltz has shown he may be a little raw for the league but has a huge ceiling.

Dallas Stars| Injury| NHL Artem Anisimov| Jamie Oleksiak| John Klingberg| Patrik Nemeth

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Poll: 2005 NHL Draft Take Two: Twenty-Eighth Overall Pick

January 13, 2017 at 9:20 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2005 NHL Draft, which kicked off the salary cap era and ushered in many of the current NHL superstars. The question we’re looking to answer is knowing now what we didn’t know then, how different would this draft look now with the benefit of hindsight?

Here are the results of our redraft so far:

1st Overall: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
2nd Overall: Carey Price (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim)
3rd Overall: Anze Kopitar (Carolina Hurricanes)
4th Overall: Jonathan Quick (Minnesota Wild)
5th Overall: Kris Letang (Montreal Canadiens)
6th Overall: Tuukka Rask (Columbus Blue Jackets)
7th Overall: Bobby Ryan (Chicago Blackhawks)
8th Overall: Marc-Edouard Vlasic (San Jose Sharks)
9th Overall: Ben Bishop (Ottawa Senators)
10th Overall: James Neal (Vancouver Canucks)
11th Overall: T.J. Oshie (Los Angeles Kings)
12th Overall: Keith Yandle (New York Rangers)
13th Overall: Paul Stastny (Buffalo Sabres)
14th Overall: Marc Staal (Washington Capitals)
15th Overall: Patric Hornqvist (New York Islanders)
16th Overall: Niklas Hjalmarsson (Atlanta Thrashers)
17th Overall: Anton Stralman (Phoenix Coyotes)
18th Overall: Jack Johnson (Nashville Predators)
19th Overall: Matt Niskanen (Detroit Red Wings)
20th Overall: Justin Abdelkader (Florida Panthers)
21st Overall: Martin Hanzal (Toronto Maple Leafs)
22nd Overall: Andrew Cogliano (Boston Bruins)
23rd Overall: Kris Russell (New Jersey Devils)
24th Overall: Darren Helm (St. Louis Blues)
25th Overall: Cody Franson (Edmonton Oilers)
26th Overall: Benoit Pouliot (Calgary Flames)
27th Overall: Vladimir Sobotka (Washington Capitals)

Now we move forward to the 28th pick, which was held by the Dallas Stars.

To recap how this works:

  • We will go through the 2005 NHL Draft and have our readers select, through a voting process, who they think should have been taken with the selection.
  • The entire first round will be redrafted, spanning picks one through thirty. The new selection is chosen by the majority of votes.

Back in 2005, Dallas went to the US High School circuit to select blueliner Matt Niskanen.  While he hadn’t been tested at a high level (he averaged nearly 2.25 points per game his draft year), Dallas was confident that his skills would eventually translate to the NHL level.  They were right.

After a pair of seasons at Minnesota-Duluth, Niskanen turned pro and was a regular with the Stars right away.  He picked up 35 points in his sophomore NHL campaign which remains the second best output of his career.

In February of 2011, Dallas dealt Niskanen along with left winger James Neal to Pittsburgh in exchange for Alex Goligoski.  Niskanen spent parts of four seasons with the Penguins and had his best year of his career in 2013-14, collecting 46 points in 81 games.  That helped him earn a seven year, $40.25MM contract with Washington in the summer of 2014.  He has been with the Capitals ever since then and is currently in his third season with the team.

Overall, Niskanen sits seventh among games played by 2005 draft picks, third among blueliners to only Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Keith Yandle.  In 695 career games, he has 46 goals and 202 assists.

With the 28th pick of the 2005 NHL Redraft, who should the Stars select?  Cast your vote below!

With the 28th overall pick, the Dallas Stars select...
Devin Setoguchi 32.35% (88 votes)
Mason Raymond 18.38% (50 votes)
Steve Downie 11.03% (30 votes)
Jakub Kindl 9.93% (27 votes)
Sergei Kostitsyn 9.93% (27 votes)
Nathan Gerbe 9.19% (25 votes)
Jared Boll 4.41% (12 votes)
Jack Skille 2.57% (7 votes)
Gilbert Brule 2.21% (6 votes)
Total Votes: 272

Mobile users, click here to vote.

Dallas Stars Matt Niskanen| NHL Entry Draft

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Central Notes: Kero, Stars Mailbag, Suter

January 11, 2017 at 9:02 pm CDT | by natebrown Leave a Comment

Despite it providing a short lived lead, Tanner Kero’s goal against the Red Wings last night during the Hawks 4-3 victory showed the youngster is fitting in quite well. The Daily Herald’s John Dietz reports that Kero is making the most of his callup, being a stellar fill-in for the injured Marcus Kruger as a third line center. This coming for a player who wasn’t entirely sure he had what it takes to be an NHL player long ago as a freshman at Michigan Tech. With a young wife and child at home, Kero certainly has the stress of being successful beyond just himself. But wife Taylor Kero looks at it as a day-by-day process, one that requires her husband–and their family–to take what opportunities life provides.

“You definitely have to be flexible. That’s what this lifestyle calls for,” Taylor said. “We just take things day by day. We’re grateful and hope for the best, and hopefully this opportunity lasts a lot longer.”

Read more

In other Central Division news:

  • Should the Dallas Stars be wheeling and dealing at the trade deadline, Mike Heika has a few names for fans who are wondering which of their favorite players could be swapping sweaters. At the top of the list is Patrick Sharp, who Heika says will generate the most interest at the actual trade deadline. He believes that Patrik Nemeth is the most likely candidate to be traded right now, while Julius Honka has been the Star most inquired about. Outside of trade bait, Heika also answers a question about bench boss Lindy Ruff’s usage of defensemen. And he doesn’t mince words. Between attrition, and a lack of development of Stephen Johns, Jamie Oleksiak and Nemeth, Heika thinks that a “win now” mentality was the decider in letting the veterans play over the kids, and while their development took a back seat, he can understand the decision making process.
  • Puck Daddy’s Josh Cooper writes that Ryan Suter is “in the groove” as the Wild soar to the top of the Western Conference. Suter himself can’t even pinpoint the cause, but it certainly feels good for the defenseman who signed a monster deal to play for the Wild. One reason, Cooper writes, is that it seems like Suter is having more fun this season than he has in the past. But even Suter, when pressed, can’t give a definitive answer for the difference.

“I don’t know why. Confidence?” the 31-year-old Suter said when pressed in an interview with Puck Daddy. “When you’re producing that obviously helps your mindset and when your team is playing well that helps it. I think it’s all come together right now.”

The entire article is worth a read, as Cooper makes an astute point that while Suter easily passes the eye test, the advanced stats tell a slightly different story. Regardless, Suter’s strong play is one of many reasons the Wild are one of the best in the West.

Dallas Stars| Detroit Red Wings| NHL| Players Julius Honka| Marcus Kruger| Patrick Sharp| Patrik Nemeth

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Minor Transactions: 1/11/2017

January 11, 2017 at 4:00 pm CDT | by Glen Miller Leave a Comment

There has been a flurry of roster transactions so far today with several players recalled from or reassigned to the minor leagues. We’ll keep track of those moves in this post:

  • According to Eric Stephens of The Orange County Register, the Anaheim Ducks recalled forward Stefan Noesen and blue liner Shea Theodore from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. In a corresponding move, defenseman Brandon Montour was reassigned to the Gulls. Montour made his NHL debut after initially being recalled on December 28th though he failed to register a point in five appearances. Noesen has one goal on the campaign in seven games while Theodore has a goal and five assists in 21 contests this season for Anaheim.
  • Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News tweeted this morning that Jamie Oleksiak is dealing with a hand injury and will likely be “out for a bit.” He goes on to say that fellow defenseman Stephen Johns will take Oleksiak’s spot in the lineup for tomorrow’s game at home against Detroit. With eight defensemen on the roster – Patrik Nemeth is currently playing for the AHL Texas Stars on a conditioning assignment though remains on Dallas’ official roster – no call-up is expected to be made. In a later tweet, Heika adds that with Texas playing at home, Stars head coach Lindy Ruff would easily be able to bring Nemeth back from his assignment if necessary.
  • After adding forward Derek Grant via waiver claim from Buffalo today, the Nashville Predators reassigned fellow forward Frederick Gaudreau to Milwaukee of the AHL, according to The Tennessean’s Adam Vingan. The 23-year-old rookie has made nine appearances for Nashville this season, the first NHL action of Gaudreau’s career, and has tallied a single assist. In 24 contests with the Milwaukee Admirals, Gaudreau has netted five goals and 14 points. Vingan speculated that Gaudreau’s reassignment might indicate that either James Neal or Colin Wilson could be ready to return to the lineup. Neal was placed on IR retroactive to 1/3 and is currently eligible to be activated. Wilson last played on 1/6.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled blue liner David Warsofsky from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton while reassigning net minder Tristan Jarry to the Baby Pens. Jason Mackey, who covers the club for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, reported on the moves and added that with Jarry back to the minors, Matt Murray should be ready to at least serve as Marc-Andre Fleury’s back-up for tonight’s game against Washington.
  • Defenseman Slater Koekkoek and goalie Kristers Gudlevskis were both returned to the AHL Syracuse Crunch, Tampa Bay’s top minor league affiliate, tweets Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. Koekkoek’s assignment might seem odd on the surface as the blue liner had appeared in 12 of the last 13 Lightning games. But, as Smith points out, Koekkoek does not need to clear waivers to be sent to the minors while fellow defenders Luke Witkowski and Nikita Nesterov do.
  • The Washington Capitals announced they have sent forwards Paul Carey and Liam O’Brien to Hershey of the AHL, according to the team’s official Twitter account. The assignments leave the team with just 12 forwards on the active roster, a fact that suggests T.J. Oshie will be back in the Caps lineup tonight. That was later confirmed by Capitals head coach Barry Trotz.
  • Two days after sending the fourth overall selection in the June entry draft, Jesse Puljujarvi, to Bakersfield the Edmonton Oilers have assigned fellow forward Anton Lander to the same club. Called up from the Condors was forward Jujhar Khaira, who has eight goals and 18 points in 24 AHL games this season.

AHL| Dallas Stars| Edmonton Oilers| Injury| Lindy Ruff| NHL| Nashville Predators| Pittsburgh Penguins| Players| RFA| Tampa Bay Lightning| Transactions| Waivers| Washington Capitals Anton Lander| Derek Grant| James Neal| Jamie Oleksiak| Jesse Puljujarvi| Kristers Gudlevskis| Luke Witkowski| Marc-Andre Fleury| Matt Murray (b. 1994)| Nikita Nesterov| Patrik Nemeth| Paul Carey

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