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Poll: Which Western Wildcard Team Has Best Chance To Reach Playoffs

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The Minnesota Wild pulled off a big victory Saturday when they defeated the Western Conference’s top team in the Calgary Flames. Not only was it a big win, but with five straight victories, it has propelled Minnesota into the final wild card spot for the upcoming Stanley Cup playoffs, something that seemed unlikely just a week ago. Suddenly what looked to already be a contentious race for the final playoff spot, it has become even more muddled as four teams are vying for the final two wild card spots.

The Dallas Stars currently hold the first wildcard spot in the Western Conference with 71 points, while Minnesota owns that second spot with 70 points. However, two other teams are right there, including the Arizona Coyotes who have 69 points, while the Colorado Avalanche have 68 points.

Dallas is the most interesting team as they were buyers at the trade deadline, picking up defenseman Ben Lovejoy and Mats Zuccarello. However, while Zuccarello looked to be a good fit who energized the Stars’ struggling second line after posting a goal and an assist in his first game, he broke his arm late in that first game after blocking a shot and will now miss at least three more weeks. That hasn’t stopped the Stars, however, who have won two in a row and three of their last four.

The Coyotes have also been red hot, having gone from a team that had almost no chance at a playoff spot earlier this year to a team that has won six straight and nine of their last 11 games and actually could catch the Vegas Golden Knights as they are only four points behind them in the Pacific Division. All of this is with a gluttony of injuries to Coyotes’ players. The team is expected to get Jason Demers back from injury on Tuesday and could get Michael Grabner back within the week. Throw in the impressive play of Darcy Kuemper in goal and the team has been hard to beat.

Colorado is the forgotten team, who early on seemed to be the obvious candidate to seize the third seed in the Central Division, but the team bottomed out, struggling immensely throughout December, January and part of February. However, the Avalanche have won six of their last nine and look to be fighting their way back into the playoffs. Armed with some of the best players in the NHL in Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, the Avalanche have every chance to force their way back into the playoffs.

So, which team has the best chance to claim a spot in the Western Conference playoffs?

Pro Hockey Rumor app users, click here to vote.

Western Notes: Canucks Defense, Fabbri, Benn, Parise

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With the playoffs being a longshot for the Vancouver Canucks, the team needs to start focusing on next year, especially with their defense. General manager Jim Benning recently said that the blueline needs work and the team could find themselves being active participants in free agency this summer.

“We’re going to look this summer to try and change things up in the back end. There’s work to be done on defence,” he told reporters.

The Vancouver Sun’s Patrick Johnston writes that the team will likely make a play for San Jose’s Erik Karlsson, Toronto’s Jake Gardiner and Winnipeg’s Tyler Myers or even try and deal for Jacob Trouba. All are possibilities, although many of them are likely to be longshots. In fact, there may not be many big-name defensive free agents that Vancouver can add.

However, while the team feels good about bringing Quinn Hughes on board later this year, possibly in the next few weeks, and have him take over a spot on the team’s top-four immediately, the Canucks have quite a few decisions of their own roster to make, including the status of defenseman Alexander Edler, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, but has indicated a willingness to return to the team even though a they haven’t managed to work out an extension yet. The team will also have to give a significant pay raise to defenseman Ben Hutton who has had a solid season in Vancouver this year.

The Canucks are expected to give a long look to blueliner Ashton Sautner, and still have high expectations for Olli Juolevi, who is out for the season with a knee injury. Regardless, the team will need to do something to improve the teams defense next season.

  • It hasn’t exactly been the year that St. Louis Blues forward Robby Fabbri would have hoped for, but the oft-injured winger feels that his play is starting to turn the corner for the Blues, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Fabbri has appeared in just 29 games this season with just five points, but with injuries to Brayden Schenn and David Perron, Fabbri has been receiving those extra minutes as well as some time on the power play, showing some signs that interim head coach Craig Berube is starting to show some confidence in the 23-year-old forward, who has lost almost two seasons to serious knee injuries. “I’ve been feeling good, and I’ve been feeling good for a while,” Fabbri said. “But there’s nothing like playing games. There’s a lot of things during the game that you can only practice in-game. It’s nice that I’m getting that opportunity right now.” Coincidentally, Fabbri has been made a healthy scratch for Saturday’s game, replaced by Sammy Blais, according to NHL.com’s Lou Korac.
  • The Dallas Stars get a big boost on their offensive end as veteran forward Jamie Benn is expected back to their lineup Saturday against St. Louis, according to NHL.com’s Mark Stepneski. Benn was forced to leave their Feb. 24th game against the Chicago Blackhawks after suffering an upper-body injury early in the game and subsequently missed the next two games. “I’m good. Ready to go,” Benn said. “100 percent.” The team could use an offensive boost even though Benn hasn’t had his usual type of season with just 21 goals and just 20 assists in 61 games this season.
  • The Minnesota Wild will be without veteran forward Zach Parise, who will miss Saturday’s game in Calgary and is questionable for Sunday’s game against Nashville with a foot injury, according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo. The 34-year-old Parise is having a impressive season with 24 goals and 54 points and has been hot lately with a goal and four assists in his last five games.

Tye Felhaber Signs With Dallas Stars

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The Dallas Stars have joined in on the March 1st signing spree, inking Tye Felhaber to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will kick in for the 2019-20 season.

Felhaber, 20, is another undrafted free agent that is playing as an overager in junior for the Ottawa 67’s. After appearing in four games with the Laval Rocket of the AHL last spring on an amateur tryout and then attending training camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Felhaber returned to Ottawa where he leads the OHL in goals with 55. The young forward attributes much of that success to working out with Claude Giroux in the offseason, but there’s nothing unexpected in his performance this year. Felhaber was pursued by at least two thirds of the league before settling on Dallas.

The Stars know their way around developing unheralded prospects, with late-round picks like Jamie Benn and John Klingberg leading the way. Ben Gleason, Joel L’Esperance and Gavin Bayreuther were all undrafted and have spent time with the Stars this season, a group that should inspire Felhaber as his professional career gets started. The young forward will likely join the Texas Stars next season.

Snapshots: Mueller, Zuccarello, Tokarski

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It’s hard to find a ton of uplifting news for the New Jersey Devils right now, but Mirco Mueller gave the hockey world some today. Mueller took to social media to tell his fans that he did not suffer any serious injuries last night when he went crashing into the boards. The 23-year old defenseman needed to be stretchered off the ice after laying motionless for several moments, and was taken to hospital immediately.

Despite the Devils’ struggles Mueller is actually having a fine year, playing more games than he ever has in a single season previously. With ten points in 47 games he has also set a career-high in scoring, and is averaging more than 18 minutes a night for the Devils on the blue line. A first-round pick of the San Jose Sharks six years ago, Mueller found himself on the move thanks to the Vegas expansion draft. Instead of leaving him unprotected, the Sharks moved him to New Jersey for a package of draft picks where he has flourished. It’s unclear when he will return to action.

  • The Dallas Stars went out and added secondary scoring close to the deadline by acquiring Mats Zuccarello from the New York Rangers, only to see the veteran forward suffer a broken arm in his debut. If the Stars miss the playoffs they will have given up a package of assets for basically nothing, unless of course they decide to re-sign Zuccarello before he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. If they do, the 2020 third-round pick they sent New York would upgrade to a first-round selection, but Sean Shapiro of The Athletic (subscription required) believes the team still has interest in an extension. Shapiro does note that Zuccarello hasn’t indicated that he wants to re-sign yet, but he likely won’t make that decision until after he’s back on the ice. Four weeks from the injury would be March 24th, which would leave just seven games remaining in the Stars season.
  • The Rangers’ AHL affiliate has essentially made a trade, loaning goaltender Dustin Tokarski to the Charlotte Checkers while receiving Josh Wesley in return. Both players will technically remain in their current organizations, but will play for their new teams. That means Tokarski can help out Alex Nedeljkovic on what looks like a Calder Cup contender in Charlotte, while Wesley may get a chance to stick in the AHL instead of the ECHL where he has spent much of the season.

Minor Transactions: 02/25/2019

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With the trade deadline upon us, roster restrictions have now been lifted so there should be an influx of recalls today.  On top of that, there should be plenty of “paper transactions” post-deadline as teams send down and then recall players in order to preserve their AHL postseason eligibility. Only players on AHL rosters at 3pm ET are eligible to play in the league’s playoffs. While all eyes are on the deadline, today is also one of, if not the, busiest day of the season for minor transactions. Try to keep up right here:

  • The Canadiens announced the recall of winger Dale Weise from Laval (AHL). He was sent down last week to accommodate the return of Paul Byron from IR but this move was expected with the 23-man roster limit now removed.  Weise played in three games with the Rocket, scoring twice.  He will likely battle for fourth line ice time down the stretch.
  • The Devils have shuffled their forward group, announcing that they have sent wingers Joey Anderson and Brett Seney to AHL Binghamton while recalling forwards Michael McLeod, Nathan Bastian, and John Quenneville. Anderson has just three points in 19 NHL games this season while Seney has spent the bulk of the year in New Jersey, collecting 13 points in 50 NHL contests.  McLeod, a 2016 first-rounder, has played just once with the big club this season but sits second on Binghamton in scoring and should now get a longer look to assess his development.  Bastian has also played just once in New Jersey but leads Binghamton in goals with 17 in 56 games.  They also announced that goalie MacKenzie Blackwood has been recalled from Binghamton following the trade of Keith Kinkaid, as well as defenseman Egor Yakovlev, with Eric Gryba heading back to the AHL.
  • For the time being at least, the Senators have re-assigned defenseman Cody Goloubef, centers Logan Brown and Filip Chlapik, and winger Drake Batherson to Belleville of the AHL, per a team announcement.  The team also made forward Rudolfs Balcers and defenseman Christian Wolanin paper transactions for the inevitable reality of last-place Ottawa having an early end to their season, but Belleville continuing on to the postseason.
  • The Flyers have brought back defenseman Samuel Morin from his conditioning stint with AHL Lehigh Valley.  He has been working his way back from ACL surgery from an injury sustained in the minor league playoffs back in May and played in a pair of games with the Phantoms.  It’s likely that Morin won’t be thrown into action with Philadelphia right away but with the roster limit gone, they can have him on the active roster from here on out. The team also made defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Corban Knight paper transactions. The young Myers was the top defender for the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantom prior to his recall, while Knight is an experienced AHLer who can lead a team. Their return for the postseason would be a major boost for the Phantoms.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Matt Donovan from the AHL, placing Dan Hamhuis on injured reserve. Donovan is leading all Milwaukee Admirals defensemen in scoring with 29 points through 55 games, but hasn’t played an NHL game since 2014-15.
  • Christian Dvorak has officially been recalled from his conditioning stint with the Tucson Roadrunners, meaning he’ll be back on the ice for the Arizona Coyotes soon. The young forward has missed the entire season up to this point, but could give the Coyotes a much needed offensive boost down the stretch.
  • Matt Luff was recalled by the Los Angeles Kings today, only to be returned to the AHL’s Ontario Reign later on alongside Michael Amadio. It’s unclear if this move was intended for AHL postseason means, seeing as the Reign are in last place in the entire league and aren’t going to be heading to the postseason.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have returned goaltender Marek Mazanec and forward Zack MacEwen to the AHL’s Utica Comets, the team announced. Mazanec’s demotion is good news for the Canucks; Thatcher Demko has been cleared for action and will dress for the Canucks as the backup tonight.
  • Teddy Blueger has been reassigned to the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, but could be on his way back up shortly. With Tanner Pearson shipped out of town, Pittsburgh needs another forward and Blueger has been the next man up. He should get a chance at regular minutes down the stretch.
  • Collin Delia will return to the minors upon the activation of Corey Crawford, Chicago announced. Delia has performed admirably in net during Crawford’s absence and even earned a contract extension with his play, but needs the starts available in the AHL rather than sitting behind Crawford and Cam Ward.
  • With the Toronto Maple Leafs trading away Par Lindholm today, stating their desire to open up regular NHL minutes for Trevor Moore, it is no surprise that Moore was an emergency recall by the team. Moore has been the epitome of consistency through his time with the University of Denver and AHL Marlies and now hopes to bring that same dependable production to the NHL.
  • The Arizona Coyotes made a pair of paper transactions, assigning defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin and forward Conor Garland to the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners – to ensure their AHL postseason eligibility – and then called them back up.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes followed suit, making forwards Saku Maenalanen and Warren Foegele paper transactions, so that they may compete with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers if need be.
  • The Dallas Stars are without Mats Zuccarello after just one game with the trade addition. To fill his roster spot for the time being, the team has recalled Denis Gurianov from AHL Texas. Gurianov has shown flashes, but inconsistency in the pros, but now Dallas needs him to be a reliable option over the next four weeks.
  • Daniel O’Regan seemed like a likely trade candidate as a young impending free agent who has not been a fit in Buffalo. The Sabres even showcased him this past week, but to no avail. The deadline has come and gone and Regan is still a Sabre, or more accurately a Rochester American after being demoted today. Tage Thompson was a paper transaction for the club.
  • Dylan Sikura was made a paper transaction by the Chicago Blackhawks, as well. While the team would like to see what he can do in the NHL over the next month, the Blackhawks are trending away from the postseason, making Sikura’s best bet at postseason play a return to the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. The move today maintains his eligibility to do so.
  • The Colorado Avalanche made dependable depth forward Sheldon Dries a paper transaction, but the reassignments of fellow forwards A.J. Greer and Andrew Agozzino were not just formalities. The pair will head back to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, having presumably lost their roster spots to the healthy Colin Wilson and the acquisition of Derick Brassard.
  • Goaltender Harri Sateri, defenseman Filip Hronek, and forward Filip Zadina were all made paper transactions by the Detroit Red Wings. Sateri and Hronek are currently filling in as injury replacements and will likely return to the AHL for real in short time, but Detroit wants to see what top prospect Zadina can do in the NHL down the stretch. The Red Wings surely won’t be making the playoffs though, so they made sure the trio can all still experience a postseason run this year.
  • The Edmonton Oilers made veteran minor league forwards Brad Malone and Josh Currie paper transactions. The duo is currently helping out in the NHL, but with the Oilers’ playoff hopes all but dead, their major role the rest of the way will likely be as experienced leaders guiding the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors into the postseason.
  • Jordan Greenway, Luke Kunin, and new addition Ryan Donato were all made paper transactions today by the Minnesota Wild. The trio is very much part of the Wild’s immediate plans this season, as well as their future, but Minnesota may not make the playoffs this year and the forwards could benefit from making a run with AHL Iowa.
  • New York Islanders defenseman Devon Toews was another paper transaction. Toews has carved out a role for himself with the club, which currently leads the Metropolitan Division, but should be be available to the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers come playoff time, a return to the team at a critical time would only further his development.
  • Lukas Radil was a paper transaction for the San Jose Sharks today. The Sharks are hoping to make a deep playoff run this year, but on the off chance that doesn’t materialize, the experienced forward Radil would be of benefit to the AHL Barracuda.
  • The Vancouver Canucks currently have defensemen Ashton Sautner and Guillaume Brisebois on the roster as the team battles injuries. However, to make sure the AHL’s Utica Comets were not stripped of two of their top defenders this season, Vancouver made the pair paper transactions today.
  • The Winnipeg Jets announced that they have reassigned defenseman Tucker Poolman to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose today. The move was expected after the Jets traded for not one but two defenseman today. The move also serves to ensure Poolman can play in the AHL postseason if need be. The same goes for forward Mason Appleton, who was also sent down.
  • Peter Cehlarik and Karson Kuhlman have both been returned to the AHL’s Providence Bruins, but it remains unclear if this is a paper transaction or an actual move by Boston. With the deadline passed and roster restrictions nullified, one would think that Cehlarik and Kulhman – who have both player regular minutes for the Bruins of late – would be back up. However, no such move has been made and perhaps the team simply wants to give the duo some more ice time in the minors now that their NHL roster includes several more veteran members up front.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have demoted defenseman Andy Welinski and forward Sam Steel in favor of defenseman Korbinian Holzer and goaltender Angus Redmond. The move may have something to do with AHL playoff eligibility, but more than anything it is about Redmond’s recall. The Ducks, who continue to struggle with injuries in net, will dress Redmond as their backup tonight with Ryan Miller sidelined with a lower-body injury. It is the first NHL experience for a keeper who has played almost exclusively in the ECHL as a pro.

Dallas’ Mats Zuccarello Out Four Weeks

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Monday: NHL.com’s Mark Stepneski reports that Zuccarello will indeed undergo surgery on his right arm tomorrow. GM Jim Nill described the injury as a “clean break” and the surgery as “nothing major”. Zuccarello will have a plate placed in his arm to keep the bones in place and speed up the healing process. Nevertheless, the timeline for re-evaluation remains four weeks. Stepneski notes that four weeks to the day would leave the Stars with seven regular season games left, so any setbacks in his recovery could limit Zuccarello’s chances to see game action before the playoffs, assuming Dallas can hold on to a spot with their big trade acquisition sidelined.

Sunday: The Dallas Stars took a big hit today. After acquiring Mats Zuccarello from the New York Rangers less than 24 hours ago, the team’s new forward was forced to leave the game Sunday with an upper-body injury and now is expected to miss at least four weeks after blocking a shot from Chicago’s Connor Murphy during the second period (video link here).

Zuccarello told The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro that the shot hit his arm and believes that it’s broken. The 31-year-old is expected to return to Dallas and will see a doctor Monday or Tuesday for a better idea of his recovery plan.  TSN’s Bob McKenzie adds that the initial diagnosis is that surgery will be required.  The team also lost Jamie Benn to a lower-body injury Sunday, but reports suggest that Benn will be day-to-day. Shapiro reports that Benn was trying to play through an injury he suffered against Carolina Saturday and he re-aggravated it against Chicago.

The 31-year-old has had a whirlwind day as he was traded from his home in New York of many years and traded to Dallas. He suited up and looked to be a perfect fit on both the first and second lines in Dallas, scoring a goal and adding an assist in the game, before sustaining the injury, which will likely keep him out until late March.

With the trade deadline less than 24 hours away, the Stars could consider trying to trade for another forward as they didn’t deal away defenseman Julius Honka as many predicted. The question is whether the team could afford to add another contract, considering the fact that they used much of their available cap space to get Zuccarello onto the roster.

Western Notes: Zuccarello, Chiasson, Binnington, Karlsson

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The Dallas Stars traded for Mats Zuccarello Saturday evening and brought him to Dallas early Sunday. The team traded two conditional picks for the veteran winger, including a conditional third-round pick in 2020 that could turn into a first-rounder if Zuccarello re-signs with the Stars.

However, Zuccarello was non-committal when asked about his thoughts of his impending UFA status, according to The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro. The veteran said he isn’t thinking about it right now and his goal in Dallas is to help the team get into the playoffs and beyond.

  • On a negative note, Zuccarello, who fared well in his debut with Dallas with a goal and an assist, left Sunday’s game against Chicago as the Stars announced that he would not come back after suffering an upper-body injury. Zuccarello was hit in the arm or hand while blocking a shot by Chicago’s Ryan Murphy late in the second period (video link here). Forward Jamie Benn was also declared out with a lower-body injury as the team suddenly lost several players in their newly-enhanced lineup. No word on the severity of either injury.
  • TSN’s Ryan Rishaug writes that the Edmonton Oilers might still make a move at the deadline with forward Alex Chiasson being the most viable trade chip the team has. The team would be looking for a pick and Rishaug believes that if a team is willing to offer up a third-rounder for Chiasson, the team will pull the trigger on a deal. Chiasson has 17 goals this season and has been one of the few bright spots during a dismal season in Edmonton.
  • Fox Sports Andy Strickland writes that St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington will become a Group 2 restricted free agent this summer once the goaltender hits 26 games this season. The standard number is 28 games, but Binnington signed his entry-level contract in the 2012-13 season, which had a reduced schedule due to the lockout and the number of games was reduced. The 25-year-old goaltender, who spent a good portion of his career in the AHL, has a 14-2-1 record to go with a 1.70 GAA and a .934 save percentage. He is in line to get a significant pay raise.
  • The San Jose Sharks were without star defenseman Erik Karlsson once again Sunday after he left Saturday’s game after re-tweaking his strained groin, which kept him out of nine games recently, and there is no word on how long he’s be out, according to Mercury News’ Paul Gackle. Head coach Peter DeBoer expressed optimism that it wouldn’t be long. Of course, DeBoer said the same thing when Karlsson first was injured, which could be worrying. “We have MRIs and those types of things, but you get put in spots, you can re-tweak, you can overextend it,” DeBoer said. “Everybody thinks it’s healthy and then you get hit a certain way. It’s a contact sport. You can’t control that stuff.”

Minor Transactions: 02/24/2019

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Tomorrow is the NHL Trade Deadline and, if yesterday is any indication, more deals are on the way today. Meanwhile, it’s also the last chance that GM’s have to take a look at their teams in game action and decide what, if anything, needs to be addressed via trade. A dozen teams will hit the ice today, including several top contenders who have yet to make a move. It’s all leading up to a busy day of dealing tomorrow. For now, teams will still need to keep an eye on the day-to-day operations, so keep up with all of the minor transactions here:

  • The Colorado Avalanche announced that they have recalled forward Sheldon Dries from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. Dries has been back and forth frequently this season, logging 36 games with the Avs and 13 with the Eagles. Dries is not much of an offensive force, but continues to get the call due to his solid two-way game. Colorado has suddenly re-discovered their offense of late, outscoring opponents 20-4 on their current four-game winning streak, so they can afford to bring in the stable defensive forward now that they’re not as desperate for secondary scoring.
  • With their roster in disarray following two major trades, it is no wonder that the Ottawa Senators are having to make additional moves. The team has announced that defenseman Christian Wolanin has been promoted from AHL Belleville. Wolanin, in his first full pro season out of the University of North Dakota, has played in 12 games with Ottawa versus 35 games with Belleville. He has been very productive at the AHL level and looks to have the makings of an NHL regular. The Senators hope he can display that potential down the stretch.
  • With Mats Zuccarello set to join the team, the Dallas Stars have opened up a roster spot by sending Joel L’Esperance back to AHL Texas, beat writer Mark Stepneski reports. L’Esperance has been enjoying strong production with the Texas Stars in his first pro season, recording 42 points through 49 games thus far. However, the Michigan Tech product was held scoreless in four games with Dallas on his first recall. Regardless, L’Esperance likely remains the next man up for the Stars this season.
  • The St. Louis Blues have announced that forward Brayden Schenn has been placed on the injured reserve and top prospect Jordan Kyrou has been recalled to replace him. Although Schenn’s upper-body injury is not expected to be serious, he has missed the Blues’ past two games so this placement lets St. Louis replace his roster spot in case he has to miss a few more games. Kyrou, 20, has played in 16 games with the Blues in his first pro season, registering three points, and has been a point-per-game player through 36 games with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. The promising forward is expected to be a full-time player in St. Louis sooner rather than later, so this call-up is a preview of what’s to come for the Blues.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled goaltender Harri Sateri from the Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions. Sateri was sent down Saturday, but with goaltender Jimmy Howard under the weather still, Sateri will backup Jonathan Bernier for one more game.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets activated winger Markus Hannikainen from injured reserve. The 25-year-old was placed on IR last Tuesday with an illness and is now ready to return. Hannikainen has four goals and seven points in 42 games this season. Unless another move is forthcoming, that will give the Blue Jackets 15 forwards and just six defenseman on their current depth chart, an unusual number.
  • The Anaheim Ducks swapped defensemen, according to CapFriendly. The team promoted Korbinian Holzer from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, while assigning Andy Welinski to San Diego. The 31-year-old Holzer has played in just two games with Anaheim, while Welinski has appeared in 19 games with the Ducks.
  • The New Jersey Devils have moved four players as they announced they have assigned forwards Joey Anderson and Brett Seney to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL and have recalled forwards Michael McLeod and Nathan Bastian from the AHL. Anderson, who signed with New Jersey out of Minnesota-Duluth last season had two goals in 19 games with New Jersey, while Seney has had five goals in 50 games. McLeod, the team’s first-round pick in 2016, is in his first season of professional hockey and has six goals and 31 points in 52 games. Bastian, a 2016 second-rounder, has 17 goals in 56 games with Binghamton.

Dallas Stars Trade For New York Rangers’ Mats Zuccarello

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Earlier in the day, the Dallas Stars added a defenseman. Now they’ve added a forward. TSN’s Darren Dreger confirmed that the Stars have acquired veteran forward Mats Zuccarello from the New York Rangers for a 2019 conditional second-round pick and a 2020 conditional third-round pick. Zuccarello is expected to join the team for Sunday’s game against Chicago.

The second-round pick becomes a first-rounder if Dallas wins two rounds in the Stanley Cup playoffs this season, while the 2020 third-rounder can become a first-round pick if Dallas re-signs Zuccarello. The Rangers also retained 30 percent of his salary, according to CapFriendly.

“Mats is a legitimate top-six forward in this League who possesses a high level of speed, skill, compete and grit,” said Dallas general manager Jim Nill. “He will enhance our team in a number of ways.”

The Stars hope that Zuccarello will give them the offense they need to get their team into the playoffs this year. Dallas currently owns the first wild card spot in the playoffs as they are tied with Colorado with 65 points. However, the Minnesota Wild are just a point behind both team, while two more teams are within four points of Dallas. With the team struggling scoring goals beyond their first line, the team needed to bring in some offense at the trade deadline. Zuccarello, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, could provide that. The 31-year-old has 11 goals and 37 points so far this year and should be the perfect addition to the team’s struggling second line. Zaccarello has spent his entire career with the Rangers and has tallied 113 goals in 509 career NHL games.

Aside of getting the Rangers to retain 30 percent of Zuccarello’s salary, the Stars placed Martin Hanzal on long-term injured reserve, freeing up the necessary cap space for Dallas to acquire Zuccarello. Hanzal going to LTIR freed up $4.75MM in cap space.

While a pair of picks doesn’t seem like a big return, the Rangers have conditions on those picks. The Rangers could get a first-round pick in this year’s draft if the Stars win a divisional championship, which seems like a longshot, but New York can also get a first-round pick if Dallas can re-sign Zuccarello this summer.

TSN’s Bob McKenzie was the first to report the potential deal.

Central Notes: Honka, Gustafsson, Hayden, Seabrook

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With a trade already completed earlier today, the Dallas Stars are continuing to look for help at the forward position. To do that, and with the addition of Ben Lovejoy today, Dallas may be ready to part ways with defenseman Julius Honka who has worn out his welcome, according to The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro (subscription required).

The team has lost faith in the play of both Honka and Connor Carrick, who both were considered inconsistent and with the fact that the team has shown they would give more minutes to Gavin Bayreuther and Joel Hanley, both currently in the NHL, moving Honka would make sense. The 23-year-old was a first-rounder in 2014 and was highly-touted before arriving to the NHL, but he has struggled adjusting to the NHL, especially with his confidence. Regardless, many teams might be willing to give up a scorer to get their hands on a project like Honka.

Shapiro writes that while the Stars have some room under the salary cap and could acquire a player who makes up to $2.05MM, the team has a number of players who could be placed on long-term injured reserve, which could open up close to $8MM in cap room if needed due to the injuries of Martin Hanzal, Stephen Johns and Tyler Pitlick.

While general manager Jim Nill said that there are seven or eight forwards the team is looking at, there is no word who those might be, although Shapiro believes that the New York Rangers’ Mats Zuccarello is near the top of Dallas’  list.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have made it clear to inquiring teams they have no intention of moving defenseman Erik Gustafsson, according to Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required). The team has been impressed by his offensive skills as he has 43 points in 59 games this season. He’s also tied for second among all NHL defensemen with 11 primary assists in 5-on-5 play and tied for seventh among all defensemen with 20 primary assists in all strengths. However, the team is still trying to trade John Hayden, who has played less than 10 minutes in 17 of his last 19 games.
  • Sticking with the Blackhawks, The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus writes that defenseman Brent Seabrook, who has been out since Feb. 16 with a abdominal strain, could potentially return Sunday. The 33-year-old still averages 19:47 in ATOI this year and has five goals and 23 points for Chicago this year. Marcus Kruger, who is out with a foot injury, remains day-to-day.

 

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