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Mike Green Out Seven-To-Ten Days

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It has been a rough year for Red Wings defenseman Mike Green.  He missed the first three weeks of the season with a virus that was attacking his liver while also missing 13 games due to a lower-body injury.  Unfortunately for Green, the virus is back which will cause him to miss the next seven-to-ten days, the team announced.  Despite missing 22 games already, Green still leads Detroit in scoring from a defenseman with 26 points in 43 contests.

The Red Wings won’t need to make a corresponding roster move to take Green’s place, however, as veteran blueliner Trevor Daley will suit up tonight against Colorado after missing the last two games with an upper-body injury.  He has also had issues staying healthy this season and has only suited up in 38 of their 65 contests.

Ted Lindsay Passes Away At 93

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The hockey world is in mourning to start the week, as Detroit Red Wings icon Ted Lindsay has passed away. Lindsay was one of the league’s earliest superstars, but was perhaps even more important to the game off the ice as a labor leader for players. He was 93.

Born in Ontario in 1925, Lindsay entered the NHL as a teenager in 1944 and made an immediate impact on the Red Wings. Despite his small frame, the 5’8″ 163-lbs forward was determined and feisty, never backing away from a physical challenge and earning the nickname “Terrible Ted.” Eventually he joined Sid Abel and Gordie Howe to form the “Production Line” that dominated the league for several seasons. Lindsay would win the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top scorer in 1950, and was named a league All-Star nine times. On four occasions he would lift the Stanley Cup over his head with the Red Wings, a key member in each championship team. He finished his career with 851 points in 1,068 games to go along with 1,808 penalty minutes.

Lindsay was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player in 1966, but he could have very well made it as a builder as well. He was instrumental in the forming of the NHLPA to help players secure higher wages and working rights, changing the game entirely and starting it on the road to the business it is today. He also worked as a broadcaster and front office executive for many years, and saw his number retired by the Red Wings. In 2017 he was named one of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players.

There’s little doubt that Lindsay’s impact on the game was greater than almost anyone else’s, and he will be sorely missed in Detroit and all across the league. When the Stanley Cup is raised this year and the captain of the winning team skates it around the rink, many will remember that Lindsay was the first to do so—just one of the many moments his influence will be felt for years to come.

Minor Transactions: 03/03/2019

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Yesterday’s slate of games featured several that re-shuffled the playoff picture, including a comeback upset by the Wild over the Flames, an overtime win for the Hurricanes, a disappointing loss for the Blue Jackets, and key victories for the Penguins and Stars against teams they’re fighting with for playoff position. Today, the docket features more of these potential landscape-shifting match-ups, including a battle between trade deadline standouts, Columbus and Winnipeg, and a surprisingly hot Minnesota team facing a cold Nashville squad. Whether preparing for a game today or the coming week at large, expect some moves today by more than a few teams:

  • Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Sun reports that goaltender Eric Comrie, currently on recall while starter Connor Hellebuyck was sidelined temporarily, will be reassigned to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose today. Hellebuyck was a full participant in morning skate and is in fact in line to get the start tonight for the Jets. Comrie got in some work with the team this morning as well, but is unlikely to stick around as a third active keeper. The 23-year-old has yet to see any NHL action this season, but has had a heavy workload in Manitoba with 40 appearances already on the year.
  • Christoffer Ehn, who was recalled on an emergency loan by the Detroit Red Wings yesterday morning, did not suit up for the team last night and has now been returned to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Ehn was called up in case Anthony Mantha, who was battling sickness, was unable to play. When Mantha fought through, Ehn’s emergency conditions were terminated, forcing his demotion back to the minors. Ehn has played in 44 games with the Red Wings this season compared to just 13 games with the Griffins, but for now will have to stick it out in the AHL.
  • Carolina Hurricanes’ project forward Steven Lorentz has again been sent to the ECHL, the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers announced. It’s the fourth demotion of the year for Lorentz, a 2015 seventh-round pick, who has been a victim of the depth in Charlotte. Among all forwards with more than 15 games played in the ECHL this season, Lorentz is twelfth in per-game scoring with 24 points in 20 games for the Florida Everblades. In the AHL, he has five points in 18 games with the Checkers but, despite fair production given his limited role, has been a frequent scratch and reassignment. Rather than being in the ECHL scoring race or a regular in Charlotte’s bottom-six, Lorentz’ season has been torn between the two leagues, making it appear as if he hasn’t made much of an impact at either level. Lorentz still has another year remaining on his entry-level contract, so Carolina has time for more evaluation. An extended stay and regular play time in the AHL in particular could reveal him to be a solid contributor at that level as well.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced they have recalled forward Kevin Roy from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. Roy, who had spent most of the year on season-opening injured reserve after undergoing offseason wrist surgery, was activated and sent to San Diego on Feb. 16. The 25-year-old had a goal and four points in five games with the Gulls and looks ready to return to action in Anaheim. He played 25 games with the Ducks last year, posting six goals and seven points.

Atlantic Notes: Senators, Kadri, Howard, Rosen

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With Guy Boucher out as head coach in Ottawa Friday, and 18 games left in the season, the young Ottawa Senators must make a quick decision on their head coaching job this summer. The team gave the interim tag to Marc Crawford, but unless he can turn around the franchise in those 18 games, the Sporting News’ Murray Pam writes that general manager Pierre Dorion may opt to look for a new voice to coach the franchise.

Among the top potential candidates that could take over this summer, Pam suggests that 66-year-old Jacques Martin could be an interesting candidate that can give the team a fresh voice. The veteran coach, who was raised in Saint-Pascal, Ont., not far from Ottawa, has been an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the last six years, 31 years of NHL experience and has two Stanley Cup rings.

One obvious candidate could also come from within as the Belleville Senators’ head coach, Troy Mann, who has done an impressive job in his first year as head coach of the AHL franchise and already knows many of the players on the team’s roster. His recent track record is the most interesting as he has led the team to a 16-game unbeaten streak as the team has gone 11-0-5 and is on the cusp of the AHL playoffs. He’s in his fifth year as an AHL head coach. The scribe throws in several other candidates, including Montreal Canadiens’ assistant Luke Richardson and Columbus Blue Jackets’ assistant Brad Shaw.

  • Despite missing his sixth straight game Saturday, Toronto Maple Leafs Nazem Kadri, who has been out with a concussion, seems to be improving. According to The Star’s Kevin McGran, Kadri skated this morning, which is a good sign for his recovery. “Obviously, our medical staff has to do a good job with those guys and keep them out as long as they’re supposed to be out,” said Leafs coach Mike Babcock. “I think it’s obviously good for him to be out there, just morale-wise. It looks like he’s going in the right direction. I didn’t talk to the coaches since he’s been out, just to see what kind of skate they were able to give him and what he was able to handle. (We’ll) still monitor that and see, and then we’ll see how hard we can push him. I don’t know when he’s ready.”
  • Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard has struggled immensely in the month of February, posting a 3.97 GAA and a .866 save percentage in nine games. On top of that, he has been pulled from his last three games, not exactly what you’d expect from a goaltender who represented the Atlantic Division at the All-Star Game. However, don’t expect the veteran to give up. Howard has spent countless hours studying video of his play, trying to figure out what’s gone wrong, according to Dana Gauruder of the Detroit Free Press. “To be honest, going through the video, it’s just being off by a fraction,” he said. “Not having the correct angle. When you don’t have that as a goalie, guys can put the puck in tight areas and that’s what’s happened.”
  • With recent injuries to Toronto Maple Leafs’ defensemen Travis Dermott and Jake Gardiner, many fans have wondered why Toronto hasn’t turned to promising young defenseman Calle Rosen. The 25-year-old has been tearing up the AHL with the Toronto Marlies this year and signed a two-year extension with the team back in December. However, Rosen can’t be recalled yet, according to the Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby, because he took a puck off his foot a few days ago and isn’t ready to return to the ice just yet. Regardless, Rosen, who has seven goals and 44 points in 52 games with the Marlies, could be called up soon.

Minor Transactions: 03/02/2019

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As always, Saturday is a busy night on the NHL schedule with ten games on tap (including the 1,000th game of the year and Jarome Iginla’s sweater retirement in Calgary) and most of the teams battling for Wild Card spots in action.  Accordingly, there should be quite a bit of roster movement today.  We’ll keep tabs on those moves here.

  • The Coyotes announced the recall of winger Hudson Fasching from Tucson of the AHL. This will be his first stint with Arizona after they acquired him in the offseason from Buffalo.  Coming out of college, the 23-year-old looked like a legitimate power forward in the making but his offensive prowess has yet to translate to the pros as he has just 25 points in 48 games with the Roadrunners this season.
  • With Justin Faulk able to return last night, the Hurricanes have returned defenseman Jake Bean to AHL Charlotte. He had been recalled on an emergency loan on Thursday but he had to be sent down for it to not count against the four post-deadline regular recalls allowable.  Bean has had a strong rookie campaign with the Checkers, collecting 33 points in 56 games while getting into a pair of games with Carolina as well.
  • Sammy Blais is back with the Blues as he has been recalled under emergency conditions from San Antonio of the AHL. It’s already the second time this week he has been brought up under these conditions.  The winger is needed with the uncertain situations regarding center Brayden Schenn and winger David Perron who are both currently on IR and are questionable to play tonight.  Blais has played in 27 games with St. Louis this season, picking up three points along with 80 hits. When the team announced that Blais was replacing an uninjured Robby Fabbri in the lineup later in the day, however, the Blues announced that they have terminated the emergency recall and have opted to make Blais one of the team’s four regular recalls.
  • CapFriendly reports that the Detroit Red Wings have recalled rookie forward Christoffer Ehn from the AHL on an emergency basis. Ehn, a big defensive center, has been a nice piece for the Red Wings in his first season in North America. The 2014 draft pick has skated in 44 games and notched seven points and has been trusted with key defensive assignments. However, that hasn’t kept him out of the minors entirely; he has six points through 13 games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. For now, he’ll return to Detroit as an injury replacement and work to show that he should finish out the year in the NHL. With Anthony Mantha healthy enough to return, the Red Wings announced they have re-assigned Ehn back to Grand Rapids before their Saturday game even started.
  • CapFriendly also adds that the Los Angeles Kings have reassigned forward Matt Luff to the nearby Ontario Reign of the AHL. Luff, 21, has been a frequent fixture of the minor news cycle this season, going between the Kings and Reign with regularity. The second-year pro has ten points in 31 games with L.A. and an impressive 21 points in just 18 games with Ontario. The big wingers is making it hard for the Kings to keep him out of the NHL, but they’ve done so again. Using his size to his advantage as a more physical player would help Luff to stay at the highest level more frequently.
  • The Florida Panthers announced that they have returned defenseman Riley Stillman to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. Stillman, the son of former NHLer Cory Stillman, made his NHL debut on this latest recall, skating for 11 minutes against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday. The 2016 fourth-round pick has added NHL experience to a strong first AHL campaign in Springfield and has established himself as a depth option for Florida. The young blue liner could push for a more regular role with the team next season.
  • Denis Gurianov is on his way down to the minors yet again. The enigmatic Dallas Stars winger has been reassigned to AHL Texas, the team announced. With the size, skill, and skating to be an NHL regular, as well as point-per-game AHL numbers that suggest he his time in the minors has run its course, Gurianov nevertheless continues to find it hard to stick in Dallas. He has just four points in 21 games with the Stars this year, compared to 37 in 39 with their affiliate. With the team pushing for a playoff spot and in need of all the offense they can get, it’s fair that they again reassign Gurianov if he’s not producing. However, one has to wonder if the young forward needs a change of scenery if he can’t get an extended look in Dallas in his third season with the club.
  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have recalled forward Joey Anderson from the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. Despite an injury, Anderson had spent much of the season with New Jersey, playing 19 games after signing out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth last offseason. He has just two goals and three points in that span before being sent down last week before the trade deadline.

Red Wings To Resume Extension Talks With Jimmy Howard

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Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard was among those with a decent chance to be dealt by Monday’s trade deadline.  Instead, he stayed put as GM Ken Holland told reporters, including Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News, that there was little to no interest in the 34-year-old as the trade market for goaltenders was virtually non-existent.

With that option now off the table, Holland indicated that the plan now is to resume discussions regarding a potential contract extension.  Those talks are expected to occur over the next few days.

What will undoubtedly hurt Howard here is his recent struggles.  In 2019 (a span of 17 appearances), he has posted a save percentage of .884, a rating that would be considered well below average for a backup netminder.  The veteran was quite sharp over the first couple of months but has tapered off since then which presents a question for Holland and the Red Wings – which version will they get next season (and potentially beyond)?

Howard is in the final season of his current contract which carries a cap hit of just over $5.29MM.  Considering his play as of late, the direction of the team and the fact they already have Jonathan Bernier ($3MM) locked up for two more years after this one, it stands to reason that Howard will need to take a pay cut on his current deal.  Both sides have previously expressed their desire to get a new deal done with the expectation of a multi-year pact being required but given Howard’s recent play, it will be interesting to see if they ultimately settle on a one-year deal.  He will be 35 by then so Detroit would have the ability to offer performance bonuses in a one-year contract which may be the best course of action here.

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.

Blue Jackets Express Interest In Niklas Kronwall

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After adding forwards Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel as well as goalie Keith Kinkaid, some might think that the Blue Jackets would be finished with their moves.  However, that does not appear to be the case as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that they’ve shown interest in Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall.

The 38-year-old has been a dependable cog on Detroit’s back end since the 2003-04 season and has logged 934 games with the Red Wings since then.  He has expressed an interest in remaining with Detroit for his full career but indicated earlier this month that he would consider moving if GM Ken Holland approached him.

This season, Kronwall has played a larger role than expected, logging nearly 20 minutes a night while chipping in with 16 points (2-14-16).  That has been in large part due to the litany of injuries on Detroit’s back end throughout the year but he has held his own with the extra ice time.  It’s likely that if Columbus was to add him, they likely wouldn’t be counting on him to play as much as he’d slot in behind Seth Jones and Ryan Murray (when healthy).

Kronwall is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and has a cap hit of $4.75MM.  He also has a ten-team no-trade clause but even if Columbus wasn’t on that list, it’s believed that Holland would go to the veteran for his approval to be dealt.

San Jose Sharks Acquire Gustav Nyquist

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The San Jose Sharks must have liked what they saw today in Gustav Nyquist’s game. The team has acquired him from the Detroit Red Wings after seeing him in person today in exchange for a 2019 second-round pick and 2020 conditional third-round pick. Nyquist scored one goal and recorded eight shots in more than 20 minutes of ice time in a 5-3 loss against the Sharks. In order to complete the trade, Nyquist was required to waive his full no-trade clause. If the Sharks reach the Stanley Cup Final this season or re-sign Nyquist, the 2020 pick will become a second-round selection.

Nyquist, 29, now has 16 goals and 49 points on the season and is closing in on his career-high of 54 set back in 2014-15. The talented winger was perhaps the best expiring contract the Red Wings have left after already sending Nick Jensen to Washington, and they will gather even more assets for their rebuild with this trade. The veteran forward comes with a $4.75MM full season cap hit, though his actual salary is even more. This season Nyquist is earning $5.5MM of the $19MM he signed for in 2015, though Detroit will be retaining 30% of his remaining contract.

Over the last few seasons the Red Wings have consistently turned their former core players into younger or future assets as they look towards Dylan Larkin to lead the next wave of talent. Nyquist, Jensen, Tomas Tatar, Petr Mrazek, Riley Sheahan, Brendan Smith, and Thomas Vanek (who eventually re-signed in Detroit) have all been shipped out since the beginning of 2017 for a total of eleven draft picks all in the first three rounds. That kind of turnover is allowing the team to rebuild through their own development system, though they so far have not experienced much on-ice success in terms of the NHL standings. Detroit once again is expected to finish near the bottom of the league and should be selecting in the first half of the round in June’s draft.

For the Sharks, adding another offensive talent like Nyquist is just another sign that they believe they can compete for the Stanley Cup this season. The team had already spent big on Erik Karlsson in the offseason but had been open about the fact that they were willing to shop in the rental market. Remember though, GM Doug Wilson often extends the players he goes after through trade, most recently with Evander Kane. Nyquist ended up at #14 on our Midseason UFA Power Rankings, and with a career year and potential long playoff experience is setting himself up for a big pay day.

With the win today, San Jose will wake up tomorrow with the third-best record in the entire NHL at 37-18-8 and armed with another talented player to insert into the lineup. Nyquist has experience on both wings and has previous success on the powerplay. Unfortunately there is still a question mark about his playoff performance to date. In 35 games Nyquist has recorded just eight points, though obviously that could change with the new uniform. That’s what the Sharks are hoping for, as they push all of their chips to the middle of the table.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Eastern Notes: Dzingel, Babcock, Hurricanes, Howard

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The Columbus Blue Jackets most recent trade Saturday, when they acquired Ryan Dzingel from the Ottawa Senators, may not just fall into the “win now” category. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen said Sunday that the team hopes that Dzingel will be more than just a rental. That may be possible as the 26-year-old is quite familiar with state of Ohio, having played three years at Ohio State University.

“He is definitely one of those players that we have identified as a candidate to stay here into the future,” Kekalainen said. “We did not just acquire him to be a rental.”

When asked about potentially re-signing with Columbus, Dzingel was open to the possibility, according to NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. “There’s a very high chance of that if they want me,” Dzingel said.

  • While it’s still early and there is plenty of time to get a deal done, Toronto Maple Leafs’ head coach Mike Babcock believes the team is good as it is, according to The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel. “The bottom line is … we got (Jake Muzzin), we’ve got some players who aren’t available to us right now, we’ve got a couple in the minors that we think are ready to play on our team and they’ve been there long enough,” Babcock said. “And so we feel we have good depth, so let’s get at ’er.”
  • News & Observer’s Luke DeCock writes that he believes the Carolina Hurricanes are looking to add at the trade deadline as he believes the Hurricanes want to add another forward and could see the team moving a defensive player for a potential forward. Carolina has a plethora of solid blueliners on their roster and have Jake Bean sitting in the AHL. The team has been rumored to be willing to move several defensemen all season, including Dougie Hamilton, Justin Faulk and Brett Pesce for the right price. The scribe also writes that it’s very unlikely the team moves Michael Ferland before the deadline.
  • The Detroit News’ Ted Kulfan writes that it’s unlikely the Detroit Red Wings will trade goaltender Jimmy Howard. However, if a team was going to make an offer for a Howard, it would be the San Jose Sharks, who may need a goaltender if they want to compete with Calgary for the top of the Pacific Division. Martin Jones has been struggling with a 2.92 GAA and a .897 save percentage in 47 games.

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