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Minor Transactions: 03/10/19

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After 24 teams were in action Saturday, the NHL should be a bit quieter on Sunday with just five games slated for the day. Regardless, there should be some key matches on the slate as the Metropolitan Division leader Washington Capitals will go up against the Central Divison leading Winnipeg Jets. The Calgary Flames, losers of four straight, will also be in action Sunday as well, in an attempt to reclaim the Pacific Division lead as they go up against the red-hot Vegas Golden Knights. With the playoff race getting more intense, teams continue to shuffle their rosters. Make sure to check back throughout the day to get all the team’s transactions for the day.

  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have assigned forward Brandon Gignac back to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. Gignac was recalled Saturday due to the massive amount of injuries the Devils have sustained recently and made his NHL debut. The 21-year-old played 9:04 of ice time, registering one shot, one blocked shot and a minus-two rating. With 20 forwards on the active roster, his assignment likely means that one of the Devils’ injured forwards will be ready to go.
  • With the need to add a player to their roster, the Calgary Flames announced they have recalled forward Alan Quine from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. The Flames assigned Curtis Lazar to Stockton Saturday, as the team was more interested in bringing in a veteran minor leaguer to add to their roster. Quine has been quite successful this season as he has proven to be better-than point-a-game player with 19 goals and 52 points in 41 games with Stockton. The 26-year-old has also shown some success at the NHL level with three goals and an assist in nine games for the Flames.
  • The up-and-down feeling for Dylan Gambrell continues as the San Jose Sharks have recalled the rookie once again, according to CapFriendly. Gambrell was recalled Thursday to San Jose, assigned back to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL Friday and now has been recalled once again. With the Barracuda, Gambrell has been practically a point-per-game player with 16 goals and 38 points in 40 games. However, in six games with the Sharks, he has zero points and is averaging just 8:11 of ATOI.
  • While there has been no explanation yet for the transaction, Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen reports that the Vegas Golden Knights have recalled goaltender Maxime Lagace from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL on an emergency basis, suggesting that one of the team’s goaltenders, either Marc-Andre Fleury or Malcolm Subban, is injured, although there is no confirmation of that. The 26-year-old has been having a solid season with the Wolves with a 2.30 GAA and a .916 save percentage in 28 appearances.

Rangers Notes: Tanking, Panarin, Shattenkirk

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A concern of New York Rangers fans all season long has ironically been that they aren’t bad enough. The team had little expectation of pushing for a playoff spot in 2018-19, yet continued to hang around with the likes of the Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers, and Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference standings, rather than down with the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, and New Jersey Devils. When the postseason is out of reach, many focus only on an improvement of their draft lottery odds, which has certainly been true with New York fans. While the Rangers’ pipeline is well-stocked and deep with talent at every position, the team is still looking for their next surefire star. Surely after the trade deadline, in which their third- and fourth-highest scorers – Kevin Hayes and Mats Zuccarello – were dealt away, the Rangers’ play would drop off, right? Entering last night, the team was on a six-game win-less streak; however, they had picked up the loser point in four of  those six games and then got back in the win column by taking down the Devils. The Rangers continue to stay afloat, currently ranked 13th in the East and 23rd in the NHL, with multiple teams less than two points ahead of them. If they stay on their current trajectory, the Rangers will likely have between a 3% and 6.5% chance at the No. 1 pick and combined odds of no more than about 20% of landing any of the top three lottery spots. They stand a much higher chance of picking outside the top ten than inside the top three. And there’s no reason to believe that their pace won’t continue. According to NHL.com’s strength of schedule calculations for the remainder of the season, the Rangers have the easiest stretch run of any team in the Metropolitan Division and are second only to the Sabres in the conference. Only half of their remaining games are against playoff-bound competition and five of their final 14 games come against teams presently below them in the standings. So as for those hopes of tanking, they may be all for not. With weak competition on the schedule and top young talent taking more responsibility in the lineup, the Rangers could potentially improve or at the very least stay the course for the remainder of the campaign.

  • If they can’t land one of the top prospects in the coming draft, will Rangers GM Jeff Gorton and company look to add star power in the free agent market? The Athletic’s Craig Custance writes that the expectation that New York will add heavily in the off-season may be overblown after speaking with Gorton. The GM states that he is only looking for players that will be “part of the rebuild, not someone who is going to restrict it.” This likely means a free agent on the younger side who fits the preferred system and the style of the Rangers’ up-and-coming young players. While Custance knows Gorton would never say it outright, Columbus Blue Jackets star winger Artemi Panarin sounds like the ideal target to fit that mold. The 27-year-old has the immense talent to be a short-term difference-maker and the youth and longevity to be a long-term fit who doesn’t clog up cap space down the road. All three of the New York-area teams have been considered likely landing spots for Panarin, the top free agent forward this summer, but the draw of playing in the heart of the Big Apple in front of a Madison Square Garden crowd could be enough to entice Panarin, who has his sights set on growing his persona in the next stage of his career.
  • If the Rangers are going to sign Panarin, it is going to take money and a lot of it. One player who could be shown the door to accommodate the need for extra cap space could be defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. The Rangers’ big free agent addition just two years ago has not been the player that the team expected and the New York Post’s Larry Brooks believes that he is fighting for life in these final games of the season. Shattenkirk was a healthy scratch the other night for the second time this season, parking himself and his $6.65MM AAV salary in the press box. He has just 23 points on the year so far, the same amount as last season when he missed close to half of the season due to injury. Compare that to 40+ points in five of his six seasons prior to joining New York and it explains why patience is running out. Brooks feels that if Shattenkirk cannot show substantial improvement in his effort and results down the stretch, he could be a prime candidate for a buyout this summer. Per CapFriendly, such a move would save the Rangers more than $5MM against the cap next season, with minor savings in 2020-21 as well, at a cost of just $1.433MM in each of the two seasons after. Despite it being a buyout that makes sense on paper, Brooks writes that “no one wants this”. He has spoken to both Shattenkirk and head coach David Quinn about what Shattenkirk needs to do to improve on his slow, overly-methodical style and it sounds as if they are on the same page. “I know what I have to do, I know how I have to play,” Shattenkirk says, but the question is whether he can actually do it. Failure to act on his shortcomings could mean his days in New York are numbered.

Minor Transactions: 03/09/2019

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With the Montreal Canadiens losing last night – and in convincing fashion, 8-2 to the Anaheim Ducks – the Tampa Bay Lightning have become the first NHL team to clinch a 2019 playoff spot. The President’s Trophy favorites needed just 68 games to do so, the second-fastest team to earn the “X” in the salary cap era. Don’t expect the Lightning to coast the rest of the regular season, but with a 15-point lead over the Boston Bruins for the league, conference, and division crowns, Tampa Bay is in a pretty good spot. For the Bruins, Habs, and 28 other teams (even the Ottawa Senators have not been statistically eliminated) the hunt for a postseason berth continues and tweaks to the roster will accompany that pursuit. There are 24 teams in action today, more than half of whom are currently in playoff positions, so expect a flurry of activity as teams prepare for critical contests at this point in the year.

  • After months of practicing with the team and weeks now of playing for their AHL affiliate, veteran forward Lee Stempniak will finally make his official return to the Boston Bruins. The Bruins announced that Stempniak has been recalled on an emergency basis, as Marcus Johansson and Jake DeBrusk remain sidelined with minor injuries. The 36-year-old winger was signed to a contract just prior to the trade deadline and has accumulated five points in seven games with the Providence Bruins this season. When he last played for the Bruins in 2015-16, Stempniak recorded ten points in 19 games; Boston would be ecstatic to get that kind of per-game production out of him again three years later. Stempniak spent the past two seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, registering 49 points in 119 total games. Even that level of scoring may be wishful thinking, but this recall can at least be used to get the respected veteran of more than 900 NHL games back up to speed so that he can step in if needed in the postseason.
  • CapFriendly reports that the Los Angeles Kings have given forward Carl Grundstrom his first call-up. After being a late scratch by the AHL’s Ontario Reign last night, it seems likely that Grundstrom is on his way to L.A. and could potentially be set to make his NHL debut tonight. Acquired in the Jake Muzzin trade, Grundstrom was a second-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016. A hard-nosed winger with great work ethic and defensive instincts, Grundstrom already appears capable of being an impact bottom-six forward in the NHL. How his offense comes along – he has 39 points in 55 AHL games this season – will ultimately determine whether his ceiling is any higher. Either way, the Kings are likely excited to get a look at a young player who should be a regular next season.
  • Matt Read’s near-daily shuffle between the NHL and AHL continues.  The Wild announced that the veteran winger has once again been returned to Iowa.  He has been recalled and sent down four times already this month, something that is likely to continue as long as the health of some of their regular players continues to be in questions.  His earlier recalls have been on an emergency basis so they haven’t been counting against their four post-deadline non-emergency call-ups.
  • The Flames have returned center Curtis Lazar to Stockton of the AHL, per a team release.  He was recalled back on February 15th but did not get into a game in his time with Calgary.  The 2013 first-rounder (17th overall to Ottawa) has been productive with the Heat in the minors this season with 36 points in 46 games and with a qualifying offer of $1.05MM required this summer, he’s looking like a potential non-tender candidate in June.
  • With the massing amount of injuries, the New Jersey Devils announced they have recalled Eric Tangradi and Brandon Gignac from the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. The 30-year-old Tangradi has played in 144 NHL games throughout his career, but hasn’t played in a game since the 2015-16 season when he was with the Detroit Red Wings. He has nine goals and 19 points this season in the AHL. Gignac will be recalled for the first time. The 21-year-old, who was a third-round pick in 2016, has 10 goals and 30 points in 54 games this year with Binghamton. With those two added to their roster, New Jersey now has 21 forwards on their active roster.

Strength Of Schedule And The Eastern Conference Wild Card Race

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The Tampa Bay Lightning had a chance to clinch a playoff spot last night on the first Thursday in March. While it didn’t go their way, the Bolts are undoubtedly going to be the top seed in the Eastern Conference and are well on their way to a President’s Trophy with a 15-point lead on the next-best team in the league. That next team up is the Boston Bruins, who are second only to Tampa in both the NHL and within their own Atlantic Division. Riding an 18-game point streak, the Bruins’ playoff position is also in little doubt. The Toronto Maple Leafs, currently holding a top-five record in the league, are on pace to finish third in their own division and without home ice in the first round of the playoffs. Boston and Toronto seem destined to meet in that opening round, with the winner likely getting Tampa Bay as their reward for moving on.

As frustrating as the current playoff format may be for the Leafs – as well as the Bruins and Lightning – at least the three teams know where they stand in the postseason structure with a month to go in the regular season. The same can’t be said for the rest of the Eastern Conference contenders. Just eight points separate the New York Islanders, the current Metropolitan Division leaders, from the Columbus Blue Jackets, presently in ninth in the East and on the outside of the playoff picture, in the standings. Between the two are three more Metropolitan teams, as well as the Atlantic’s Montreal Canadiens. With all six of these competitors struggling to pull away from the rest of the group, it could be that each team’s schedule down the stretch determines where they end up by the end of the regular season. Three divisional spots and two wild card spots are up for grabs; who has the luck of the schedule on their side?

According to the strength of schedule numbers released by the NHL this morning, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ opposing points percentage of .555 is the most favorable of the group. That’s not to say the Pens face an easy slate, though. Pittsburgh faces eight current playoff teams in their final 15 games, not including tomorrow night’s tilt against Columbus, but end the year with a nice stretch that includes a home-and-home against the lowly Red Wings and a final match-up against the Rangers. The experienced Penguins team is a safe bet to stay in the playoff picture, especially if they can get healthy on the back end.

The Montreal Canadiens have a similarly easy schedule, a .575 opposing points percentage, but with a dramatically different ending. Fighting for just one of two wild card spots, the Habs will face eight current playoff teams themselves, again not including a game against the Blue Jackets, but only three of those contests are within their next nine games. Montreal may get a nice boost over the next couple of weeks, but face a daunting final stretch; Columbus, Winnipeg, Tampa, Washington, and Toronto await them in their final five games. How they fare against those Cup contenders could determine whether they make or miss the postseason.

With just seven current playoff teams on the schedule from here on out, not including two run-ins with Columbus, the New York Islanders are in good shape with a .567 opposing points percentage. The team also avoids any road trips of longer than two games for the rest of the season. While a regular season finale against the Capitals could prove critical, the Islanders look as if they should be able to hold on to their playoff spot. The health of Robin Lehner could be a game-changer, though.

Things have not gone as expected since Jarmo Kekalainen and the Columbus Blue Jackets went all out at the trade deadline. The team sits outside of the playoff picture currently, two points back of the final wild card spot, and there is no guarantee that things will get better. The Jackets have a .581 opposing points percentage, including ten games against current playoff teams, and play just six of their final 15 games at home. Perhaps the one saving grace will be trips to Buffalo, the Rangers, and Ottawa in three of their last four games, but Columbus has their work cut out for them.

The Carolina Hurricanes have a similarly tough schedule, but benefit from having a game or two in hand on their playoff berth competition. In their final 16 games, the ’Canes will face opposition with a .586 points percentage, ten of which are playoff teams. They also have three sets of back-to-back games remaining. However, with the cushion of extra games and dates with the Devils and Flyers to round out the year, the red-hot Hurricanes are on pace to erase their league-worst nine-year playoff drought.

Finally, there are the defending champs. The Washington Capitals not only have the most difficult remaining schedule in the East’s wild card race, but in the entire NHL. At a .599 opposing points percentage, the Caps are about to go through the ringer in their final 15 games. Ten playoff teams are on the docket for Washington, including three games against the powerhouse Lightning and five playoff teams among their final six competitors. Fortunately, the team does play more than half of their remaining match-ups at home, but there’s little else to find comfort in. If any team in this race is at risk of a dramatic fall from their current playoff position, it is the Capitals, especially if the extra work of last year’s Stanley Cup run starts to catch up to them down the stretch.

Depleted Devils Missing Several Players

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The New Jersey Devils have lost four straight games and are firmly positioned at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division standings. That lack of success has only been furthered by injury lately, as the team is missing a huge chunk of their regular skaters. Team reporter Amanda Stein details all those who are missing practice today as the team prepares for their trip to Washington. Taylor Hall, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Miles Wood, Kevin Rooney, Nathan Bastian, Sami Vatanen, Pavel Zacha, Will Butcher and Mirco Mueller are all absent. John Quenneville and Kyle Palmieri who have missed games recently due to injury both took part.

The Devils will take on the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers in a back-to-back situation over the next two days, and very well could find themselves slipping even further down the standings over the next month. With so many injuries and other key players shipped out at the deadline, it appears as though New Jersey might have another good shot at the draft lottery this season. They are currently ahead of just Ottawa, Detroit and Los Angeles in the “Lose for Hughes” race.

Hall’s absence is the most notable obviously, as the reigning Hart Trophy winner continues his rehab from minor knee surgery. With just a single season left on his current contract, many have wondered about Hall’s future in New Jersey. GM Ray Shero unequivocally told Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) that he did not consider trading his offensive star at the deadline, and that he will approach Hall this summer to try and work out a contract extension.

Metropolitan Notes: Mueller, Patrick, Martin, Flyers, Blackwood

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The New Jersey Devils got some good news on the injury front as defenseman Mirco Mueller was recently released from the hospital after taking a scary hit Wednesday against Calgary, which required him to be stretchered off, according to NJ.com’s Chris Ryan.

Mueller stated that the injury won’t keep him out long-term. Head coach John Hynes stated that Mueller didn’t suffer any significant head or neck injuries and Mueller would likely play again this season. Mueller has played a career-high 47 games this year, putting up a goal and 10 points.

  • With Jakub Voracek already out, the Philadelphia Flyers lost another forward as Nolan Patrick was hit in the head with a shot and is unlikely to return to the game against the New York Islanders, according to Philly.com’s Sam Donnellon. Patrick has had a rough few days as he was boarded by New Jersey’s Kurtis Gabriel Friday, which cost Gabriel a one-game suspension. No word on how serious the injury is.
  • The New York Islanders played without forward Matt Martin today, who is out with an upper-body injury. However, Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said that the injury isn’t long-term and that he was a real possibility to play today. Martin, a key bottom-six forward, has five goals and 13 points in 52 games this season.
  • One downside to the Philadelphia Flyers trading away the physical Wayne Simmonds is that teams are taking advantage of them more on the ice, according to Sam Carchidi of Philly.com. Nolan Patrick was hit hard into the boards by New Jersey’s Kurtis Gabriel, who got a one-game suspension for the hit, but the team knows it has to show that they are physical even without Simmonds around. “But we’re still the same team. We still stick together,” Travis Konecny said. “I think Simmer left a lot of that with us. He taught us young guys to stick up for our teammates.”
  • With the impressive play of New Jersey Devils goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood, the team might have an opportunity for him to compete for the Calder Trophy next season. Blackwood has appeared in 15 games for New Jersey, but with just 16 games remaining in the season for the Devils, The Athletic’s Corey Masisak writes that if Blackwood plays in 10 or fewer games, he’d be eligible for the Calder Trophy next year.

New Jersey’s Kurtis Gabriel Suspended One Game For Boarding

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The Department of Player Safety announced that it has handed New Jersey Devils’ Kurtis Gabriel a one-game suspension for boarding Philadelphia Flyers forward Nolan Patrick during Friday’s game.

The incident happened the early minutes of Philadelphia’s 6-3 win as Gabriel hit Patrick from behind directly into the boards. Patrick did not see the hit coming. A fight ensued and Gabriel received a five-minute major for boarding. Patrick got some revenge later in the game when he knocked Gabriel to the ice with a shoulder hit.

The 6-foot-4 Gabriel has appeared in 14 games for the Devils this season, spending most of the season with the Binghamton Devils of the AHL for most of the year. He has two goals, three points and 44 penalty minutes for New Jersey this season.

Jaden Schwartz Receives Max Fine For Cross-Checking

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Cross-checking is apparently the flavor of the week for the NHL Department of Player Safety. After handing Winnipeg Jets defenseman Ben Chiarot a maximum fine for cross-checking on Monday, they have assigned the same punishment to St. Louis Blues forward Jaden Schwartz, per an announcement. Schwartz will be out $5,000 as a result of his actions, the most he could be fined under the CBA.

The hit in question was on Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton in last night’s game between the two teams, a convincing 5-2 Hurricanes win. Late in the first period, Hamilton delivered a hard, but legal check on Schwartz along the boards and Schwartz decided to retaliate with a cross-check up high on Hamilton. The decision cost Schwartz a two-minute minor right away, but has cost him even more in retrospect. It’s another knock against Schwartz in a disappointing season for the 26-year-old winger. Schwartz has just 28 points through 58 games and it could be that his offensive frustration is beginning to boil over into his checking game.

Player Safety might not be done dolling out discipline today. They have also announced that New Jersey Devils forward Kurtis Gabriel will have a hearing this afternoon in regards to a boarding penalty against the Philadelphia Flyers’ Nolan Patrick last night. So too will Winnipeg Jets forward Adam Lowry for what’s being called “high-sticking/slashing” on Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg. With the Devils set to face the Boston Bruins tonight, the department will likely act swiftly in their punishment of Gabriel following his hearing, while they can take more time with the Lowry decision as the Jets are off today.

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.

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.

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