sport-scan daily brief

Transcription

SPORT-SCAN
DAILY BRIEF
NHL 3/6/2014
Anaheim Ducks 730609
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First no deal, then no win for the Ducks Ducks strike out in deadline hunt for Kesler Ducks' offer for Kesler not enough to persuade Canucks Unkind bounce proves costly for Ducks in shootout Ducks fall in a shootout after GM Murray can’t pull off
another deal Boston Bruins 730614
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Bruins acquire Andrej Meszaros Reports: Bruins trade for defenseman Andrej Meszaros Bruins claim D Corey Potter Loui Eriksson misses practice Bruins shut down Adam McQuaid for 2-3 weeks From shallow pool, Bruins get depth Bruins obtain D Andrej Meszaros from Flyers Adam McQuaid shut down 2-3 weeks Bruins trade for D Andrej Meszaros Bruins claim Corey Potter off waivers Meszaros can skip introductions Bruins no Hab-nots On surface, B’s do little Buffalo Sabres 730627
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Three ex-Sabres parachute into playoff races Sabres notebook: Game prep takes a back seat to roster
moves Conacher heads ‘home’ to Buffalo after pick from waiver wire Sabres continue extreme makeover Murray’s trade day intensity is refreshing Sabres make multiple deals, including trading Moulson to
Minnesota Friends and family excited by Conacher signing with Sabres Source: Sabres send Moulson, McCormick to Wild for picks,
Mitchell Conacher claimed by Sabres Sabres acquire Fasching, Deslauriers from Kings for
McNabb, Parker, two second-round picks After four moves on deadline day, Sabres' Murray can't wait
to keep building at NHL draft Fasching becomes an 'asset' in NHL trade day Sabres send Halak, third-round pick to Washington for
Neuvirth, Klesla Players glued to TV and phones too Sabres' Fasching turning up the offense with University of
Minnesota Seems like a normal day of practice -- even if it's not Bucky Gleason: Sabres' best and worst deadline-day deals Lightning sends St. Louis to Rangers for Callahan, first- and
second-round pick History of Sabres' deals at or near the trade deadline Lightning's Stamkos will return from injury against Sabres Sabres looking at 'couple names' on waiver wire, getting
calls on 25 percent of roster Miller wins home debut; Sabres fan posts tribute video Calgary Flames 730649
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Flames forward Lee Stempniak headed to Pittsburgh Flames lineup for tonight's game is sketchy Youth takes centre stage and doesn't disappoint in Flames'
4-1 win over Senators Johnson: Biggest NHL trade deadline news for Flames was
who stayed put — Mike Cammalleri Flames land draft picks in shipping out Stempniak, Berra on
NHL trade deadline day Former Calgary Flames GM Jay Feaster talks trades on TSN Two shrewd moves ease blow from epic fail of not trading
Michael Cammalleri Calgary Flames Snapshots: Corban Knight's debut in
trade-deadline's shadow Rebuilding Flames come out firing against Senators Carolina Hurricanes 730658
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Canes trade Ruutu to Devils for Loktionov Peters recalled from Checkers Canes trade Ruutu to NJ Devils Chicago Blackhawks Blackhawks quiet at trade deadline David Rundblad to join Blackhawks' defensive rotation Thursday's matchup: Blue Jackets at Blackhawks Upset Blackhawks didn’t deal? Reflect on those two Cups
again Defenseman David Rundblad says Blackhawks suit his style Silence at deadline speaks volumes about Bowman’s faith in
Blackhawks Good time for Q to mix up Hawks lines No new moves as Hawks happy with team Post-deadline, Blackhawks’ Bowman likes his team Blackhawks feeling the pressure as postseason nears David Rundblad excited for opportunity with Blackhawks Blackhawks stand pat as NHL trade deadline ends Blackhawks will talk deals with Kane, Toews in due time Blackhawks Pulse: Recapping the NHL trade deadline April Rose previews new show 'Chicago Face Off' on CSN Did the Blues pass the Blackhawks after the trade deadline? Blackhawks trying to find consistency Colorado Avalanche 730678
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Reto Berra goes from Flames to Avs at deadline; Paul
Stastny stays put More from Avalanche exec Joe Sakic Avalanche not practicing on Trading Deadline Day, after all Reto Berra talks about being traded to Avalanche Columbus Blue Jackets 730682
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NHL: Blue Jackets send Gaborik to Kings; get defenseman
from Oilers Blue Jackets add depth at forward, defenseman Blue Jackets notebook: Umberger says rift with Kesler is
thing of the past Meet the new Jackets Bob Hunter commentary: Gaborik didn’t fit with Jackets, so
trade is best Blue Jackets, Blackhawks at a glance Jackets GM Kekalainen says Gaborik 'just didn't fit' Dallas Stars 730689
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FSSW to televise Stars' raising of Mike Modano's No. 9 to
the rafters on Saturday It's possible for Tim Thomas to overtake Kari Lehtonen as
Stars' No. 1 goalie down the stretch Need to know: Can Stars keep Canucks anemic offense
down in gutter? Stars GM Jim Nill: Panthers' trade for Roberto Luongo
opened up door for us to acquire Tim Thomas Florida Panthers goalie Tim Thomas traded to the Dallas
Stars Stars acquire goalie Tim Thomas from Florida 730714
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Detroit Red Wings Red Wings, Tigers owner Mike Ilitch, on health: 'I feel much
better now' Helene St. James: How a headache led the Red Wings to
bring David Legwand home Darren Helm out for Detroit Red Wings; Daniel Alfredsson
expected to play despite lost teeth Detroit Red Wings great Nicklas Lidstrom's top games,
moments and numbers Detroit Red Wings legend Nicklas Lidstrom to enjoy
'tremendous honor' of jersey retirement tonight What to know about Nicklas Lidstrom ceremony tonight at
Joe Louis Arena Wings shut down Pavel Datsyuk for 3-4 weeks; surgery not
in play yet Red Wings acquire David Legwand, deal Patrick Eaves On eve of Nicklas Lidstrom ceremony, Red Wings obtain
reinforcement at center David Legwand will help bolster Red Wings' decimated
center spot during playoff drive Red Wings, Tigers owner Mike Ilitch won't be on hand for
Nicklas Lidstrom number retirement Red Wings shut down Pavel Datsyuk for three weeks;
Darren Helm experiencing headaches Injury-riddled Red Wings acquire two-way center David
Legwand from Nashville Predators Detroit Red Wings fans: If team makes a trade, defenseman
should be the target Detroit Red Wings recall center Cory Emmerton from Grand
Rapids Red Wings' search for a top-four defenseman will continue
up until today's 3 p.m. trade deadline Loss of Datsyuk made move to add a top center necessary Red Wings add Legwand, a much needed center at deadline Edmonton Oilers 730713
Florida Panthers 730726
Edmonton Oilers GM Craig MacTavish talks with media
about NHL deadline day moves Oilers deal Ales Hemsky to Senators, Nick Schultz to Blue
Jackets (with video) Corey Potter takes a giant step, landing in Boston in waiver
pickup The buyers won out over the sellers in this trade deadline Ryan Smyth seriously thought he might be moved at trade
deadline Oilers welcome Szabados as ‘another player on the ice’
(with video) Ales Hemsky ‘ready for the challenge’ of moving to Ottawa
Senators (with video) Oilers’ greatest developmental depth on defence Short-handed Blue Jackets deal for defenceman Nick
Schultz Oilers Ales Hemsky gone for draft picks Oilers' GM eyes draft and beyond Olympic women's gold medallist Szabados in net for Oilers
practice Edmonton Oilers GM Craig MacTavish gave Nick Schultz
the heads up before Wednesday trade 6 LOUIE IS HOME: Roberto Luongo Returns to Florida
Panthers ... Cats Trade Tim Thomas, Marcel Goc Before
Deadlin WHEELING AND DEALING: Goc, Thomas Only Panthers to
Go on Deadline Day Florida Panthers’ Roberto Luongo knows he’s not dreaming Panthers trade Goc and will go with young centers for final
20 games In Panthers' goalie switch Roberto Luongo returns and Tim
Thomas departs Panthers send goalie Tim Thomas to Dallas and center
Marcel Goc to Penguins Los Angeles Kings 730732
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Kings make one of the few big deals on NHL trade deadline
day Kings add a potentially big piece in Marian Gaborik Kings acquire Gaborik from Columbus Kings acquire Marian Gaborik to bolster lackluster offense Bartosak signs ELC, continues record season with Red Deer Darryl Sutter on the Kings’ trade acquisitions Marian Gaborik a King Reports: Deslauriers, Fasching to Buffalo in McNabb trade Trade for Brayden McNabb “close” Reports: Gaborik linked to Kings Vey assigned to Manchester due to cap considerations Minnesota Wild 730743
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Wild gets Moulson, McCormick from Sabres for Mitchell,
picks Wild talking to the Buffalo Sabres about Drew Stafford Wild acquire Moulson, McCormick in dealing Mitchell, 2 draft
picks to Sabres A deeper look into the Wild's deadline-day trades Wild adds goals and grit in trade for Buffalo's Moulson What you think, what we think about local teams' playoff
hopes The Wild's new players Wild acquire winger Moulson, McCormick for Mitchell Wild GM sends his team a message: 'We want to win right
now' Montreal Canadiens 730752
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Habs prospect Tim Bozon in critical condition with meningitis Duhatschek: On this deadline day, the buyers won Canadiens acquire Thomas Vanek from Islanders Canadiens acquire goaltender Devan Dubnyk from Preds for
future considerations Habs Game Report: Canadiens edge Ducks 4-3 in SO Koivu still playing key role with Ducks Habs prospect Bozon in critical condition with meningitis Vanek deal goes down to the wire About last night … Nashville Predators 730761
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Nashville Predators trade David Legwand to Detroit Red
Wings Predators trade goalie Dubnyk to Canadiens Western Conference power rankings Preview: Nashville Predators vs. St. Louis Blues Josh Cooper's hat trick Fight earns Wilson some rink cred New Jersey Devils 730767
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NHL trade deadline: Devils decide to keep Martin Brodeur
rather than deal goalie Devils players loved seeing fans salute Martin Brodeur again
and again Was Martin Brodeur's departure from the Devils just delayed
a few months? Devils' Lou Lamoriello fired up about adding Tuomo Ruutu;
Here's Q&A Lou Lamoriello admits it was a 'rough week' after Devils can't
pull off a deal for Martin Brodeur Politi: Martin Brodeur as Devils GM? As trade deadline
passes, he should chase a new path in the organization NHL trade deadline: Devils fill need by adding scorer, but
Tuomo Ruutu struggling Devils acquire Tuomo Ruutu from Hurricanes for Andrei
Loktionov NHL trade deadline: Devils' Cory Schneider wonders if he'll
be the goalie who ends Martin Brodeur's run in New NHL trade deadline: Martin Brodeur attends team meeting,
skips Devils' optional practice With Devils waiting to hear about Martin Brodeur's fate, Pete
DeBoer calls it an unsettling day NHL trade deadline: If Devils trade Martin Brodeur, where's
he going? Former Devils to play charity game tonight for injured
Monroe High School hockey player NHL trade deadline: Martin Brodeur reportedly gave Lou
Lamoriello long list of teams for deal Will Martin Brodeur's Devils career end now, or this
summer? Devils legends play in charity game for injured Monroe
hockey player Mikey Nichols Brodeur remains Devil as trade deadline passes; Canes
retained some salary in Ruutu deal Devils’ Schneider has been in this situation before; Still quiet
on Brodeur trade front Devils acquire Ruutu for Loktionov., conditional 3rd round
pick; All quiet on Brodeur front Optional practice for Devils today; No surprise Brodeur is not
participating It’s deadline day: Will Brodeur be traded? Will Lamoriello be
able to acquire scoring help? Devils like “in your face” dimension Tuomo Ruutu brings, but
will he help them score more? Keeping Brodeur was best move Lou could make After NHL trade deadline, Martin Brodeur remains with
Devils Martin Brodeur staying put as Devils nix deal Brodeur wins possible finale as Devil Martin Brodeur plays it straight as trade rumors swirl New York Islanders 730794
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Islanders Deal Vanek at N.H.L. Trade Deadline, but Devils
Keep Brodeur Grabner's Goal Lives Isles, 3-2 Over Jets Islanders trade Thomas Vanek to Canadiens at deadline Isles' Thomas Vanek traded to Canadiens Thomas Vanek trade falls short of expectations New York Rangers 730799
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NY Rangers dealing Ryan Callahan means loss of leading
man Rangers, Lightning Swap Captains on Deadline Day Rangers Trade Callahan and Are Dealt a Defeat NY Rangers trade captain Ryan Callahan and draft picks to
the Tampa Bay Lightning for Martin St. Louis NHL 2014 Trade Deadline Tracker: Follow the latest on
Rangers' Ryan Callahan, Devils' Martin Brodeur, Canucks' The highlights of Martin St. Louis’ career Lundqvist gets nod in Rangers goal Rangers trade Ryan Callahan to Lightning for Martin St.
Louis Sway for St. Louis will sting without Cup win now Rangers come up short against Maple Leafs No Rangers’ captain for rest of the season Sather and Vigneault on St. Louis for Callahan Diaz acquired from Canucks; Miller re-assigned Callahan expresses ‘shock’ over deal Lundqvist will start tonight vs. Maple Leafs Yzerman says he honored St. Louis’ trade request Captain for captain, Callahan for St. Louis Trade deadline day finally here Leafs 3, Rangers 2 (OT): Wrapping up (a long day) Rangers notes: Defenseman Diaz acquired from Canucks Rangers trade Ryan Callahan for Martin St. Louis In Martin St. Louis' debut, Rangers lose to Leafs in OT Maple Leaves at Rangers … It’s Go Time! Official announcement of the Callahan-St. Louis trade Rangers-Maple Leaves in review Maple Leaves 3, Rangers 2 (OT) … post-game notes &
quotes Ottawa Senators 730825
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Senators land Hemsky, re-sign Phillips Scanlan: Hemsky move shows Senators are believers Leafs general manager Dave Nonis says cost of deadline
day deals not worth it Conacher goes from afterthought to top six role in 24 hours Heat is on after Senators fall to Flames With new deal signed, Phillips eyes Senators franchise
record Ales Hemsky expected to be top 6 forward Ottawa Senators
have been looking for Ottawa Senators ink two-year extension with veteran
defenceman Chris Phillips Cory Conacher excited to join Buffalo Sabres Hemsky's days in Edmonton done: He's now a Senator Calgary Flames knock off Ottawa Senators 4-1 Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray still believes team can
make playoffs Philadelphia Flyers 730837
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Phoenix Coyotes 730924
What to expect from Martin Erat Martin Erat arrives with Phoenix Coyotes hoping to spark a
playoff run Is addition of left wing Martin Erat enough to help Phoenix
Coyotes? Coyotes' trade deadline pursuits offer glimpse of future Pittsburgh Penguins 730865
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San Jose Sharks let trade deadline pass without major deal Several Sharks glad trade deadline in rearview mirror Wilson: Sharks earned their chance to stay together Kurz: Don't be surprised if Sharks are quiet at trade deadline Crosby, Penguins searching for rare win in San Jose Blues have fun while it lasted, head back out on road Hockey Guy: Blues spark goalie swap-o-rama Blues at Predators Miller is going to have to get used to facing fewer shots Marty St. Louis writes letter to Lightning fans Bolts’ Stamkos cleared, will return Thursday Callahan brings something new to Bolts Fennelly: St. Louis story has bad end St. Louis era ends: A look back Fan reaction mixed to St. Louis’ departure Marty St. Louis career timeline New Yorkers react to the Marty St. Louis-Ryan Callahan
trade Marty St. Louis era draws to a sad ending Lightning trades captain Marty St. Louis to Rangers Lightning's Stamkos cleared to play Thursday against
Sabres Marty St. Louis scoreless in Rangers debut Reaction to Lightning trading Marty St. Louis to Rangers Marty St. Louis' letter to Lightning fans Maple Leafs: Jonathan Bernier to start, Martin St. Louis to
join Rangers Martin St. Louis dealt to Rangers in blockbuster NHL trade,
expected to face Maple Leafs tonight Leafs GM eyes off-season moves after trade deadline dud:
Feschuk Despite themselves, Maple Leafs edge Rangers in OT Leafs call up Peter Holland and Carter Ashton Maple Leafs coach Carlyle no fan of deadline-day games Maple Leafs won't have easy time on road to playoffs Leafs' Kadri, Lupul and Clarkson need to step up Tyler Bozak scores two as Maple Leafs beat Rangers No help on the way for Leafs, it's all on them now Maple Leafs unwilling to try ‘to keep up with the Joneses’ at
trade deadline Tyler Bozak plays hero as Maple Leafs stop Rangers in
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Penguins fail to land star Kesler Starkey: Penguins stars on the spot Stempniak, Goc embrace trades to Penguins Penguins make two moves for depth as trade deadline
passes Penguins players recall awful games in San Jose Ron Cook: Stars here already hold playoff keys for Penguins St Louis Blues 730876
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Toronto Maple Leafs MacDonald happy to be a Flyer, 'open' to signing here Meszaros traded to Boston Flyers Notes: Flyers deal 'good soldier' Meszaros to Bruins MacDonald makes Flyers debut Giroux: Caps killer for Flyers Flyers mapping out the final stretch Giroux carries Flyers past Capitals Flyers send Meszaros to Boston for draft pick MacDonald lauded as true team player Flyers hold off Capitals' rally MacDonald ‘excited' to be joining Flyers MacDonald happy to assist in Flyers' win Flyers jump out early, then hang on to win McCaffery: Flyers have earned their general manager's trust Flyers trade Andrej Meszaros to Bruins for pick Not for rent: Flyers intend to re-sign MacDonald Before trade, MacDonald had caught a Flyer's eye Flyers-Capitals: 5 things you need to know Giroux, Voracek carry Flyers to win over Capitals Flyers, Capitals engage in another line brawl Flyers, MacDonald want to make extension work Flyers' core 'earned the right to stick together' Hot top line helps Flyers survive late surge by Caps Giroux, Voracek help Flyers hang on to beat Caps Anatomy of the Canucks’ Roberto Luongo trade to Florida Roberto Luongo’s agent took charge in facilitating trade out
of Vancouver Canucks refused to yield on inferior offers for Ryan Kesler Gallagher: It’s hard to make moves when you’re hog-tied by
players Trade to Canucks is 'the best thing that could happen' to me,
says Markstrom Palm trees for Luongo, umbrella for Kesler (with video) Ryan Kesler acting like a winner after trade window closes Van Provies: Deadline day special and still shocked at
Kesler offer No deal for Ryan Kesler; centre stays put with Canucks Rosterology: A forensic look at the Canucks roster as they
make a desperate push for the post-season Willes: Ryan Kesler's non-trade was anything but clear-cut Ryan Kesler still with Canucks as trade deadline passes Washington Capitals 730906
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Capitals acquire goaltender Jaroslav Halak, send Michal
Neuvirth to Sabres NHL trade deadline: Martin St. Louis to Rangers for Ryan
Callahan, picks NHL trade deadline: Dustin Penner a steal for Caps Capitals ‘sleeping’ against Flyers Ovechkin tops the NHL with 43 goals, and Nicklas
Backstrom is third with 48 assists. But Washington’s defense Giroux, Voracek lead Flyers past Capitals, 6-4 Websites 730932
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2014 730948
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ESPN / Not everyone's a winner at deadline ESPN / How about those Canadiens getting Vanek? ESPN / Kings won't be much better with Gaborik ESPN / Yzerman made most of bad situation ESPN / Ryan Kesler's staying put has domino effect ESPN / Canadiens acquire Thomas Vanek FOXSports.com / Kings GM backs acquisition of Marian
Gaborik FOXSports.com / Surging Kings busy at trade deadline FOXSports.com / Ducks see limited action at trade deadline FOXSports.com / Kings acquire Marian Gaborik for Matt
Frattin, two draft picks CNN/Sports Illustrated / Flyers and Capitals rack up 56
penalty minutes in first period line brawl CNN/Sports Illustrated / Red Wings shut down Pavel
Datsyuk for at least three weeks CNN/Sports Illustrated / Canadian Women’s Team Goalie
Practices with Edmonton Oilers CNN/Sports Illustrated / Steve Yzerman pays price, trades
Martin St. Louis to New York Rangers CNN/Sports Illustrated / Top Line: Roberto Luongo trade
fallout; Ryan Callahan deadline drama; more CNN/Sports Illustrated / Blogging NHL trade deadline day
USA TODAY / 10 most improved teams after NHL trade
deadline USA TODAY / Lightning make best of messy Martin St.
Louis situation USA TODAY / NHL trade deadline: Vanek, St. Louis,
Gaborik move Wall Street Journal / Rangers, Lightning Swap Captains YAHOO SPORTS / 2014 NHL Trade Deadline: Winners &
Losers YAHOO SPORTS / Traded back to Panthers: Roberto
Luongo returns to Florida sunshine as sorry Canucks saga
final YAHOO SPORTS / 2014 NHL Trade Deadline: Top 10 GMs
to watch Winnipeg Jets 730912
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Jets extend Mark Stuart's contract for $10.5M over 4 years Scheifele out for several weeks with knee injury Time wasn't right for Chevy to deal high-end prospects Scheifele injury jolts Jets Sticking to the game plan A history of silence Tonight: KINGS @ JETS Jets rookie Scheifele out six to eight weeks
SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129
730609
Anaheim Ducks
First no deal, then no win for the Ducks
By Lance Pugmire
March 5, 2014, 11:28 p.m.
Ducks forward Daniel Winnik then beat Tokarski for the lead with 1:39 left in
the second.
The Ducks outshot Montreal 19-9 in the second, but the Canadiens evened
the score again by sending a herd of players around Hiller, and Montreal
forward Brendan Gallagher banged a shot in the net with 36 seconds
remaining.
Wednesday's trade talks were most involved with the Vancouver Canucks for
center Ryan Kesler (21 goals, 18 assists).
Hiller said the team appreciates being left intact.
Kyle Palmieri didn't get the bounce he needed in the Ducks' 4-3 shootout loss
to the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night, but the vote of confidence
he and the Ducks received earlier in the afternoon could prove to have more
impact.
Palmieri, the Ducks forward whose name circulated in trade rumors
throughout the week, wasn't offered in any trade-deadline negotiations
Wednesday as General Manager Bob Murray failed to acquire a major NHL
player for whom many speculated he was angling.
Murray explained afterward he restricted his offers to the Ducks' two
first-round and two second-round draft picks this summer, their two top picks
in 2015 and prospects, refusing to put anyone on the NHL-leading Ducks'
roster on the market.
Ducks GM Bob Murray puzzled by resistance of trade partners Ducks
GM Bob Murray puzzled by resistance of trade partners
Kings make one of the few big deals on NHL trade deadline day Kings
make one of the few big deals on NHL trade deadline day
Kyle Palmieri hangs in balance, remains a Duck Kyle Palmieri hangs in
balance, remains a Duck
Ducks get Stephane Robidas, trade Dustin Penner and Viktor Fasth
Ducks get Stephane Robidas, trade Dustin Penner and Viktor Fasth
BOX SCORE: Canadiens 4, Ducks 3 (SO)
Murray said he was left “confused” by the unwillingness teams showed in
pulling the trigger a day after he acquired defenseman Stephane Robidas
from Dallas, trading forward Dustin Penner and goalie Viktor Fasth (for two
draft picks).
“Every one of those picks was put in play and I failed to get anything done,”
Murray said. “But I wasn't going to — and did not — offer any player off this
roster, because I strongly believe this team is good enough.”
Palmieri, in his first game since being promoted to the first line alongside
stars Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, basked in the vote of confidence, taking
six shots in regulation.
The 23-year-old said he had a “positive” feeling he'd remain a Duck after
talking to Murray earlier in the week.
In the shootout, he ripped an attempt that appeared to beat Montreal goalie
Dustin Tokarski until a review showed the puck hit both posts and never fully
crossed the goal line.
“I saw it go off the post and head to the net,” Palmieri said. “I looked back ... It
didn't go in, not much you can do about it. If the puck hits the ice at a different
angle, it might roll in.”
Instead of the Ducks taking a lead in the shootout, the Canadiens won in the
sixth round when Andrei Markov whipped a shot past Ducks goalie Jonas
Hiller.
The Ducks (43-14-6) overcame a 2-0 deficit to briefly lead in the second
period.
First, forward Tim Jackman poked in a long-distance shot by defenseman
Luca Sbisa.
Defenseman Francois Beauchemin then launched the puck from the
defensive end off the glass.
Tokarski vacated the net to gather where he expected the puck to slide.
Instead, it careened off the glass where a metal support was positioned and
bounced into the net to tie the score.
Hiller had an assist on the goal.
“If you're at the top of the standings, you're doing something right,” Hiller said.
“It's a group that's found a way to be successful for a long period of time.”
LA Times: LOADED: 03.06.2014
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Anaheim Ducks
Left wing Dustin Penner was also traded to Washington on Tuesday, which
helped the Ducks obtain defenseman Stephane Robidas from Dallas and
open up a spot on the top line.
Ducks strike out in deadline hunt for Kesler
Palmieri will now be the first in line to fill it as he'll skate with Ryan Getzlaf and
Corey Perry in Wednesday night's game against Montreal.
March 5th, 2014, 1:15 pm ·
Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.06.2014
· posted by ERIC STEPHENS
ANAHEIM - There won't be a Ducks sweater prepared for Ryan Kesler after
all.
Nor will there be one reserved for Thomas Vanek, Matt Moulson or any of the
other big targets on the NHL trade market as the deadline passed
Wednesday with the Ducks staying as now comprised for their chase at a
second Stanley Cup.
Of the notable forwards still available, Kesler was the one the Ducks coveted
most and they were in serious discussions with Vancouver to land the gritty
scoring center. Pittsburgh was also in the chase until the end, with
Philadelphia and Detroit pulling out.
Kesler, who leads the Canucks with 21 goals, would have been desirable for
the Ducks because of his hard style of play and that he offers some cost
certainty as he is under contract for two more seasons at $5 million each.
The Canucks ultimately opted to hang on to Kesler -- perhaps to wait until the
June draft to deal him then -- and the Ducks' dream of having him create a
1-2 punch with Ryan Getzlaf in the middle soon dissipated.
Vancouver general manager Mike Gillis, who met with reporters on a golf
course, said in a television interview that he was taking offers up until the
noon PT deadline and that none of them met the club's long-term vision.
"I said yesterday that our team has underperformed," Gillis said. "When
you're in a situation where your team is underperforming, you get more calls
from all kinds of different people trying to explore all kinds of different
situations. That's the way the business works.
"When we were in the position where we were achieving and living up to the
expectations we had for the club, we were doing the same thing, trying to get
players from teams that were vulnerable. We knew that was going to happen
today."
Gillis also said that he knew he would be busy fielding calls with the Canucks
currently out of a playoff spot and Kesler available given that he had
reportedly asked for a trade out of Vancouver, something he and his agent,
Kurt Overhardt, lated denied.
The Ducks did not want to deal from their current roster but seemed to be
willing to meet Vancouver's asking price of a young center, another solid
forward prospect and a 2014 first-round pick.
"We were very cautious because of that," Gillis said. "And if it wasn’t going to
fit with our long-range plans about how to build this team back to the level
that we would expect, we weren't going to do it.
"We didn’t get anything today that we thought we could do that would do
that."
The Ducks also took a look at adding scoring on the wing with Vanek and
Moulson, who were traded for each other earlier this season. The Islanders
dealt Vanek to Montreal and Buffalo sent Moulson to Minnesota.
Vanek cost the the Canadiens a conditional second-round pick and prospect
Sebastian Collberg while Moulson cost the Wild fourth-line forward Torrey
Mitchell and second-round picks in 2014 and 2016.
Another center possibility that emerged Wednesday was Nashville's David
Legwand, but the Predators sent him to former Central Division rival Detroit,
who's now in the Eastern Conference.
Legward's acqusition by the Red Wings is more notable as they announced
that star center Pavel Datsyuk will be out for three weeks due to a leg injury.
Detroit sent Nashville forward Patrick Eaves, prospect Calle Jarnkrok and a
third-round pick which will turn into a second if Detroit makes the playoffs.
The Ducks seemingly had the pieces in place to pull of a major deal, with
young forwards such as Kyle Palmieri, Emerson Etem, Rickard Rakell and
defenseman Sami Vatanen as coveted assets. They also have two
first-round picks and two second-round selections this year.
730611
Anaheim Ducks
Ducks' offer for Kesler not enough to persuade Canucks
Parros was a fan favorite in his six seasons with the Ducks and was part of
the 2007 Stanley Cup team. …
Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen will be re-evaluated by team doctors in
Anaheim after getting hurt while playing for Norfolk (AHL).
BY ERIC STEPHENS / STAFF WRITER
Published: March 5, 2014 Updated: 10:55 p.m.
ANAHEIM – There won't be a Ducks sweater prepared for Ryan Kesler after
all.
The NHL trade deadline passed Wednesday and Ducks general manager
Bob Murray didn’t get that game-changing player who was in his sights. And
Murray was left to lick some wounds on an ultimately quiet end to a
productive week.
“I thought we were going down the right track for most of the day,” Murray
said. “We were trying to accomplish something. It obviously didn’t get done.”
Of the big names still available, Kesler was the one the Ducks coveted most
and they were in serious discussions with Vancouver to land the gritty
scoring center. Pittsburgh was also in the chase until the end, with
Philadelphia and Detroit pulling out earlier.
Kesler, who leads the Canucks with 21 goals, would have been desirable for
the Ducks because of his hard style of play and because he offers cost
certainty as he is under contract for two more seasons at $5 million each.
The Canucks ultimately opted to hang on to Kesler – perhaps to wait until the
June draft to deal him – and the Ducks' dream of having him create a 1-2
punch with Ryan Getzlaf in the middle soon evaporated.
Murray said he “put into play” any of the six picks he has in the first two
rounds for the next two drafts. Four of those are this year, with the Ducks
having two selections in the first round as prime trading chips.
Some of the Ducks’ top young forward prospects – presumably Emerson
Etem and Rickard Rakell among them – were on the table. Vancouver
wanted a roster player to replace Kesler and Murray wasn’t going there.
“Failed to get anything done,” Murray said. “But in saying that, I wasn’t going
to and did not offer any player off this roster. I strongly believe, and I can’t say
it enough, that this team is good enough.
“But you’re always trying to make a hockey trade. If a hockey trade is there,
you try to make it. I just didn’t make a hockey trade today.”
Canucks general manager Mike Gillis told Vancouver-area reporters he got
proposals from multiple teams up until the noon deadline, but said none fit
their long-range plans.
“We didn’t get anything today that we thought would do that,” Gillis said.
Murray said he was left “confused” that his offers weren’t enough for Kesler,
who reportedly wanted to be moved.
The Ducks also took a look at scoring wingers Thomas Vanek and Matt
Moulson, but Vanek went to Montreal and Moulson to Minnesota. Kesler was
their clear target, with center David Legwand a possibility. Nashville dealt him
to Detroit.
And now Murray’s NHL-best team will make its chase at a second Stanley
Cup with how it is now comprised. His big get wound up being tough
defenseman Stephane Robidas, who’ll join them Thursday but is still on the
mend from a broken leg.
“Our group had a chance yesterday to get things done and we got them
done,” Murray said. “Again, I can’t state enough that they’ve already proven
they don’t need any help. They’ve proven they can play.
“There were some things that could have taken place that could have upset
the apple cart and we weren’t going to do that.”
NOTES
Teemu Selanne was a late scratch because of flu-like symptoms. They’re
already without center Mathieu Perreault (upper body), who was put on
injured reserve and will miss Friday’s game against Pittsburgh. …
Montreal enforcer George Parros received a standing ovation in his first
game at Honda Center since the Ducks left him walk as a free agent in 2012.
730612
Anaheim Ducks
Unkind bounce proves costly for Ducks in shootout
BY ERIC STEPHENS / STAFF WRITER
Published: March 5, 2014 Updated: 11:06 p.m.
ANAHEIM – The quick, hard wrist shot blew past the goalie and Ducks
winger Kyle Palmieri skated away in seeming triumph, the sellout crowd at
Honda Center thinking another win was at hand.
Ah, but hockey can also be a game of inches.
Palmieri’s apparent shootout goal to give the Ducks the edge never went in
the net. Andrei Markov’s did and the Montreal Canadiens emerged victorious
with a 4-3 decision Wednesday night.
Markov beat Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller cleanly with a shot after Montreal
netminder Dustin Tokarski got a reprieve when Palmieri's try was waved off
after a lengthy video review.
Replays showed the puck hitting one post, shooting along the goal line and
ricocheting off the other post but never crossing the red stripe.
“I saw it go off the post and head towards the net,” Palmieri said. “By the time
it was bouncing off, I didn’t even see it hit the other post. I was already in the
corner. I looked back and the ref called it a goal.
“Obviously when they went to review it, it didn’t go in. Not much you can do
about it.”
The Ducks (43-14-6) still gained a point despite losing in their first shootout
since Dec. 6 in Chicago. Hiller made 28 saves but Tokarski outdid his
counterpart in making 39 stops to win his first start with the Canadiens.
Tim Jackman, Francois Beauchemin and Daniel Winnik scored
consecutively in the Ducks' second-period rally after Montreal grabbed a 2-0
lead on scores by Brian Gionta and Max Pacioretty in the first.
“They took it to us in the first period,” Palmieri said. “I think the last 40
minutes, we played pretty well.”
Beauchemin scored an unusual goal when he tried to dump the puck in along
the boards. It took a weird bounce and angled right toward a net vacated by
Tokarski, who went to play a puck behind the net that never got to him.
It was Tokarski’s first NHL game since March 19, 2012, against Buffalo while
playing for Tampa Bay.
730613
Anaheim Ducks
Ducks fall in a shootout after GM Murray can’t pull off another deal
By Elliott Teaford, Daily Breeze
Posted: 03/05/14, 11:01 PM PST | Updated: 14 secs ago
The NHL’s trade deadline came and went Wednesday, but Ducks general
manager Bob Murray couldn’t pull off a second significant deal to bolster the
team’s roster for the stretch run and beyond. Murray pursued Vancouver
center Ryan Kesler all morning, but came up empty.
In the end, the Canucks held onto Kesler, frustrating Murray and Pittsburgh
Penguins counterpart Ray Shero, who also was in the chase. Hours later,
Murray met with reporters and seemed content to have acquired
defenseman Stephane Robidas from the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
“They’ve proven they don’t need any help,” Murray said of the Ducks before
they lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Montreal Canadiens at the Honda Center.
“They’ve proven they can play. There are a lot of good, young players who
are going to get a chance to continue growing. ...
“I’m comfortable. I felt really comfortable after (Tuesday’s trade for Robidas).
... This group has managed to do things, so we’ve left it in their hands.
They’ve done pretty well so far. Again, I have total faith in that group in there.”
The Ducks then went out and tested that faith with a clunker of a first period
against the Canadiens. The Ducks rallied for a 3-3 tie after regulation play
plus a five-minute overtime thanks to second-period goals from Tim
Jackman, Francois Beauchemin and Daniel Winnik.
Montreal won the shootout 3-2 on Andrei Markov’s goal after Kyle Palmieri’s
apparent strike was overturned by a lengthy video review in Toronto.
Palmieri’s shot beat Canadiens goaltender Dustin Tokarski and struck the
right post. The puck then danced along the goal line before hitting the left
post. It never crossed the goal line entirely, however.
“The puck hits the ice at a different angle and it might roll in,” Palmieri said.
The game was not won or lost in the shootout, according to Ducks coach
Bruce Boudreau.
“I think the first 10 minutes everybody was still thinking about every trade that
went on today,” Boudreau said after the Ducks gained their league-leading
92nd point of the season. “They weren’t preparing the proper way. We had to
battle in the second and third (periods) just to stay in it.”
The Ducks played without right wing Teemu Selanne, who was sidelined by
an illness, and center Mathieu Perreault, who sat out a second consecutive
game because of an upper-body injury suffered during the Ducks’ victory
Friday over the St. Louis Blues.
Montreal’s George Parros, a member of the Ducks’ 2006-07 Stanley Cup
championship team, received a standing ovation from the fans when his
tenure with the team was highlighted in a scoreboard video presentation
during a television timeout in the first period.
“I live out here in the summer and it’s always nice to come back to the warm
weather,” Parros said. “I had this game marked on the calendar. It was
definitely a highly-anticipated game. (Memories) are fresh. I spent most of my
career here. It’s always good to come back and see familiar faces.”
LA Daily News: LOADED: 03.06.2014
730614
Boston Bruins
Bruins acquire Andrej Meszaros
Posted by Amalie Benjamin March 5, 2014 02:09 PM
By Amalie Benjamin, Globe Staff
While it might not be a big splash of a deal, the Bruins have made a second
move before the trade deadline, picking up Philadelphia defenseman Andrej
Meszaros for a third-round pick, the team confirmed.
The 28-year-old does fit the Bruins' biggest need, a left-shot defender with an
expiring contract. He can play both sides, like Dennis Seidenberg, but is not
nearly the same player as the injured Bruin. It is not certain that Meszaros
would unseat Matt Bartkowski for playing time on the left side of the second
pairing.
Meszaros stats
Meszaros is 6-foot-2, 223 pounds, and has played in 38 games for the Flyers
this season, averaging 17:22 of ice time, though he has been a healthy
scratch at times for the Flyers. He has five goals and 12 assists this season.
He carries a $4 million cap hit.
Meszaros joins Corey Potter as the Bruins' trade deadline pickups. Potter is a
right-shot depth pickup, while Meszaros is a better player whom general
manager Peter Chiarelli has familiarity with from his days in Ottawa.
He has also been a defensive partner of Zdeno Chara's, both back in Ottawa
and at the Olympics with Slovakia.
Boston Globe LOADED: 03.06.2014
730615
Boston Bruins
Reports: Bruins trade for defenseman Andrej Meszaros
By Amalie Benjamin / Goobe Staff / March 5, 2014
While it might not be a big splash of a deal, the Bruins have made a second
move before the trade deadline, picking up Philadelphia defenseman Andrej
Meszaros for a third-round pick, according to multiple reports.
The 28-year-old does fit the Bruins’ biggest need, a left-shot defender with an
expiring contract. He can play both sides, like Dennis Seidenberg, but is not
nearly the same player as the injured Bruin.
It is not certain that Meszaros would unseat Matt Bartkowski for playing time
on the left side of the second pairing.
Meszaros is 6-foot-2, 223 pounds, and has played in 38 games for the Flyers
this season, averaging 17:22 of ice time, though he has been a healthy
scratch at times for the Flyers. He has five goals and 12 assists this season.
He carries a $4 million cap hit.
Meszaros joins Corey Potter as the Bruins’ trade deadline pickups. Potter is a
right-shot depth pickup, while Meszaros is a better player whom general
manager Peter Chiarelli has familiarity with from his days in Ottawa. He has
also been a defensive partner of Zdeno Chara’s, both back in Ottawa and at
the Olympics with Slovakia.
He was a first-round draft pick of the Ottawa Senators in the 2004 draft, No.
23 overall.
730616
Boston Bruins
Bruins claim D Corey Potter
In their first move of the trade deadline period, the Bruins claimed
defenseman Corey Potter off waivers. The 6-foot-3-inch, 206-pounder has
played in 16 games for Edmonton this season, with five assists, averaging
14:47 of ice time.
Potter, 30, doesn't fill the Bruins' biggest need, but he fits as a depth signing
for a team that has little NHL defensive depth in the wake of injuries to Dennis
Seidenberg and Adam McQuaid. (McQuaid, for the record, has been off ice
since Jan. 19, though his status for the rest of the season is unclear.)
Backup goaltender Chad Johnson played with Potter in Hartford of the AHL
back in 2009-10, and offered his scouting report.
"He was just a real steady D man," Johnson said. "He just had a presence
back there. At least in the minors, he was just calm, made really simple plays.
He isn’t a guy who’s going to make bad decisions. He’s just real steady. He’ll
fit in perfect with the D corps here."
730617
Boston Bruins
Loui Eriksson misses practice
WILMINGTON -- Loui Eriksson was absent from Bruins practice Wednesday
afternoon, a day after he missed the game against the Panthers.
Coach Claude Julien said the forward's absence was simply related to the
"minor issue" that kept Eriksson out Tuesday, and it would not keep him out
on Thursday, when the Bruins play the Capitals. A team source called it a
"minor ailment."
Eriksson was at Ristuccia Arena, though he did not take the ice.
The only other player missing from practice was Adam McQuaid. The status
of his groin injury is still unclear at this point.
730618
Boston Bruins
Bruins shut down Adam McQuaid for 2-3 weeks
By Amalie Benjamin
| Globe Staff
March 06, 2014
Part of the reason the Bruins needed to acquire defensive depth at the
trading deadline was the loss of Dennis Seidenberg for the year. Another part
was the uncertainty of Adam McQuaid’s status for the rest of the season, with
the defenseman having been off the ice since aggravating a quadriceps
injury Jan. 19.
McQuaid has not played since then. And word came Wednesday from
general manager Peter Chiarelli that he won’t be playing again in the near
future.
Chiarelli said McQuaid will be shut down for 2-3 weeks with his quad strain,
the Bruins taking a wait-and-see approach to what he’ll be able to give them
the rest of the season.
“I’m not sure what’s going to happen with Adam,” Chiarelli said. “We’re going
to shut him down for 2-3 weeks. His injury, while it keeps healing, he has
setbacks. We’re going to just give him rest, 2-3 weeks, and see where it is
after that.”
The GM would not speculate on what could happen after that period if the
injury does not heal.
“He’s got a quad strain, and he was really close — you’ve heard Claude
[Julien] say about him being like ready to go and stuff, and he had good
sessions over the Olympic break — he just re-aggravated it,” Chiarelli said.
“We had something similar with Jared Knight last year. We just basically shut
the player down for a couple weeks, and just rest, and he came around.
That’s what I would expect would happen.”
But with that far from guaranteed, it was important for the Bruins to find
healthy bodies on the defensive side. Kevan Miller has been filling in more
than adequately for McQuaid for much of the season, but the Bruins have not
been carrying an extra defenseman.
That will change Thursday, when the Bruins are expected to get the newly
acquired Andrej Meszaros and Corey Potter in town.
Nemesis joins Montreal
Montreal is never an easy opponent for the Bruins. Neither is Thomas Vanek.
Now, with the Canadiens acquiring the Islanders’ Vanek before the trade
deadline, the Bruins might just have a more difficult road through the playoffs.
Montreal, which sits second to Boston in the Atlantic Division, is a potential
second-round opponent.
“He’s always played well against us, and Montreal’s always a tough team,”
said Gregory Campbell. “It’s going to be a good challenge for us. He’s a good
player and with that offensively skilled team, he’ll fit in pretty well with them.
“Anywhere he goes, he’s going to challenge the opposition, so it’s just
another guy that we’re going to have to contend with. But that’s fine.”
Vanek has played 53 games against the Bruins, most as a member of the
Sabres, and has scored 30 goals (14 on the power play) and added 31
assists — more than a point-per-game average. He’s a plus-21 against
Boston. Those are the best numbers Vanek has against any opponent.
Meanwhile, Chiarelli said he was “in and out” on some of the bigger names
on the offensive front, though he did not pull the trigger on a trade for a
forward.
Heel ails Eriksson
The day after Loui Eriksson sat out a game against the Panthers, the forward
was again not on the ice with the team for practice at Ristuccia Arena, though
he was at the rink. His absence was due to a “very minor” heel injury,
Chiarelli said. “A little infection in the heel that got aggravated when you put
his heel in the boot,” said the GM. “So, no, we weren’t trading him. He was
just taking the heel out of the boot. He should be fine for [Thursday vs.
Washington].”
Split decision
Julien was at the Olympics with Martin St. Louis and Steve Yzerman on
Team Canada, and said he did not sense a rift between the two. But
Yzerman made the divorce final Wednesday, sending the Lightning captain
— whom he initially left off the Canada roster — to the Rangers in exchange
for their captain, Ryan Callahan . . . While a number of teams signed players
to extensions in the past day or two, leading up to the trade deadline,
Chiarelli said that wasn’t something the Bruins explored with any of their
players, including unrestricted free agents Jarome Iginla, Shawn Thornton,
and Chad Johnson. The Bruins also have Torey Krug, Reilly Smith, Matt
Bartkowski, and Jordan Caron as restricted free agents . . . With nine
defensemen (including McQuaid), Chiarelli said he wasn’t seriously looking
at any more additions.
730619
Boston Bruins
From shallow pool, Bruins get depth
By Fluto Shinzawa
| Globe Staff
March 06, 2014
The Bruins did not try to replace Dennis Seidenberg prior to Wednesday’s 3
p.m. trade deadline. To do so would have been a futile exercise.
Seidenberg is the Bruins’ No. 2 defenseman. He is a card-carrying member
of the second tier of importance on the team, right under Tuukka Rask,
Zdeno Chara, and Patrice Bergeron.
Seidenberg plays hard, in-your-face minutes. The left-shot defenseman
skated with Dougie Hamilton this season. He could have switched to the right
side and paired with Chara to create a shutdown tandem in the playoffs. That
option vanished when Seidenberg ripped up his right knee Dec. 27 against
Ottawa.
There was no such defenseman available to acquire. The Bruins preferred a
left-shot veteran. The best candidate fitting that profile was Andrew
MacDonald, one of their targets. But the Islanders accepted Philadelphia’s
package of a 2014 third-rounder, a 2015 second-round pick, and AHLer Matt
Mangene for MacDonald before allowing the Bruins to make a counter-offer.
To acquire a Seidenberg-like player, the Bruins would have had to send out
assets they wanted to keep, then reshuffle the roster to accommodate the
addition under the 2014-15 salary cap.
So for a conditional 2014 third-round pick (it could become a
second-rounder), they acquired Andrej Meszaros from Philadelphia.
Meszaros has his warts, but he was also the second-best defenseman within
the Bruins’ preferred profile to be traded, which does not reflect well on the
pool of available targets.
Meszaros is a JV version of Seidenberg. The 6-foot-2-inch, 223-pound
Meszaros, like Seidenberg, is a left shot who can play the right side.
The Bruins have a history with Meszaros. General manager Peter Chiarelli
was an assistant in Ottawa when Meszaros was paired with Chara there.
Meszaros is the ninth former Senator who played for Chiarelli in Ottawa to
become a Bruin. Others are Chara, Chris Kelly, Wade Redden, Shane Hnidy,
Brian McGrattan, Peter Schaefer, Patrick Eaves, and Brandon Bochenski.
Meszaros gives the coaching staff options. He could be reunited with Chara
on the No. 1 pairing. This could set up Matt Bartkowski and Johnny Boychuk
on the No. 2 pairing. Torey Krug and Hamilton would be the No. 3 duo. Kevan
Miller would be the spare defenseman.
Or the coaches could introduce a competition between Meszaros and
Bartkowski as the left-side defenseman on the second pairing. Hamilton
would stay with Chara. Krug and Miller would be the third tandem. Either
Meszaros or Bartkowski would be the healthy scratch.
Meszaros has an injury history (shoulder, Achilles’, back). It shows in his
legs. Meszaros is an old 28.
“He’s been out of the lineup maybe through injuries,” Chiarelli said. “Because
of that, he’s a little behind as far as conditioning because of the injuries. He’s
been in and out of the lineup.
“He’s a strong player. He’s not a swift player, but he’s a strong skater. He
sees the ice well. He likes to push the puck. He likes to push the puck in the
defensive zone, the neutral zone, and the offensive zone.
“It’s an evolution of what I’ve seen over the years. I’ve watched him for a
number of years. For whatever reason — it’s probably because of the injuries
— he’s probably slowed down a little bit because he doesn’t get that proper
conditioning. His play has picked up as of late.”
There are reasons Meszaros is not guaranteed a spot on his new team.
Before acquiring MacDonald, the Flyers deployed Meszaros (5-12—17,
17:22 of ice time per game) alongside Luke Schenn on their third pairing.
Meszaros and Schenn did not see regular time against top opponents.
Meszaros became the No. 7 defenseman upon MacDonald’s arrival.
Meszaros had also been an occasional healthy scratch.
“Being healthy this year and not playing was really tough,” said Meszaros.
“Now I feel strong and I feel pretty good. I can skate pretty good and join the
rush.”
Also, Meszaros comes from a man-to-man defensive system. The Bruins
play a collapsing zone defense. The Boston defensemen play tight within the
dots and in front of the net. They chase only in tight quarters and when they
have support. Meszaros will have to learn not to roam as much in the
defensive zone.
The Bruins needed support in several areas. They wanted a defenseman to
give the blue line better balance for playoff matchups. They required a
veteran to take away some of Chara’s regular-season shifts. They sought
right-side help in case of injuries.
Meszaros will help address the first two concerns. Corey Potter, claimed off
waivers from Edmonton, is right-shot insurance. Potter, 30, was deemed not
good enough to play for the second-worst team in the league.
The Bruins will be satisfied if Potter never dresses.
It will mean Hamilton, Boychuk, Miller, and Adam McQuaid, the right-shot
defensemen above Potter on the depth chart, are playing well.
The Bruins’ approach underscored several realities. They were never going
to find a replacement for Seidenberg. Their offseason priorities of re-upping
Krug, Bartkowski, and Reilly Smith (restricted), along with figuring out what to
do with Jarome Iginla and Shawn Thornton (unrestricted), limited the market
to rentals.
And they like their club.
“I feel pretty good about our team,” Chiarelli said. “We’re first in the division.
We can certainly get better.
“This group has been through it before, so they know what to expect going
forward. It’s about getting them ready, getting the proper mentality in place,
getting the proper schemes in place, and peaking at the right times.
“It’s the same thing. It’s a challenge peaking at the right time. We face that
challenge again.”
730620
Boston Bruins
Bruins obtain D Andrej Meszaros from Flyers
By HOWARD ULMAN / AP Sports Writer / March 5, 2014
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Bruins added veteran depth to their young
defense corps by trading for Andrej Meszaros and obtaining Corey Potter on
waivers Wednesday.
The Bruins got Meszaros, 28, from the Philadelphia Flyers for a 2014
third-round draft choice that becomes a second-rounder if the Bruins reach
the Eastern Conference finals and he plays in two-thirds of their playoff
games. They claimed Potter, 30, from the Edmonton Oilers.
Both have been frequent healthy scratches this season but bring experience
to a group of defensemen that includes four players who have been in fewer
than 90 NHL games.
‘‘We acquired these two players for depth,’’ Bruins general manager Peter
Chiarelli said, ‘‘and when I say for depth, I just want to be clear, it doesn’t
mean that they’re just reserves. It means I look at our defensive corps as a
whole, and we’re just bolstering that corps and we've got a lot of games in a
short period of time.’’
The Bruins announced the moves two hours after the 3 p.m. EST trade
deadline.
Boston had been seeking a veteran defenseman after Dennis Seidenberg
suffered a season-ending knee injury on Dec. 27 against Ottawa. They've
also been without defenseman Adam McQuaid since he strained his
quadriceps on Jan. 19. Without them, Dougie Hamilton, Torey Krug, Matt
Bartkowski and Kevin Miller, all 26 or younger, have played regularly. Zdeno
Chara and Johnny Boychuk are the other two defensemen among Boston’s
top six.
Chiarelli said McQuaid would rest for two to three weeks and be re-assessed
then.
Meszaros played 38 games this season with five goals and 12 assists. The
nine-year veteran’s first two seasons with the Flyers were limited by a back
injury in 2011-12, Achilles tendon surgery after that season and a shoulder
injury in 2012-13.
‘‘It was tough with the injuries, but being healthy this year and not playing was
really tough,’’ he said. ‘‘Now I feel strong and I feel pretty good. I can skate
pretty good and join the rush and obviously have to be good defensively.’’
Potter, a six-year veteran, has five assists in 16 games.
‘‘We brought in two guys, two big guys that can ... both move the puck and
both push bodies down low,’’ Chiarelli said. ‘‘The defense isn’t about one
player. It’s about the group as a whole and how they interact. That’s the way
our system is. That’s the way our coach is. So these guys both are smart
players.
‘‘It usually takes some time for the (defensemen) to adapt to our system, new
(defensemen) that were brought in. And I expect the same to happen with
these two, but it’s a good system, it’s a system of trust, and I know they can
both contribute to the group.’’
The Bruins, in second place in the Eastern Conference, have allowed 138
goals this season, second-fewest in the NHL. But their defense has declined
since losing Seidenberg and McQuaid.
While Boston made no major moves, one of its chief rivals did. The Montreal
Canadiens obtained wing Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round draft
pick from the New York Islanders for forward prospect Sebastien Collberg
and a conditional 2014 second-rounder. The draft picks will only change
hands if Montreal makes the playoffs.
Vanek has 30 goals in 53 games against Boston.
‘‘I know there’s been talk about Vanek going to Montreal, and they've
strengthened their team. Good for them,’’ Chiarelli said. ‘‘It never seems that
we’re an anointed winner of trade deadline day, and I'm fine with that.’’
730621
Boston Bruins
Adam McQuaid shut down 2-3 weeks
Defenseman Adam McQuaid won't be playing any time soon, a victim of a
quad strain that he aggravated Jan. 19 against the Blackhawks. Bruins
general manager Peter Chiarelli said McQuaid will be shut down two to three
weeks, with the Bruins waiting to see how the injury reacts.
"I'm not sure what's going to happen with Adam," Chiarelli said. "We're going
to shut him down for two to three weeks. His injury, while it keeps healing, he
has setbacks. We're going to just give him rest, two to three weeks, and see
where it is after that."
That made it more important to get not just a left-shot defenseman to
potentially challenge Matt Bartkowski for playing time, but also to get another
option for depth. That was where Andrej Meszaros and Corey Potter came in.
"He's got a quad strain, and he was really close -- you've heard Claude
[Julien] say about him being like ready to go and stuff, and he had good
sessions over the Olympic break -- he just re-aggravated it," Chiarelli said.
"We had something similar with Jared Knight last year. We just basically shut
the player down for a couple weeks, and just rest, and he came around.
That's what I would expect would happen."
730622
Boston Bruins
Bruins trade for D Andrej Meszaros
Steve Conroy
The Bruins have acquired 6-foot-2, 218-pound defenseman Andrej Meszaros
from the Flyers for a third-round pick.
The 28-year Meszaros, a left shot, has at times been a healthy scratch this
season and is in the last year of a deal that pays him $4 million. In 38 games,
Meszaros has 5-12-17 totals and is plus-1. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli knows
Meszaros well, from his Ottawa days. Meszaros, a 2004 first-round draft pick,
was once Zdeno Chara's partner on the Ottawa blue line.
The B's also picked up Corey Potter, a right shot from Edmonton, who
projects to be an eighth or ninth defenseman.
The 30-year-old journeyman played 16 games for the Oilers this season and
has five assists with an even rating.
Goalie Chad Johnson played with Potter when the two were in Hartford
playing in the Rangers organization.
"He's real steady with the puck, he's not flashy. He's a guy that's going to
make the simple play and he's always in good position. That was two or three
years ago and I haven't had a chance to see him now, but he was just a calm
presence back there. I think he can add that to the team here," said Johnson.
"Really good guy, kind of a quiet guy, not real vocal. Just a really good team
guy. He'll fit in really well here."
Meanwhile, the B's chief divisional rival the Montreal Canadiens picked up
Bruins' killer Thomas Vanek from the Islanders for a second-round pick and a
prospect. The Habs had already promised to be tough out for the Bruins in
the playoffs, but now they've added a strong net presence who has 62 career
points in 53 games against Boston.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, did not pull off the much anticipated move to bring in
Ryan Kesler from Vancouver, rather going for Marcel Goc from Florida — not
a bad pickup, and one that did not require the complexion-changing move
that would have been needed to bring in Kesler.
Edmonton defenseman Nick Schultz, who would have fit the bill for the B's,
went to Columbus for a fifth-round pick. Chris Phillips, long linked to the
Bruins because of his skill set, was taken off the board when he re-signed
with Ottawa this morning on a two-year deal.
At B's practice at Ristuccia Arena, Loui Eriksson, who did not play last night,
did not skate but coach Claude Julien reiterated that he'll be back on the ice
on Thursday and ready to play against Washington. Also, Adam McQuaid
(hip/groin) remained out.
Boston Herald LOADED: 03.06.2014
730623
Boston Bruins
Bruins claim Corey Potter off waivers
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Steve Conroy
With slightly less than 90 minutes left before the trade deadline, GM Peter
Chiarelli has not yet made a swap but the B's did make an acquisition today,
picking up 6-foot-3, 203-pound right shot defenseman Corey Potter from
Edmonton on a waiver claim.
Assuming the B's do make move by 3 p.m. for a more needed left shot
D-man, Potter projects to be an eighth or ninth defenseman.
The 30-year-old journeyman played 16 games for the Oilers this year nd has
five assists with an even rating.
Goalie Chad Johnson played with Potter when the two were in Hartford
playing in the Ranger organization.
"He's real steady with the puck, he's not flashy. He's a guy that's going to
make the simple play and he's always in good position. That was two or three
years and I haven't had a chance to see him now, but he was just a calm
presnece bac there. I think he can add that to the team here," said Johnson.
"Really good guy, kind of a quiet guy, not real vocal. Just a really good tema
guy. Hell fit in really well here."
As of now, Bruin targets such as Philadelphia's Andrej Meszaros and
Buffalo's Henrik Tallinder are still in play.
At B's practice at Ristuccia Arena, Loui Eriksson, who did not play last night,
did not skate but coach Claude Julien reiterated that he'll be back on the ice
on Thursday and ready to play against Washington. Also, Adam McQuaid
(hip/groin) reamined out.
730624
Boston Bruins
Meszaros can skip introductions
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Steve Conroy, Bruins Notebook
McQuaid shut down
Chiarelli said Adam McQuaid, who will miss his 32nd game tonight with what
is now described as a quad injury, will be off the ice for 2-3 weeks. The team
hopes by shutting down McQuaid, the veteran defenseman will be healthier
for the playoffs. . . .
Loui Eriksson, who missed Tuesday’s game against the Panthers, did not
skate yesterday. He had been on the shelf with a minor heel infection and will
play tonight.
“So no, we weren’t trading him,” Chiarelli said.
Andrej Meszaros sounded like a man who was coming home last night. And
in some respects, he was.
The newest Bruins defenseman will be reunited with general manager Peter
Chiarelli, who served as the assistant GM in Ottawa when Meszaros played
for the Senators, as well as former Ottawa teammates Zdeno Chara and
Chris Kelly. He also played a year of major junior hockey with Milan Lucic on
the Vancouver Giants.
“It’s going to be nice to see all those guys,” said Meszaros.
Meszaros has a better shot at significant ice time on the Bruins, more than he
did with the Flyers, even though he’ll have to prove he’s better than Matt
Bartkowski in that spot. Meszaros was limited to 73 games in the previous
two seasons combined because of Achilles, back and shoulder injuries. This
season, however, he’s avoided injuries but often been a healthy scratch.
“It’s tough for any player who is not playing regularly,” the 28-year-old
Meszaros said. “We have eight defenseman over here, and they were
rotating us in and out of the lineup. It’s never fun. You always want to play
every game, and I didn’t have the chance to do that here.
“Hopefully I can do it in Boston and as much as I really like it here —
everybody was so nice to me, all of the trainers and everybody, all the guys in
the room — this is a new opportunity for me, and I’m really excited. I put it
behind me now, and I am going to focus for Boston and play the best that I
can.”
Chiarelli suggested the defenseman’s fitness might not be quite up to snuff
because of past injuries.
“It was tough with the injuries, but being healthy this year and not playing was
really tough,” Meszaros said. “Now I feel strong and I feel pretty good. I can
skate pretty good and join the rush and obviously have to be good
defensively because defense is first, and then the offense will come
obviously and hopefully I can help the guys up front and score some goals.”
Chiarelli said though he might need to get up to speed on coach Claude
Julien’s zone system — he played man-to-man in Philly — Meszaros isn’t
daunted by that transition.
“I think every system is different, and I don’t think it’s going to be hard for me
to adjust to that,” Meszaros said. “I think I’m pretty easy. Anything the coach
will tell me to do I think I can pick it up really quickly. So I don’t think I should
have any problem with that.”
According to Kelly, Meszaros is a good pickup for the B’s.
“Mez skates extremely well, he’s got a great shot. He’s a big body,” Kelly
said. “He’s a big, strong guy. All those Slovaks are. They’re big men.”
He said Meszaros will assimilate easily into the team’s dressing room.
“It’s an easy room to come into, and Mez is a great guy,” Kelly said. “He’s
easy-going, and I don’t see it being hard at all. We’ve had more difficult guys
come into our room in the past.”
Small change is good
Gregory Campbell was happy Chiarelli did not make any major moves to
shake up the lineup.
“I hoped our team would stay intact, and I think everyone else would say the
same thing. We’re a great team,” Campbell said. “I think successful teams
are not built at the trade deadline, they’re built beforehand. They’re built for
years and years of drafting, of signing different players, of putting the right
players together. It’s really a difficult formula. I’m glad it’s not my job, but the
guys that do it here have been very successful. They obviously have a
blueprint in mind, and they’ve done a great job for a while. They know what
works, and it’s been working for us. I’m a big fan of what we have here and of
the character we have in the dressing room.”
Conditions on deal
Here are the conditions on the third-round pick the Bruins traded to
Philadelphia for Meszaros. The pick becomes a second-round pick this year
if the Bruins make it to the conference finals and he plays in at least
two-thirds of all the playoff games. And, if the Bruins re-sign Meszaros before
the draft, the third-round pick becomes a second-round pick. If the Bruins
re-sign him after the draft, they surrender an additional fourth-round pick the
next year.
Chiarelli said there’s been no discussion about an extension for Meszaros or
any of the B’s free agents.
730625
Boston Bruins
Bruins no Hab-nots
Stephen Harris
Nearly a year ago, when Jarome Iginla slapped the Bruins in the face by
vetoing an apparently completed trade to Boston — opting instead to join the
Pittsburgh Penguins — a disappointed B’s general manager Peter Chiarelli
opted for some gallows humor.
“Well, they’re a lock, right?” Chiarelli said of the Penguins.
Subsequent events — and the Bruins — proved otherwise.
Chiarelli’s prescient sarcasm came to mind yesterday as so many “experts”
around town reacted with such negativity and pessimism about
developments before the NHL’s 3 p.m. trade deadline. A prevailing attitude
seemed to be that the Bruins totally punted any Stanley Cup dreams by
having only a fairly minimal, and entirely predictable, involvement in the trade
market.
And as the B’s added only some depth to their blue line, the Montreal
Canadiens — like the Penguins a year ago — were making one of the major
splashes of the trade market in landing renowned Bruins-killer Thomas
Vanek from the New York Islanders.
Oh well, wait ’till next year, Bruins fans.
Chiarelli, like last year, did not exactly sound crushed that one of his team’s
chief Eastern Conference foes landed a good player.
“I know there’s been talk about Vanek going to Montreal,” Chiarelli said in a
late-afternoon press conference at the Garden. “They strengthened their
team, and good for them.
“It never seems that we’re an anointed winner on deadline day, and I’m fine
with that. They’re a better team (now) and I look forward to facing them.”
Does Vanek in Canadiens bleu, blanc et rouge suddenly mean the B’s could
face a tremendously difficult task in getting past them in this year’s playoffs?
Well, no. The B’s already were potentially facing a tremendously difficult task
if they were to face Montreal.
The B’s haven’t seen a lot of the Canadiens this season, and what they have
seen hasn’t been pretty. The Habs, much improved this season even before
adding Vanek, have won both meetings, and in neither have the B’s been
able to execute their shutdown system.
If the teams are to meet in the playoffs and the B’s cannot find a way to slow
the Canadiens and play their own game effectively, it might not end well, with
or without Vanek.
Chiarelli tried to do more than add just veteran defenseman Andrej Meszaros
from Philadelphia for a conditional third-round pick and depth blueliner Corey
Potter off waivers from Edmonton. He said the Bruins were involved in talks
for bigger trades, for both defensemen and forwards, and both rentals and
guys with contractual term remaining beyond this season.
To pull off some of these deals would have required trading players off the
current roster, plus maybe goalie prospect Malcolm Subban. Chiarelli
shopped, especially on what he termed a “busy” Tuesday, but nothing
happened.
One guy they looked at was Islanders defenseman Andrew MacDonald, a
UFA-to-be who went to Philly, perhaps clearing the way for the Flyers to send
the 28-year-old Meszaros to Boston.
“There were a few good deals that we were in,” Chiarelli said. “Yeah, (I am) a
little disappointed. (But) sometimes those deals come around (again) in the
summer and the fall. You lay some groundwork. That’s what happens at
these trade deadlines: You lay some groundwork for deals later on. We felt
we did that, too. We were in a couple of deals that would have been good
acquisitions.”
But good acquisitions likely would have meant moving bodies out of the B’s
room and running the risk of messing up the chemistry of a proven, tight-knit
club. How’d that work for the Penguins last playoffs, after they added Iginla
and three other players, pushing aside guys who’d been on the team all
season?
“It’s the chemistry you want to try to maintain and preserve,” Chiarelli said. “I
think we’ve got a good group here. It didn’t mean that I didn’t look at
potentially moving guys out. Some of the discussions involved some (roster)
players. I didn’t really want to do it. So, I guess, mission accomplished there.”
Chiarelli has said for many weeks his primary goal was to add defense depth.
To head toward the playoffs with only six defensemen, plus Providence
prospects David Warsofsky and Zach Trotman, would have been to invite
calamity.
So no, the Bruins didn’t go out and add an All-Star yesterday. They just did
what they needed to do, making a strong, Cup-contending team somewhat
better.
“We brought in two big guys who can both push the puck and both move
bodies down low,” Chiarelli said. “For me, the defense isn’t about one player;
it’s about the group as a whole and how they interact. That’s how our system
works and our coach coaches.
“These guys both are smart players. It may take them some time (to adapt to
our system), but I know they can both contribute to the group. I feel pretty
good about our team.”
So good, that if the Bruins do face Vanek and the Canadiens in the playoffs,
the B’s will show up and play. They will not, as the naysayers might have
predicted yesterday, just call in a forfeit.
730626
Boston Bruins
On surface, B’s do little
Meszaros adds to an Ottawa-Boston pipeline that has delivered Chara, Chris
Kelly, Wade Redden, Peter Schaefer, Shane Hnidy, Brian McGrattan and
Brandon Bochenski. Some former Senators have hit big with the B’s; some
have missed in a big way.
Steve Conroy
“I’m more familiar with them,” Chiarelli said. “I’m familiar with their character,
and as people and knowing what their origins are and how they started. It just
gives me a little more information. That’s helps, but it’s not a big factor.”
General managers are known to tell a fib or two at this time of year, but Peter
Chiarelli did not lie.
The Bruins GM said before the Olympic break that he was looking for depth
on defense, and that’s just what he added to the team yesterday.
Now we’ll see if it’s enough for the B’s to get back to the Stanley Cup finals.
While the archrival Montreal Canadiens made one of the biggest splashes of
the day by landing Bruins-killer Thomas Vanek, the B’s pulled the trigger on
one of their long-known targets in 6-foot-2, 223-pound Andrej Meszaros,
giving the Philadelphia Flyers a conditional third-round draft pick for the
defenseman. The Bruins also added a depth defenseman in 6-3, 204-pound
Corey Potter on a waiver claim from the Edmonton Oilers.
Chiarelli was well aware that he didn’t knock anyone’s socks off.
“(The Canadiens) have strengthened their team, and good for them,” said
Chiarelli, adding he was “on the periphery” on some high-end forwards but
wasn’t all that interested. “It never seems we’re an anointed winner of trade
deadline day — and I’m fine with that.”
Meszaros became available when the Flyers obtained Andrew MacDonald, a
defenseman the B’s were in on as well, Tuesday. But it was a quiet deadline
on the defense front. One target, Chris Phillips, re-signed with the Ottawa
Senators and others, such as the Buffalo Sabres’ Henrik Tallinder and Ron
Hainsey of the Carolina Hurricanes, simply stayed put.
Meszaros, 28, could be the second-pair, left-shot defenseman who takes the
place of Dennis Seidenberg (knee surgery), but there’s no guarantee that he
beats out Matt Bartkowski, who has been manning that spot since
Seidenberg went down. Meszaros averaged 17:22 of ice time in 38 games
this season with Philadelphia (five goals, 12 assists, plus-1), while
Bartkowski has been averaging 19:24 in 46 games for the B’s (12 assists,
plus-20).
“We’ve brought in two big guys who can move the puck and push bodies,”
said Chiarelli, who likes Meszaros’ ability to play on either side of the ice. “To
me our defense isn’t about one player, it’s about the group as a whole. It’s
about how they interact. It’s the way our system is, it’s the way our coach
coaches. These guys are both smart players, but it may take them some
time. It usually takes time for new ‘D’ to adapt to our system, and I expect the
same to happen for these two. But it’s a good system, it’s a system of trust,
and I think they’ll both contribute to the group.”
Chiarelli wasn’t sure if Meszaros would be in the lineup against the
Washington Capitals tonight at the Garden. That decision will be left up to
coach Claude Julien.
When Ottawa chose Meszaros with the 23rd overall pick in the 2004 draft,
Chiarelli was in the Senators front office. Though still young, Meszaros has
had some health issues, including Achilles tendon, shoulder and back
injuries. He was limited to 73 games between 2011-12 and ’12-13. This
season, although he was scratched on numerous occasions by the Flyers, he
was healthy.
“I see a lot of what was there. He’s been out of the lineup because of the
injuries (in past years), so he’s a little behind because in conditioning
because of the injuries,” Chiarelli said. “He’s a strong player. He’s not a swift
skater, but he’s a strong skater. He sees the ice well. He likes to push the
puck in the defensive zone, the neutral zone and the offensive zone. That’s
an evolution of what I’ve seen over the years. For whatever reason, and it’s
probably because of the injuries, he’s slowed down a bit because he doesn’t
get the proper conditioning because he’s had the injuries. I don’t know. But
his play has picked up as of late.”
Meszaros played with B’s captain and fellow Slovakian Zdeno Chara at the
Sochi Games, then returned from the Olympic break to a crowded Flyers
roster.
“They’ve got a lot of ‘D,’ and I’ve had discussion with (Philadelphia GM) Paul
(Holmgren) over the course of the last two or three months on Andrej,”
Chiarelli said.
730627
Buffalo Sabres
Three ex-Sabres parachute into playoff races
By Mike Harrington | News Sports Reporter | @BNHarrington | Google+
on March 5, 2014 - 11:52 PM
At least Vinz got to sit on the bench and operate the door as players came
and went from the ice.
Halak spent his one game with Buffalo on Monday in Dallas sitting on his own
in a runway because the benches in American Airlines Center are too small
to accommodate the backup.
Halak, who was the goalie when Montreal upset Washington in the playoffs
and advanced to the 2010 Eastern Conference finals, just bided his time with
the Sabres knowing another move was likely in the offing.
“The last four days have been crazy,” Halak said.
TAMPA, Fla. — Matt Moulson was expecting the call, Jaroslav Halak was
basically praying for it and Cody McCormick essentially had no idea it was
coming.
“Getting traded and all the rumors being out there that I’m going to be traded
again. I’m glad it’s over and now I’m really happy I have a chance to make the
playoffs.
But the three departing Buffalo Sabres all derived a similar benefit by getting
traded Wednesday: They’ve been sent from a last-place team into the thick
of the playoff race.
Halak said he was happy he would only have to worry about Washington star
Alex Ovechkin in practice now and smiled when asked about the strange
twist that allowed him to now play for a team that he was largely responsible
for upsetting in a previous spring.
Moulson and McCormick are going together to Minnesota to join former
Buffalo captain Jason Pominville with the Wild. Halak took his gear and was
gone from the Westin Harbour Island hotel here a scant two hours after the 3
p.m. deadline, headed for a flight to take him to Boston and the Washington
Capitals’ game there tonight.
The Capitals entered Wednesday’s play just one point out of the final
wild-card slot in the Eastern Conference and getting a goaltender like Halak,
who went 24-9-4 with St. Louis, is what they feel they need to comfortably get
into the top eight. Minnesota looks to be on easy street in the West, with a
seven-point lead in the wild-card race and a 7-1-2 burst in its last 10 games.
Moulson was one of the hottest names on the trade market Wednesday, and
has been at the top of the list of likely rental players almost from the time he
was dealt from the New York Islanders to the Sabres on Oct. 24.
Getting dealt was zero surprise. The fact that it took almost to the deadline
was.
“It’s definitely a relief after sitting around for a week seeing other guys get
traded and wondering if you were going to be here,” Moulson said. “It’s good
to finally have a place to go.
“It’s an exciting hockey city to go to, much like the fans in Buffalo. They’re
passionate about hockey in Minnesota, the State of Hockey and all. They’re
going to be good fans.”
The Sabres never made Moulson an offer as an unrestricted free agent, even
though he was open to listening and Buffalo clearly needs goal scorers.
“A lot was going down with the team trading away guys like Ryan Miller and
Steve Ott and building for the future,” Moulson said.
“It’s pretty much set in stone. I knew it was coming. Tim Murray was up front
and honest about what was going on.”
Moulson said his priority now is playing for the Wild. Re-signing with them or
going somewhere else is staying on the back burner for now.
“I’m going to Minnesota to help them win a Stanley Cup. That’s their goal,”
Moulson said. “Anything I can help to win games I’m going to do. I’m not
going to think about the other stuff because that will take care of itself.”
McCormick met reporters after having already spoken to Pominville, the Wild
winger and former Buffalo captain.
“Jason Pominville said some things that were exciting, that made me excited
to join the Minnesota Wild,” McCormick said. “Our wives are friends. Our kids
are friends. It makes for an easier transition.”
McCormick was in his fourth year with the Sabres after being acquired from
Colorado and injuries have plagued him the last three years.
But Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher is intrigued by McCormick’s
toughness.
“They wanted some size and grit,” McCormick said. “I’m just hoping to get
there and be able to contribute to that.”
Halak becomes the 10th player in franchise history to suit up for a game with
the Sabres but not play.
The ninth, by the way, was emergency backup goaltender Ryan Vinz, the
HarborCenter employee who served as backup on Friday after Ryan Miller
was sent to St. Louis.
“I have great memories playing against them, sure,” he said. “Now I’m going
to be their teammate and try to do my best. We’ll see how that’s going to go.
I know they have a lot of hockey left and they’re in a playoff race. I’m going to
try to do my best to help them get there.”
Buffalo News LOADED: 03.06.2014
730628
Buffalo Sabres
Sabres notebook: Game prep takes a back seat to roster moves
“You can’t read too much into it. It’s that time of the year. People make a big
deal about it and either you’re going to be here or not,” said Stewart, who said
he’s OK with staying in Buffalo because he’s from Toronto. “I’m excited for
the challenge. If you move, you just take it one step at a time.
By Mike Harrington | News Sports Reporter | @BNHarrington | Google+
“It’s all out of my control,” Stewart said of Hemsky. “He’s a right winger, I’m a
right winger and they did pick him up. It doesn’t take that much to figure it
out.”
on March 5, 2014 - 11:51 PM
TAMPA, Fla. — The Buffalo Sabres will be in the midst of a wave of emotion
tonight when they play the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Early Wednesday morning, the game became a big target for hockey
watchers across North America when it was learned that it will mark the
return of Tampa Bay star Steven Stamkos after he’s missed 45 games with a
broken leg.
But it will now also mark the debut of former New York Rangers standout
Ryan Callahan in the Tampa Bay lineup after he was acquired for beloved
veteran Marty St. Louis in a blockbuster trade of captains that stunned
Lightning fans.
Television news coverage here used the words “heartbreak” in on-screen
graphics to describe the loss of St. Louis, who asked out to move near his
Connecticut home – and to get away from GM Steve Yzerman, who had
initially snubbed him from the Team Canada Olympic selections before
naming him as Stamkos’ replacement.
“That’s going to be really weird,” said Sabres winger Drew Stafford, who
compared the shock of the deal to Buffalo’s trade of Ryan Miller. “It’s a guy
that’s been the face of the franchise and been an influence for a lot of
players. When Nathan Gerbe was here, he really looked up to Marty. Tyler
Ennis is the same way. Marty has a lasting impact on a lot of players.”
St. Louis won the Hart and Art Ross trophies in 2004 and won the Art Ross
again in 2013. Even at age 38, he entered Wednesday’s games with the
most points in the league since the start of the 2009-10 season (388 points in
351 games). St. Louis has 29 goals and 61 points this season and also one
year remaining on his contract at $5.625 million.
“He has been one of the greatest players in the organization’s history but in
the end we honored his request today,” Yzerman said.
St. Louis immediately flew to New York to play in the Rangers’ game against
Toronto. Before he left, he released a statement to Tampa Bay fans in which
he referenced his trade request.
“I know many of you are disappointed with me for my decision to want to
leave,” St. Louis wrote. “I would rather not discuss what brought me to that
decision, but in the end this is a decision for my family.
“I respect the fact that many of you do not agree with my decision and are
angry with it. All I really can say is that I am sorry and I am very appreciative
of the support you have shown me through the years.”
Callahan is a pending free agent who could not come to terms with the
Rangers on a long-term deal in the $6 million per year range, especially when
he pushed for a no-trade clause. The Rochester native is rumored to be a top
target of the Sabres if he’s available when the free agency period opens July
1.
...
The Sabres practiced for about 45 minutes in the Tampa Bay Times Forum
but it was hard to really prepare for tonight’s game. Trainers and equipment
men looking at cell phones on the bench were noticed. So were reporters
doing likewise in the stands.
Coach Ted Nolan learned about the trade of Brayden McNabb and the
waiver claim of Cory Conacher just as he came off the ice.
“It was pretty hard to concentrate on defensive zone coverage and neutral
zone coverage and some of the aspects we have to work on on a daily basis,”
Nolan said. “It’s hard to get the guys to focus. I told them if there’s ever a day
to practice your concentration level, this is the day to concentrate on it.”
...
Winger Chris Stewart, acquired from St. Louis with goalie Jaroslav Halak,
was not traded, as many observers expected. Ottawa, rumored as Stewart’s
top destination, instead traded for Edmonton’s Ales Hemsky.
730629
Buffalo Sabres
Conacher heads ‘home’ to Buffalo after pick from waiver wire
confident in the plays I was making. I need to be controlling the puck more
and continue to drive to the net and be around the net with the puck to get
more shots. I have to want the puck a little more and not be afraid to make a
mistake here or there. Take risks.”
By Amy Moritz | News Sports Reporter | @amymoritz | Google+
And what better place to take risks than in a city that feels like home?
Conacher is close to his family, still based in Burlington, while his younger
brother, Shane, is a freshman at Canisius College.
on March 5, 2014 - 11:51 PM
The future was nerve-rackingly uncertain.
Having been placed on waivers earlier in the day, Cory Conacher suited up
with Ottawa for the Senators’ game in Edmonton on Tuesday night. It was
likely his last game with the Sens. It could have been his last game in the
NHL for a while. There had been promising talks, but nothing was certain.
Nothing until Wednesday just before noon when the former standout at
Canisius College landed, for all intents and purposes, back home.
The Buffalo Sabres claimed Conacher off waivers, ending the 24-year-old’s
24 hours of emotional upheaval.
“That was one of the tougher games I’ve played in based on the
circumstances,” Conacher said of Tuesday’s game against the Oilers. “I felt
sick to my stomach at points. Even right now, I’m shaking and nervous but
excited at the same time. I’m just trying to pinch myself that this is
happening.”
The native of Burlington, Ont., grew up a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, but he
also grew up watching the Sabres. When he came to Canisius for his
collegiate career, he had the opportunity to watch the Sabres more closely.
And now to have the opportunity to play for the organization, well, that’s
almost too special for words.
“Any player always has a number of teams in the back of his head he wants
to play for at some point in his career,” Conacher said. “Not that Ottawa
wasn’t one of them, but Buffalo was definitely near the top of the list for me.
To be able to go there and try to make an impact with them and be part of the
process and what Tim Murray is building is really exciting for me and my
family.”
Murray, of course, is familiar with Conacher. He was the assistant general
manager for the Sens when the team acquired Conacher last year in a trade
that sent Ben Bishop to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
What did the new Sabres general manager like about Conacher? First of all,
he was free – a pickup off waivers that cost the Sabres nothing in return. But
there’s a huge upside Murray sees in Conacher, not just in skills but for the
culture he wants to create in Buffalo.
“He cares,” Murray said. “He’s a good person. He’s a competitive guy. He
can skate. There’s lots of things I like about him on the ice. He’s what I like to
call a good complementary player and if we had better players here around
him he’d be a better complementary player, as most complementary players
are.
“I’m trying to establish a certain culture and that’s you earn what you get. And
his work ethic is terrific and he’s got character. I want competition. I want one
of our draft picks to say today that they’re upset the Sabres went out and got
Conacher.
“That’s how you create competition.”
In 107 NHL games between Tampa Bay and Ottawa, Conacher has 49
points (15 goals, 34 assists). He was the Most Valuable Player of the AHL
while leading Norfolk to the Calder Cup in 2012. At Canisius, he remains the
all-time leader in points (147) and goals (62) while holding 10 other school
records.
His hockey career has always been about proving people wrong – people
who thought he was too small to play (he’s listed at 5-8) or who were
concerned about his Type 1 diabetes.
Although he didn’t find the right fit with the Senators, Conacher had nothing
but good things to say about his teammates and the organization in Ottawa.
But the Sens juggled lines and his playing time was inconsistent.
“There were times it felt like a fit,” Conacher said. “Then other times it didn’t
seem so right. … It might have been time for a change.
“I’m going to get back to the way I played to get into this league,” Conacher
said. “I may have started to get away from that in Ottawa. … I wasn’t
While there may be some nerves about joining his new team, which, with
immigration paperwork, may not be until Friday, there is a definite comfort
level for Conacher in Buffalo and an opportunity to be part of the Sabres’
future.
“The fans are obviously very passionate about the game and that’s one of the
good things about Buffalo,” Conacher said. “There are lots of great things
about the city of Buffalo. … I talked briefly with Tim Murray and he told me
he’s going to give me the opportunity to be a big player and hopefully be part
of the process of what he sees for the team. And I want to be part of that. I
want to be in Buffalo and hopefully I will be for a long time.”
730630
Buffalo Sabres
came in the last 10 outings. Fasching, drafted in the fourth round last June,
also had two goals and four points for the United States at the world junior
championships.
Sabres continue extreme makeover
“He’s a guy that we’ve liked, that I’ve liked for a long time,” Murray said. “He
has a chance to be a top-six forward if he develops properly.”
By John Vogl | News Sports Reporter | @BuffNewsVogl | Google+
Deslauriers, a third-round pick in 2009, is a 6-1, 230-pound winger who
played defense until this season. He’s embraced the switch and has 18 goals
and 39 points with the Kings’ Manchester AHL team. He and Klesla will report
to Rochester.
on March 5, 2014 - 10:08 PM
, updated March 5, 2014 at 11:57 PM
Tim Murray had barely hung up the phone on his last trade call when he
started looking ahead. The NHL draft is in June, and the Sabres’ general
manager can’t wait.
He hopes the next chance to wheel and deal is as productive and exciting as
his first one.
Murray, as expected, was a busy man on trade-deadline day Wednesday.
Buffalo’s new GM made three multiplayer deals and a waiver claim,
continuing the reshaping of the organization he began Friday by trading Ryan
Miller and Steve Ott.
“I’m not done,” Murray said in First Niagara Center. “There’s a lot of building
to do.”
He and the Sabres have plenty of assets from which to build. For the next
three drafts, Buffalo possesses five first-round picks, plus a conditional
first-rounder, along with a half-dozen second-round selections and a
conditional choice in round two.
“It’s a good day,” Murray said before flying to Tampa, Fla., where the Sabres
play tonight. “The combination of the picks that we’ve added and the young
players we’ve added, I think it gives us a ton of ammunition now going to the
draft, where there will be players available that aren’t available on
trade-deadline day.
“A No. 2, 24-year-old left winger is going to fall out with his coach after they
lose in the first round. Whatever the case may be, there’s always good,
young players available at the draft. We still have a ton of picks to be players
in that. We have young players to be players in that.
“We were a focus today, I think, and I think on draft day if those types of
players are available, we can be a focus again. If they’re not available, we
use the picks and hopefully keep adding top young talent.”
Murray, who just two months into his job has cemented a reputation as a
stern-faced guy with little time for frivolity, actually smiled and joked a few
times while reliving his day. It was an exciting one:
• Buffalo traded forwards Matt Moulson and Cody McCormick to the
Minnesota Wild for two second-round picks and forward Torrey Mitchell. The
2014 pick acquired originally belonged to Winnipeg, while the other selection
is in 2016.
• The Sabres sent goaltender Jaroslav Halak and a 2015 third-round pick to
Washington for goalie Michal Neuvirth and veteran minor-league
defenseman Rostislav Klesla.
• Buffalo acquired forward prospects Hudson Fasching and Nicolas
Deslauriers from Los Angeles for minor leaguers Brayden McNabb and
Jonathan Parker, plus second-round picks in 2014 and 2015. The picks
actually came from the Kings in last year’s deal featuring Robyn Regehr.
• The Sabres claimed former Canisius College star Cory Conacher off
waivers from Ottawa.
“I knew we had some guys that we could possibly move, and which direction
we were going to go I wasn’t quite sure,” Murray said. “You do a lot of
listening and then you discuss each proposal and make what you hope is the
right decision.”
The departures of Moulson and Halak, a pair of pending unrestricted free
agents, were expected. The deal that sent McNabb, who’s played 37 games
for the Sabres, and two picks to Los Angeles was not part of the plan.
Murray’s admiration of Fasching and Deslauriers made it too irresistible to
pass up.
Fasching, 18, is excelling on the first line for the University of Minnesota,
which is the No. 1-ranked team in the NCAA. The 6-foot-2, 213-pound right
winger is third on the Gophers with 27 points in 31 games. Six of his 12 goals
Murray views Neuvirth as an alluring reclamation project. The Capitals’
backup, who has appeared in 134 NHL games, is 4-6-2 with a 2.82
goals-against average and .914 save percentage. Murray believes the
25-year-old can live up to his standing as a 2006 second-round pick.
“For whatever reason, he’s a backup there and he’s just not as important as
he wants to be,” Murray said. “I think when he gets to feel some love again or
whatever you want to call it and has an opportunity, then he can get his game
back.”
The Sabres needed to acquire the 29-year-old Mitchell and his $1.9 million
salary-cap hit to get the deal done for Moulson, who was one of the top
names on the market. Mitchell, who has 35 goals and 90 points in 383
games, has one year and $2.5 million in salary left on his contract.
It was the second straight year in which the Sabres made a deadline deal
with the Wild, who picked up Jason Pominville last season.
The departure of Moulson, acquired in October as part of the trade that sent
Thomas Vanek to the Islanders, closes the book on Buffalo’s former scoring
leader. The Sabres essentially sent out Vanek (while retaining $2.1 million of
his salary) and McCormick to get back a first-round pick in 2014 or 2015,
three second-round selections and Mitchell.
New York traded Vanek to Montreal on Wednesday for prospect Sebastian
Collberg and a conditional second-round pick.
Judging by Murray’s cheerful demeanor, he hopes June is much, much
busier.
“We have to add players,” the GM said. “We have to create inter-competition,
and this is the start of it.”
730631
Buffalo Sabres
Murray’s trade day intensity is refreshing
By Bucky Gleason | News Sports Reporter | @TBNbucky | Google+
on March 5, 2014 - 9:50 PM
Tim Murray was still coming down from an adrenaline high after wrapping up
his first NHL trade deadline Wednesday when he was asked about the day.
You would have thought the Sabres’ general manager was a skydiver who
walked away without a scratch after his parachute failed to open.
“It was exhilarating,” Murray said. “It was fast and furious. I’d be lying if I said
I didn’t enjoy 90 percent of it.”
No matter what Murray accomplished in the annual swap meet, it was exactly
what people needed to hear. He was a refreshing change from Darcy Regier,
who numerous times over the years looked like he was near tears after
trading his players. His lips would quiver as he braced for questions about
why he didn’t accomplish enough.
After a while, there was a sense Regier was too attached to his players or
petrified to make a mistake. You wondered how many potential deals slipped
away because he was hesitant or scared to say goodbye. Murray showed
nothing of the sort a few hours after trading a good prospect in Brayden
McNabb to the Los Angeles Kings.
In fact, it was the opposite.
Sure, there were scouts in the room making a case for McNabb. He’s a big,
physical kid who someday could develop into a top-tier defenseman for the
Kings. And so what if he does? Murray was too upbeat about what forwards
Hudson Fasching and Nicolas Deslauriers could bring to Buffalo than what
was walking out the door.
Murray liked the deal, so he made the deal. “I wish him the best,” Murray said
of McNabb. “Obviously, that team liked him and wanted him. He’s leaving.
I’m not going to worry about what he becomes and what he does. … He
obviously helped bring us what we believe are two very good young players,
so God bless him. If he becomes a really good player in L.A., it won’t bother
me one bit.”
And that was it. No fuss. No muss. No worries. Time for a beer.
“We make lots of mistakes,” Murray said. “But if you get paralyzed because
you might make a mistake, then you’ll never make a deal. You do your
homework, you scout, you do all the background work that you can do, and
then you make the deal. I’m by these two guys now. I’m ready for the next
thing. Today is over.”
And tomorrow is waiting.
Sorry, but if you’re looking for approval, or disapproval, of the trades Murray
made Wednesday, you came to the wrong place. The final score on his first
swap meet isn’t going to be tabulated for years. When it comes to Fasching, I
know plenty about fishing. He’s an 18-year-old kid with good size. I’m told he
has a high hockey IQ.
There’s no way of knowing with absolute certainty whether most players will
have an impact in the NHL until they reach the NHL. Fasching is one among
many prospects Murray hopes will be part of the solution. Murray said his
stock plummeted going into the 2013 draft, which was why he was taken in
the fourth round.
OK, so there’s risk involved. Yeah, and …
It’s the Sabres’ job to develop the University of Minnesota freshman into a
quality forward who can help them in the coming years. The same goes for
Deslauriers, a puck-mover, and the kiddie corps the Sabres are rebuilding
around. If they work out the way Murray believes they can, the suffering will
end.
“I have a vision of something,” Murray said. “I think that’s why I was hired.
There’s nothing to explain. I see something and act accordingly. What I see”
in Fasching “is something that I like. That boat won’t sail for two or three
years, then you can praise me or criticize me. I can take either.”
For now, they’re just names, the way Miroslav Satan and Michael Peca were
just names when they showed up after getting traded to Buffalo. The
community was wild over Mikhail Grigorenko and barely made a peep about
Zemgus Girgensons, only to find the latter was miles ahead of the former. If
you’re a Sabres fan, you can take comfort knowing Murray’s strength is
identifying young players and projecting their potential. Draft picks generally
don’t arouse the fan base. Even eternal optimists in Buffalo are jittery about
the unknown. They need to see tangible results. They’re left hoping Murray
knows what he’s doing. And that, my friends, amounts to an upgrade.
I’m sure people will grouse about the Sabres getting worse Wednesday. In
the short term, that’s probably true. In less than a week, they had their
franchise goalie, their captain, the player they received for Thomas Vanek
and their president of hockey operations walk out the door. When the
franchise isn’t in transition, it’s in an uproar.
Murray presented a strong front, if not a stern face, amid the chaos. He
showed the foresight to make one deal lead to another. It’s what happened
when Murray shipped Ryan Miller and Steve Ott to St. Louis and flipped
Jaroslav Halak to Washington for Michal Neuvirth, three years younger and
$1.25 million cheaper.
It’s not much, but it’s something.
People are looking for progress in a lost season. As low as it’s been, the
team’s descent will likely continue. At times, it looks like the entire franchise
is spiraling out of control. The sky isn’t falling. The Sabres have been falling
from the sky. They needed a guy like Murray to pull the rip chord and ensure
a safe landing.
Based on how he looked Wednesday, it’s his idea of fun.
730632
Buffalo Sabres
Sabres make multiple deals, including trading Moulson to Minnesota
News Staff Reports
on March 5, 2014 - 3:15 PM
The Buffalo Sabres made a handful of deals at the trade deadline
Wednesday.
In one with Minnesota, the Sabres sent Matt Moulson and Cody McCormick
to the Wild in exchange for Torrey Mitchell and two second-round picks.
The Sabres also acquired goalie Michal Neuvirth and defenseman Rostislav
Klesla from the Capitals in exchange for Jaroslav Halak and a third-round
pick in 2015.
Earlier in the day, the Sabres acquired prospects Hudson Fasching and
Nicolas Deslauriers from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for defenseman
Brayden McNabb, Jonathan Parker and two second-round picks.
Fasching has played well for the Gophers, ranking third on the team and
seventh in the Big Ten with 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) through 31
games. He spent the last two seasons with the U.S. National Development
Team notching 32 points in 62 games.
The Wild’s draft picks coming back to Buffalo in the Moulson trade are
second-rounders in 2014 and 2016, a source said. One of Minnesota’s picks
was previously acquired from Winnipeg.
Moulson, a pending unrestricted free agent, was the Sabres’ top name
available at the NHL trade deadline.
In a tweet Wednesday after the trade was announced, Moulson wrote:
“Would like to thank my teammates, the @BuffaloSabres and fans of Buffalo
for the great treatment over the past couple months.”
Acquired from the Islanders as part of the deal that sent Thomas Vanek to
the New York Islanders, Moulson had 11 goals and 29 points in 44 games
with the Sabres. Moulson, who has scored at least 30 goals three times, also
had six goals and nine points in 11 games with New York this year.
Mitchell, a 29-year-old forward, has played 383 games and has 35 goals and
90 points. He has one year left on his contract with a cap hit of $1.9 million
and a salary of $2.5 million.
730633
Buffalo Sabres
Friends and family excited by Conacher signing with Sabres
on March 5, 2014 - 6:19 PM
By Amy Moritz
NEWS SPORTS REPORTER
You’ll have to excuse the enthusiasm of a little brother.
The Buffalo Sabres could not officially claim Cory Conacher off waivers until
noon on Wednesday but as talk of the deal circulated via social media,
Shane Conacher took to Twitter to welcome his older brother back to Buffalo.
“He kinda jumped the gun on that,” Cory said.
It’s understandable.
Shane, a freshman at Canisius College, is among the Golden Griffins who
are pretty pumped that favorite son Cory will be playing down the street for
the Sabres.
Conacher holds 12 program records at Canisius, including the team’s all-time
totals in points (147) and goals (62). It’s not just his success at becoming an
NHL player that has been fun for the Ice Griffs to follow but the way in which
he has earned his chances.
“Cory knows how many people have written him off,” Canisius coach Dave
Smith said. “He’s willing to create an opportunity to succeed and it’s so much
fun to watch because he’s just like one of those little trains that’s ‘I think I can.
I think I can. I think I can. Oh, I did.’ It’s a great inspiration but it’s fun. Cory
loves hockey and Cory believes in Cory Conacher and for us to be spectators
for that ride, we can all learn from it.
“I think the only piece missing from his game at the NHL level is he needs to
get back to producing with poise. He’s so fast, he needs to just produce with
poise. I saw him do that in the American league. I’ve seen it on occasion in
the National Hockey League. I know he’s grown and developed and he’ll
continue to do that.”
730634
Buffalo Sabres
Source: Sabres send Moulson, McCormick to Wild for picks, Mitchell
March 5, 2014 - 3:10 PM
By John Vogl
For the second straight year, Buffalo and Minnesota have completed a big
deal at the trade deadline.
The Sabres have sent Matt Moulson and Cody McCormick to the Wild for
undisclosed draft picks and Torrey Mitchell, according to a source. Moulson,
a pending unrestricted free agent, was the Sabres' top name available.
According to a league source, the Sabres have one more trade awaiting NHL
approval.
Minnesota acquired Jason Pominville from the Sabres last year. The Wild is
also the front-runner to sign former Buffalo winger Thomas Vanek this
offseason.
Acquired from the Islanders as part of the deal that sent Vanek to New York,
Moulson had 11 goals and 29 points in 44 games with the Sabres. Moulson,
who has scored at least 30 goals three times, also had six goals and nine
points in 11 games with New York this year.
Mitchell, a 29-year-old forward, has played 383 games and has 35 goals and
90 points. He has one year left on his contract with a cap hit of $1.9 million
and a salary of $2.5 million.
More to come.
730635
Buffalo Sabres
Conacher claimed by Sabres
March 5, 2014 - 12:04 PM
by Amy Moritz
Cory Conacher is coming to Buffalo.
The all-time leading scorer at Canisius College was claimed off waivers by
the Sabres this afternoon.
Conacher, a native of Burlington, Ont., played in 60 games for the Ottawa
Senators this season with four goals and 16 assists. He played 12 games
with Sens last year after he was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning for
goalie Ben Bishop.
The 5-foot-8 left winger made his NHL debut with the Lightning in the
shortened 2012-13 season. In 107 career NHL games he has 15 goal and 34
assists.
His breakout professional year was 2012 when he led the Norfolk Admirals to
the Calder Cup and earned the AHL's most valuable player award. He scored
39 goals with 80 points in his only full season in the AHL.
Conacher played in 129 games for Canisius and is the program's all-time
leading scorer with 147 points and 62 goals. He owns 12 school records,
including single-season marks in points (53), assists (33) and goals (23).
His younger brother, Shane, is a freshman for the Ice Griffs, who are in
Atlantic Hockey playoffs this weekend. Check out this story about the two
and their hockey relationship.
Check out Conacher's first NHL goal scored when he was with the Lightning.
It came against the Washington Capitals on Jan. 19, 2013:
730636
Buffalo Sabres
Sabres acquire Fasching, Deslauriers from Kings for McNabb, Parker, two
second-round picks
March 5, 2014 - 12:49 PM
By John Vogl
The Sabres' first deal of trade-deadline day involves a player who is not on
their roster.
Rochester defenseman Brayden McNabb, who has played 37 games with
Buffalo over the last three seasons, Jonathan Parker and two second-round
picks have been sent to Los Angeles for prospects Hudson Fasching and
Nicolas Deslauriers. The picks originally belonged to L.A. and came to
Buffalo in the Robyn Regehr trade.
The Sabres selected McNabb in the third round of the 2009 NHL draft, and
the 6-foot-4, 207-pound defenseman has shown a physical presence in
Buffalo and signs of offensive talent in Rochester. But the Sabres are
stacked on defense with prospects Rasmus Ristolainen, Jake McCabe and
Nikita Zadorov, and they need to balance that with offense.
The Kings selected Fasching in the fourth round in 2013. The right winger
has 12 goals and 27 points in 31 games during his first season with the
University of Minnesota. The 6-2, 207-pound Fasching has excelled in the
U.S. National Team Development Program.
Deslauriers, selected in the third round in 2009, is in his third season with the
Kings' minor-league team. The 6-foot, 230-pound used to be a defenseman
but moved to forward and has 18 goals and 39 points in 60 games this
season.
730637
Buffalo Sabres
After four moves on deadline day, Sabres' Murray can't wait to keep building
at NHL draft
March 5, 2014 - 8:03 PM
By John Vogl
Tim Murray had barely hung up the phone on his last trade call when he
started looking ahead. The NHL draft is in June, and the Sabres’ general
manager can’t wait.
also had two goals and four points for the United States at the world junior
championships.
“He’s a guy that we’ve liked, that I’ve liked for a long time,” Murray said. “He
has a chance to be a top-six forward if he develops properly.”
Deslauriers, a third-round pick in 2009, is a 6-1, 230-pound winger who
played defense until this season. He’s embraced the switch and has 18 goals
and 39 points with the Kings’ minor-league team. He and Klesla will report to
Rochester.
Murray views Neuvirth as alluring reclamation project. The Capitals’ backup,
who has appeared in 134 NHL games, is 4-6-2 with a 2.82 goals-against
average and .914 save percentage. Murray believes the 25-year-old can live
up to his standing as a 2006 second-round pick.
He hopes the next chance to wheel and deal is as productive and exciting as
his first one.
he wants to be,” Murray said. “I think when he gets to feel some love again or
back.”
Murray, as expected, was a busy man on trade-deadline day today. Buffalo's
new GM made three multiplayer deals and a waiver claim, continuing the
reshaping of the organization he began Friday by trading Ryan Miller and
Steve Ott.
The Sabres needed to acquire the 29-year-old Mitchell and his $1.9 million
salary-cap hit to get the deal done for Moulson, who was one of the top
names on the market. Mitchell, who has 35 goals and 90 points in 383
games, has one year and $2.5 million in salary left on his contract.
“I’m not done,” Murray said in First Niagara Center. “There’s a lot of building
to do.”
It was the second straight year the Sabres made a deadline deal with the
Wild, who picked up Jason Pominville last season.
He and the Sabres have plenty of assets from which to build. For the next
three drafts, Buffalo possesses five first-round picks, plus a conditional sixth,
along with a half-dozen second-round selections and a conditional seventh.
The departure of Moulson, acquired in October as part of the deal that sent
Thomas Vanek to the Islanders, closes the book Buffalo’s former scoring
leader. The Sabres essentially sent out Vanek (while retaining $2.1 million of
his salary) and McCormick to get back a first-round pick in 2014 or 2015,
three second-round selections and Mitchell.
“It’s a good day,” Murray said before flying to Tampa Bay, where the Sabres
play Thursday. “The combination of the picks that we’ve added and the
young players we’ve added, I think it gives us a ton of ammunition now going
to the draft, where there will be players available that aren’t available on
trade-deadline day.
“A No. 2, 24-year-old left winger is going to fall out with his coach after they
lose in the first round. Whatever the case may be, there’s always good,
young players available at the draft. We have still a ton of picks to be players
in that. We have young players to be players in that.
“We were a focus today, I think, and I think on draft day if those types of
players are available, we can be a focus again. If they’re not available, we
use the picks and hopefully keep adding top young talent.”
Murray, who just two months into his job has cemented a reputation a
stern-faced guy with little time for frivolity, actually smiled and joked a few
times while reliving his day. It was an exciting one:
*Buffalo traded forwards Matt Moulson and Cody McCormick to the
Minnesota Wild for two second-round picks and forward Torrey Mitchell. The
2014 pick acquired originally belonged to Winnipeg, while the other selection
is in 2016.
*The Sabres sent goaltender Jaroslav Halak and a 2015 third-round pick to
Washington for goalie Michal Neuvirth and veteran minor-league
*Buffalo acquired forward prospects Hudson Fasching and Nicolas
Deslauriers from Los Angeles for minor-leaguers Brayden McNabb and
Jonathan Parker, plus second-round picks in 2014 and 2015. The picks
actually came from the Kings in last year’s deal featuring Robyn Regehr.
*The Sabres claimed former Canisius College star Cory Conacher off
waivers from Ottawa.
“I knew we had some guys that we could possibly move, and which direction
we were going to go I wasn’t quite sure,” Murray said. “You do a lot of
listening and then you discuss each proposal and make what you hope is the
right decision.”
The departures of Moulson and Halak, a pair of pending unrestricted free
agents, were expected. The deal that sent McNabb, who’s played 37 games
for the Sabres, and two picks to Los Angeles was not part of the plan.
Murray’s admiration of Fasching and Deslauriers made it too irresistible to
pass up.
Fasching, 18, is excelling on the first line for the University of Minnesota,
which is the No. 1-ranked team in the NCAA. The 6-foot-2, 213-pound right
winger is third on the Gophers with 27 points in 31 games. Six of his 12 goals
came in the last 10 outings. Fasching, drafted in the fourth round last June,
New York traded Vanek to Montreal on Wednesday for prospect Sebastian
Collberg and a conditional second-round pick. Overall, there were 20 NHL
transactions featuring 38 players.
Judging by Murray’s cheerful demeanor, he hopes June is much, much
busier.
“We have to add players,” the GM said. “We have to create inter-competition,
and this is the start of it.”
730638
Buffalo Sabres
Fasching becomes an 'asset' in NHL trade day
March 5, 2014 - 4:09 PM
by Amy Moritz
Don Lucia remembered when Keith Ballard was on the University of
Minnesota hockey team.
Ballard was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres after his freshman year in the 2002
NHL Entry Draft. He was then traded twice before making his NHL debut.
So he wasn't too surprised to hear his freshman Hudson Fasching was part
of a deal that sent him from the L.A. Kings to the Sabres on NHL trade
deadline day.
"I haven’t talked to him yet but I’m not surprised … they’re all aware of it,"
Lucia said to Minnesota media on Wednesday afternoon. "Keith Ballard was
here and he was traded twice before he even left here and that’s just all part
of the process. It reinforces when you move beyond this level you are an
asset. And they can trade their assets as they see fit and that’s all part of the
process of being a professional"
The Kings "understand that he’s a ways away," Lucia said." Buffalo is
rebuilding but you know, who knows, before he leaves here he could be
traded again. Again, that’s all part of the process. It’s not a negative or a
positive. ... that's just the way professional sports are. I mean you have to
trade whether it’s draft picks or players to try and maybe get some immediate
help. LA’s a type of team that’s probably trying to win a Cup this year."
The Gophers (23-4-5) are the No. 1 ranked team in the nation and play at
Ohio State this weekend.
Fasching has played well for the Gophers, ranking third on the team and
seventh in the Big Ten with 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) through 31
games. He spent the last two seasons with the U.S. National Development
Team notching 32 points in 62 games.
730639
Buffalo Sabres
Sabres send Halak, third-round pick to Washington for Neuvirth, Klesla
March 5, 2014 - 3:38 PM
By John Vogl
Aside from claiming Cory Conacher on waivers and a deal for prospects, it
was a quiet day in Buffalo -- until the trade deadline struck at 3 p.m.
The Sabres, according to a News source, sent Matt Moulson and Cody
McCormick to the Minnesota Wild for undisclosed draft picks and forward
Torrey Mitchell. Buffalo followed that by shipping goaltender Jaroslav Halak
and a third-round pick in 2015 to Washington for goalie Michal Neuvirth and
Like Moulson, Halak is a pending unrestricted free agent. The goaltender
was part of Friday's deal that sent Ryan Miller and Steve Ott to St. Louis. He
never played for Buffalo but served as Jhonas Enroth's backup Monday in
Dallas.
Neuvirth, 25, has played 13 games for the Capitals this season. He is 4-6-2
with a 2.82 goals-against average and .914 save percentage. Neuvirth has
one year left on his contract, which has a cap hit of $2.5 million.
Klesla was selected fourth overall in 2000 and was acquired from Phoenix
earlier today. He has appeared in 659 games, including 25 with the Coyotes
this season. The 31-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent after the
season.
730640
Buffalo Sabres
Players glued to TV and phones too
March 5, 2014 - 1:59 PM
By Mike Harrington
TAMPA, Fla. -- Trainers and equipment men on cell phones on the bench
were noticed. So were reporters doing likewise in the stands. No Sabres
were called off the ice during practice today in the Tampa Bay Times Forum
and the players retreated to the locker room to watch TSN/NHL Network just
like the rest of the hockey world.
"Did anybody get traded yet?" Zenon Konopka asked to team staff as the
team started to leave.
No one yet. Not Matt Moulson or Jaroslav Halak or Chris Stewart.
"It's hard to concentrate. It really is," said coach Ted Nolan. "These guys are
human and going through all kinds of emotional feelings, whether they'll be
here, whether they get moved."
None of the main principals had heard much and Halak and Stewart knew
that someone had already been acquired in their rumored spots (Ilya
Bryzgalov in Minnesota and Ales Hemsky in Ottawa).
"It's been stressful so far," Halak said. "It's been not fun so far but we'll see
what's going to happen."
"He's a right winger, I'm a right winger and they did pick him up," Stewart said
of Hemsky. "It doesn't take that much to figure it out."
That said, Stewart said he'd be OK to stay with Buffalo too.
"You can't read too much into it. It's that time of the year," he said. "Either
you're going to be here or not. I'm excited for the challenge. If you move, you
just take it one step at a time."
Moulson is almost certain to leave but his destination remained uncertain by
the time practice ended.
"I've never been in this position before. Nothing much I can do," Moulson
said. "It was good to get on the ice, get a skate in and take your mind off
things."
Nolan said he had not heard from GM Tim Murray on the trade of
defenseman Brayden McNabb or the waiver claim of Cory Conacher. He said
this was one of the more unusual practices of his career.
"It was pretty hard to concentrate on defensive zone coverage and neutral
zone coverage and some of the aspects we have to work on on a daily basis,"
he said. "It's hard to get the guys to focus. I told them if there's ever a day to
practice your concentraton level, this is the day to concentrate on it."
730641
Buffalo Sabres
Sabres' Fasching turning up the offense with University of Minnesota
March 5, 2014 - 1:43 PM
By John Vogl
It hasn't taken Hudson Fasching long to make an impact at the University of
Minnesota.
The freshman right winger, who was acquired by the Sabres in a trade with
Los Angeles this afternoon, is the third-leading scorer for the Gophers with
27 points in 31 games. Playing on the first line for the top-ranked team in the
NCAA, Fasching has six goals in the last 10 games to up his season total to
12.
Fasching, 18, is a big forward at 6-foot-2, 207 pounds. The Minnesota native
played well for the United States at the world juniors, scoring twice and
adding two assists in five games.
Fasching has a touching family story, which was chronicled three years ago
by ESPN.
"Excited to officially be a part of the Buffalo Sabres organization!" Fasching
wrote on his Twitter account.
730642
Buffalo Sabres
Seems like a normal day of practice -- even if it's not
March 5, 2014 - 12:13 PM
By Mike Harrington
TAMPA, Fla. -- The Sabres are on the ice at the Tampa Bay Times Forum
and nothing is amiss. Every player rumored to be leaving -- Matt Moulson,
Jaroslav Halak, Chris Stewart among others -- is here.
There is loud banter all over and spirits seem good after yesterday's off day.
Ville Leino left the ice briefly with a minor injury and quickly came back as
smiling coach Ted Nolan yelled to me in the stands, "he coulda been
traded!"
The lines are as follows:
Moulson-Ennis-Stafford
Foligno-Hodgson-Stewart
Flynn-Girgensons-D'Agostini
Ellis-Konopka-Leino/McCormick
There are seven D skating, including John Scott, and both goalies.
Stay tuned.
730643
Buffalo Sabres
Bucky Gleason: Sabres' best and worst deadline-day deals
March 5, 2014 - 11:56 AM
By Bucky Gleason
It has evolved into an international holiday for hockey lovers, but the best
trades aren’t usually made at the deadline.
If anything, the annual swap meet brings out the worst in teams who are
under pressure to make the playoffs or need a boost that lead them closer to
the Stanley Cup. It’s when they’re most vulnerable ... and most likely to
unload a future star for a veteran who can provide immediate help.
When scouring through the list Buffalo’s transactions since 1980, when the
NHL trade deadline was implemented, you come away mostly uninspired.
The Sabres made their best moves during the offseason or early in the
season, not when deadline desperation trumped common sense.
John Muckler made the best deal in franchise history without fully
understanding his own brilliance at the time it was completed. On Aug. 7,
1992, when people were barely paying attention, he acquired Dominik Hasek
from the Blackhawks for Stephane Beauregard and a fourth-round pick that
turned into Eric Daze.
Hasek played only 28 games in his first season as a backup in Buffalo,
posting a 11-10-15 record with a 3.15 goals-against average and .896 save
percentage. Statistics like that usually get goaltenders traded somewhere
else. He emerged the following season and turned into one of the best
goaltenders in NHL history.
But the deadline is usually a dud, particularly for the Sabres.
Here are the best deals made by Buffalo at the deadline:
March 18, 1997: Muckler traded Barrie Moore and Craig Millar to Edmonton
for Miroslav Satan. The winger led the Sabres in scoring six times in seven
full seasons and was second in the other. Satan scored more goals for
Buffalo (126) than Moore and Millar played NHL games (119) after the deal
was completed.
March 11, 2003: Darcy Regier acquired Daniel Briere and a third-round pick
for Chris Gratton and a fourth-round pick. Briere helped lead the Sabres to
consecutive trips to the conference finals and had 32 goals and 95 points in
2006-07. Gratton had a forgettable career. Note: Briere could have been had
sooner. He cleared waivers the previous year and was on the block months
earlier.
March 10, 2000: Regier shipped winger Michal Grosek and a conditional
draft pick to Chicago for Doug Gilmour and J.P. Dumont. Gilmour was a
proven veteran and leader, but Dumont ended up the best player in the deal.
He had four 20-goal seasons for the Sabres while Grosek scored only 19
goals the rest of his career.
And the worst:
March 22, 2004: Regier sent Curtis Brown and Andy Delmore to San Jose for
Jeff Jillson in what amounted to a three-way deal with Boston. Brown was a
former 20-goal scorer and sound two-way player who played three more NHL
seasons. Jillson played 16 games and disappeared.
March 10, 2003: Regier traded captain Stu Barnes to Dallas for Michael Ryan
and a second-round pick. Barnes played four more seasons with the Stars.
Ryan played 65 games for the Sabres. The pick ended up being Branislav
Fabry, who played 88 professional games in Europe and none in the NHL.
March 19, 2002: The Sabres were desperate for scoring help, and Regier’s
answer was ... Bob Corkum? It was a terrible message. Through no fault of
his own, Corkum became a local punch line after playing 10 games and
retiring. In exchange, the Sabres sent a fifth-round pick in 2002 to Atlanta.
Late draft picks, it should be noted, are not to be wasted. Ryan Miller was
selected with the fifth-round pick from the deal that brought Rhett Warrener to
Buffalo for Mike Wilson. Brian Campbell was a sixth-round choice. Martin St.
Louis was an undrafted free agent who became a star with the Lightning.
In 2002, there were several good players selected after the pick Buffalo sent
Atlanta for Corkum. They included James Wisniewski, Maxime Talbot, Adam
Burish and Dennis Wideman. The Sabres took Wideman in the eighth round
(241st overall) but weren’t impressed and never signed him. He eventually
became an NHL all-star.
730644
Buffalo Sabres
Lightning sends St. Louis to Rangers for Callahan, first- and second-round
pick
March 5, 2014 - 11:31 AM
By John Vogl
The first blockbuster of the day is in, and two captains are on the move.
Tampa Bay has traded disgruntled winger Martin St. Louis to the New York
Rangers for pending free agent Ryan Callahan. The Rangers also get the
Lightning's first-round pick in 2015 and their second-round pick in 2014.
According to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN and TSN, the second-rounder in 2014 to
becomes a first if the Rangers get to Eastern Conference final. If Callahan
re-signs in Tampa, then the Rangers get Tampa's second-round pick in 2015
and Tampa gets the Rangers' seventh-rounder in 201.
St. Louis is one of the most respected players in the NHL and a fan favorite in
Tampa, which hosts the Sabres on Thursday. But he was upset when Tampa
and Team Canada boss Steve Yzerman originally left him off the Olympic
team. Though St. Louis was added as an injury replacement, the slight stung.
The Rangers and Callahan, who is from Rochester, were far apart on a new
contract.
730645
Buffalo Sabres
March 31, 2013 -- Trades Jordan Leopold to St. Louis for second-round pick
(Justin Bailey) and fifth-round pick (Anthony Florentino).
History of Sabres' deals at or near the trade deadline
April 1, 2013 -- Trades Robyn Regehr to Los Angeles for second-round picks
in 2014 and 2015.
March 5, 2014 - 10:56 AM
April 3, 2013 -- Acquires Johan Larsson, Matt Hackett, first-round pick in
2013 (Nikita Zadorov) and second-round pick in 2014 from Minnesota for
Jason Pominville and fourth-round pick in 2014.
By John Vogl
As we prepare for the Sabres to make a few deals today, here's a look back
at their trades at or near the deadline since 1980.
March 10, 1980 -- Traded Jerry Korab to Los Angeles for a first-round draft
choice in 1982 (Phil Housley).
March 10, 1981 -- Traded Rick Martin to Los Angeles for a third-round draft
choice in 1981 (Colin Chisholm) and a first-round draft choice in 1983 (Tom
Barrasso); traded Don Luce to Los Angeles for a sixth-round draft choice in
1982 (Jeff Parker) and cash.
March 6, 1987 -- Traded Norm Lacombe, the professional rights to Wayne
Van Dorp and a fourth-round draft choice in 1987 (Peter Eriksson) to
Edmonton for Mark Napier, Lee Fogolin and a fourth-round draft choice in
1987 (John Bradley).
March 6, 1989 -- Traded Calle Johansson and a second-round draft choice in
1989 (Byron Dafoe) to Washington for Clint Malarchuk, Grant Ledyard and a
sixth-round draft choice in 1991 (Brian Holzinger); March 7, 1989 -- Traded
Lindy Ruff to the N.Y. Rangers for a fifth-round draft choice in 1990 (Richard
Smehlik).
March 9, 1992 -- Traded Dave Snuggerud to San Jose for Wayne Presley.
Traded Jay Wells to the N.Y. Rangers for Randy Moller; March 10, 1992 -Traded Kevin Haller to Montreal for Petr Svoboda. Acquired Dave Hannan
from Toronto for a sixth-round draft choice
(Chris Deruiter) in 1992.
March 22, 1993 -- Traded Mike Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Bob
Errey.
March 18, 1997 -- Traded Barrie Moore and Craig Millar to Edmonton in
exchange for Miroslav Satan.
March 24, 1998 -- Acquired Paul Kruse and Jason Holland from the N.Y.
Islanders in exchange for Jason Dawe.
DARCY REGIER ERA
March 23, 1999 -- Acquires Joe Juneau, third-round pick from Washington
for Alexei Tezikov; acquires Rhett Warrener, fifth-round pick (Ryan Miller)
from Florida for Mike Wilson
March 10, 2000 -- Acquires Chris Gratton, second-round pick for Wayne
Primeau, Brian Holzinger, Corey Sarich, third-round pick; acquires Doug
Gilmour, J.P. Dumont for Michal Grosek.
March 19, 2002 -- Acquires Bob Corkum from Atlanta for a fifth-round pick.
March 10, 2003 -- Trades Stu Barnes to Dallas for Michael Ryan,
second-round pick. March 11, 2003 -- Acquires Daniel Briere, third-round
pick for Chris Gratton, fourth-round pick.
March 9, 2004 -- Acquires Michael Grier from Washington for Jakub Klepis.
Feb. 27, 2007 -- Acquires Dainius Zubrus, Timo Helbling from Washington
for Jiri Novotny, first-round pick; trades Martin Biron to Philadelphia for
second-round pick; acquires Ty Conklin from Columbus for fifth-round pick.
Feb. 26, 2008 -- Trades Brian Campbell, seventh-round pick to San Jose for
Steve Bernier, first-round pick.
March 4, 2009 -- Acquires Dominic Moore from Toronto for second-round
pick; trades Ales Kotalik to Edmonton for second-round pick.
March 3, 2010 -- Acquires Raffi Torres from Columbus for Nathan Paetsch,
second-round pick; trades Clarke MacArthur to Atlanta for third- and
fourth-round picks.
Feb. 27, 2011 -- Acquires Brad Boyes from St. Louis for second-round pick.
Feb. 28, 2014 -- Trades Ryan Miller and Steve Ott to St. Louis for Jaroslav
Halak, Chris Stewart, William Carrier, first-round pick in 2015 and conditional
pick.
730646
Buffalo Sabres
Lightning's Stamkos will return from injury against Sabres
March 5, 2014 - 10:47 AM
By Mike Harrington
TAMPA, Fla. -- The Buffalo Sabres have no idea who will be on their roster
when they play the Tampa Bay Lightning here tomorrow night. And while
there will be some changes on both sides -- especially now that Lightning
legend Marty St. Louis has gone to the Rangers for Ryan Callahan -- one
thing for sure is that there will be a huge buzz in the Tampa Bay Times Forum
in the wake of this tweet.
Just left the doctors office. Got the green light. See you tomorrow Bolts
fans. Excited to be back !!
— Steven Stamkos (@RealStamkos91) March 5, 2014
Yep, Lightning superstar Steven Stamkos, out since November with a broken
leg that cost him a spot on Team Canada at the Sochi Olympics, finalized this
morning that he has recovered and will return to the lineup tonight. His
second game will be Saturday against Boston, the team that he was injured
against.
Stamkos has missed 45 games this season. He had 14 goals and 23 points
in 17 games prior to the injury. He's best known, of course, for his 60-goal
season in 2011-12
730647
Buffalo Sabres
Sabres looking at 'couple names' on waiver wire, getting calls on 25 percent
of roster
March 5, 2014 - 10:07 AM
By John Vogl
The trade deadline could feature more than trades for the Buffalo Sabres.
General Manager Tim Murray says he and the scouting staff are looking hard
at a couple of players on the waiver wire, and he's doing so while fielding
calls on about 25 percent of his roster.
"There’s a couple names there that we feel can help us," Murray said in an
interview with Sabres.com "We’re trying to tie that into what may happen
going forward here. We don’t want to end up 27 players here on our roster.
That would make it tough for our coaching staff to keep everybody happy, but
we’re definitely with our scouting staff in the room talking about a couple guys
who are on waivers. There’s at least one or two real possibilities."
Among the notable names are waivers are Cory Conacher (the Canisius
College grad) and goalie Scott Clemmensen. The others are defensemen
Joe Corvo, Corey Potter and Derek Smith, and forwards Scott Gomez,
Trevor Smith and Jake Dowell.
But today is mostly about trades, and the Sabres are open for business.
"Twenty-two guys, I’d say approximately 25 percent we’ve gotten calls on,"
Murray told the team website. "Some aren’t realistic at all, but we have got
calls on guys that we’re not going to trade and listen to, and said no thanks."
Murray said his man focus is dealing unrestricted free agents, a list that
features Matt Moulson, Jaroslav Halak and Henrik Tallinder.
"You get anxious," Murray said, "whether you’re buying or selling, if you know
you’re going to be involved. You get anxious and you think it’s going to be like
Christmas morning and you find out every year it’s not that way. It’s reality
and it takes time and it takes homework, and you’ve got to be very patient."
730648
Buffalo Sabres
Miller wins home debut; Sabres fan posts tribute video
March 5, 2014 - 9:22 AM
By Mike Harrington
TAMPA, Fla. -- It's Deadline Day and our deadline live blog shepherded by
John Vogl at First Niagara Center begins at 10 a.m. The Sabres' practice at
Tampa Bay Times Forum starts at 11:45 and I'm the only Buffalo reporter on
hand to give you on-the-scene updates. (If you're not following Vogl and I on
Twitter, today is the day to do it at @Buffnewsvogl and @BNHarrington).
Be sure to check out my story in today's editions on who might go as part of
the Sabres' fire sale.
Today is about looking ahead for the Sabres but before we do, we can have
one last look back at Ryan Miller. He won his home debut for the St. Louis
Blues last night with a 4-2 win over Tampa Bay that saw him need to make
just 15 saves. Miller has faced only 42 shots on goal in two games with the
Blues! Little different than here.
Pretty interesting St. Louis column in the Post-Dispatch by Joe Strauss
talking to Miller's agent and former Blues goalie Mike Liut. Clearly speaking
of the rebuilding in Buffalo and Miller's barrage of shots faced each night, Liut
said, "You don’t win it by yourself. You’re not a wall.”
Several people on Twitter have sent me links to a Miller video by a fan named
Connor Gorman and it's a great view set to "The Boxer", the Simon and
Garfunkel classic. Click here to watch the video. It's well worth it. (The embed
code is not working for some reason, so click on the link).
Now that you've watched that, here's Miller's chat with the media in St.
Louis last night. The Blues, unfortunately, run all their interviews together but
Miller's starts after just 36 seconds.
730649
Calgary Flames
Flames forward Lee Stempniak headed to Pittsburgh
By Scott Cruickshank, Calgary Herald March 5, 2014 3:32 PM
Flames forward Lee Stempniak headed to Pittsburgh
Brian Burke’s first trade-deadline day at the helm of the Calgary Flames
resulted in a pair of trades.
And, surprisingly, none involving winger Michael Cammalleri.
The Flames moved netminder Reto Berra to the Colorado Avalanche for a
second-round pick.
"He has already shown he can be successful at the NHL level," Joe Sakic,
executive vice-president of hockey operations, said of Berra, "and we are
excited about what he can bring to our team.
With this acquisition we feel we have further solidified our goaltending
situation, for the present and future."
Meaning they needed to call up Joey MacDonald from AHL Abbotsford to
back up tonight’s starter, Joni Ortio. (Karri Ramo is sidelined with a knee
injury.)
The Flames also shipped Lee Stempniak to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a
third-round selection.
Calgary Herald: LOADED: 03.06.2014
730650
Calgary Flames
Flames lineup for tonight's game is sketchy
By Scott Cruickshank, Calgary Herald March 5, 2014 1:21 PM
Flames lineup for tonight's game is sketchy
Calgary Flames centre Sean Monahan watches the play during an optional
team practice at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday.
Here, tracing very lightly now, are the Calgary Flames’ lines for tonight
against the visiting Ottawa Senators:
* Jiri Hudler/Mikael Backlund/Lee Stempniak
* Michael Cammalleri/Sean Monahan/Joe Colborne
* Lance Bouma/Markus Granlund/Paul Byron
* Max Reinhart/Corban Knight/Brian McGrattan
But no one is naive enough to think these 12 forwards will be together by
puck-drop this evening, including the maestro himself.
"I’m a coach, not a GM," started Flames coach Bob Hartley. "So this morning
I did my lines — but I always write my lines with a pencil. It’s easy to erase.
It’s easy to erase, even during a game. We know there’s still a few hours to
go (till the NHL trade deadline).
"You guys are watching and the phones are ringing. We understand how this
game goes and this is the deadline. It’s no surprise to anyone. We just have
to go through it."
Because it can be an anxious time, Hartley was asked if he helps the players
manage their day.
"Not today, not today," he said, smiling, "because they’re all in front of TVs.
They’re like a bunch of kids watching Barney. You can’t even get their
attention."
03.06.2014
Not available for the game are C Matt Stajan (personal), RW David Jones
(upper body), RW Kevin Westgarth (concussion), LW T.J. Galiardi (upper
body), who was injured Tuesday during an off-ice workout.
D Derek Smith sent to AHL Abbotsford.
03.06.2014
C Corban Knight, a 23-year-old native of High River, gets into his first NHL
game.
"I’m sure it’s going to be very special for him," said Hartley.
03.06.2014
Flames boss Brian Burke, on TSN, noted that D Ladislav Smid is not on the
trading block.
730651
Calgary Flames
Youth takes centre stage and doesn't disappoint in Flames' 4-1 win over
Senators
Then — with Ottawa defender Wiercioch off for tripping Byron — Dennis
Wideman and Cammalleri nearly hooked up for a goal.
By eight-minute mark, the Flames were holding a 7-0 advantage on the shot
clock.
But suddenly — as it happens — Ortio had to be good. A one-timer off the
stick of Bobby Ryan was coolly repelled with a right pad.
By Scott Cruickshank, Calgary Herald March 5, 2014
Then it was the travellers getting in gear, outshooting the Flames 8-0 over the
next seven minutes.
Youth takes centre stage and doesn't disappoint in Flames' 4-1 win over
Senators
But Ortio — with a trapper on an Ales Hemsky drive, with a blocker on a
chance by Colin Greening — looked steady.
Certainly, there had been a low-wattage feel to trade-deadline day in
Calgary.
Late in the period, with Sens centre Mike Hoffman serving a too-many-men
minor, Granlund and Byron came very close to connecting on a pretty
passing play.
No matter.
The Flames’ in-place prospects did a swell job of igniting hope — at least on
Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators.
The young goalie, in his second-ever appearance, bagged a shutout. That
would be Joni Ortio, perfect through 50 minutes.
The young centre, in his fourth-ever appearance, collected his first goal. That
would be Markus Granlund, who opened the scoring on this night.
Another young centre, in his first-ever appearance, looked comfortable
working his bread and butter. That would be Corban Knight, 11 for 17 at the
dot.
There was enough goodness on display — and shabbiness by the travellers
— that even those third jerseys couldn’t stop the hosts (who, coming into the
contest, had been 0-8-0 in the alternative duds).
It all added up to a 4-1 decision in National Hockey League action at the
Scotiabank Saddledome.
“Unbelievable,” said Ortio afterwards. “Like I said, getting the first win here at
home makes it that much more special. Pretty much words can’t describe the
way I feel right now.”
“The way the younger guys played tonight was amazing. It’s a joy to watch
them do as well as the did.”
The Flames, who led 1-0 and 3-0 by periods, also got goals from Paul Byron,
24, and Joe Colborne, 24, who has five points in his last six games.
Michael Cammalleri, overlooked in the afternoon, scored, too.
“The one thing we’ve ingrained is that we’re going to work our butts off,” said
Cammalleri, thought to be on his way out of town on trade deadline day. “I
thought a lot of our young guys tonight got the ball rolling.
“It was a little bit of an anxious day for sure. It’s the key to life, right? I’m not
the Dalai Lama by any means, but you try and stay as present as possible
and enjoy everything. I’ve enjoyed it here. Always have. It just takes a second
to get your head right.”
The news wasn’t all good.
Mere seconds in the third period, Jiri Hudler got rocked into the boards by
Clarke MacAuthur. The Flames winger went to the dressing room. Also lost
to an upper-body ailment? Dennis Wideman.
Scoring for Sens was Kyle Turris, spoiling the shutout bid at 10:24 of the third
period.
“I was trying to get there (shutout), but I was trying to block it out,” said Ortio.
“But now that I didn’t get it now I’ve got something to wait for in the future.”
The Flames had surged ahead 1-0 only 124 seconds into the contest.
Starting the play, Max Reinhart stole the puck on the left wing and directed it
into the middle. Granlund, in traffic, corralled a loose puck and sliced it past
goalie Craig Anderson.
First goal of the NHL season, yes, but it also marked Granlund’s 24th goal in
his rookie professional season. He’s already drained 23 — in 50 games — for
the Abbotsford Heat of the American Hockey League.
That sparked the hosts.
A minute later, a give-and-go sequence featuring Mikael Backlund and Lance
Bouma looked dangerous.
On a second-period power play — Phillips was off for holding Ben Hanowski
— Kris Russell and Mark Giordano combined to set up Byron at 9:12.
Late in the period, Hudler found Colborne lurking near the net. The big
forward rapped home the 3-0 goal.
730652
Calgary Flames
Johnson: Biggest NHL trade deadline news for Flames was who stayed put
— Mike Cammalleri
By George Johnson, Calgary Herald March 5, 2014
Brian Burke doesn’t anticipate any residue bitterness or gnawing
disappointment to compromise these curtain-dropping 21 games.
He doesn’t foresee Michael Cammalleri going into pout mode or slamming on
the binders for what’s left of a season or curling up quietly in a fetal position
and whimpering softly at the capricious injustice of life.
He expects him to get on with the business.
“First off,” explained the ‘interim’ general manager, “because he’s a
professional. Mike Cammalleri’s been an ultimate professional in the time
I’ve been here. And this gives us a chance to continue our contract talks. I’ve
already spoken to his agent once since the deadline and said ‘The good thing
about this is we can sit down again.’
“I said early in the day on TV — I don’t know which (network) it was — that if
we didn’t do anything, it wouldn’t be a catastrophe. And that’s how I feel.
“I’m not sitting here going ‘Damn! I wish I could’ve moved Mike Cammalleri!’
‘Cause he’s a quality person and a quality player.
“I’d rather take a chance on keeping him here and signing him than giving
him away on a terrible deal.”
Easy and predictable to say in the aftermath of a can’t-miss sale that
somehow failed to fizz to life. The Calgary Flames were more than willing to
accommodate potential suitors — even to the point of taking on a portion of
salary owed for the remainder of the season — and still couldn’t find a taker
for Cammalleri.
That in itself is somewhat illuminating.
Burke was expecting to move Cammalleri. Actively sought to off-load him.
Cammalleri expected to be moved. Had no qualms about the possibility
(inevitability?). No doubt, approaching 32, he privately welcomed the idea,
facing more stark, lean years of rebuild ahead here.
“I think,” reasoned Burke, “it was primarily due to two reasons. One, the
logjam. With two players moving, Thomas Vanek and Matt Moulson, very late
I think it kept a lot of teams out of the bidding process and, two, the prices on
all of these packages dropped from yesterday.
“We reacted to that. I think if you don’t react to the market moving you’re
going to miss out. But nothing materialized that made sense to us.
“I think the fact that the Vancouver Canucks entertained offers on Ryan
Kesler also contributed to the logjam. And a lot of it was simply cap-related.
There were a lot of teams I think that would have interest in Mike Cammalleri
that weren’t in a position to acquire him. We had one, two teams ask if we’d
retain salary to move him and we said we would.
“So I don’t think it’s a question of the team not reacting to the market or
setting the bar too high.”
And so they’re still married to each other. At least until July 1st when
unrestricted free agency opens for business.
When asked if Cammalleri would be amenable for a media chat before
Wednesday’s 7:30 p.m. deadline-day date against the Ottawa Senators (all
the players had left the building), the reply was: “Not available.”
Funny. He’d been available all day.
Well, at least until the 1 p.m. MST deadline, anyway. But as a raft of other
players that fit the same mold — Marian Gaborik, Ales Hemsky, Matt
Moulsen, Thomas Vanek — got their wish and moved on. Mike Cammalleri
stayed put. And not by choice. His. Or theirs.
Nobody was expecting a queue to form right round the block, but it seemed a
foregone conclusion that some team looking for an offensive injection would
roll the dice on Cammalleri knowing that if things didn’t work out there was
always the ‘out’ for either party of shaking hands and walking away come
July.
Just goes to show.
In all honesty, he hadn’t exactly been showcasing himself to uber advantage
during the lead-up to the deadline. For the last couple of months press boxes
across the league had been stuffed with pro scouts assessing possible
additions. But two points, both goals, since Christmas — one on each side of
a nine-game concussion-mandated absence — obviously wasn’t enough to
sway teams in search of that missing offensive spark. And if Cammalleri was
banking heavily on a “body of work”, on his monster playoff run with Montreal
or those career watermark 39 goals and 82 points here in 2008-2009 being
enough to sway the thinking, win the day, he figured wrong.
“I think everyone needs a couple days for the dust to settle,” said Burke,
thrust into the reluctant role of peacemaker Wednesday. “I’m sure Mike’s
disappointed — not to be a Calgary Flame, because he loves it here — but to
go somewhere and get some playoff hockey in.
“So I think everyone needs a couple days to sit down, have a cold drink and
settle down a bit.”
If Cammalleri was disappointed by what didn’t happen Wednesday, he
wasn’t alone. Brian Burke’s bold talk of oodles of cap space to play with, of
being a “banker”, absorbing salary one way or t’other to get what he wanted,
of acquiring tangible assets over draft picks to fast-track the rebuild, failed to
pan out.
Burke did receive fair value out of Pittsburgh for 31-year-old Lee Stempniak
(third-round selection) and made off like a bandit in the night securing a
second rounder for a goalie who has the grand total of one NHL
regulation-time win to his name, Reto Berra.
But he couldn’t do more, do enough, in particular to consummate a trade for
his prized upcoming UFA. So doubtless many in this city will consider this
deadline day more a case of half empty than half full.
Others are bound to rate it an outright failure.
“I don’t pay attention to that,” Burke countered stoically. “The fans are entitled
to criticize anything that they want. The people who follow this team are
entitled to have their opinions.
“I think that criticism would be muted if (Cammalleri) re-signs here. It didn’t
happen today. Not for lack of effort. Not for lack of moving the price. I’m
comfortable we did everything we could do to move him short of giving him
away. And to me the value of having here for the rest of the season and the
enhanceability of maybe signing him to an extension is way preferable to
giving him away from nothing.”
Perhaps in the harsh reflection of this deadline-day disappointment, Burke
can convince Cammalleri that this team, this town, still represent his best
interests. It’s hard, though, to imagine him not yearning for the chance to
recapture that addictive buzz he experienced one magical rush in Montreal,
though.
Stanley Cup dreams have a tendency to turn to ash in the blink of an eye if a
fella allows enough years to slip softly, silently by.
As Brian Burke said, it just didn’t happen Wednesday for Michael
Cammalleri. Maybe July 1st will be different.
For the next month, anyway, he’ll wake up, roll over, clamber out of bed, rub
the sleep from of his eyes and find himself in . . . Calgary.
Yes, Calgary.
Of all places.
730653
Calgary Flames
Flames land draft picks in shipping out Stempniak, Berra on NHL trade
deadline day
“Yeah, it’s nice,” said Stempniak. “Two pretty big life-changing events have
happened . . . two really exciting things. I’m fortunate that things are looking
like they’re really going well right now.”
Hard to argue.
Capping this latest transfer is a sweet landing spot, joining the powerhouse
firm of Crosby & Malkin.
By SCOTT CRUICKSHANK, Calgary Herald March 5, 2014
Calgary Flames President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke comments on
his team's deadline day trades which garned two draft picks and saw Lee
Stempniak go to Pittsburgh and Reta Berra go to Colorado
The two trade-deadline cases were similar — Calgary Flames roster players
dealt for draft picks.
But the reactions could not have been more different.
Winger Lee Stempniak — on his way to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange
for a third-rounder — has been through this before.
So, about to join his fifth squad in the National Hockey League, Stempniak
knew what the day would hold.
Which showed. The 31-year-old was calm, measured. Just going about his
business.
But Reto Berra?
No one had heard a trade peep about the rookie netminder.
Suddenly, Berra, in exchange for a second-round selection, was heading for
Denver to join the Colorado Avalanche. Be-tuqued and buzzing, he could
barely stand still for reporters and react to the deadline.
“It’s funny how fast it goes over here,” said Berra, a 27-year-old from
Switzerland. “I don’t know what to say. It’s special how fast it goes. I didn’t
know exactly what’s going on — how many trades they do and everything like
that. But, for sure, when it happens, it’s exciting and wow. Guys told me a
couple days ago, ‘Wait, when it (gets) near the end, some things are going to
happen.’ It was new for me.”
Originally a 2006 fourth-round pick of the St. Louis Blues, Berra — part of the
return a year ago in the Jay Bouwmeester swap — will serve as the Avs’ third
man behind Semyon Varlamov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere.
“I had a great time (in Calgary) — it’s a great organization . . . they gave me
my first opportunity to step into the NHL, so I’m really thankful for that,” said
Berra. “On the other hand, I’m really excited to go to Colorado — a great
team, probably a great city, too. A really famous coach (Patrick Roy), who,
when I was a child in Switzerland, was probably one of the biggest (names).
I’m excited and happy.”
Brian Burke had not been actively shopping Berra.
But when the Avs expressed interested in the lanky goalie — 9-17-2 (with
only a single regulation win to his credit) — the Flames boss could not turn
down the generous offer.
“Trades require calendars to be evaluated rather than stop watches,” said
Burke. “What Reto Berra does in Colorado will determine if this was fair value
or not . . . we would not have done it for a lower pick than that pick.”
Meanwhile, Burke, for not the first time, sent Stempniak packing.
While in Toronto, he had shipped the right-winger, five foot 11 and 196
pounds, to Phoenix.
Nothing personal, though.
“I think Lee Stempniak is a really good hockey player,” said Burke. “If he was
10 pounds heavier, he’d be a dynamite hockey player. His deficiencies aren’t
from hockey skill. They’re not from hockey IQ. They’re not from effort.
They’re from physical limitations.”
For Stempniak, it’s been a wild couple of weeks.
He had been in Boston with wife Lindsay for Friday’s birth of their twin
daughters, Lucy and Reese.
Now he moves closer — much closer — to his young family.
“Really exciting,” said Stempniak, who will certainly add to his 11 career
post-season appearances, “but it’ll be tough to leave Calgary. I love the city, I
love playing here, the fans, teammates, management, coaches. But it’s on to
the next challenge.
“I’m really excited to be going to Pittsburgh. When you look at the teams in
the league, that’s a team that ranks right up there. Unbelievable players and
they’re having a great season. As a player, you can’t ask for anything more
than to be able to play in the playoffs.”
Added Burke: “I think he can help Pittsburgh. I just talked to him and I told
him, ‘You have a chance now to do something special and get some
hardware out of this, so take advantage of it.’ “
730654
Calgary Flames
Former Calgary Flames GM Jay Feaster talks trades on TSN
By WES GILBERTSON
,Calgary Sun
First posted: Wednesday, March 05, 2014 10:17 AM MST | Updated:
Wednesday, March 05, 2014 12:58 PM MST
Jay Feaster will be remembered in Calgary as the guy who traded Jarome
Iginla.
As the former Calgary Flames GM reminded everybody — not that anyone in
Cowtown has forgotten — during Wednesday's Trade Centre coverage on
TSN, he essentially traded him twice.
To Boston.
And, a few hours later and at the insistence of the Flames'
face-of-the-franchise and all-time leading scorer on that wild day last March,
to Pittsburgh.
“The conversation initially was with his agent, with Don Meehan — I said 'We
have a deal and we'd like to have him waive (his no-trade clause) to go
Boston,' ” Feaster recalled in the early hours of Wednesday's coverage on
TSN.
“He said 'You may have a deal, but we don't have a deal.' ”
The rest is, literally, history.
Iginla was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for forward
prospects Kenny Agostino and Ben Hanowski and a first-round selection that
was cashed in on Regina Pats standout and Calgary kid Morgan Klimchuk.
Feaster, meanwhile was fired in mid-December.
The 51-year-old has been silent ever since, making his first public comments
Wednesday as part of TSN's team of experts on Trade Centre.
In a strange twist, the first swaps he was asked to analyse were some of his
own.
“Jarome gave four teams — two teams in the East, two teams in the West,”
Feaster said. “I thought we had four destinations. As it turned out, there was
really only one destination.
“And that's the one thing I would do differently is I would make sure as we're
going through the process, while I kept in touch with Jarome's agent, I would
make sure I was really drilling down to understand that, in fact, there was
really only the one destination.
“Contrast that with Jay Bouwmeester. Jay Bouwmeester had a much more
expansive list — 14 teams to start. As the process went along, I would hear
from his agent and he would say, 'You know, we've looked at it some more
and we think this team has dropped out of the mix in terms of a playoff team.
Really, we'd only prefer these 12 teams or these 10 teams.' ”
To refresh your memory, Feaster shipped Bouwmeester to the St. Louis
Blues for the rights to backstop Reto Berra, minor-league defenceman Mark
Cundari and a first-round selection that turned into right-winger Emile Poirier
of the QMJHL's Gatineau Olympiques.
Feaster defended his moves Wednesday, pointing out Vancouver Canucks
GM Mike Gillis will face the same type of short-term criticism for dealing away
goalies Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo in a span of about eight months,
with just a mix of prospects, picks and unknown commodities in return.
“You can do the instant analysis, and that's what we did, for example, on this
deal (Tuesday) with Luongo and what we do with Schneider,” Feaster said.
“You look at it and say, 'OK, in the immediate instant, today, what does that
deal look like?' And you say, 'Well, it's not enough.' But I think we have to take
a long-term position as well.
“Agostino is finishing up his senior year at Yale. We believe he is a guy who
will play, eventually, in the National Hockey League. We believe Ben
Hanowski has the ability to play in the NHL. Very, very excited about Morgan
Klimchuk as a prospect. Reto Berra? The jury is still out. There are people
who still believe he can be a very good NHL goaltender, but the jury is out.”
Feaster probably would have mentioned Poirier next — he does, after all,
have 42 goals and 80 points in 58 games with the Olympiques this season —
but TSN host James Duthie interrupted and suggested full evaluation of a
deal sometimes requires five years or even a decade.
“That's exactly right,” Feaster replied. “You look at that with Vancouver. If, in
fact, Bo Horvat captains this team, is a hall-of-famer, wins a couple of Cups, if
(Jacob) Markstrom is what everybody believed he was two years ago, well ...
maybe it doesn't look so bad down the road.”
Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.06.2014
730655
Calgary Flames
"As recently as an hour before the deadline, I thought we were going to turn
some of that cap space into a pick," Burke said.
Two shrewd moves ease blow from epic fail of not trading Michael
Cammalleri
"We actually agreed with another team to do that, but it was a three-way deal,
and they needed to get the other team to commit before we could do that,
and they weren't able to do that before the deadline. It would have been nice,
but I'm happy with the return we got."
By Eric Francis
He should be.
,Calgary Sun
First posted: Wednesday, March 05, 2014 10:07 PM MST | Updated:
But that won't stop most observers from rehashing the obvious failure of the
organization to cash in on what should have been its biggest trade bait.
Brian Burke says there's method behind the madness of not trading Mike
Cammalleri at the NHL trade deadline.
Fittingly, no one is buying it.
However, instead of harping on the deal he couldn't get done, Burke saved
himself and the Flames from an embarrassing day by cashing in big on two
unlikely trading chips --- Lee Stempniak and Reto Berra.
After the hockey world lobbed endless criticism at Burke for not being able to
turn the franchise's shiniest object into gold, Burke pulled a pair of rabbits out
of his hat late, landing a third-round draft pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins
for Stempniak and a head-scratching second-rounder from the Colorado
Avalanche for rookie goalie Reto Berra.
Apparently the market for unproven pending unrestricted free-agent
netminders with one career regular win is a lucrative one.
Who knew?
Arguably the biggest steal of the day, the Berra bonanza masked the outright
failure to salvage anything for Cammalleri, a 31-year-old who will
unquestionably sign elsewhere this summer with no compensation sent the
Flames way.
"The fans are entitled to criticize anything that they want," said the Flames
president of hockey operations and acting GM when asked what he'd say to
the army of angry fans lighting him up on social media.
"I think that criticism would be muted if he re-signs here. But it didn't happen
not for a lack of effort, not for a lack of moving the price," Burke continued.
"I'm comfortable we did everything we could do to move him short of giving
him away. To me, the value of having him here for the rest of the season and
the enhanced ability to maybe sign him to an extension was way preferable
to giving him away for nothing."
He shouldn't re-sign here.
He won't.
It's laughable to suggest it makes sense for the player or the team.
But after explaining how flexible he was when prices fell overnight for rentals
like Thomas Vanek, Matt Moulson and Marian Gaborik, Burke did make a
salient point on his rationale behind stubbornly refusing to let Cammalleri go
cheap.
"I think an organization has to have a reputation at the trade deadline that
you're not going to give people away," Burke said. "The fact we didn't give
him away is something next year's deadline and 10 years down the road
people will remember. I think it's important to have an organizational direction
and philosophy."
Burke says more than half-dozen potential suitors for Cammalleri were also
making pitches for Thomas Vanek, Matt Moulson and Marian Gaborik as well
as the Vancouver Canucks' Ryan Kesler, leaving the classy Flames veteran
a relative afterthought. And in the end, time ran out on a deal.
"We were asked by two teams to retain salary, and in order to move him, I
said we would," explained Burke. "Also, I think a lot of teams that had interest
in him didn't have cap space."
The window on salvaging anything for Cammalleri is closed, but the
opportunity to turn valuable cap space into assets is still open to Burke or
whoever succeeds him as GM this summer.
A day earlier, Burke said he was authorized to spend as much cap money as
he wanted -- by taking on someone's unwanted contract -- if it could net some
solid assets.
730656
Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames Snapshots: Corban Knight's debut in trade-deadline's
shadow
By RANDY SPORTAK
,Calgary Sun
Corban Knight’s NHL debut becomes a secondary story coming on the same
day as the NHL’s trade deadline.
Not a problem, the Calgary Flames forward said.
“There’s a lot of buzz around the league and in this dressing room,” Knight,
the product of High River, said after Wednesday’s morning skate in
preparation for the night’s clash with the Ottawa Senators. “It’s cool to be part
of it for once instead of watching it on TV.”
It would take more than having a smaller spotlight — much, much more — to
get the smile off Knight’s face.
“Ever since I got the call (Tuesday night), a lot of memories have been going
through my head,” Knight said. “My family — they’re all going to be here. It’s
special.”
Knight was part of an airlift from the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat, with fellow
forwards Max Reinhart and Ben Hanowski and goalie Joey MacDonald all
making their way Wednesday to the Stampede City.
Not only did the Flames open spots on the roster by trading away goalie Reto
Berra to the Colorado Avalanche for a second-round draft choice and
right-winger Lee Stempniak to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a third-round draft
choice, but they were without injured forwards David Jones (shoulder), TJ
Galiardi (upper body), Curtis Glencross (ankle), Kevin Westgarth (head) and
Matt Stajan (personal).
Knight, who was originally drafted by the Florida Panthers in 2009, acquired
by the Flames via trade last summer and had netted 14 goals and 37 points
in 57 AHL games, was called to the office of Heat coach Troy Ward after
Tuesday’s matinee game.
“Usually, it’s not a good thing when a coach is looking for you,” said Knight,
23. “I was a little nervous when I went into his office, and he told me the good
news. I was pretty pumped.”
He started the game at centre on a line with Reinhart and Brian McGrattan.
The wait — he was given the No. 10 for training camp, so hopes were high he
would make the Flames right away — wasn’t so bad, after all.
“You want to play in the NHL and get your shot, but I knew after training camp
and talking to the coaches that there was some stuff I needed to work on,”
Knight said. “I was pretty happy with my development in Abbotsford.
“It’s hard, but I was trying to be as patient as possible and work on what I
needed to work on. Definitely, when I got the call, it was a relief, but it’s not
like I was freaking out down there. I was happy with how I was developing.”
Playing his first NHL game for his hometown wasn’t the only bit of good news
for Knight and his proud parents. A few weeks ago, his family was able to
move back into their flooded out home in High River, and his father, Jack,
was in the stands during the morning skate.
“I tried to focus on the ice, but a couple of times, I glanced over — it was a
pretty surreal moment,” added Knight, invoking Images of almost every
youngster starting out in the game.
“I tried not to wave at him and embarrass myself.”
Off the glass
Joe Colborne had already been dealt this season. He figured it happened
again when he arrived at the rink, sat down in what had been his stall for a
long time in the team’s dressing room and saw Reinhart’s namebar on it. “I
thought I got traded,” the Flames forward said before noting that Chris Butler
knew what had happened and was watching for his reaction. Turns out with
new faces on the team, Colborne’s spot was moved to another part of the
room … Flames head coach Bob Hartley was on his game in his morning
media session. When asked whether he expected the forward lines he used
in the skate to be his starting lineup in the game, Hartley said, “I always write
my lines with a pencil — it’s easy to erase.” He also had a gem when asked
whether players are slightly distracted watching for trade deadline news —
“They’re all in front of the TVs. They’re like a bunch of kids watching Barney.
You can’t even get their attention.” … At this point, the Flames will head into
the this year’s draft with their first-round pick, a pair of second-rounders and
two more in third round — which means five of the top-89 picks (the New
Jersey Devils lost their first-round pick in the Ilya Kovalchuk contract
kerfuffle). The Flames are without their fourth-round (the Colborne trade with
the Toronto Maple Leafs), their fifth-rounder (to the Columbus Blue Jackets
for Kris Russell) and sixth-round selections (to the Dallas Stars for Lane
MacDermid). They do have the Anaheim Duck’s sixth-round pick (acquired
for Tim Jackman) and their own seventh-rounder.
In the crease
Flames D Ladislav Smid says he was happy to hear that president of hockey
operations and interim GM Brian Burke went public early in the day with the
news Smid wasn’t going to be traded. “I said it before — I would like to be a
part of this rebuild,” Smid said. “I think Brian is going to make some bold
moves to make this team better fast. He doesn’t like losing, and neither do
we. I’m expecting probably some moves (Wednesday) and some more
moves over the summer.” Smid’s former Edmonton Oilers teammate and
fellow Olympian Ales Hemsky was traded to the Senators on Wednesday,
one night after scoring a pair of goals against that club. “What a coincidence.
Obviously, he’s going to be a big help for Ottawa offensively,” Smid said.
“He’s a very talented player and a good friend of mine, and I’m glad to see
him go somewhere where he’s wanted and where he’s going to feel
comfortable.” … Senators LW Bobby Ryan isn’t quite willing to forgive and
forget the scathing words from Flames president of hockey operations Burke
leading up to the selection of the U.S. Olympic team. “He’s reached out to me
a couple of times right after it, but I’ve politely declined,” Ryan said. “There’s
nothing in it for me. I still wish him the best. Always like him, always will, but
as far as I’m concerned, I’m not going to reach out to him. There’s no point.”
Burke said of Ryan, who wasn’t chosen for the team, “He is not intense. That
word is not in his vocabulary.” Ryan, however, said he isn’t using those words
to motivate him during the game. “Once I get out there, I don’t think it’ll
change much. The game’s the game. I’m not going to be running around to
spite him, by any means. I’m going to play the way I normally do.”
730657
Calgary Flames
Rebuilding Flames come out firing against Senators
Thursday, March 06, 2014 12:29 AM MST
Wes Gilbertson
Calgary Flames netminder Joni Ortio had just collected his first NHL win, just
completed a celebratory spin as the first star, when somebody mentioned it
was too bad he couldn’t finish off the shutout.
“At least I have something to wait for in the future,” Ortio replied.
Something to wait for. Something to look forward to.
For the Flames and their fans, that was the story of Wednesday’s 4-1 victory
over the Ottawa Senators.
During a rebuild, this is the type of night you hope for. In fact, Wednesday’s
box-score reads like the seating chart for a recent WestJet flight from
Abbotsford — home to the Flames’ minor-league affiliate — to Calgary.
Ortio, with 30 saves, was full marks for his first ‘W.’
Centre Markus Granlund, in just his fourth outing at the big-league level,
scored his first NHL goal.
Paul Byron, who also started the season with the farm club, had a powerplay
tally and even dropped his mitts for a dance with Clarke MacArthur after the
Senators sparkplug injured Calgary’s leading point-producer, Jiri Hudler, with
a hard hit early in the third period.
“We’ve got some guys out, lots of bodies up here from Abby, and we all want
to show and prove that we belong in the NHL,” said the 24-year-old Byron. “I
thought everyone worked hard, and it was a great display of the talent we had
to start the year in Abbotsford.”
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Joe Colborne, hardly a greybeard at 24, and alternate captain Michael
Cammalleri also found the back of the net for the Flames on Wednesday.
The only bits of bad news for the hosts were injuries to Hudler and
defenceman Dennis Wideman, who both made early exits due to upper-body
issues. If Hudler or Wideman suffered a significant injury against the
Senators, that will just provide an opportunity for another callup from the
affiliate in Abbotsford.
“The way the younger guys played is amazing,” said the 22-year-old Ortio.
“It’s a joy to watch them do as well as they did.”
If it was a joy for Ortio, imagine what it was like for the sellout crowd of 19,289
fans at the Saddledome.
Thanks to the NHL’s trade deadline, Wednesday wasn’t your usual game
day.
The Flames traded goalie Reto Berra (Colorado Avalanche) and winger Lee
Stempniak (Pittsburgh Penguins), and with just draft picks in return, the new
guys were all summoned from the AHL’s Heat.
Max Reinhart had an assist on Granlund’s tally, his first point in five
appearances for the Flames so far this season.
High River-raised Corban Knight didn’t hit the scoresheet in his NHL debut,
but he didn’t look out of place on a line with fellow-callup Ben Hanowski and
tough-guy Brian McGrattan.
And 19-year-old centre Sean Monahan, who leads the Flames with 18 goals,
enjoyed the first multi-assist night of his career with two helpers.
Still, Ortio was the best of the bunch. Kyle Turris was the only Sens shooter
to solve the flexible Finn, whose best stops came on proven marksmen
Bobby Ryan and Jason Spezza.
With Berra en route to the Mile High City to join the Avalanche, Ortio could
see plenty of action for the Flames over the final month and change.
His chums from Abbotsford could be here for the remainder of the season,
too.
“At six o’clock for our team meeting, I told them, ‘This is our team,’” said
Flames head coach Bob Hartley. “The players, they deserve the full
reputation as one of the hardest-working teams in the league and I said,
‘We’re not going to throw this away in the last stretch.’ I said, ‘You guys
invested too much.’
“Tonight, if it’s a sign of the last stretch, I like what I saw.”
Next up for the Flames is Friday’s date with the New York Islanders at the
Saddledome (7 p.m., Sportsnet West, Sportsnet Fan 960).
730658
Carolina Hurricanes
Canes trade Ruutu to Devils for Loktionov
By Chip Alexander
March 5, 2014 Updated 4 hours ago
Carolina Hurricane Tuomo Ruutu celebrates his goal against the Ottawa
Senators in the second period at PNC Arena in Raleigh.
The Carolina Hurricanes traded popular forward Tuomo Ruutu to the New
Jersey Devils on Wednesday in exchange for forward Andrei Loktionov and a
conditional draft pick.
Loktionov, 23, has four goals and eight assists in 48 games with New Jersey
during his first full NHL season. A native of Voskresensk, Russia, he made
his NHL debut for Los Angeles during the 2009-10 season before suffering a
shoulder injury. He returned to action the following year and was a member
of the Kings’ Stanley Cup Championship team in 2011-12.
Loktionov has totaled 38 points and 20 penalty minutes in 135 career games
with Los Angeles and New Jersey.
"We think he has a high skill level and he can play on the power play," Canes
general manager Jim Rutherford said. "We have to wait and see where he fits
in best.
“When he was in Los Angeles he played well. When he was with New Jersey
and playing with (Ilya) Kovalchuk, he played well. This year his ice time was
cut back. We don't know the reason why but he's certainly a very capable
player."
Ruutu, 31, was traded to the Canes on Feb. 26, 2008, by the Chicago
Blackhawks for forward Andrew Ladd. He helped the Canes reach the
Eastern Conference finals in 2009 and became a crowd favorite among
Canes fans with his physical style of play.
Ruutu's bruising style took a physical toll, however. He has undergone
shoulder surgery and surgeries on both hips.
Ruutu signed a three-year, $11.4 million contract extension in July 2009 after
scoring a career-high 26 goals in the 2008-2009 season. On Feb. 22, 2012,
he signed a four-year extension worth $19 million.
"Tuomo was a good player for us but injuries have been an issue for him,"
Rutherford said. "He's at the point now where he is healthy and getting his
game back, but based on the return on investment we decided to take
advantage of the opportunity to get a younger player for him with a good
upside."
Ruutu played for Finland in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and the 2014
Sochi Olympics as the Finns won a bronze medal in each Olympics.
Loktionov will be a restricted free agent after the season. Ruutu will be paid
$5 million each of the next two seasons.
The conditional draft pick obtained by the Canes is a third-round selection in
the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
News Observer LOADED: 03.06.2014
730659
Carolina Hurricanes
Peters recalled from Checkers
By Chip Alexander
March 5, 2014
The Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday recalled goalie Justin Peters from
the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL.
Peters, 27, was assigned to Charlotte for a conditioning stint on Feb. 19. He
was 3-1-1 during the assignment, and has a record of 4-1-1 with a 2.14
goals-against average and .932 save percentage in six AHL games this
season.
Peters has spent the majority of the 2013-14 season with Carolina, posting a
7-9-4 record, 2.50 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in 21
NHL games.
730660
Carolina Hurricanes
Canes trade Ruutu to NJ Devils
By Chip Alexander
March 5, 2014
RALEIGH — The Carolina Hurricanes parted ways Wednesday with popular
forward Tuomo Ruutu, trading him to the New Jersey Devils for forward
Andrei Loktionov and a conditional draft pick.
While there were some eye-opening deals in the NHL on trade-deadline day,
the Canes were content to make only the one trade. Sitting six points out of
playoff position in the Eastern Conference before Wednesday’s games, they
were neither a big buyer nor seller.
There had been speculation the Hurricanes might look to move a goaltender
on Wednesday after signing goalie Anton Khudobin to a two-year contract
extension on Tuesday. But general manager Jim Rutherford said
Wednesday the team would carry Khudobin, Cam Ward and Justin Peters on
the 23-man roster until the end of the season.
“We decided to go with the three goalies and then sort it out in the
summertime,” Rutherford said.
Ruutu, 31, recently returned from the 2014 Sochi Olympics, where he played
well for Finland and won a bronze medal. Traded to the Canes by the
Chicago Blackhawks in February 2008, he helped the Canes reach the 2009
Eastern Conference finals, beating the Devils in the first round of the playoffs.
Ruutu became a crowd favorite at PNC Arena with his bruising style of play,
often drawing chants of “R-uuuu” after a big hit. But his physicality also took a
toll on him, requiring shoulder surgery and later surgeries on both hips.
Ruutu signed a three-year, $11.4 million contract extension in July 2009 after
scoring a career-high 26 goals in the 2008-2009 season. On Feb. 22, 2012,
he signed a four-year extension worth $19 million.
“Tuomo was a good player for us but injuries have been an issue,” Rutherford
said. “He’s at the point now where he is healthy and getting his game back,
but based on the return on investment, we decided to take advantage of the
opportunity to get a younger player for him with a good upside.”
Loktionov, 23, has four goals and eight assists in 48 games with New Jersey
during his first full NHL season. The Voskresensk, Russia, native made his
NHL debut for the Los Angeles Kings during the 2009-10 season before
suffering a shoulder injury. He returned the following season and was a
member of the Kings’ Stanley Cup championship team in 2011-12, getting in
two playoff games.
Loktionov has 38 points and 20 penalty minutes in 135 career games with
Los Angeles and New Jersey. He scored his first NHL goal for the Kings in an
Oct. 20, 2010 game against the Canes – the same game in which Carolina’s
Jeff Skinner picked up his first NHL goal.
“We think he has a high skill level and he can play on the power play,”
Rutherford said. “We have to wait and see where he fits in best. When he
was in Los Angeles he played well. When he was with New Jersey and
playing with (Ilya) Kovalchuk, he played well. This year his ice time was cut
back. We don’t know the reason why but he’s certainly a very capable
player.”
The Canes moved some salary in the deal. Ruutu is to receive $5 million in
each of the next two seasons, although Carolina did retain some of Ruutu's
salary. Loktionov had a one-year, $725,000 contract with the Devils and will
be a restricted free agent after the season.
The conditional pick received by the Canes in the deal is a third-round
selection in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
Loktionov will be at the team’s noon practice Thursday at PNC Arena. The
Hurricanes, following a 3-2 overtime win Tuesday over the San Jose Sharks,
stayed in California on Wednesday until the 3 p.m. trade deadline had
passed, then flew back to Raleigh.
Carolina (27-26-9) lost the first four games of the road trip that followed the
NHL break for the Winter Olympics. Jiri Tlusty and Elias Lindholm had goals
in regulation and defenseman Jay Harrison scored the overtime winner
against the Sharks.
The Canes, who have not played a home game since Feb. 8 against the
Montreal Canadiens, host the New York Rangers on Friday at PNC Arena.
They then complete a back-to-back with a road game Saturday against the
Devils, allowing Ruutu and Loktionov to quickly face their old teams.
730661
Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks quiet at trade deadline
By Chris Kuc
5:37 PM CST, March 5, 2014
As the NHL's trade deadline approached, Chicago Blackhawks general
manager Stan Bowman wasn't bunkered in his office furiously working the
phones.
Instead, Bowman sat in the stands at United Center and calmly watched the
Hawks practice Wednesday, cell phone in hand but not to his ear. If it
appeared Bowman wasn't even trying to make a deal it's because, well, he
wasn't.
"We weren't looking to do anything (Wednesday)," Bowman said shortly after
the 2 p.m. deadline passed. "We made our big move earlier (this season)
when we got Kris Versteeg and we’ve made some other minor moves in
between. We actually were excited to acquire David Rundblad (on Tuesday)
but we weren’t looking to do anything else.
"With the way the cap situation is this year, every team is tight against (it) so
in order to make moves you’re going to have trade money away and we don’t
have any players that we want to trade away. We’ve really accomplished a lot
over the last couple of seasons with the group we have here and we’re not
looking to break it apart and try to bring in new players. If we can add to it,
which we’ve been doing all year, by not trading away roster players from here
that was always our objective."
So while some big names changed teams around the league, Bowman stood
pat, satisfied with the group that has been in contention throughout this
season after winning its second Stanley Cup in four years in 2013.
"We have a plan in place to keep this group together and we’ve got some
young players that are right on the horizon that will be pushing for big spots
on our team," Bowman said. "I believe in this group. I’ve talked a lot to our
coaching staff and they believe in the group that we’ve had here. We’ve had
a lot of success with the main players and we’ve been able to surround them
with young players who can contribute. All the main guys from last year’s
team are back. That doesn’t guarantee you anything other than, if you play
your best hockey, you’re a tough team to beat. We have to go out there and
do it and earn the wins every night."
So with the dust now settled on another trade deadline, does Bowman
believe he has the team in place to make another run for a Cup?
"I do," he said. "That’s what we’re always focused on. You can never get
ahead of yourselves because it’s a very competitive division and conference
we’re in. That’s sort of where our focus is right now; you can’t really look too
far down the road. We’re still focused on winning our division, that’s the goal
right now. When you do that, then you get in the playoffs and once you’re in
the playoffs, anything can happen.
"There are a lot of components to our team that are similar to a year ago,"
Bowman added. "Some of the younger players are better now than they were
a year ago so that’s exciting to see. I don’t think we’ve had any guys that
have just dropped off and lost their talent over the last six months. We have a
really group that understands what it takes to win, but you have to get out
there and do it. We don’t take anything for granted, we expect to play hard
next game and not get too far ahead of ourselves."
Coach Joel Quenneville added, "we definitely like our team in a lot of ways. It
will be a great stretch run.
"It you look at the last couple, three deadlines, we’ve added Johnny Oduya
and added (Michal) Handzus last year. I wouldn’t say huge deals but they
both came in and really fit in well with our team. The nucleus and the core has
always been in place. The familiarity and expectations are in place. Whether
it’s familiarity with linemates, teammates all aspects of our team we’re
comfortable with."
Chicago Tribune LOADED: 03.06.2014
730662
Chicago Blackhawks
David Rundblad to join Blackhawks' defensive rotation
By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter
10:37 p.m. CST, March 5, 2014
David Rundblad is the newest member of the Blackhawks' three-man rotation
for the sixth defenseman spot.
The 23-year-old practiced at the United Center on Wednesday, a day after
the Hawks acquired him from the Coyotes in exchange for a 2014
second-round draft pick. Rundblad will slip into the vacancy left by the waived
Michael Kostka.
"We've gone along all year basically with eight defensemen, and I don't
foresee changing too much with the way the rotation has been," coach Joel
Quenneville said. "Some guys might enhance their positioning, but nobody's
worked their way out or lost their position based on their performance."
The Hawks believe Rundblad is an upgrade from Kostka, who rotated with
Sheldon Brookbank and Michal Rozsival.
"Offensively, (Rundblad) has got some real nice assets that might
complement our team," Quenneville said. "We'll get him familiar with how we
have to play and how he needs to play and get a better assessment."
Rundblad had one assist in 12 games with the Coyotes and was a healthy
scratch for much of the season. He is a puck mover, and the Hawks believe
he's capable of playing their up-tempo style.
"They play a fast and offensive game," said Rundblad, who will wear No. 5.
"Hopefully it's a good fit for me. This is kind of like a fresh start. I really didn't
get a good opportunity in Phoenix, so I felt like something had to happen."
Hawks general manager Stan Bowman said he had been trying to acquire
Rundblad for a year.
"David has excellent offensive skills," Bowman said. "Sometimes a change of
scenery can help a player like him. With our style of play, we have the puck a
lot … and make plays. That's really what he does best."
Brookbank is expected to be in the lineup Thursday against the Blue Jackets,
with Rundblad's debut likely coming Sunday in Buffalo.
Line dancing: Quenneville shook up the top lines during practice in the hope
of generating more offense. Brandon Saad skated with center Jonathan
Toews and Andrew Shaw, while Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane flanked
Michal Handzus.
"It gives some balance," Quenneville said. "(With) Saad moving up with
Johnny, he's excited about getting back in that situation. We haven't scored
many goals in the last few games. I don't mind what we're giving up — usually
that's the most important criterion — but we should be generating a little bit
more. Making a few changes will maybe ignite some offense."
Hossa update: Winger Marian Hossa, sidelined with an upper-body injury, is
working out, and Quenneville is pleased with the progress.
"He feels good," Quenneville said. "He's really progressing over the last day
or so. It's encouraging."
No Nik: Veteran goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin has been the forgotten man as
he recovers from rotator cuff surgery.
"He's not close to playing," Bowman said. "It's really too early to say when
he'll be back. He's on the normal recovery plan for someone who has that
type of surgery. We'll just wait and see on that."
730663
Chicago Blackhawks
Thursday's matchup: Blue Jackets at Blackhawks
9:45 p.m. CST, March 5, 2014
Staff
TV/radio: 7 p.m. Thursday; CSN, WGN-AM 720.
Series: First meeting.
Last meeting: Hawks won 2-1 in a shootout March 14, 2013 at Columbus.
Probable goaltenders: Blue Jackets, Sergei Bobrovsky, 23-15-3, 2.52
goals-against average; Hawks, Corey Crawford, 23-11-10, 2.33.
Team comparison
Averages per game (NHL rank)
BLUE JACKETS(32-25-5) CATEGORY HAWKS(36-13-14)
2.90 (7) Goals for 3.33 (1)
2.76 (16) Goals against 2.57 (13)
19.6 (14) Power-play pct. 21.5 (3)
81.8 (16) Penalty-kill pct. 80.2 (24)
Statistics through Tuesday.
Storyline: Jonathan Toews has five goals and five assists in his last nine
games for the Hawks, who have dropped three of their last four. The Blue
Jackets hit town riding a three-game winning streak. Ryan Johansen leads
them in scoring with 24 goals and 24 assists.
730664
Chicago Blackhawks
Upset Blackhawks didn’t deal? Reflect on those two Cups again
BY RICK MORRISSEY Sports Columnist March 5, 2014 10:59PM
When you’ve had as much success as they’ve had, there’s nothing wrong
with standing pat. Or, to put it a different way, there’s everything right with
standing pat.
There is no hint the Hawks have become complacent. If there were, we
would be having a different discussion. I’d be wondering why Bowman didn’t
shake things up. But there has been no suggestion of players going through
the motions.
Updated: March 5, 2014 11:04PM
Let’s review fans’ past/future complaints. Corey Crawford wasn’t/isn’t good
enough. The Hawks didn’t/don’t have a second-line center. And they
didn’t/won’t make a trade.
I might be mistaken, but I believe the Blackhawks are the defending Stanley
Cup champions. I risk further error by stating they have won two of the last
four Cups, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.
Marian Hossa is out two to three weeks with an upper-body injury! And
Bowman just sat on his hands in response!
The NHL standings seem to suggest the current team, as constituted, isn’t
too shabby, either.
So why all the caterwauling among the locals about the Hawks’ lack of a
splash before the trade deadline Wednesday and the Blues’ earlier
acquisitions of Ryan Miller and Steve Ott from the Sabres? Why the
screeching that Thursday will dawn without Ryan Kesler in a Hawks uniform?
It’s an odd way to carry on, considering the Hawks look very much like a
franchise in mid-dynasty.
I wish we all would act like we’ve been here before — ‘‘here’’ being along the
championship parade route — but that apparently is impossible. Right now,
many Hawks fans are lying on the ground and fighting for air. That’s because
the sky has fallen on them.
I wish we all would carry ourselves like Patrick Roy did in his famous 1996
takedown of former Hawks star Jeremy Roenick. Roenick had said the
Avalanche goalie was ‘‘probably getting his jock out of the stands’’ after
Roenick had beaten him on a breakaway. How did Roy respond?
‘‘I can’t really hear what Jeremy says because I’ve got my two Stanley Cup
rings plugged in my ears,’’ he said.
The Hawks didn’t have to make a big move. And it doesn’t matter that the
Blues, who never have won a Cup, did make one. They’re the chasers. They
want what the Hawks have. Until someone says otherwise, the Stanley Cup
has established residency in Chicago.
‘‘We don’t have any players that we want to trade away,’’ general manager
Stan Bowman said. ‘‘We’ve really accomplished a lot over the last couple of
seasons with the group we have here. We’re not looking to break it apart.’’
It has been open season on Bowman of late. Do something, the crowd roared
before trade deadline. Like win a championship, you mean? Bowman has
two Stanley Cup rings, one for each ear. He can thank former Hawks GM
Dale Tallon for the first one in 2010, but the second was due in part to
Bowman’s vision and hard work.
He deserves the benefit of the doubt now. If he didn’t make any major moves
before the deadline — if trading Brandon Pirri to the Panthers and acquiring
defensemen David Rundblad and Mathieu Brisebois from the Coyotes was
all he did — well, maybe that was all that needed to be done.
The Hawks are two points behind the first-place Blues in the Western
Conference’s Central Division, which gives coach Joel Quenneville
something to get his motivational arms around and nervous fans something
to obsess about.
But the most reasonable thought came from captain Jonathan Toews: ‘‘Once
the playoffs start, whatever happened during the regular season is pretty
much forgotten.’’
Yes. Exactly. What he said.
The Hawks have proved they are one of those rare teams that can flip a
switch and raise their game when it matters. The very idea of it goes against
just about every coaching tenet, and it probably makes Quenneville sick to
his stomach. But it’s true.
The Hawks are still the most talented team in the NHL. It’s why 10 of their
players competed in the Sochi Olympics. Talent alone doesn’t decide
championships. But whatever does, the Hawks have proved they have
that, too.
Yet somehow the Hawks stumble on, winning games and zeroing in on the
postseason. It must be a miracle.
What happened to the belief, folks?
Here’s what you say to the voice in your head that questions the Hawks’
readiness for another title run:
I can’t hear you because I’ve got two Stanley Cup rings plugged in my ears.
Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 03.06.2014
730665
Chicago Blackhawks
Defenseman David Rundblad says Blackhawks suit his style
BY MARK LAZERUS Staff Reporter March 5, 2014 10:59PM
David Rundblad is looking for an opportunity to play. He was healthy all
season with the Phoenix Coyotes but played in only 12 games — two since
Dec. 6 and none since Jan. 22.
‘‘It’s kind of like a fresh start for me,’’ Rundblad, the Blackhawks’ newest
defenseman, said after his first practice Wednesday. ‘‘I really
didn’t get a good opportunity in Phoenix, so I felt like something had to
happen. I need to play games.’’
Yeah, about that . . .
Rundblad finds himself in the same position Michael Kostka did before he
was claimed on waivers by the Tampa Bay Lightning: He is vying with Michal
Rozsival and Sheldon Brookbank for one open spot on the Hawks’ blue line.
Rundblad will be a healthy scratch Thursday against the
Columbus Blue Jackets and likely will make his Hawks debut Sunday against
the Buffalo Sabres. With the Hawks not making any extra moves at the trade
deadline, coach Joel Quenneville again will be juggling eight defensemen.
‘‘I don’t foresee changing too much, the way the rotation has been or the way
it’ll go,’’ Quenneville said. ‘‘Nobody’s worked their way out or lost their position based on their
performance this year, and I think that’s a
good thing.’’
Rundblad, who was acquired with defenseman prospect Mathieu Brisebois
for a second-round pick Tuesday, is an offensive-minded defensemen who
thinks he’ll fit in well with the Hawks’ style. He said it helps that he knows
Marcus Kruger from their time on the Swedish national team at the junior
worlds.
‘‘You guys have got a bunch of skill players, and they play a fast and
up-tempo game,’’ Rundblad said. ‘‘And hopefully it’s a good fit for me.’’
General manager Stan Bowman called Rundblad ‘‘really talented’’ and said
he tried to
acquire him at the trade deadline last season and again during the summer.
‘‘He’s a really talented player,’’ Bowman said. ‘‘David has excellent offensive
skills. I think sometimes a change of scenery can help a player like him.
Fitting in with the group we have here, I think he’s got a lot of potential.’’
Quenneville said Rundblad was comparable to Kostka offensively but
pointed out that, at 23, he’s five years younger.
‘‘I think he’s got some real nice assets to him that might complement our
team,’’ Quenneville said. ‘‘We’ll get him a little familiar with how we have to
play and how he needs to play and get a better
730666
Chicago Blackhawks
Silence at deadline speaks volumes about Bowman’s faith in Blackhawks
BY MARK LAZERUS Staff Reporter March 5, 2014 5:52PM
Updated: March 6, 2014 12:15AM
Stan Bowman sat in his usual spot, center ice in the last row of the 100-level
seats, watching the Blackhawks practice Wednesday morning. He had his
phone in his hands, not in his ear.
No war room. No frantic calls. No last-minute deadline dealing.
And that means no Ryan Kesler.
“We were never in any of that,” Bowman said after the trade deadline passed.
“I always just kind of chuckle when I see all these reports that we’re close to
getting [the big names]. I haven’t even had discussions on any of those
players that they were talking about.”
While fans clamored for the Hawks to finally add the second-line center
they’ve been seeking — and winning two Stanley Cups despite not having —
for years now, Bowman simply added an eighth defenseman in David
Rundblad on Tuesday night.
Kesler, the Canucks center whom Hawks fans love to hate, was one of the
biggest names on the block. But Vancouver didn’t get the right offer, and
likely will try its luck again over the summer.
Don’t expect the Hawks to be in on that one, either. Besides focusing on
contract extensions for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane this summer,
Bowman likes the group he has. And with only about $50,000 worth of cap
space at the deadline, he wasn’t willing to part with a roster player — any
roster player.
“It’s different this year with the salary cap being lower than it’s ever been in
recent years,” Bowman said. “It [forces] you to trade money to add money.
And we believe in our group here.”
Bowman said the same thing last year, deciding against bringing in a
big-name center and plucking Michal Handzus off the San Jose scrapheap. It
worked out, as Handzus centered the second line to a Stanley Cup. With
Marian Hossa progressing well from his upper-body injury, there was no
sense of panic or urgency to find another scorer. And whether Handzus or
recently acquired Peter Regin assumes that role this time around is almost
immaterial to Bowman, who shrugged off the idea that the Hawks even need
a true second-line center.
“I think we just view it differently than a lot of people do — we don’t really
have our lines numbered,” he said. “We don’t have just one line that has to
score, another line that has to check, another line that has to hit. We don’t
play hockey that way. We’ve got 12 forwards that all play. Whoever is slotted
in on one line, it’s not that critical to the overall success of our team. If you’re
loaded up on one or two lines and that’s who you count on to score your
goals, you’re an easy team to play against.”
That being said, Quenneville did make a move Wednesday to inject some life
into that “second” line, dropping Patrick Sharp down and reuniting him with
Patrick Kane, who has just one assist in his last four games.
“I don’t mind what we’re giving up, and usually that’s the most important
criteria,” Quenneville said. “But we should be generating a little bit more.
Maybe that … will ignite some offense.”
So while the Blues made the big splash by adding Ryan Miller and Steve Ott,
and the Wild picked up Matt Moulson and Ilya Bryzgalov, the Kings grabbed
Marian Gaborik, and the Avalanche and Stars solidified their goaltending
situations with Reto Berra and Tim Thomas, respectively, the Hawks largely
stood pat.
Were there areas to improve upon? Of course. Would Kane benefit from a
speedier, more offensive-minded center? Absolutely. But in order to add,
Bowman would have had to subtract. And he simply wasn’t willing to do that.
“We don’t have any players that we want to trade away,” Bowman said.
“We’ve really accomplished a lot over the last couple of seasons with the
group we have here, and we’re not looking to break it apart.”
730667
Chicago Blackhawks
Good time for Q to mix up Hawks lines
By Tim Sassone
Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville hasn’t had a need to tinker with his lines
much this season until now.
But with the loss of top line right wing Marian Hossa to an upper body injury
and the Hawks in a funk where they’ve lost three of the last four, the time is
right to shake things up.
At practice Wednesday, the top line consisted of Brandon Saad, Jonathan
Toews and Andrew Shaw. The second line was Patrick Sharp, Michal
Handzus and Patrick Kane. The third line was Bryan Bickell, Peter Regin and
Kris Versteeg while the fourth line remained the same with Brandon Bollig,
Marcus Kruger and Ben Smith.
“We haven’t scored many goals in the last games,” Quenneville said. “You
take away the Pittsburgh game and we basically have 3 goals in three
games.
“I like to measure our team’s wins and losses. I don’t mind what we’re giving
up. Usually that’s the most important criteria, but we should be generating a
little more. Maybe that split, making a few changes, maybe ignites some
offense for us.”
Quenneville thinks Hossa’s injury shouldn’t be enough to derail the team’s
offense, which leads the league with 3.33 goals a game.
“I still think there’s enough offense there even with Hoss going down,”
Quenneville said. “We should find enough going forward in his absence. With
our group, there’s enough offense on any given night. We should be able to
find it.”
Roll with Seabrook:
Brent Seabrook’s Celebrity Ice Bowl to benefit low-income children will be
Friday at 6 p.m., at Lucky Strike Lanes, 322 East Illinois in Chicago.
Fans will have a chance to meet and bowl with Seabrook and select Hawks.
Various pricing tiers allow fans to customize their experience. Options range
from watching the bowling tournament to mingling with players to bowling
alongside a Hawks player.
More information can be found at chicagoblackhawks.com.
Daily Herald Times LOADED: 03.06.2014
730668
Chicago Blackhawks
No new moves as Hawks happy with team
By Tim Sassone
The NHL trade deadline came and went Wednesday with the Blackhawks
standing pat.
So for those fans wanting Ryan Kesler or Thomas Vanek or Matt Moulson,
defenseman David Rundblad and center Peter Regin will have to do.
“We weren’t looking to do anything,” said Hawks general manager Stan
Bowman. “We made our big move earlier when we got Kris Versteeg and
we’ve made some other minor moves in between. We actually were excited
to acquire David Rundblad, but we weren’t looking to do anything else.”
Rundblad was acquired Tuesday from Phoenix for a second-round draft pick.
The Hawks also got defenseman Mathieu Brisebois in the deal and assigned
him to Rockford. Bowman said Rundblad was a player the team wanted for
quite some time. He is a former No. 1 pick with St. Louis (17th overall) in
2009.
“He’s a really talented player,” Bowman said. “Sometimes a change of
scenery can really help a player like him.”
Rundblad certainly hopes that’s the case.
“This is kind of a fresh start for me,” Rundblad said Wednesday after his first
practice with the Hawks. “I didn’t really get a good opportunity in Phoenix. I
felt like something had to happen because I need to play games.”
Rundblad played in 12 games with the Coyotes, only two since Jan. 1. The
addition of Rundblad gives the Hawks eight defensemen again. He
essentially replaces Mike Kostka, who was lost on waivers to Tampa Bay
coming out of the Olympic break.
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville thinks Rundblad is a similar player to Kostka.
“I think they’re comparable maybe offensively,” Quenneville said.
“(Rundblad’s) younger. We’ll see. I think offensively he’s got some real nice
assets to him, might complement our team.”
Bowman said you can never have too many defensemen and actually feels
the Hawks have 10 defensemen who could play in the NHL at the moment.
“We’ve really accomplished a lot over the last couple of seasons with the
group we have here, and we’re not looking to break it apart and try to bring in
new players,” he said. “If we can add to it, which we’ve been doing all year by
not trading away roster players from here, that was always our objective.
“We have a plan in place to keep this group together, and we’ve got some
young players that are right on the horizon that will be pushing for big spots
on our team. I believe in this group. We’ve had a lot of success with the main
players and we’ve been able to surround them with young players who can
contribute.
“That doesn’t guarantee you anything other than, if you play your best
hockey, you’re a tough team to beat.”
Bowman still believes the Hawks have all the pieces necessary to win
another Stanley Cup.
“I do,” he said. “That’s what we’re always focused on. You can never get
ahead of yourselves because it’s a very competitive division and conference
we’re in. That’s sort of where our focus is right now; you can’t really look too
far down the road.
“We’re still focused on winning our division; that’s the goal right now. When
you do that, then you get in the playoffs and once you’re in the playoffs,
anything can happen.”
Quenneville also believes the Hawks have what it takes to win a third Cup in
five years.
“We definitely like our team in a lot of ways,” he said. “If you look at the last
couple, three deadlines, we’ve added Johnny Oduya and added (Michal)
Handzus last year. I wouldn’t say huge deals, but they both came in and
really fit in well with our team.”
730669
Chicago Blackhawks
Post-deadline, Blackhawks’ Bowman likes his team
Tim Thomas going to Dallas makes the Stars the sleeper no one will want in
the first round.
Oh, Canada
By Barry Rozner
You have to admire Tampa GM Steve Yzerman, who also put together the
Canadian Olympic team and originally left his own star, Martin St. Louis, off
the squad, doing what he thought was best for Canada.
The past is forever prologue, at least in the world of Stan Bowman and
especially at the trade deadline.
St. Louis eventually became a late addition due to injury but never forgave
Yzerman, demanding a trade to the Rangers when they got back from Sochi.
Not only did Yzerman accede to his wishes, but he also weakened his own
team while getting St. Louis to New York.
The Blackhawks general manager has never been caught up in the final-day
frenzy, never waited until the last minute to make a blockbuster deal,
preferring instead to make significant moves in the summer or earlier in the
season, as the Hawks did with Kris Versteeg.
Before the Hawks won their first Stanley Cup in 2010, and knowing the
salary-cap nightmare that was on the horizon, Bowman dumped Cam Barker
a couple weeks before the deadline in return for Nick Leddy and Kim
Johnsson.
In 2011, he acquired Chris Campoli for spare parts on deadline day, and in
2012 he got Johnny Oduya at the deadline for two draft picks, a deal that has
paid off nicely for the Hawks.
Last season, before the second Cup victory, he picked up Michal Handzus at
the deadline, a move that didn’t look very good with each agonizingly slow
step Handzus took. Yet, the center ended up making a significant
contribution on the way to another parade last summer.
Of course, being up against the cap meant little chance of the Hawks making
a huge move Wednesday unless a major player was dealt off the roster, and
there was no chance of that happening since the Hawks like their team as is.
Quite an honorable man.
Dead lines
So Vancouver GM Mike Gillis had two No. 1 goalies, Roberto Luongo and
Cory Schneider, waited too long to trade them both, and wound up with a
grand total of a No. 1 pick, Shawn Matthias and Jacob Markstrom.
I don’t want to alarm anyone, but this Canucks thing is so far off the rails in
another 10 or 15 years it won’t be fun to troll anymore.
Young guns
With his win Sunday in the Honda, Russell Henley became the fourth player
under age 25 with multiple wins, joining Rory McIlroy (6), Harris English (2)
and Patrick Reed (2).
The quote
Florida Panthers GM Dale Tallon on making deals in the NHL: “Sometimes
you’re the bug, sometimes you’re the windshield.”
Best tweet
Bowman had made no secret of that in weeks prior, and Wednesday he
made no apologies for it.
From @TheNBAonNotSC: “Source: The Knicks are giving up hope for Lent
this year.”
Asked if he thought the Hawks were good enough to repeat without having
made a deal, and in light of teams like St. Louis making major trades,
Bowman said, “Yes, I do, but we can’t look too far down the road.
And finally …
“We’re focused on winning the division first. That was the goal to start the
year. You do that, then you get in. Once you get in, anything can happen.
“A lot of components are similar to a year ago, and some of our younger
players are better than a year ago.
“From that perspective we have a good group that understands what it takes
to win. But we take nothing for granted. We’re not gonna get too far ahead of
ourselves.”
Winning on Tour
Before winning a four-man playoff at the Honda last weekend, Russell
Henley hadn’t accomplished much for a while. He could have blamed the five
hours he spent with me in the BMW Pro-Am last September, but instead he
talked about handling a victory in his first start as a PGA Tour member in
January 2013.
“It was a lot to deal with after I won,” Henley said. “I played in the Masters,
played in all the majors, played in all the WGCs, and I don’t know that I was
really prepared to do all that mentally.”
Since that win at the Sony 14 months ago, Henley played 32 tournaments,
missed 11 cuts and collected two top 10s, before taking down Rory McIlroy
on Sunday.
“A full year on Tour will teach you a lot about who you are and what you need
to do with your game,” Henley said. “Golf is so hard that nobody knows for
sure if they are going to keep anything going. I know I can control my work
ethic and my attitude, and hopefully I can keep those consistent.”
Trade deadline
If Ryan Miller becomes Ryan Miller again, St. Louis won the deadline and
becomes the team to beat in the West.
Anaheim did very well in picking up Stephane Robidas, but the Ducks also
dealt Dustin Penner, perhaps with an eye toward acquiring one of the better
forwards on the market, like Ryan Kesler, Thomas Vanek or Matt Moulson,
which didn’t happen.
Omaha World-Herald’s Brad Dickson: “Jameis Winston batted against the
New York Yankees in an exhibition contest. Winston said he hasn’t faced a
payroll that large since the game with Auburn.”
730670
Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks feeling the pressure as postseason nears
March 5, 2014, 1:30 pm
Tracey Myers
Last season, the Chicago Blackhawks were in a fairly comfortable
playoff-bound spot thanks to their sizzling start. They were in first place
basically throughout, with some challengers but nothing overwhelming.
Newsflash: this isn’t last season. This isn’t a 21-0-3 start with just 24 games
remaining. This is back to the 82-game tug-of-war, and the Blackhawks are
pushing and pulling with a few other contenders right now. As far as some
Blackhawks are concerned, that could be a good thing.
The Blackhawks entered Wednesday’s games in third place in the Western
Conference with 86 points, two points behind second-place St. Louis (88),
one ahead of Colorado (85), which has a game in hand. It’s dicey, it’s tight,
it’s stressful, it’s, well, it’s late-season hockey. It’s challenging the
Blackhawks, and they know they have to be up to facing it.
“I think it’s beneficial, for sure,” said Brandon Saad after Wednesday’s
practice. “Last year we had it pretty far in sight and we could relax a little. But
competing going into the playoffs and being in that mode off the bat is going
to help in the long run.”
It certainly puts the Blackhawks in playoff mode with 19 games remaining in
their regular season. There’s something to be said for the stretch-run
challenge. Let’s go back to last April: the Blackhawks were not looking their
best in that series against the Minnesota Wild. Whether it was that lack of
push down the stretch or just a tough matchup — Wild goaltender Josh
Harding didn’t make life easy on them — the Blackhawks were not their
sharpest.
There will be no sitting-pretty lull entering this postseason.
“Everybody’s got incentive on every given night,” coach Joel Quenneville
said. “Parity in the league is very close; we’re in the best division, best
conference. And nobody foresaw the way Colorado was going to be, and St.
Louis, those two teams that are right there with us. They definitely won the
season series against us and those four-point games, when you go into
them, have really turned against us.
“Earlier on in the year you could say that everybody’s gunning for you. Now
everybody’s gunning for the two points,” Quenneville said. “And there’s a lot
of incentive between now and the end of the year, no matter who your
opponent is.”
We have reached that time of the season, folks, when teams are fighting
tooth and nail for placement. The Blackhawks were mainly spectators in the
jockeying-for-position game last season. This spring they’re right in the
middle of it.
“We need to bring our game, to be clicking on all cylinders heading into the
playoffs,” Bryan Bickell said. “We need to be at our best because we could
easily be beat in the first round like a few years ago. Our focus is to play 60
minutes. If we do that, we have a good opportunity of winning.”
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.06.2014
730671
Chicago Blackhawks
David Rundblad excited for opportunity with Blackhawks
March 5, 2014, 3:45 pm
Tracey Myers
When the Chicago Blackhawks put defenseman Michael Kostka on waivers,
it was to give him an opportunity he wasn’t going to get on this depth chart.
So it was a bit surprising to see the Blackhawks pick up another defenseman
on Tuesday, giving them eight in Chicago once again. For David Rundblad,
however, it’s an opportunity he hopes he can use.
Rundblad was acquired, along with Mathieu Brisebois, from the Phoenix
Coyotes in exchange for a second-round draft pick on Tuesday. Rundblad
was somewhat surprised he was moved but he’s ready to see what can come
out of it.
“We haven’t been talking to much (about my role) yet, but I’m excited just to
be here right now,” said Rundblad, who will wear No. 5 for the Blackhawks.
“I’m an offensive guy; I try to make plays. You guys have a bunch of skilled
players and they play a fast, up-tempo game and hopefully that’s a good fit
for me.”
The Blackhawks put Kostka on waivers late last month; he was picked up by
the Tampa Bay Lightning, whose head coach, Jon Cooper, had Kostka in
their AHL days in Norfolk. So why send one defenseman away just to pick up
another one? Seems the Blackhawks have had their eye on the 23-year-old
Rundblad for a while now.
“We spoke a year ago with Phoenix and they were not in a position to move
him, spoke again in the summer, timing didn’t work. It finally came up the
other day where they were ready to make a move,” general manager Stan
Bowman said. “He’s really talented player. David’s got excellent offensive
skills. I think sometimes a change of scenery can help a player like him.
Fitting in with a group like we have here, he has potential. With our style of
play, we have the puck a lot, like to hold onto it and make plays, and that’s
what he does best. There are areas he can improve but you can say that
about a lot of young players.”
The Blackhawks are back to having eight defenseman. When Rundblad
plays is uncertain right now; coach Joel Quenneville said Sheldon Brookbank
will play against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night. But the
Blackhawks will get a glimpse of him soon enough.
“I think he’s got some real nice assets to him that might complement our
team,” Quenneville said of Rundblad. “We’ll get him a little familiar with how
we have to play and how he needs to play and get a better assessment. But
we’ll get a chance to get him in here in the next game or two.”
730672
Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks stand pat as NHL trade deadline ends
March 5, 2014, 4:15 pm
Tracey Myers
Stan Bowman likes what he has with this current Chicago Blackhawks lineup.
He said on Saturday that he didn’t want to change things. And as the trade
deadline reached its end on Wednesday, with one small exception, he didn’t.
The Blackhawks stood pat, as their general manager said they would, as the
NHL’s trade deadline ended on Wednesday afternoon. The Blackhawks are
currently third in the Western Conference standings, two points behind
Central Division foe St. Louis, heading into their final 19 regular-season
games. While the Blackhawks have had some inconsistency lately, Bowman
is happy with this roster and is confident they can win another Stanley Cup.
“We like our group here,” Bowman said. “Most of the guys have been
together for a long time, have a lot of chemistry. Everyone has a defined role
from a coach’s perspective. Sometimes when you bring in someone else, it
upsets the apple cart a bit and you spend time reassigning different roles and
ice time for players. It’s tough to do that in a short amount of time. We’ve had
this group together all season long, and we’re looking forward to a strong
finish here.”
Bowman said there was no temptation to try and match other teams’ deadline
moves, including the Blues. Marian Hossa’s injury didn’t concern him enough
to make some calls around the league — “he’s out for a little bit but I talked to
him and (coach Joel Quenneville) and he’s coming along fine.” Bowman also
didn’t get into talks over big-name players that were on the market. One of
those big names, Ryan Kesler, stayed with the Vancouver Canucks through
the deadline. For Bowman, the price to pay for some of those players is
ultimately too high.
“I always chuckle when I see the reports that we’re close to getting (some big
names), but that’s the world we live in today,” Bowman said. “In order to do
those things, you’d have to trade players away that are effective contributors
to your team. It’s different this year with the salary cap being lower than it’s
been in recent years. It causes you have to trade money to add money. We
believe in our group here. We want to keep them together and give them a
chance to continue the great season they’ve had so far.”
The Blackhawks’ moves have come over the last few months. They got Kris
Versteeg back in November. They acquired Peter Regin right before the
Olympic break and got defenseman David Rundbland from Phoenix on
Tuesday. Blackhawks players are fine with the subtle changes made.
“Chemistry is a big part of it,” Brandon Saad said prior to the deadline. “We
have a lot of depth, regardless of big-name players or not. Sometimes guys
come in and disrupt the room. (Blackhawks management) does a good job of
finding the right fit for players and it shows on the ice.”
Patrick Kane agreed.
“It’s good to have the same group of guys who have been around the past
two or three years,” he said. “You look how Pittsburgh did it at the deadline
(last year). They were on fire going into the deadline, made a bunch of moves
and it ended up not working out for them. They know what they’re doing up
there. They have a feel for the group we have and the chemistry. If moves
happen, they happen. But as of now, I think we’re comfortable with what’s in
this room.”
The Blackhawks like what they have and didn’t want to disrupt it. They like
what’s coming up through the system and didn’t want to part with it. They’ll be
in a fight for playoff positioning the rest of the regular season, but they
wanted to go into that fight with a group that knows how to handle it.
“We’re comfortable with the way things are going and what’s happening,”
Quenneville said. “Some years there’s a lot more involvement and more
anxiety of what you’re trying to get done. Sometimes you’re disappointed and
sometimes you’re extremely excited. Our expectations are, we’re happy with
everything going into it.”
730673
Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks will talk deals with Kane, Toews in due time
March 5, 2014, 10:45 pm
CSN Staff
The Blackhawks locked up winger Brandon Bollig to a three-year contract
extension on Monday.
Now, the next priority in the eyes of many Hawks fans is making sure Patrick
Kane and Jonathan Toews finish out their careers in Chicago. Both star
players will see their contracts expire following the 2014-15 season.
Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman checked in on SportsTalk Live
on Wednesday evening to shed some light on possible extensions for the
duo.
"That's something we're going to focus on as we get into the spring,"
Bowman said. "Those typically take place in May and June, you try to work
the details down so it's ready by the July time frame when you can actually
execute it. So there's plenty of time to do that and it's obviously a priority for
us.
730674
Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks Pulse: Recapping the NHL trade deadline
March 5, 2014, 9:15 pm
Nina Falcone
It's been a busy couple of weeks for the Blackhawks as they've returned from
the OIympics, hosted their outdoor Stadium Series game against the
Penguins and made some minor adjustments to their roster.
General manager Stan Bowman said Saturday that the Blackhawks weren't
looking to make any big moves as the NHL trade deadline approached, and
he stuck to his word.
The defending champions made a couple of small moves, sending Brandon
Pirri to Florida and acquiring defensemen David Rundblad and Mathieu
Brisebois from Phoenix. So we asked fans in the Blackhawks Pulse about
their thoughts on the latest changes seen in the Central Division as we kick
off the last leg of the regular season. See what they had to say in the video
above.
Keep up with the latest news by staying locked into the Blackhawks Pulse,
and have your voice heard by using #HawksTalk on Twitter.
730675
Chicago Blackhawks
April Rose previews new show 'Chicago Face Off' on CSN
March 5, 2014, 8:15 pm
CSN Staff
April Rose joined SportsTalk Live today to discuss her new show "Faceoff,"
which will debut this Friday at 11 p.m. Rose will take you into the personal
lives of Chicago's favorite athletes, putting them through a number of tests
and challenges while also getting to know them.
"These guys are real people," she said. "And you guys hear the stats and
watch the replays all the time; this show has nothing to do with that. They're
real guys, they're representing Chicago and we really wanted Chicagoans to
connect with their Blackhawk players.
Within the tests, questions and challenges come rewards and penalties. And
if an athlete answers incorrectly....
"If they lose the challenge, I put them in a penalty box where I ask them
interesting, awkward questions, and it's just a really fun show to connect with
these amazing athletes that have personalities off the ice."
The Blackhawks' Brandon Bollig is up first, and Rose said the left wing was
an absolute joy to speak with and get to know.
"Our first episode, Bollig's personality really explosive," she said. "He's very
witty and just very fun and happy to be part of Chicago and is really into this
city which is what I love about him."
730676
Chicago Blackhawks
Did the Blues pass the Blackhawks after the trade deadline?
March 5, 2014, 7:00 pm
CSN Staff
Many have said that the Blues' NHL trade-deadline acquisition of goaltender
Ryan Miller and defenseman Steve Ott have pushed them past the defending
Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks as favorites to win in 2014. Though the
Blackhawks made a few minor deals, they didn't do anything drastic to
change a team that's second in the Western Conference and third in the NHL
in points (86).
And as Tracey Myers put it in today's edition of The Rundown, just because a
team makes a trade that looks good on paper, doesn't mean it will turn out
well when they hit the ice.
"Here's, again, where we have to be careful. Because when you look at
things on paper, it's very different to when they come through in fruition," she
said. "And I've referred to it a couple times before and I'll do it again, when we
look at Pittsburgh, what they did last trade deadline. We thought they had the
goaltending in place, and the scorers in place and they go out and get
(Jerome) Iginla and (Brendan) Morrow, some really grit, tough guys that they
needed. And lo and behold, their goaltending disappeared in the playoffs."
The top-seeded Penguins were swept in four games by the Boston Bruins.
The Blackhawks eventually beat the Bruins in six games to earn their second
Stanley Cup in four years.
So what do you think? It looks good on paper, but will the Blues' acquisition of
Ryan Miller make them better than the Blackhawks?
730677
Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks trying to find consistency
March 5, 2014, 6:00 pm
Staff
The results have been a little up and down lately: a 2-1 loss in New York, a
5-1 drubbing of Pittsburgh in the Stadium Series and then a disappointing 4-2
loss to division foe Colorado.
The Chicago Blackhawks haven’t been bad. Bad is a strong word, and the
Blackhawks haven’t been that in quite some time. Inconsistent, however, is a
very fitting description.
It’s crunch time in the NHL regular season, that time when teams are trying to
get the best placement possible in the standings. The Blackhawks have
bounced around the top three Western Conference spots these past few
weeks, partly due to other teams like Anaheim and St. Louis coming on
strong. It’s also been partly due to the Blackhawks’ own inconsistency:
overtime/shootout points unclaimed, points left on the table vs. division
opponents and the slumps that just come with an 82-game season.
Whatever the reason, the Blackhawks know they have to get their steady
game back fast.
“Consistency is something we need to work on before going into the
playoffs,” Bryan Bickell said. “You see the Pittsburgh game and the last
game; I thought we played pretty good (on Tuesday) to get the win but we
didn’t execute the little things. We’re going to learn from those; those points
we left on the table last night could be crucial in the long run. But we need to
learn now before it’s too late. This next game is a big test. We need to be
good.”
General manager Stan Bowman said the Blackhawks need to, “stabilize and
get ourselves back acclimated to being ready for the stretch run.”
“I think the one area we’ve struggled with this year is the penalty killing, but
it’s been creeping up since October. We’re looking to keep pushing to get
better at that,” Bowman continued. “Our power play has been consistent all
year long. It’s been a very effective weapon for us. Beyond that, I just think
it’s consistency, finding a way to get points. Our group understands what it
takes to win but it’s a very competitive league right now. The standings are
tight, so you have to be ready every night.”
The Blackhawks have been solid but not as spectacular as earlier in the
season. There have been games where they’ve liked their outing for the most
part but still came away point-free. Tuesday’s game vs. Colorado was a
prime example of that, and those are the games that leave coach Joel
Quenneville stinging. Still, he likes what the Blackhawks are doing for the
most part.
“I don’t think we’re playing bad hockey, but the results are obviously not what
we want,” he said. “Every game, we’ve felt we probably could have gotten
something out of. But I don’t think we’re at the point where we don’t like the
way we’re going, I just think we can be a little bit sharper and that might be
the differential.”
A sharp Blackhawks team is a very successful Blackhawks team, as we’ve all
seen in the past. We’re coming to that time of year when the Blackhawks
know how they have to play. They just have to do it, and do it consistently.
“(Tuesday) we did some things well. You never know which way the game
could’ve went, but you don’t worry about that too much when you’re playing
well. But there have been a couple gams where we’ve been inconsistent and
ended up losing,” Brandon Saad said. “The home stretch in sight here, and
we’re looking to find consistency and get back on track.”
730678
Colorado Avalanche
Reto Berra goes from Flames to Avs at deadline; Paul Stastny stays put
By Terry Frei
Posted: 03/05/2014 01:34:08 PM MST6 comments | Updated:
hours ago
about 2
DETROIT — To summarize what the Avalanche did on the NHL's trading
deadline day:
Not much.
The Avalanche's scheduled Wednesday practice at Joe Louis Arena in
Detroit was canceled, and the front office — with Colorado within three points
of the Central Division lead and cementing its status as the league's surprise
team this season — decided not to tinker with the roster chemistry and didn't
make any major moves.
Colorado acquired 27-year-old goalie Reto Berra, a Swiss in his first NHL
season, from the Calgary Flames for a second-round draft choice this year.
Berra has played in 29 games for the Flames, posting a 9-17-2 record, a 2.95
goals-against average and an .897 save percentage. He also was Jonas
Hiller's backup for Switzerland in the recent Winter Olympics in Russia, but
was impressive in his only game, making 30 saves in a 1-0 loss to Sweden.
Avalanche veteran backup Jean-Sebastien Giguere's deal expires after this
season and executive vice president of hockey operations Joe Sakic noted
that Giguere has had back problems this season.
"We wanted to make sure that if something happens to (Semyon Varlamov),
we have a good guy there if Jiggy's back doesn't hold up," Sakic said. "We
have someone we know is a very good goalie. If Varly went down, the
prospects aren't ready, so we wanted to make sure we solidified that goalie
situation for the next few years."
Sakic said the Avalanche would carry three goaltenders the rest of the
season.
The major news was that Colorado didn't deal center Paul Stastny, who can
be an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The Avalanche also didn't reach an
agreement with him and his agent, Matt Keator, on a contract extension. So
there is the potential of the Avalanche receiving nothing in return for Stastny
if he signs with another team in the summer.
Sakic said he got inquiries "from a couple of different teams" about Stastny.
"But nothing came out of it," he added. "We are very happy that Paul's still
here. His agent wants to deal with it, they want to deal with it, in the summer."
But after discussions with Keator in recent days and even in the wake of
Stastny's indication that he "absolutely" would grant Colorado a discount to
remain with the team that drafted him, the Avalanche was comfortable
enough to accept the uncertainty. "They know we want him back," Sakic said.
"There's a risk, there's always a risk and we understand the risk."
Sakic added, "The big thing for also not doing anything is that we had said if
we were going to do anything, it's got to make sense for not only now, but in
the future. We owe it to our players to keep this team together. They've done
a tremendous job. They've got great chemistry on the team and we don't
want to break that up as well. I also believe our fans, especially our season
ticket holders that have stuck with us, they deserve to see a run. The guys
have had a great year and keep finding ways to win. Everybody deserves to
see this year through."
After beating the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks on
Tuesday night in the United Center, the Avalanche closes out the two-game
trip against the Red Wings on Thursday night.
Denver Post: LOADED: 03.06.2014
730679
Colorado Avalanche
More from Avalanche exec Joe Sakic
By Terry Frei
DETROIT — My story on the Avalanche’s Deadline Day activity, or the lack
thereof, is posted and a tweaked version will be in the morning paper and
also posted online.
I didn’t have room to include all Joe Sakic said, so here are some extra
quotes.
On standing pat on defense: “We’re confident. You always try to upgrade, but
this D is really underrated. We all had question marks at the start of the year
on our back end, but as you have seen, these guys as a unit have played
great. (Erik Johnson) has become the player we expected and, more
important, he expected, and has had a tremendous year. Nick Holden and
Nate Guenin have stepped up and really, really played well for us, playing big
minutes. Tyson Barrie has elevated. You go up and down the list on the back
end. Jan Hejda, too. These guys as a group have played tremendous hockey
and we’re proud of what they’ve done as a unit.”
On whether there were tempting deals out there involving potential “rental”
players: “They’re always out there, but we weren’t going to do that. We
weren’t going for a rental. We’re not in that position. We believe in this group
and we would not feel comfortable at all looking for a rental player. To me,
unless there’s someone out there you really believe is going to be a
difference-maker, I don’t believe in mortgaging your future. We’re not in that
position right now anyway. We’re still building our prospect base and we
were ready to stay status quo on that. We didn’t feel we wanted or needed a
rental.”
The situation is different, of course, but the irony is that in Sakic’s playing
days, the Avs made bold moves to acquire players who in theory could end
up “rentals.” Colorado’s acquisitions of Ray Bourque, Rob Blake and Theo
Fleury fell into that category as pending unrestricted free agents. Colorado
signed Bourque and Blake, but didn’t sign Fleury.
Also, here’s additional info on Reto Berra: Before joining Calgary, the
27-year-old Swiss in his first year of North American hockey opened the
season with Abbotsford of the AHL. There, he was 4-3-1 and had a
goals-against average of 2.66 and a .908 save percentage. He was recalled
to the Flames on Nov. 2. St. Louis drafted him in 2006 in the fourth round and
the Flames acquired his rights last April.
And there was one additional minor move: The Avalanche signed
20-year-old defenseman Cody Corbett, now with major junior’s Edmonton Oil
Kings of the Western Hockey League, to a three-year, entry level contract.
730680
Colorado Avalanche
Avalanche not practicing on Trading Deadline Day, after all
By Terry Frei
CHICAGO — A quick semi-update from snowy Chicago as I wait for my
(considerably delayed) flight to Detroit: The Avalanche was scheduled to
practice at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit Wednesday, beginning at 11:30 a.m.
Mountain, which would have had the team coming off the ice shortly before
the 1 p.m. trading deadline.
Instead, in the wake of Colorado’s 4-2 victory over Chicago Tuesday night,
the Avalanche has canceled practice. There might be some off-ice work and
there will be some sort of availability, and Joe Sakic is expected to be
available to discuss what the Avalanche did or didn’t do on deadline day.
The most newsworthy item of the day likely will be what happens — or
doesn’t happen — with Paul Stastny, who jumped on the chance to tell me
Tuesday that he “absolutely” would take a discount to remain with Colorado.
The problem of that, of course, is the interpretation. The Stastny camp
understandably can argue that means he will accept less than he possibly
could get from a single team on the open market as an unrestricted free
agent this summer. The Avalanche position is different, recognizing that he
essentially has been overpaid for five seasons — at $6.6 million per — and
that should be a major issue. It’s not trashing him to say at least some of that
should be “banked,” at least in terms of goodwill moving forward. Yes, it’s
strange for a team to be asking a player to take a paycut as he’s about to
enter unrestricted free agency, but these are unique circumstances.
What will happen? I don’t pretend to confident of this, but my guess is going
to be that an unwillingness to tamper with the team chemistry means that
Stastny is not traded, but also not re-signed before the deadline, and cooler
heads prevail to agree they’ll put this off until after the season … with the goal
of both sides being for Stastny to remain with Colorado. That’s risky for the
Avs, of course, given they could get nothing for Stastny under those
circumstances, but professionalism and trust could enter into that, too.
I also am very impractical about this: At some point, this stuff of “I trust my
agent and leave it to him” is a cop-out. Paul Stastny and every other NHL
player can step in and say, “Get me the best deal you can, say what you have
to say, but unless they’re complete jerks, I want to be back with Colorado.”
My guess? The Avalanche might add a veteran defenseman, whether it’s for
Stastny or for a draft choice and/or perhaps even a second-tier prospect.
730681
Colorado Avalanche
Reto Berra talks about being traded to Avalanche
By Adrian Dater
The Denver Post
Some quotes here from the newest member of the Avalanche, goalie Reto
Berra. These come courtesy of Calgary Flames beat writer Randy Sportak of
the Calgary Sun, who spoke with him after the Avs got him for a
second-round pick today. Thanks to Randy.
“It’s funny how fast it goes over here. I mean, it’s my first time I’ve seen all
that how the trades at the end go fast and everything. I don’t know what to
say. It’s special how fast it goes over here.”
“I have to say over here (in Calgary) I had a great time. It’s a great
organization. Great fans. Great city. They gave me the opportunity to make
my first step into the NHL so I’m really thankful for that. On the other hand,
I’m really excited to go to Colorado, a great team and probably a great city,
great hockey town too, and a really famous coach when I was a child in
Switzerland, he was one of the biggest. I’m excited and happy.”
“It is special. It’s nice to hear that they were happy with what they saw about
me, in me and everything like that. I have to say I know a little bit of Francois
Allaire, the goalie coach. He’s coming over to Switzerland in the summer and
has goalie camps there. I was there two times, so I know him a little bit. It’s for
sure a good feeling to have when you know it’s not just something, they think
you’re a good goalie.”
“It was my first time. I didn’t know exactly what was going on, how many
trades they do and everything. I tried not to think too much either or but when
it happened, for sure it was exciting and wow, it is how it is. I’m happy to go
there but on the other side I’m really thankful I had for the opportunity here (in
Calgary).”
“I didn’t have that much of an idea so it was surprising a little bit. The guys
told me a couple days ago to wait when it comes to the end, something is
going to happen. It’s like everything. It was really the first time and it was new
for me.”
730682
Columbus Blue Jackets
NHL: Blue Jackets send Gaborik to Kings; get defenseman from Oilers
By Aaron Portzline The Columbus Dispatch • Wednesday March 5, 2014
2:41 PM
The Blue Jackets have traded right wing Marian Gaborik to the Los Angeles
Kings for two draft picks and right wing Matt Frattin, allowing the Jackets to
unload a high-priced veteran goal-scorer whose time in Columbus was beset
by ineffective play and injuries.
With about 30 minutes to go before the 3 p.m. NHL trade deadline, the Blue
Jackets shored up their injury-depleted defense by acquiring veteran Nick
Schultz from the Edmonton Oilers for a fifth-round pick.
Both Frattin and Schultz are expected to meet the Blue Jackets tonight in
Chicago. They will play the Blackhawks in United Center on Thursday.
In return for Gaborik, the Jackets will get a second-round draft pick from the
Kings, originally owned by the Toronto Maple Leafs. They will also get a
third-round pick, originally owned by the Edmonton Oilers, if the Kings win a
first-round Stanley Cup playoff series or if the Kings resign Gaborik this
summer.
Frattin, 26, is regarded as a third- or fourth-liner. He's 6-2, 205. In 40 games
with the Kings this season, he has two goals, four assists and a minus-6
rating.
To faciliate the trade, the Blue Jackets will likely pay a portion of Gaborik's
remaining salary this season, perhaps as much as 50 percent. At $7.5 million
this season, he's due roughly $1.9 million the rest of the season.
Schultz, 31, is a 6-1, 203 pound defenseman with a left shot. He has played
871 games in the NHL for Minnesota and Edmonton. In 60 games with the
Oilers this season, he has no goals, four assists and a minus-rating.
The Blue Jackets needed back-end stability, especially after steady veteran
Fedor Tyutin (ankle) and smooth rookie Ryan Murray (knee) went down with
injuries during the previous 10 days.
With 20 games remaining in the regular-season, the Blue Jackets currently
sit in 8th place in the Eastern Conference, having won three straight games
to leap ahead of Detroit for the final wildcart spot.
It seems incongruent for a team with playoff aspirations to trade a three-time
40-goal scorer, but it had become painfully clear this season that Gaborik despite his enormous skill set -- simply wasn't a fit with the Blue Jackets.
Gaborik can become an unrestricted free agent if he doesn't sign an
extension with the Kings before July 1.
Last April, at the 2013 NHL trade deadline, Blue Jackets general manager
Jarmo Kekalainen traded center Derick Brassard, right wing Derek Dorsett
and defenseman John Moore to the New York Rangers for Gaborik, who
waived his no-trade clause to join the Blue Jackets.
But since the trade, Gaborik, 32, has played in only 34 of the Blue Jackets’ 74
games, missing long stretches this season with a knee sprain and a broken
collarbone.
When he did play, Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards had trouble finding
linemates who could click with Gaborik. You might say Gaborik was an
East-to-West player trying to fit with a North-South team.
In 22 games this season, he had six goals, eight assists and an even rating,
but there were many games where he appeared disinterested or detached
from the rest of the group.
Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.06.2014
730683
Blue Jackets add depth at forward, defenseman
By Aaron Portzline The Columbus Dispatch • Thursday March 6, 2014
5:11 AM
Dispatch In 22 games this season, Marian Gaborik had six goals, eight
assists and an even rating, but there were many games where he appeared
disinterested or detached from the rest of the group.
Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen acted more relieved than
excited.
As the NHL trade deadline came and went at 3 p.m. yesterday, the Blue
Jackets tried to swing a blockbuster deal that could have given them a huge
push in reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“I watched the ticker on TSN,” Kekalainen said, referring to the Canadian TV
network and its draft countdown clock. “When it got down to 5 seconds, I said
to the rest of the (hockey operations staff): ‘OK, this probably isn’t going to
happen.’ But we tried.”
Instead, Kekalainen settled for two trades that amounted to housekeeping.
Right wing Marian Gaborik was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for forward
Matt Frattin and a conditional second-round pick in one of the next two drafts.
The Blue Jackets also will get a third-round pick in 2014 or 2015 if the Kings
win a first-round playoff series or if they re-sign Gaborik, who can become an
unrestricted free agent on July 1.
In a separate trade, the Blue Jackets responded to a wave of injuries among
defensemen by sending a fifth-round pick in 2014 to the Edmonton Oilers for
veteran Nick Schultz.
Frattin was to meet the Blue Jackets last night in Chicago, and Schultz is
planning to join them this morning.
“I’m excited,” Schultz said. “I got to play for (Blue Jackets coach Todd
Richards) a couple of years in Minnesota, so I know what he’s looking for.
Obviously, the playoffs weren’t happening in Edmonton this year. It’ll be great
to join a club and be in a race again.”
Kekalainen has said he didn’t think he needed to make a trade for the Blue
Jackets to reach the playoffs.
“As of today, we’re a playoff team,” Kekalainen said, noting that the Blue
Jackets were in eighth place in the Eastern Conference before play last night.
“We believe in our team. We like our team.”
Adding Gaborik was part of Kekalainen’s first big trade as general manager.
Gaborik came from the New York Rangers for forwards Derick Brassard and
Derek Dorsett and defenseman John Moore before last year’s deadline.
“He wasn’t a great fit,” Kekalainen said. “Things just didn’t go as planned.
We’re a blue-collar team, a hard-working team, and he’s a finesse, skill
player.”
The Blue Jackets are paying a portion of Gaborik’s remaining salary. Some
reports had it at 50 percent of the remaining $1.9 million he is owed.
Gaborik did not return calls seeking comment last night.
Frattin gives the Blue Jackets another fourth-line forward. He figures to
compete with Blake Comeau and Corey Tropp for playing time. Jared Boll will
join the fray when he returns later this month from ankle surgery.
“He can shoot the puck,” Kekalainen said of Frattin. “He’s competitive, has
smarts and grit. I think he’ll fit right in here.”
Acquiring a defenseman became urgent in the past 10 days. Fedor Tyutin
returned from the Olympics with a sprained ankle and is out indefinitely.
Rookie Ryan Murray is out for a week or maybe more after wrenching his
knee on Saturday against the Florida Panthers. Tim Erixon would have been
called up from minor-league Springfield, but he has a leg injury.
“In the next 17 days, we have nine games,” Kekalainen said. “Most likely, our
spring will be decided during these 17 days, and we needed the insurance.
We got an experienced guy. We know what he can bring.”
730684
Blue Jackets notebook: Umberger says rift with Kesler is thing of the past
By Shawn Mitchell and Aaron Portzline Thursday March 6, 2014 5:10 AM
Despite denying a report that he asked for a trade, Vancouver Canucks
center Ryan Kesler was a center of attention during the days leading up to
yesterday’s NHL trade deadline.
Yet, the Canucks couldn’t swing a deal for Kesler, a former Ohio State
standout, who reportedly put Columbus on a list of teams for which he would
not waive his no-trade clause. That spurred reports indicating an old rivalry
with former Ohio State teammate R.J. Umberger as the reason why, but
Umberger said any grudge is long gone.
“If it helps our team, I’d take him in a minute,” said Umberger, who was a
linemate of Kesler’s during the 2002-03 Ohio State season. “He’s a great
player, no doubt about it. For people to assume that, it’s unfair. I would
definitely play with the guy. I’ve said, ‘Hey,’ to him a few times. We’ve put that
stuff behind, we really have.”
The tension between them came after both were drafted by the Canucks and
left Ohio State in 2003.
Kesler later signed what Umberger thought was a low offer that affected his
negotiations. Umberger never came to terms with the Canucks, who traded
his rights in 2004.
The animosity came to a head when Kesler and Umberger fought during a
game in January 2009, but Umberger had nothing but praise for Kesler as far
back as 2010.
“He’s developed at a great rate,” Umberger said then. “I wasn’t sure he would
be this elite of a player, but that's what he has become.”
Beat the clock
The Blue Jackets made a third and final trade just before yesterday’s 3 p.m.
deadline, sending minor-league forwards Dalton Smith and Jonathan
Marchessault to Tampa Bay for defenseman Matt Taormina and forward
Dana Tyrell.
Taormina, 27, has four goals and eight assists in 56 NHL games for Tampa
Bay and New Jersey, including seven for the Lightning this season. Tyrell,
24, has seven goals, 24 points and 119 penalty minutes in 132 games for the
Lightning.
Both players were assigned to Springfield of the American Hockey League.
Marchessault, 23, appeared in two games for the Blue Jackets last season.
Smith, 21, was a second-round pick of the Jackets in 2010. He has no NHL
experience.
730685
Meet the new Jackets
Nick Schultz
Position: Defenseman
Age: 31
Hometown: Strasbourg, Saskatchewan
Size: 6 feet 1, 203 pounds
Experience: 27 goals, 118 assists and 380 penalty minutes in 871 games
with Edmonton and Minnesota … No goals, four assists and 24 penalty
minutes in 60 games for the Oilers this season
Outlook: A shutdown-type defender with a left-handed shot, Schultz fills an
immediate need because of injuries to Blue Jackets defensemen Ryan
Murray and Fedor Tyutin … Can become an unrestricted free agent after the
season
Matt Frattin
Position: Right wing
Age: 26
Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta
Size: 6 feet, 205 pounds
Experience: 17 goals, 17 assists and 40 penalty minutes in 122 games with
Toronto and Los Angeles … Two goals and six points in 40 games for the
Kings this season
Outlook: Gritty forward who joins a roster crowded with similar, fourth
line-type talent … General manager Jarmo Kekalainen said Frattin’s season
has been a struggle, but he likes his grit and shot … Can become restricted
free agent after season
730686
Bob Hunter commentary: Gaborik didn’t fit with Jackets, so trade is best
By Bob Hunter The Columbus Dispatch • Thursday March 6, 2014 5:09
AM
The trade deadline deal for Marian Gaborik last year hit the placid hockey
waters in Columbus like a cannonball dive off the high board.
The Blue Jackets had dealt Rick Nash, the franchise’s only superstar, to the
New York Rangers before the season, and the fury and height of the splash
they made with the Gaborik deal sent a shiver of excitement through the
Columbus hockey community.
Gaborik almost seemed like the second coming of Nash. He had scored
more than 40 goals three times in his career, he had one more season on a
contract that paid him more than $7 million annually and first-year general
manager Jarmo Kekalainen said the plan was to try to re-sign him after his
contract was up.
It was heady stuff, an exciting move for a young team that had surprisingly
ridden goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and a gritty defensive style into playoff
contention.
The cost — former first-round picks Derick Brassard and John Moore and
feisty forward Derek Dorsett — seemed a little high, but Kekalainen got high
marks for having the guts to go for it. No one dreamed that the Blue Jackets
would have a player of Nash’s stature back on the roster so soon.
Yesterday, the Gaborik Era ended, a little over 11 months after it started.
Gaborik’s trade to the Los Angeles Kings for 26-year-old wing Matt Frattin, a
second-round pick and a conditional third-round pick hit those same tranquil
Columbus waters like a feather dropped by a passing duck.
Two injuries had robbed Gaborik of most of this season, and he had never
really played up to the press clippings, so the Jackets knew he wouldn’t be
back. Kekalainen set his pride aside and traded the pot of gold from his first
splashy deal for the best offer he could get.
“With the unfortunate injuries, he never got on a roll,” Kekalainen said. “It
wasn’t that he didn’t try. He’s a good person. He’s a good guy. Well-liked in
the room and all that. Nothing wrong with Marian’s effort. He just didn’t have
a good season. Things were not going the way he had wished or we had
wished, and he wasn’t going to stay with us after this year, so we needed to
do something.”
Kekalainen will absorb some hits, and he doesn’t deflect the blame. His
critics would do well to remember the high they felt when he brought Gaborik
in. It was high risk and high reward, and it might have worked if Gaborik
hadn’t gotten injured. At this point, he was a piece to an offensive puzzle that
wasn’t missing any pieces.
“This is the intriguing part of team sports,” Kekalainen said. “You can have a
big name like he is, a guy who had scored 40 goals (in a season) and has
scored 300-plus goals (in his career) and come in here and it’s just hard to
find a fit. … I’ll take responsibility for that. It’s my job to make sure everything
fits there.
“At the same time, if I realize that I made a mistake, I just have to look in the
mirror and try to do the best job I can for the organization to move forward
and not try to cover my own behind.”
Kekalainen’s way was honest and effective: Admit your mistakes and rectify
them with moves that make the most sense now.
“The (original) plan was to get him here and extend him so he could be part of
this going forward,” Kekalainen said. “Things don’t always work the way you
want.”
730687
Blue Jackets, Blackhawks at a glance
Thursday March 6, 2014 5:01 AM
Staff
Blue Jackets at a glance
• Past 10 games: 6-3-1
• Power play: 19.6 percent (14th, NHL)
• Penalty kill: 81.8 percent (16th)
• Injury update: D Fedor Tyutin (ankle), D Ryan Murray (lower body) and RW
Jared Boll (ankle) are out.
Blackhawks at a glance
• Past 10 games: 4-4-2
• Power play: 21.5 percent (third, NHL)
• Penalty kill: 80.2 percent (24th)
• Injury update: RW Marian Hossa (upper body) and
G Nikolai Khabibulin (right rotator cuff) are out.
730688
Jackets GM Kekalainen says Gaborik 'just didn't fit'
Connor Kiesel
MAR 05, 2014 5:26p ET
It was time for the Blue Jackets and Marian Gaborik to part ways, so Blue
Jackets general manager Jarko Kekalainen moved the 32-year-old winger
out west.
Gaborik was sent to the Los Angeles Kings for forward Matt Frattin, a
second-round pick and third-round pick Wednesday before the NHL trade
deadline.
Kekalainen addressed the deal at a press conference: "You can have a big
name and a big career but it can be hard to find a fit somewhere. He just
didn't fit."
The Jackets acquired Gaborik at last year's deadline but he struggled to stay
healthy in Columbus.
"With the unfortunate injuries, he never got on a roll. He wasn't going to stay
here after this year," Kekalainen said.
A number of teams, all of which were Stanley Cup contenders, were
interested in Gaborik, according to Kekalainen.
Columbus was also involved in two more deadline moves, acquiring veteran
defenseman Nick Schultz from the Oilers for a fifth round pick, as well as
forward Dana Tyrell and defenseman Matt Taormina from the Lightning for
Jonathan Marchessault & Dalton Smith.
Frattin will wear No. 23 and Schulz No. 15, the Jackets said.
foxsportsohio.com LOADED: 03.06.2014
730689
Dallas Stars
FSSW to televise Stars' raising of Mike Modano's No. 9 to the rafters on
Saturday
MIKE HEIKA Published: 05 March 2014 02:37 PM
Here is the press release:
FOX Sports Southwest, the local television home of the Dallas Stars, will
provide live coverage of the Mike Modano Retirement Ceremony presented
by Albertsons on Saturday, March 8 at 6:00 p.m. CT prior to the Stars game
against the Minnesota Wild at American Airlines Center.
The Stars icon, who helped the team capture the 1999 Stanley Cup
championship, will have his No. 9 sweater retired by the franchise, joining
Neal Broten (No. 7), Bill Goldsworthy (No. 8), and Bill Masterton (No. 19) as
the only players in team history to have their number retired.
Stars broadcasters Ralph Strangis and Daryl Reaugh will host the retirement
ceremony that will be shown in its entirety on FOX Sports Southwest.
Members of the 1999 Stanley Cup championship team and special VIP
guests, including Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi, will be on hand to honor
Modano.
The ceremony will include video tributes to the Stars legend with highlights
from his memorable NHL career, Modano's speech, and the unveiling of
Modano's No. 9 banner among other events
Following the ceremony, the STARS LIVE pregame show on FOX Sports
Southwest will include reporter Julie Dobbs' interviews with several of the
special guests who attended the KIA Victory Green Carpet Show that kicked
off the day's festivities.
STARS LIVE host Ali Lucia and analysts and former Dallas Stars Craig
Ludwig and Brent Severyn, who played with Modano, also will share their
recollections of the Stars superstar.
Modano played 21 seasons in the NHL and is the all-time franchise leader in
nearly every category, including games played (1,459), goals (557), assists
(802), points (1,359), short-handed goals (29), game-winning goals (92) and
power play tallies (156). A seven-time NHL All-Star and United States
Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, Modano is also the American-born record
holder in goals (561) and points (1,374).
Dallas Morning News LOADED: 03.06.2014
730690
Dallas Stars
“He’s an intense veteran who has a strong routine,” Valley said. “He has a lot
of playoff experience, and we all can learn from that.”
It's possible for Tim Thomas to overtake Kari Lehtonen as Stars' No. 1 goalie
down the stretch
It’s definitely a different relationship than the ones that existed with Ellis or
Richard Bachman or Cristopher Nilstorp or Andrew Raycroft. It won’t be
boring, it won’t be normal, and the Stars are hoping it will be much better than
average.
MIKE HEIKA
Tim Thomas has rarely been boring … or normal … or average — and he
might be just what the Stars need right now
In making the veteran Florida Panthers netminder their only acquisition
before Wednesday’s NHL trade deadline, the Stars did much more than just
swap backup goalies, they shook up one of the key areas of concern.
Yes, Kari Lehtonen is ensconced as the No. 1 goalie, and he’s in the first year
of a five-year contract extension that makes him the highest paid player on
the team at an average salary of $5.9 million. But he’s played only two playoff
games in his career (in 2007 with Atlanta).
Thomas is about to turn 40, won two Vezina trophies with the Boston Bruins
and has never really considered himself a backup. So the final 20 games of
the regular season could get fun for the Stars.
“We had the opportunity to pick up a goalie who has won a Stanley Cup and
has strong playoff experience,” Stars general manager Jim Nill said. “Our
team is serious about making the playoffs and making a statement in the
playoffs, and this solidifies maybe the most important position on the team.”
That position has had its wobbly moments in the past few seasons. One, the
backups have struggled to produce decent numbers in support of Lehtonen
and forced coaches to overuse the big Finn. And two, Lehtonen hasn’t shown
the poise needed when the Stars were chasing key games down the stretch.
That’s what makes the addition of Thomas so intriguing. Not only does he
allow Lehtonen the chance to rest, but he can also push him for his starting
job.
The Stars will be diplomatic about that part of Thomas’ influence — after all,
Lehtonen is the long-term future of this team. But, it’s hard to look at Thomas’
résumé and think he will be a shrinking violet.
He had to fight and claw his way up to the NHL. After a four-year career at the
University of Vermont, he spent time in the IHL, the AHL and Europe and
then back to the AHL and then back to Europe until he finally landed a regular
gig with Boston in 2006 at age 32. He blossomed with the Bruins, winning the
Vezina Trophy as top goalie in 2009 and 2011, and leading Boston to the
Stanley Cup in 2011 along with new Stars teammates Tyler Seguin and Rich
Peverley.
Thomas set the NHL record for save percentage during the regular season at
.938 during that championship season and then had a 1.98 GAA in the
playoffs. There are some who call it the greatest goaltending season in NHL
history.
But that’s where things got interesting. Thomas turned down an invitation to
the White House for political reasons, lost in a grueling first-round playoff
series with Washington in 2012 and then announced he would sit out the
2012-13 season.
He came back this season and signed with Florida. He has played in 40
games and posted below-average numbers at 16-20-3 with a 2.87 GAA and
.902 save percentage. So are the Stars getting the goalie from 2011-12 or
one who is winding down?
That’s where the adventure comes in. He might simply take the three or four
starts that were destined for Dan Ellis, who went the other way in the trade
after a rough night in Tuesday’s 4-2 loss. Or, he might get hot and take two or
three games in a row.
“I want to give Tim the opportunity to play,” Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. “If he
plays well, I'll give him the chance to play.”
And that will be something new for Lehtonen to deal with. Thomas can pull
Lehtonen along, but he can also push him pretty hard.
Stars goalie coach Mike Valley will be the one who has to deal with the new
dynamic in net, and he was diplomatic about the personalities. He said he
and Florida goalie coach Robb Tallas are good friends, so he knows what to
expect from Thomas.
730691
Dallas Stars
Need to know: Can Stars keep Canucks anemic offense down in gutter?
MIKE HEIKA
Vancouver Canucks at Dallas Stars
7:30 p.m. Thursday (FSSW, KTCK-AM 1310)
Key matchup: Tom Sestito vs. Antoine Roussel
The two wingers are good agitators, so it should be fun to watch them cross
paths. Sestito ranks first in the NHL in penalty minutes with 173 in 60 games,
and adds eight points (five goals, three assists). Roussel ranks second in
penalty minutes with 162 in 61 games, and adds 21 points (10 goals, 11
assists).
Key number: 8
That’s the number of goals the Canucks have scored while going 1-6-1 in
their last eight games. Vancouver ranks 28 in goal scoring at 2.30 per game.
Injuries
Stars: None.
Vancouver: D Yannick Weber (upper body) is questionable. LW Daniel Sedin
(hamstring), D Andrew Alberts (concussion) and C Mike Santorelli (shoulder)
are out.
Notable
Stars forward Rich Peverley is expected to return after missing one game
with an upper body injury. Forward Chris Mueller has been returned to the
AHL for Dallas…The Canucks are coming off a 1-0 loss in Phoenix Tuesday
and sit two points behind the Stars at 28-26-10…Eddie Lack is expected to
start in goal for Vancouver. He is 9-10-4 but ranks fifth in goals against
average at 2.05 and sixth in save percentage at .926…Kari Lehtonen is
expected to start in goal for the Stars…Dallas is coming off a 4-2 loss in
Columbus Tuesday and is 2-2-0 since coming back from the Olympic Break.
The Stars have beat Vancouver 2-1 and 4-1 this season.
730692
Dallas Stars
Stars GM Jim Nill: Panthers' trade for Roberto Luongo opened up door for us
to acquire Tim Thomas
MIKE HEIKA,Published: 05 March 2014 07:23 PM
While Stars GM Jim Nill wouldn't say it, you have to figure the poor
performance by Dan Ellis Tuesday in Columbus had a lot to do with the trade
that brought Tim Thomas to Dallas on Wednesday.
Ellis had a rough night in a 4-2 loss, and that clearly had to start alarms in the
heads of the Stars. With Dallas playing the final 20 games over 39 days, the
back-up goalie is going to be a very important position. Once Florida traded
for Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo Tuesday, Thomas became a viable
option for the Stars.
Here's Nill on the timeline: "This is a great example of how things can change
quickly. When Roberto Luongo got traded, that opened a position in Florida
and it's something we talked about. Our mindset was it was a chance to pick
up a Stanley Cup champion goalie who has been to the playoffs, been
through the pressure. The Gaglardi family stepped up, were behind it the
whole way and it was just important for us to solidify that position."
Thomas is 39 and took last season off, so he still is a bit of a question mark.
However, he won the Vezina Trophy in 2009 and 2011 and led Boston to the
Stanley Cup in 2011. There are some who call his performance in 2010-11
one of the best goalie seasons ever.
And the Stars want to see if they can learn from that experience.
"He has a great history and he's really worked to get where he is, so you like
that in any player," said Stars goalie coach Mike Valley. "I know he's a very
dedicated worker, and will be good to have him in our locker room."
Thomas can be a bit of an odd teammate at times. He refused to go to the
Whitehouse with the Bruins after the Stanley Cup win because he did not
agree with the politics of the Obama administration. He decided after the
2011-12 season to simply take a year off and get away from the game. He
can be quirky like former Stars goalie Ed Belfour when it comes to practice
and the maintenance of his equipment. But there are a lot of Stars fans who
would like to see a little more Belfour-like quirkiness in the net.
Thomas will be on the ice for morning skate Thursday, but the guess is he will
not start in goal (you have to guess, because Lindy Ruff typically will not give
you any information on goalies). Ironically, Vancouver will likely have
Thomas' former Florida teammate Jacob Markstrom as its back-up.
Markstrom was traded to the Canucks as part of the Luongo deal, which then
sent Thomas to the Stars.
"We've liked how he's played," Nill said. "He's experienced, and I think that's
going to be good for Kari Lehtonen to see a guy, how he prepares, how he
handles pressure. Kari is kind of growing into this role. It's Kari's team still, but
when we have back-to-back games or four games in six nights, he knows
there is somebody that can go into the net and the team is going to continue
to win. That's very important."
Thomas will likely push Lehtonen hard, and there's a chance that he might
get on a hot streak and maybe even force Lehtonen into the back-up role at
times.
"I want to give Tim his opportunity to play," said Stars coach Lindy Ruff. "If he
plays well, he'll be rewarded for his play. I do not have a set number of games
in mind, nor will I put one together. We are going to do what it takes to win,
and I think that will involve both goaltenders."
Ellis was a good soldier for the Stars, but he had a bad game at the wrong
time. He is under contract next season for $1 million, so this does open up
the possibility that the Stars could either re-sign Thomas or open up space
for prospect Jack Campbell. Nill said he wasn't looking that far ahead.
Thomas makes $2.5 million base salary this season, but he also has
performance bonuses that include making the playoffs. Those bonuses
remain in his contract.
He is 16-20-3 record this season with a 2.87 goals against average and .909
save percentage, but the Panthers have struggled this season. Thomas
could improve those numbers with a fresh start on a playoff contender.
Thomas will wear No. 30 for Dallas.
Nill said that while there were some trade options, he didn't feel the need to
try to add a rental and give up either prospects or draft picks.
"In the end, there were not going to be any trades made that were going to be
short-term. If there was something there that was going to be long-term that
we were going to add to our team, but nothing like that really ever popped
up," Nill said. "In the end, Lindy and I have talked, we like our team, we like
where it's going and there just weren't any fits that were going to help us
long-term and we didn't do anything short-term."
The Stars did not file the paperwork by Wednesday's deadline that would
have allowed Valeri Nichushkin the opportunity to play in the AHL playoffs
this season. Jamie Benn played in the AHL after his rookie season and
helped the Texas Stars to the AHL finals. However, Nichushkin is 18 and is
trying to assimilate to the United States. If the Stars miss the playoffs, the
Russian winger will likely need a break.
730693
Dallas Stars
Florida Panthers goalie Tim Thomas traded to the Dallas Stars
Staff Reports Published: 05 March 2014 01:41 PM
The Stars have acquired goalie Tim Thomas from the Florida Panthers,
according to a source.
There is no report on what the Stars gave up yet, but reports on Twitter are
that Dan Ellis is going to Florida. Ellis has one year left on his contract at $1
million. Thomas has a cap hit of $2.5 million this season and is an
unrestricted free agent in the summer.
Thomas will turn 40 on April 15 and has played 40 games this year after
taking last year off. He was 16-20-3 for the Panthers with a 2.87 goals
against average and .902 save percentage.
However, he was the Vezina Trophy winner and Conn Smythe Trophy winner
in 2011 when he led Boston to the Stanley Cup. Thomas was joined by Tyler
Seguin and Rich Peverley on that team. Thomas is 212-141-48 in his career
with a 2.51 GAA and .920 save percentage.
The Stars have 20 games remaining in the next 39 games, including three
back-to-back situations. Stars back-up goalie Dan Ellis last night lost a 4-2
game at Columbus and looked bad on the first two goals against. Ellis is
5-6-0 this season with a 3.04 GAA and .900 save percentage.
The deal makes sense on both sides. Florida gets a veteran back-up to
Roberto Luongo who is under contract for next season. The Stars get a
possible upgrade on Ellis for the push to the playoffs and then can possibly
turn to Jack Campbell as NHL back-up next season.
730694
Dallas Stars
Stars acquire goalie Tim Thomas from Florida
By Travis L. Brown
On the NHL’s trade deadline Wednesday, the Dallas Stars made a big
splash, bringing former Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Tim
Thomas to Dallas from the Florida Panthers in exchange for backup goalie
Dan Ellis.
The move is a follow-up from free-agent talks that Stars general manager Jim
Nill had with Thomas over the summer before Thomas picked Florida over
Dallas. Now, with the Panthers out of the playoff picture, Thomas gets
another chance at a playoff run, Nill said.
“It’s an opportunity,” Nill said. “Florida wasn’t going to make the playoffs. It’s a
chance for him to come in and get our team into the playoffs. He knew we
were a team that was talking to him a lot last summer, and we almost had a
deal done.”
This season for Florida, Thomas played in 40 games, recording a 16-20-3
record and a 2.87 goals-against average, certainly below the career record
he established winning two Vezina Trophies, but Nill said the Stars are happy
with his numbers.
Thomas will also provide insight and experience into playoff hockey for Kari
Lehtonen, who only has two playoff appearances in his career.
“The experience is going to be good for Kari Lehtonen — for Kari to see how
he prepares for games and how he handles pressure,” Nill said. “Kari is kind
of rolling into this roll. It’s Kari’s team still, but for him to see how the guy
prepares and to know that when we have back-to-back games or four games
in six nights, he knows that there is somebody there that can go into the net
and continue to work.”
Lehtonen has been injury prone in the past, but he ranks second in the
league in games played this season.
The Stars have four more back-to-backs in their final 20 games of the
season, which has been compacted because of the extended Olympic break,
making the need for a quality backup even greater this season, Nill and
coach Lindy Ruff said.
Dan Ellis had a 2.75 goals-against average in 14 games, but he posted a
subpar performance in Tuesday night’s 4-2 loss to Columbus.
Ruff said playing time will be decided on a game-to-game basis and goalies
can earn more time with play, but Ruff and Nill were certain that for the
remainder of the season, the Stars are Lehtonen’s team.
Star-Telegram LOADED: 03.06.2014
730695
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings, Tigers owner Mike Ilitch, on health: 'I feel much better now'
By Helene St. James
Helene St. James: How a headache led the Red Wings to bring David
Legwand home
The Detroit Red Wings announced owners Mike and Marian Ilitch won't be
part of the festivities to celebrate Nicklas Lidstrom Thursday because of
health problems.
The Wings will retire Lidstrom's no. 5 with a ceremony before the game
against Colorado. Wednesday afternoon, the Wings released this statement
from Mr. Ilitch.
"While Marian and I would love to be there, we won’t be at tomorrow’s jersey
retirement for Nick Lidstrom. This past year, I had a medical procedure that
has kept me out of the spotlight for awhile. I feel much better now, and I’m
stronger every day. While we may not attend every event, we never miss a
game on TV and are very involved in all our businesses every day from home
and the office.
“We want to congratulate Nick, his wife Annika, and their family on this honor.
He’s very deserving and we’re so proud and fortunate to have had him as a
part of the Red Wings family for more than 20 years. We thank him with all
our hearts.”
Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with the ceremony running from 6:30-7:20 p.m. The
game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m.
Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.06.2014
730696
Detroit Red Wings
Legwand home
6:01 PM, March 5, 2014
| By Helene St. James
The search was on for a defenseman, and then Darren Helm got a
headache. And then Pavel Datsyuk saw another doctor, and the news just
got worse.
The Detroit Red Wings front-office staff was gathered at general manager
Ken Holland's house Tuesday night when Helm became the latest center to
suffer an injury, forcing a change in priority before Wednesday's NHL trade
deadline. The Wings will have Grosse Pointe Woods' David Legwand
available Thursday when they host the Colorado Avalanche - because
Datsyuk won't be available, because Helm won't be available, because
Henrik Zetterberg won't be available, because Stephen Weiss won't be
available.
The trade was costly - the Predators got previously highly touted prospect
Calle Jarnkrok, a third-round draft pick that will become a second-rounder if
the Wings extend their playoff streak to 23 straight seasons, and little-used
forward Patrick Eaves. Legwand is 33, a former Plymouth Whaler, and a
solid, but not superstar, center. He's a pending unrestricted free agent.
Maybe he can get the Wings into the playoffs, but it's going to be an arduous
task given the real threat that Datsyuk won't be back, on top of Zetterberg
being out at least through the end of the regular season.
Datsyuk has been bothered by an inflamed left knee since January. It didn't
get better while he didn't play for five weeks spanning January and February,
and it hasn't gotten better despite medication. A fourth specialist Wednesday
again ruled out surgery - for now. Holland said the Wings will do some
"aggressive" treatment on Datsyuk for a few days, after which he will be told
to do nothing: Don't work out, don't skate on your own, don't get out of bed,
really. If this doesn't help, Holland said there will be "a conversation" about
surgery.
The decision on Datsyuk came after Holland found out Helm might be out for
a while, too, came after Stephen Weiss' comeback from sports hernia
surgery is as murky as ever.
"With Zetterberg, with Datsyuk, with Helm, and with Weiss, the uncertainty of
where we're at, we felt it was important to get a bona-fide center," Holland
said. "The news in the last 48 hours, that all factored into acquiring a center.
The one we acquired is a local boy, so if we want to keep him beyond this
year, we think it's reasonable that can happen, because he had to waive a
no-trade clause to come here. He wanted to come home."
Legwand has 10 goals and 30 assists in 62 games this season. He's slated to
center Johan Franzen and Gustav Nyquist, becoming the de-facto new no. 1
center in Detroit. The Wings considered Livonia's Ryan Kesler briefly, but
Vancouver's asking price involved Nyquist, 2013 first-round Anthony Mantha,
and a first-rounder this year.
The Wings instead went with Legwand, and a dose of hope that maybe
someone will get healthy.
"If we can win some games as we go along here," Holland said, "we're
hopeful that we're going to get some people back. We're hoping this plan of
attack with Pav will allow us to wake up in three or four weeks and have Pav
practicing and thinking about getting back in our lineup.
"We were hoping to do something on the back end because if we have a
healthy Helm and a healthy Pav and with the development of our kids, we'd
have the ability to roll four lines."
nstead the Wings will roll out a new center, a defense that could have used
an upgrade among the top four, and see if this group can create enough of a
headache for opponents to reach the playoffs.
Contact Helene St. James
730697
Detroit Red Wings
Darren Helm out for Detroit Red Wings; Daniel Alfredsson expected to play
despite lost teeth
2:27 PM, March 5, 2014
| By Carlos Monarrez
Legwand home
The Detroit Red Wings won't have center Darren Helm for Thursday's game
against the Colorado Avalanche (8 p.m., FSD, NHL Network).
Coach Mike Babcock offered no update on Helm's mysterious absence.
Helm did not play after the second period of Tuesday's loss at New Jersey
because of an upper-body injury.
"He's not available tomorrow," Babcock said after today's practice at Joe
Louis Arena. "He's getting checked out today."
Forward Pavel Datsyuk (knee) did not practice and also will not be available.
With their number of healthy centers dwindling, the Wings recalled Cory
Emmerton from Grand Rapids.
Forward Daniel Alfredsson did not practice after he had some teeth knocked
out during Wednesday's game, but Babcock expects him to play against
Colorado.
"He's missing lots of teeth, but he was here," Babcock said. "So I think he'll
go."
No Pav, no worries: Babcock said he wasn't obsessing about Datsyuk's
injury nor lack of availability, much the same way he has resigned himself to
the absence of Henrik Zetterberg, who is out for the reast of the regular
season with a back injury.
"I don't know if it's a growing concern," Babcock said. "This is what I'll tell you:
Just like Z, is that a growing concern? No. They're not here, they're not
playing.
"I saw Z this morning; it was good to see him. I saw Pav this morning; it was
good to see him. They're not available."
Open early: The Wings will retire the Nicklas Lidstrom's No. 5 jersey in a
ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Doors at Joe Louis Arena will open at 5:30
p.m.
Contact Carlos Monarrez
730698
Detroit Red Wings
Assists 9
Points 16
Detroit Red Wings great Nicklas Lidstrom's top games, moments and
numbers
Plus/minus 4
Penalty minutes 2
3
Detroit Free Press Staff
Games 30
Assists 21
Nick Lidstrom played for Team Sweden in four Olympic Games. How he
fared:
Points 24
1998: Nagano
Plus/minus 15
Lidstrom had a goal and an assist in four games. Sweden lost just once — to
Canada, 3-2 — in group play, but fell, 2-1, to eventual bronze-medalist
Finland in the quarterfinals.
Penalty minutes 4
2002: Salt Lake City
Lidstrom picked up the points this time, assisting on five goals while scoring
once in four games. Sweden rolled through its group, giving up just four
goals, but fell to underdog Belarus in the quarters.
2006: Torino
Lidstrom, an assistant captain, scored twice and picking up four assists in
eight games. Sweden struggled in group play, but won the quarters and
semis by a combined 13-3 score before taking down Finland, 3-2.
2010: Vancouver
Lidstrom was kept off the stat sheet, going pointless in four games. Sweden
fared almost as poorly, losing in the quarterfinals for the third time, despite
going unbeaten in group play again.
11
Games 78
Assists 46
Points 57
Plus/minus 19
Penalty minutes 22
6
Games 29
Assists 15
Points 21
Plus/minus 18
In his own words
Penalty minutes 12
Nicklas Lidstrom shared his five favorite memories from 20 seasons as a Red
Wing with the Free Press’ Helene St. James:
30
1
“1997 Stanley Cup, because it was our first Cup in four decades.”
2
“1998 Stanley Cup, because it united all of us after the terrible accident from
the summer before.”
Games 119
Assists 58
Points 88
Plus/minus 25
Penalty minutes 28
3
13
”2002 Stanley Cup, because we were like an All-Star team, and the way we
rallied after being down, 2-0, against Vancouver in the first round.”
Games 70
4
“The 2006 Olympics, winning the gold medal for Sweden, scoring that goal,
I’ll always remember that.”
5
“Being named captain of the Red Wings in 2006, after Steve Yzerman
retired, that was incredibly special.”
Assists 48
Points 61
Plus/minus 24
Penalty minutes 12
11
Games 65
He shot, he scored
Assists 38
Lidstrom scored 264 goals in 1,564 games, including at least one against
each of the 29 other NHL teams. How he did it:
Points 49
12
Games 70
Assists 43
Points 55
Plus/minus 19
Penalty minutes 20
7
Games 28
Plus/minus 27
Penalty minutes 44
15
Games 93
Assists 46
Points 61
Plus/minus 32
Penalty minutes 30
10
Games 77
6
Assists 46
Games 27
Points 56
Assists 21
Plus/minus 41
Points 27
Penalty minutes 42
Plus/minus 6
4
Penalty minutes 2
Games 23
6
Assists 10
Games 24
Points 14
Assists 8
Plus/minus 3
Points 14
Penalty minutes 0
Plus/minus 8
8
Penalty minutes 6
Games 76
1
Assists 43
Games 27
Points 51
Assists 4
Plus/minus 25
Points 5
Penalty minutes 24
Plus/minus -8
8
Penalty minutes 10
Games 43
16
Assists 21
Games 85
Points 29
Assists 48
Plus/minus 18
Points 64
Penalty minutes 16
Plus/minus 24
4
Penalty minutes 24
Games 25
5
Assists 11
Games 31
Points 15
Assists 18
Plus/minus 8
Points 23
Penalty minutes 6
Plus/minus -4
17
Penalty minutes 8
Games 79
11
Assists 42
Games 74
Points 59
Assists 52
Plus/minus 22
Points 63
Penalty minutes 32
Plus/minus 15
3
Penalty minutes 28
Games 29
23
Assists 19
Games 121
Points 22
Assists 63
Plus/minus 7
Points 86
Penalty minutes 8
Plus/minus 33
5
Penalty minutes 44
Games 29
5
Assists 14
Games 32
Points 19
Assists 29
Plus/minus -1
Points 34
Penalty minutes 4
Plus/minus 18
Penalty minutes 8
8
Games 60
The center played 14 seasons for the original Winnipeg Jets, who are now
the Phoenix Coyotes.
MARKUS NASLUND, NO. 19, CANUCKS
Assists 35
His 15-year career included 12 seasons in Vancouver, where he spent time
on a line with the Red Wings’ Todd Bertuzzi.
Points 43
PETER FORSBERG, NO. 21, AVALANCHE
Plus/minus 29
Remember him? One of the world’s top two-way players when healthy, he
was always a thorn in the Wings’ side when playing, coincidentally, for
tonight’s opponent, Colorado.
Penalty minutes 18
13
Games 77
Assists 42
Points 55
Plus/minus 1
Penalty minutes 28
2
BORJE SALMING, NO. 21, AND
MATS SUNDIN, NO. 13, MAPLE LEAFS
Salming was a Leaf for 16 years before playing his final season in Detroit in
1989-90. Sundin came to Toronto in a trade that saw the departure of the
popular Wendel Clark, but he ended up becoming the Leafs’ captain. The
Leafs have only retired three numbers, but players like Salming and Sundin
get “honoured jerseys” status.
Swede dreams
Assists 17
In addition to being one of the greatest Wings, Nicklas Lidstrom can also lay
claim to a spot as one of his home country’s best. Where he stands in six key
categories:
Points 19
1. Nicklas Lidstrom
Plus/minus 6
1,564
Penalty minutes 28
2. Mats
1
Sundin
Games 13
1,346
Assists 11
3. Daniel Alfredsson
Points 12
1,226
Plus/minus 16
4. Borje
Penalty minutes 4
Salming
*INCLUDES GAMES AGAINST ORIGINAL WINNIPEG JETS FRANCHISE;
**INCLUDES GAMES AGAINST ATLANTA THRASHERS FRANCHISE
1,148
Games 30
1
Dec. 12, 2010
Wings 5, Blues 2: Lidstrom picked up the only hat trick of his career, at age
40. He’s the oldest defenseman to score a hat trick in NHL history.
2
Jan. 22, 1997
Wings 2, Flyers 2: Lidstrom’s only regular-season goal against the Flyers
came off Ron Hextall; It wasn’t for lack of trying: Lidstrom had eight shots in
the game.
3
Oct. 17, 1991
Wings 6, Blues 3: Lidstrom’s first career goal came in his sixth game, off
future teammate Vincent Riendeau. Lidstrom also had two assists for his first
three-point game.
Numbers game
5. Markus
Naslund
1.117
6. Calle
Johansson
1,109
7. Ulf
Samuelsson
1,080
8. Tomas
Holmstrom
1,026
9. Fredrik Olausson
1,022
Nicklas Lidstrom’s No. 5 Red Wings jersey goes into the rafters at Joe Louis
Arena tonight. Here are the other Swedish players whose numbers have
been retired by NHL teams:
10. Henrik
BOB NYSTROM, NO. 23, ISLANDERS
994
He was born in Stockholm — but his family moved to Canada when he was 4
and he played all of his hockey here, including winning four Stanley Cups
with the Islanders. His son Eric plays for Nashville and went to Michigan.
1 Mats Sundin
THOMAS STEEN, NO. 25, JETS
2 Daniel Alfredsson
Sedin
564
440
3 Markus Naslund
6 Henrik Sedin
395
832
4 Daniel Sedin
7 Thomas Steen
304
817
5 Ulf
8 Daniel Sedin
Dahlen
798
301
9 Borje Salming
6 Henrik Zetterberg
787
279
10 Henrik Zetterberg
7 Nicklas Lidstrom
720
264
1 Nicklas Lidstrom
7 Thomas Steen
450
264
2 Peter Forsberg
7 Kent Nilsson
238
264
3 Henrik Sedin
10 Mats Naslund
206
251
4 Daniel Sedin
1 Nicklas Lidstrom
179
878
5 Stefan Persson
2 Mats Sundin
176
785
6 Borje Salming
3 Daniel Alfredsson
175
705
7 Ulf
4 Henrik Sedin
Samuelsson
641
172
5 Borje Salming
8 Henrik Zetterberg
637
165
6 Peter Forsberg
9 Daniel Alfredsson
636
157
7 Thomas Steen
10 Kjell Samuelsson
553
145
8 Daniel Sedin
1 Mats Sundin
494
160
9 Markus Naslund
2 Daniel Alfredsson
474
135
10 Michael Nylander
3 Nicklas Lidstrom
470
132
1 Mats Sundin
4 Markus Naslund
1,349
126
2 Daniel Alfredsson
5 Tomas Holmstrom
1,145
122
3 Nicklas Lidstrom
6 Ulf
1,142
Dahlen
4 Peter Forsberg
120
885
7 Daniel Sedin
5 Markus Naslund
110
869
8 Kent Nilsson
97
9 Henrik Zetterberg
91
10 Thomas Steen
74
730699
Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings legend Nicklas Lidstrom to enjoy 'tremendous honor' of
jersey retirement tonight
March 6, 2014
| By Carlos Monarrez
Tonight: Avalanche
Matchup: Red Wings (28-21-12) vs. Colorado (40-17-5).
Face-off: 8, Joe Louis Arena.
TV/radio: FSD and NHL Network (subject to blackout), WXYT-AM (1270),
WXYT-FM (97.1).
Gordie Howe. Terry Sawchuk. Ted Lindsay. Sid Abel. Alex Delvecchio.
For 20 years, Nicklas Lidstrom would look up and gaze at the names and
numbers of the Red Wings greats hanging high and suspended in retirement
among the rafters of Joe Louis Arena.
Tonight, Lidstrom will ascend to the same lofty heights when his No. 5 jersey
is retired in a ceremony before the Wings host the Colorado Avalanche.
“I’ve been looking up to the rafters a long time and seeing those names,”
Lidstrom said Wednesday. “It’s still surreal that my name’s going to be going
up there, too, and it’s a tremendous honor to have my name up there as well.”
Lidstrom says he expects an exciting and emotional night as he reflects on
the 20-year career in Detroit that he filled with four Stanley Cups — one of the
best tenures by an NHL defenseman and one Lidstrom didn’t necessarily
expect.
“I played in Canada Cup in fall of ’91 before I came to training camp,” he said.
“So I had the chance to play against (Wayne) Gretzky and the best Canadian
players, the best U.S., the best Russian players. So I figured if I can play
against these guys, I should be able to play in the NHL. But I still wasn’t sure
until I got here and had a chance to practice with the guys and skate with the
guys.”
■ GOOD TO GO: Daniel Alfredsson did not practice after he had some teeth
knocked out during Tuesday’s loss to the Devils, but coach Mike Babcock
expects him to play against Colorado.
“He’s missing lots of teeth, but he was here,” Babcock said. “So I think he’ll
go.”
730700
Detroit Red Wings
What to know about Nicklas Lidstrom ceremony tonight at Joe Louis Arena
March 6, 2014
| Detroit Free Press Staff
Former Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom lofted the Stanley Cup in 2008. /
Julian H. Gonzalez/DFP
Nick's night special edition
What: The Red Wings are retiring Nicklas Lidstrom’s No. 5 jersey.
When: 6:30 tonight. It’s followed by an 8 p.m. face-off for the Wings
(28-21-12) vs. the Colorado Avalanche (40-17-5). Doors open at 5:30.
Where: Joe Louis Arena.
Who: Lidstrom, Mike Babcock, Ken Holland and Christopher Ilitch are
scheduled to speak. Lidstrom contemporaries Chris Chelios, Brendan
Shanahan, Igor Larionov, Vladimir Konstantinov, Kris Draper, Scotty
Bowman and others are expected to attend.
TV/radio: Fox Sports Detroit; WXYT-AM (1270), WXYT-FM (97.1).
Let’s party: The game’s sold out, but there’s a viewing party at the City
Theatre in Hockeytown Cafe. Lidstrom will make an appearance in the first
intermission. Tickets are $33.60 and $43.85 at detroitredwings.com.
He has friends in high places
Six other Wings jerseys hang in the rafters: Terry Sawchuk’s No. 1, Ted
Lindsay’s No. 7, Gordie Howe’s No. 9, Alex Delvecchio’s No. 10, Sid Abel’s
No. 12 and Steve Yzerman’s No. 19.
Lindsay, Howe, Delvecchio and Yzerman also are expected to attend tonight.
730701
Detroit Red Wings
Wings shut down Pavel Datsyuk for 3-4 weeks; surgery not in play yet
Ted Kulfan
Detroit Red Wings v Toronto Maple Leafs
Detroit — Already without Henrik Zetterberg, the Red Wings now are going to
be without Pavel Datsyuk.
General manager Ken Holland said Wednesday after the trade deadline
passed that the Red Wings will shut Datsyuk down for three to four weeks
because of an inflamed knee. Holland said the decision was made after
talking with Datsyuk last weekend and sensing Datsyuk’s frustration and
disappointment in not playing up to his capability and expectation.
“It allows Pav, in his own mind, that his body will have a period of time (to
heal),” Holland said. “Let’s see if we can wake up in three weeks and the
inflammations and things that are not allowing him to do the things he can do
and wants to do, let’s see if this is the answer.”
Surgery isn’t currently an option. But Holland said it could be this summer, if
Datsyuk’s condition doesn’t progress.
“If it doesn’t, then we’ll have to see what’s next,” Holland said. “I’m hoping in
three to four weeks, Pavel is here and (skating) around and we’ll be having
conversations as to when he’s coming back.”
In 39 games this season, Datsyuk has 15 goals and 18 assists, while
averaging 20:27 of ice time. He is a minus-2.
Datsyuk missed all of January, except for the New Year’s Day Winter
Classic. He returned for the final two games before the Olympic break in
early February, then traveled to Sochi to captain the Russian team in the
Winter Olympics. Datsyuk was arguably one of the team’s best players, but
Russia was eliminated before the medal round of the tournament.
Datsyuk then played the first two games after the Olympic break but hasn’t
registered a point. He didn’t play in Tuesday’s 4-3 loss at New Jersey.
With Datsyuk, Zetterberg (back surgery), Darren Helm (headaches) and
Stephen Weiss (sports hernia) all unavailable, Holland acquired Grosse
Pointe native David Legwand from Nashville just before the trade deadline
Wednesday to bolster the slim center position.
The Red Wings sent forward Patrick Eaves, forward Calle Jarnkrok (Grand
Rapids Griffins) and a 2014 third-round draft pick to Nashville. That pick can
become a second-round pick if Detroit qualifies for the playoffs.
Detroit News LOADED: 03.06.2014
730702
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings acquire David Legwand, deal Patrick Eaves
Ted Kulfan
Detroit — The Red Wings have acquired forward David Legwand in a trade
from the Nashville Predators, getting the deal in under the NHL’s 3 p.m. trade
deadline Wednesday.
Legwand, a Grosse Pointe native who attended Grosse Pointe North, waived
his no-trade contract to come home. He'll be an unrestricted free agent on
July 1.
In return the Red Wings gave up Patrick Eaves, Grand Rapids center Calle
Jarnkrok, and a 2014 third-round pick that will become a second-round pick if
the Red Wings make the playoffs.
Legwand (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) played in 62 games with Nashville — the
only organization he's ever played for — with 10 goals and 30 assists for 40
points, averaging 17 minutes 12 seconds of ice time.
The former second pick overall in the 1998 Entry Draft, Legwand starred with
the Plymouth Whalers in his junior career.
Legwand's acquisition was essential because of the Red Wings’ injuries
down the middle.
Pavel Datsyuk (knee), Henrik Zetterberg (back surgery), Darren Helm (upper
body) and Stephen Weiss (sports hernia) are all unavailable.
Legwand is a veteran who can supply minutes and could be interested in
re-signing with the Red Wings in the summer.
From The Detroit News:
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140305/SPORTS0103/303050091#ixz
z2v8Xbmu9C
730703
Detroit Red Wings
On eve of Nicklas Lidstrom ceremony, Red Wings obtain reinforcement at
center
Bob Wojnowski
Detroit — It’s all about the rafters, where the greats are honored and success
is marked. It has been the Red Wings’ identity for a long time, to aim for the
rafters, and we’ll see it exemplified tonight.
In a pregame ceremony, the Wings will send Nicklas Lidstrom’s No. 5 to the
top of Joe Louis Arena, alongside the numbers of such luminaries as Gordie
Howe and Steve Yzerman. And then they’ll play the Avalanche and unveil
their newest arrival, center David Legwand, who’s here because the Wings
steadfastly refuse to take “no playoffs” for an answer.
The streak is 22 years, and it began one season before Lidstrom arrived as a
smooth, slender defenseman, who went on to become one of the NHL’s
all-time best. It didn’t end on his watch, and if it’s to reach 23 years, the Wings
desperately need help. In a move that was half-prudent and half-panic, they
landed David Legwand from Nashville (and Grosse Pointe Woods) at the
deadline Wednesday, surrendering Patrick Eaves, a draft pick and prized
prospect Calle Jarnkrok.
This wasn’t the deal GM Ken Holland wanted to make, but down four centers,
he felt he had no choice. Pavel Datsyuk will sit the next three weeks to rest
his ailing left knee. Henrik Zetterberg is out until April or later following back
surgery. Darren Helm suffered from concussion-like symptoms and was
pulled from the game Tuesday night. And Stephen Weiss still isn’t ready to
return from a groin injury.
Whatever you think of how much Holland surrendered — a lot, by the way —
you can respect the motive. The Wings are one point out of the final playoff
spot in the Eastern Conference, and two things still drive them. There’s the
streak, which hangs around their neck like a medal, not a collar. And there’s
the notion that anyone can win in the wide-open Stanley Cup playoffs,
verified last season when they snuck in, upset Anaheim in the first round and
nearly stunned Chicago, losing in Game 7.
“We want to play our way in,” Holland said. “If we can get some good (health)
news, we’ve got enough people here with the leadership group, and the kids
are giving us a dimension of speed and energy.”
Postseason drive
Could you argue it made less sense for the Wings to go for it this season, with
no guarantee they’ll have Datsyuk or Zetterberg for the playoffs? Yep. And
you could argue it more strenuously if you knew Jarnkrok was a budding star.
With prospects, it’s impossible to gauge.
This day was coming, when the injuries would pile up and time would catch
up and the Wings would wrestle with the concept of missing the playoffs.
Actually, they were prepared for it last season, then got hot, unleashed
youthful talent and showed why you try so hard to get in.
Lidstrom saw it coming when he retired two seasons ago, capping a 20-year
career. He could still play, but not at a superstar level, and the Wings weren’t
deep enough to compensate.
Now he sees what everyone sees, even if Wings games are on at 1:30 a.m.
Sweden time. Lidstrom moved back home with his wife and four sons but still
follows the Wings closely, and misses the game badly. Don’t mistake
nostalgia for regret, though. He knows he retired at the right time, and when
he watches the Wings fight to stay in contention, he probably knows it even
more.
“Even watching from a distance, you can tell they’re still battling, doing
whatever they can to win games,” Lidstrom said. “It’s hard when you have so
many bodies out, but the young guys are taking advantage of opportunities.”
The young guys are at the crux of the current conundrum. They’ve proven
they’re ready, from Gustav Nyquist to Tomas Tatar to Riley Sheahan to
Tomas Jurco and others. Holland and Mike Babcock accept they’re ready,
but still need bodies.
Change of plans
At first, Holland went hunting for a defenseman, but shifted when he got news
of Helm’s injury. Then came more bad news Wednesday, when Datsyuk saw
yet another doctor, who recommended a complete shutdown. Without
reinforcements, the Wings would’ve entered the latest key stretch with these
four centers: Joakim Andersson, Sheahan, Luke Glendening and Cory
Emmerton. Legwand automatically becomes their No. 1 center for now.
There was no way Holland was giving up a young contributor on the roster
now, but to land a solid veteran like Legwand, 33, who averaged 15 goals in
14 seasons with the Predators, he was willing to surrender a gifted young,
talent. It’s a roll of the dice on the ice, no doubt. Legwand can be a free agent
after the season, but the theory is, he’ll want to stay in his hometown.
It’s a fair debate, but I’ll never blast a team, especially in the crazy NHL, for
craving a playoff run, even after 22 seasons. Last year’s run affected the
Wings’ strategy this time, and I understand why.
“Once you get in, it’s a brand new season, whether you’re a seven seed or
eight seed,” Holland said. “The price we paid is a real good prospect, but we
felt (center) was a position of strength, and you have to give to get. And we
think we found the perfect fit (in Legwand).”
It definitely was an unambiguous move, with short-term intent, and there’s no
certainty it will work. But the irony is rich, because on the night the Wings are
honoring one of their shiny symbols of certainty and stability, they’ll take the
ice certain of very little.
They’re trying to hold it together in their second season without Lidstrom, but
in the pregame ceremony, it’ll be their unassuming legend trying to hold it
together.
“I know it’s gonna be emotional,” Lidstrom said, and if his famous stoicism
gives way to tears, it won’t be a surprise. “I know there’s gonna be a lot of
memories going through my mind. I didn’t even imagine when I came here
more than 20 years ago that this would happen.”
In some ways, Lidstrom started it all, and pushed success through two
decades and four Stanley Cup titles. Something ended when he retired, but if
something else has to end, the Wings aren’t willing to let it go quietly.
730704
Detroit Red Wings
David Legwand will help bolster Red Wings' decimated center spot during
playoff drive
Ansar Khan | March 05, 2014
DETROIT – After their injury situation at center deteriorated in the past 24
hours, the Detroit Red Wings felt it was imperative to bolster that position at
the trading deadline.
Holland said. “Young players get anxious; they want to play in the NHL. If
they can’t play in the NHL here they want an opportunity elsewhere.
“You got to give to get.”
Jarnkrok, 22, had 13 goals and 36 points in 57 games with the Grand Rapids
Griffins in his first full season in North America.
Ultimately, the Red Wings were looking for the right balance of improving
their team to compete for a playoff spot this season while not sacrificing a
good chunk of their future.
“We want to make the playoffs,” Holland said.
Standing pat was not a desirable option because it would have further
jeopardized their 22-year playoff streak.
His club qualified on the final day of the season in 2013 as the seventh seed
in the Western Conference. It upset Anaheim in the first round and took
eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago to overtime in Game 7 before being
eliminated.
So the Red Wings acquired David Legwand from the Nashville Predators in
exchange for highly regarded center prospect Calle Jarnkrok, spare veteran
forward Patrick Eaves and a conditional 2014 third-round draft pick (it
becomes a second-round pick if Detroit makes the playoffs).
“We’ve got to win some games and we’ve got to hope we get some good luck
on the injury front,” Holland said. “I think that our coaching staff has done a
great job at having structure and the players have bought in and I think we
feel we can go into any game right now and win the game.”
Legwand, a 33-year-old Grosse Pointe native who’s spent his entire 15-year
NHL career in Nashville, is a tremendous skater with a strong defensive
game and good offensive ability.
Legwand (6-foot-2, 205) will be the Red Wings’ top-line center when he
makes his debut against the Colorado Avalanche at Joe Louis Arena (8 p.m.,
Fox Sports Detroit). He’ll be their No. 1 center for a while (on a line with
Johan Franzen and Gustav Nyquist), because Pavel Datsyuk has been shut
down for at least three weeks due to his inflamed left knee, Darren Helm is
out indefinitely due to headaches from a possible concussion and Stephen
Weiss continues to experience discomfort while attempting to return from
hernia surgery.
Plus, Henrik Zetterberg is out for at least the remainder of the regular season
following back surgery.
“We felt it was important to get a bona fide center iceman,” general manager
Ken Holland said. “We have to win some games and as we go along here
we’re going to get some of these players back. We think with the addition
today we’re a little bit deeper down the middle and we hope to be deeper next
week (with the possible return of Helm and Weiss).”
Legwand had 40 points (10 goals, 30 assists) in 62 games with Nashville,
tying him for the team’s scoring lead. He’ll wear No. 17 because No. 11 is
taken by Daniel Alfredsson.
“He’s good defensively,” Holland said. “He’s a guy that puts up 50-60 points
and he’s an established, legitimate NHL player who can kill penalties and
play against anybody from the other team. That’s sort of been his roles.”
Legwand has 210 goals and 356 assists for 566 points in 956 career regular
season games. In 47 playoff games, he has 13 goals and 28 points.
Legwand is in the final year of his contract, with a salary-cap hit of $4.5
million. There’s a good chance the Red Wings will re-sign him before he hits
free agency in July.
“He’s a local boy, so we’re thinking if we want to keep the player beyond this
year it’s a very reasonable to happen,” Holland said. “He had to waive a
no-move (clause) to come here so obviously he wanted to come home.”
The Red Wings made a pitch for another local product, Livonia’s Ryan
Kesler, but didn’t have the main asset (skilled young center) it would have
taken to acquire him from the Vancouver Canucks, in addition to a top
prospect and a first-round pick. He wasn’t dealt.
The Red Wings’ main priority before their centers started dropping was to
acquire a top-four defenseman. But there were few on the market.
Vancouver’s Alexander Edler, a player the Red Wings pursued, wasn’t
moved.
Holland indicated he would have preferred a right-handed shot (Edler shoots
left) because the seven defensemen on their roster are lefties.
The Red Wings weren’t looking to move Jarnkrok, the skilled Swedish center
they selected 51st overall in the 2010 draft. But he was deemed expendable
due to the depth of forwards in the organization.
“I think he’s going to play in the NHL but there’s so many people that he’s
behind here that I don’t know when he was going to get the opportunity,”
730705
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings, Tigers owner Mike Ilitch won't be on hand for Nicklas Lidstrom
number retirement
Brendan Savage | March 05, 2014
Nicklas Lidstrom's No. 5 will be raised to the rafters Thursday night without
Detroit Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch in attendance at Joe Louis Arena.
Ilitch, 84, issued a statement today explaining why he won't attend the
ceremony prior to a game with the Colorado Avalanche while thanking
Lidstrom for his contributions to the Red Wings.
Here is the statement issued on behalf of Ilitch and his wife, Marian:
"While Marian and I would love to be there, we won't be at tomorrow's jersey
retirement for Nick Lidstrom. This past year, I had a medical procedure that
has kept me out of the spotlight for awhile. I feel much better now, and I'm
stronger every day. While we may not attend every event, we never miss a
game on TV and are very involved in all our businesses every day from home
and the office.
"We want to congratulate Nick, his wife Annika, and their family on this honor.
He's very deserving and we're so proud and fortunate to have had him as a
part of the Red Wings family for more than 20 years. We thank him with all
our hearts."
Lidstrom retired in 2012 after 20 seasons and four Stanley Cups with the Red
Wings.
Ilitch did not attend press conferences announcing the retirement of former
manager Jim Leyland or the hiring of new manager Brad Ausmus during the
baseball offseason. He also was not present for the team's annual team
photo, which was shot during the second half of the 2013 season at
Comerica Park.
Michigan Live LOADED: 03.06.2014
730706
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings shut down Pavel Datsyuk for three weeks; Darren Helm
experiencing headaches
DETROIT – Pavel Datsyuk tried to play through the pain in his inflamed left
knee, hoping rest and treatment would allow him to gut it out for the rest of
the season.
But he just wasn’t the same. So the Detroit Red Wings decided on
Wednesday to shut him down for at least three weeks in hopes that he’ll be
ready to play late in the regular season and, if all goes well, the playoffs.
General manager Ken Holland said Datsyuk will receive more aggressive
treatment and continue to rest. Surgery isn’t planned for now but it might be
an option in the off-season.
“In January he didn’t play hockey, but worked real hard off the ice thinking he
was a day away, a day away,” Holland said. “We’re going to back way off the
off-ice (workouts). They’re going to do some treatments with him over the
next few days. We’re going to see where we’re at in three weeks.”
Holland said center Darren Helm will miss at least the next two games due to
headaches. He is going through the NHL’s concussion protocol.
“He’s been having the odd headache this week and then last night,” Holland
said. “He went to see the doctor today, haven’t got a report on him. We’re
anticipating he’s probably out a few days and we’ll see how things go.”
Center Stephen Weiss (hernia surgery) also won’t play for at least the next
two games.
“We were hoping to have Stephen Weiss back a week ago,” Holland said.
“He’s had some pain the last couple of days we’ve shut him down the last
couple of days.”
Datsyuk played two games with the Red Wings before the Olympic and two
games after the Olympics. He wasn’t close to being the same dominant
player.
“He doesn’t have the speed, he doesn’t have the quickness to beat people
and jump around and do the things he wants to do,” Holland said. “We’re
going to readdress this thing in three weeks. It doesn’t mean Pav will be
back. We’re hoping in 3-4 weeks Pav is out here zipping around and we’re
having conversations about when he’s coming back.”
Holland said this is recent development.
“On Saturday, Mike (coach Babcock) and I met with Pav; Pav was very
frustrated at his inability to play the game the way he knows he can and the
way he wants to play the game.
“It became pretty obvious to Mike Babcock, (trainer) Piet Van Zant and to
myself that Pav was frustrated and all we were going to do is have an athlete
that was emotionally burned out. When you can’t do something that you
know you can do at a level, it just grinds on you and grinds on you.”
Holland defended Datsyuk’s decision to play in the Olympics.
“It’s easy now to say it probably would have been best if he didn’t play in the
Olympics,” Holland said. “Put yourself in somebody else’s shoes. It’s a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; he’s named captain of the Russian team.
They’ve been looking forward to the Olympics since 2010.
“At the end of the day it’s not for me to decide.”
Holland said the same can be said for Henrik Zetterberg’s decision to play for
Sweden. Zetterberg withdrew after one game and had back surgery on Feb.
21, which will idle him for at least the rest of the regular season.
“I’m not going to judge Pav and Z at all, for what they’ve meant to our city, our
franchise, our team,” Holland said. “They’re super people, they’re warriors.
They play hurt, they play 200 feet, they’re role models, great citizens.
“For me to tell Pavel Datsyuk I don’t think you should be playing representing
your country in the Olympics … that’s a decision they’ve got to make and I
respect the decision.”
730707
Detroit Red Wings
Injury-riddled Red Wings acquire two-way center David Legwand from
Nashville Predators
DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings have acquired two-way center David
Legwand from the Nashville Predators.
Legwand, a Grosse Pointe native who played for the Plymouth Whalers, had
spent his entire 15-year NHL career with the Predators, who selected him
with the second overall pick in the 1998 draft.
Injuries to centers Henrik Zetterberg (back), Pavel Datsyuk (knee), Stephen
Weiss (hernia) and Darren Helm (upper body) necessitated the deal.
The Red Wings sent forward Patrick Eaves, center prospect Calle Jarnkrok
and a third-round pick to Nashville. The pick will become a second-round
selection if the Red Wings make the playoffs.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Legwand, 33, is a good skater and defensive
forward who can contribute offensively. He was tied for the scoring lead in
Nashville with 40 points (10 goals, 30 assists).
Legwand is in the final year of his contract, with a cap hit of $4.5 million. He’ll
be an unrestricted free agent in July but is certainly a player the Red Wings
could look to sign to an extension.
He has 210 goals and 356 assists for 566 points in 956 career regular season
games. In 47 playoff games, he has 13 goals and 28 points.
Eaves was a frequent healthy scratch who did not figure to be in the lineup
when the Red Wings got their injured players back.
Eaves, 29, had five points (two goals, three assists) and a minus-4 rating in
25 games with the Red Wings and had cleared waivers earlier this season.
He had six points (four goals, two assists) in eight games with the Grand
Rapids Griffins.
730708
Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings fans: If team makes a trade, defenseman should be the
target
"Neither," wrote reader aklion. "With Z likely out for the season, and
Pavel's knee hurting, their chances of a cup are unrealistic. And, that's all that
matters. The string of playoff appearances doesn't mean anything without a
serious run at the cup. Thus, don't give away the future just to keep that string
intact. Of course if you can get someone to take Weiss, Bert, Sammy, and a
couple of others like that, go for it. But not the young players and/or draft
choices."
As is sometimes the case, one reader had a rather outlandish idea on how to
improve the Red Wings.
Detroit Red Wings fans and management are in agreement.
"Time to trade Franzen, Pav, Z, Alfie(if he will wave his NTC)and
Kronwall," wroter reader Mike in Burlington. "Out with the old......."
The club's biggest need before today's 3 p.m. trade deadline is a top
defenseman.
What do you think the Red Wings should try and do before the trade
deadline?
General manager Ken Holland said obtaining another defenseman for the
back end will be his top objective and MLive readers who voted in our poll
think that's the right move as well.
Of the 2,076 readers who answered our unscientific poll question – what
should the Red Wings target at the trade deadline? – more than 72 percent
said a defenseman.
"I would say a really good offensive D-man is the way to go," wrote
reader DownInTheBurg. "We have young forwards coming up that are
helping fill the forward ranks with quality players. Adding an offensive D-man
will increase everyone's production. An offensive D-man would go a long way
to improving the PP. That is an area the Wings do need improvement on. An
improved PP would do a great deal to see the Wings to the playoffs, and give
them success once they get there. The wings also have 3-4 young D-men in
the minors, but they are a little further off than the forwards. An offensive
D-man would help bridge that gap for the next year or two. Young D-man
very rarely come into the league scoring 40-50-60 points. It takes more time
for a D-man to get up to full speed. Adding an offensive D-man would assure
the Wings continuity in the offensive game."
A look back to last year's playoffs, when the Red Wings took eventual
Stanley Cup champion Chicago to overtime of Game 7 in the second round,
is an indication that the defense is fine, according to one reader.
"For those of you who emphatically request a defenseman clearly dont
watch the playoffs closely," wrote reader Eskymo20. "The Wings problem
come playoff time has always been lack of timely scoring. Wings lost to the
Stanley Cup champs by one goal in OT. That should tell you that the D holds
the goals out long enough come playoff style hockey."
Forget about picking between a defenseman and forward, says another
reader.
"It doesn't matter - we need both," wrote reader MI_resident. "But we
certainly need someone who can score some goals. We have some young,
talented defensemen waiting in GR right now. You can't plan to win every
game 2-1 all season. Especially with a young D. We need to be able to score
more and take the pressure off that D as well as off Howard. They feel they
have to play perfect to have a chance bc if 2 or 3 pucks end up in the net - we
usually lose."
Would it be better for the Red Wings to focus on subtraction rather than
addition before the deadline?
"Trade only if it means getting rid of Quincey, Cleary, Bertuzzi, Tootoo,
Samuelson, Abdelkader (not enough upside scoring for a top six forward) or
Gustavson (cause Mrazek will be here sooner or later)," wrote reader
Caldwellme. "Otherwise, I say let those guys retire or play out their contracts
and keep bringing up the prospects who are most developed. The only way
this team is going to win a Stanley Cup is to gain some elite talent on D and at
forward and that is going to be through the draft process, not a trade for any
young assets."
Not everyone thinks a trade is necessary since the Red Wings aren't exactly
considered strong contenders to win the Stanley Cup.
"Holland should not go for the cup this year," wrote reader Royal Grand
Exalted PooBah. "The team is too messed up too try and fix without giving up
way too much."
With that in mind, one reader thinks the best idea is to do nothing at all since
the Red Wings best player this season – captain Henrik Zetterberg – is out
for the rest of the regular season after undergoing back surgery while Pavel
Datsyuk has been battling a knee injury for most of the second half.
730709
Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings recall center Cory Emmerton from Grand Rapids
The Detroit Red Wings have recalled forward Cory Emmerton from Grand
Rapids of the AHL.
This is the third time the sixth-year pro has been recalled from Grand Rapids
this season.
By recalling Emmerton before today's 3 p.m. trade deadline, the Red Wings
can avoid using one of their four post-deadline call ups on him.
The Red Wings are short-handed at center with Pavel Datsyuk and Darren
Helm sidelined. Datsyuk sat out Tuesday's 4-3 loss in New Jersey because
his troublesome knee is acting up again and Helm left the game in the
second period with an undisclosed upper-body injury.
In 11 games with the Red Wings this season, Emmerton has two assists and
four penalty minutes.
He was originally sent down to Grand Rapids this season after being waived
Sept. 29 during a roster crunch.
In 41 games with Grand Rapids, Emmerton has 12 goals, 20 assists and 14
PIM.
730710
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings' search for a top-four defenseman will continue up until today's 3
p.m. trade deadline
By Ansar Khan | [email protected]
NEWARK, N.J. – The Detroit Red Wings stood pat Tuesday during a flurry of
trade activity on the eve of Wednesday’s 3 p.m. deadline.
General manager Ken Holland said he talked to a lot of teams, but the cost to
acquire a quality player remains high.
He will continue working the phones on Wednesday in his search for a
top-four defenseman.
“I don’t think we’re doing anything up front or in goal,” Holland said. “You’re
always trying to do something on the back end. Not sure if we will or not.”
Vancouver, which pulled off the biggest deal on Tuesday by shipping
goaltender Roberto Luongo back to Florida for goalie Jacob Markstrom and
forward Shawn Matthias, is looking to move defenseman Alexander Edler,
who is at or near the top of the Red Wings’ wish list.
Buffalo might deal defensemen Christian Ehrhoff and Tyler Myers.
All of these players have a lot of term remaining on their contract (Edler has
five years left at $5 million per season; Ehrhoff has seven years left at $18
million, but with a cap hit of $4 million; Myers has five years left at $5.5 million
per season).
Holland said he is not interested in spending premium assets (young roster
player, top prospect, first-round pick) for a rental (player in the final year of his
contract).
Andrew MacDonald, whom the Red Wings had interest in, was traded by the
New York Islanders to Philadelphia for second- and third-round picks and
forward prospect Matt Mangene.
730711
Detroit Red Wings
Loss of Datsyuk made move to add a top center necessary
By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily
DETROIT >> In desperate need of a center, the Detroit Red Wings went out
and obtained one right before the NHL trade deadline.
The Wings acquired David Legwand from the Nashville Predators for Patrick
Eaves, prospect Calle Jarnkrok and a third-round draft pick, which could turn
into a second-rounder if they make the playoff this season.
And the reason why they were so desperate became apparent quick.
The team has shut down Pavel Datsyuk for three weeks due to his injured
knee.
That news came on top of the Wings already missing centers Darren Helm
(headaches), Stephen Weiss (sports hernia surgery) and Henrik Zetterberg
(back surgery) for an extended period of time.
“When you look at our center ice with Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Helm and with
Weiss the uncertainty of where we’re at, other than Z and I guess there is
some certainty with Pav that he’s going to be shut down for three weeks, we
felt it was important to get a bonafide center ice man,” Wings general
manager Ken Holland said.
Right now there are no plans for Datsyuk to have surgery.
“That might be an option in the offeseason, but right now the doctors feel
we’re going to shut him down,” Holland said. “In January he didn’t play
hockey, but worked real hard off the ice thinking he was a day away, a day
away. We’re going to back way off the off-ice. They’re going to do some
treatments with him over the next few days. We’re going to see where we’re
at in three weeks. Right now surgery is not an option, but we’ll see what the
future holds.”
Legwand, 33, has 10 goals and 30 assists this season for Nashville in 62
games.
Holland said all the time leading up to the trade deadline they weren’t
interested in a rent-a-player, but that indeed could be what Legwand is. He’s
in the final year of deal that averaged out at $4.5 million a season.
“With all the news we’ve received, and Weiss could be OK in two to three, but
right now there is uncertainty,” Holland said. “That all factored into acquiring
a center ice man and the team we’ve acquired him from is a local boy so
we’re thinking if we want to keep the player beyond this year we think it’s a
very reasonable to happen. He had to trade a no move to come here so
obviously we wanted to come home.”
Holland said he think Legwand will center the Wings’ top line, alongside
Johan Franzen and Gustav Nyquist.
The move also was made to keep Detroit in the race for the playoffs. The
Wings start Wednesday a point behind Columbus for the last wild card spot in
the Eastern Conference, but with a game in hand.
“Without a doubt,” Holland said when asked if the move was done to stay in
the race. “We have to win some games and as we go along here we’re going
to get some of these players back. If can qualify for the playoffs we still
believe there’s a chance in the first round of the playoffs Z will be back. He’s
feeling better.”
Legwand is a Detroit native, attending Grosse Pointe North High School.
He also played his junior career with the Plymouth Whalers.
His final year of juniors he won the Red Tilson Award as the Ontario Hockey
League’s most outstanding player after totaling 54 goals and 51 assists.
He was drafted second overall by the Predators in the 1998 draft, behind
Vincent Lecavalier.
Legwand holds every franchise record in Nashville, including goals (210),
assists (356) and games played (956).
Macomb Daily LOADED: 03.06.2014
730712
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings add Legwand, a much needed center at deadline
By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily
DETROIT >> In desperate need of a center, the Detroit Red Wings went out
and obtained one right before the NHL trade deadline.
The Wings acquired David Legwand from the Nashville Predators for Patrick
Eaves, a prospect and a third-round draft pick.
The Wings are hurting at center.
Three of them they thought would be available to make a run at the playoffs
are hobbled by injuries – Pavel Datsyuk (knee), Darren Helm (upper body)
and Stephen Weiss (sports hernia surgery) – are on the shelf.
All three won’t play Thursday when the Wings host the Colorado Avalanche.
Add them to a list that already included Henrik Zetterberg, who’ll miss the rest
of the regular season after back surgery.
Detroit didn’t want to trade any of its youngsters inside the locker room if any
deal is going to be made.
“When you increase your value internally, I guess what I would say is I’m not
in any big hurry to get rid of these people,” Wings coach Mike Babcock said
after practice at Joe Louis Arena. “I guess it depends on where you’re from
and what your thought process is, to me if you want to have a championship
team for a long period of time you have to build it.”
The youth at forward inside the Wings’ room include Gustav Nyquist (15
goals, 13 assists), Tomas Tatar (14 goals, 12 assists), Riley Sheahan (four
goals, eight assists), Tomas Jurco (four goals, five assists) and Luke
Glendening (four assists).
On the blue line, it’s Danny DeKeyser (three goals, 11 assists).
“And you’re not building it by getting rid of your young guys, you have to build
it,” Babcock said. “When you get to a certain point then you can move assets.
We’re not at that point.”
Legwand, 33, has 10 goals and 30 assists this season for Nashville in 62
games.
Holland said all the time leading up to the trade deadline they weren’t
interested in a rent-a-player, but that indeed could be what Legwand is. He’s
in the final year of deal that averaged out at $4.5 million a season.
Legwand is a Detroit native, attending Grosse Pointe North High School.
He also played his junior career with the Plymouth Whalers.
His final year of juniors he won the Red Tilson Award as the Ontario Hockey
League’s most outstanding player after totaling 54 goals and 51 assists.
He was drafted second overall by the Predators in the 1998 draft, behind
Vincent Lecavalier.
Legwand holds every franchise record in Nashville, including goals (210),
assists (356) and games played (956).
Macomb Daily LOADED: 03.06.2014
730713
Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers GM Craig MacTavish talks with media about NHL deadline
day moves
Posted by:John MacKinnon
GM Craig MacTavish was disappointed with the return (a third- and a
fifth-round draft pick) for long-time Oilers right winger Ales Hemsky, but it was
a buyer’s market this year, apparently, so he lives with it.
In the end, MacTavish traded one goalie (Ilya Bryzgalov), acquired another
(Viktor Fasth), and found homes for defencemen Nick Schultz (Columbus)
and Corey Potter (claimed by Boston on waivers), as he cleared contracts
from his payroll to open spots for younger players to audition for jobs.
He also replenished his store draft picks, adding a fourth-rounder, two
fifth-round picks and a third-round pick in 2015. The Oilers remain without a
second-round pick in the NHL draft in June.
Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 03.06.2014
730714
Edmonton Oilers
Oilers deal Ales Hemsky to Senators, Nick Schultz to Blue Jackets (with
video)
Edmonton Journal March 5, 2014 4:45 PM
EDMONTON - The two most-likely Edmonton Oilers players to be dealt on
NHL trade deadline day Wednesday are gone.
Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish has traded winger Ales Hemsky to
the Ottawa Senators and defenceman Nick Schultz to the Columbus Blue
Jackets.
Both players are slated to become unrestricted free agents in July.
The 30-year-old Hemsky, who scored two goals against his new team
Tuesday night in the Oilers' 3-2 win at Rexall Place, was swapped for a
third-round draft pick in 2015 and a fifth-round pick this year.
Hemsky has been the subject of trade rumours for years now and was openly
on the trade block last summer.
Schultz, a 31-year-old Saskatchewan native who was acquired by the Oilers
two years ago from the Minnesota Wild at the trade deadline for defenceman
Tom Gilbert, fetched Edmonton a fifth-round pick.
Hemsky, a native of Paradubice, Czech Republic, was the Oilers' first round
pick, 13th overall, in the 2001 NHL entry draft and has played 652 games for
the team, scoring 142 goals and 335 assists for 477 points.
More to come ...
730715
Edmonton Oilers
Corey Potter takes a giant step, landing in Boston in waiver pickup
Posted by:Jim Matheson
Corey Potter has gone from the doghouse to the penthouse.
The Edmonton Oilers’ defenceman who never seemed to solidify a top six
spot over the past two years here was claimed on waivers by the Boston
Bruins as a depth blueliner. Potter was on his way to the farm in Oklahoma
City, following Philip Larsen who cleared Monday but surprisingly was picked
up by the Bruins who lost in the Chicago Blackhawks in last year’s the
Stanley Cup final. The Bruins have also been looking at Oilers’ defenceman
Nick Schultz as a third-pairing UFA rental too.
Potter, 30, played 62 games in 2011-2012 but only 33 in the lockout season
when he was being rotated with Ryan Whitney, now playing in San Antonio in
the American Hockey League. This year Potter injured his groin in summer
training and didn’t play until Nov. 13 against the Dallas Stars. He got into 16
Oiler games and 111 in all. His contract is up July 1 and he only makes
$750,000.
He wasn’t happy to be on waivers but now he’s smiling broadly. The Bruins
are looking for an eighth D-man with youngsters Dougie Hamilton, Kevan
Miller, Matt Bartkowski and Torey Krug in the lineup along with Zdeno Chara,
Johnny Boychuk and Adam McQuaid in the lineup there.
730716
Edmonton Oilers
The buyers won out over the sellers in this trade deadline
Calgary Flames’ president-cum acting general manager Brian Burke is
dead-right when he says “there is only one parade” and that his NHL brethren
often blow their brains out trying to get the elusive Stanley Cup celebration
when they’re wheeling and dealing at trade deadline time.
Indeed, there is only one true winner–the team hugging and mugging with the
silver mug in late June.
But, this year at least, the buyers won out the sellers. Almost nobody sold the
farm for a short-term gain.
In the end, the juiciest storyline was seeng what New York Islanders’ GM
Garth Snow could get for high-end rental shooter Thomas Vanek, after giving
up a queen’s ransom (Matt Moulson, a first and second-rounder) to Buffalo
months ago, and Snow was almost iced out, getting a deal done as the clock
ticked down. All he got was a second-rounder and a prospect winger
Sebastian Collberg, which does not look good on the “asset management”
box. Snow, a goalie by trade before he moved into the management suite,
should have tried to get netminder Ryan Miller for Moulson way back when
but opted for Vanek, and on Wednesday, was almost left holding the bag.
Now, Collberg, described one by NHL evaluator as a David Perron or PA
Parenteau type forward with some bite to his game, may turn out to be a
player and the Islanders certainly have enough centres in their organization
(defencemen too) but there was no first-round draft pick here for one of the
game’s most dangerous scorers Vanek.
On the whole, the teams offering up players Tuesday and Wednesday
generally didn’t get what they should have, not just Vanek. Ales Hemsky only
fetched a third and fifth-rounder. Buffalo got two second-rounders and a
fourth-line player Torrey Mitchell for Moulson when they sent him to
Minnesota.
It was a crazy few days with Vancouver GM Mike Gillis basically giving
Roberto Luongo away for two B prospects (goalie Jacob Markstrom and
third-line centre Shawn Matthias), mainly so Florida took over all but 15
percent of the $40 million left on Bobby Lou’s contract. And, Marty St. Louis
tarnished his otherwise stellar reputation by asking out of Tampa Bay, they
say, because he was miffed at originally not making the Canadian Olympic
team that his GM Steve Yzerman was managing. That storyline seems
inconceiveable, but…St. Louis wore the C, he’d played 1041 games in
Tampa where he won a Cup in 2004 but said he really only wanted to play in
New York for the Rangers which forced Stevie Y into a box with only one real
destination for the 38-year-old winger.
A:Carolina Hurricanes: They found a taker for oft-injured, tough but
unproductive winger Tuomo Ruutu’s $4.5 million cap hit (five goals, 16 pts),
moving him to New Jersey for forward Andrei Loktionov. Ruutu has two years
left on his four-year $19 million contract. The Hurricanes also did a nice job
keeping UFA goalie Anton Khudobin with a serviceable two-year contract;
he’s challenging incumbent Cam Ward for playing time.
B: Los Angeles Kings: Kings’ coach Darryl Sutter wasn’t a big fan of winger
Matt Frattin (the main piece of the Jonathan Bernier trade last summer),
playing him only 40 times, so they moved him and two draft picks to get the
enigmatic Gaborik. Gaborik may only be a rental but he fills an immediate
need (scoring). They’ll likely put him with Anze Kopitar and slide Jeff Carter
down with buddy Mike Richards, hoping to jump-start Richards who has had
a very ordinary season. Gaborik, who’s been hurt a lot lately, often plays
when the spirit moves him. Not sure how that will that go over with Sutter who
may have to call Gaborik’ former Minny coach Jacques Lemaire to see what
buttons to push.
B: Tampa Bay Lightning: Yzerman was taken aback when the immensely
popular former Hart trophy winner St. Louis said he wanted out. He was a
great tag-teamer with Steve Stamkos and is arguably the best Tampa play
ever–he and Vinny Lecavalier, with Stamkos closing fast. He scrambled, with
only one place to send him (New York) and got a first in 2014 and
second-rounder in 2015 (becomes a first if NYR reach Eastern final this
season) and UFA winger Ryan Callahan. Callahan is a second to third-line
Kevin Dineen all-heart type and might not resign there, but he’ll help them in
the playoffs. If he comes down from his six-year $6 mi or slightly more salary
request of the Rangers, they’ll gladly sign the ex Ranger captain.
B: New York Rangers. We all know Rangers GM Glen Sather is an all-in
gambler. He’s giving up the future for the present in the 38-year-old St. Louis.
He’s likely counting on St. Louis and former Tampa centre Brad Richards
re-creating some magic on, say a first line with Swedish Olympian Carl
Hagelin. St. Louis is still a top 10 NHL scorer but his birth certificate doesn’t
help in the long run.
B: Buffalo Sabres. They got a first-round pick in 2015, Chris Stewart and a
good prospect forward William Carrier for Miller and Ott and two
second-rounders for Moulson, who went to Minesota. They also got the first
and second-rounders earlier for Vanek. They also got a younger Washington
goalie Michal Neuvirth, who was lost in the shuffle there, for Halak, but they
couldn’t move defenceman Christian Ehrhoff. They were talking seriously to
the Wild about dealing winger Drew Stafford ($4 mil cap hit) but couldn’t
swing it.
B: Minnesota Wild. They will go hard for Vanek this summer when he is on
the open market, figuring he’d like to play with his Buffalo buddy Jason
Pominville but Moulson is a fine plan B for now. He’s durable, he scores
goals 15 feet and in, and he was smart enough to play with John Tavares in
Long Island before traded to Buffalo. The two second-rounders they gave
up–one from Winnipeg for Devin Setoguchi and a 2016 pick–are a small
price to pay for a guy who has 262 points in 377 NHL games. And Torrey
Mitchell who went to Buffalo is a fourth-liner making $2.5 mil next year.
“He’s been one of the greatest players in the organization’s history but in the
end we honoured his request,” said Yzerman in a press release. Respectful
of what Marty had done, but also stating the obvious: that this was St. Louis’s
play, not his.
C:Boston Bruins: They have a big hole without Dennis Seidenberg on
defence, and managed to get a 4-5 D-man Andrei Meszaros from Philly. He’s
no Seidenberg but he’s a big body and, if he can stay healthy, he can play 16
minutes or so a game on a young back-end.
Here’s the grades of the teams dealing this week:
C:Nashville Predators. They had come to the end of the road with their
first-ever draft pick David Legwand, who was UFA July1 and managed to get
a serviceable role player Patrick Eaves, excellent, smallish Swedish forward
prospect Calle Jarnkrok and a third-round pick. The Wings have been lucky
with their farmhand call-ups Riley Sheahan and Thomas Jurco and decided
Jarnkrok was expendable.
A: Montreal Canadiens. Habs’ GM Marc Bergevin came in late and managed
to get Vanek for a second-rounder and Collberg, the 33rd player taken in the
2012 draft. The youngster has nine points for Frolunda in the Swedish Elite
League.They’ve got Vanek, who may just decide he likes it there and doesn’t
sign in Minnesota where he lives in the summer and where he went to
college. He wouldn’t be the first UFA who got to Montreal and loved the vibe
there.
A: Anaheim Ducks: They were pretty quiet on the western front but with a
deep roster managed to secure a top 4 blueline warrior Stephane Robidas
and only gave up the fourth-round pick they got from Washington for winger
Dustin Penner. They needed a right-shooting D-man and Robidas can play
with Francois Beauchemin on their shutdown pair, allowing more freedom for
Cam Fowler and Ben Lovejoy to move the puck.
A: St. Louis Blues: They targetted Buffalo goalie Miller months ago, knowing
they needed to upgrade there from Jaro Halak and Brian Elliott to beat the
Blackhawks and get out of the Central Division, and they also added some
snarl to their top 9 with centre/winger Ott who played for coach Ken
Hitchcock in Dallas.
C: Ottawa Senators: They got Hemsky without giving up the second-round
pick the Oilers wanted, and will likely audition him with Jason Spezza.
Hemsky is a passer more than a shooting wing but maybe that’ll mean
Spezza, who has an underrated shot at centre will shoot more.
C: Detroit Red Wings: With Henrik Zetterberg out for the season (back) and
Pavel Datsyuk battling knee problems for weeks, they badly needed a centre
and Legwand will be a nice stopgap. He’s been a 2 and 3rd liner but he’s from
the Detroit area so he’ll be motivated and he’s played a good number of
playoff games against the Wings while with the Predators.
C: Pittsburgh Penguins: They were in on the Ryan Kesler talks in a big way
and they needed defencemen with Kris Letang (stroke) and Paul Martin
(broken hand) out but only managed to get a winger Lee Stempniak and a
centre Marcel Goc. They were looking for a fit for Sidney Crosby on the first
line and didn’t get it. Goc is very useful however and Stempniak is a streak
scorer. Who knows maybe he’ll be an unsung pickup like Jussi Jokinen was.
C: Edmonton Oilers: Hindsight being what it is, they maybe should have dealt
Hemsky a couple of years ago when he was only 28 although he had a rep as
being injury-prone then. He should have been a second-round draft pick
return off his 477 points in 652 games but GM Craig MacTavish got
stone-walled as he asked for that. They did get Ducks’ goalie Viktor Fasth
Tuesday, however and while he’s had a small NHL sample, many feel he’s
got the goods to be a No. 1.
C: Columbus Blue Jackets: Not the greatest asset management, giving up
Derick Brassard, John Moore and Derek Dorsett for Gaborik at last year’s
trade deadline, then turning around and getting winger Frattin and draft picks
this time around. They also have to pay a chunk of what’s left of Gaborik’s
$7.5 mil salary. On the other hand, they got Nick Schultz who helps their
injury-riddled defence, and Frattin can be a third-round winger there.
C: Calgary: They got a second-round pick from Colorado for first-year goalie
Reto Berra and a third-rounder for Stempniak.They couldn’t move Mike
Cammalleri or Dennis Wideman, two UFAs though.
D: New York Islanders: Collberg might turn out to be a player and they’ve got
lots of prospects on defence so they felt they could move UFA Andrew
MacDonald to Philly even though they’d been playing with house money
($550,000 salary) for some time before he wanted a large raise. They didn’t
get anywhere near the return they hoped for for Vanek–they still have a large
in net that wasn’t addressed–and they dealt Moulson, who was a great fit for
captain John Tavares and easily could have resigned there as a free-agent.
D: New Jersey Devils: I’m loathe to ever criticize one of the game’s sharpest
cookies Lou Lamoriello but not sure what he sees in Ruutu, who has been
overpaid and under-producing, plus in the medical room far too often, over
the last few years? Ruutu can be a mean hitter with fair hands, but the jury’s
out. Maybe I’ll be proved dead-wrong but this is a risky trade.
D: Vancouver Canucks: They were talking seriously to the Penguins on
Kesler and might revisit that this summer. Screwing around with Luongo’s
head and getting so little in return, won’t help with the fan base there. The
Canucks are going quietly into the night, I’m afraid, destined to watch this
year’s playoff unless they somewhow find a way to score more than one a
night.
730717
Edmonton Oilers
Ryan Smyth seriously thought he might be moved at trade deadline
Ryan Smyth has worn his heart on his sleeve as an Edmonton Oilers’ winger
through 952 games, but he wouldn’t have minded a different jersey
Wednesday.
Smyth seriously thought he could be traded at the deadline, but the select
number of Stanley Cup contending teams on his wish list- maybe four or
five – didn’t bite on a deal for the 38-year-old as a role-playing rental forward.
“I appreciated MacT (GM Craig MacTavish) trying to make it happen,” said
Smyth.
“I didn’t ask for it (trade). It was him trying to help me out. We talked about
some teams. I mentioned a few (Cup contenders) and Craig said he’d try and
go from there,” said Smyth, who didn’t mention the teams but Pittsburgh was
likely on the list. Again, he wasn’t trying to run out on a team where he
conceivably could get his number 94 retired some day. It’s just that the
clock’s ticking and he’s never won a Stanley Cup. He got to game seven in
2006 with the Oilers against Carolina, but that’s the one and only time he’s
made the final dance.
He left here in 2007, traded to New York Islanders, then he signed in
Colorado, then he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings.
“I came back to Edmonton (from Los Angeles, 2011) for a reason. I came
back because I thought we’d be in the playoffs. But not making them for three
years? I didn’t expect that,” admitted Smyth, who has 20 points in 53 games
this season. “I thought I’d go (somewhere).”
The Oilers would have taken any draft pick for Smyth but there’s a feeling
teams were looking for the Oilers to pick up some of the dollars left on
Smyth’s contract so balked. Smyth didn’t know if that was true. The Oilers are
already doing that for Devan Dubnyk (dealt to Nashville) and Ales Hemsky
(dealt to Ottawa). MacTavish was non-committal on whether he wants to
bring Smyth back next season, saying it’s too early to talk of that. Smyth
doesn’t want to go there, either.
“I don’t know what the future holds. I’d like to continue (playing),” he said.
The Oilers didn’t move fellow UFA winger Ryan Jones at the deadline, either.
Defenceman Mark Fraser is also unrestricted but still here.
Centre Sam Gagner, whose name has come up often in trade talks even
though he’s only one year into a three-year deal, didn’t get dealt.
“It’s one of those days where a lot’s going on,” said Gagner, who tried to go
about business as usual Wednesday. He stayed at the rink through the 1 p.m
MDT deadline but never saw his name on the TV ticker. Just teammates Ales
Hemsky and Nick Schultz.
“It’s obviously good for me. I signed here last off-season with that in mind
(staying here). My focus is trying to get my game to another level. I’ve
obviously had a tough season (26 points in 50 games) and I’m not happy.
The expectations for myself were a lot higher. My focus is turning it around
over the next 20 games,” said Gagner, who’s now a senior citizen here.
“With Hemmer going (to Ottawa), I guess I’m the longest-serving guy now
(consecutive service, seven years),” said Gagner.
“He became a good friend of mine and a great teammate. He see him in a
different jersey will be fun to watch for me. . There’s lots in your head and the
day goes by a lot slower than most days.
730718
Edmonton Oilers
Oilers welcome Szabados as ‘another player on the ice’ (with video)
Olympic gold-medallist gets a chance to play goal in NHL team’s practice
By Joanne Ireland, Edmonton Journal March 5, 2014
EDMONTON - Before her phone rang, before Edmonton Oilers head coach
Dallas Eakins asked if she had some gear kicking around, Shannon
Szabados had a rare day off beckoning.
If there was one thing the Olympic gold-medal winning goalie needed, it was
some rest.
Sleep, she quickly decided, could wait.
The Oilers, in need of a practice goalie for Wednesday’s session, turned a
net over to Szabados one day after a Twitter campaign pushed to have her
back up Ben Scrivens in Tuesday’s NHL game against the Ottawa Senators.
Newly acquired goaltender Viktor Fasth was travelling from the Anaheim
Ducks organization while Ilya Bryzgalov was heading to the Minnesota Wild,
opening the door for the University of Alberta Golden Bears netminder Kurtis
Mucha to serve as the backup.
“Not a bad week and a half, I must say. A gold medal in Sochi and practice
with the Oilers ... it doesn’t get much better,” Szabados said after the session.
“I’m on Cloud 9 right now. It’s been an amazing couple of weeks and I’m just
enjoying every single moment.”
The Canadian women’s team goaltender grew up playing with boys teams,
most recently the MacEwan University Griffins and NAIT Ooks, so she was
no stranger to the surroundings in the locker-room.
Having played in two gold-medal finals, the 27-year-old wasn’t overcome
with nerves either. Still, she was acutely aware of the fact she had been
carrying a rare torch by practising with an NHL team.
“It was awesome,” she said. “I’ve skated with some NHL guys in the
summers but, obviously, it’s a little different than a team practice in the
middle of the season.
“It was exciting to be a part of it. They could have easily thrown their goalie
coach in net or whoever. It was nice of them to give me the shot to skate with
the guys today.”
Taylor Hall said there may have been a tendency to hold back for the first few
shots, but that was also the case on Tuesday when they were warming up
with Mucha in the net.
“She was good,” said Hall. “She’s obviously not as big as some of the NHL
goalies are now, but she can certainly move around the net really well and
surprised me with a few saves she made. She easily held her own.”
“Truth be told, she did a heck of a job,” said Luke Gazdic. “We talked about it
before and just said make sure you treat her with respect, don’t be shooting
pucks to her head, and she did a great job for us. I started firing pucks at her
early and she was saving everything I shot, so then I was actually trying to
score on her.
“I do think we were trying to at least warm her up a little bit, then I realized she
was damn good at what she does.”
Szabados, who also has a gold medal from the 2010 Olympics, made 26
saves in Canada’s dramatic come-from-behind victory over the United States
in February, including five in overtime.
It’s little wonder it now takes Szabados a little longer to get around town, but
she’s quite all right with the recognition.
She didn’t need any introductions in the Oilers’ locker-room, but Scrivens
made sure she had a name plate over her stall. Szabados was planning to
take it with her when she left.
Szabados, who once played against Scrivens, left as she arrived, lugging her
own gear.
“If it was Scrivs walking in with his equipment, they wouldn’t grab it either,”
she said.
“As a female hockey player, you just want to be seen as a hockey player, as
a goalie, and that’s what it felt like today. The Oilers welcomed me with open
arms. I was just another player on the ice ... maybe one with longer hair.”
730719
Edmonton Oilers
Ales Hemsky ‘ready for the challenge’ of moving to Ottawa Senators (with
video)
By Joanne Ireland, Edmonton Journal March 5, 2014
EDMONTON — It was, surmised Ales Hemsky, time to move on.
After 12 years with the Edmonton Oilers, it was time for a new challenge,
which he’ll get with the Ottawa Senators, who still have to secure a playoff
spot.
Ironically, had the Senators completed the trade with the Oilers one day
earlier, they may not have dropped two points in Edmonton. Instead, Hemsky
scored his last two goals for the Oilers in a 3-2 victory, only to get flipped to
the Eastern Conference team the next morning for a fifth-round selection in
this year’s draft and a third-round pick in 2015.
In addition, the Oilers are paying half of what’s left of his contract — not
anywhere close to the second round pick that general manager Craig
MacTavish had hoped he’d secure for the veteran, but Hemsky will be an
unrestricted free agent on July 1 and MacTavish wanted some return for a
player drafted 13th overall in 2001.
“As everybody can see, the rental market was quite soft, and at the end of the
day, you try and maximize your return,” said MacTavish. “You want to make
sure you get something and don’t get shutout.”
“It’s a mix of feelings,” Hemsky said before he made his way to Calgary to join
the Senators. “It’s hard to leave from here because I’ve been here so long. I
was really comfortable here, I knew the city, the team ... it’s the only team I’ve
played for so it’s kind of weird, but like I said, I’m ready for the challenge.”
Hemsky leaves with 477 points in 652 regular season games and another 17
points in 30 playoff games — 24 of which were played in 2005-06.
The Oilers, of course, have not made a playoff season since, and Hemsky,
for all his playmaking abilities, struggled with injuries and inconsistency.
What he did do this season was play more of a checking role without
complaint.
“Before I played in the NHL, he was a guy I loved watching, a guy you can
kind of emulate,” said Taylor Hall. “He has so much skill and so much
panache on the ice that you can’t help but admire it — not only when you’re
watching, but when you’re playing with him.
“(But) I think it was a foregone conclusion he’d be gone. With guys like that,
you at least have time to spend with them before they’re gone.”
Hemsky did have months to ready himself for a trade, knowing his days as an
Oiler were done. MacTavish had said last summer that a change would
benefit Hemsky, who had surely grew tired of the losing, but he couldn’t find a
deal that made enough sense to him at that point in time.
There were never any discussions about an extension. Instead, Hemsky, 30,
will join Ottawa in their playoff push then look for a new contract in the
ensuing months.
“It sucks when you know you will go somewhere but you don’t know where,”
Hemsky said. “You just wait every day for them to make the decision and
have nothing to say about it. I’m happy it’s done. I can move on.
“I have a lot of great memories, but it comes to the end. It’s a weird feeling,
but I’m excited for the new challenge. I really like the city (of Edmonton). I
love the guys here, the organization, it’s more personal. I need a change and
it’s a good challenge for me. I’ve been here for so long in this situation.
“I do wish (the Oilers) the best and I hope they will get better ... because the
people deserve it.”
730720
Edmonton Oilers
(Ontario Hockey League star) Darnell Nurse, and the way Marty Marincin has
played.
BY JOHN MACKINNON, EDMONTON JOURNALMARCH 5, 2014
“Would we like to add through trade or through UFA (unrestricted free-agent)
acquisition a top-four defender? We would. But those types of players are
tough to find. Until that happens, we’ll continue to buy time and try to develop
the impressive group that we have ... as well as get another opportunity to
bring in possibly another (defenceman) in this year’s draft.”
EDMONTON - First, do no harm.
It’s well-known that the jewel among defencemen in the upcoming draft is
Aaron Ekblad of the OHL’s Barrie Colts. Ekblad performed impressively for
Team Canada at the recent world junior hockey championship.
On deadline day in the NHL, Edmonton Oilers general manager Craig
MacTavish’s modest moves adhered to that fundamental principal (Primum
non nocere) physicians the world over are meant to live by.
MacTavish has mused aloud about having the right-shooting Ekblad paired
with Nurse, a left shot, should the 18-year-old junior be available whenever
the Oilers select in June.
That’s actually a good thing, and by no means a back-handed compliment
aimed at the fashion in which the MacTavish is operating.
Of course, the Oilers will have to wait and see whether the potential top-two
defenceman is available to them; they’ll also have to wait to see whether the
likes of Klefbom, Marincin, Martin Gernat, Tayler Fedun and David Musil
blossom as bona fide NHL players.
Oilers’ greatest developmental depth on defence
You don’t think so? Hey, take a gander at the mess GM Garth Snow is
making with the New York Islanders, who lost valuable free-agent sniper
Thomas Vanek for a second-round draft pick and a prospect to the Montreal
Canadiens.
At the least — and to his credit — MacTavish has not tampered with that
potential in the name of a short-term deadline fix.
This just months after Snow shipped goal scorer Matt Moulson, the Islanders’
first-round pick in 2014 and a second-rounder in 2015 for Vanek, arguably
the best player who moved on deadline day.
Nor did MacTavish bruise the psyche of the fan base by trading
heart-and-soul left-winger Ryan Smyth at the deadline, as happened back in
2007.
There is such a thing as diminishing returns in the field of asset management.
And then there’s rank irresponsibility.
The GM would not discuss whether the Oilers will try to sign the 38-year-old,
a free agent this summer. Smyth remains useful on both the penalty kill and
power play, and as a grinding presence along the wall and in front of
opposing teams’ nets.
Or consider Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis, who one year ago had an
embarrassment of riches in goal with Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider.
He has transformed that sparkling duo into Eddie Lack and Jacob
Markstrom.
Smyth also wants to stay in Edmonton, his home, and keep contributing to a
developing team.
MacTavish’s work has steered a wide berth around that sort of organizational
mayhem.
As with MacTavish’s moves on Tuesday and Wednesday, Smyth can help
this young team. He certainly can’t hurt its development.
In trading 12-year veteran right-winger Ales Hemsky and reliable depth
defenceman Nick Schultz, MacTavish has not hurt his club. Nor did losing
depth defenceman Corey Potter on waivers to the Boston Bruins, who have
injury issues on their back end, cause any damage to the Oilers’
work-in-progress blue-line corps.
At this year’s deadline, his first experience with the frenzy as GM, MacTavish
solidified his goaltending by signing Ben Scrivens to a two-year deal and
adding Viktor Fasth in a trade for draft picks with the goalie-rich Anaheim
Ducks.
The Edmonton GM also collected a pair of 2014 fifth-round picks, a
fourth-rounder this year and a 2015 third-round pick to replace the one in
2014 that was part of the price he paid to get Fasth.
MacTavish still lacks a second- and a third-round pick this June, which is an
issue for a rebuilding team. He swapped the second-rounder to the St. Louis
Blues last off-season in the deal for David Perron, Edmonton’s leading goal
scorer. MacTavish shipped his 2014 third-rounder to the Los Angeles Kings
for Scrivens.
In sum, the Oilers have six picks in this year’s draft, but his scouts will be
sitting on their hands after Edmonton uses its high first-round pick until its
number comes up again in the fourth round.
Short term — they have 19 games remaining this season — the Oilers are
noticeably thin on the back end, with five healthy defenceman in Jeff Petry,
Justin Schultz, Mark Fraser, Andrew Ference and Martin Marincin, pending a
recall from the Oklahoma City Barons.
MacTavish told a brief media availability Wednesday the club will recall Philip
Larsen for Thursday’s 7:30 p.m. game against the Islanders. It was expected
Oscar Klefbom, regarded as the most advanced of the Oilers’ developing
defencemen, would be brought up from the farm team, but he suffered an
undisclosed injury. So that will have to wait.
MacTavish has miles to go before he can check off the box on his
defencemen, having done that very thing for the goaltender position.
“There’s quite a bit of work to do with the back end,” said MacTavish. “I’ve
talked a lot about that.
“Most of it is on the development phase right now. We feel like, by far, the
greatest depth in our development is on defence, with Oscar Klefbom and
730721
Edmonton Oilers
Short-handed Blue Jackets deal for defenceman Nick Schultz
who has no idea where he fits in Columbus after playing big minutes in
Edmonton.
In the last 10 games since Jan. 26, Schultz hasn’t played less than 17
minutes and 16 seconds.
Smyth was available if certain Stanley Cup contenders wanted his services
“I know they’ve had some injuries. I guess I’ll see what role they have for me,”
he said.
BY JIM MATHESON, EDMONTON JOURNALMARCH 5, 2014
While Schultz is moving on, Smyth is not. He was torn in his loyalty to the
Oilers’ logo and getting a shot at a Cup playoff run.
EDMONTON - Edmonton Oilers defenceman Nick Schultz and winger Ryan
Smyth were told not to skate Wednesday in case they lost an edge, tumbled
into the boards and wrecked a shoulder in the lead-up to the NHL trade
deadline.
But the safety-first policy was needed only for Schultz.
The Edmonton Oilers blueliner was swapped to the injury-strapped
Columbus Blue Jackets for a fifth-round draft pick this June with the playoff
contenders scrambling without Fedor Tyutin (ankle sprain) and prized rookie
Ryan Murray (knee). Murray, who was injured on Monday, may be out for
weeks.
Smyth had a conversation with Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish a
month ago and they came up with a “finite number of teams” he’d like to go to
as a depth player on a Stanley Cup contender. But MacTavish couldn’t get a
buyer.
Smyth, who has never won a Stanley Cup, will finish the last 19 games of the
regular season with Edmonton and maybe his Oilers career, if he doesn’t get
re-signed after July 1. It’s certainly a possibility if the Oilers want to go
younger.
Schultz, who was acquired from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Tom
Gilbert in 2012, had been playing on the Oilers’ first defensive pair with Justin
Schultz. But he knew he was getting a change of address, unlike the deal for
Gilbert.
“That one was a shock, it came out of the blue. I’d been there for 10 years,”
said the 31-year-old Schultz, who knew since before the Olympic break that
MacTavish was getting calls about him and was going to move the
defenceman.
“He wanted to keep me in the loop. He said he’d try to put me in a good
situation and I respect that. I mean I was an unrestricted free agent (UFA)
and you know you might get traded,” Schultz said.
MacTavish had no complaints about Schultz’s game, but he was a UFA and
he needed a draft pick and a roster spot for a younger player.
“I have a lot of respect for what Nick did for our organization from a
leadership point of view,” said MacTavish. “This allows us to test drive a few
people from Oklahoma City ... we’ve talked about giving Oscar (Klefbom) an
opportunity and Brandon Davidson’s played well lately, but Oscar came
down with a bit of an injury today in practice, so that precludes us from calling
him up.
“And they are in a playoff race right now, so there’s a discussion (here) as to
how long we’ll let them stay in the race (with the players they’ve got).”
For now, the Oilers will recall Philip Larsen, who cleared waivers and was
farmed out to the American Hockey League’s Barons, but hadn’t left
Edmonton. He’ll play against the New York Islanders at 7:30 p.m. Thursday
as a sixth healthy defenceman and the Oilers will decide later on which
player to call up.
The Oilers surprisingly lost veteran defenceman Corey Potter, who was on
waivers, to the Boston Bruins as a depth blue-liner Wednesday. He was
going be in the AHL, a good and bad thing.
“We’re thankful Boston put in a claim for Corey and, when you’re dealing with
veteran UFAs, it’s too handy for the coaching staff to put them in (the minors).
We’ve got a lot of young defencemen we want playing,” said MacTavish, who
didn’t want to pay Potter’s one-way salary in the AHL.
Schultz wasn’t shocked it was the Blue Jackets who were most interested.
“Todd Richards is there. He coached me for a couple of years in Minnesota
and that was a big factor in them wanting me. They’re in the playoff mix and
they have the last five or six weeks to prove they can be there,” said Schultz,
“Ryan and I sat down outside of Rexall Place a month ago and spoke of the
various opportunities that lay ahead of us,” said MacTavish.
“Ryan has spoken passionately about being an Edmonton Oiler and there
was a certain amount of reluctance on his part to move, but we discussed
various scenarios and decided on a finite level of teams who would be a
perfect fit for Ryan.
“Anybody knows he’d love the opportunity to play for a Stanley Cup. I spoke
with those teams and, while everybody was very respectful of what Ryan
would add, at end of the day we weren’t able to make a deal,” he said.
730722
Edmonton Oilers
“They have a good chance,” he said. “They have a lot of good players and
they play good hockey. They’re still battling for the playoffs. I’ll try to do my
best to help them to make it.”
Oilers Ales Hemsky gone for draft picks
As for the Oilers... good luck.
By Robert Tychkowski,First posted: Wednesday, March 05, 2014
“It’s not my business anymore,” he said. “But I wish them the best. I hope
they will get better. Hopefully next year they can make the playoffs because
the people deserve it.”
Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.06.2014
After 12 years and a handful of false alarms, Ales Hemsky is gone.
No longer an Oiler.
The team that drafted him 13th overall in 2001 dealt him to the Ottawa
Senators Wednesday for a third round pick in 2015 and a fourth round draft
pick in 2014.
“It’s a weird feeling, especially since I’ve been here for so long and have a lot
of great memories,” said Hemsky, 30, who leaves Edmonton after registering
477 points in 652 regular season and 30 playoff games.
“Everybody treated me really nice. I met so many great people here. I pretty
much grew up here. I can’t appreciate enough the city of Edmonton and this
organization.
“Now it comes to the end. It’s a weird feeling, but I’m excited for the new
challenge.”
Hemsky’s legacy is mixed. Some Oilers fans believe he is an under-rated
talent still capable of making a significant contribution to Edmonton’s future.
Others believe he was an injury prone underachiever who vanished for
games at a time.
“You have to ask them (the fans) how they will remember me,” he said. “I’ve
been here for 12 years and I think I tried everything I could to help the
organization.”
Hemsky was a great soldier for Edmonton, playing hurt, playing down the
lineup when his pride told him he should be in the top six, and never once
griping or complaining.
While a lot of players wouldn’t dream of coming to Edmonton, Hemsky twice
gave up unrestricted free agency to sign contract extensions.
The organization’s failure weighed on him, though. In 11 seasons, he only
saw the playoffs twice, the last time in 2006.
It was time for him to go.
“I think so,” he said. “It’s not about the city or about the team. I really like the
city. I love the guys over here. I like the organization. It’s just more the
personal... I need a change. I’ve been here for so long in this situation, so I’m
happy for the challenge.”
Hemsky had been rumoured to be on his way out of Edmonton several times
before, but the Oilers always seemed to value the silky winger more than the
teams making offers and the deals never came to pass.
Finally, with unrestricted free agency looming this summer, the Oilers had to
make a move. While some people clung to hope that Hemsky would remain
an Oiler, it was obvious to everyone close to the team that he wouldn’t finish
the season in Edmonton.
“I knew what was going to happen, I knew I was going to get traded,” he said.
“I was prepared for that for the last four months. It wasn’t a surprise.
“I’m happy it’s done. It sucks when you know you’re going to go somewhere
but you don’t know where. You’re just waiting every day for them to make a
decision and you have no say in it. I’m happy it’s done and I can move on.”
He’ll be missed in the room.
“He’s a good guy,” said Taylor Hall. “When I first came in showed me the
ropes. It’s going to be tough to see a guy like that go. Before I even played in
the NHL he was a guy I loved watching.”
It would have been nice to go to a Stanley Cup contender instead of a team
that could be out of the playoff hunt by the end of the week, but after the last
seven years in Edmonton, Hemsky is happy to at least be in the post-season
conversation
730723
Edmonton Oilers
Oilers' GM eyes draft and beyond
There's going to be plenty of salary cap room going forward, so basically
MacTavish has set the table for himself to improve his hockey club with not
only a top-three pick but with the dealing that's there to be done at the draft
and in free agency.
By Terry Jones,First posted: Wednesday, March 05, 2014
Unlike when he first moved into the general manager's chair, Craig
MacTavish didn't over-promise and under-deliver when it came to this year's
NHL trade deadline.
There was nothing bold to behold.
The Edmonton Oilers aren't necessarily a better hockey team after the
deadline dealing. But the moves MacTavish made sets them up to become a
better team at the draft, (when free agency hits,) next season and for the
future. And that was the idea.
Edmonton added goaltender Viktor Fasth and said goodbye to pending
unrestricted free agents Ales Hemsky and Nick Schultz and got something, if
not much, for them.
The Oilers added a fourth-round pick and two fifth-round picks in 2014 and a
third-round pick in 2015. They gave up a fifth- round pick in 2014 and a
third-round pick in 2015.
MacTavish did fail on one front, though.
One goal was to replace the second-round choice they gave up to get David
Perron and the third-round pick to get Ben Scrivens. He did neither.
This was not a trade deadline day when the buyers were overpaying. When
all you get for Hemsky is a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-round pick in
2015, when you also have to pick up half his remaining salary, well, that's
hardly a big haul.
He was last-on-the-ice, first-off-the-ice, won't-shoot-the-puck,
had-the-talent-to-have-been-great-but-wasn't-engaged-enough-to-become
one hockey player. As one former coach put it, “Hemmer is just happy to be
here.”
I know there are fans who want to pat Hemsky on the back on the way out the
door for his career as an Oiler, but sorry. He wasn't a $5-million-a-year
hockey player. The Oilers benefit in addition by subtraction and when they
use the money for an addition, will hopefully benefit in a change of culture.
Getting a fifth-round pick from Columbus for Nick Schultz is at least getting
something for a guy who wouldn't be coming back next year with Darnell
Nurse and Oscar Klefbom moving in. Indeed, it made way for Klefbom to
come up to finish the remainder of the season with the Oilers.
While I still believe the most important goaltending move in terms of the big
picture MacTavish made this year was the trade of Ladislav Smid to the
Calgary Flames to acquire former Oil King Laurent Brossoit, 20, the two
moves Tuesday and the ones made back in mid-January to move Devan
Dubnyk and acquire Ben Scrivens all have made sense.
Giving Ilya Bryzgalov an opportunity to reboot his career and getting some
decent games and a fourth-round draft choice for him turned out to be good
hockey business.
To acquire Spruce Grove product Ben Scrivens, 27, from Los Angeles for a
third-round pick, get excellent games out of him and sign him to a two-year
contract at $2.3M per year has potential to turn into a home run.
But to put all the pucks in one basket when Scrivens has only played in 59
NHL games leaves the Oilers as exposed like they were with Devan Dubnyk
if he looks like he's arrived and then shows up next year and can't stop a
beach ball.
The acquisition Tuesday of Fasth, 31, from Anaheim for a fifth-round pick in
2014 and a third-round pick in 2015, while he's only played 30 NHL games,
gives you two chances to be right with the new goalies while you wait for the
development of Brossoit.
If the Oilers draft a couple of goalies in the fourth and fifth round, and there's
certainly plenty of picks there to do that now, MacTavish will have changed
the Oilers from an organizational disaster in goal to one where there's plenty
of potential.
730724
Edmonton Oilers
Olympic women's gold medallist Szabados in net for Oilers practice
By Robert Tychkowski,Edmonton Sun
EDMONTON - The Edmonton Oilers began practice Wednesday by taking it
easy on Shannon Szabados.
You know, because she’s a girl.
Within a few minutes, they were ripping pucks at her like she owed them
money.
You know, because she’s a goalie.
The Canadian Olympic hero changed their way of thinking pretty quickly,
turning a bunch of players who didn’t want to hurt or embarrass her into a
bunch of players doing everything they could to get one past her.
“Maybe (we took it easy) the first couple of shots, then you find out that she’s
good enough to handle it,” said Oilers winger Taylor Hall. “She was good.
She’s obviously not as big as some of the NHL goalies are now, but she can
move around the net really well.
“She surprised me with a few of the saves she made. She easily held her
own, it was fun to watch.”
With newly-acquired netminder Viktor Fasth unable to make it to Edmonton
in time for practice, head coach Dallas Eakins put in a request Tuesday night.
“He asked me if I had my gear and if I wanted to practise with the guys today,”
said Szabados, standing next to her stall, with a nameplate and all, in the
Oilers dressing room. “They could have easily thrown their goalie coach in
net or whatever. It was nice of them to give me the shot.
“It was awesome. I skate with some NHL guys in the summers, but obviously
it’s a little different when it’s a team practice in the middle of the season. It
was exciting to be part of.”
The Oilers, who were crowded around the TV in their dressing room watching
the women’s gold medal game last week, knew Szabados was good, they
just didn’t know how good till they saw her in person.
“I do think we were trying to at least warm her up a little bit, then I realized she
was damn good at what she does,” said Luke Gazdic.
“I started firing pucks at her early and she was saving everything I shot, so
then I was actually trying to score on her. You could ask Ebbie (Jordan
Eberle), too. I don’t think he scored until there were five minutes left in
practice.”
Szabados said the Oilers made her feel right at home, on and off the ice.
“They’ve been awesome. I’ve skated with a couple of them before, played
against Scrivs (Ben Scrivens) in Junior, so I knew some of them. The rest of
them introduced themselves and made me feel welcome.”
Like a player, not a girl.
“As a female hockey player you just want to be seen as a goalie, that’s what I
felt like today. The Oilers welcomed me with open arms, as just another
player on the ice, just with maybe a little longer hair than the rest of them.”
The video of Szabados hauling her stick, goalie pads and huge equipment
bag into Rexall, with empty-handed Justin Schultz and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
not helping with any of it, was perfect.
She’s a goalie, and goalies carry their own stuff.
“Exactly,” she laughed. “As I was walking in, that was going through my mind:
This (video) for sure is going to end up somewhere. But I just want to be any
other hockey player. If that was Scrivs walking in with his equipment, they
wouldn’t help him, either.”
730725
Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers GM Craig MacTavish gave Nick Schultz the heads up
before Wednesday trade 6
BY DEREK VAN DIEST ,EDMONTON SUN
EDMONTON - Nick Schultz was packed and ready to go even before the
trade was announced.
As an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, the Edmonton Oilers
defenceman was informed he would be on his way out prior to Wednesday’s
trade deadline.
In the couple of hours leading towards the deadline, Schultz was traded to
the Columbus Blue Jackets for a fifth-round draft pick in this summer’s NHL
Entry Draft.
“MacT (Oilers GM Craig MacTavish) talked to me after the break and said he
was getting some calls on me and said he was going to move me ,” Schultz
said. “He wanted to get me into a situation that was good for me. He wanted
to keep me in the loop. I knew ahead of time and he kind of figured it would
come down to deadline time for that to happen.”
Schultz had been acquired by the Oilers at the trade deadline two years ago
from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defenceman Tom Gilbert.
Having been in Minnesota for his entire 10-year career to that point, the move
to Edmonton came as a surprise.
The move out didn’t.
“It’s different, that one for sure, being in Minnesota for so long, it was a
shock,” Schultz said. “I had been there for 10 years, I wasn’t expecting it, it
came out of the blue after practice that day on deadline day. This one I knew
coming in, I was prepared, myself and my family stuff heading into
(Wednesday).”
Schultz finished with the Oilers having played 128 games, scoring one goal
and adding 16 assists.
He’ll be reunited with his former Wild coach Todd Richards, who is now in
charge of the Blue Jackets.
“My time here was great,” Schultz said. “I grew up an Oilers fan, growing up
in Saskatchewan, so for me to come here and put on the jersey was exciting,
it was an honour.
“But it’s frustrating that it didn’t work out, it’s been frustrating hockey here the
last couple of years. We should be in a lot better position than we have been
in the last couple of years.”
730726
Florida Panthers
LOUIE IS HOME: Roberto Luongo Returns to Florida Panthers ... Cats Trade
Tim Thomas, Marcel Goc Before Deadline
Staff
"I told him the truth, how it went down and what happened,'' Tallon said.
"That's just the way it is. It's strictly business. We have to win games, build a
solid championship team here. It was a good conversation. I don't blame him
for being upset. This is the direction we're going in.''
The Panthers' organization seemingly thought Thomas would be around for a
while as well. Sunday's home game against Boston was scheduled to have
10,000 Thomas bobbleheads as the giveaway.
Babich says while the trinkets won't be given out en masse, the team is
working on a plan to get them to fans who want them.
When Roberto Luongo hit his pillow for his pregame nap Tuesday, he had no
idea what was waiting once he awoke.
"The timing is unfortunate,'' Babich said. "Tim is popular here and we looking
forward to honoring him with a bobblehead night. He was important to us.''
After a few years of trying to come back to the Florida Panthers, it came true.
Vancouver general manager Mike Gillis called Luongo in the middle of his
nap and told him not only would he not be starting for the Canucks later that
night in Arizona, but he would be heading home to South Florida.
Although Luongo said he and Thomas could coexist -- Thomas said the
same thing on Tuesday -- it was obvious having two top-end goalies on the
same team competing for playing time wasn't going to work for long.
"I was getting ready to play, I didn't have any idea something serious was
going down,'' Luongo said in a re-introductory press conference carried
statewide on Fox Sports Florida from BB&T Center.
So when the Panthers skate onto the ice for Thursday's practice in Coral
Springs -- just a few miles from Luongo's home -- there will be no question
who Florida's No. 1 netminder is.
As it was back in 2006, it's Luongo.
"There's always rumors floating around but I've been hearing them for a
couple of years. You stop listening to them. I was ready to play. It happened
quick and caught me off guard. To be honest, I'm still in a little bit of disbelief.
It'll be nice to practice with my new teammates and get some normalcy back.''
"You always feel you have something to prove, there's always someone
behind you ready to take your job,'' said Luongo, who still holds the franchise
goaltending records for games played, wins and shutouts.
The deal for Luongo just prior to Wednesday's trade deadline set a number of
things in motion including dismantling Florida's goaltending tandem.
"You have to have that desire to keep getting better and be the best. That, to
me, is what it's all about. You have to keep pushing. When I don't have that,
I'll step aside.''
Starter Tim Thomas reluctantly waived his no-movement clause and was
traded to Dallas. The Panthers got veteran goalie Dan Ellis in return, thereby
sending backup Scott Clemmensen to Florida's minor league affiliate in San
Antonio.
-- The Panthers made one other deal before Wednesday's 3 p.m. deadline,
sending third-line center Marcel Goc to Pittsburgh for a pair of draft picks.
Goc is an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
"We wanted a world-class goalie and a class act like Roberto,'' general
manager Dale Tallon said. "We're excited about this. This is the beginning of
many solid moves to move our franchise forward.''
-- Florida also made a few roster moves on Wednesday. Aside from sending
Clemmensen down to San Antonio, the Panthers also sent Drew Shore back
to the Rampage.
Luongo, who played for the Panthers from 2000-06, said his interest in
rejoining Florida was rekindled as the team make a run to the playoffs in
2012. Luongo was feeling heat in Vancouver with Cory Schneider making a
case to be the starter. Luongo eventually asked for a trade -- with Florida
being his main target.
Center Vincent Trocheck, who leads the Rampage with 41 points, is coming
up and expected to be in the lineup Friday against the Sabres.
"It really got me excited,'' said Luongo, shipped out in 2006 after a series of
events unfolded leading to contract talks stalling with then owner Alan Cohen
and GM Mike Keenan.
"I started thinking it would be great to come back and rejoin the team. It took
a while and there were some other teams involved along the way, but in the
end, I think when I least expected it, something happened. I'm excited about
situation moving forward.''
The Panthers couldn't swing a deal for Luongo either in 2012 or last summer
when Tallon confirmed he and Gillis talked about it at the draft.
"A lot of people think I want to come here and ride into the sunset,'' said
Luongo, 34, who is signed through 2022. "I'm here to win, to bring this team
back to the playoffs. I think with the ownership and the promises they've
made, we can bring some new guys in and help the young guys along. We
can be a contender.''
Rory Babich, named CEO of the team on Monday, says bringing Luongo
back is a difference maker for the franchise.
"To be able to acquire a talent like will be tremendously positive for our fans
and our players,'' Babich said. "Getting Roberto at the deadline converts the
words we've been speaking into action. We really believe the players will get
a lift. This is a tough end of the season where we're at, but this is all good.''
With Luongo, the Panthers all but said goodbye to Thomas. On Tuesday,
Thomas said he learned about the trade while on the bus heading to the TD
Garden.
When asked if he would accept a trade to a contender, Thomas didn't seem
to know what to say. It was apparent he and Tallon talked about Thomas
coming back next season. He had never really thought about leaving at the
trade deadline.
On Wednesday morning, Thomas and Tallon broached the subject.
-- The Panthers 11 a.m. practice at the IceDen in Coral Springs is free and
open to the public.
Miami Herald LOADED: 03.06.2014
730727
Florida Panthers
WHEELING AND DEALING: Goc, Thomas Only Panthers to Go on Deadline
Day
TWITTER: @GeorgeRichards
The Tim Thomas Era in Florida is over.
The Panthers traded the two-time Vezina winner to Dallas on Wednesday
afternoon after he waived his no-trade clause after Florida picked up Roberto
Luongo the day before.
The Panthers got veteran goalie Dan Ellis back in return. Ellis is signed
through next season so it appears he is the new backup to Roberto Luongo.
That would mean Scott Clemmensen, who cleared waivers at noon, would be
heading to San Antonio to play for Florida's AHL affiliate.
Florida also sent Marcel Goc to a contender as the third-line center goes to
Pittsburgh. The Pens gave up a fifth round pick this summer and a third round
selection in next year's deeper draft.
TSN reported that Thomas wasn't happy about the trade, although I would
say he's just not happy with how things went down. Thomas was apparently
led to believe he had a future here as the Florida goalie and was content to
stick around. Then Luongo came to town and everything changed.
"That's something that hadn't really been discussed,'' Thomas said Tuesday
night when asked if he would be willing to move to a contender. Thomas
added he learned of the Luongo deal while riding the bus to the arena. He
reportedly wasn't real happy about it.
Dale Tallon acknowledged this when he said he would talk to Thomas about
it. "This was a business decision,'' Tallon said, adding it was something the
Panthers felt they had to jump on. Tallon added that the deal came together
"out of nowhere'' thereby covering himself when it comes to previous
conversations with Thomas.
We're talking to Thomas in a little bit. Will get into all of this then.
730728
Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers’ Roberto Luongo knows he’s not dreaming
On Wednesday morning, Thomas and Tallon broached the subject.
“I told him the truth, how it went down and what happened,” Tallon said.
“That’s just the way it is. It’s strictly business. We have to win games, build a
solid championship team here. It was a good conversation. I don’t blame him
for being upset. This is the direction we’re going in.”
By George Richards
The Panthers’ organization seemingly thought Thomas would be around for
a while as well. Sunday’s home game against Boston was scheduled to have
10,000 Thomas bobbleheads as the giveaway.
Roberto Luongo returns to the Florida Panthers after being traded from the
Vancouver Canucks. This is Luongo during a press conference at the BB&T
Center in Sunrise, Fla., on Wednesday, March 5, 2014.
Babich said while the trinkets won’t be given out en masse, the team is
working on a plan to get them to fans who want them.
When Roberto Luongo hit his pillow for his pregame nap Tuesday, he had no
idea what was waiting once he awoke.
After a few years of trying to come back to the Florida Panthers, it became
true. Vancouver general manager Mike Gillis called Luongo in the middle of
his nap and told him not only would he not be starting for the Canucks later
that night in Arizona, but he would be heading home to South Florida.
“I was getting ready to play; I didn’t have any idea something serious was
going down,” Luongo said in a reintroductory news conference carried
statewide on Fox Sports Florida from BB&T Center.
“The timing is unfortunate,” Babich said. “Tim is popular here, and we [were]
looking forward to honoring him with a bobblehead night. He was important to
us.”
Although Luongo said he and Thomas could coexist — Thomas said the
same thing Tuesday — it was obvious having two top-end goalies on the
same team competing for playing time wasn’t going to work for long.
So when the Panthers skate onto the ice for Thursday’s practice in Coral
Springs — just a few miles from Luongo’s home — there will be no question
who Florida’s No. 1 netminder is.
As it was in 2006, it’s Luongo.
“There’s always rumors floating around, but I’ve been hearing them for a
couple of years. You stop listening to them. I was ready to play. It happened
quick and caught me off guard. To be honest, I’m still in a little bit of disbelief.
It’ll be nice to practice with my new teammates and get some normalcy back.”
“You always feel you have something to prove; there’s always someone
behind you ready to take your job,” said Luongo, who still holds the franchise
goaltending records for games played, wins and shutouts.
The deal for Luongo just prior to Wednesday’s trade deadline set a number of
things in motion, including dismantling Florida’s goaltending tandem.
“You have to have that desire to keep getting better and be the best. That, to
me, is what it’s all about. You have to keep pushing. When I don’t have that,
I’ll step aside.”
Starter Tim Thomas reluctantly waived his no-movement clause and was
traded to Dallas. The Panthers got veteran goalie Dan Ellis in return, thereby
sending backup Scott Clemmensen to Florida’s minor-league affiliate in San
Antonio.
• The Panthers made one other deal before Wednesday’s 3 p.m. deadline,
sending third-line center Marcel Goc to Pittsburgh for a pair of draft picks.
Goc is an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
“We wanted a world-class goalie and a class act like Roberto,” general
manager Dale Tallon said. “We’re excited about this. This is the beginning of
many solid moves to move our franchise forward.”
Luongo, who played for the Panthers from 2000 to ’06, said his interest in
rejoining Florida was rekindled as the team made a run to the playoffs in
2012. Luongo was feeling heat in Vancouver with Cory Schneider making a
case to be the starter. Luongo eventually asked for a trade — with Florida
being his main target.
“It really got me excited,” said Luongo, shipped out in 2006 after a series of
events unfolded leading to contract talks stalling with then-owner Alan Cohen
and GM Mike Keenan.
“I started thinking it would be great to come back and rejoin the team. It took
a while, and there were some other teams involved along the way, but in the
end I think when I least expected it, something happened. I’m excited about
[the] situation moving forward.”
The Panthers couldn’t swing a deal for Luongo in 2012 or last summer when
Tallon confirmed he and Gillis talked about it at the draft.
“A lot of people think I want to come here and ride into the sunset,” said
Luongo, 34, who is signed through 2022. “I’m here to win, to bring this team
back to the playoffs. I think with the ownership and the promises they’ve
made, we can bring some new guys in and help the young guys along. We
can be a contender.”
Rory Babich, named CEO of the team on Monday, said bringing Luongo back
is a difference-maker for the franchise.
“To be able to acquire a talent like [Luongo] will be tremendously positive for
our fans and our players,” Babich said. “Getting Roberto at the deadline
converts the words we’ve been speaking into action. We really believe the
players will get a lift. This is a tough end of the season where we’re at, but this
is all good.”
With Luongo, the Panthers all but said goodbye to Thomas. On Tuesday,
Thomas said he learned about the trade while on the bus heading to the TD
Garden in Boston.
When asked if he would accept a trade to a contender, Thomas didn’t seem
to know what to say. It was apparent he and Tallon talked about Thomas
coming back next season. He had never really thought about leaving at the
trade deadline.
• The Panthers’ 11 a.m. practice at the IceDen in Coral Springs is free and
open to the public.
730729
Florida Panthers
Panthers trade Goc and will go with young centers for final 20 games
By Harvey Fialkov, 7:21 PM EST, March 5, 2014
While most youth movements signify the throwing in of the proverbial towel,
the Panthers, who got noticeably younger in the past week, believe playing
the kiddie corps down the stretch will accelerate their development and help
the team vie for a Stanley Cup sooner rather than later.
Other than the Robert Luongo blockbuster on Monday, the Panthers got
noticeably younger in the last four days, trimming their roster of aging
veterans such as defenseman Mike Weaver, 35, center Marcel Goc, 30 and
Scott Clemmensen, 35.
All three players are in the final year of their contracts and clearly weren't in
the Panthers' future plans.
The departure of Goc Wednesday to the Eastern Conference-leading
Penguins for a third-round pick this year and a fifth-rounder next year, as well
as center/wing Shawn Matthias's exit to Vancouver in the Luongo deal,
means the Panthers will be going with at least four centers who are 23 years
old or younger with less than a full season of experience over the final 20
games.
Excluding injured rookie center Aleksander Barkov, the centers on the roster
include Nick Bjugstad, 21, Brandon Pirri, 22, and Drew Shore, 23, with AHL
center Vincent Trocheck, 20, making his NHL debut Friday night against the
dysfunctional Sabres.
However, Panthers General Manager Dale Tallon sent Shore back to San
Antonio to make room for Trocheck, a third-round pick in 2011 from
Pittsburgh, who has 16 goals and 25 assists in 54 games for the Rampage.
Pirri, who was acquired Sunday from the Blackhawks for a third-rounder in
2014 and fifth-rounder in 2016, was earmarked to be Chicago's second-line
center. He's been a point-a-game player in the AHL this season and led the
league in scoring last year.
"We're going to have to go young the rest of the way and give them a good
taste and give our fans a good viewing of the young guys and be aggressive
in the summer and bring in as many top free agents as we can,'' Tallon said
Wednesday after the Luongo press conference in the BB&T Center.
"We're still not going to blow up our plans for the future. … Give them some
experience, see what they have and it will gives us a better idea of what we
need to address next season in training camp. I've done this before and it
accelerates the process.''
With Weaver now in Montreal, the Panthers need a seventh defenseman,
and Tallon said he expects to call up either Alex Petrovic, 21, or Colby
Robak, 23, before Friday's game.
Goc, an eight-year veteran who's one of the best faceoff practitioners in the
league, had 11 goals and 23 points in 62 games, one less goal than his
career high in 2009-10 for Nashville. He was leading the Panthers with 576
faceoffs won at a solid 52.8 winning percentage.
"We got 10 picks in the 2015 draft which we're hosting so that was a goal of
ours to make sure we have a real good presence in that draft,'' Tallon said.
"Goc's a really good player and we've given him a chance to win a
championship. He's a classy guy and gave his heart and soul to our
organization.'' …
Tallon said that center Scott Gomez, 35, cleared waivers but will remain with
the team.
Boyes is official
The Panthers officially announced the re-signing of right wing Brad Boyes,
31, their leading goal scorer with 17, to a two-year deal worth a reported $5.3
million.
"Overall, a very successful week for us,'' Tallon said. "Signing Boyes and
making a commitment to him, otherwise in the past we probably would've
traded him. He wanted to stay, we wanted him to stay. He's earned a right to
stay because he's had a good year.''
Sun Sentinel LOADED: 03.06.2014
730730
Florida Panthers
In Panthers' goalie switch Roberto Luongo returns and Tim Thomas departs
By Harvey Fialkov, Sun Sentinel
Roberto Luongo had wanted to come home for so long he had all but given
up on the notion that he would once again play for the Florida Panthers,
whose practice facility is about a 10-minute bike ride from his house in
Parkland.
Nearly eight years since the Panthers made one of the questionable trades in
franchise history by trading Luongo, along with defenseman Lukas Krajicek
to the Vancouver Canucks for Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan Allen and Alex Auld, they
got a chance for a do-over, and actually pulled off a complete goaltender
makeover in the past two days.
As Luongo arrived to add on to his franchise goalie-records of 317 games
played, 108 wins and 26 shutouts, the short lived Tim Thomas-era ended
after just seven months as the Panthers - just before Wednesday's 3 p.m.
trade deadline expired - sent the longtime Bruin to the Dallas Stars for their
backup goalie Dan Ellis, 33, who will now play behind Luongo.
Scott Clemmensen, 35, a solid backup for the Panthers since 2009, cleared
waivers Wednesday and will head to the team's AHL affiliate in San Antonio
to finish out his contract.
"It was the year the Panthers made the playoffs that really got me excited and
thinking it would be great to come back here to rejoin the team,'' said the
6-foot-3 Luongo, who played for the Panthers for five non-playoff seasons
from 2000-06. "It took awhile, there were some other teams involved in the
end but when I was least expecting it, something happened.''
Luongo, who was awoken from his pregame nap in Phoenix when he got the
call, hopes to complete the remaining eight years of his 12-year, front-loaded
$64 million contract, on a winning franchise. His contract pays him $6.714
million over the next four years with a cap hit of $5.33 million.
"A lot of people think I want to come here and ride into the sunset, but that's
not what it's all about,'' Luongo said. "I'm here to win to bring this team back
into the playoffs.''
The Canucks, who despite being just two points out of a playoff berth,
basically gave away two elite goalies in Luongo and Cory Schneider over the
past nine months to go with two young Swedish goalies, Jacob Markstrom
and Eddie Lack, while still shelling out about $800,000 per year to the
Panthers to alleviate Luongo's deal.
Panthers General Manager Dale Tallon admitted he had to pay a steep price,
literally, to finally complete a deal he had been working on and off for about
two years with Canucks GM Mike Gillis by losing Markstrom, 23, and forward
Shawn Matthias, 26.
"We're getting a proven commodity,'' Tallon said. "Jacob has a great upside
but we needed to make a statement. ... We liked what Luongo brings to the
table, stability, his experience and [improves our chances] to win. You have
to pay a price for two young assets and we paid a big price.''
Thomas and Luongo both said their past rift with the whole "pumping tires,''
barbs that began during the 2011 Stanley Cup finals seven-game series won
by the Bruins was harmless and wouldn't prevent them from co-existing as an
elite goalie tandem.
In fact, when Luongo heard about Thomas being traded, he tweeted out on
his playful @strombone1 alter ego handle: Noooo!
However, it was clearly a shock to the 39-year-old Thomas, who wanted to
re-sign with the Panthers as a starter. After a morning meeting with Tallon,
Thomas agreed to waive his no-trade clause to go to the Stars, who are in a
tight race for a wild-card berth in the Western Conference.
"It's strictly business. We have to win games. …I don't blame him for being
upset,'' Tallon said. "He'll go and play very well as he often does. This is the
direction we're going in.''
Thomas was 16-20-3 with a 2.87 goals-against-average, including three bad
losses to the Bruins. He will backup Stars starter Kari Lehtonen.
Despite all the drama he's gone through in Vancouver and playing for a team
whose offense is ranked 28th, Luongo is 19-16-6 with a 2.39 GAA, well below
his career average of 2.51.
"I don't think I'm declining. I work extremely hard on my game,'' said Luongo,
who rents ice in the Panthers facility during the summer. "You always have
something to prove, there's always someone behind you looking to take your
job. You have to have that desire to be the best.''
When asked if he would mentor the next young goalie, Luongo wondered if
the Panthers had any coming up when Tallon cracked: "It's all yours baby!''
730731
Florida Panthers
Panthers send goalie Tim Thomas to Dallas and center Marcel Goc to
Penguins
By Harvey Fialkov 2:17 PM EST, March 5, 2014
Apparently rival goalies Tim Thomas and Roberto Luongo didn't want to
share the same sandbox, so the Panthers sent the former Bruins netminder
to the Stars for Dallas backup goalie Dan Ellis about half hour before the
Wednesday 3 p.m. trade deadline expired.
Thomas, 40, and Luongo, 34, have exchanged barbs since Thomas bested
Luongo in the 2011 Stanley Cup finals in a bitter seven-game series won by
the Bruins.
Thomas earned a one-year contract worth $2.5 million plus incentives when
he came into training camp on a professional tryout basis in September. He
sustained several leg or groin injuries early in the season which partially
contributed to a 3-9-4 start and the firing of coach Kevin Dineen.
A healthy Thomas gradually reverted to his two-time Vezina Trophy form,
keeping the offensively challenged Panthers in most games. His play has
tailed off since about two weeks before the Olympic break, losing four of his
last five games while giving up 17 goals in that stretch. He's 16-20-3 with a
pedestrian 2.78 goals-against-average.
Thomas will compete with Stars starter Kari Lehtonen, who's 24-16-10 with a
2.48 GAA. The Stars are currently possession of the second wild-card berth
in the tightly bunched Western Conference, with three teams within two
points of them.
The 6-foot-1 Ellis, 33, is 5-6-0 with a 3.04 GAA this season and 83-71-17 and
a 2.75 GAA over an eight-year career with five different teams, including two
stints with Dallas. Ellis is under contract through the 2014-15 season at $1
million per. Panthers GM Dale Tallon said that Ellis will be the backup.
They also sent veteran center Marcel Goc to the Eastern Conference-leading
Pittsburgh Penguins for a third-round draft pick this April and a fifth-rounder
in 2015.
The departure of Goc means the Panthers will be going with four young
centers over the final 21 games - not including injured Aleksander Barkov but Nick Bjugstad, 21, Brandon Pirri, 22, Drew Shore, 23, and Rampage
prospect Vincent Trocheck, 20, who will play Friday against the Sabres,
according to Tallon.
Other than the Luongo blockbuster on Monday, the Panthers got noticably
younger in the last four days, shedding veterans with expiring contracts in
defenseman Mike Weaver, 35, Goc, 30, center Scott Gomez, 34, and Scott
Clemmensen, 35.
Clemmensen, who is in the final year of his deal, will be assigned to San
Antonio in the AHL after clearing waivers Wednesday. Gomez will remain
with the Panthers.
With Weaver now in Montreal, the Panthers need a seventh defenseman,
and Tallon said both Alex Petrovic, 21, and Colby Robak, 23, will come up.
Goc, an eight-year veteran who’s one of the best faceoff practioners in the
league, had 11 goals and 23 points in 62 games, one less goal than his
career high in 2009-10 for Nashville. He leads the Panthers with 576 faceoffs
won, 14th in the league, at a solid 52.8 winning percentage.
730732
Los Angeles Kings
Kings make one of the few big deals on NHL trade deadline day
L.A. does well by acquiring goal scorer Marian Gaborik from Columbus, but
most of the other moves around the league are not particularly exciting.
Helene Elliott, March 5, 2014
The prevailing winds shifted within the NHL when the high-spending,
short-term-thinking New York Rangers declined to overpay winger Ryan
Callahan or give him the leverage of a no-trade clause and traded him to
Tampa Bay for 38-year-old Martin St. Louis.
What should have been an exciting seller's market, with many teams fighting
for playoff spots as Wednesday's trade deadline arrived, was relatively
ho-hum. Twenty trades were completed that involved 38 players but most
moves were for depth or salary-cap purposes.
Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi, whose acquisition of three-time
40-goal scorer Marian Gaborik from Columbus ranked as the splashiest
along with the Callahan-St. Louis deal and Montreal's trade for productive
winger Thomas Vanek, inadvertently furnished a likely explanation for the
prevalence of low-key deals.
Asked about his contract negotiations with defenseman Matt Greene, who is
eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer, Lombardi said he was told
the salary cap, initially projected to rise to about $71 million next season, will
be significantly lower because of the recent weakness of the Canadian dollar.
Lombardi said he verified that through the league. The drop will affect
whether he can keep Greene, Willie Mitchell and Trevor Lewis, and it
undoubtedly affected deadline-day decisions around the league.
"We found out, to our chagrin and surprise the other day, we had been told
the cap was going to be $71 [million] and now with the Canadian dollar
having tanked, that the cap could be as low as $68 [million]. That's a huge
swing," Lombardi said. "So that's more of the talks with our three guys,
Mitchell, Lewis and Greene, who we'd all like to bring back. That's more of a
hindrance than anything we acquired today. "
To get Gaborik under the current limit, Lombardi persuaded the Blue Jackets
to retain half of Gaborik's salary the rest of this season. He also, reluctantly,
demoted forward Linden Vey to Manchester (N.H.) of the American Hockey
League.
The trade makes sense for the goal-challenged Kings. If Gaborik is fit and is
allowed some freedom within the team's disciplined defensive system, he
can bring speed and game-breaking ability. But Lombardi said Gaborik will
have to adjust his game.
"It's buying into the way this team performs," Lombardi said. "Not changing
your game but knowing you have to do those little things and then go do what
that God-given gift you have that very few people have."
The Canadiens did well to get rent-a-player Vanek from the New York
Islanders for prospect Sebastian Collberg and a conditional second-round
pick in the June draft. Minnesota should gain from acquiring winger Matt
Moulson and hard-nosed Cody McCormick from rebuilding Buffalo for Torrey
Mitchell and a second-round pick in June.
Otherwise, some prominent players expected to be traded stayed put. The
Vancouver Canucks kept center Ryan Kesler despite approaches from the
Ducks, Pittsburgh Penguins and other. Flames forward Michael Cammalleri
stayed with Calgary, and goaltender Martin Brodeur remained with the New
Jersey Devils.
In the active goalie derby, Jaroslav Halak — acquired by Buffalo from St.
Louis last week — went to Washington with a 2015 third-round pick for
Michal Neuvirth and Rostislav Klesla, Florida sent Tim Thomas to Dallas for
Dan Ellis, and Calgary dealt Reto Berra to Colorado for a second-round pick
in June.
730733
Los Angeles Kings
Kings add a potentially big piece in Marian Gaborik
"No offense — he has played on good teams — he really hasn't had a player
like [Jeff] Carter or [Anze] Kopitar or [Drew] Doughty getting him the puck,"
Lombardi said. "It'll be interesting to see when he's got those resources.
Despite recent injury problems, Gaborik has been a big scorer in the NHL.
Kings also acquire defenseman Brayden McNabb from Sabres.
"He doesn't have to come in here and be the man. That's what I like. You
don't have to be the centerpiece. Just fit in and play. Everywhere he's gone,
he's had to be the box-office guy.
By Lisa Dillman,8:19 PM PST, March 5, 2014
"Our box office is winning. We have other top players where you just can fit in
and not worry about the billboard stuff. A lot of players at his stage would
welcome that."
AT WINNIPEG
It took several years and a stop in New York and a more recent move to
Columbus, but Marian Gaborik finally became a Los Angeles King.
Gaborik was interested in the Kings a long time ago, and Kings General
Manager Dean Lombardi had toyed with the idea of bringing in the forward
with game-breaking potential. Timing is everything and it all finally came
together shortly before Wednesday's trade deadline. Lombardi acquired
Gaborik from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for underperforming
forward Matt Frattin and conditional draft picks.
That was not the only move of the day for the surging Kings, just the biggest
one. Earlier, they shored up their depth chart on the back end in a trade with
the Sabres, sending two prospects — right wing Hudson Fasching and
forward/defenseman Nick Deslauriers — to Buffalo for defenseman Brayden
McNabb, right wing Jonathan Parker and second-round choices in 2014 and
2015.
McNabb, who was the focal point of the deal for the Kings, will report to their
American Hockey League affiliate in Manchester, N.H.
A bit of history: The Kings were in the lengthy rebuilding process when
Gaborik was interested in Los Angeles.
"I didn't feel the timing was right," Lombardi said in a telephone interview. "I
wanted to get other things done first. I think we're in a position now where we
can feel good about taking him and he wants to be here. This isn't a [Thomas]
Vanek situation, in my mind, where the player has already said: 'I want to go
to July 1 to test free agency.'"
Gaborik and Vanek, who was traded from the New York Islanders to the
Montreal Canadiens, will be unrestricted free agents. But Lombardi feels
reassured about Gaborik's willingness to re-sign here.
"I'm looking forward to this new challenge," Gaborik said to the Canadian
network TSN, on his way to the airport. "It's been a hectic day. But this a fresh
start. ... All that [the injuries] is behind me. I'm looking forward to help the
team as best I can."
The 32-year-old had 14 points in 22 games with Columbus this season and
was out for 22 games because of a broken collarbone, which forced him to
miss the Sochi Olympics for his native Slovakia.
The Blue Jackets will keep about 50% of Gaborik's pay, the maximum
allowable under league rules. Also, the picks heading to Columbus are a
second-round draft choice in 2014 or 2015 and a conditional third-rounder.
Frattin's tenure with the Kings was short and unsuccessful. He came to the
Kings from the Maple Leafs in the Jonathan Bernier deal in the summer. He
was practicing with his teammates in El Segundo when news of the trade
surfaced. Kings Coach Darryl Sutter intercepted him as he came off the ice.
"It's a business and that's what happens," Frattin said. "It's going to be tough
leaving this group of guys. At the same time, hopefully get a lot more ice time
there. It's fresh start and they're a good team in the playoff hunt."
Frattin, who had six points in 40 games, had been a healthy scratch the last
four games.
Kings center Mike Richards played against Gaborik frequently when
Richards was in Philadelphia and Gaborik was with the Rangers. Gaborik
had a 41-goal season with New York in 2011-12.
"It's not only his speed, but he can really make something out of nothing on a
broken play, turn it into a goal," Richards said. "With his speed, he backs
everybody off, making everyone aware of it. You don't want to get burned.
He'll help us. We're probably a better team today than we were yesterday."
If Lombardi had brought Gaborik to Los Angeles in the 2009-10 season, the
demands and expectations would have been different. Gaborik instead went
from Minnesota to the Rangers and scored 42 goals that season.
When: 4 p.m. PST
On the air: TV: FSW. Radio: 1150.
Etc.: Kings center Linden Vey was sent back to minor league Manchester
(N.H.), primarily because of the salary-cap situation.
730734
Los Angeles Kings
Kings acquire Gaborik from Columbus
By RICH HAMMOND / Published: March 5, 2014 Updated: 3:44 p.m.
The Kings have a fairly strong history of acquiring underachieving forwards
from Columbus.
Shortly before Wednesday’s NHL trade deadline, the Kings got 32-year-old
winger Marian Gaborik from the Blue Jackets in exchange for forward Matt
Frattin and two conditional draft picks.
Gaborik, a three-time 40-goal scorer, should fit nicely on one of the Kings’ top
two lines. The Kings also looked into making deals for Michael Cammalleri,
Matt Moulson and Thomas Vanek this week but then narrowed their focus to
Gaborik, and didn’t have to give up much.
At the trade deadline two years ago, the Kings acquired winger Jeff Carter
from the Blue Jackets. Four months later, they won the Stanley Cup. The
situation now, with Gaborik, is quite different.
Then, Carter was entering his prime, at age 27, and not even a full year into
an 11-year contract. Gaborik turned 32 last month, will be an unrestricted
free agent on July 1 and has played only 22 games this season because of
injuries. Gaborik has six goals and eight assists this season.
Gaborik isn’t known as being the type of dogged worker that Coach Darryl
Sutter admires, but this is potentially a low-risk, high-reward deal for the
Kings, who have been one of the NHL’s lowest-scoring teams all season.
The trade ends a long professional flirtation. The Kings considered signing
Gaborik in 2009, but Gaborik instead signed a five-year, $37.5-million deal
with the New York Rangers, then was traded to Columbus last year. Gaborik
periodically had his name mentioned in trade rumors with the Kings.
Per the terms of the trade, Columbus is expected to pay a large percentage
of Gaborik’s remaining salary this season.
Frattin’s short stint with the Kings is over. He arrived from Toronto last June
in exchange for then-backup goalie Jonathan Bernier. Frattin never really
found a home in the Kings’ lineup and had two goals and four assists in 20
games.
In giving up only Fratting and conditional second- and third-round draft picks
-- tied to how far the Kings advance in the playoffs, and whether Gaborik
signs a contract extension -- the Kings added a scorer without giving up top
prospects such as forwards Tyler Toffoli, Tanner Pearson or Linden Vey.
In a lower-impact deal, the Kings acquired defenseman Brayden McNabb
from Buffalo for two prospects: forward Hudson Fasching and defenseman
Nicolas Deslauriers.
McNabb, 23, is a physical 6-foot-4 defenseman and an American Hockey
League all-star this season. A third-round pick in 2009, McNabb has played
37 NHL games since 2011. As part of that deal, the Kings also acquired
minor-league forward Jonathan Parker, a Solana Beach native.
730735
Los Angeles Kings
Kings acquire Marian Gaborik to bolster lackluster offense
By Elliott Teaford,
Kings general manager Dean Lombardi had two concerns going into
Wednesday’s NHL trade deadline. First, he knew he wanted to acquire a
player to help his goal-starved team. Second, he needed to do it within the
constraints of the league’s restrictive salary cap.
Lombardi targeted veteran forward Marian Gaborik quite some time ago, but
with a hefty salary of $7.5 million for 2013-14, it figured to take a little extra
negotiating to complete the deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
In the end, the solution was to ask the Blue Jackets to agree to pay 50
percent of Gaborik’s salary, pro-rated for the final one-quarter of the season.
The Kings also sent forward Matt Frattin, a second-round pick either this year
or next and a conditional third-round pick to Columbus.
The Kings also had to re-assign forward Linden Vey to Manchester of the
American Hockey League to clear salary-cap space before acquiring
Gaborik. Vey recorded five points, all assists, in 18 games with the Kings. He
spent most of the season in the minors.
In return, the Kings acquired a crafty 32-year-old with 688 points, including
342 goals, in 791 career games with the Blue Jackets, New York Rangers
and Minnesota Wild. He is a former 42-goal scorer with the Rangers in
2009-10 and the Wild in 2007-08.
The Kings also gained a player who has been sidelined for all but 22 games
this season because of a collarbone injury. He is expected to join the team for
tonight’s game against the Jets in Winnipeg, the start of the a three-game
trip.
“I inquired right after New Year’s,” Lombardi said during a conference call
with reporters when asked about starting talks with the Blue Jackets for
Gaborik. “That’s kind of when we started the process. It picked up about two
weeks ago.
“It goes to 11 (Tuesday) night, then picks up again at 5 a.m., and then right to
the deadline.”
Lombardi said he believed Gaborik is the right man to aid the Kings’ offense.
“He brings an element we thought we’d like to add to the mix,” Lombardi said
when asked why he targeted Gaborik. “There are very few players capable of
doing what he does. We thought he was the only guy available who had
those dimensions.”
The Kings’ offense was ranked 27th in the NHL going into the start of
business Wednesday, with a paltry average of 2.32 goals per game. Their
power play was 26th, clicking on only 32 of 226 man-advantage chances for
a 14.2-percent success rate.
In addition to the Gaborik trade, the Kings also acquired minor-league
defenseman Brayden McNabb and second-round picks in the next two drafts
from the Buffalo Sabres for forward/defenseman Nicolas Deslauriers and
right wing Hudson Fasching.
The Kings also signed 20-year-old goalie Patrik Bartosak to a three-year
entry-level contract and sent a conditional seventh-round pick to the San
Jose Sharks for minor-league forward James Livingston.
Lombardi acknowledged giving up a lot to get a lot in the deal for McNabb.
“He fills a huge hole for us down the road,” Lombardi said. “He’s already paid
his dues in the minors and had a couple of cups of coffee in the NHL. He’s
closer to being ready than if I had to do a deal with a junior kid. He’s got size,
he can move the puck and he has a long reach. He’s over-aggressive, which
I like, but we can tame the lion.”
The Kings are expected to assign McNabb to Manchester. McNabb played
12 games with the Sabres this season, but was scoreless. He also had 29
points, including seven goals, with the Sabres’ AHL affiliate in Rochester this
season.
LA Daily News: LOADED: 03.06.2014
730736
Los Angeles Kings
Bartosak signs ELC, continues record season with Red Deer
Posted by JonRosen on March 5, 2014
The Kings announced on Wednesday that Patrik Bartosak has been signed
to a three-year, entry level contract. Bartosak, 20, was selected in the fifth
round of the 2013 NHL Draft. He is the reigning CHL Goaltender of the Year.
Bartosak is 29-24-1-4 with a 2.84 goals-against average and .923 save
percentage in his third and final year with the Red Deer Rebels, a team
owned by Brent Sutter. In recent years Red Deer has developed into one of
junior hockey’s premier goaltending institutions, having played a hand in the
development of Cam Ward, James Reimer and Darcy Kuemper.
Bartosak was brilliant in a rookie game victory over Anaheim in September,
stopping 25 of 26 shots and besting top Ducks goaltending prospect, John
Gibson.
“It’s been my dream since I started playing hockey to wear an NHL jersey and
get a chance to play for an NHL organization, and now playing for the Kings
is an honor for me,” he said after earning the win on September 9. “It was a
great feeling, for sure.”
Bartosak, who has already set the Rebels’ record for shots faced and saves
in a single season, recently spoke to Greg Meachem of the Red Deer
Advocate about his record-breaking campaign.
“I like seeing lots of shots much rather than getting three or four shots a
period. I like this kind of hockey and I’m enjoying it for sure,” Bartosak told
Meachem. “It’s my job. I don’t really think about rather I’m too busy or not. My
job is to be there and stop the puck whenever it comes my way. If it comes
there 45 times a night then I’ll have to be there 45 times. If it comes five times,
I’ll be there five times.”
With a contract signed, Bartosak will spend next season in the Kings’ minor
league system, most likely in either Manchester or Ontario.
LAKings.com columnist John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor recently wrote a
feature on Bartosak, and it’s a good read: Kings Goaltending Factory
Readies The Next Prospect
LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.06.2014
730737
Los Angeles Kings
Darryl Sutter on the Kings’ trade acquisitions
I think, first, the young defenseman, obviously the organization felt that there
was a lot of really good young forwards in our organization and not great
depth in defense, so that’s obviously Brayden McNabb. I think the Gaborik
and Frattin deal was pretty clear. I think Fratts wasn’t playing here, and it’s a
good opportunity for Fratts, and we’ll see if Gaborik can fit into our type of
game.
On Marian Gaborik missing games earlier this year due to injury:
He should be fresh then, right?
On whether Gaborik will play against Winnipeg:
I couldn’t really tell you. How would I know? I just got told 10 minutes ago.
He’s a European going to another country to play. There are immigration
issues, travel issues – all those things.
On whether he senses that the trading deadline is “difficult” for players:
Difficult if you’re a bad team.
On what he recalls from Gaborik from when he was in Minnesota:
I’ve coached against him lots in Minnesota as a young guy, but that’s a long
time ago, too. You know, if you look at his last four or five years, he’s scored
a goal every four games, every three games, every two games. But there’s a
lot more to the game than goal scoring. You have to be a part of a successful
team and part of a nucleus of a group that’s used to winning is the next part.
On Gaborik being able to “make something out of nothing”:
Over the course of his career, he’s probably around a point a game or so. It’s
based on the whole package. There’s no specials in today’s game if you want
to be on a good team.
On whether he had seen much of Brayden McNabb when he was in junior
hockey:
Obviously, yeah. I’ve seen him play four or five years. He was the captain on
Kootenay. But, again, that’s like talking about Gaborik, too. When you
haven’t seen guys play live, then you have to evaluate ‘em when you get ‘em.
730738
Los Angeles Kings
Marian Gaborik a King
This morning’s report by Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune has
come to fruition. Tenured NHL sniper Marian Gaborik has been traded to the
Los Angeles Kings by the Columbus Blue Jackets for Matt Frattin, a
conditional second round draft pick and a third round draft pick. It is expected
that Columbus will retain a significant portion of Gaborik’s salary, as the
move will put the Kings close to the salary cap.
Based on conversations I’ve had with the team’s hockey operations, the
Kings have been hot on Gaborik for quite some time, and he appeared to be
the team’s top target at the trading deadline. With four 30-goal seasons and
three 40-goal seasons, he provides the goal scoring ability and high end skill
the team coveted. The Kings rank 27th in the league with an average of 2.32
goals per game.
Gaborik, 32, missed 22 games earlier this season with a broken collarbone.
In the 34 games since he was acquired by Columbus at last year’s trading
deadline, the Trencin, Slovakia native posted nine goals and 22 points. He
has appeared in as many as 75 games five times in his 13-season career and
posted a career high 86 points (42-44=86) with the New York Rangers in
2009-10.
Frattin said he was “maybe a little bit” surprised but understood something
may have been in the works after sitting through his fourth consecutive game
as a healthy scratch on Monday.
“It’s a business, and that’s kind of what happens. It’s going to be tough
leaving this group of guys, but at the same time, hopefully I’ll get a lot more
ice time there, and it’s a fresh start, and they’re a good team for the playoff
hunt.”
At practice, Frattin showed vast illustrations of his skill set. He possesses a
good shot, forechecks well and has good speed, but wasn’t able to put the full
package together in his opportunity with Los Angeles.
“It was awesome,” he said of his time spent with the Kings. “Living here is
great. The team’s great. Not as much media. But it was fun. [I'm] sad to leave,
but that’s business, and you’ve got to move on.”
730739
Los Angeles Kings
Reports: Deslauriers, Fasching to Buffalo in McNabb trade
The Kings front office categorized this deal as “close,” though it has been
announced by several reputable sources. In the reported trade that sends
Brayden McNabb to Los Angeles, it appears as though left wing prospect Nic
Deslauriers and University of Minnesota product Hudson Fasching will be
sent to Buffalo. The trade will also provide the Kings a pair of second round
draft picks.
Deslauriers, a defenseman-turned-left wing, was a third round pick in 2009.
Fasching, who had an encouraging performance at the World Junior
Championships and has 12 goals and 27 points in 31 games with the
University of Minnesota in his freshman season, was a fourth round pick in
2013.
The Sabres have three second round draft picks in 2014 – their own, the Los
Angeles’ (as part of the Robyn Reghr deal), and Minnesota’s. Don’t expect
the Kings to be permanently attached to these picks, because it appears as
though the deal for Marian Gaborik has picked up steam again, and it is
possible they may be involved in landing the speedy Columbus winger.
730740
Los Angeles Kings
Trade for Brayden McNabb “close”
Next: Reports: Deslauriers, Fasching to Buffalo in McNabb trade
I just received word from the Kings’ front office that a trade for Buffalo Sabres
defenseman Brayden McNabb is “close,” and now Bob McKenzie just
dropped this piece of information:
McNabb, 23, carries a $715,000 cap hit and will be a restricted free agent
after this season. A third round pick of the Sabres in 2009, the 6-foot-4, 208
pound left shooting defenseman is a three-time AHL All-Star with a heavy
shot and a good dose of grit and physicality. He has 29 points (7-22-29) and
a plus-9 rating in 38 games with AHL-Rochester, where he has spent the
majority of his season.
From the Rochester Americans’ website:
In 28 games played with Rochester, McNabb has totaled 22 points
highlighted by a four-assist night on Nov. 1 against the Syracuse Crunch.
During a season that has included an outdoor game, a trip to Switzerland to
compete in the Spengler Cup and numerous call-ups to Buffalo, McNabb
admits it’s been a wild season so far.
“It’s kind of been all over,” McNabb said. “At one point I felt like I was
traveling around the world there for a bit, from going to the Spengler Cup to
getting called up while we were in Switzerland. It’s been good, some ups and
downs, and I’m just trying to work on my game and develop into an NHL
player and hopefully be in Buffalo long-term someday.”
Part of the appeal in another All-Star appearance for McNabb will be a
chance to defend his title in the hardest shot competition. McNabb
hammered a 101.8 MPH slap-shot to take the crown in last year’s AHL
All-Star Skills competition.
“I might have to have a few cheeseburgers to put a little more weight
behind it,” McNabb said.
In 37 career games with Buffalo, McNabb has one goal, eight points and an
even rating. He was impressive in junior hockey, using his physicality and a
booming shot in leading Kootenay to a WHL Championship and Memorial
Cup berth in 2011.
730741
Los Angeles Kings
Reports: Gaborik linked to Kings
Reports are circulating this morning that the Kings are working on a trade that
would land them Columbus Blue Jackets winger Marian Gaborik.
Though the deal as of right now has not been finalized, I can confirm that
there has been substantial interest in the winger, who has averaged .87
points per game in his 791-game NHL career and twice has topped the
80-point plateau.
A look at Gaborik’s career stats:
Gaborik, scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, carries a 7.5
million dollar cap hit, so a salaried player will likely have to travel back to
Columbus. The Blue Jackets could also be asked to absorb some of the
winger’s cap hit.
The news was first broken by Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Other reports confirm that the deal is not finalized, though the two sides are
talking.
730742
Los Angeles Kings
Vey assigned to Manchester due to cap considerations
To remain salary cap compliant – even with the Blue Jackets retaining 50%
of Marian Gaborik’s salary – the Kings assigned Linden Vey to
AHL-Manchester on Wednesday. Dean Lombardi, who explained the move,
indicated that this is a temporary move.
“The only reason Linden had to go is purely because of cap space. It wasn’t a
roster issue, because at times I’ve had to move the kid down for the roster
spot. It was purely because I was short. Even with Columbus taking 50% of
Gaborik, I was short,” he said.
“I know that’s disappointing to him. It is to me, too, because I didn’t like
sending him down, because it had nothing to do with hockey. That’s just the
reality of it now, and as space builds up as time goes on, I’m going to bring
him right back.”
In 18 games with the Kings, Vey had five assists and an even rating.
According to CapGeek, the Kings have $638,659 of cap space. Vey’s cap hit
is $790,000.
In the recent chat’s I had with Lombardi, he was very high on Vey, saying
“You even see Linden, in the short time he’s out, he makes a lot of little plays.
It doesn’t bring you out of your seat, but you’re keeping the puck. He gives
the puck to a guy who can do something with it. He just doesn’t get rid of it
and say, ‘You deal with it.’ And all three of them can do that, but they’re
inexperienced.”
730743
Minnesota Wild
Wild gets Moulson, McCormick from Sabres for Mitchell, picks
Posted by: Michael Russo under On the road, Wild trade news Updated:
March 5, 2014 - 5:27 PM
With season-long scuttlebutt that the Wild may look to sign free-agent-to-be
Thomas Vanek this summer, the Wild beat Wednesday’s trade deadline by
acquiring the player traded for Vanek earlier this season.
The Wild traded two draft picks -- Winnipeg's second rounder in 2014
acquired in the Devin Setoguchi trade and the Wild's second rounder in 2016
-- and fourth-line winger Torrey Mitchell to the Sabres for power winger Matt
Moulson, a three-time 30-goal scorer, and hard-nosed forward Cody
McCormick.
Moulson, 30, has scored 17 goals and 38 points in 55 games this season
between the Islanders and Sabres. He was acquired in October for Vanek, a
conditional first-round pick and a second-round pick. He is the last year of his
deal with a $3.133 million cap hit.
McCormick, 30, has scored 59 points and 503 penalty minutes in 358 games.
He’s in the last year of his deal at $1.2 million.
Moulson has scored 135 goals and 262 points in 377 games, developing
terrific chemistry with superstar John Tavares on Long Island, where he was
one of the most popular players.
He has perennially been one of the NHL’s most durable players. He played
all 82 games in three consecutive seasons from 2009-12, topping 30 goals in
each, including a career-high 36 goals and 69 points in 2011-12.
Moulson has scored 47 career power-play goals, including 14 in 2011-12, the
third-most in the NHL. He is also known as a player who thrives on the road.
In 2011-12, Moulson scored 23 goals on the road, the second-most in the
NHL behind Steven Stamkos.
From March 17-April 3, the Wild plays eight of 10 games on the road.
Moulson is a skilled power winger who protects the puck terrifically on the
cycle and is known for possessing a hard wrist shot.
Mitchell, 29, scored five goals and 12 assists in 103 games, including only
one goal in 58 games this year.
According to sources, Mitchell asked to be traded, although he denied that
Tuesday.
Mitchell, a hard-working, fast forward, signed a three-year, $5.7 million deal
with the Wild two summers ago. That happened on July 1. On July 4, the Wild
signed Zach Parise. The Wild also didn’t know for sure if Pierre-Marc
Bouchard would be healthy to start that season. He wound up being ready.
So Mitchell came to Minnesota thinking he’d have a chance to be third-line
right wing. After Parise and Bouchard were inserted, Mitchell fell down the
depth chart. Since, the Wild has added youngsters like Mikael Granlund,
Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter. So Mitchell has been saddled on the
fourth line pretty much since he got to Minnesota.
But I mentioned on the blog this exact scenario. My gut said the trade request
would wind up burning Mitchell because at $1.9 million next year, he'd be
such an easy throw-in for a rental to Buffalo if the Wild couldn't get Drew
Stafford done. Now Mitchell misses the playoffs this year and the Wild gets
out of his $1.9 million cap hit and $2.5 million salary next year.
The Wild was in on Stafford. I was told this afternoon, and I need to report it
out more, that any Stafford deal would be contingent on another complicated
trade the Wild would have to make elsewhere to basically move a player.
Star Tribune LOADED: 03.06.2014
730744
Minnesota Wild
Wild talking to the Buffalo Sabres about Drew Stafford
Posted by: Michael Russo under Wild news, Wild trade news Updated:
March 5, 2014 - 11:16 AM
Stafford is very good friends with Zach Parise from their days at Shattuck and
North Dakota, he’s a former teammate of Jason Pominville. (By the way,
even though I'm mentioning Stafford on here, I'm not saying it's going to
happen. I'm sure Fletcher has many balls in the air and this is just one I've
heard about).
The question that I haven’t connected all the dots on? If the Wild acquires
Stafford, where’s he fit? I'd think somebody would need to depart in that trade
or another one.
I’d think you’d want him to be your second-line right wing.
Update: Jake Dowell cleared waivers.
If you figure, the lines currently are:
Biggest trade thus far was a blockbuster, with Lightning captain Martin St.
Louis going to the Rangers (the lone team he requested to be traded to) for
captain Ryan Callahan, a first round pick and a second round pick. Lots of
conditions in the deal; Tampa gets another first if the Rangers go to the
conference finals, Rangers get a pick back if Callahan re-signs.
Parise-Granlund-Pominville
As always, the trades will come rapid-fire eventually. The issue is the domino
hasn't fallen on Marian Gaborik, Thomas Vanek, Matt Moulson, Mike
Cammalleri and Ales Hemsky -- five scoring rental forwards. The second one
goals, the other should follow quickly.
I created a false alarm this morning when I was told Gaborik to the Kings was
done. I had to do a mea culpa even though trust me, the source was as good
as it gets. The deal still seemed imminent for a bit and still could happen, but
the Kings are now ticked with Columbus, doesn't want to get left at the altar
and have moved on looking at some of the other rentals. The Jackets are still
shopping Gaborik. Ottawa was one team involved but reportedly is after
Hemsky too. So if they go Hemsky, maybe it still winds up L.A. with Gaborik,
but it obviously wasn't the done deal I was told.
As for the Wild, quiet right now. They're in the holding pattern everybody else
seems to be in. As always, once 2 p.m. creeps closer, the deals will rapidly
flow throughout the NHL.
Good morning. After weeks of stories and working the phone and hiding
behind flower pots in front of Chuck Fletcher’s office, it’s finally the trade
deadline.
Starting tomorrow, I can mail in the rest of the season.
When the clock strikes 2, no more trades can be made (actually AHL trades
can still be made. Remember your beloved Filip Kuba? His NHL career
actually took off because of a post trade-deadline move in Florida. The
Panthers defenseman was dealt to Calgary for Rocky Thompson. I
remember sitting in the press box in Pittsburgh in, I think 2000, when I got the
press release and thinking, uh, I thought there can’t be any trades anymore!)
Here is a trade tracker you can pay attention to at work and school (I'm not
condoning not working or studying) today.
As you know by now, the Wild acquired Ilya Bryzgalov from the Oilers
yesterday to give the team goalie depth with Niklas Backstrom shut down
and Josh Harding unlikely to return this season. The trade was indeed for a
2014 fourth-round pick (There seems to be some Twitter confusion because
it sounds like a site or two has mistakenly put Edmonton’s price paid for
Viktor Fasth next to the Bryzgalov trade on their charts).
What happens today?
Fletcher was in on the Jaroslav Halak trade. He didn’t want to give a prospect
and/or a second-round pick, so he pulled the trigger on the easiest trade
(fourth-round pick) and was able to save some cap space in the process.
That gives him the flexibility to make more moves today. As I reported in
today’s newspaper and on last night’s blog, multiple sources tell me the Wild
is very interested in Drew Stafford, who has been playing at a consistently
high level for some time for the Sabres. There have been lots of
conversations between Fletcher and Sabres GM Tim Murray lately and the
big question is whether Murray is indeed willing to trade Stafford, 28, and
what the price would be.
He wouldn’t be a rental. He has another year left on his contract at a pretty
attractive $4 million (remember, the cap is going up), so this would be more
of a “hockey trade” (one of my favorite terms; I’d love to know who coined it).
So it could cost a second-tier prospect, salaried player (Wild would need to
trade some cash unless it just puts Backstrom or Harding on LTIR, which
allows you to top the cap ceiling by their cap hit if you need the space) and/or
a pick.
Heatley-Koivu-Coyle
Cooke-Brodziak-Niederreiter
Mitchell-Haula-Fontaine, ….
this could lend further credence to why I keep hearing from sources that Kyle
Brodziak can be had today.
If you slid Stafford or acquired another top-6 right wing and traded Brodziak,
you could slide Coyle back to the position coach Mike Yeo says he feels
Coyle has grown “leaps and bounds” in this season – center.
A Cooke-Coyle-Niederreiter line would be intriguing.
I talked to Brodziak yesterday in a general sense (not about him personally,
just so you know the context), and he said, “It’s a tough part of the year.
There’s a lot of uncertainty around the locker room, but we’re professionals,
we’ve dealt with it before and tune it out best we can. We’ve done a really
good job this year putting ourselves in here in a good position. Everyone in
here feels really good about the group that we have. We just want to keep
building so we can tap into the potential of this team.”
Brodziak, the first player Fletcher ever traded for as the Wild GM in 2009,
also has another year on his deal ($3 million salary, $2.833M cap hit).
Another player who could be dealt today is Torrey Mitchell, so if Mitchell got
dealt and Brodziak stayed, you could shuffle your lines in other ways.
I mentioned yesterday that TVA Sports reporter Renaud Lavoie tweeted
yesterday that sources told him that Torrey Mitchell asked to be traded.
Mitchell and his agent Kent Hughes each denied the report in separate texts,
but after those denials, I also had two sources confirm the Mitchell trade
request.
Fletcher didn’t respond to my inquiry, which makes you think that where
there’s smoke, there’s fire.
Mitchell, a hard-working, very fast forward, signed a three-year, $5.7 million
deal with the Wild two summers ago. That happened on July 1. On July 4, the
Wild signed Parise. The Wild also didn’t know for sure if Pierre-Marc
Bouchard would be healthy to start that season. He wound up being ready.
So Mitchell came to Minnesota thinking he’d have a chance to be third-line
right wing. After Parise and Bouchard were inserted, Mitchell fell down the
depth chart. Since, the Wild has added youngsters like Mikael Granlund,
Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter. So Mitchell has been saddled on the
fourth line pretty much since he has gotten here.
So if Mitchell wants out, that’s why. The problem he may run into today
though is with a very manageable $1.9 million salary next year and an
appetizing age to rebuilding teams (29), he could very easily be included in a
deal to say Buffalo. Let’s just say the Wild can’t get Stafford done and
chooses a rental (Matt Moulson, Thomas Vanek), Mitchell again would be an
easy throw-in.
So if Mitchell did ask out now (which I understand he denies), he may regret it
because it could cost him a playoff berth. If it’s true he wants to move on so
he could play more, he may have been better off just riding this out the rest of
the season and then asking out after the season. I would assume it would be
simple to trade a fast, hard-working 29-year-old with one year left on his
contract during the offseason. Now he could conceivably wind up in a losing
situation today.
Another name potentially being floated is Dany Heatley, who has a limited
no-trade clause. I’ve even heard his hometown of Calgary, although I’m not
sure why a non-playoff team would need an expiring contract. But Fletcher
and Flames acting GM Brian Burke did meet during the entire second
intermission of Monday’s Wild-Flames game.
It also wouldn’t shock me if Fletcher tried to bring in another depth
defenseman.
Rosters are unlimited now as long as you don’t go over the cap.
I'll be hosting a live online chart Thursday at 3 p.m. CT, incidentally.
I’ll update the blog when there’s news later.
730745
Minnesota Wild
Wild acquire Moulson, McCormick in dealing Mitchell, 2 draft picks to Sabres
Article by: DAVE CAMPBELL , Associated Press
Updated: March 5, 2014 - 6:00 PM
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild emerged from the NHL trade
deadline with an experienced goalie, another proven scorer and some size
and grit for the fourth line.
They didn't part with any prospects or first-round draft picks, either, which
was general manager Chuck Fletcher's prerequisite for any deals.
The day after sending a fourth-round selection to Edmonton for goalie Ilya
Bryzgalov, the Wild acquired left wing Matt Moulson and center Cody
McCormick on Wednesday from Buffalo for two second-round picks (2014
and 2016) and fourth-line forward Torrey Mitchell.
"We liked our depth. But you never know what can happen in the NHL, and
again this team has shown me a lot in the last month and a half," general
manager Chuck Fletcher said. "I think they deserve the opportunity to be
rewarded with some additional help for the push for the next month here."
The Wild are 14-4-2 since the new year began. They're in seventh place in
the Western Conference playoff race.
"We're trying to get to a place where we have at least three lines that can
score and play defense," Fletcher said, adding: "We saw this a little bit in the
playoffs last year: You need to have more than one line that you can rely on."
McCormick will essentially take the place of Mitchell, who had one goal and
eight assists in 58 games. McCormick, who has split this season between
Buffalo and AHL Rochester, and has one goal and five points in 29 games.
He's a 10-year veteran.
The 30-year-old Moulson switched teams for the second time this season,
having been sent to the Sabres in October in a trade for Thomas Vanek with
the New York Islanders. In 55 games for the Sabres, Moulson had 17 goals
and 21 assists.
He's a three-time 30-goal scorer who will likely end up on the second line in
Minnesota with captain and center Mikko Koivu and perhaps veteran Dany
Heatley. That would allow Charlie Coyle to center the third line with Matt
Cooke and Nino Niederreiter, a former Islanders teammate of Moulson's.
Zach Parise and Jason Pominville, acquired at the trade deadline from the
Sabres last season, are skating with Mikael Granlund on the first line.
The Wild acquired Pominville with one year left on his contract, so they
planned on making him a part of their future at the time of the deal. They've
already signed him to an extension.
"I'm always open-minded. I don't have anything set in stone for me," Moulson
said. "I'll obviously take it day by day, but the Wild are obviously a great team
and I just hope that I can be a part of this team going forward and winning a
championship."
Mitchell, who has one more year on his contract at $1.9 million, was traded to
clear salary cap space for next season. So Moulson could be more than a
two-month-or-so rental. But the Wild weren't worried about that when they
put this deal together.
"He's a guy we think will thrive in the playoff drive that we're undergoing now
and if we're able to get into the playoffs to help us there. This is a move made
to help us win games right now," Fletcher said.
Last season, the Wild were willing to part with more. They sent a first-round
draft pick, a second-rounder and two prospects to the Sabres for Pominville.
This time, they didn't need as much, and they weren't going to budge on the
asking prices, either.
"Any time you're paying second round picks for good hockey players, to me
it's a really good move," Fletcher said. "We're very comfortable with the
gamble."
730746
Minnesota Wild
A deeper look into the Wild's deadline-day trades
Blog Post by: Michael Russo
March 5, 2014 - 8:10 PM
First of all, I’m sorry to report my Thursday online chat has been scrapped. I’ll
have to postpone until next week because the Wild has pushed back
Thursday’s practice so Matt Moulson and Cody McCormick can arrive in time
and Friday I’ll need to hustle to the airport after practice to fly to Dallas.
But I’ll do my best to answer as many questions here as I can.
Matt Moulson will wear No. 26 here. And Cody McCormick No. 8.
OK, have a good night.
No, seriously, as for the trade of Moulson and McCormick from Buffalo for
Torrey Mitchell and two second-round picks, heck of a deal in my estimation.
As I say often, Chuck Fletcher is nothing if not bold, and always has
something up his sleeve.
I always find the maturation of an organization fascinating, and it’s interesting
how the Wild has transitioned from being a trade-deadline seller to a buyer
the past two years.
Last year, the Wild arguably paid a big price for Jason Pominville (two
prospects and a first were the highlights), but Pominville had another year left
on his deal and the Wild was obviously immediately interested in extending
him, which it did by five years starting next year right before this season.
This year, Fletcher looked into doing similar “hockey trades,” but in the end,
he likes the chemistry of this team, wanted to avoid trading a first-round pick
for a second consecutive year and didn’t want to trade any of his top
prospects. So early this morning, when he quickly realized he may be able to
consummate a “draft pick” deal for Moulson with Sabres GM Tim Murray,
that’s where he began to focus.
Other GM’s were dangling their rentals and asking for prospects like Matt
Dumba, Gustav Olofsson and Kurtis Gabriel, Fletcher said, and he had no
interest. The other thing that made the Moulson/McCormick swap so
intriguing was Fletcher would be able to include Mitchell, who wanted out, in
the deal. That’s no slight against Mitchell, but he was playing a fourth-line
role, so he’s replaced by the gritty, hard-nosed McCormick and the Wild gets
out from under the $2.5 million salary and $1.9 million cap hit Mitchell had
owed to him next season. That’ll create more roster and cap flexibility.
Now, before I get more into detail of what Fletcher/Moulson said during
today’s availability, I try my best to answer two questions I see I’ve been
asked most on Twitter (since most people seem to want news in abbreviated
140-character like methods, this will save those people from having to read
through the rest of the minutia included on what’s bound to be a super-sized
blog).
1. What will the lines look like? Well, I don’t have the answer for you because
we’ll see an initial taste as to what coach Mike Yeo is thinking at Thursday’s
practice. But my shot in the dark for at least Thursday’s practice is similar to
what I guessed on Twitter earlier today, but it has changed a little.
Zach Parise-Mikael Granlund-Jason Pominville
Matt Moulson-Mikko Koivu-Charlie Coyle
Matt Cooke-Kyle Brodziak-Dany Heatley
Cody McCormick-Erik Haula-Justin Fontaine-Nino Niederreiter
I think at least in Thursday’s practice, we’ll see these top 2 lines. We saw
earlier this season putting Heatley on the fourth line didn’t work, so maybe
they eventually go with a Moulson-Koivu-Heatley line and Cooke-Coyle-Nino
on the third. That would mean the fourth would be a combination of
McCormick, Haula, Brodziak and Fontaine.
Yeo will have a lot of options and I’m sure there will be tinkering. For
instance, I’m not sure what he’s thinking, but maybe McCormick plays
against the rugged teams (Wild played St. Louis three times down the stretch
and could be staring at the Blues in the first round) and sits against the faster
teams.
Obviously, there are always injuries, too, so no lines are set in stone. If the
Wild’s healthy, I think it’s clear that Jason Zucker will initially have to return to
Iowa when he gets healthy.
2. Does trading for Moulson preclude the Wild from signing Thomas Vanek if
it so wishes in the offseason?
Well, only if at the end of the day the Wild re-signs Moulson. And it’s honestly
way too soon to think about it. As of now, it’s a rental. Now, if Moulson plays
so well and fits in so well and the Wild does damage in the playoffs, yes, the
Wild I’m sure would absolutely consider re-signing Moulson.
“You never know,” Fletcher said. “I’m open-minded.”
Moulson also echoed that, but he too said it’s the last thing he’s thinking
about right now: “We’ll see what happens. I think that’s the last thing I’ve
thought about right now is free agency. I have a million other things going
through my mind,” like “getting to a new team and trying to help them win.”
So again, so many things can happen between now and July 1. The cap isn’t
unlimited. The Wild has to analyze its needs going into next season and how
much money it can spend in certain areas. The biggest priority will be figuring
out its goalie situation. Then it’ll figure out everything else.
I do think it's fair to say the Wild was in on Vanek. I think it's also very clear to
say that Islanders GM Garth Snow held onto his cards WAY too long and got
caught in a gigantic way. He basically wound up having to trade Vanek to
Montreal for a mid-level prospect and MAYBE two draft picks if Montreal
makes the playoffs. Not good after acquiring Vanek for Moulson, a first and a
second.
Regardless, put Vanek in the back of your head and … don’t ask me again
about him until May, maybe June.
Onward:
Fletcher says he drove to the Wild’s offices today not knowing if he would be
able to make a trade. If he couldn’t, he would be OK with that because he’s
been very happy with the current team and how it’s been playing.
But he felt he owed it to the players to kick some tires and try to improve the
team and “reward” them for a job well done the past few months. He said it’s
important to send messages in this business.
But, he didn’t want to trade his prospects or his first.
He zeroed in on Buffalo because the Wild has been scouting the Sabres for
weeks (humorously, the day after that late-January bogus report out of
Buffalo came out that the Wild made an offer for Ryan Miller and a trade
could be imminent, assistant GM Brent Flahr was in town scouting looking at
guys like Miller and Drew Stafford. Miller didn’t even start the game). Fletcher
has also had tons of trade talks with Tim Murray and they discussed several
scenarios about many different things.
“As the day wore on, we got fortunate,” Fletcher said. “We got fortunate to get
in a situation where Buffalo was willing to discuss a draft-pick trade with us.
It’s a good deal for them. They get two draft picks. And from our standpoint,
we were able to acquire a very good goal scorer in Matt Moulson, a big,
energetic, gritty guy in Cody McCormick, who we feel will be very important
for us down the stretch. And perhaps as importantly, we were able to move
some cap space for next season. So we accomplished the things we set out
to do and were able to do so by moving a couple draft picks over a three-year
span. Coming into today with about $4-plus million in cap space on a full year
basis, we’re pretty happy with what we were able to accomplish.
Moulson was intriguing because the Wild, if you didn’t know, have to work
really hard some nights to score goals. Minnesota ranks 25th in the NHL at
2.36 goals per game, so thank goodness for its goaltending and sixth-best
goals against.
“Historically, this team has not been a high-scoring team,” Fletcher said. “We
have not been the last couple years. I do believe however the last six, eight
weeks, we’re probably scoring [2.74] goals per game. So we have been
better offensively lately, but when you look at our club, you probably wouldn’t
describe us as a high-end offensive team. I think that’s fair. … If we can add
somebody that can help us score another goal every other game or
something to that effect, we think that’ll make a big difference.
On the lines and options Yeo now has at his disposal, Fletcher said, “We’re
trying to get to a place where we have at least three lines that can score and
play defense. A lot gets made out of line combinations and who plays with
whom, and I understand that, and if Zach’s playing with Mikko and all these
different things, but ultimately to be successful, and I think we saw this a little
bit in the playoffs last year, you need to have more than one line that you can
rely on. Mike has experimented a lot this year with different line
combinations; I think that’s great. I think all the players are used to playing
with different players. But obviously these two players will give us more depth
and if we can get to a place where we have two or three lines that teams have
to worry about offensively, two power-play units that teams have to worry
about, so you maybe don’t even have a No. 1 and a No. 2 unit, you have a
1A and a 1B, that makes you much more difficult to coach against, to play
against and to gameplan against, and I think that’s where we want to get to.”
to a team that’s doing extremely well right now and a great fan base. I’m just
excited to get there and help this team win any way I can.”
As I mentioned on a blog last week when the Wild acquired Brad Winchester
(he’s in Iowa), it’s very clear the Wild has made a conscious decision to try to
get bigger the last few years. Look back at that blog (I think it posted last
Wednesday in Edmonton), but it had all the players I’m talking about on
there.
On Buffalo: “Obviously there’s been a lot of change. I think I’ve gone through
the most change I’ve ever had in my career this year being traded from the
Islanders and going through some changes in Buffalo, but obviously I’m very
thankful to the Sabres – they took my family and I in. It was a quick transition
there. I think my son was two-weeks-old when I got traded. It was a little bit of
a whirlwind but obviously I made some pretty close friends in the last couple
months, but I guess I’ve been rumored for a while that they’d probably try to
shop me off again. So I’m definitely a lot more ready for it this time than the
last time around. It’s something I was prepared for and got my family
prepared for. We’re just excited to be part of the Wild family now.”
“And even look at the draft last year with Olofsson and Kurtis Gabriel who’s
really come on this year and [UMD’s] Carson Soucy,” Fletcher said. “We
really are trying to get bigger. First you try to get skill, then hopefully you can
add some size. It’s a big man’s league. Maybe some people would disagree
with me, but I really truly believe that the officiating standards change as the
year goes on and what’s a penalty early in the year is not necessarily a
penalty later in the year and that’s OK. But you have to be able to skate
through hooks and interferences and some of the other things that are a little
more prevalent. It becomes a bigger man’s game – or more of a competitive
man’s game. You have to compete and certainly size helps, but I think that’s
an area every team looks to this time of year and we’ve made a conscious
effort in that regard.”
How does this year compare to the Pominville deadline deal? “Last year with
Pominville, he had a year left on his contract so we were prepared to pay a
big price. We really felt we needed to add more talent and with Pominville
you’re getting a guy that was a captain in this league, who has a tremendous
amount of character and a very good two-way player. But he’s also a talented
offensive player. We wanted more talent to play with Koivu and Parise and
Suter and to play with our top end guys. We’re becoming a more talented
team as we see the evolution of Granlund and Coyle and Zucker and
Niederreiter and these types of players. This year there was a little bit more
risk I suppose because Moulson’s contract is expiring. But yet any time
you’re paying second-round picks for good hockey players, to me, it’s a really
good move. We’re very comfortable with the gamble. We’re fortunate – our
scouts do a great job. They nail picks left and right. So to give up a
second-round pick, to me they’ll probably hit on the third. And so I’m able to
take some chances with our picks because of the way our scouts draft.”
On making a trade with his buddy Tim Murray (friends from Florida and
Anaheim), Fletcher jokingly said, “No, he was tough. But fortunately I have
some good background information on him that he doesn’t want revealed.
No, Timmy did a great job today. He picked up some picks and some
prospects and that team will turn around quickly. He knew what he was
doing. He moved a couple pending UFAs and got a couple second round
picks for them so it’s a good deal for him and a deal we’re very, very
comfortable making with where we’re at as a franchise right now.
On today’s market: “It was a different market. To me, prices went down a little
bit this year. You saw basically a lot of pretty good hockey players who are
pending UFAs getting traded for the equivalent of two second-rounders, or a
second-rounder and a prospect. Certainly situations like that as opposed to
late first-round picks. Teams seemed to hold on to their first-round picks this
year. The other interesting thing about it is there were a lot of goal scorers
that were traded and a lot of goalies. I can never remember another year
where this many talented goaltenders switched teams. And you go through
the list and some of them may be a little bit older, but again really
well-recognized, established goaltenders were traded. I’ve never seen a year
like that, and a lot of goal scorers and very few defensemen. Some years
there’s more defensemen. Every year has a different tone, but I think you
saw teams pulling back a little bit this year unwilling maybe to trade that
first-rounder or that elite prospect, and maybe offering seconds and
third-round picks instead, which obviously we were very happy with.”
“It’s difficult to move first-round picks,” Fletcher continued. “We did it last year
and, again, we’re thrilled, but in this cap system you have to draft and
develop. First-rounders are typically anywhere from 50 to 90 percent success
rate depending on where in the first round you select. Second-rounders can
be 25 to 30 percent, so there’s a massive drop-off. You’ve got to hold on to
your first-rounders a lot. Occasionally you’ve got to step up, and again, it was
a great decision for us last year. This year to me it was not, we wanted to hold
on to our firsts and we did and that’s a good thing.”
Moulson said, “Minnesota is an incredible hockey state. The fans of
Minnesota, it’s pretty easy to see how passionate they are. It’s exciting to go
On what he knows about the Wild: “I think when you’re in different
conferences you don’t see the other too much. But obviously you follow the
league and see the love that the Wild have been getting and playing
extremely well obviously. They’ve got some great players, so I’m excited to
be a part of that group and try to get some wins.”
Who does he know on the Wild: “I know Nino a little bit. Zach Parise is good
friends with Kyle Okposo so I know him by association, and I was able to text
with him. I feel like I know him pretty well just through Kyle Okposo so other
than that I don’t know too many guys, I didn’t know too many guys when I
went to Buffalo, so I don’t really see that as a problem. The hockey group
takes guys in and makes them feel pretty welcome right away.”
I didn’t talk with McCormick today. I’ll talk to him after Thursday’s practice,
but like Moulson, the Buffalo writers say he’s a great guy and a player that
should help.
OK, that’s it for me. I've got to do my Wild Minute and get upstairs, watch a
period or two of high-school hockey and get home. Talk to you after
Thursday’s practice.
730747
Minnesota Wild
Wild adds goals and grit in trade for Buffalo's Moulson
Article by: Michael Russo
Star Tribune
March 6, 2014 - 12:40 AM
With season-long scuttlebutt that the Wild might look to sign free-agent-to-be
Thomas Vanek this summer, Minnesota beat Wednesday’s trade deadline by
acquiring the high-scoring forward traded for Vanek earlier this season.
For the second year in a row, the Wild, 14-4-2 since Jan. 2, winner of five in a
row and hoping to do damage in the playoffs, was a big-time buyer at the
deadline.
McCormick, 30, who skates well and is expected to play fourth-line center or
wing, has scored 59 points and 503 penalty minutes in 358 games. In the last
year of his deal, McCormick is known to drop the gloves. He was hampered
by injuries, especially concussions, in Buffalo, but Fletcher feels the 6-2,
224-pounder will help against rugged teams down the stretch, especially in
the physical playoffs.
“He’ll do anything for his teammates and the team,” Moulson said. “He’s a
hard-nosed player that only knows how to play the game hard.”
The speedy Mitchell, 29, scored five goals and 12 assists in 103 games with
the Wild, including one goal in 58 games this season. Stuck on the fourth line
for two seasons, Mitchell asked to be traded, sources say, although he
denied that Tuesday.
“This will be an opportunity for Torrey to go to Buffalo and play a bigger role,
and hopefully reignite his career,” Fletcher said.
Most importantly, the Wild created more flexibility next season. Mitchell made
$2.5 million in salary next season with a $1.9 million cap hit.
“That was very significant,” Fletcher said.
In exchange for second-round draft picks in 2014 and 2016 and fourth-line
winger Torrey Mitchell, the Wild landed three-time 30-goal scorer Matt
Moulson and hard-nosed forward Cody McCormick from the Buffalo Sabres.
Moulson is in the final year of his contract with a $3.133 million cap hit.
“This is a move made to help us win games right now,” General Manager
Chuck Fletcher said. “We weren’t prepared to give up our top prospects or
our first-round picks, but I felt if we could move anything else to help our team
and show our team that we believe in them, to reward them for what they’ve
done the last two months in particular, I felt it was very important.
Whether the trade was a “rental” will depend largely on how Moulson plays
and how far the Wild goes.
“Who knows where this team will go, but I’m pretty excited to see the
journey.”
Finding a target
The Wild has spent the past dozen games scouting the Sabres heavily,
especially Drew Stafford and Moulson. Fletcher held several trade talks with
Sabres GM Tim Murray, his pal from their days in Florida and Anaheim,
especially since Buffalo’s acquisition last Friday of goalie Jaroslav Halak.
On Tuesday, Fletcher changed goalie directions and acquired Ilya Bryzgalov
from Edmonton. But Wednesday morning, Fletcher said he realized quickly
he had a chance to pull off a “draft-pick” deal on Moulson, who is in the last
year of his contract. Other GMs dangling “rentals” (players with expiring
contracts) asked for Wild prospects Matt Dumba, Gustav Olofsson and Kurtis
Gabriel.
Fletcher scoffed and focused on Moulson.
Acquired from the Islanders in October in a package for Vanek (who was
dealt to Montreal on Wednesday), Moulson, 30, piqued Fletcher’s interest
because the Wild, which has scored 2.74 goals per game the past 23 games,
ranks 25th in offense (2.36 goals per game).
Moulson, a left winger who protects the puck well down low and has a hard
wrist shot, has scored 17 goals and 38 points in 55 games this season
between the Islanders and Sabres and 135 goals and 262 points in 377
career games. Perennially durable, he played all 82 games in three
consecutive seasons from 2009 to ’12, topping 30 goals in each, including a
career-high 36 goals and 69 points in 2011-12.
He has 47 career power-play goals, including 14 in 2011-12, the third-most in
the NHL. He also thrives on the road. In 2011-12, Moulson scored 23 goals
on the road, the second-most in the NHL behind superstar Steven Stamkos.
From March 17 to April 3, the Wild plays eight of 10 games on the road.
“He’s scored goals in this league,” Fletcher said. “He’s an intelligent player,
moves the puck well, he’s gritty, he gets to the front of the net, he’s a guy we
think will thrive in the playoff drive that we’re undergoing now.”
Moulson, expected to skate on the left side of captain Mikko Koivu and
Charlie Coyle at Thursday’s practice, knew from the moment he was traded
to the rebuilding Sabres last fall that he would be moved again at the
deadline.
“I think the rumors out there had me traded about 300 times by the time I got
into Buffalo,” Moulson joked. “Minnesota is an incredible hockey state. The
fans of Minnesota, it’s pretty easy to see how passionate they are. It’s
exciting to go to a team that’s doing extremely well right now and a great
fanbase. I’m just excited to get there and help this team win any way I can.”
‘Hard-nosed player’
A rental? Maybe not
“We’re open-minded,” Fletcher said.
It’d be ironic if Moulson plays so well that the Wild opts to re-sign him rather
than potentially pursue Vanek.
“I don’t have anything set in stone for me,” Moulson said. “I’ll obviously take it
day-by-day, but the Wild are obviously a great team and I just hope that I can
be a part of this team going forward and winning a championship — I think
that’s everyone’s goal.”
Moulson, McCormick and Bryzgalov are expected to arrive by Thursday’s
practice. The Wild next plays Saturday at Dallas.
It’s clear Fletcher felt Wednesday was a good day.
“Any time you’re paying second-round picks for good hockey players, to me,
it’s a really good move,” Fletcher said. “We’re very comfortable with the
gamble.”
730748
Minnesota Wild
What you think, what we think about local teams' playoff hopes
Michael Rand
March 6, 2014 - 12:51 AM
With four of Minnesota’s winter teams hanging onto various levels of playoff
hopes, we asked readers on Wednesday simple yes or no questions: Would
they make it, or would they be left out? Here are the reader results from those
four polls (as of 9 p.m. Wednesday), along with our thoughts:
1) Will the Wild make the playoffs?
Reader vote: 91 percent yes.
Our take: 85 percent yes. The percentage is even higher based on
number-crunching at hockey-reference.com, but even with the Wild adding
reinforcements at the trade deadline, this feels slightly precarious. Darcy
Kuemper has been great, but he has still only started 20 games in his NHL
career. This team relies so heavily on goaltending that one bad streak could
put the status back in limbo. That said, the Wild has done everything in its
power to create a cushion. With a stretch of eight out of 10 games on the road
coming up starting in mid-March, the Wild would be wise to expand it even
more before then.
2) Will the Wolves make the playoffs?
Our take: 20 percent yes. The readers were pretty much right on with this
one. Minnesota at least put itself in a relevant position with a 4-1 road trip and
could further close the gap with a string of winnable games coming up. But
the Wolves probably squandered too many games early in the year. They will
need to pass two teams — out of Dallas, Phoenix, Memphis and Golden
State — and that’s a tall order. They might win 45 games and still miss the
playoffs.
3) Will the Gophers men’s basketball team make the NCAA tournament?
Our take: 50 percent yes. Here’s what I think happens: The Gophers win
against Penn State on Sunday and get the No. 7 seed in the conference
tournament after Indiana loses at Michigan on Saturday. That likely gives
Minnesota a matchup against either Purdue, Penn State or Northwestern in
the first round of the Big Ten tournament. While a victory in that game doesn’t
help the team’s RPI, it should be just enough to sneak into the NCAA field,
probably in one of the play-in games.
4) Will the Gophers women’s basketball team make the NCAA tournament?
Our take: 65 percent yes. The Gophers went 6-2 in the second half of the
league schedule and have won twice by double digits over Wisconsin this
year. They play the Badgers in the Big Ten tournament on Thursday night
Indianapolis. A victory there very well could be enough for a bid.
730749
Minnesota Wild
The Wild's new players
March 5, 2014 - 8:12 PM
Staff
The Wild’s new players
Matt Moulson
Position: LW
Age: 30
Size: 6-1, 200 pounds
Number: 26
Hometown: North York, Ontario
Drafted: Ninth round (263rd overall) by Pittsburgh in 2003
NHL teams: Los Angeles (2007-09), New York Islanders (2010-13), Buffalo
(2013-14)
NHL stats: 377 games, 135 goals, 127 assists, 82 penalty minutes
Career highlights: In his three full seasons with the Islanders, he had 30, 31
and 36 goals.
Did you know? Moulson went to Buffalo in the Thomas Vanek deal earlier this
season, and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Cody McCormick
Position: Center
Age: 30
Size: 6-2, 225
Number: 8
Hometown: London, Ontario
Drafted: Fifth round (144th overall) by Colorado in 2001
NHL teams: Colorado (2003-09), Buffalo (2010-14)
NHL stats: 358 games, 19 goals, 40 assists, 503 penalty minutes
Career highlights: In 2010-11, he played his only full NHL season. In 81
games, he had eight goals and 142 penalty minutes.
Did you know? McCormick is of Ojibwe descent.
730750
Minnesota Wild
Wild acquire winger Moulson, McCormick for Mitchell
By Chad Graff
[email protected]
Posted:
03/05/2014 12:01:00 AM CST | Updated:
75 min. ago
After trading for backup goalie Ilya Bryzgalov Tuesday, the Wild have
acquired left-winger Matt Moulson and center Cody McCormick from the
Buffalo Sabres in exchange for winger Torrey Mitchell and second-round
draft picks in 2014 and 2016.
Moulson, 30, is in the final year of his contract, meaning he'll be an
unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, something the Wild desired.
A three-time, 30-goal scorer provides top-end talent to a Wild team that
ranked 25th in goals per game entering Wednesday, and 27th in shots per
game.
Moulson was traded from the New York Islanders to the Buffalo Sabres in the
move that sent former Gopher Thomas Vanek to the Islanders earlier this
season.
Moulson, who comes with a $3.13 million cap hit, has 17 goals and 21 assists
in 55 games.
McCormick, 30, has played in 358 NHL games, recording 19 goals and 40
assists in those games. He also will be an unrestricted free agent at season's
end.
Mitchell, who reportedly asked for a trade out of Minnesota, is headed to the
Sabres.
He signed a three-year contract with the Wild in 2012 but never received the
playing time he anticipated after the team added Zach Parise and Jason
Pominville. He also had been outplayed by some young players.
This season, Mitchell has been relegated to the fourth line, where he's
recorded one goal and eight assists in 58 games.
Pioneer Press LOADED: 03.06.2014
730751
Minnesota Wild
Wild GM sends his team a message: 'We want to win right now'
By Chad Graff
[email protected]
Posted:
03/05/2014 12:01:00 AM CST
Updated:
03/05/2014 11:26:29 PM CST
The Wild entered Wednesday's trade deadline as the hottest team in the
NHL, their 14-4-2 record since Jan. 1 the best in the league. So when general
manager Chuck Fletcher and coach Mike Yeo said they were fine with the
team they had, it made sense.
But as it became clear Wednesday that the Wild could nab a top-end forward
without giving up a prospect, Fletcher decided to send a message:
The 2013-14 Wild are in it to win it.
With the 2 p.m. deadline approaching, Fletcher acquired three-time 30-goal
scorer Matt Moulson and tough guy Cody McCormick from the Buffalo
Sabres in exchange for two second-round draft picks and fourth-line winger
Torrey Mitchell.
"This is a move made to help us win games right now," Fletcher said.
Wild moves
Despite riding a five-game winning streak into Saturday's game against the
Stars in Dallas, the Wild are just seventh in the Western Conference, eight
points ahead of ninth-place Phoenix and 11 behind third-place Chicago.
"To me it was very important to recognize what our players have done,"
Fletcher said. "We weren't prepared to give up our top prospects or our
first-round picks, but I felt if we could move anything else to help our team this
year and to show our team that we believe in them -- to reward them for what
they've done in the last two months in particular -- I felt it was very important."
Moulson and McCormick will be unrestricted free agents at the end of this
season, while Mitchell still has another year on a contract with a $1.9 million
salary cap hit next season -- part of the reason the Wild were fine with parting
ways. Also, Mitchell has one goal and eight assists in 58 games.
Bottom line: A Wild team that already had plenty of salary cap space in the
summer of 2014 now has even more.
Moulson, depending on what happens the rest of this season, might be a
target for the Wild to re-sign, but on Wednesday he said a new contract is
"the last thing I've thought about."
"Minnesota is an incredible hockey state," Moulson said.
"The fans of Minnesota, it's pretty easy to see how passionate they are. It's
exciting to go to a team that's doing extremely well right now and has a great
fan base. I'm just excited to get there and help this team win any way I can."
Moulson, McCormick and goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, whom the Wild acquired
from Edmonton on Tuesday for a fourth-round pick, are expected to join the
team for an afternoon practice Thursday.
Bryzgalov will be Darcy Kuemper's primary backup in the wake of Niklas
Backstrom (abdomen) being shut down. But Moulson is the biggest addition.
In 55 games this season with Buffalo and the New York Islanders, he has 17
goals. Only two Wild players have more: Jason Pominville (22) and Zach
Parise (21).
Fletcher said he would have been happy with his team without acquiring a
forward at the deadline, but the Wild on Wednesday ranked 25th in goals per
game (2.36) and 27th in shots per game (26.8).
Moulson should help there, but perhaps most important to Fletcher is the size
Moulson brings. At 6 feet 1, 200 pounds, he's the latest in a string of big
forwards the Wild have acquired, joining fellow former Islander Nino
Niederreiter and McCormick (6-2, 225), who has accumulated 503 penalty
minutes in 398 NHL games.
"We really are trying to get bigger," Fletcher said. "First you try to get skill,
then hopefully you can add some size. It's a big-man's league. ... You have to
compete, and certainly size helps, but I think that's an area every team looks
to this time of year."
When the Wild play Saturday night, they'll have a new top-six forward, a new
fourth-line forward and a new goalie.
"We think we're deeper, and yet we liked our depth (before)," Fletcher said.
"But you never know what can happen in the NHL and, again, this team has
shown me a lot in the last month and a half. I think they deserve the
opportunity to be rewarded with some additional help for the push for the next
month here."
Mitchell apparently had grown frustrated with his role. After he signed in
2012, the Wild added Parise, Pominville and Matt Cooke. Several young
players also took bigger roles.
It was reported that Mitchell requested a trade, but Fletcher declined to "even
confirm or deny that.
"Looking at our situation going forward, it was an opportunity for us to create
some cap space," the GM said. "Certainly this will be an opportunity for
Torrey to go to Buffalo and play a bigger role and hopefully reignite his
career."
The Wild have 20 games remaining in a 37-day sprint to end the regular
season. After his injury-riddled team bounced back from the franchise-worst
six-game regulation losing streak in December, Fletcher wanted to help.
"It's very important in this business to send messages, and our players have
played hard," Fletcher said. "Our coaches have done a great job. Who knows
where this team will go? But I'm pretty excited to see the journey."
Pioneer Press LOADED: 03.06.2014
730752
Montreal Canadiens
Habs prospect Tim Bozon in critical condition with meningitis
REGINA
The Canadian Press
Published Wednesday, Mar. 05 2014, 6:20 PM EST
Last updated Wednesday, Mar. 05 2014, 7:25 PM EST
Kootenay Ice forward Tim Bozon was in critical condition Wednesday at the
Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon with Neisseria meningitis.
The Western Hockey League said public health officials were trying to ensure
that anyone Bozon, 19, had contact with receives appropriate treatment.
The Saskatoon Blades said players and team personnel were given
antibiotics as a precaution.
“(Public health) said the risk is minimal but we’re taking precautionary
measures,” Blades president Steve Hogel said.
Meningitis, an inflammation of membranes around the brain and spinal cord,
can be fatal if not treated quickly.
Bozon, who was selected in the third round, 64 overall, by Montreal in the
2012 NHL draft, was admitted to hospital March 1.
Kootenay beat Saskatoon 4-2 the night before. Bozon had a goal in the
victory.
His parents, Phillippe and Helen, have been at his bedside since they arrived
in Saskatoon Sunday from their home in Switzerland.
While there are several varieties of meningitis, the particular type Bozon has,
Neisseria meningitis, is bacterial and more contagious.
“The way bacterial meningitis spreads is through spit. You need to have very
close contact or direct contact with the nose and throat secretions of the
individual who became ill,” said Dr. Shovita Padhi, deputy medical health
officer for the Saskatoon Health Region.
Bozon has 30 goals and 32 assists in 50 games this season with the Ice.
Globe And Mail LOADED: 03.06.2014
730753
Montreal Canadiens
Duhatschek: On this deadline day, the buyers won
ERIC DUHATSCHEK
The Globe and Mail
Four of the top-five teams in the Western Conference – Anaheim Ducks, San
Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks and Avalanche – liked their clubs well
enough to virtually stand pat.
The St. Louis Blues, another team with a chance to win it all, picked up a
starting goalie (Ryan Miller) last Friday, while the Kings and Wild each added
one quality forward and left it at that.
Presumably, it’s a sign teams are analyzing more closely the risk/reward ratio
of going all-in and discovering that, historically, it rarely pays off.
The other aberration this year was the number of goaltenders who changed
teams – six in the days leading up to the deadline, and six more on
Wednesday, including Jaroslav Halak, who was traded twice in a five-day
span.
So he waited and waited all day for that last shoe to drop. And when it did, all
New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow could pry loose from the
Montreal Canadiens for the prize jewel of the 2014 NHL trade deadline day,
Thomas Vanek, was … Sebastian Collberg and a conditional second-round
pick.
The Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers swapped backups: Dan Ellis for Tim
Thomas. The Washington Capitals traded a goalie with some promise,
Michal Neuvirth, to the Buffalo Sabres for Halak, who could theoretically
wrest the starting job away from Braden Holtby. Berra and Devan Dubnyk (to
Montreal from Nashville) were picked up as insurance, though Colorado will
try to sign Berra to a contract extension as the back-up to Semyon Varlamov.
Tampa Bay Lightning's Martin St. Louis celebrates his goal against the
Ottawa Senators during the second period of an NHL hockey game on
Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013, in Tampa, Fla.
INTERACTIVE
NHL Trade Tracker: Who won, who lost?
St. Louis Blues goalie Ryan Miller (39) warms up before the game against the
Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena.
Podcast
The NHL trade deadline might not be a dud
That’s it? That’s all?
It was a trend around the league Wednesday, as the buyers at the deadline
had a rare good day. Unlike past years, when teams often sacrificed valuable
assets in the name of short-term gains, GMs collectively kept their sanity –
with the possible exception of New York Rangers boss Glen Sather – and
refused to pay exorbitant prices to rent assets that may or may not make a
difference in the stretch drive and into the playoffs.
It was a fascinating dynamic to watch. As the 3 p.m. (EST) deadline
approached, most of the high-profile rentals were still on the board.
Only the Los Angeles Kings acted early, acquiring winger Marian Gaborik (an
elite goal-scorer when healthy) from the Columbus Blue Jackets. The price
was a player they weren’t playing (Matt Frattin), plus a second- and a
conditional third-round draft choice. It was a big win for the Kings, who badly
needed to jump-start their slumping offence, and got the Blue Jackets to pick
up a portion of Gaborik’s $7.5-million (U.S.) contract as well.
As the details of the final deals slowly leaked out, it became clear GMs
acquiring assets knew what they were prepared to pay, didn’t overbid and
ultimately played a series of winning hands.
The Minnesota Wild landed Matt Moulson and the price was a fourth-line
winger (Torrey Mitchell, who’d asked for a trade), plus two second-rounders.
The Ottawa Senators grabbed Ales Hemsky for a third- and a fifth-round pick
– cheap for someone they plan to slot in on the No. 1 line with centre Jason
Spezza.
The Detroit Red Wings needed reinforcements down the middle because
injuries and landed David Legwand, the long-serving Nashville Predators
centre, for Patrick Eaves, a third-round pick and a prospect.
The Calgary Flames were shopping soon-to-be-unrestricted free-agent
Michael Cammalleri but couldn’t get enough value for him and so,
Cammalleri stays to play out the string.
Considering how stingy GMs were Wednesday, the Flames actually got
decent value for moving two smaller parts – a second-rounder from the
Colorado Avalanche for goaltender Reto Berra, and a third-rounder from the
Pittsburgh Penguins for Lee Stempniak.
Historically, the rule of thumb at the deadline is: Sellers usually win over the
long haul, because only one team ever wins the Stanley Cup. Frequently,
there is buyers’ remorse among the also-rans, especially ones that mortgage
integral parts of their future to win now – and then don’t.
That seems unlikely this year.
Trying to assess winners and losers in the immediate aftermath of an NHL
trade deadline can be counterproductive, although Wednesday brought the
Islanders’ front-office miscalculations into sharper focus.
After surrendering first- and second-round picks, plus Moulson, to get Vanek
from the Sabres early in the season, the fact they got such a negligible return
when they put him back on the market suggests the ice under Snow must be
getting awfully fragile this spring.
730754
Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens acquire Thomas Vanek from Islanders
SEAN GORDON
MONTREAL — The Globe and Mail
The Montreal Canadiens are known for being a conservative organization,
general manager Marc Bergevin has repeatedly insisted he doesn't believe in
risking the future to bolster the present, and makes no secret of his disdain
for the trade deadline.
So of course they went out and landed arguably the biggest fish available at
the deadline.
INTERACTIVE
Though Thomas Vanek, 30, is in the last year of a contract that pays him
$5.75-million, he is the big, talented right winger the Habs have been craving.
"Electric city, great team, great building, I'm excited to join them," the
Austrian told TSN shortly after the deal was made official.
There is undeniable risk to the move, Vanek turned down a huge contract
offer from the New York Islanders - who acquired him from the Buffalo
Sabres earlier in the season - and it's far from clear he will be interested in
re-signing in Montreal, although the Habs will have the salary cap room to
make a serious offer.
If anything, the move signals the Habs feel they have the horses to make a
deep playoff run.
Though Vanek has yet to replicate the 40-goal form that saw him signed to an
offer sheet by the Edmonton Oilers - it resulted in him signing a seven-year,
$50-million contract with Buffalo - he has 53 points in 60 games this season
and immediately vaults to the top of the Habs' scoring chart.
He should also help the Habs at even-strength, a notable weakness;
Montreal is 22nd in the NHL at five-on-five scoring, all but six of his 21 goals
have come at even strength.
That the Canadiens were able to nab a player of Vanek's stature - he was
mooted to be headed for Anaheim or Minnesota, where he has a home and
conventional wisdom has him signing this summer - while yielding only a
conditional second-round pick and Swedish wing prospect Sebastian
Collberg is all the more remarkable.
Collberg, a second-rounder from 2012, is a highly-skilled player, but he has
suffered from concussions and hasn't been producing much offensively in the
Swedish Elite League this season.
730755
Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens acquire goaltender Devan Dubnyk from Preds for future
considerations
MONTREAL — The Canadian Press
The Montreal Canadiens have picked up some potential insurance in net by
acquiring goaltender Devan Dubnyk from the Nashville Predators.
Regular starter Carey Price has not played an NHL game since leading
Team Canada to a gold medal. Peter Budaj has served as Montreal’s starter
since the end of the Olympic break, with Dustin Tokarski as the backup.
INTERACTIVE
St. Louis Blues goalie Ryan Miller (39) warms up before the game against the
Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena.
Podcast
The NHL trade deadline might not be a dud
Montreal gave up future considerations to get Dubnyk, who was traded
earlier this season from the Edmonton Oilers to Nashville and cleared
waivers earlier this week. The team assigned him to its AHL affiliate, the
Hamilton Bulldogs.
Dubnyk, a native of Regina, Sask., is 11-18-3 with a 3.43 goals-against
average and .891 save percentage this season.
Reports indicated that the Predators retained a portion of Dubnyk’s salary in
the trade.
The 27-year-old netminder will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
730756
Montreal Canadiens
Habs Game Report: Canadiens edge Ducks 4-3 in SO
By Pat Hickey, THE GAZETTE March 6, 2014 2:22 AM
ANAHEIM — Andrei Markov scored the winning goal in the sixth round of a
shootout to give the Canadiens a 4-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks
Wednesday night at the Honda Center. Dustin Tokarski, the No. 3 goaltender
on the Canadiens’ depth chart, made an impressive debut as he made 39
saves to help Montreal steal two valuable points.
Hanging around: The Ducks took their first lead of the game when Daniel
Winnik batted a rebound out of the air for a 3-2 lead at 18:11. But Brendan
Gallagher pulled the Canadiens even when he scored his 16th of the season
at 19:24. He was in his usual position in front of the net when he scored on a
goalmouth scramble. Gallagher thought he had a go-ahead goal at 1:06 of
the third period but it was waved off for an obvious high stick.
Impressive start: The Canadiens grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first period as
Brian Gionta connected on a rebound of a Tomas Plekanec shot and Max
Pacioretty scored his 30th of the season on a feed from David Desharnais.
Montreal did a good job of supporting Tokarski and the Ducks didn’t get a
shot on goal until 10:47 when Ryan Getzlaf fired the first in an eight-shot
flurry during a power play.
Ducks get the bounce: Tim Jackman broke the ice for Anaheim when he
redirected Luca Sbisa’s shot from the point at 7:08 of the second period and
former Canadien François Beauchemin tied the game with a bizarre
power-play goal at 9:07. Tokarski came out of his net to play the puck when
Beauchemin dumped it in along the boards but the puck hit one of the
supports for the glass and went into an empty net.
Still No. 2: The Canadiens continue to be No. 2 in the Atlantic Division with 77
points. three more than Toronto which gave up two shorthanded goals on the
same power play but rallied to beat the Rangers 3-2 in overtime. Idle Tampa
Bay is four back but holds two games in hand.
Fans salute Parros: George Parros, who was part of Anaheim’s Stanley Cup
team in 2007, received an ovation when the Ducks presented a video
montage from his career here. Coach Michel Therrien showed his
sentimental side when he started Parros. He received an extra two minutes
for unsportsmanlike conduct when he and Tim Jackman received fighting
majors in the first period. The struggling Lars Eller — one assist in the past 21
games — was a healthy scratch.
What’s next: The Canadiens go back in time to the Mountain time zone to
play the Phoenix Coyotes Thursday (9 p.m., TSN-Habs, RDS, TSN-690
Radio). Thomas Vanek is scheduled to make his debut with the Canadiens
and Peter Budaj will retutn in goal after taking a night off. The western road
trip concludes Saturday night in San Jose and the Canadiens return to the
Bell Centre Wednesday to play the Boston Bruins.
Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.06.2014
730757
Montreal Canadiens
Koivu still playing key role with Ducks
By Pat Hickey, THE GAZETTE March 5, 2014
ANAHEIM, CALIF. — The Anaheim Ducks are one of the highest-scoring
teams in the National Hockey League, but veteran Saku Koivu says the key
to success in the playoffs will be a sound defensive effort.
“We have a good mix of experienced players and younger guys and we have
a lot of depth, which allows us to roll four lines,” Koivu said before
Wednesday night’s game against the Canadiens. “But the one thing we take
pride in is our defensive effort. Our goaltending has been phenomenal and I
think defence is going to be the key. You’re not going to walk through the
playoffs. It’s going to be a battle.”
The Ducks moved to shore up their defence by trading for former Canadien
Stéphane Robidas. He missed most of this season with Dallas because of a
broken leg, but he’s expected to resume playing in two weeks.
“He can bring a lot of different elements to the game,” Koivu said. “He has
played big minutes in Dallas, he’s good on the penalty kill, and anybody who
has played against him knows how tough he is to play against. Playing with
him in Montreal, I know his work ethic and you want to be surrounded by
people like that.”
Koivu has been a key factor in the Ducks’ defensive game. After missing 15
games with a concussion, Koivu has returned to centre the third line with
Andrew Cogliano and Danel Winnik and they have proved to be an effective
shutdown unit with the ability to chip in on offence. Heading into
Wednesday’s game, Koivu had nine goals and 15 assists in 47 games with a
plus-7.
While depth has been important for the Ducks, the team traded veteran
forward Dustin Penner because they had too many forwards fighting for ice
time. Penner’s departure provides an opening for Jakob Silverberg.
“The players who have been out of the lineup have handled it well, but we just
had too many players,” Koivu said.
The concussion prompted Koivu to remove his name from consideration for
the Finnish Olympic team, which won a bronze medal in Sochi.
“I thought about it, but in the end I’ve been to four Olympics and I have four
medals and I thought I needed the rest,” Koivu said. “I didn’t see many
games, but I followed it on the computer and saw the highlights.”
Koivu noted that the Finns are perennial underdogs, but they always find a
way to win a medal. He said he thought Finland had the best team in Sochi,
with the emphasis on the word team.
“They had great goaltending and enough talent to score some goals,” he
said.
The talent included his Anaheim teammate Teemu Selanne, who was named
the most valuable player in the tournament while making his sixth
appearance at the Olympics.
“Everyone knew it was going to be his last Olympics and they wanted to win
for him,” Koivu said.
Koivu is in his fifth season with the Ducks, but said he still has vivid memories
of his days in Montreal and gets emotional when he sees the CH logo.
“There are familiar faces over there, especially on the staff, and it’s never
easy to get up for these games,” he said.
Two years ago, the 39-year-old Koivu thought his NHL career was drawing to
a close, but now he’s contemplating another season.
“I’m not thinking about that right now, but I’ll take some time after the season
to make a decision,” Koivu said. “Physically, I’m feeling good, but it’s a
question of how I feel mentally.”
730758
Montreal Canadiens
Habs prospect Bozon in critical condition with meningitis
THE CANADIAN PRESS March 5, 2014
SASKATOON — Kootenay Ice forward Tim Bozon was in critical condition
Wednesday at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon with Neisseria
meningitis.
The Western Hockey League said public health officials were trying to ensure
that anyone Bozon, 19, had contact with receives appropriate treatment.
The Saskatoon Blades said players and team personnel were given
antibiotics as a precaution.
"(Public health) said the risk is minimal but we're taking precautionary
measures," Blades president Steve Hogel said.
Meningitis, an inflammation of membranes around the brain and spinal cord,
can be fatal if not treated quickly.
Bozon, who was selected in the third round, 64 overall, by Montreal in the
2012 NHL draft, was admitted to hospital March 1.
Kootenay beat Saskatoon 4-2 the night before. Bozon had a goal in the
victory.
His parents, Phillippe and Helen, have been at his bedside since they arrived
in Saskatoon Sunday from their home in Switzerland.
While there are several varieties of meningitis, the particular type Bozon has,
Neisseria meningitis, is bacterial and more contagious.
"The way bacterial meningitis spreads is through spit. You need to have very
close contact or direct contact with the nose and throat secretions of the
individual who became ill," said Dr. Shovita Padhi, deputy medical health
officer for the Saskatoon Health Region.
Bozon has 30 goals and 32 assists in 50 games this season with the Ice.
(CKOM)
730759
Montreal Canadiens
Vanek deal goes down to the wire
“You think about the hockey Mecca and Montreal is it,” Vanek said on a brief
6 p.m. conference call. “For me, playing so many years with Buffalo in
Montreal, it’s just one of those cities and buildings … that’s electric. Now to
be a part of it, I was just thrilled and super excited about it.”
Islanders fans weren’t sharing his enthusiasm, naturally.
By DAVE STUBBS, THE GAZETTEMarch 5, 2014
MONTREAL — At 2:59 p.m. Wednesday, they were sharpening their
pitchforks and lighting their torches, an unhappy mob ready to spill into the
streets.
Five minutes later, these same Canadiens fans were electing general
manager Marc Bergevin as Lord Mayor of Fickleville, their hometown.
Since the National Hockey League’s annual trade deadline day began in
March 1980, the Canadiens have made 19 deals, moving players and draft
picks with willing partners.
Some of the deals have been good, other intriguing. Still others, well, less so.
(Where were you on March 23, 1999, when centreman Jean-François
Jomphe was acquired from Phoenix, for future considerations, for his six
games in a Habs jersey?)
But you’ll find no more impressive a transaction than Deal No. 19, Bergevin’s
acquisition of forward Thomas Vanek from the New York Islanders for
Swedish prospect Sebastian Collberg, with a conditional draft pick attached
on each side.
If a trade can be judged by its “wow” factor, Bergevin’s stroke-of-deadline
transaction might have been the deal of the day, or at least in a dead heat
with the one sending Martin St. Louis from Tampa Bay to the New York
Rangers for Ryan Callahan and two picks.
The mechanics of the deal between Bergevin and Garth Snow, his Islanders
counterpart, aren’t yet fully known. Bergevin was in Chicago on Wednesday
for the funeral of his mother-in-law, so his hockey operations staff might have
been more deeply involved than usual in the details; the GM will address the
media on Thursday.
It was like watching the usual train wreck as the day’s television began
breathlessly at 8 a.m., lurching along without any action at all for a few hours.
And then, nearing 1 p.m., came something that made the earth move not in a
good way beneath Canadiens fans, whose patience already was badly
frayed.
After a dreadfully dull morning of three whole transactions, only St. Louis for
Callahan quickening the pulse, goaltender Devan Dubnyk was acquired by
the Habs for the well-travelled “future considerations.”
As 3 p.m. neared, with no obvious deal on the horizon, Snow was being
pilloried. Fears were that Vanek would walk free come July 1 as an
unrestricted free agent, after having been acquired in October from Buffalo
for hugely popular Matt Moulson and a first- and second-round draft pick.
Ultimately, Snow did get something for Vanek, the right-shooting sniper who
badly fills a Canadiens need. But with all due respect to the Islanders-bound
Swedish prospect, Collberg jerseys won’t fly off the shelves right away.
Vanek for Collberg seems at first glance, and might forever, a steal for
Montreal that borders on grand larceny.
Vanek, nearing the end of a seven-year, $50-million contact signed with the
Sabres, wasn’t addressing his desire to test UFA waters when asked on his
teleconference. Instead, he predictably sang the praises of his new team and
said that this season’s shuffling has been difficult for himself and his family.
Snow told a conference call that the Canadiens’ offer was the best the
Islanders received, that this was “a good day in trying circumstances” and
that the Isles felt “very fortunate” to have gotten as much for Vanek as they
did.
Which might beg the question why, if Snow felt he was under the gun to get a
good return, this deal went to literally the last minute.
The Canadiens’ most recent deadline-day deal was two years ago, when
forward Andrei Kostitsyn was shipped off to Nashville for a couple of draft
picks.
Last year, Bergevin didn’t make a move, having landed depth defenceman
Davis Drewiske from Los Angeles for a fifth-round pick the day before the
deadline. Drewiske, unfortunately long injured and having played just nine
games for the Canadiens, cleared waivers this week and was assigned to the
minors.
Then this Tuesday, Bergevin again dealt a fifth-round pick, this one to
Florida, for veteran defenceman Mike Weaver, another depth player.
As Wednesday’s trade window began to close, Canadiens fans resigned
themselves angrily to more silence.
Goalie Dubnyk proved to be a needless interlude of panic and dissatisfaction.
And then came Vanek, as close to a blockbuster as the Habs have ever
managed in this made-for-TV exercise of finding a dance partner.
In all, 20 trades involving 38 players were made Wednesday, bringing to 496
deals and 913 players involved since 1980.
“A goaltender. What the heck?” fans said, substituting “heck.”
For Canadiens fans, only one mattered as the trade window closed.
This wasn’t the large, fleet, net-filling forward fans coveted (who would come
two hours later). Didn’t Canadiens management understand that?
And with pitchforks and torches stored until the next crisis, they can take
stock of their team that is better, perhaps dramatically so, than it was before a
deal that no one saw coming.
Franchise netminder Carey Price hasn’t played a game since Team
Canada’s Feb. 23 gold-medal win against Sweden in Sochi. On Wednesday
in Anaheim, Price sat out his fifth consecutive Habs match, nursing an
unspecified lower-body injury from early on in Sochi that he tweaked in his
first practice back in Montreal on Feb. 26.
So the springboard to panic, briefly worth a two-and-a-half somersault with
two twists, was Wednesday’s acquisition of Dubnyk from Nashville, again
proving that “depth” is a deadline-day four-letter word for those who prefer
“massive immediate impact.”
The panic fizzled when the Canadiens announced that this week’s
waivers-cleared, bargain-bin Dubnyk, a 6-foot-6, 27-year-old (hey, can he
play wing?), had been assigned to the American League’s Hamilton
Bulldogs.
And by 3 p.m., very few were terribly concerned about the Dubnyk deal
anyway, not with the mushrooming cloud of the magnificent Vanek bomb.
The 30-year-old Austrian, arguably the premiere forward available on
deadline day, was in Edmonton with his former team, preparing to head down
to Phoenix. He’ll join the Canadiens there for Thursday’s morning skate and
game vs. the Coyotes, wearing No. 20; the No. 26 he wore on Long Island is
on the back of Habs defenceman Josh Gorges.
730760
Montreal Canadiens
About last night …
Posted by Mike Boone
Crazy game or what?
Your Montreal Canadiens blew a 2-0 lead.
François Beauchemin scored the weirdest goal of the season.
Video replay in the Shootout?
Are you kidding me?
And then Andrei Markov, who didn’t sign a new contract before Trade
Deadline day, smokes one past Jonas Hiller to get the Canadiens two
valuable points.
Look peeps, it’s almost 2 a.m. in Montreal and the Ol’ Blogger needs his
beauty sleep to get ready for another late night in Phoenix.
So ALN is going to be short and as sweet as I can make it.
I’ll leave most of the heavy lifting to the Commentariat … if y’all are not too
tired after posting 1,900 Comments to the Trade Deadline story and another
1,100 to the live game blog.
So just a few bullet points:
• Making his first NHL start in almost two years, Dustin Tokarski didn’t see an
Anaheim shot on goal until the game was almost 11 games old. From 10:45
on the first period through five minutes of Overtime, the Ducks fired 42 shots
at Tokarski, including 19 in a wild second period.
• The only thing bigger than Brendan Gallagher’s heart is his sack. He
tormented the Anaheim D all night, and the mighty mite’s 16th goal exceeded
his rookie total.
• Jarred Tinordi had six hits and is starting to look like a regular.
• Gallagher and Max Pacioretty each had six SoG, and Max-Pac scored his
30th goal. Through the first 21 games of the season, Pacioretty had scored
twice. You do the math on how hot he’s been.
• Then put down your calculators and put on your thinking caps to figure out
how Thomas Vanek should be slotted in Thursday night.
Here are my lines against Phoenix: Max-DD-Gallagher,
Vanek-Plekanec-Gionta, Galchenyuk-Brière-Bourque, Weise-White-Moen.
Yes, I’d sit Lars Eller for at least one more game.
And I’d play Mike Weaver … maybe.
It’s hard to sit Douglas Murray, who had three hits, blocked three shots and
played a shade under 19 minutes against Anaheim. But three games in four
nights … and if Michel Therrien played George Parros as a homecoming
gesture against the Ducks, he’ll want to do the same for Murray Saturday
night in San Jose.
Much to discuss – after a very good day for the Montreal Canadiens.
• Classy guy George Parros on Twitter after the game: Thanks to the great
fans of the OC and the @AnaheimDucks for giving me such a warm
reception… It truly meant a lot.
730761
Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators trade David Legwand to Detroit Red Wings
Though his numbers with Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League
were not huge (36 points in 57 games), he was a second-round pick. Plus,
the Red Wings have been solid at finding players later in the draft and
developing their talents.
Eaves is just a throw-in. Who knows what will happen with the third-round
pick.
Mar. 5, 2014 5:54 PM
|
Josh Cooper
NEXT GAME
BLUES at PREDATORS
• When: 7 p.m. Thursday
• TV/radio: Fox TN / 102.5-FM
LEGWAND’S MILESTONE MOMENTS
David Legwand leaves the Predators as the franchise's all-time leader in
games, points, goals, game-winning goals and assists. Here are three
memorable moments from his 14 seasons with Nashville:
• April 20, 2012: Scored the series-winning goal against Detroit — his
hometown team and Nashville’s longtime nemesis — in the first round of the
playoffs.
April 11, 2004: Scored a short-handed goal against Detroit in Game 3 of the
playoffs, leading Nashville to its first-ever postseason victory.
Dec. 23, 2000: Converted the first overtime penalty-shot in NHL history,
leading the Predators to a win over the Rangers in Madison Square Garden.
The Predators let go of some history at the NHL trade deadline and looked to
the future.
They dealt center David Legwand — the first draft pick in franchise history,
their all-time leading scorer and their co-leading scorer this season — to the
Detroit Red Wings in exchange for forward Patrick Eaves, prospect forward
Calle Jarnkrok and a third-round pick in this year’s draft.
It was an emotional move for the Predators, and a watershed day for the
franchise as it tries to move into the next stage of its evolution.
The 33-year-old Legwand, who has played in 956 games for the Predators,
had to waive his no-trade clause so Nashville could make the deal. The
Detroit-area native was in the final year of his contract, meaning he would
have been an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
It’s the second consecutive season the Predators have traded one of their
franchise leading scorers. Last year they traded Martin Erat at the deadline.
Nashville also made a more minor trade, sending goaltender Devan Dubnyk
to Montreal for future considerations, but the Legwand deal has much bigger
ramifications for now, the future and for the player known as Mr. Predator:
What it means for now
Trading Legwand means the Predators have acknowledged that making the
playoffs this season is a long shot.
If they came roaring out of the Olympic break — and won their first three
games rather than just one of the first three — then maybe this trade doesn’t
occur and Nashville would have been a buyer.
Instead, it had to be a seller, and Legwand was its most tradeable asset.
Going into Wednesday’s games, the Predators are six points out of the
postseason with 20 games left. It’s not an insurmountable margin, but there
are four teams ahead of them in the push for the final wild card slot in the
Western Conference.
Legwand was the team’s leading scorer and most dangerous offensive
player. He played in every situation — offensive and defensive, power play
and penalty kill.
Trading a player such as Legwand and not getting a similar talent in return
gets you no closer to the postseason.
What it means for the future
The Predators received a prospect the Red Wings were high on in Jarnkrok.
The Predators were able to trade an asset they probably weren’t going to
re-sign in Legwand, and got a youngster playing professionally in North
America and who will eventually play in the NHL.
The move also opens up a spot for the Predators to make a run at a top free
agent this summer. The most enticing would be Colorado’s Paul Stastny,
who played well with Nashville’s leading goal scorer Craig Smith at the world
championships last summer.
The Predators need to make some noise in the offseason via free agency or
trade for the Legwand deal to be worth it.
Defenseman Shea Weber is 28 and entering the prime of his career.
Goaltender Pekka Rinne is 31. Next year could be Nashville’s window of
opportunity for a deep playoff run if it’s able to acquire the right assets.
What it means for Legwand
This is a great trade for Legwand. He’s from the Detroit area (Gross Pointe
Woods) and dreamed of playing for the Red Wings.
Furthermore, Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said Legwand will
play on the top line with Johan Franzen and Gustav Nyquist until Henrik
Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Darren Helm get healthy.
“He’s good defensively. He’s a guy that puts up 50-60 points and he’s an
established, legitimate NHL player who can kill penalties and can play
against anybody from the other team,” Holland said. “That’s sort of been his
roles, so hopefully we get to do the call to the league soon and we can really
talk names.”
It thrusts Legwand into the playoff race – an environment where he has
always excelled – and gives him an opportunity to play with elite first line
players for the first time since the Predators exited the 2004-05 lockout.
Tennessean LOADED: 03.06.2014
730762
Nashville Predators
Predators trade goalie Dubnyk to Canadiens
Mar. 5, 2014 12:00 PM
|
Josh Cooper
The Predators have traded goaltender Devan Dubnyk to Montreal for future
considerations.
Nashville acquired Dubnyk on Jan. 16 from Edmonton for forward Matt
Hendricks. But with starter Pekka Rinne now back in the lineup, and backup
Carter Hutton having outplayed Dubnyk, the latter became expendable.
Dubnyk allowed nine goals in two games for Nashville. His salary cap hit was
listed at $3.5 million. He was slated to be an unrestricted free agent this
offseason.
730763
Nashville Predators
Western Conference power rankings
Mar. 5, 2014
|
Josh Cooper
Records and statistics through Tuesday’s games
1. Anaheim Ducks (43-14-5)
The Ducks came roaring out of the Olympic break with three straight victories
to cement their hold on top of the conference. Ryan Getzlaf has continued his
Hart Trophy push, leading the team with 68 points in 58 games.
2. Colorado Avalanche (40-17-5)
They also showed aggressiveness coming out of the Olympic break with
three straight wins. They did send several players to Sochi, including
goaltender Semyon Varlamov, so it could end up hurting them in the stretch if
he becomes fatigued. Varlamov is their most important player.
3. Minnesota Wild (34-21-7)
They were hot before the Olympic break and have continued to play quite
well, winning five consecutive games. Defenseman Ryan Suter has been a
rock, averaging 29:49 per game, and being a steady presence in spite of a
few injuries to teammates.
4. Los Angeles Kings (35-22-6)
The Kings lost four of five going into the Olympic break but came out of it with
four straight wins. They might have bolstered their postseason offense by
dealing for goal scorer Marian Gaborik from the Blue Jackets at the trade
deadline.
5. St. Louis Blues (41-14-6)
The Blues look stout at the moment with their deadline move for Sabres
goaltender Ryan Miller. The bigger piece of that trade could end up being
forward Steve Ott, who plays a hard, playoff-type style. Ott was the captain of
the Sabres, and despite notching just 20 points this season, he is tough to
play against.
730764
Nashville Predators
Preview: Nashville Predators vs. St. Louis Blues
Mar. 5, 2014
|
John Glennon
BLUES AT PREDATORS
• When: 7 p.m. today
• Where: Bridgestone Arena
TV/radio: Fox TN / 102.5-FM
Predators keys: 1) Light the lamp: The Predators have scored just one goal in
each of their past two games, and they’ve scored just nine goals over their
past five. 2) Stop the bleeding: The Blues have scored 13 regulation goals in
three games against the Predators this season, paced by David Backes
(three goals, two assists) and Alexander Steen (three goals, one assist). 3)
Home advantage: The Predators have gone just 1-3 in the first four games of
a six-game homestand, losing to Anaheim, Winnipeg and Pittsburgh. After
the next two games, the Predators hit the road for seven of the next eight.
Injuries: Blues D Jordan Leopold (ankle) and LW Vladimir Sobotka (leg) are
out. Predators F Nick Spaling (upper body) and F Simon Moser (upper body)
are probable.
Next for Predators: 7 p.m. Saturday vs. Columbus.
730765
Nashville Predators
Josh Cooper's hat trick
Mar. 5, 2014
|
Josh Cooper
The decision to trade David Legwand all but throws in the towel on making
the playoffs. But the Predators do have payroll flexibility in the offseason.
There is one marquee free agent set to join the market who would fit well
within Nashville’s system: Colorado’s Paul Stastny. He has a solid
relationship with Predators forward Craig Smith — they played together for
Team USA in last year’s world championships and were the top two
forwards.
Perhaps the biggest indicator the Predators won’t be in the playoffs? Goal
differential. Nashville is minus-37, third worst in the Western Conference. It
might be somewhat better if the Predators had a healthy Pekka Rinne for the
bulk of the season, but normally teams with even a slightly minus goal
differential don’t make the postseason. Minus-37 is quite extreme.
Nick Spaling coming back from his lower-body injury should give the power
play and forward units a bit of a boost. He was an excellent net-front
presence before he got hurt, and he has notched two scores with the
man-advantage this season. Spaling will be a restricted free agent this
offseason, and no doubt the Predators should move quickly to re-sign the
versatile forward when the season ends.
730766
Nashville Predators
Fight earns Wilson some rink cred
picked last overall (230th in 2005) to play at least 100 NHL games and score
at least 20 goals.
He’s recorded three 20-goal seasons in his career and has 12 goals so far
this season.
Mar. 5, 2014
|
John Glennon
With the trade of center David Legwand, the Predators will become even
more committed to playing Colin Wilson at the position.
A first-round pick in 2008 after playing center in college, Wilson found himself
as a wing with Nashville up until a few weeks ago. He has produced only one
point (an assist) in nine games since moving to center, but coach Barry Trotz
said he’s pleased with Wilson’s overall game there.
“Positionally he’s been really solid, and he gives good (targets for) his
defensemen,” Trotz said. “He can make some plays.”
Wilson didn’t register on the score sheet in Tuesday’s loss to Pittsburgh, but
he impressed Trotz with his toughness. After taking a check near the head
from Robert Bortuzzo, Wilson dropped the gloves with the 6-foot-4,
215-pound Penguins defenseman.
“He didn’t back off,” Trotz said of Wilson. “He went after Bortuzzo, gave him a
shot back and then got in a scrape.”
Bortuzzo got the better of the bout with Wilson, who has fought only four
times in his five-year NHL career, but Trotz figured the 6-1, 215-pounder
earned some respect.
“To me, if you’re a hockey player, you don’t get pushed around,” Trotz said.
“There’s going to be guys that are tougher. There are guys that are going to
be bigger and faster. But you’re not going to be intimidated by a player or
plays.
“I think that’s where early in Colin’s career, he would not know how to react to
that. Now he knows. I give him a lot of credit for that, and I think he earned a
lot of respect for that.”
Said general manager David Poile: “We drafted Colin Wilson to be our big,
strong center iceman.”
Reduced chances: The Predators are 1-3 in their past four games, but they
haven’t given opponents a lot of chances.
On average, Nashville has outshot opponents 31-20 over the past four
games. It limited opponents to 20 or fewer shots in three of those games.
Said Trotz: “It’s good commitment. It’s good structure. It’s being diligent in
terms of your responsibilities. It’s good one-on-one play. It’s gap control. I
can go through a multitude of things.”
The ability to control the puck offensively has helped as well, defenseman
Shea Weber said.
“We have had some good quality offensive zone time,” he said. “Our goals
haven’t shown it, but we’ve hung on to the puck and kept teams to the
outside.”
Feeling good: Goalie Pekka Rinne was back on the ice Wednesday morning,
just a few hours after playing in his first NHL game since October.
He went through a rigorous practice and said he felt good.
“We worked pretty hard,” Rinne said. “I want to keep working with (goalie
coach Mitch Korn) early, focusing on a few things. But I’ve had a lot of rest.
Now it’s time to work.”
Rinne reflected on the big early save he had against Penguins, when he
nearly did the splits to make a right pad save against Chris Kunitz during a
two-on-one rush.
“It’s a good thing for everyone else to see that I’m back to 100 percent,”
Rinne said. “I’ve known the whole time that I’m able to go to any position like
before, when I was 100 percent healthy. But I felt good. I’m lucky I didn’t blow
out my groin or anything.”
Milestone goal: Patric Hornqvist’s goal against the Penguins in the 3-1 loss
was the 96th of his career with the Predators, moving him into sixth place all
time on the franchise’s goal-scoring list. He is one of only three NHL players
730767
New Jersey Devils
NHL trade deadline: Devils decide to keep Martin Brodeur rather than deal
goalie
"He's been consistent and he's scored," the GM said. "He's had 26-goal
seasons, so it's not something he's not capable of doing."
He suggested a "change of scenery" could get Ruutu going again.
"He's delighted to be here. He had to make the decision to come here
because he has a no-trade clause. So that decision was on him 100 percent.
He had a choice and he came here," Lamoriello said.
Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger By Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger
Lamoriello would not say whether he came close to acquiring anyone else.
on March 05, 2014 at 2:35 PM, updated March 05, 2014 at 6:40 PM
"I'll tell you one thing. The last 48 hours there were transactions I wouldn't
have predicted the way they started to go. It was interesting. I still don't know
all of them," he said. "I haven't seen the final list.
NEWARK — Despite Martin Brodeur's apparent desire to be traded so that
he could play more often than he will behind Cory Schneider, the Devils
decided to keep the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer rather than deal him on
deadline day.
Brodeur spoke to general manager Lou Lamoriello about his wish to get more
playing time,so it will be interesting to see how many games he plays down
the stretch.
Coach Pete DeBoer would not call Schneider his No. 1 goalie.
"I don't think it's necessarily an accurate statement to say (Brodeur) is not the
No, 1 guy," DeBoer said. "I think Cory grabbed the ball here prior to the
Olympic break and ran with it for a while. Prior to that, Marty ran with it for a
while.
Goalie Martin Brodeur stays with Devils as the trade deadline passes
Veteran goalie Martin Brodeur remains with the New Jersey Devils as the
trade deadline passes without a deal. Earlier in the day head coach Peter
DeBoer and goalie Cory Schneider talked about Brodeur's importance to the
team. Video by John Munson/The Star-Ledger
"So I think it's been there for either of them to grab and they have at different
respective times. And that's the case moving forward."
Brodeur attended the Devils' team meeting Wednesday morning, but he did
not take part in the optional practice.
Lamoriello did not want to discuss Brodeur and the fact the goalie revealed
he had spoken to Lamoriello about his desire to play more often, even if it
meant being traded. The GM was still upset about the inaccurate report by
the Daily News saying a trade had been agreed upon to send Brodeur to
Minnesota.
"It's just a shame that without any substance at different times and no facts
that people say things," Lamoriello said.
Is Brodeur happy to be staying with the Devils for the remainder of this
season?
"You'd have to talk to Marty," Lamoriello said. "I hope so. I feel that way. I
don't know why not.
"This player just won one of the most important games (Tuesday) night."
Lamoriello said he was happy to get Tuomo Ruutu from the Carolina
Hurricanes in the trade for Andrei Loktionov and a conditional third round
draft pick in 2017.
"Our intention certainly was to try and get a top nine forward with a lot of grit,
who competes and who has a habit of playing in big games," Lamoriello said.
"We've played against him enough over the years. We feel good about it."
The GM confirmed that the Hurricanes retained some of Ruutu's $5 million
annual salary (two years remaining). The 6-0, 205-pound forward, who can
play center or left wing, was flying on the Carolina charter from San Jose. It
was hoped he would be in New Jersey in time for Thursday's practice.
Ruutu has a no-trade clause for this season but not the final year on his
contract, so he had to approve the deal. He had a strong Olympics with
Finland.
"He came off an injury from last year and rehab takes a while. We followed up
and he certainly did have an excellent Olympics. In fact, the whole team had
one," Lamoriello said. "He does the things we like to see. He gets right in your
face."
Lamoriello, who was expected to pursue a goal-scorer, pointed out that
Ruutu scored 26 goals in 2008-09.
"As far as what we were trying to do, we're always trying to get better and
there is a price you have to pay. You have to weigh what is too much and
what it too little. We feel very good about this addition, because he's also
here for a couple years. He's (31) years old, takes care of himself and he
knows how to play. He brings a certain dimension I think we need."
He is confident about the Devils' playoff chances.
"I'll tell you this: I was confident about this team prior to making this
transaction. Some of our players are just starting to find themselves after the
break. We've got a couple of others I think are really ready to achieve. We're
a team. We have to play like a team.
"Once you get in the playoffs it's anybody's chance. But you have to get there
first. We're right there in the mix. We have to win. It's as simple as that."
Star Ledger LOADED: 03.06.2014
730768
New Jersey Devils
Devils players loved seeing fans salute Martin Brodeur again and again
Randy Miller/NJ.com By Randy Miller/NJ.com
Email the author | on March 05, 2014 at 8:11 AM, updated March 05, 2014 at
9:15 AM
NEWARK – Prudential Center was sold out Tuesday night, and it was pretty
clear even before the opening faceoff that many Devils fans showed up to
make sure Martin Brodeur received a proper sendoff just in case this was it.
Before and after the anthem, fans chanted, “Mar-tee, Mar-tee, Mar-tee.”
There was more of the same during the game, and even after this 4-3 Devils
victory over the Red Wings in which Stephen Gionta scored a last-minute
goal.
"Pretty neat," said forward Adam Henrique, who scored the Devils' first goal,
his fifth in four games.
When it was time to go home, thousands of fans hung around for a few more
minutes, and immediately after Gionta gave a curtain call for being named
the game’s No. 1 star, the remaining crowd starting singing, "We want
Mar-tee, we want Mar-tee!”
"That just shows what kind of guy he is and what impact he's had on this
franchise," Gionta said.
Jaromir Jagr joked that he thought everyone was “screaming Jagr.”
Sorry, Jaromir. This was all about Marty.
“Ah man!” Jagr said. “And I was so excited! Are you sure? Check the tape.”
Getting serious, Jagr addressed the hot topic of the day, Brodeur winning the
night before the NHL’s trade deadline amid rumors the record-setting goalie
could change teams for the first time at age 41.
“He still wants to win and still wants to play,” Jagr said. “I don’t think he’s
ready to sit on the bench yet.
“I can speak only for myself: I would love to see him here, but I want him to be
very happy. It doesn’t mean he isn’t happy. He is happy, but I know he’s
going to be more happy the more he plays. Whatever happens, it’s fine with
me. And I think he’s looking at it the same way.”
This Tuesday began with a New York Daily News report that the Devils and
Minnesota Wild had agreed on a trade that was pending the approval of
Brodeur, who has a no-move clause in his contract.
Devils GM Lou Lamoriello shot down the report with venom in an interview
with NJ.com, then the Wild did it themselves Tuesday afternoon by instead
making a trade with Edmonton for veteran goalie Ilya Bryzgalov.
Just in case this would be Brodeur's last game as a Devil, the remaining
tickets were gobbled up Tuesday, and once inside the arena, fans responded
by showing a lot of love to a player who has brought them three Stanley
Cups.
"They were loud, especially at the beginning of the game,” said center Travis
Zajac, who scored the Devils' third goal. "I'm sure (Devils fans) read the
paper and all that, but they don't know what's going to happen. Neither do
we.
"It’s nice to see he’s playing good hockey right now. It's nice to see him get
another win, especially at home in front of the fans where he's done so much
for this organization and this city. So I’m happy for him."
730769
New Jersey Devils
Was Martin Brodeur's departure from the Devils just delayed a few months?
A.J. Perez/NJ.com By A.J. Perez/NJ.com
Email the author | on March 05, 2014 at 5:50 PM, updated March 05, 2014 at
6:10 PM
Martin Brodeur remains in a Devils uniform, at least for another 118 days.
Brodeur wasn't moved by the only team he's known in his 21-season NHL
career by Wednesday's 3 p.m. trade deadline. Now, it will be up to the
winningest goalie in league history to decide where -- and even if -- he will
continue his career.
"After today, we know he's going to be with the Devils and fighting to take
them as far as possible, hopefully all the way to the Stanley Cup," Pat
Brisson, Brodeur's agent, told NJ.com "He is going to make the decision on
where he wants to continue playing after the season. I'm sure it's off his mind.
He's committed to finishing the season strong with the Devils and once the
season is completely over, we'll talk about the following year."
Brodeur has expressed his desire for more playing time, something he hasn't
had a lot of recently with the Devils because he has been supplanted by Cory
Schneider, whom the team acquired from Vancouver last June. Brodeur was
in net for Tuesday's 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, only his second
start over the previous eight games.
"I want to play the game," Brodeur said after Tuesday's game. "We'll see
what's going to happen with the conversations I had with (Devils general
manager) Lou (Lamoriello) in the future of this. But everything is a
possibility."
Lamoriello declined to discuss publicly what transpired before the deadline
when it came to Brodeur. The Devils did acquire winger Tuomo Ruutu from
the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Andrei Loktionov and a conditional
third-round draft pick in 2017.
A source familiar with the trade talks told NJ.com that Brodeur "was willing to
explore what made sense." Brodeur submitted to Lamoriello a list of teams to
which he'd accept a trade and waive his no-move clause, and that list
included teams where he'd enter as the No. 2 goalie.
Brodeur is among 26 goalies (some of whom are currently in the AHL) set to
become free agents on July 1, according to CapGeek.com.
Ryan Miller and Tim Thomas join Brodeur, a four-time Vezina Trophy winner,
among free-agent goalies who have won the award for the league's top
goaltender. Miller, who was dealt to the St. Louis Blues by the Buffalo Sabres
last week, will be the most prized free-agent goaltender, unless the Blues
sign him to an extension.
An extension that would keep Brodeur with the Devils remains a possibility,
but NJ.com has learned such discussions have yet begin.
Anaheim's Jonas Hiller, the Islanders' Evgeni Nabokov and Washington's
Jaroslav Halak will also be in higher demand in free agency than Brodeur.
Brodeur, 41, is the league's seventh-highest paid goalie this season, making
$5 million. His cap hit this season is $4.5 million to comprise 6.41 percent of
the Devils' cap room, according to CapGeek.com.)
But as the third-oldest active payer in the NHL behind Anaheim's Teemu
Selanne (43), Devils teammate Jaromir Jagr (42), that chance may not
develop, especially with a save percentage that currently is below .900
percent
Would Brodeur settle for finishing his final year or two as a backup -- in a
career that has included three Stanley Cup titles and virtually every
goaltending milestone?
"I really don't know," Brisson said. "I think the next two months will dictate his
future. We are not going to tell Marty what to do. Marty will tell us."
730770
New Jersey Devils
Q: Will Ruutu be in Newark for Thursday’s practice or meet the team in
Detroit for Friday night’s game?
Devils' Lou Lamoriello fired up about adding Tuomo Ruutu; Here's Q&A
Lamoriello: He’s actually flying back with (the Hurricanes on Wednesday)
from San Jose. If everything goes right with travel arrangements, he’ll be
here (Thursday) for practice.”
Email the author | on March 05, 2014 at 6:45 PM
NEWARK – Devils fans, are you content with your team's lone deal on NHL
trade-deadline day, veteran forward Tuomo Ruutu from the Carolina
Hurricanes for center Andrei Loktionov?
On a day in which legendary goalie Martin Brodeur wasn't traded, GM Lou
Lamoriello certainly didn’t seem bummed that he wasn't able to do more
adding to a team that was two points out of a playoff spot after beating Detroit
4-3 at home on Tuesday night.
On the contrary, the Hall of Fame exec seemed a bit giddy about adding
Ruutu, a very gritty Finn who, despite scoring just five goals and 16 points in
57 games this season, has had some productive offensive seasons.
Here's what Lamoriello had to say about Ruutu during his Q&A with print
reporters after Wednesday's deadline passed:
Q: Did you accomplish your trade-deadline goals?
Lamoriello: “Well, our intentions were to certainly get a top-9 forward with a
lot of grit who competes and has a habit of playing in big games. We played
enough against (Ruutu) over the years and we feel good about it.”
Q: Where does Ruutu fit? Is he a center or a wing?
Lamoriello: “The coaches will decide that. He's a left shot, but can play
anywhere.”
Q: Ruutu hasn’t scored much this season, but had a pretty good Olympics for
Finland, five points in six games. What’s the recent scouting report on him?
Lamoriello: “The thing is he came off (hip surgery) from last year and a little
rehab. It takes awhile (to rebound). But we followed him and he did have an
excellent (Olympics). … He does the things we like to see. He gets right in
your face.”
Q: Can Ruutu play special teams?
Lamoriello: “Yeah. He's played in all situations. He's not a player that's one
dimensional. He was a pretty high draft pick. We remember when Chicago
took him (ninth overall in 2001). He's been consistent and he's scored. He's
had a 26-goal season, so it's something that he's capable of doing. Change
of scenery, change of a lot of things … He's delighted to be here. He had to
make the decision to come here because he has a no-trade clause, so that
decision was on him 100 percent."
Q: Is there any retention of salary?
Lamoriello: “Yes.”
Q: Did you come close to any other deals?
Lamoriello: “Well, I’ll tell you one thing: The last 48 hours, the (NHL)
transactions, I wouldn’t have predicted the way they started to go. It was
interesting. … As far as what we’re trying to do, we’re always trying to get
better. And there’s a price that you have to pay. You have to weigh what’s too
much and what’s too little. But we feel very good about this addition because
(Ruutu’s) also here for a couple years. He’s (31) years old. He takes care of
himself and he knows how to play. And I think he brings a certain dimension
that we need.”
Q: Based on some of the other trades from around the league and what you
have now, are you still confident about the Devils’ playoffs chances?
Lamoriello: “I will tell you this. I was confident prior to making this transaction
about this team. I think that some of our players have just started to find
themselves after the break. We’ve got a couple others that I think are really
ready to achieve. We’re a team. We have to play as a team. I think our
coaching staff has done a good job of maximizing that. Once you get in the
playoffs, it’s anybody’s chance. But you have to get there first. We’re right
there in the mix. We have to win. It’s as simple as that.”
730771
New Jersey Devils
Lou Lamoriello admits it was a 'rough week' after Devils can't pull off a deal
for Martin Brodeur
5:52 PM
NEWARK – There was no prying even the smallest detail from Devils general
manager Lou Lamoriello after he decided not to trade goaltender Martin
Brodeur as the NHL deadline passed Wednesday.
Typical Lamoriello.
A few minutes after the 3 p.m. deadline passed -- on a day during which the
Devils' only move was trading center Andrei Loktionov to Carolina for forward
Tuomo Ruutu -- Lamoriello again criticized the media for spreading rumors,
and that led to a testy back-and-forth with a reporter:
Would it have been emotional to say goodbye to Brodeur?
Lamoriello: "Why? We're dealing hypotheticals, I have no idea. It's not the
case. So why react and try to look for something that's not there and create a
story out of nothing?"
I don't know that that's fair. Marty talked openly about wanting to play more
and he said he discussed his future with you.
Lamoriello: "So you should talk to Marty."
OK, but to say the media has created this whole thing is not totally accurate.
Lamoriello: "Ah … OK."
We're not the ones who said Brodeur was open to waiving his no-trade
clause.
Lamoriello: “Well, I don’t know. I haven’t even read that, so I don’t know. I
haven’t read that. I don’t know what you’re trying to do or where you’re trying
to go.”
To say this was a hypothetical question, this was something that was real, at
least from Marty Brodeur’s perspective.
Lamoriello: “So what is your question then?”
That it’s not all the media’s fault.
Lamoriello: “Let’s not get into words. I’m going to answer your question. Then
what is your question to me then if that’s what you were told?”
Was it emotional to deal with and you said it was a hypothetical thing.
Lamoriello: “Then that’s my answer. That’s my answer.”
Lamoriello never raised his voice during the exchange.
A day earlier, he let off steam to NJ.com after hearing of a New York Daily
News report that had the Devils agreeing to a trade with the Minnesota Wild
for Brodeur, who supposedly was deciding whether to waive his no-trade
clause.
The Wild ended up trading for veteran goalie Ilya Bryzgalov later in the day,
and a few hours later, after the Devils’ 4-3 win over Detroit, Brodeur said
there was no truth to the report.
In the end, Brodeur is staying put, and for now, there’s no word on whether
he was asked to waive his no-trade.
“I’m not ever going to ever get in any discussions on any player, whether it’s
Marty or any other player as far as what kind of dialogue you have, if you
have any,” Lamoriello said.
When asked Wednesday if it’s been a rough week for him, Lamoriello said,
“Well, I think you people have made it a rough week. No one else. I think all
the rhetoric is coming from print and electronics (media). That’s the only
comment I have.”
Is he happy the circus-like atmosphere is going to end?
"I don't call it a circus," Lamoriello said. "I think everybody is trying to do their
job. I think, as I mentioned (to NJ.com on Tuesday), it's a shame that with no
substance at different times and no facts that people say things.”
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Politi: Martin Brodeur as Devils GM? As trade deadline passes, he should
chase a new path in the organization
Steve Politi/Star-Ledger Columnist By Steve Politi/Star-Ledger Columnist
The Devils are within striking distance of a playoff spot now. Maybe they get
there, and if they do, you better believe that head coach Pete DeBoer will
giving him serious consideration as the starter. The Devils, more than any
other team, will appreciate him as a big-game goalie.
He’ll always be more appreciated here, the quick sellout Tuesday amid
rumors of his potential departure the latest evidence. Lamoriello should show
him that again by offering the cornerstone he drafted 24 years ago a position,
effective at the end of the season, as an assistant GM.
Maybe then, in a few years when Lamoriello is ready to retire, he can hand
the reigns of the franchise to its greatest player. Brodeur might not see it now,
but that would be a much better story playing out his career in another city.
Now that the NHL trade deadline has come and gone, ensuring that Martin
Brodeur will not have to fill out change-of-address cards, the veteran
goaltender should march into general manager Lou Lamoriello’s office and
demand to be traded at the end of the season.
And, in the long run, more rewarding.
To the Devils front office.
Brodeur should steal a page from another old New Jersey warrior and
contemporary – Jason Kidd of the Nets – and see this as an opportunity to
transition into a new career.
Kidd wanted to coach. Brodeur wants to be a GM. The latter could test the
market in the offseason as a free agent, uprooting his life to chase a few
more victories with another franchise.
Or he can open that new chapter now, alongside the man who drafted him,
with the only team he has ever known.
Devils GM keeps goalie Martin Brodeur in New Jersey New Jersey Devils
general manager Lou Lamoriello says that the trade rumors involving veteran
goalie Martin Brodeur were without substance or facts. The NHL trade
deadline passed at 3pm and Brodeur is still with the club. Video by John
Munson/The Star-Ledger
Imagine that story: Brodeur, the greatest player in franchise history, taking
the reins of the Devils when Lamoriello is ready to retire in a few years and
continuing the tradition the two men started.
Don’t know about you, but that sure sounds like a more appealing scenario
that Brodeur padding his already unbreakable wins record with another
season in Toronto, or Dallas, or Wherever.
Something like this is going to happen eventually. Jaromir Jagr wasn’t
kidding when, amidst the hysteria on Tuesday night when it appeared
Brodeur might have played his last game, he essentially shrugged his
shoulders at the prospects of the goalie leaving New Jersey.
“He’ll be back” is how Jagr put it. Everyone knows how loyal Lamoriello is to
his great players, and if anyone knows a stronger bond between a GM and
his star player than him and Brodeur, please pass it along.
So just like Scott Stevens is having an apprenticeship as an assistant coach,
Brodeur should begin one in the front office. Why wait? Lamoriello is 71. He
has shown no signs of slowing down but can’t keep the job forever. He
should make the transition this summer, after finishing out his brilliant career
with one more playoff push.
Brodeur likely won’t see it this way now, not if he is sitting on the bench in
Detroit on Friday despite winning back-to-back starts, but no news at the
trading deadline was the best possible news for a 41-year-old goalie who, if
he is honest with himself, had no better options.
He made a reference to a “hard half of a season,” and while it must be difficult
to ride pine for the first time in 21 years, you almost wanted to show him the
stat sheet from the game against the Red Wings on Tuesday.
There were four goalies dressed. Brodeur had more victories (15) than the
other three, and now trails his eventual replacement Corey Schneider by just
four starts despite a significantly worse goals against average (2.49 to 1.92)
and save percentage (.899 to .923).
So no, despite the perception, he hasn’t exactly been put on mothballs with
the Devils. And it doesn’t take more than a cursory glance around the NHL to
understand that, unless he was prepared to waste away on a non-playoff
team, his best shot at playing time wasn’t some place else.
Where else would he get a better shot? He might get a few extra starts in
hometown Montreal, but when Carey Price comes off the injured list, he’ll just
be a spectator again. (The Canadians picked up a much less interesting
insurance policy in goalie Devan Dubnyk a few hours before the deadline.)
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New Jersey Devils
NHL trade deadline: Devils fill need by adding scorer, but Tuomo Ruutu
struggling
2:58 PM
NEWARK – The Devils' biggest need heading into Wednesday's 3 p.m. trade
deadline was a goal scorer.
They could use not just one, but several good ones.
An hour before the deadline, the Devils made a deal for a veteran forward
who has had a 26-goal season, but Tuomo Ruutu hasn't been scoring much
this season.
There's no word yet if goalie Martin Brodeur is staying or going.
Meantime, the Devils did some tinkering by acquiring Ruutu, a member of
Finland's bronze-medal Olympic team, from the Carolina Hurricanes for
center Andrei Loktionov.
Ruutu, 31, is a gritty 6-0, 205-pound center/winger who has more scoring
ability than Loktionov, but the Finn has just five goals and 16 points in 57
games this season.
Ruutu also has no goals in his last 11 games and owned a team-worst
minus-19 playing for Carolina.
In his second season with the Devils, Loktionov had four goals and 12 points
in 48 games.
The Devils have scored 15 goals in going 3-1 since the Olympic break, but
their 2.41 goals per game is 24th best among 30 NHL teams.
Ruutu was productive last month during the Olympics with a goal and five
points in six games.
"He played really well, played a lot," Carolina coach Kirk Muller told the
Raleigh Observer. "I think he's probably looking forward to building on that
(and) it's probably a confidence-building thing for him."
Since returning from Sochi, Ruutu has no points and is a minus-4 in five
games.
Ruutu isn’t a rental, as he’s in the second season of a four-year, $19 million
contract. His deal carries a $4.75 million cap hit, which becomes the
fourth-highest on the Devils, less than only Travis Zajac ($5.75M), Patrik
Elias ($5.5M) and Ryane Clowe ($4.85M).
A 10-year NHL veteran, Ruutu has 138 goals and 324 points in 606 career
games. He scored a career-best 26 goals and had 54 points for Carolina in
2008-09. His best point total is 57 in 2011-12 for the Hurricanes, a season in
which he scored 19 goals.
He’s the younger brother of Jarkko Ruutu, a 38-year-old right wing who has
spent the last two seasons in the Finnish Elite League after an 11-year NHL
career with Vancouver, Pittsburgh, Ottawa and Anaheim from 1999-2000 to
2010-11.
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New Jersey Devils
Devils acquire Tuomo Ruutu from Hurricanes for Andrei Loktionov
NEWARK— The Devils acquired 31-year-old lefts winger Tuomo Ruutu from
the Carolina Hurricanes for center Andrei Loktionov and a conditional
third-round draft pick in 2017.
Ruutu has two years remaining on his contract at $5 million per season.
Ruutu's cap hit is $4.75 million.
In 57 games for the Hurricanes this season, Ruutu has 16 points (five goals,
11 assists) and is minus-19 with 34 penalty minutes.
The 6-0, 205-pound Ruutu has 138 career goals and 186 assists for 324
points and 550 penalty minutes in 606 career appearances over ten seasons
with Chicago and Carolina. He was the Blackhawks’ first choice and ninth
overall selection in the 2001 entry draft.
He represented his country at the recent 2014 and 2010 Winter Olympic
Games, winning two Bronze Medals. He also played for Finland at the 2004
World Cup of Hockey, four World Championships and three World Junior
Championships. While in Finland, Ruutu played for both HIFK Helsinki and
Jokerit Helsinki.
Loktionov has 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 48 games. The Russian
forward will be a restricted free agent this summer. He is earning $725,000
this season.
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New Jersey Devils
NHL trade deadline: Devils' Cory Schneider wonders if he'll be the goalie who
ends Martin Brodeur's run in New Jersey
NEWARK— Cory Schneider knows he will be the goalie who ended Martin
Brodeur’s career with the Devils if general manager Lou Lamoriello decides
to deal the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer.
And he is prepared to for life without Brodeur if that happens.
“I don’t know what to think right now. He’s still here,” Schneider said
Wednesday. “I don't think you ever replace Marty. I’m not him and I’m not
going to try and be him. I’m going t try and be myself and do my own thing
and take some of the stuff that I’ve learned from a lot of great people I’ve
played with along the way and be one of them.
“Again, you’re never going to replace Marty for what he’s done and been
doing for so long. I don’t look at it that way. I just look at it as trying to create
your own path and create your own career.”
Schneider said he doesn’t know Brodeur’s feelings or intentions at this point.
“I have no idea,” Schneider admitted. “I saw him briefly this morning, but it’s
something he’s dealing with privately with Lou, I believe. It’s really none of
our business and it’s not our place to ask him what he's doing. I think we
respect his wishes and his privacy and we’ll see how this plays out.”
Schneider talked about Brodeur’s legacy.
“He’s played well for us, especially getting a big win for us last night,”
Schneider said. “People talk about insurance for other teams. It’s never a bad
thing to have two good goalies on your own team if we’re looking to make a
push, which I think we are. We believe we can get into the playoffs. Not that I
have any doubt in my abilities, but things happen. People get hurt, stuff
changes. He's an asset to us and we hold him in the highest regard.
Whatever happens, it happens for a reason.”
As for trade deadline day, Schneider is one of the few players not worried
about being dealt.
“Everyone is sort of keeping tabs on it. It’s an interesting day for everyone
around the league just to see who is doing what and what guys are moving
where. It seems like it’s been a little more active than it was the last few
years. A lot of big names moving around,” he said.
“It’s fun but also a little anxious for a few guys. Again, you never really want to
see anybody on your team leave. But if you can add somebody, that’s also
exciting. I don’t think, hopefully, I’m sweating too much over it.”
Not at all.
“Im not, hopefully, too worried,” Schneider said. “Maybe they’ll trade me.
Never say never.
“Stuff flies around. Whether it’s about you or not, 95 percent of it is not true.”
Indeed, Schneider wonders where some of the rumors start.
"Sometimes. Sometimes you wonder where things come from or how they
start when a lot are baseless. But I think that's part of the fun of sports and
why people are fans of the game and enjoy this time of year. So you can sort
of think of what-if scenarios and play GM for a little while," Schneider said.
"Unfortunately, there are only 30 in the league and they're the ones making
the decisions. So it's really out of everyone's hands, but I think this is the time
of year when especially the fans and people following the game really enjoy
it. Even some of us. Trades happen and you sort of scratch your head or are
blown away by who's been moved. We all sort of enjoy it."
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New Jersey Devils
NHL trade deadline: Martin Brodeur attends team meeting, skips Devils'
optional practice
Email the author | on March 05, 2014 at 12:54 PM, updated March 05, 2014
at 1:21 PM
NEWARK – As expected, there was a way bigger-than-usual turnout of
media for the Devils' practice on trade-deadline day, and among those
showing up Wednesday was Canadian television network crew.
There hasn’t been much to report news to report thus far with Martin Brodeur
and all but seven of his teammates opting against hitting the ice, but that
didn’t stop a Canadian TV reporter from digging hard when Devils coach
Pete DeBoer was made available.
Q: Have you seen Marty today?
DeBoer: “I have seen Marty today.”
Q: Did you speak to Marty today?
DeBoer: “I spoke to him. Good morning and how are you feeling. But nothing
about the trade deadline or anything like that.”
Q: Do you know if Marty’s still in the building?
DeBoer: “Ah, you know what? I don’t believe he is. I think he left. I didn’t see
him actually get in his car and leave, but I don’t believe he’s here.”
Playing off the inquisition, a local reporter chimed in jokingly, “What did he
have for breakfast?”
“Yeah,” DeBoer said with a chuckle.
Nothing should be read into Brodeur, the Devils' goalie in Tuesday night's 4-3
win over Detroit, leaving Prudential Center after the team meeting.
The only Devils players practicing were forwards Damien Brunner, Andrei
Loktionov and Jacob Josefson, defensemen Eric Gelinas, Anton Volchenkov
and Peter Harrold and goaltender Cory Schneider.
“We brought the team in, we had a quick meeting, guys stretched out,”
DeBoer said. “We feel good about the way we’ve come back from the
Olympic break. We’ve won three of four. A lot of the guys and already headed
home or our out of the building. So that’s the update.
There will be bigger news by the time the deadline hits, 3 p.m. By then, we’ll
all know if Brodeur is staying or agrees to a deal by waiving his no-move
clause.
“It’s an unsettling day and whatever I’m feeling, that’s multiplied by 10 from a
players’ perspective,” DeBoer said. “It’s an uneasy day.”
It’s already been a wild couple of days with a lot of big names traded.
There was a blockbuster Wednesday morning: Tampa Bay trading former
Hart-winning winger Martin St. Louis to the Rangers for captain Ryan
Callahan, a 2015 first-round pick and a 2014 second rounder.
Also Wednesday, Columbus dealt right wing Marian Gaborik to Los Angeles
while Edmonton sent winger Ales Hemsky to Ottawa for two picks, a No. 3 in
2015 and a No. 5 in 2014.
The day before, a bunch of completed trades included goalie Roberto
Luongo going from Vancouver to Florida, defenseman Andrew MacDonald
from the Islanders to Philadelphia, forward Dustin Penner from Anaheim to
Washington and goalie Ilya Bryzgalov from Edmonton to Minnesota.
“Yeah, it’s a busy trade deadline,” DeBoer said. “I see the entertainment
value in it. The fan in all of us, it’s hard to take your eyes off the (television)
screen when you’re watching what’s happening. But I also get an upfront
personal view of the human side of it, and it’s not an easy for a lot of guys.”
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New Jersey Devils
“I think I’ve said the before. If we don’t do anything I’m comfortable with the
group we have. I think we’re showing that we can win and win consistently. I
believe we can get into the playoffs with the group we have," DeBoer said.
With Devils waiting to hear about Martin Brodeur's fate, Pete DeBoer calls it
an unsettling day
“At the same time, every coach in the league has a wish list of things they
would like to have. The reality of the NHL is that is not always possible. So
I’m good with whatever happens.”
NEWARK— Martin Brodeur was not among the seven Devils players to take
part in an optional practice Wednesday in AmeriHealth Pavilion.
Coach Pete DeBoer said Brodeur and most other Devils players had left
Prudential Center and gone home to wait for the 3 p.m. NHL trade deadline.
"It's a little bit of an unsettling day. Whatever I'm feeling, that's multiplied by
10 from a player's perspective," DeBoer said. "It's not an easy day. We
brought the team in, we had a quick meeting, guys stretched out.
"I feel good about the way we've come back from the Olympic break. We've
won three of four. A lot of the guys have already headed home and are out of
the building."
Goalie Cory Schneider, defensemen Anton Volchenkov, Peter Harrold and
Eric Gelinas, along with forwards Jacob Josefson, Damien Brunner and
Andrei Loktionov were the only players that skated.
DeBoer said he did not discuss the trade deadline with Brodeur.
"I spoke to him, 'Good morning, how are you feeling?' Nothing about the
trade deadline or anything like that," the coach said. "Players are all have (the
TV) on in the dressing room, like I'm sure all 30 teams do in their respective
dressing rooms around the league. They're watching it and I think they get a
little bit of humor out of some of the rumors that go around and some of the
stuff that is said.
"From how our guys are handling it, they're having as much fun as you can
considering the circumstances."
DeBoer said: "I don't have an opinion on anyone else's trades. Everyone is
trying to get better. I'm just worried about our team and where we're headed
in the last 20 games. It's a busy trade deadline. I see the entertainment value
in it. The fan in all of us it's hard to take your eyes off the screen when you're
watching what is happening.
"I also get an up-front personal view of the human side of it and it's not an
easy day for guys."
DeBoer did not want to talk abut what-ifs.
"I don't even want to speculate on hypotheticals. We'll deal with that if
something were to happen," DeBoer said. "I'm hoping three o'clock gets here
quickly and I know who the 22 or 23 guys are that we're going to have and we
can get to work with them for an awfully big weekend in Detroit and with
Carolina coming in here That's my mindset."
DeBoer joked that he expected to hear from general manager Lou Lamoriello
if a trade is made.
"Lou is doing his thing up in the office. We're down here watching tape and
getting ready for Detroit Friday. I'm sure if something happens I'll be one of
the first calls he makes. I think I'll get a call before you guys (reporters) will.
Probably not much sooner."
He was willing to talk about how much Brodeur has meant to the team and to
himself.
“It’s been an incredible privilege is probably the best way to put it," DeBoer
said of coaching Brodeur. "I came in here three years ago following a legend
in Jacques Lemaire and really needed the dressing room to buy into what we
were selling. He (Brodeur) was the first in line to give us that support.
“That was through some tough times early. We ended up going to the Stanley
Cup Finals that year, but it was a rocky road getting there. I’ll always
appreciate that support early when we were here. Then, obviously, where he
led us at 40 years old to the Finals. To be able to experience that firsthand,
that level everyone always talked about that he was able to get himself to
when the chips were on the line is something I’ll never forget.”
Do the Devils need to make a trade?
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New Jersey Devils
NHL trade deadline: If Devils trade Martin Brodeur, where's he going?
Email the author | on March 05, 2014 at 11:30 AM, updated March 05, 2014
at 12:57 PM
NEWARK – -- If Martin Brodeur has given the Devils a list of teams he'll go to
in a trade, as TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Twitter, which teams are
they?
One probably was the Minnesota Wild, who opted instead for a trade with the
Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday for another veteran goalie, Ilya Bryzgalov.
And it's likely the Montreal Canadiens (Brodeur's hometown team) are on the
list, too -- if general manager Lou Lamoriello can pull off a deal before the
NHL's 3 p.m. Wednesday deadline.
The Canadiens, who are third in the Eastern Conference with 75 points,
could be looking for goalie insurance because Carey Price, their star goalie,
was placed on IR this week.
Other possibilities for where Brodeur could land?
Although the Penguins’ offensive system may not fit Brodeur's style, the
Pens might want a playoff-tested goaltender. Marc-Andre Fleury was the
Penguins goalie when they won a Stanley Cup in 2009 but he's been shaky in
recent playoffs. Fleury was benched last spring for most of the team's run to
the Eastern Conference finals. Then, the Penguins turned to veteran Tomas
Vokoun. Their No. 2 this season is rookie Jeff Zatkoff.
Brodeur might be willing to go to the Washington Capitals, who are
competing with the Devils for a final playoff spot in the East and don't have
strong goaltending. But would the Devils trade Brodeur to a team they're
battling for a postseason berth?
And, if Brodeur is willing to relocate to the midwest, the Chicago Blackhawks,
a Western Conference power, might want a better backup for No. 1 goalie
Corey Crawford as they chase a second consecutive Stanley Cup.
All of the speculation will end Wednesday afternoon, of course, but the
anticipation likely will turn the Devils' noon practice into a circus.
Told Martin Brodeur has submitted a list to Lou Lamoriello of the teams
he's willing to waive his NTC to go to. (8-9 teams)....
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 5, 2014
...Brodeur is obviously interested in a change and is waiting for the Devils
gm to pull the trigger. Another great deadline day story.
When looking at Brodeur trade possibilities, important to note Marty
doesn't have to be number one. Just the right opportunity/change.
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New Jersey Devils
Former Devils to play charity game tonight for injured Monroe High School
hockey player
Lloyd Nelson/NJ.com By Lloyd Nelson/NJ.com
NEWARK - While many players are anxiously checking their cellphones to
see if they're being shipped off during today's trade deadline, former Devils
players such as Ken Daneyko are simply getting ready to lace up their skates
for a good local cause.
Tonight, a charity hockey game will feature Devils alumni and friends against
a strong team of former Russian All-Stars. All proceeds from the game will
benefit Devils Care and Monroe Township High School hockey player Mikey
Nichols, who suffered a broken neck during a game earlier this year.
The inaugural Legends Classic: Team NHL versus Team Russia, is
scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Prudential Center.
''We are proud to host an incredible exhibition game for such an
extraordinary cause,'' said Hugh Weber, President of Devils Arena
Entertainment. ''Mikey and his family are an inspiration for us all. We are
grateful for this opportunity, and give thanks to Alex Medvedev and his team
for their contribution to this cause that is close to our hearts.''
The Devils, along with the hockey community at large, has rallied around
Nichols, a high school senior, since fracturing his C-5 vertebrae on January
4. Support on social media through the hashtag #PrayForMikey has been
used by players and executives around the league including Devils alumni
and 3-time Stanley Cup Champion Ken Daneyko.
Nichols and his family was honored during the Devils game versus Detroit
and given a donation on behalf of the Legends Classic. There was alsoa a
silent auction with signed memorabilia from stars of the game, with proceeds
going to the young Monroe high school player.
"I would first like to start by expressing our families gratitude to the New
Jersey Devils organization for a fantastic evening last night," a post of Pray
for Mikey's Facebook page said, "They showed just how wonderful the
hockey community is, by not only inviting our family, friends, and Mike's
teammates to enjoy a Devils game in a suite, but topped that off by making a
25,000 dollar donation to Mike. Thank you so much New Jersey Devils, the
evening was unbelievable. We are humbled by the organizations generosity
and support for Mike from day one."
Nichols was moved back to rehab recently, according to the Facebook page.
"He is so happy to be out of the hospital, and anxious to get back to being
able to focus on his recovery," the page said.
The home team roster features a number of New Jersey Devils greats
including Daneyko, Bruce Driver, Grant Marshall, Jim Dowd, Sergei Brylin,
Colin White, Jay Pandolfo, Johan Hedberg, Bobby Carpenter and his
daughter Alex, 2014 Olympic Silver Medalist. Additional hockey legends will
include MSG Network commentator and former New York Ranger Ron
Duguay along with Brian Propp, Jaroslav Modry, Sergei Starikov and Mark
Janssens.
They will be playing against a squad led by Alexander Medvedev, General
Director of Gazprom Exports, and a host of Russian All-Stars including
Alexey Yashin, Dmitry Subbotin, Andrey Malkov, Vladimir Torzhkov and
head coach Sergey Makarov.
These teams are coming together again in 2014 after a previously successful
benefit game. In April 2013, the North American All-Stars faced off against
the Russian All-Stars in the Global Hockey Legends game at the Rock. Over
$50,000 was raised to benefit a number of programs related to Hurricane
Sandy relief. The Russians held on for a 7-6 victory, after the North American
team came back from a 6-2 third-period deficit.
Tickets to this exclusive exhibition are available, free of charge, to Devils
Season Ticket Holders and Prudential Center Platinum Seating and Suite
Holders. Additional details and rosters for the Legends Classic will be
updated here.
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New Jersey Devils
NHL trade deadline: Martin Brodeur reportedly gave Lou Lamoriello long list
of teams for deal
Email the author | on March 05, 2014 at 10:00 AM, updated March 05, 2014
at 12:36 PM
NEWARK - Welcome to NHL trade deadline day, a Wednesday in March
that, one way or another, will be historical for the Devils.
By 3 p.m., their record-setting goalie either will change organizations for the
first time at age 41, or continue to have a shot at becoming one of those rare
superstars who play with just one team from start to finish.
Neither Martin Brodeur nor Devils management is revealing much, but a
report out of Canada sure suggests a trade is possible.
According to TSN's Darren Dreger, Brodeur has given Devils GM Lou
Lamoriello a list of "8-9 teams" that he's willing to waive his no-move clause
to accept a trade.
Told Martin Brodeur has submitted a list to Lou Lamoriello of the teams
he's willing to waive his NTC to go to. (8-9 teams)....
Brodeur admitted having "some good conversations with Lou about what I
want to do" late Tuesday night after he was in goal for the Devils' emotional
4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings.
His post-game interview, which lasted more than seven minutes, didn’t
sound like a campaign speech to leave, but Brodeur did make it clear that he
wants to be somewhere in which he has an opportunity to see regular action.
Until last Saturday, Brodeur didn't play for more than a month due to Cory
Schneider getting seven consecutive starts and the Olympic break, but now
he's been between the pipes twice in three games.
Does this mean if Brodeur stays that Devils coach Pete DeBoer may go back
to some sort of a goalie platoon that would be similar to the Devils’ first half of
the season?
One of the most interesting parts of Brodeur's post-game interview was the
part in which he was asked about returning next season and suggested a
contract extension with the Devils was "possible."
To many outsiders, it has seemed a foregone conclusion that Brodeur won't
be back in 2014-15, in part because Devils management needs to convince
Schneider, who has just one season remaining on his contract, to sign an
extension. After all, the Devils did give up a high No. 1 pick on 2013 draft day
to acquire Schneider, one of the league’s top young goalies, from Vancouver.
Say Brodeur signs for another season, then what does that mean for
Schneider? You've got to figure his chances dramatically increase that he'd
opt against signing an extension with the Devils when he's allowed come
July, right?
This deadline day isn't all about Brodeur, though, because Lamoriello's other
decisions also will be a big story.
Leading scorer Jaromir Jagr probably isn't going anywhere because the
Devils are just three points out of a playoff spot, but Lamoriello could trade for
a forward with a nose for the net to bolster one of the league's lowest-scoring
clubs. The Devils reportedly have been interested in Calgary left wing Mike
Cammalleri.
Lamoriello could deal prospects and/or draft picks to a seller, or perhaps
trade one of his veteran defensemen for a scorer to another contender that
has a forward to spare.
However this shakes out, it sure will be an interesting day for Brodeur and the
Devils.
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New Jersey Devils
Will Martin Brodeur's Devils career end now, or this summer?
on March 05, 2014 at 8:50 AM, updated March 05, 2014 at 11:08 AM
It is no surprise, really. Martin Brodeur wants to play another season.
He has said since training camp that he is fearful of walking away from the
game too soon. He conducted his own poll of former teammates and
coaches, asking them what retirement is like and he has come to the
conclusion that if he can still win games, he wants to keep playing.
The surprise, perhaps, is that he doesn’t want to finish his career in New
Jersey as Cory Schneider’s backup. He wants to play more than he has since
Schneider was given the clear-cut No. 1 designation in the first week of
January.
“I’m trying to tell myself I can still play this game. I just need the opportunity,
so it’s kind of nice to be between the pipes the last few games to prove I still
can compete at a high level and get some wins,” Brodeur said. “It’s all about
winning. It’s not about stats for me. It’s all about getting W’s.”
Is 700 career wins on his mind? Probably. He needs 16 more to reach that
figure.
He might not get them if he stays with the Devils. So Brodeur’s preference is
to go somewhere where he can play, and possibly win a fourth Stanley Cup.
Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello is not sentimental, but he is
accommodating to players who have served him well. And no one has done
more for Lamoriello in his years with the Devils than Brodeur.
But Lamoriello will not give Brodeur away before the 3 p.m. trade deadline at
the expense of the team. He needs an experienced backup down the stretch
and he already has one in Brodeur.
There are some who think Brodeur, with a no-trade clause in his contract, is
in the driver’s seat. The fact is, Lamoriello doesn’t let players take the wheel.
In order for Brodeur to be in control here, and he admits he is not, he’d have
to have a must-trade-if-desired clause as well as a no-trade. Lamoriello is
talking to other teams, but the possible destinations that would suit both
Brodeur and the Devils are limited.
How valuable is a no-trade clause?
“If the team wants to trade you, they’ll trade you,” Patrik Elias said. “As a
player, you don’t want to be in a situation where you’re not happy. I think it’s a
benefit to both sides. You can choose where to go, maybe. That might be the
best part of it.
“To me, if Lou comes up to me and says, ‘Listen, we want to go a different
way,’ there is nothing I can do. You don’t want to stay somewhere if the
situation is not right for you. You want to play and you want to enjoy it. You
want to enjoy life and the hockey.”
Jaromir Jagr, who has been traded a few times, isn’t a big fan of the no-trade
clause.
“With or without it, it’s tough on both sides. You’d want to have it in your
contract, but if the team wanted to trade you they can make it so tough on
you. Sooner or later you’re just going to give up,” Jagr said.
“Be honest. The team pays so much money to the players. So I don’t think
there should be no-trade clauses in contracts. That’s the way I see it. If the
team decided to do something, they should be able to do it. On the other side,
when you have a family and kids, you get the news right away and it changes
everything. You have to change cities. It’s tough. It’s tough on your family,
because in a day or a minute you’re the property of somebody else and you
have to move. Either way, it’s not good.”
Brodeur said he is perfectly fine with whatever happens. If Lamoriello keeps
him, he’s okay with the decision. The goalie even admitted a contract
extension is a possibility.
If he is traded, it will be a shame to see Brodeur put on another jersey. But he
wants to keep playing and it is very possible, if not likely, that if the Devils
decide to keep him, he’ll wind up with another team when he becomes a free
agent this summer.
730782
New Jersey Devils
Devils legends play in charity game for injured Monroe hockey player Mikey
Nichols
Brian Amaral/NJ.com By Brian Amaral/NJ.com
Email the author | on March 05, 2014 at 10:47 PM, updated March 06, 2014
at 12:25 AM
NEWARK – You can tell a lot about a kid by how he carries himself on the ice,
and even when he was a 5-year-old mite, Mikey Nichols was a fearless,
determined, hardworking hockey player, according to his coach way back
then.
That's why Mark Richman is optimistic about Nichols' recovery from a broken
neck, suffered during a game his senior season with Monroe High School in
January. Nichols has pledged to walk again, and Richman, who coached him
all those years ago, has little reason to doubt his resolve.
"He's tough as nails," said Richman, watching a charity game in Nichols'
honor at the Prudential Center in Newark between retired Devils players and
a squad of retired Russian pros. "No fears."
Signs of Mikey were everywhere at Wednesday's charity event. The hockey
community has rallied around the cause, with the unifying phrase, "pray for
Mikey." The players on Wednesday wore purple laces on their skates, for the
color of Monroe's sports teams. Some in the crowd sported purple ribbons on
their jackets. And at the end of the game, after all the players lined up for a
group picture, it was a New Jersey Devils jersey – No. 23, NICHOLS
emblazoned across the top – that they held up like Lord Stanley.
The NHL and Russian KHL retirees have held these charity games before,
but raising money for an injured hockey player added significance to the
game, said retired Devils player Ken Daneyko.
"This is the game we love," Daneyko said as he took off his gear in the locker
room, pausing to sign a teammate's jersey so they could donate it for Nichols.
"And when it's for someone who had a freak accident, we just want to lend a
hand any way we can."
Raising money for Nichols in the so-called "Legends Classic" was the first
thing that came to mind when the retired Devils players began coordinating
the game with Alex Medvedev, the president of the Russian KHL and an
executive at Gazprom, a Russian energy company.
Gazprom and the Devils presented Nichols' family with a $25,000 donation
on Tuesday night. Nichols will also receive the No. 23 Devils jersey, which
was signed by all the participants in Wednesday night's game. Daneyko said
he hopes one day to visit Nichols, and said he'd tell Nichols to "keep the faith"
and "keep fighting."
The Devils team featured players like Bruce Driver, Grant Marshall, Jim
Dowd, Sergei Brylin, Colin White, Jay Pandolfo, Johan Hedberg, Bobby
Carpenter and his daughter Alex, 2014 Olympic Silver medalist who scored
Wednesday night. A full list of players can be found here.
"We're playing tonight in his honor," Daneyko said. "He's a fighter."
The Russian team beat the retired Devils, 17 to 5. The game was a little
lopsided, and the home crowd seemed to cheer just as much for the
intermittent announcements and Jumbotron notices of Nichols as they did for
Team Devils scores. It was clearly a friendly match: Several Devils players
weren't wearing helmets.
Hockey moms Kim Solimine and Angela Sabie came to the event from Toms
River to support the Nichols family. Their own hockey squads had held a
similar exhibition match for Nichols, and raised more than $600. Neither
Solimine, whose 9-year-old daughter Samantha is a winger, nor Sabie,
whose 10-year-old son Dominick McKeon is a goalie, has met Nichols. That
doesn't matter in the tight-knit world of youth hockey.
"There's no other sport more like family than hockey," said Solimine. "You
have to come out and show support. That's the way it is."
730783
New Jersey Devils
Brodeur remains Devil as trade deadline passes; Canes retained some
salary in Ruutu deal
everything that transpires between a player and myself is up front and
straightforward and that’s all I want.”
There’s clearly a strong bond between Lamoriello and Brodeur that has
developed since the Devils drafted him 20th overall in 1990.
Posted by Tom Gulitti
“I don’t think there’s anyone who would dispute what Marty Brodeur has
meant and still means to this organization both professionally and personally
as far as what he’s achieved,” Lamoriello said. “In my opinion, the greatest
goaltender of all time. He still knows how to win and still capable of winning
and still capable of winning a big game as he showed last night.”
Martin Brodeur will remain a Devil for the rest of the season.
Bergen Record LOADED: 03.06.2014
The 41-year-old future Hall of Famer had hoped that GM Lou Lamoriello
could find a situation for him where he would be able to play more than he
has been lately behind Cory Schneider, but Lamoriello decided not to deal
him before today’s 3 p.m. trade deadline.
The reality was that Brodeur was more valuable remaining with the Devils
than what Lamoriello could have gotten back for him in any potential deal
today. In fact, after being in net for Devils’ 4-3 win over Detroit Tuesday, it’s
possible Brodeur will start again in Friday’s rematch at Joe Louis Arena.
“Let me put it this way,” Lamoriello said. “Marty was a Devil yesterday, he’s a
Devil today and he will be a Devil tomorrow. And that’s a good thing for the
franchise.”
The only trade the Devils completed today was the deal sending center
Andrei Loktionov and a conditional 2017 third-round pick to Carolina for
forward Tuomo Ruutu. Lamoriello said the Hurricanes retained some salary
in the trade. Ruutu is flying back from San Jose with the Hurricanes this
afternoon and the Devils hope to have him at practice in Newark Thursday
afternoon. He’d then accompany the team to Detroit for Friday’s game.
Following Tuesday’s game, Brodeur revealed he met extensively with
Lamoriello about his future – both the remainder of this season and next
season. He had said he was “open” to waiving the no-trade clause in his
contract if Lamoriello found a “better situation” for him and was able to
acquire something to help the Devils in return. He also said Tuesday night
that he was “good” with it if Lamoriello ended up not trading him.
Lamoriello said he had no reason to think that Brodeur won’t be happy
staying with the Devils for the remainder of the season and continuing to
share the net with Cory Schneider.
“I wouldn’t know why and why not. I don’t have any other indication,”
Lamoriello said. “This player you’re talking about just won one of the most
important games last night and he played because of the way he’s been
playing.”
And Lamoriello is still happy to have both Brodeur and Schneider as his two
goaltenders.
“I haven’t changed my feeling from Day 1 when the season began,” he said.
“They’re our two goaltenders right now and it is what it is.”
It is still possible that Brodeur will sign with another team next season after
his contract with the Devils expires. But that is a discussion for this summer.
Lamoriello refused to talk anything concerning whether he was considering
tradiing Brodeur or his discussions with him, including whether a report that
Brodeur had given him a list of eight or nine teams that he would accept a
trade too.
“I’m not ever going to get into any discussions on any player whether it’s
Marty or any other player as far as what kind of dialogue you have if you have
any,” Lamoriello said.
Lamoriello then suggested that the idea that Brodeur could be traded was
mostly a media creation, though it was Brodeur who stated after Tuesday’s
game that he didn’t know if he’d still be a Devil after the deadline.
“There certainly was a lot created about it,” Lamoriello said. “The most
important thing was the game last night. It was an important game. Marty
played extremely well and we got two points. Now, we just have to go
forward.”
In fact, Lamoriello said this trade deadline really was “very similar to any
other trade deadline” and would not acknowledge any emotional difference
with Brodeur’s name being involved.
“Everything is emotional,” he said. “If you’re saying that because Marty
Brodeur was a focus of what would happen or what would not happen,
730784
New Jersey Devils
Devils’ Schneider has been in this situation before; Still quiet on Brodeur
trade front
Cory Schneider has been in this situation before – sort of.
Prior to last season’s trade deadline he was with the Vancouver Canucks,
pretty sure he would not be moved, but waiting to find out of Roberto Luongo
was going to be traded.
Today, it’s pretty certain the Devils are not going trade Schneider before the
3 p.m. league deadline and he’s waiting to find out of Martin Brodeur will be
traded.
Last season, Luongo was not traded. What will happen with Brodeur remains
unknown, though it’s been very quiet so far as he enter the final half hour
before the 3 p.m. deadline.
“Last year was very different circumstances and a unique situation just like
this is a unique situation,” Schneider said after today’s optional practice. “So,
I try not to compare the two. It’s part of the business. It’s how the game works
and it’s a reality that maybe you’re a little naïve when you first come in and in
you’re with your first organization and then you realize that people move on,
things happen and you just have to deal with it.
“You’ve got friendships, guys get traded and you’re still friends with them and
you still keep in touch with people. Just because a guy gets moved that
doesn’t mean you cease all contact or they don’t exist anymore. Life goes
on.”
The draft day trade that sent Schneider from Vancouver to the Devils last
June took many, including Schneider, Luongo and Brodeur, by surprise and
has led to the point now that Brodeur has said he’s open to moving to another
team – and, thus, waiving his no-trade clause – if GM Lou Lamoriello can find
an opportunity for him to play more and get something back to help the Devils
in return.
Schneider said he has “no idea” what Brodeur will ultimately decide.
“It’s something he’s dealing with privately with Lou and it’s really none of our
business or not our place to ask him what he’s doing,” Schneider said. “So, I
think we respect his wishes and his privacy and we’ll see how this plays out.”
Schneider has stated all along that he hopes Brodeur is not traded and they
continue to be teammates for the rest of the season.
“It’s what we’ve been doing all year and he’s played well for us, especially
getting a big win last night,” Schneider said. “People talk about insurance for
other teams. Well, it’s never a bad thing to have two good goalies on your
own team, if we’re looking to make a push here, which I think we are and we
believe we can get in the playoffs. Not that I have any doubt in my abilities,
but, again, things happen, people get hurt, stuff changes. He’s an asset to us
and we view him in the highest regard.”
If Brodeur were to be traded, then that would leave Schneider as the Devils’
clear No. 1. As he’s said since the Devils traded for him, Schneider does not
view himself as Brodeur’s replacement.
“I don’t know what to think right now. He’s still here. I don’t think you ever
replace Marty. I’m not him, I’m not going to be him, but I’m going to try to be
myself and do my own things and take some of the stuff that I’ve learned from
a lot of great people who I’ve played with along the way – him being one of
them. So, again, you’re never going to replace Marty in lieu of what he’s done
and been doing for this team for so long. So, I don’t look at it that way.
“I just look at it as trying to create your own path and create your own career.”
Schneider said he “chatted back and forth” with Luongo after he was traded
to Florida Tuesday.
“A pretty shocking move,” Schneider said. “So, if this is what he wants, then
I’m happy for him.”
When I asked if he would have believed it a year ago that neither he nor
Luongo would be in Vancouver now, he replied, “Maybe. It’s been an
interesting few months and years there.”
730785
New Jersey Devils
Devils acquire Ruutu for Loktionov., conditional 3rd round pick; All quiet on
Brodeur front
The Devils have acquired forward Tuomo Ruutu from the Carolina Hurricane
for center Andrei Loktionov. and a conditional third-round pick in 2017.
The Hurricanes were looking to move Ruutu’s contract, which has two more
years left on it after this season with an actual salary of $5 million per season
and a cap hit of $4.75 million per season.
Ruutu, 31, has five goals and 11 assists in 57 games this season. Ruutu, who
can play center or wing, also helped Finland win the bronze medal at the
2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia by registering one goal and four assists in six
games.
The 6-foot, 205-pound forward has 138 goals and 186 assists for 324 points
and 550 penalty minutes in 606 career appearances over 10 seasons with
Chicago and Carolina. Ruutu was the Blackhawks’ first choice and ninth
overall selection in the 2001 Entry Draft.
Loktionov, 23, has four goals and eight assists in 48 games this season. The
5-foot-11, 190-pound Russian is a potential restricted free agent on a
one-year contract worth $725,000.
The Devils host the Hurricanes Saturday night after playing in Detroit Friday.
***
FYI: Everything remains quiet on the Martin Brodeur front. As far as I know,
that doesn’t mean he definitely won’t be traded before today’s 3 p.m. NHL
trade deadline. I’ll continue to keep an eye on this.
730786
New Jersey Devils
Optional practice for Devils today; No surprise Brodeur is not participating
As expected, the Devils are holding an optional practice today. Only seven
players are participating.
Goaltender Martin Brodeur is not among them, but that’s not really a surprise
after he played Tuesday night, so I wouldn’t read anything into it as far as
whether he’ll be traded before today’s 3 p.m. league deadline.
Skating today are goaltender Cory Schneider, defensemen Eric Gelinas,
Peter Harrold and Anton Volchenkov and forwards Jacob Josefson, Andrei
Loktionov and Damien Brunner.
Devils coach Pete DeBoer said Brodeur was here for the team’s meeting with
all the other players and he believes he has already headed home, as most
of other players not skating today have done.
DeBoer admitted it’s an “unsettling day” in general with the trade deadline
approaching.
“And whatever I’m feeling that’s multiplied by 10 from the players’
perspective,” DeBoer said. “So, it’s not an easy day. We brought the team in.
We had a quick meeting. Guys stretched out and feel good about the way
we’ve come back from the Olympic break. We’ve won three out of four and a
lot of the guys have already headed home and are out of the building. So,
that’s pretty much the update.”
DeBoer said hello to Brodeur this morning and asked “how you feeling? But
nothing about the trade deadline or anything like that.”
DeBoer wasn’t interested in speculating on whether Brodeur will still be a
Devil after the deadline.
“We’ll deal with that if something were to happen,” he said. “I’m hoping that 3
o’ clock gets here quickly and I know who the 22, 23 guys we’re going to have
and who we’re dealing with and we can get to work with them for an awful big
weekend this weekend with Detroit and Carolina coming in here. That’s my
mindset right now.”
DeBoer said he’d likely hear from GM Lou Lamoriello if any trade is made,
but isn’t going to be getting regular updates from him before that.
“Lou’s doing his thing up in the office,” DeBoer said. “We’re down here
watching tape and getting ready for Detroit on Friday. I’m sure if something
happens I’ll be one of the first calls he makes. I think I’ll get a call before you
guys do, but probably not much sooner.”
DeBoer said again that he’s fine with his roster as is if no trades are made.
“I’ve said this before,” DeBoer said. “If we don’t do anything I’m very
comfortable with the group we have and I think we’re showing that we can
win and win consistently and I believe we can get into the playoffs with the
group we have. At the same time, every coach in this league has a wish list of
things they would like to have. The reality of the NHL is that’s not always
possible. So, I’m good with whatever happens.”
***
DeBoer said it’s not “necessarily an accurate statement” to say that Brodeur
is not the team’s No. 1 goalie.
I think Cory grabbed the ball here prior to the Olympic break and ran with it for
a while. Prior to that, Marty ran with it for a while. I think it’s been there for
either of them to grab and they have at different respective times and that’s
the case moving forward here.”
When asked about what it’s been like to coach Brodeur, DeBoer said, “It’s
been an incredible privilege is probably the best way to put it. I came in here
three years ago following a legend in Jacques Lemaire and really needed the
dressing room to buy into what we were selling and he was in the first in line
to give us that support.
“That was through some tough times early. We ended up going to the Stanley
Cup Finals, but was a rocky road getting there. I’ll always appreciate that
support early when we were here and then, obviously, where he led us at 40
years old to the Finals. To be able to experience that first hand, that level that
everyone had always talked about that he was able to get himself to when the
chips were on the line is something that I’ll never forget.”
730787
New Jersey Devils
It’s deadline day: Will Brodeur be traded? Will Lamoriello be able to acquire
scoring help?
Trade deadline day has arrived. Teams have until 3 p.m. today to improve
their rosters for the playoffs push or move pieces to improve for the future.
The Devils are scheduled to have an 11 a.m. meeting followed by a noon
practice at Prudential Center. Considering that head coach Pete DeBoer
talked after Tuesday night’s 4-3 win over Detroit about “how empty the tanks”
were in that game – their fourth in six nights – it seems likely it will be a similar
situation to Monday when only a few players skated.
The team’s next game isn’t until Friday, so it might turn out to be a full day off
the ice for most if not all of the players.
There will continue to be a lot of talk about Martin Brodeur and whether he
will be traded. He made it pretty clear following Tuesday night’s game that he
wants to play next season and, therefore, would like to play more over the
final stretch here to make an informed decision on whether he should come
back. He said Saturday that he wouldn’t need to be the starting goaltender to
accept a trade, just the opportunity to play more than he has been since early
January—five starts in the last 19 games.
Brodeur also made it clear, though, that he has not waived his no-trade
clause or been asked to do so yet and he’s going to hold onto that right to
make sure he has the final say if Lou Lamoriello does come up with a trade
offer the GM likes.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Tuesday night that Brodeur has given
Lamoriello a list of eight or nine teams that he’d be willing to waive his
no-trade clause to go to, but by Brodeur’s comments Tuesday night he’s not
given up the right to say no to any deal.
“I have the last word,” Brodeur said Tuesday night. “I didn’t give up anything
of my status right now and I’m planning on keeping it until I’m asked.”
Whether Brodeur would accept the trade is a big part of the equation, but
whether Lamoriello will actually trade him is just as a big factor. Whatever
Lamoriello would get back would have to be enough to convince him to leave
the team without an experienced backup behind Cory Schneider. Or he’d
have to get another goaltender back in the deal.
Convincing Lamoriello that his team’s chances of making the playoff won’t be
negatively impacted by trading Brodeur is the key here. Plus, there’s the
sentimental pull of letting go of a player who has been with the organization
since he was drafted 20th overall in 1990.
Brodeur also said he’d be “good’ with it if he is still a Devil after the deadline.
So, we’ll see how that plays out today.
All of the talk about Brodeur – deserved because he is without question the
most important player in Devils’ history – has distracted from the fact that
adding some scoring help is the higher priority for Lamoriello, who is trying to
strengthen a team that is two points out of a playoff spot with 19 games
remaining.
The Devils’ interest in Mike Cammalleri, who the Calgary Flames are looking
to move, is something I reported back before the Olympic break. Lamoriello
usually keeps the lid down pretty tight on what players he might be trying to
land, but there’s probably some other options out there that he’s in on.
(There’s been a lot of talk about Ales Hemsky in Edmonton possibly being
moved for a second or third round draft pick.)
Whether Lamoriello can land any of the scoring options available is another
question. With no first-round pick in this year’s draft, that limits the pieces the
Devils can give up in a rental-type trade. Can the Devils afford to give up a
second-round pick this year and leave them without a pick in the first two
rounds? Or would a team be willing to take a pick from next year’s draft?
The teams looking to move the bigger names out there that are available –
Thomas Vanek, Matt Moulson, Ryan Kesler – are going to bring back big
pieces of the future (prospects and high picks) the Devils probably can’t
afford to give up.
Although the team is very much in the playoff hunt, it’s hard to think of a piece
that they’d be able to add today that would guarantee they’ll get in. With no
guarantee of a playoff spot, giving up pieces of the future for a rental player
would be a risk.
But, hockey trades – deals exchanging players with contracts that go beyond
this season – aren’t that common on deadline day.
It seems pretty clear the Devils won’t be sellers today because, as Brodeur
said Monday, Lamoriello has never given up on a season like that. So, unless
someone offers a deal impossible to turn down, Jaromir Jagr isn’t going
anywhere.
It is possible, however, that Lamoriello could try moving one of his rental-type
defensemen – Marek Zidlicky (no-trade), Mark Fayne – and then use
whatever future piece he gets back as part of a deal for a scorer. (Or deal for
a rental scorer and then pick up a different future piece by trading a rental
player.)
Last season, the Devils were in a similar position at the deadline (they were
tied for the last playoff spot) and Lamoriello was also looking for scoring help
and sounded very frustrated after he couldn’t do more than bring in Steve
Sullivan from Phoenix for this year’s seventh-round draft pick.
It would not be shocking if the Devils ended up in the same situation after
today’s deadline, having made a secondary-type trade.
I will be going to Prudential Center for the team’s practice and then staying
there through the trade deadline. Any news, of course, I will put up in a new
blog post.
730788
New Jersey Devils
Devils like “in your face” dimension Tuomo Ruutu brings, but will he help
them score more?
Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said he was hoping to add “a top nine
forward” before today’s 3 p.m. NHL trade deadline and believes he
succeeded in acquiring forward Tuomo Ruutu from the Carolina Hurricanes.
In exchange for the 31-year-old Ruutu the Devils sent center Andrei
Loktionov and a conditional 2017 third-round draft pick to the Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes agreed to retain some salary from the remainder of Ruutu’s
contract, which has two more seasons left on it after this one with a cap hit of
$4.75 million and an actual salary of $5 million the next two seasons.
Lamoriello would not reveal the conditions on the draft pick. CapGeek.com
reported that the Hurricanes retained 20 percent of Ruutu’s salary.
Ruutu waived the no-trade in his contract to join the Devils in the only deal
they completed before the deadline.
“Our intention certainly was to get a top nine forward with a lot of grit and
competes and has a habit of playing in big games,” Lamoriello said. “We’ve
played enough against him over the years and we feel good about him.”
Ruutu was to fly back from San Jose to Raleigh with the Hurricanes this
afternoon and Lamoriello said he should be able to make it to Newark in time
for Thursday afternoon’s practice and the team’s flight to Detroit for Friday’s
game there. Then, it would be back to New Jersey for a game against his
former Hurricanes teammates Saturday night.
“He’s delighted to be here,” Lamoriello said. “He had to make the decision to
come here because he has a no-trade clause. So, that decision was on him
100 percent. He had a choice and he came here.”
Ruutu, a 6-foot-0, 205-pound native of Vantaa, Finland, has struggled this
season in putting up only five goals and 11 assists in 57 games with the
Hurricanes after recovering from surgeries on both of his hips – one before
and the other after the lockout shortened 2012-13 season.
“He came off an injury from last year and a little rehab. It takes a while,”
Lamoriello said. “But we’ve followed him enough and he certainly did have an
excellent (Olympics). In fact, the whole team had it with Finland. But he does
the things we like to see. He gets right in your face.”
Ruutu showed he was healthy during the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia
with one goal and four assist in six games in helping Finland bring home the
bronze medal.
“I think it was an indication to us that he’s 100 percent on how he played,”
Lamoriello said. “Prior to that, he was playing well. He exceeded what he was
doing and then he came back and did the same thing.”
Ruutu, who was drafted ninth overall by Chicago in 2001, set a career-high
with 26 goals in 79 games with Carolina in 2008-09 and then helped the
Hurricanes defeat the Devils in a seven-game first round playoff series that
spring, scoring a goal in the deciding game. Ruutu had 19 goals and 38
assists for a career-high 57 points in 82 games in 2010-11, but dropped off to
18 goals and 16 assist in 72 games in 2011-12.
After returning late in 2012-13 from his first hip surgery, Ruutu had four goals
and five assists in 17 games.
“He brings a certain dimension that I think we have, but not enough of,”
Lamoriello said. “He brings a grit, he brings a competitiveness and also he
brings an experience of playing in big games and knowing how to compete.
He’s a player you want on your side. I know he was an antagonistic player
against us over the years.”
Ruutu is another versatile player that can play center or on the wing, but has
played mostly wing with the Hurricanes. With Loktionov leaving in the trade,
the Devils have an opening for a center on the third line between Ryane
Clowe and Michael Ryder. Lamoriello said it will be up to head coach Pete
DeBoer to decide where he’ll play, though.
“The coaches will decide that as far as what’s best,” Lamoriello said. “We’re
fortunate enough to have several players who can fit in different positions.
Other than two or three, they can all be interchangeable. So, it’s going to be
what line combinations that the coaches feel (are best). He’s a left-handed
shot, but can play anywhere.”
He also has experience playing on both special teams.
“He’s played in all situations,” Lamoriello said. “He’s not a player that’s one
dimensional. He was a pretty high draft pick. We remember him from his draft
year when Chicago took him. He’s been consistent and he’s scored. He’s
had 26-goal season, so it’s not something he’s not capable of doing.”
Lamoriello would not get into specifics about any other players he might have
tried to acquire before the deadline or if he came close to completing any
other deals.
“The last 48 hours it was transactions I wouldn’t have predicted the way they
started to go,” Lamoriello said. “As far as what we were trying to do, we’re
always trying to get better. And there’s a price that you have to pay and you
have to weigh what’s too much and what’s too little. But we feel very good
about this addition because he’s also here for a couple years. He’s (31) years
old, takes care of himself and he knows how to play. He brings a certain
dimension I think we need.”
Prior to making the trade for Ruutu, Lamoriello said repeatedly he felt good
his team’s chances of making the playoffs. So, obviously, that feeling has not
changed.
“I was hoping we were closer to being a playoff team yesterday, but this
player makes us, in my opinion, a better team today than we were
yesterday,” he said.
Now, the Devils have to find a way to get to the postseason. They sit two
points out of a playoff spot with 19 games remaining.
“I was confident prior to making this transaction about this team,” Lamoriello
said. “I think some of our players are just starting to find themselves after the
break. We’ve got a couple of others that I feel are ready to achieve and we’re
a team (that) we have to play as a team. And our coaching staff has done a
great job of maximizing that and once you get in the playoffs it’s anybody’s
chance. But you have to get there first and we’re right there in the mix. We
have to win. It’s as simple as that.”
***
Loktionov, 23, showed some flashes of offensive promise last season in
putting up eight goals and four assists in 28 NHL games after being acquired
from Los Angeles, but wasn’t able to build off that this season.
Loktionov had just four goals and eight assists in 48 games, bounced up and
down the lineup, seeing time on all four lines, and was a healthy scratch 13
times. There was a report that Loktionov, who is eligible to become a
restricted free agent this summer, was unhappy and wanted out, but
Lamoriello said the Devils were happy with him.
“He’s such a great kid,” Lamoriello said. “It was just that we were going to be
creating a hole in the top nine and they needed a forward back. We’ve got
(Jacob Josefson) as our 13th forward right now.”
With the trade deadline passing, teams no longer are limited to 23 players on
their roster, but Lamoriello said there are no plans to call up any more players
at this time.
Rookie defensemen Jon Merrill and Eric Gelinas were both sent down to
Albany today and called back up so they could be on the AHL team’s “clear
day” roster and be eligible to play in the playoffs there.
730789
New Jersey Devils
They tried to show him Tuesday, even if he wasn’t quite ready to accept it.
Keeping Brodeur was best move Lou could make
11:43 PM
Last updated: Wednesday March 5, 2014,
By TARA SULLIVAN
RECORD COLUMNIST
We might never know how close Lou Lamoriello got to trading Martin Brodeur
before Wednesday’s 3 p.m. deadline, or whether the longtime Devils’ general
manager ever even got close at all. Lamoriello was predictably truculent
about speculation surrounding the franchise’s future Hall of Fame
goaltender, despite the fact that the 21-year veteran Devil fueled much of it
himself by admitting he was open to the idea of finishing this season
somewhere other than New Jersey.
In the end, the storm of panic sweeping through Devils nation passed without
leaving any damage in its wake. Brodeur is staying put, here to help the
Devils make a final, frantic playoff push across the regular season’s final 19
games, here because the thought of making that last surge without him was
just too strange, too risky and ultimately, too wrong, to imagine. Could the
Devils really have navigated their way out of their present two-point playoff
deficit by changing their locker room so inexorably, so permanently by
removing Brodeur’s constant, calming presence?
Lamoriello has experienced enough trade-deadline frenzy to know that some
of the best deals are the ones you don’t make.
“No question, locker room composition is extremely important,” Lamoriello
said in a phone call from his office, just a couple of hours after the trade
deadline passed.
“You have to be careful of what you subtract as much as what you add.”
As much as the rival Rangers bolstered their offense with the Tuesday
acquisition of Martin St. Louis, they know they took a risk in giving up captain
Ryan Callahan, whose name seems permanently followed by a
“heart-and-soul-of-the-locker-room” modifier. The Devils faced a similar risk
with Brodeur, the man who has grown up with this franchise, anchoring three
Stanley Cup championships, setting countless NHL records as the Devils
emerged as one of the league’s most stable and successful franchises.
Though his expiring contract and his desire for more playing time dictate he
might be an ex-Devil next season anyway — Brodeur knows the franchise’s
future now lies in fellow keeper Cory Schneider — the thought of giving him
away midstream proved too much for Lamoriello to stomach. Bonded in a
way we rarely see, joined in attitude, aptitude and outlook since the day
Lamoriello drafted Brodeur more than two decades ago, they are identified
as much with each other as with the team they work for. Their road together
has to end someday; just not yet.
“Marty was a Devil yesterday, he’s a Devil today and he will be a Devil
tomorrow,” Lamoriello said. “And that’s a good thing for the franchise.”
What’s also good for the franchise is the presence of two quality goaltenders,
a point none other than Schneider insisted on making Wednesday, after the
Devils ended an optional practice. Brodeur didn’t take the ice, having
anchored Tuesday night’s 4-3 win over Detroit, an important step in the
attempt to move up the playoff ladder.
The game had turned into a de facto farewell party for Brodeur, a sold-out
affair full of fans afraid they might miss his final game as a Devil. Though it
turned out to be nothing more than Brodeur’s 684th career NHL victory
(against 391 losses and 152 ties), it also served as a preview of what we
might see as the season winds down.
Brodeur has never craved a goodbye tour a la Mariano Rivera, never was
prepared to go into a season knowing it would be his last, a la Derek Jeter,
but with hard reality standing in his way at season’s end, he might not be able
to avoid one.
Generations of fans accustomed to seeing Brodeur in goal the way Yankee
fans are used to seeing Jeter at shortstop are going to want to say goodbye,
are going to want their chance to thank the man who turned a Mickey Mouse
franchise into three-time champions.
Brodeur admitted he heard them, heard the chants coming from all those
voices as he walked off the ice, heard them calling his name for a curtain call
he had no interest or intention to answer. Twenty-one years in the NHL has
brought many, many similar verbal hugs, and yet he still claimed to be
surprised by the outpouring.
“I didn’t expect that,” he said before revealing some of the toll of the
emotional journey of recent weeks, and not simply because he considered
waiving his no-trade clause, but because he was clearly seeing his co-No. 1
status with Schneider devolve into a definitive backup role.
“It’s been a hard couple weeks and it’s been a hard last part of the season for
me with not playing a lot. We’ll see what’s going to happen,” he said after the
game. “This is who I am. I’m a Devil and I’m always going to be a Devil
regardless of what happens.”
What happens for Brodeur on the ice depends on how coach Pete DeBoer
rotates his goalies over these final weeks. What didn’t happen on trading day
proved once again that the biggest move can indeed be the one you don’t
make.
The last time we reached DEFCON 1 with Brodeur’s future was two years
ago, when the Devils were heading into a Stanley Cup Finals against the
Kings, wondering whether Brodeur would retire with a potential title (one that
went to the Kings instead). In an interview in his office leading up the start of
that series, Lamoriello contemplated Brodeur’s exit strategy.
He told me this: “Marty will be a Devil as long as he wants to be.”
When he told me Wednesday, “that is not a false statement” still, he proved it
with the move he didn’t make.
730790
New Jersey Devils
After NHL trade deadline, Martin Brodeur remains with Devils
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS STAFF & WIRE REPORTS
Thursday, March 6, 2014, 12:07 AM
Martin Brodeur is staying with the Devils after all.
Despite speculation that the Devils were considering dealing the NHL’s
winningest goaltender, the 41-year-old will finish his 20th consecutive
season in New Jersey after Wednesday’s trade deadline expired. Devils
general manager Lou Lamoriello refused to say whether any teams either
inquired about Brodeur’s availability or if they offered him to anyone. He also
refused to say whether Brodeur had waived his no-trade clause, given him a
list of teams to which he would agree to be traded, or was even a topic in his
trade discussions.
“Why are we dealing in hypotheticals, I have no idea,” Lamoriello said. “It’s
not the case. So why we react and try to look for something that’s not there
and create a story out of nothing.”
Brodeur did not attend the Devils’ optional practice Wednesday and he was
not immediately available for comment.
The NHL’s career leader in wins, minutes played, games played, losses and
shutouts had fueled some of the trade talk by saying he was not happy with
his playing time in recent weeks.
The Devils did acquire forward Tuomo Ruutu from the Carolina Hurricanes
for center Andrei Loktionov and a conditional third-round pick in 2017.
New York Daily News LOADED: 03.06.2014
730791
New Jersey Devils
Martin Brodeur staying put as Devils nix deal
By Associated Press
March 5, 2014 | 5:21pm
Martin Brodeur is staying with the New Jersey Devils.
Despite speculation that the Devils were considering dealing the NHL’s
winningest goaltender, the 41-year-old will finish his 20th consecutive
season in New Jersey after Wednesday’s trade deadline expired.
Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello refused to say whether any teams
either inquired about Brodeur’s availability or they offered him to anyone. He
also refused to say whether Brodeur had waived his no-trade clause or given
him a list of teams to which he would agree to be traded.
Brodeur started the season as the Devils’ top goaltender but he has taken a
back seat to Cory Schneider in recently. He was unhappy with his playing
time in recent weeks.
New York Post LOADED: 03.06.2014
730792
New Jersey Devils
Brodeur wins possible finale as Devil
By Brett Cyrgalis
March 5, 2014 | 4:28am
The fact is the speculation finally came from the source Tuesday night, as
Martin Brodeur stoked the flames of the possibility of his own impending
trade after his Devils pulled out an improbable 4-3 victory over the Red Wings
at Prudential Center.
On the eve of Wednesday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline, the 41-year-old netminder
played just well enough to give his team a big win over an Eastern
Conference foe directly above it in the race for one of the final playoff berths.
Brodeur didn’t get a ton of work as his name continued to be mentioned in
trade rumors, but the 20 saves he made were sufficient not only for his
second win (the team’s third) in the four games since the end of the Olympic
break, but good enough to get him to publicly begin talking about playing
again next season.
He admitted to having recent conversations with general manager Lou
Lamoriello about waiving his no-trade clause, and the possibility of finding a
home, whether it be in New Jersey or somewhere else, for more than just the
final few months of this season.
“I had some good conversations with Lou about what I want to do for the rest
of the year and maybe next year,” Brodeur said. “From there, it’s up to him to
make the decision that he wants. He knows where I stand.
“These are private matters between me and him. It’s been a hard couple
weeks and it’s been a hard last part of the season for me, not playing a lot.
We’ll see what’s going to happen here.”
What happened on Tuesday morning was an erroneous report on the Daily
News’ website that said a deal was in place to send Brodeur to the Wild, a
deal that would have been inexplicably delayed because Brodeur wanted to
play one more game in front of his home fans. As implausible as it sounds for
both teams, it was a rumor brought to Brodeur before the morning skate, and
one he immediately struck down.
“Lou limits as many distractions as he can for us,” said coach Pete DeBoer.
“I’m sure someone got spanked for that.”
Yet that doesn’t mean it’s any less likely Brodeur can and will be traded
before the deadline. His twin sons are in school in Minnesota, and he was
born and raised just outside of Montreal, where his recently deceased father
was the Canadiens team photographer. There seem to be obvious places
where he would be comfortable going, and would waive his no-trade clause
to do so.
“Again, I have the last word,” said Brodeur, whose team got the game-winner
on a Stephen Gionta deflection with just 36.6 seconds remaining, getting the
Devils to 27-23-13, one point behind the Red Wings before Friday’s second
leg of this home-and-home, and two points behind the eighth-place Blue
Jackets. “I haven’t given up any of my status right now, and I’m not going to
give it up until I’m asked.”
Brodeur said he is open to the possibility of a contract extension, although it’s
hard to see that happening in Newark, where 27-year-old Cory Schneider
has established himself as the No. 1 goalie.
“I’m trying to kill myself to say to myself that I can still play this game,” said
Brodeur, who hadn’t played in this building since Jan. 7, and had played just
four games in the interim. “I just need the opportunity. So it’s kind of nice to
be in between the pipes the last few games to prove that I still can compete at
a high level and get some wins.”
This was win No. 684 of his career in game No. 1,250 for this franchise, and
after it, Gionta went and got the puck, handing it over to the player Jaromir
Jagr called “the face of this franchise.”
If Brodeur goes, the all-time leader in wins and shutouts knows where it has
all happened, even if that’s not necessarily the same place where it will
continue, and probably end.
“I care — this is who I am,” he said. “I’m a Devil and I’m always going to be a
Devil regardless of what happens.”
730793
New Jersey Devils
Martin Brodeur plays it straight as trade rumors swirl
By Larry Brooks
March 5, 2014 | 4:05am
You looked down at the ice for one final time watching to see if there would
be anything different about the way Martin Brodeur would respond to this
victory, watched to see if the goaltender would do anything special on his
way to the locker room after being congratulated at the Rock by teammates
named Mark Fayne, Jaromir Jagr and Stephen Gionta the way he was so
many times at the Meadowlands by Devils named Scott Stevens, John
MacLean and Brian Gionta.
Watched to see if he would do anything following this 4-3 victory over the Red
Wings that could be remotely as special as what he has done in a New
Jersey uniform for two decades.
But there was nothing different about this 684th victory celebration of
Brodeur’s career, nothing that would have told a visitor from another planet
this night might have been the most different of all of them.
And why was this night different from all other nights?
Because it might well have been Brodeur’s last night as a Devil.
The all-time goaltender kept his intentions as hidden as if he were still behind
a mask when asked after the game if he had sought or would accept a trade
before Wednesday’s deadline. Brodeur said he has had a series of
conversations with general manager Lou Lamoriello, the contents of which
he would not reveal.
We do know this, however: Brodeur wants to play and he wants to play a lot
more than he has this calendar year, having started only three of 16 games
immediately preceding last Saturday’s match against the Islanders.
“Lou knows exactly where I stand,” Brodeur said.
League sources have told The Post Lamoriello is reluctant to trade Brodeur,
and why wouldn’t he be? The fact is, locked in a life-and-death battle to make
the playoffs after missing twice in the last three seasons and going against a
Red Wings team the Devils trailed by three points for a wild-card spot, coach
Peter DeBoer chose Brodeur rather than Cory Schneider to start in nets.
DeBoer’s wasn’t a choice based on sentiment, goodness gracious not that,
or were you not paying attention that afternoon in the Bronx in late January,
the last time the coach went with Brodeur out of a sense of duty and
romance?
The Devils went with Brodeur against Detroit because they felt he gave them
the best chance to win the game. There are 19 games to go and four teams
for the Devils to leapfrog in order to squeeze into the postseason, and they
are going to need the best from their two goaltenders.
Here’s the thing, perhaps to which Brodeur alluded when he said, “It’s all
about winning, not about stats,” and that is, despite somewhat inferior
numbers to his partner, Brodeur has won 15 of his 30 starts (15-11-4) while
Schneider has won 12 of 33 (12-12-9).
Which is to say what is best for Brodeur might not be what is best at the
moment for the Devils, and Lamoriello’s first responsibility is to do what is
best for the logo on the front of the uniform and not the name on the back of
one of his player’s uniforms, even if that player is the franchise’s favorite son.
But maybe this was one last hurrah as a Devil for Brodeur. Maybe there is a
team that will both give the Devils a fair price for Brodeur and give Brodeur a
fair chance to play in meaningful games the rest of the way and maybe
Lamoriello and DeBoer have faith Schneider can carry the team the rest of
the way.
Understand this. If that’s the case, if Brodeur, who has been here to stay
since October 1993, does go somewhere else, it won’t be Joe Namath as an
L.A. Ram or Johnny Unitas as a San Diego Charger or Willie Mays as a Met;
no, not at all.
It will be different all right if that 685th victory celebration comes in another
uniform, but it will be nothing to mourn. Sometimes endings are beginnings.
730794
New York Islanders
Islanders Deal Vanek at N.H.L. Trade Deadline, but Devils Keep Brodeur
By ALLAN KREDAMARCH 5, 2014
The Islanders traded the high-scoring left wing Thomas Vanek to the
Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday, just over four months after acquiring
him from the Buffalo Sabres.
Vanek, who can become an unrestricted free agent in July, was expected to
go after he reportedly turned down a seven-year, $50 million offer to stay with
the Islanders.
In return, the Islanders received a conditional second-round pick in this
June’s draft and the prospect Sebastian Collberg, a 20-year-old right wing
playing in the Swedish Hockey League. The Islanders also sent Montreal a
conditional fifth-round pick in the 2014 draft. If the Canadiens, who are third
in the Eastern Conference, miss the playoffs this season, neither of the picks
will be exchanged.
“It was a good day under trying circumstances with where our team is in the
standings,” Islanders General Manager Garth Snow said.
Vanek, 30, had 17 goals and 27 assists in 47 games for the Islanders. They
shipped the popular forward Matt Moulson, along with a conditional 2014
first-round pick and a second-round 2015 selection, to the Sabres to acquire
Vanek on Oct. 27.
Moulson, who can also be a free agent at the end of this season, was on the
move Wednesday, too, as the Sabres traded him and forward Cody
McCormick to the Minnesota Wild.
But Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur, who has spent all of his 21 N.H.L.
seasons in New Jersey, stayed put after being the subject of trade rumors
this week. The Devils did add forward Tuomo Ruutu from the Carolina
Hurricanes in exchange for forward Andrei Loktionov and a conditional
third-round draft pick in 2017. “Ruutu brings a grit, a competitiveness and an
experience of playing in big games, knowing how to compete,” Devils
General Manager Lou Lamoriello said.
Lamoriello expressed frustration with the rumors about Brodeur.
“I’d love to hear someone put a name to what they hear,” he said. “It’s just
absurd to me to hear some of these things that there’s not even an iota of an
indication that it’s going on.”
Another high-profile trade target, Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler,
did not go anywhere, either. The Pittsburgh Penguins, who lead the Eastern
Conference, were considered the leading contender for Kesler, but they
turned elsewhere, acquiring the veteran forwards Marcel Goc from Florida
and Lee Stempniak from Calgary.
Other Eastern leaders made moves. The Detroit Red Wings, trying to make
the playoffs for the 23rd straight season, acquired forward David Legwand
from Nashville. Legwand, a 33-year-old native of Detroit, played 956 games
with the Predators since they selected him second over all in 1998. The
Boston Bruins added defenseman Andrej Meszaros from the Philadelphia
Flyers, and Ottawa acquired forward Ales Hemsky from Edmonton.
In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Kings received the former
Ranger forward Marian Gaborik from Columbus. This is the second year in a
row that Gaborik, who recently returned from a broken collarbone, has been
traded on deadline day.
Jaroslav Halak, who was acquired by the Sabres in the deal that sent Miller to
St. Louis, was traded again, this time to the Washington Capitals, for goalie
Michal Neuvirth.
A day after reacquiring Roberto Luongo from Vancouver, the Florida
Panthers sent the veteran Tim Thomas to the Dallas Stars for Dan Ellis.
FLYERS 6, CAPITALS 4 Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek each had two
goals, and Adam Hall and Steve Downie also scored to lead Philadelphia
over visiting Washington. (AP)
STAMKOS TO RETURN The Tampa Bay star Steven Stamkos, sidelined
since November by a broken right shin, was cleared to play. The Lightning
said Stamkos would return Thursday night against Buffalo. (AP)
New York Times LOADED: 03.06.2014
730795
New York Islanders
Bryan Little won a faceoff against Frans Nielsen and pushed the puck ahead
to Ladd, who went to the front of the net and beat Nilsson between the pads
to open the scoring.
Grabner's Goal Lives Isles, 3-2 Over Jets
The Islanders, who were dominating the first period, kept pressuring Pavelec
and got a lucky bounce when Ryan Strome's shot went off the backboards
and onto McDonald's stick. He fired it home.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMARCH 5, 2014, 12:26 A.M. E.S.T.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — On a day when the New York Islanders needed a
lift, Michael Grabner was there to provide one.
Grabner scored on a breakaway 3:53 into overtime as the Islanders defeated
the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Tuesday night. The victory came just hours after
defenseman Andrew MacDonald was traded to Philadelphia and while
winger Thomas Vanek's future was up in the air.
Cal Clutterbuck sent a pass from around the blue line up to Grabner, who
slipped between Jets defensemen Jacob Trouba and Zach Bogosian and
beat Ondrej Pavelec with a low shot.
The Islanders also got a goal and assist from Anders Lee and a goal from
Colin McDonald to end a two-game skid.
Jets captain Andrew Ladd scored his 16th and 17th goals of the season,
tying the game 2-2 with 5:07 left in the third period for Winnipeg. The Jets had
won their last two matches.
Earlier in the day, the veteran MacDonald was traded to Philadelphia for
center Matt Mangene and a third-round pick in this year's NHL draft, and a
second-round pick in 2015.
Vanek, who has 21 goals and 53 points, was then a healthy scratch amid
rumors he'll be traded before Wednesday afternoon's deadline.
"I don't really try to think about it," Grabner said of the day's turmoil. "I've been
traded before, I've been on waivers. It's business. You can't really influence
what happens. ... You have to just stay in the moment, day by day, and after
(Wednesday) we'll be all done for at least a couple of months again.
"I've been through this, I've seen people traded on game days. Of course, it's
weird. (Vanek) came to the rink with us and then he's told he's not playing. It
changes things around. But like I said, we did a great job of focusing on not
letting this stuff distract us."
New York captain John Tavares is already out for the rest of the season with
a knee injury he suffered playing for Canada in the Olympics.
"It was difficult," Isles coach Jack Capuano said. "I've been around Andrew a
long time and watched him grow in this league. He's been a great player for
us, a great team guy and a great friend to a lot of guys, so it's tough the first
game without him.
"And, obviously, Thomas has been with us since the start of the year. We all
know it's a business, and every guy will tell you that we wish him the best of
luck, both of those guys."
Ladd scored his first goal after Josh Bailey turned over the puck in the Jets'
zone under pressure from defenseman Mark Stuart. Winnipeg's Olli Jokinen
then sent a pass up the ice to Ladd, who went in alone on goalie Anders
Nilsson and beat him with a low shot on the blocker side.
"I thought we came out tight, but we battled back and got a lot of chances and
found a way to get it to overtime," Ladd said. "I think we'll take the positive of
getting one point and move on."
In the final three minutes, Nilsson was called for delay of game when he shot
the puck over the glass. But the Jets couldn't capitalize on their fifth power
play of the game.
Nilsson made 36 saves and Pavelec stopped 24 shots.
The Jets, now 11-3-2 under coach Paul Maurice, who took over after Claude
Noel was fired Jan. 12, didn't help or hurt themselves too much in the playoff
race. Winnipeg is now one point back of the final wild-card spot in the
Western Conference, which is held by the Dallas Stars, who lost 4-2 in
Columbus but have a game in hand.
Winnipeg sits at 67 points, tied with the Coyotes and one ahead of
Vancouver, which fell to Phoenix 1-0 Tuesday night.
"They were a tough opponent tonight," Jets winger Blake Wheeler said. "And
like I said, we're proud of the fact that we were able to rally and get a point."
New York scored 1:33 into the second period on a goal that was reviewed for
a high stick. Lee went in alone on Pavelec, who got a piece of his shot, but
the puck went high behind him. Lee put his stick up and knocked it down and
into the net for his third goal of the season.
New York got its first power play early in the third period, while Winnipeg had
come up empty on four tries at that point. The Islanders couldn't score and
the Jets upheld their strong penalty kill, fifth in the NHL heading into the
game.
Notes: Tuesday marked the Jets' Paul Maurice's 1,100th game as a head
coach. ... New York's Eric Boulton injured his hand and didn't return. ... The
Jets lost rookie Mark Scheifele to what appeared to be a knee injury.
730796
New York Islanders
Islanders trade Thomas Vanek to Canadiens at deadline
By Brett Cyrgalis
March 5, 2014 | 4:42pm
It wasn’t quite as last-minute as most people thought, but the end result was
the return Garth Snow got for the premiere player on the rental trade market
was underwhelming.
Announced after Wednesday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline had passed, but
consummated almost an hour earlier, the Islanders general manager
shipped Thomas Vanek to the Canadiens in exchange for 20-year-old
prospect Sabastian Collberg and a conditional second-round pick. The
condition is that if the Canadiens make the playoffs (they’re currently second
in the conference) the Isles get the pick, and also send Montreal a 2015
fifth-rounder. If the Canadiens don’t make the playoffs, it was a one-for-one
player swap.
“Have you ever seen Collberg play?” Snow asked The Post over the phone
after he took a bevy of criticism from television commentators and from all
corners of the Internet. “He has the chance to be a top-six forward in this
league.”
Collberg was the Canadiens’ second-round pick (33rd overall) in 2012, and is
currently playing for Frolunda of the Swedish league. Snow was unsure if
Collberg would be with the team in next summer’s training camp — the last
one before the franchise moves to Brooklyn — but he was sure how much
Collberg impressed the Islanders’ scouts in the 2014 World Junior
Championships, when he had one goal and five assists in seven games for
the silver-medal-winning Swedish team.
Even going back to the 2012 draft, the Islanders have been high on Collberg.
“Good speed, good hands,” Snow said. “He could be a real impact player.”
He had better be, or this could be another bad day of transactions in a recent
Islanders history chock full of them.
Even though Snow called this a “strange” and “soft” market on deadline day
compared to years past, he said this was “by far” the best offer he received —
not just in the hours leading up to the deadline, but in the days and weeks
prior.
Vanek, the 30-year-old sniper who has scored more than 40 goals in an NHL
season twice, had recently turned down Snow’s seven-year, $50 million
contract extension offer, and it was clear to all he was available as a rental,
utterly determined to become a free agent on July 1 no matter the
circumstances.
Considering that in late October Snow had traded away another to-be free
agent in Matt Moulson, along with first- and second-round picks, to the
Sabres in order to obtain Vanek, the risk of getting a good return was high.
Having traded another pending free agent, defenseman Andrew MacDonald,
to the Flyers on Tuesday for second- and third-round picks, at least Snow
has some assets going into June’s draft. By then, he might be able to
package some of those picks into NHL-ready players — most notably a
goalie — and therefore not submit star center John Tavares to another lost
season once he returns from his knee injury.
“It was a good day,” Snow said, “under trying circumstances.”
730797
New York Islanders
Isles' Thomas Vanek traded to Canadiens
Originally published: March 5, 2014 3:29 PM
Updated: March 5, 2014 8:33 PM
By ARTHUR STAPLE [email protected]
EDMONTON, Alberta - Garth Snow waited until the last possible minute to
unload Thomas Vanek. What he got back from the Canadiens -- a conditional
second-round pick and a young forward prospect -- seemed far below what
the Islanders and their fans were hoping to get back for the scoring winger.
"It wasn't a very active market," Snow told Newsday Wednesday afternoon,
shortly after the 3 p.m. ET deadline passed. There were certainly lots of
players moved, but the Islanders' GM meant the offers were not pouring in for
rentals like Vanek.
So just a few minutes after the deadline -- trades need only be reported to the
league by 3 p.m., with word coming out after -- Snow sent Vanek to the
Canadiens for that conditional pick and 20-year-old forward Sebastian
Collberg, Montreal's 2012 second-rounder who is playing for Frolunda in his
native Sweden.
"This was the best deal that was tabled," Snow said. "Getting a conditional
second-round pick and Sebastian Collberg, a prospect who has top-six
potential, was a pretty good return on a day like this."
Snow was seeking a first-round pick plus another asset to try and recoup
some measure of what he sent the Sabres for Vanek on Oct. 27. Matt
Moulson, the popular Islander, went to Buffalo that day, along with a
conditional first-round pick and a 2015 second-round pick.
Moulson also was dealt right around the deadline Wednesday, going from
the Sabres to the Wild for two second-round picks. The only first-round pick
that was dealt yesterday went from the Rangers to the Lightning in the trade
for Martin St. Louis, who is not a rental.
So Snow had to settle for the exchange with the Canadiens, in which the
Islanders also surrendered a fifth-round pick. Should Montreal, which sits
third in the Atlantic Division, miss the playoffs, neither draft pick changes
hands.
Vanek and Andrew MacDonald (traded to the Flyers on Tuesday) brought
back three draft picks and Collberg. Snow likely will opt to keep this June's
first-round pick and send the team's 2015 first-rounder to the Sabres, leaving
the Isles with a first, two seconds, a third and three fourth-round picks this
year.
"We have some chips to play with at the draft," Snow said.
Wednesday marked the end of a rough two months for the Islanders, a
segment that started with Vanek rejecting a seven-year, $50-million offer
from Snow to stay and play alongside John Tavares. The Islanders sputtered
into the Olympic break, all but assuring their sixth season without playoffs in
the last seven. Then there was Tavares' season-ending knee injury while
playing for Canada in Sochi, adding injury to the insult of another likely
last-place finish.
Vanek expressed his disappointment before he departed Edmonton for
Montreal, his third team this season.
"I expected a lot more out of all of us," he said. "Looking back, that line with
me, Okie [Kyle Okposo] and Johnny, it was the best line I've ever been on.
But you look at seven to eight games where we should have won and that's
all the difference in the standings."
Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.06.2014
730798
New York Islanders
Thomas Vanek trade falls short of expectations
Wednesday March 5, 2014 7:31 PM By Arthur Staple
EDMONTON -- The deadline has passed and it's safe to say just about every
observer, from the professional types on TSN and Sportsnet up here to just
about every fan on Twitter, feels the Islanders failed. A few thoughts and
notes on the last several weeks of profound disappointment in Islander
country:
-- The Thomas Vanek trade quite obviously fell short of expectations. Once
Vanek rejected the seven-year, $50 million offer from the Islanders in
January, Garth Snow was obligated to move his top-line wing. Perhaps he
should have done it right away to get a bigger return; of course, the Islanders
were actually playing well then, even though it quickly fizzled once the Isles
returned from that reasonably successful six-game road trip.
Perhaps now, too, we can look back and see that Vanek, once he turned
down the Isles and once that word had gotten out, wasn’t exactly gunning the
engine full throttle. He can't be held solely responsible for the Isles' 1-6-1
slide into the Olympic break, but that top line was hardly as effective as it had
been.
Like most everyone else, I don't know much about Sebastian Collberg, the
20-year-old right wing the Islanders got for Vanek. I’ve heard him compared
to a PA Parenteau-type; good offensive instincts, good skating, not the most
physically imposing player. He's signed through next year, so once his
season ends with Frolunda in the SHL, the Islanders will try to bring him over
to North America for training camp.
-- As I’d written a couple Sundays ago, the real focus has been the offseason.
Rental players were not fetching huge returns before this deadline; I
definitely thought the Isles could get a first-rounder for Vanek, but the only
first dealt today was by the Rangers for Martin St. Louis, who was not a
rental.
So now, armed with eight picks in the first four rounds this coming June -- the
first-rounder that won’t be going to Buffalo, two seconds (provided the
Canadiens make the playoffs), two thirds and three fourths -- Snow is tasked
with making a splash on the draft floor in Philadelphia in June.
That will almost certainly be through a trade or two; the free-agent goaltender
market may not be quite as fantastic as it seemed before the last couple
days, so Snow may use those picks to find a goaltender who can carry the
load and has some term left on his deal -- Cam Ward, perhaps? James
Reimer? Pure speculation on my part.
-- The trade route being the Isles' best bet, plus all the ugliness of the past
couple months is a stark reminder of the main thing that free agents and
players with no-trade clauses look for: Winners. The Islanders haven’t won
enough, period. You can argue that players like Vanek should have done
more to make the Isles winners, but players are looking for winning
situations, in addition to all the money and the security.
So the ridicule from all corners, the calls for Snow's head, for Jack
Capuano's, for Charles Wang to sell -- it all stems from the same place. This
team hasn't won for a long, long time, with a few seasons' worth of
exceptions.
Between that and Snow's reluctance to be in the media spotlight, most
people fill in the gaps. And here we are.
The Flames didn't move Mike Cammalleri, who is likely to leave in free
agency. Brian Burke did the rounds of the Canadian deadline shows, though,
so Calgary gets a pass from many of the critics.
But the folks who run the Isles are big boys and they know the drill. This is not
a big-spending team -- they're run in a different way than the Rangers or the
Devils or the Flyers. They're not a beloved Canadian team like the ones up
here that will fill their buildings regardless of talent or record.
So they will take their lumps, all earned by not winning.
-- Now it's on to the final 18 games of the season. The Islanders called up
Mike Halmo and Matt Donovan; both will get the same long looks that Ryan
Strome, Anders Lee and Anders Nilsson will get. This is what's left to
evaluate through the end of the season.
730799
New York Rangers
NY Rangers dealing Ryan Callahan means loss of leading man
Pat Leonard
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Thursday, March 6, 2014, 12:42 AM
The Rangers are without a captain after trading away beloved Ryan
Callahan.
It’s a shame John Tortorella couldn’t hang around to make Wednesday
night’s game at the Garden a true reunion for the 2004 Stanley Cup
champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
That year’s club was led by Hart Memorial Trophy winner Martin St. Louis
and Conn Smythe winner Brad Richards, now teammates on the Rangers
after Wednesday’s trade of Ryan Callahan to the Sunshine State.
Instead, Alain Vigneault has inherited St. Louis, the undersized 38-year-old
whiz playmaker, and while he is a better fit for this up-tempo system than
Callahan, that’s only a positive if trading the Rangers’ captain doesn’t syphon
the team’s morale from its Blue veins.
That’s the question, isn’t it?
In addition to surrendering too many assets to acquire St. Louis, who
essentially is a long-term rental through the end of next season, Glen Sather
took a huge risk in sending Callahan packing when not one person in or
around the Blueshirts’ locker room wanted him gone.
The GM said in a rare press conference at the Garden that while moving past
Callahan could be a challenge, he won’t hear about it as an excuse for his
players. “We’re either gonna go out and play very well tonight because we’re
excited and we’ve got a new guy in our lineup, or we’re gonna play poorly
because we’re upset,” Sather said. “But these guys are all professionals and
they have to, you know, they have to suck it up. That’s the way it is. The deal
is done. It’s not gonna change.”
The Rangers, who trudged through most of Wednesday’s 3-2 overtime loss,
did make a spirited comeback on the shoulders of veteran fourth-line center
Dominic Moore. However, they weren’t pretending to have moved on yet,
either. “It’s shocking,” alternate captain Marc Staal said postgame, still
processing the reality almost 12 hours after Callahan’s trade. “Not only is he
a teammate for a long time but a friend. Your captain gets traded. It’s going to
be a bit of shock to everyone. . . . But when that type of thing happens, you’ve
got to try to wash it away as quick as you can and focus on winning hockey
games again.”
The Garden fans may have made the transition slightly easier by welcoming
St. Louis warmly when he took warmups, then when he jumped on for his first
shift, then when he concluded that shift with a fierce one-timer into the gut of
Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier. It was the most hospitality the Rangers have
shown St. Louis since they let him do as he pleased in a 5-0 blowout loss in
Tampa Bay on Nov. 25, which Vigneault memorably described as a “Martin
St. Louis love-fest.”
Still, what matters is not how much the fans welcome St. Louis but how well
he meshes in this locker room, and how quickly. Vigneault and Sather gave
defenseman Dan Girardi an “A” to join Richards and Staal as alternate
captains, but who is filling the leadership void vacated by Callahan? And can
St. Louis become the final piece the Rangers need to win now.
“I think I can,” St. Louis said. “Motivating yourself is the biggest thing as a
player, and I think I’ve done that throughout my career. This is going to be a
challenge for me, but I love challenges. I like to rise to the occasion and be
put in that position.”
730800
New York Rangers
Rangers, Lightning Swap Captains on Deadline Day
This trade reunites St. Louis with forward Brad Richards, who was his
high-scoring teammate with Tampa Bay before the Lightning traded him to
Dallas in February 2008. Richards signed a free-agent deal with the Rangers
in July 2011.
They will likely be linemates again with the Rangers. St. Louis was traveling
to New York on Wednesday.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMARCH 5, 2014, 3:56 P.M. E.S.T.
NEW YORK — The New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning pulled off
the biggest deal on NHL trade deadline day Wednesday, swapping captains
Ryan Callahan and Martin St. Louis in a blockbuster.
The surprising move was announced just hours before the afternoon
deadline and shortly before the Rangers were to host the Toronto Maple
Leafs — with the hope of having St. Louis in the New York lineup.
The Rangers had been trying to sign Callahan, who can become an
unrestricted free agent this summer, but weren't able to reach an agreement
with the gritty forward. They sent him packing instead of risking losing him for
nothing on the open market,
"It's still tough," Callahan told Canada's TSN. "I knew it was an option that
was going to happen if I didn't re-sign with New York. No matter how
prepared you are for it or knowing it's going to come, when you hear that
initial 'You've been traded' it's definitely a shock."
New York dealt Callahan, a second-round pick in this year's draft, and a first
round pick in next year's draft to Tampa Bay for St. Louis, a disgruntled
two-time NHL scoring champion.
The second-round selection this year would become a first-rounder if the
Rangers reach the Eastern Conference finals this season. If Callahan
re-signs with the Lightning, the teams will then trade picks in next year's draft.
New York would acquire the Lightning's second-round pick, and Tampa Bay
would get the Rangers' seventh-round selection.
Callahan was reportedly seeking a six-year deal worth $6.5 million per
season. It is believed the Rangers were willing to agree to a six-year term,
but not pay more than $6 million a season.
To Callahan's surprise, the sides couldn't bridge the gap.
"I truly thought we'd work something out," Callahan said. "I said all along
going through this that I wanted to stay there and get a deal done, and that
was the truth. But it's part of the business that, unfortunately, you have to
deal with. We couldn't find a deal that worked for both sides, so I parted ways
with New York.
"I have nothing but great things to say about that organization. Everybody
has been great to me."
The 38-year-old St. Louis, who led the NHL in the lockout-shortened 2013
season with 60 points, had been seeking a trade after initially being left off
Canada's Olympic roster by Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman, who
served as Canada's executive director. St. Louis was added to the squad
when Lightning teammate Steven Stamkos was unable to play because of
injury.
Callahan, a Rochester, N.Y., native, was a member of the U.S. Olympic team
at the Sochi Games. He plans to wait before deciding whether to open
contract talks with the Lightning.
"Right now you just get down there and get settled and then get used to my
surroundings. Once that happens, I'm open to anything," he said. "If that's
contract talks, it is. If not, then we see what happens in July.
"I'm extremely excited. I'm going to a great organization, great owners, great
GM. I've heard nothing but good things from players that have played there,
and they're in the playoff hunt, too, which is big."
Both the Lightning and Rangers are in Eastern Conference playoff positions
with 20 games remaining for each.
St. Louis had a no-trade clause, and recent reports stated the Rangers were
the team he wanted to join. The 38-year-old right wing has one year left on
his contract. He will earn $5 million next season and be a $5.625 million
salary-cap charge.
"We'd like to thank Marty for everything he has done on and off the ice during
his outstanding 13-year career in Tampa Bay," Yzerman said in a statement.
"He has been one of the greatest players in the organization's history, but in
the end we honored his request."
St. Louis was the Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP in the 2003-04 season,
and he has captured the Lady Byng Trophy as the league's most gentlemanly
player three times.
In 62 games this season, St. Louis has 29 goals and 32 assists with a plus-12
rating. He is fifth in the league in goals and eighth in points. Last season he
became the oldest player to win the scoring title and joined Mario Lemieux
and Gordie Howe as the only players to post at least 1.25 points per game at
37 or older.
St. Louis, a six-time All-Star, has 369 goals and 604 assists in 1,041 career
games over 15 seasons with Tampa Bay and Calgary.
Callahan, who will turn 29 later this month, has 11 goals and 14 assists in 45
games this season. He was chosen by the Rangers in the fourth round of the
2004 draft and has 132 goals and 254 points in 450 career NHL games with
them over eight seasons.
He became Rangers captain before the 2011-12 season — the fifth youngest
in team history at age 26. Callahan was also the first New York state native to
be Rangers captain.
Callahan took part in the Rangers' morning skate on Wednesday but didn't
speak to reporters afterward. He is expected to make his Lightning debut on
Thursday at home against Buffalo.
"The Lightning are very excited to have Ryan Callahan join the organization
and help us in our quest to make the playoffs," Yzerman said. "Ryan is an
outstanding player and leader who we look forward to seeing on the ice."
730801
New York Rangers
Rangers Trade Callahan and Are Dealt a Defeat
By JEFF Z. KLEINMARCH 5, 2014
The newest Ranger, Martin St. Louis, only 5-foot-8 but a two-time N.H.L.
scoring champion, stood before reporters at the end of a long day
Wednesday and talked about why he had asked to end his 13-season career
with the Tampa Bay Lightning and be traded to the Rangers.
One major reason: He was initially snubbed for the Canadian Olympic team.
“That had something to do with it, for sure,” St. Louis said after making his
Rangers debut in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Madison
Square Garden.
Steve Yzerman, the general manager of the Lightning and Team Canada,
passed over St. Louis when Canada’s roster was announced. Later,
Yzerman inserted St. Louis as an injury substitute, but the damage was
done.
“That day was a tough day for me,” St. Louis said. “I’m an emotional guy.
Once the dust settled, I still felt strongly about what I wanted and what was
best for me, the organization and my family.”
His desire to leave after Yzerman’s snub was half of the equation that
brought St. Louis, a 38-year-old Stanley Cup winner and former most
valuable player, to the Rangers.
The other half was the inability of Rangers General Manager Glen Sather
and forward Ryan Callahan to reach an agreement on a contract extension
by the 3 p.m. trade deadline after months of negotiations. The two parties
had gotten close on the money, but Sather said that Callahan’s insistence on
a no-trade clause was the deal-breaker.
Sather pulled the trigger on a deal Wednesday morning after the Rangers’
morning skate. He said he believed it was the first time that two teams’
captains had been traded for each other. The Lightning also received two
high draft picks.
“No matter how prepared you are for it, or knowing it’s going to come, still
when you hear that initial ‘You’ve been traded,’ it’s definitely a shock,”
Callahan told the Canadian network TSN.
“I truly thought we’d work something out that worked for both sides,” he
added. “I said all along going through this that I wanted to stay there and get
a deal done, and that was the truth. But it’s part of the business that,
unfortunately, you have to deal with, and we couldn’t find a deal that worked
for both sides, so I parted ways with New York.”
St. Louis took out an ad in the Tampa newspapers apologizing to Lightning
fans for his abrupt departure. “I respect the fact that many of you do not agree
with my decision and are angry with it,” he said. “All I really can say is that I
am sorry.”
On Wednesday night he said: “I was blessed to play in one place for 14 years
— I’ll cherish those years. I owe a lot to the fans. I think the same reason why
they fell in love with me many years ago is the same reason they totally
understand what I’m all about. I think I’m a character guy.”
He added, “I didn’t take this decision lightly, but I knew it was the right one.”
St. Louis said the Rangers were the only team for which he would waive his
no-trade clause. He will be close to his home in Greenwich, Conn., and
reunited with his former teammate Brad Richards, with whom he won the
Stanley Cup in 2004. St. Louis was voted the N.H.L.’s most valuable player
that season.
“For the Rangers’ organization, we got a great human being, a great leader
and a great player,” said Richards, who last played with St. Louis in early
2008 before Richards was traded to Dallas. “It was the first time I had a good
friend coming and a good friend leaving, which is bizarre. It’s a weird feeling.
You are not really happy or sad.”
Still one of the top scorers in the league, St. Louis has one year left on his
contract worth $5.625 million. Last season he became the oldest player to
win the scoring title. He is among the top 10 in scoring in the league, with 61
points. In 1,041 regular-season games, he has 369 goals and 973 points,
with four 90-point seasons. St. Louis left the Lightning as the franchise leader
in assists and points.
In a statement, Yzerman called St. Louis “one of the greatest players in the
organization’s history” but added: “In the end we honored his request today.
We wish him and his family the best of luck as he continues his career in New
York.”
On Wednesday, St. Louis took Callahan’s spot on right wing alongside
Richards and Carl Hagelin. He led the Rangers’ forwards in ice time, playing
a little more than 20 minutes. He took three shots and finished at minus 1.
In 45 games, Callahan, 28, scored 11 goals and 25 points, compiling a
minus-3 rating. In eight seasons and 450 games with the Rangers, he scored
132 goals and 254 points. He added 14 goals and 24 points in 59 playoff
games.
Callahan’s all-out style caused him to be frequently injured, often from
blocking shots. He has missed substantial time with a broken hand, a broken
ankle, a dislocated shoulder, a sprained knee and other injuries.
Both Sather and Coach Alain Vigneault praised Callahan as a character
player and a fine leader over parts of eight seasons with the Rangers.
“At some point when you’re negotiating, you have to say no,” Sather said.
“You get to an end point where you can’t go any farther, and we were there —
that’s where it had to stop.”
Now the Rangers are a different type of team, with less of the grit and
scrappiness that Callahan embodied, but with more of the serious-minded
offense that St. Louis brings.
Sather was asked if that would make the Rangers more of a contender.
“There are a lot of contenders right now,” Sather said. “Hopefully, this is
going to put us over the edge, and it’s going to make us a little closer to
achieving our goal.”
730802
New York Rangers
NY Rangers trade captain Ryan Callahan and draft picks to the Tampa Bay
Lightning for Martin St. Louis
Center Derek Stepan walked out, returned to double-check the deal actually
had happened and appeared understandably shaken as he departed once
again, promising to speak later. Stepan had been one of several Rangers
who went on the record stating they did not want Callahan to be traded.
By Pat Leonard / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Sather paid a hefty price to acquire St. Louis and put himself in this
predicament by not re-signing his captain sooner. He also waited too long in
negotiations with Henrik Lundqvist and Dan Girardi, though he re-signed
them eventually in December and on Friday, respectively.
March 5, 2014, 11:43 AM
Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports first reported Callahan’s trade to Tampa Bay.
Updated: Wednesday, March 5, 2014, 4:38 PM
In the right wing St. Louis (5-8, 183 pounds), the Rangers acquire a two-time
Art Ross Trophy winner as the NHL’s leading scorer, most recently in last
year’s lockout season. St. Louis won both the Hart Memorial Trophy as
league MVP and the Stanley Cup in 2003-04 on the Lightning as a teammate
of current Rangers center Brad Richards.
After spending seven-plus seasons on Broadway, Blueshirts ship Ryan
Callahan to the Lightning.
Lightning struck on Broadway Wednesday morning, Ryan Callahan is no
longer a Ranger, and now the Blueshirts need a new captain.
GM Glen Sather pushed his chips all in by trading Callahan, 28, New York’s
2015 first-round pick, and a 2014 second-round pick that could become a
first-rounder to Tampa Bay in exchange for Lightning captain Martin St.
Louis, 38, at approximately 11:19 a.m., just after New York’s morning skate
at the Garden.
The second-round pick that Sather shipped to Tampa Bay GM Steve
Yzerman will become a first-round pick if Alain Vigneault’s club advances to
this spring’s Eastern Conference finals. In addition, if Callahan re-signs with
the Lightning, the Rangers will get Tampa’s 2015 second-round pick, and the
Lightning will get New York’s 2015 seventh-rounder.
St. Louis is expected to join the Rangers immediately to play Wednesday
night against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. Sather also made a smaller
move to acquire defensive depth at the 3 p.m. deadline, sending a 2015
fifth-round pick to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for the right-handed
Raphael Diaz, 28, who has spent most of his 2.5-year career with the
Montreal Canadiens.
Callahan expressed “shock” over being traded in an interview with TSN in
Canada on the NHL’s official trade deadline show hours later. Callahan, who
has played all 7.5 of his NHL seasons for the Rangers, added that he thought
all along the Rangers and he would find common ground on a contract
extension.
“It’s still tough,” Callahan said. “I knew that it was an option that (a trade)
was going to happen if I didn’t sign with New York. No matter, I think, how
prepared you are for it or knowing it’s going to come, still, when you hear
initially you’ve been traded, it’s definitely a shock.”
Callahan originally sought a seven-year contract extension for just below $7
million per season, and the Rangers had preferred a five-year, $30 million
deal. Both sides drew closer to a compromise, but ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun
reported that despite their closing to within $200,000 per season on a
potential six-year extension, negotiations broke down to a lack of a no-trade
clause.
“I truly thought that we’d work something out that worked for both sides,”
Callahan said. “I said all along going through this that I wanted to stay there
(in New York) and get a deal done, and that was the truth. But it’s part of the
business that unfortunately we have to deal with, and we couldn’t find a deal
that worked for both sides, so I parted ways with New York.
“I have nothing but great things to say about that (Rangers) organization,”
Callahan continued. “Everybody’s been great to me. I have life-long friends
that are within the organization and teammates I’ve played with, so I have
nothing but great things to say about the Rangers.”
At least one Rangers player, separate of the St. Louis acquisition, expressed
disappointment in Callahan’s departure.
“I’m sad to see a great friend and teammate go,” one Ranger told the Daily
News in a text message. “Wishing him the best. He’s been huge (for) me in
my move to New York and my career here.”
Callahan had skated with his Rangers teammates at the Garden on
Wednesday morning, preparing like he always does for the night’s game,
though he did not speak to the media. Then, the news broke while many of
teammates were speaking to the media, and the look on their faces
expressed the same “shock” that Callahan describe.
He likely will start his Rangers career on Richards’ right wing on Wednesday
night opposite Carl Hagelin. His acquisition casts uncertainty about Sather’s
offseason plan. A buyout of Richards’ expensive contract had seemed a
formality prior, but St. Louis is signed through next season at a $5.625 million
per year, and chemistry there could affect the future.
Richards and St. Louis are good friends who work out together in the
offseason. St. Louis also has a house in Connecticut.
St. Louis had requested a trade specifically to the trade, most recently after
his own GM in Tampa, Yzerman, had left him off Team Canada for the Sochi
Winter Olympics. Yzerman eventually added St. Louis to the gold-medal club
to replace an injured Steven Stamkos, but his relationship with the
Lightning’s captain had soured for good.
“(Marty) has been one of the greatest players in the organization’s history,
but in the end, we honored his request today,” Yzerman said on Wednesday
in a statement. “We wish him and his family the best of luck as he continues
his career in New York.”
Vigneault now needs a new captain. Richards and Marc Staal were alternate
captains under Callahan’s captaincy. Staal likely is the leading candidate to
assume the “C,” but Ryan McDonagh could be a dark-horse candidate. St.
Louis, Rick Nash and Dan Girardi all are candidates to wear a letter on
Broadway, as well.
Callahan, meanwhile, was asked on TSN if his immediate emotion was
regret once he heard he’d been traded:
“I wouldn’t call it regret,” Callahan said. “Just the initial shock. It’s my first time
being traded, so there are a lot of things going through your head. I have a
family here (in New York), so I’m worried about them and getting them
situated, but after sitting down and letting it all sink in I’m excited to go to
Tampa, a team that’s in the playoff hunt and a great organization.”
730803
New York Rangers
NHL 2014 Trade Deadline Tracker: Follow the latest on Rangers' Ryan
Callahan, Devils' Martin Brodeur, Canucks' Ryan Kesler
BY Pat Leonard
What will happen with the Rangers’ Ryan Callahan, the Devils’ Martin
Brodeur, the Canucks’ Ryan Kesler and other prominent players potentially
on the market approaching the NHL’s Wednesday 3 p.m. trade deadline?
Follow me on Twitter at @PLeonardNYDN, but also bookmark the Blueshirts
Blog here for our full NHL Trade Tracker below that will update live
throughout the day.
The following list includes all of the trades that have transpired since the
Winter Olympic roster freeze was lifted on Monday, Feb. 24.
DEADLINE DAY – WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5
The Rangers traded Ryan Callahan, this year’s second-round pick, and a
2015 first-round pick to Tampa Bay in exchange for Lightning captain Martin
St. Louis, 38, and a conditional 2015 second-round draft pick, the Daily News
has confirmed. Click the link for the full breakdown.
The Edmonton Oilers trade F Ales Hemsky to the Ottawa Senators for a 2014
fifth-round pick and a 2015 third-round pick.
The Rangers trade a 2015 fifth-round pick to the Vancouver Canucks for D
Raphael Diaz.
TUESDAY, MARCH 4
Phoenix Coyotes trade D Rostislav Klesla, F Chris Brown and 2015
fourth-round pick to Washington Capitals for F Martin Erat and F John
Mitchell
Vancouver Canucks trade G Roberto Luongo and F Steven Anthony to
Florida Panthers for G Jacob Markstrom and F Shawn Matthias
Chicago Blackhawks trade 2014 second-round pick to Phoenix Coyotes for D
David Rundblad and D Mathieu Brisebois
New York Islanders trade D Andrew MacDonald to Philadelphia Flyers for
2014 third-round pick, 2015 second-round pick, and C Matt Mangene
Dallas Stars trade D Stephane Robidas to Anaheim Ducks for 2014
conditional fourth-round pick
Anaheim Ducks trade G Viktor Fasth to Edmonton Oilers for 2014 fifth-round
pick and 2015 third-round pick
Anaheim Ducks trade F Dustin Penner to Washington Capitals for 2014
fourth-round pick
Ottawa Senators trade F Jeff Costello to Vancouver Canucks for D Patrick
Mullen
Edmonton Oilers trade G Ilya Bryzgalov to Minnesota Wild for 2015
fifth-round pick
SUNDAY, MARCH 2
Florida Panthers trade 2014 third-round pick and 2016 fifth-round pick to
Chicago Blackhawks for F Brandon Pirri
St. Louis Blues trade F Mark Mancari to Florida Panthers for F Eric Selleck
FRIDAY, FEB. 28
Buffalo Sabres trade G Ryan Miller and F Steve Ott to St. Louis Blues for G
Jaroslav Halak, F Chris Stewart, F William Carrier, 2015 first-round pick and
2016 conditional third-round pick
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 26
Chicago Blackhawks trade F Brad Winchester to Minnesota Wild for D Brian
Connelly
730804
New York Rangers
The highlights of Martin St. Louis’ career
By John DeMarzo
March 5, 2014 | 3:55pm
The Rangers executed a blockbuster trade on Wednesday, shipping their
captain, Ryan Callahan, to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Martin St. Louis.
The 38-year-old St. Louis clearly has something left in the tank, posting 61
points in 62 games this season to continue a lengthy run as one of the
league’s most prolific scorers.
Here’s a look at some of his career highlights:
Oct. 9, 1998: Made his NHL debut for the Calgary Flames. Scored his first
NHL goal 11 days later.
Oct. 6, 2000: Debuted for the Lightning after signing as an unrestricted free
agent.
2002-03: His first breakout season — he tied Vincent Lecavalier for the team
lead in goals with 33 and made his first All-Star Game.
Jan. 30, 2003: Netted his first career hat trick, against the Washington
Capitals.
2003-04: Scored 94 points to capture the Art Ross Trophy, given to the
league’s leading scorer.
2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Led all players with 15 assists, and scored 24
points in 23 games, second only to his teammate Brad Richards.
In Game 6 of the Finals, with the Lightning trailing St. Louis’ former team
Calgary three games to two, St. Louis scored the game-winning goal early in
the second overtime to force a Game 7, which Tampa Bay won.
2006-07: Cracked the 100-point barrier for the first time with 43 goals and 59
assists.
2009-10: Won the Lady Byng Trophy for being the league’s most
gentlemanly player after he totaled just 12 penalty minutes on the season. He
repeated as winner the following year and also earned the honor last season.
2012-13: Won the Art Ross Trophy for a second time, totaling 60 points in 48
games of a lockout-shortened season.
2013-14: Named the ninth captain in Lightning history before the season,
replacing Lecavalier.
Nov. 19, 2013: Played in his 1,000th NHL game, against the Los Angeles
Kings.
Jan. 18, 2014: Netted four goals in a game against the San Jose Sharks —
including a first-period hat trick — in a losing effort.
Feb. 2014: Earned a gold medal at the Sochi Olympics with Team Canada,
after he was selected as an injury replacement for his teammate Steven
Stamkos.
730805
New York Rangers
Lundqvist gets nod in Rangers goal
By Larry Brooks
March 5, 2014 | 2:56pm
After a day of R&R on Tuesday, Henrik Lundqvist will go back to work
Wednesday night when the Rangers and Martin St. Louis face the Maple
Leafs at the Garden.
Coach Alain Vigneault, who had expressed concern that the goaltender
might be fatigued in the wake of his return from the Olympics, named
Lundqvist after checking with the goaltender prior to the morning skate.
“That was a good opportunity to get an extra day,” Lundqvist said after
coming off the ice. “It was an intense tournament we played in and coming
back, it was important to put it behind you.
“We talked this morning and I told him I was good to go. The day of rest was
good for me.”
After backing up Cam Talbot in last Thursday’s 2-1 victory over the
Blackhawks, Lundqvist surrendered 10 goals on 64 shots in back-to-back
weekend 4-2 and 6-3 defeats to the Flyers and Bruins, respectively.
“I look at those two games and I don’t think I played bad, but did I come up
with the big saves? I don’t think so,” Lundqvist asked and answered
appropriately. “There were crucial times in both games where I could have
made the difference but didn’t.
“It is not enough to just play OK. You need to be on top of your game. It’s a
matter of coming up with the big save at the right time.”
The Blueshirts also addressed a need for depth on defense, picking up rental
property Raphael Diaz from the Canucks in exchange for a fifth-rounder in
2015.
The 28-year-old Diaz, who went from Montreal to Vancouver a couple of
weeks ago after spending parts of three seasons with the Canadiens, is a
5-foot-11, 195-pound lefty who likely leapfrogs Justin Falk on the depth chart
as the seventh defenseman.
The Rangers also assigned J.T. Miller to the AHL Wolf Pack, an indication
that Mats Zuccarello (left hand fracture) should be ready to return to the
lineup either Friday in Carolina or Sunday at home against the Red Wings.
730806
New York Rangers
Rangers trade Ryan Callahan to Lightning for Martin St. Louis
By Larry Brooks
March 5, 2014 | 11:33am
The Rangers traded the past and the future for the present Wednesday
morning, obtaining 38-year-old reigning Art Ross winner Martin St. Louis
from the Lightning in exchange for captain Ryan Callahan, a first-round draft
pick in 2015 and a second-rounder in 2014.
The deal — that came to fruition once final talks on a contract extension
between general manager Glen Sather and Callahan’s camp collapsed —
comes with conditions.
If the Rangers reach the conference final this year, the 2014 pick becomes a
first-rounder. If Callahan, a pending free agent, signs with Tampa Bay, the
Rangers will receive the Lightning’s second-round pick in 2015 while yielding
their seventh-rounder.
“I want to thank Ryan and his family for everything,” Rangers general
manager Glen Sather said. “He’s a hard-working, tenacious, gritty hockey
player, but I think the guy coming in gives us the chance to advance farther
than we expected this year.”
Callahan, who had spent his entire 450-game career as a Ranger and was
captain since the start of the 2011-12 season, had been asking for a six-year,
$39 million deal while the Rangers ultimately offered a take-it-or-leave it, six
years at $36 million after increasing their five-year, $30 million offer.
Sather said even as the gap in money narrowed, Callahan’s insistence on a
no-trade clause proved the final barrier to concluding a deal.
“At some point in a negotiation you have to say no,” said Sather, who last
week gave Dan Girardi a six-year contract that included a full no-move
clause for three years followed by a limited no-trade for the final three years.
“The no-trade was one thing that really bothered me in the end.
“It really ties your hands,” said the GM, who previously has given no-move
clauses to Chris Drury and Brad Richards and a no-trade to Wade Redden.
“A no-trade, no-yell at is a tough deal.”
St. Louis — who traveled to New York from the city of St. Louis, where the
Lightning lost to the Blues on Tuesday and was in the Rangers’ lineup for
Wednesday’s match against the Maple Leafs — became available after
asking ownership and management to trade him to the Rangers — and
Rangers only — when he originally was snubbed for selection to the
Canadian Olympic Team by Team Canada and Tampa Bay GM Steve
Yzerman.
The winger — who has 61 points (29 goals, 32 assists) in 62 games this
season and a Hall-of-Fame track 973 career points (369-604) in 1,041 NHL
games — ultimately was picked for Team Canada as an injury replacement
for teammate Steve Stamkos, but St. Louis pressed the issue with Yzerman
— and previously with owner Jeff Vinik, sources said — after returning with
the gold medal from Sochi.
The deal was completed just as the Rangers were dressing following the
morning skate. Players seemed stunned as they sought confirmation.
Callahan, who participated in the skate, had left the room before it was
opened to the media and was not available for comment.
The Rangers and St. Louis have had their eyes on one another for some
time. St. Louis first asked the Lightning to see if they could get him to New
York during the 2008-09 season, before John Tortorella replaced Tom
Renney behind the bench. The clubs, though, could not complete the
transaction.
Callahan, third in club seniority behind Henrik Lundqvist and Dan Girardi, had
been tireless on the ice, a leader with an exemplary work ethic. He is the first
Rangers captain to be traded during the season since Brad Park went to
Boston with Jean Ratelle in the Nov. 7. 1975 blockbuster that brought back
Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais.
The deal reunites St. Louis with Brad Richards, his very close friend and
2004 Cup-winning teammate in Tampa Bay. Richards, who had led the
Rangers in scoring with 44 points (16 goals, 28 assists), likely is to become
an amnesty buyout this summer, but a revival with his old running buddy
could keep him on Broadway next year and beyond.
St. Louis, who arrived at the Garden approximately three hours before game
time, was slated to step into Callahan’s spot on the line with Richards in the
middle and Carl Hagelin on the left.
“Marty is obviously an elite player with an elite skill level,” coach Alain
Vigneault said. “We’re losing our captain, so obviously there is going to be an
impact in the room, but bringing in this type of player should help ease the
transition.
“I really believe this makes us a better team.”
730807
New York Rangers
Sway for St. Louis will sting without Cup win now
By Larry Brooks
March 6, 2014 | 3:32am
This is the type of trade a team makes either if it is one piece away from
winning a championship, or its management doesn’t place a premium on
keeping its draft picks.
This is the type of trade the Rangers made on Wednesday, when they dealt
the past and the future for the present in sending one first-rounder, one
second-rounder that could become a first, and the remainder of Ryan
Callahan’s season to Tampa Bay in exchange for 38-year-old Martin St.
Louis — a dynamic, game-changing goal-scorer who, by the way, did we
mention, is 38 years old?
General manager Glen Sather is all-in again on this season, maybe this year
and next, with a flawed team that doesn’t appear big enough, tough enough
or deep enough to take out the Bruins, even if the Rangers are likely a
tougher out in the playoffs — if they get there — than they were before pulling
off this trade.
When a team hasn’t won in going on 20 years, going for it all isn’t necessarily
a terrible idea, but part of the reason a team doesn’t win in 20 years is a
penchant for rushing the process and treating the draft and development
dynamic as secondary to the free-agent and trade market.
The Rangers didn’t have a first-round draft choice in 2013 — that pick sent to
Columbus in the deal for Rick Nash. They won’t have one in 2015 — that
gone with Callahan to Tampa Bay. If they reach the conference finals this
year, they won’t have a No. 1 this June, either — the 2014 second-rounder
becoming a No. 1.
Suddenly, the Ranger roster has nine players developed within the
organization and 14 who arrived in trades or through free agency.
No one invites a team to the Canyon of Heroes for being one of the last four
teams standing, or did we miss the parade two years ago when the Devils
took out the Rangers in the conference finals? Yet by winning two rounds, the
Blueshirts forfeit another first, which is nothing to be sneezed at in a hard-cap
league that demands value from players on entry-level contracts.
Sather did go as far as he could in the negotiations with Callahan, a proud
Blueblood who was a credit to the uniform but whose hard-bargaining asking
price from start to finish never quite coincided with his stated desire to remain
a Ranger.
Given the impasse, Sather essentially had three choices. The first was to
keep Callahan as their own rental player then allow him to walk on July 1
without a return beyond what he would have provided on the ice the rest of
the season. This, the GM decided long ago, was out of the question.
The second was to move Callahan for a package of draft picks or prospects
on a deadline day, where the rental market seemed as depressed as an army
of Islanders season ticket holders.
The third was to actually deal draft picks with Callahan for St. Louis.
Sather acknowledged he could have pulled the trigger on a deal for futures —
San Jose made the offer we’re told was eminently passable — but preferred
the St. Louis option. That’s why they call him Go For It Glen. Well, no one
ever has called him that until now.
St. Louis comes with an exceptional heart and skill package, an ability to put
the puck in the net, and a burning desire to prove everyone wrong.
“I know this is going to be a challenge for me, but I love challenges,” he said
following Wednesday’s 3-2 overtime defeat to the Maple Leafs at the Garden
— in which he recorded three shots in 20:11 of ice time while on a line with
his old Lightning running buddy, Brad Richards. “I know what comes with it.”
But St. Louis comes with a birth certificate, too — Donald Trump could even
check it — and the Rangers come with an organizational history that includes
getting Hall of Fame players on the wrong side of the career parabola.
But of course St. Louis — who did lead the NHL in scoring last year and
arrived in New York with 61 points (29 goals, 32 assists) in 62 games, 17
points more than Ranger-leader Richards — won’t be Bernie Geoffrion, and
of course he won’t be Marcel Dionne, and obviously he won’t be Jari Kurri,
either.
Still, not being those guys won’t be enough to justify this trade. It can’t be
when so much of the future went the other way. There’s one way and one
way only, and that’s for St. Louis and the Rangers to win the Stanley Cup.
730808
New York Rangers
Rangers come up short against Maple Leafs
By Brett Cyrgalis
March 5, 2014 | 10:04pm
If this was the night the Rangers were supposed to start being a better team,
a team with an honest chance to at least compete for tops in the Eastern
Conference, well, they surely didn’t look it.
Hours after trading for reigning Art Ross Trophy winner Martin St. Louis, the
future Hall of Famer was in the lineup yet unable to completely enliven the
Rangers in a 3-2 overtime defeat at the hands of the visiting Maple Leafs — a
distinctly melancholy way for St. Louis to begin his Blueshirts career.
“Every point is important now, but it’s annoying the way it ends,” said goalie
Henrik Lundqvist, who surrendered the game-winner to Tyler Bozak 1:51 into
the extra period after Phil Kessel made a great pass from behind the net. “I
just felt like we definitely had a chance to get the two points.”
The loss was the third in a row for the Rangers (33-26-4), who remained in
third place behind the Flyers and Penguins in the Metropolitan Division with
19 games remaining.
In a game that lacked any real flow, the Rangers found themselves often
controlling the possession game but getting little reward — nothing new for
the Maple Leafs (33-23-8), who have made a season out of getting outshot
and finding ways to win. By early in the third, Nazem Kadri took advantage of
the Rangers scrambled defensive zone coverage and banged in a rebound
to give the Leafs a 2-0 lead, adding to Bozak’s second-period penalty-shot
goal.
Yet 5:18 into the third, Brad Richards took a tripping penalty and the Rangers
managed to score consecutive shorthanded goals, the first from Ryan
McDonagh and the second from Dominic Moore, tying it up 2-2 and
eventually sending it to overtime.
“Five-on-five, I don’t think we were as good as we have been in the past,”
was how coach Alain Vigneault described it.
Vigneault and general manager Glen Sather hoped the swap of their own
captain, Ryan Callahan, for the Lightning’s captain in St. Louis would be the
missing piece to their competitive puzzle. After making his Rangers debut,
the 38-year-old agreed.
“I like what they have here,” said St. Louis, who orchestrated his own trade by
forcing his way out of Tampa Bay and exclusively to New York. “I was happy
to come here and just break the ice, I guess. I was able to fly in a get that first
game over with.”
730809
New York Rangers
No Rangers’ captain for rest of the season
By Larry Brooks and Brett Cyrgalis
March 6, 2014 | 3:34am
The Rangers will defer naming a captain to succeed Ryan Callahan until the
offseason after playing the rest of the year with Brad Richards, Marc Staal
and Dan Girardi wearing the alternate’s “A” on their jerseys.
General manager Glen Sather traded Callahan to the Lightning on
Wednesday in exchange for their captain, Martin St. Louis, along with a
first-round draft pick in 2015 and a second-rounder in 2014.
“Glen and I were just discussing that as we were coming up here,” coach
Alain Vigneault said before his team lost to the Maple Leafs 3-2 in overtime at
the Garden. “We’re going to leave it with three A’s for the remainder of the
year and then deal with that this summer.”
Staal would be considered the front-runner to become captain next season if
— and only if — the defenseman signs a contract extension over the summer
and thus renounces pending 2015 free agency.
Indeed, the offer of the captaincy is likely to become part of the negotiations
with Staal, who obviously has a pull toward Carolina, where his brothers Eric
and Jordan play for the Hurricanes.
If Staal does not sign an extension, the captaincy could then be bestowed
upon Richards (if he is not an amnesty buyout), Girardi or Ryan McDonagh.
The Blueshirts also addressed a need for depth on defense, picking up rental
property in 28-year-old Raphael Diaz from the Canucks in exchange for a
fifth-rounder in 2015.
Diaz, who went from Montreal to Vancouver a couple of weeks ago after
spending parts of three seasons with the Canadiens, is a 5-foot-11,
195-pound lefty who likely leapfrogs Justin Falk on the depth chart as the
seventh defenseman.
After Vigneault expressed some concern of fatigue for goalie Henrik
Lundqvist in the wake of his return from the Olympics, the coach gave his
franchise netminder the day off on Tuesday and got him back to work on
Wednesday night.
“That was a good opportunity to get an extra day,” Lundqvist said after the
morning skate. “It was an intense tournament we played in and coming back,
it was important to put it behind you.”
After backing up Cam Talbot in last Thursday’s 2-1 victory over the
Blackhawks, Lundqvist surrendered 10 goals on 64 shots in back-to-back
weekend 4-2 and 6-3 defeats to the Flyers and Bruins, respectively.
“I look at those two games and I don’t think I played bad, but did I come up
with the big saves? I don’t think so,” Lundqvist said. “There were crucial times
in both games where I could have made the difference but didn’t. It is not
enough to just play OK. You need to be on top of your game. It’s a matter of
coming up with the big save at the right time.”
The Rangers assigned J.T. Miller to the AHL Wolf Pack, an indication that
Mats Zuccarello (left hand fracture) should be ready to return to the lineup
either on Friday in Carolina or Sunday at home against the Red Wings.
Derek Dorsett took Miller’s spot in the lineup after being a healthy scratch on
Sunday against the Bruins. He played 10:07, and got just one shift in the third
period.
730810
New York Rangers
Sather and Vigneault on St. Louis for Callahan
Posted by Andrew Gross
Both general manager Glen Sather and coach Alain Vigneault addressed the
media prior to tonight’s game, which will serve as Martin St. Louis’s debut
with the Rangers after he was acquired earlier today for Ryan Callahan in
what Sather called the first captain-for-captain trade in NHL history.
The Elias Sports Bureau, reached earlier today, said it could not confirm that
because it did not keep those statistics.
Sather said while he and Callahan’s agent, Steve Bartlett, ultimately did
close the gap on money, a no-trade clause was a sticking point. Sather said
he was uncomfortable putting that into such a lucrative, long-term deal.
Sather also said he had another trade in place in case he couldn’t make the
deal with the Lightning (believed to be the Sharks) but the Plan B deal was
more geared toward the future while St. Louis helps the team immediately.
Sather also denied that St. Louis’ longstanding friendship with Richards, his
former Lightning teammate, played a role in the deal and also said this deal
was not an indication the Rangers would or would not buy out Richards after
this season.
Both Sather and Vigneault believe the Rangers are a better team as a result
of the trade and better positioned for a playoff run as a result.
The two have also decided not to replace Callahan as captain this season.
Instead, Dan Girardi will be an alternate captain and wear an A along with
Brad Richards and Marc Staal.
As for fears that this move might upset the remaining Rangers’ players, all
very loyal to Callahan, Sather said they had to “suck it up.”
Also, Derek Dorsett will be in the lineup tonight with J.T. Miller re-assigned
to Hartford (AHL).
Game time is fast approaching so I’ve posted the transcripts of both
Vigneault and Sather’s comments below….
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2014
On whether this makes the Rangers more of a contender: “There’s a lot of
contenders right now. If you look around the league, it’s very close. Where
we sit right now is very close. Hopefully this is going to push us over the edge
and it’s going to make us a little closer to achieving our goal.”
On solely dealing with the Lightning: “I had another deal, this wasn’t the only
deal. I couldn’t think that the deal was going to get done with Tampa or wasn’t
going to get done so in the meantime I had another deal in place. This one
turned out to be a better deal for us right now. The other one would have
been more in the future but, either way, Ryan would have gone in this trade.
“It was made this morning. This has been talked about for a long time. It’s not
something that happened over the last day or two, this has been going on for
quite a while and it’s complicated to trade to players like this, it’s the first time
two captains have ever been traded for each other. They’re both very good
players. They’re different players in their own right but I just didn’t think we
could go as far as Ryan’s agent wanted us to go in the negotiations and we
had to get out of it so we decided to do that. It leaves our future a little more
open down the road.”
On being worried about losing two first-round picks: “Yeah it does, but
drafting a first round pick, it’s not going to give you any kind of guarantee. If
you know anything about the draft coming up, I don’t think there’s a lot of
guys who are going to play in the National Hockey League in the next two,
three years. We had the opportunity to do this and we made the decision this
was the right time to do it.”
On if he’s concerned this will affect the team’s chemistry: “Yeah, absolutely,
Ryan is a good guy and he’s well respected in the organization and by the
fans. It makes it difficult to make that decision to trade, especially when
you’re worried it possibly affecting your team. We’re either going to go out
and play very well tonight because we’re excited we have a new guy in the
lineup or we’re going to play poorly because we’re upset and depressed. But
these guys are all professionals and they have to suck it up. It’s the way it is,
the deal is done, it’s not going to change.”
On concerns over a no-trade clause: “We were getting closer on the money
but where this thing started, eight years and an awful lot of money for Ryan
Callahan or for anybody else a matter of fact. Unless you’re a first All-Star
team, a player that has won Stanley Cups, there’s lots of things that fall into
that. This situation, the no-trade was the one thing that really bothered me in
the end. If you look at what’s going on today with some of the other players
we’ve talked about, you give too much away when you give that no-trade
contract up, it really ties your hands. I know it’s nice for the player to have
security but no-trade, no-yell-at is a tough deal.”
On the day’s other trade, acquiring defenserman Raphael Diaz from
Vancouver: “Diaz played in Montreal last year, we tried to make a deal for
him last year when he was in Montreal. Raphael is a good puck mover, a
first-pass guys, he can play on the power play. I think it’s a good deal for us.”
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On Richards’ future now that St. Louis is here: “I wish this mike was a crystal
ball but it’s not. I can’t answer that question. That’s a fabrication,
hypothetical, whatever you want to call it.”
Sather:
Vigneault:
“First of all, I’d like to say thank you to Ryan and his family. He was what
everyone describe him as, hard-working, tenacious, a grit-and-soul kind of
hockey player. He was terrific. I think the guy that’s coming in helps us
advance and go further than we expected to this year. It’s not often you get a
chance to acquire a guy like Marty St. Louis, a dynamic player in his own
right.”
“First of all I should thank Ryan for everything he has done for the New York
Rangers. I only had him a short time but you guys know him real well and the
fans of the New York Rangers know him real well.
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On assessing a player’s value: “It’s complicated. If you and I were negotiating
a contract, there’s a lot of variables that go into making the decision of the
value of the player brings to your club, brings to another club, brings to
himself. At some point when you’re negotiating you have to say no. Or you
say yes and in this case we had to say no because it got too far down the line
to come back. At some point when you’re negotiating a contract, you get to
an end point where you can’t go any further and we were there and that’s
where it had to stop.”
On St. Louis playing above expectations for a 38-year-old and his possible
longevity in the NHL: “He certainly looks like it. He’s in tremendous shape. He
lives in Connecticut, he worked out with Brad Richards all summer.
Everything I’ve been told about him is he’s a dynamic specimen as far as his
conditioning is concerned, he’s worked very hard at it. He’s very dedicated
and he’s always been the hardest working guy on the team he’s been on. So
I don’t think that’s going to change here. I think he’s going to be an inspiration
to everyone on our club.”
“He is a solid person, a great player and a real solid captain for us. This is
part of the business. I am very happy and excited to have Marty St. Louis with
us. Another Frenchman. I like that part.
“He is an elite player with an elite skill level, a great leader. I am very
confident he is going to fit in real well with our group.”
On reaction to the trade: “I don’t know if surprised is the right word. The two
parties weren’t comfortable with what was being offered, and at the end of
the day we all knew that this was a possibility. We were able to come up with
a pretty good player for our team.”
On losing Callahan: “There is no doubt that taking a player of that magnitude
from our dressing room is going to have an impact. That being said, though,
we are also adding a player that’s got a great presence, he has won a Cup,
he has just come back and won a gold medal for Canada. We’re bringing in a
real solid player, a real solid individual.
“Obviously losing Cally, you’re going to have some impact but the fact that
we’re bringing in this type of individual and this type of player is going to ease
that transition.
“We’re adding a player that’s got more of an offensive capability, without a
doubt. We’re losing Cally’s grit and fire on the ice, but we’re adding some
other really important parts to our team. I really believe this makes us a better
team. We’ve got 20 games. We’ve got a quarter of our season left. There is
still a lot of hockey to be played. We’re going to fight to get into the playoffs
and then we’re going to put our best foot forward.”
On how he’ll use St. Louis: “We’re going to put him where Cally was. We’re
going to put him with Brad and Hags (Carl Hagelin) and we’re going to put
him with Brass’ (Derick Brassard’s) unit on the power play. We’ll keep him
with that tonight.
“He played last night and he flew in here today. Hopefully he will give us a
good game. I know he is excited.”
On naming a new captain: “We’re going to leave it with three As for the
remainder of the year and deal with that this summer.”
On player reaction: “If I am a player in our dressing room, obviously I am
disappointed losing a friend and a good solid teammate, but we’re adding a
real solid player. I’m excited about him joining our room, I’m excited about
what he can bring to our team on the ice, I’m excited about his leadership that
he is going to bring. I think it’s going to work out really well.”
On whether the Rangers have enough grit left: “We’re going to have some
guys who are going to have the opportunity to do a little bit more in those
areas: the grit part, the penalty killing. We’ve got (Derek) Dorsett that hasn’t
played in a while. We were using him in the beginning of the year, before he
got hurt, killing penalties. Some guys are going to be able to get a little bit of
extra ice time there. I am sure it’s going to work out fine.”
730811
New York Rangers
Diaz acquired from Canucks; Miller re-assigned
The Rangers have made two more transactions after sending captain Ryan
Callahan plus picks to the Lightning earlier today for Martin St. Louis.
First, the Rangers have bolstered the depth of their defense corps by
acquiring Raphael Diaz, a 28-year-old, right-handed shooting defenseman,
from the Canucks for a fifth-round pick in 2015. The Canucks had acquired
Diaz from the Canadiens on Feb. 3 for former Ranger Dale Weise.
The Swiss defenseman played two and half seasons for the Canadiens
before going to Vancouver and he’s also played parts of nine seasons in the
Swiss-A league. The 5-foot-11, 194-pound Diaz has five goals and 38 assists
in 134 NHL regular-season games.
The Rangers had seven defensemen on their roster including Justin Falk,
who has not played since Dec. 29 and turned down a conditioning
assignment to Hartford (AHL) during the Olympic break. Diaz is in the second
season of a two-year, $2.45 million deal with a salary cap hit of $1.225
million. Falk, 25, has a one-year, one-way deal worth $975,000.
Meanwhile, the Rangers have sent down J.T. Miller to Hartford (AHL) for the
fourth time this season, had a goal and an assist in three games since his
latest recall from the Wolf Pack.
The Rangers are hoping Martin St. Louis makes it to New York in time to play
tonight. But with Miller down to Hartford, Derek Dorsett could be re-inserted
into the lineup after playing Saturday at Philadelphia, his first game since
breaking his left fibula on Jan. 3. Mats Zuccarello, who suffered a
non-displaced fracture in his left hand on Feb. 16 in the Olympics is day to
day, though coach Alain Vigneault, on Tuesday, did not expect him to play
tonight.
730812
New York Rangers
Callahan expresses ‘shock’ over deal
Attempts to reach Ryan Callahan have been, so far, unsuccessful after the
Rangers traded him to the Lightning this morning for Martin St. Louis.
However, Callahan did call in to the TSN TradeCentre show to discuss the
blockbuster deal.
Here’s the transcript:
On the deal: “It’s still tough. I knew it was an option that was going to happen
if I didn’t re-sign with New York. No matter how prepared you are for it or
knowing it’s going to come still when you hear that initial ‘you’ve been traded’
it’s definitely a shock.”
On heading to Tampa Bay: “I’m extremely excited. I’m going to a great
organization, great owners, great GM. I’ve heard nothing but good things
from players that have played there and they’re in the playoff hunt, too which
is big. We’re excited to get down to Tampa and get going.”
On whether he’s open to discussing a contract extension with the Lightning:
“I think right now you just get down there and get settled and then you get
used to my surroundings and then once that happens, I’m open to anything. If
that’s contract talks it is. If not then we see what happens in July.”
On talks with the Rangers: “I did (think it would get done). I truly thought we’d
work something out that worked for both sides. I said all along going through
this that I wanted to stay there and get a deal done and that was the truth. But
it’s part of the business that, unfortunately, you have to deal with and we
couldn’t find a deal that worked for both sides so I parted ways with New
York. But I have nothing but great things to say about that organization.
Everybody has been great to me. I have lifelong friends that are within the
organization and teammates I’ve played with so I have nothing but great
things to say about the Rangers.”
On whether he has any regrets it didn’t work out with the Rangers: “I wouldn’t
call it regret, just the initial shock. This is my first time, obviously, being traded
so a lot of things going through your head, obviously. I have a family here,
worried about them getting situated but after sitting down and letting it all sink
in I’m excited about going to Tampa and like I said, a team in the playoff hunt
and a great organization.”
On bringing his leadership skills to new teammates: “It’s tough. I’ve never
experienced it before but I’ve seen guys come into our room in New York and
do that. I’m just going to try to be myself and that’s what’s gotten me to this
point is acting how I act on the ice and off the ice and hopefully they welcome
me with open arms.”
730813
New York Rangers
Lundqvist will start tonight vs. Maple Leafs
A quick break from the Martin St. Louis-Ryan Callahan news to inform
everybody that Henrik Lundqvist was the first goalie off the ice at today’s
morning skate and will start tonight against the Maple Leafs after being given
Tuesday off from practice as a maintenance day of rest.
Lundqvist was in net for both the Rangers 4-2 loss at Philadelphia on
Saturday and Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the visiting Bruins, his first two games
after playing all six games in leading Sweden to the silver medal in the
Olympics.
Coach Alain Vigneault on Tuesday said he wanted to talk to Lundqvist this
morning before deciding whether either he or Cam Talbot would get the call
tonight.
“That was a good opportunity to get an extra day,” Lundqvist said of
Tuesday’s day off. “It was an intense tournament we played in. Coming back,
it was important to put it behind you.”
Lundqvist made 27 in each of the two defeats.
“It’s not enough to just play OK, you need to be on top of your game,”
Lundqvist said. “I think they were not bad goals (in those games) but it’s a
matter of coming up with the big save at the right time, then it’s a different
game. That’s what I mean by just being OK, it’s not good enough. There
was the breakaway and you need to come up with the save there. A lot of
times you do, but sometimes you don’t and that’s the difference, a lot of
times, beteen winning and losing.”
Ryan McDonagh, who was also given Tuesday off due to the heavy load of
minutes he’s played both for the Rangers and Team USA in the Olympics,
also participated in today’s full-squad morning squad skate, with four stitches
in his left cheek after being hit by a puck in Sunday’s game. He said,
physically, he’s fine and said, coming back from the Olympics maybe his
“legs weren’t going to be there, but I’m fine.”
730814
New York Rangers
Yzerman says he honored St. Louis’ trade request
Press releases from both the Rangers and Lightning have been issued,
confirming the news that broke around 11 a.m. that the Rangers and
Lightning have swapped captains - Ryan Callahan for Martin St. Louis.
The indications are now that St. Louis will be able to make it to New York for
tonight’s game, though that has not been finalized or confirmed yet.
From the Lightning’s release, here’s the explanation on the conditional picks
included in the deal: “The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired forward Ryan
Callahan, a conditional second-round pick in the 2014 NHL Draft and a first
round selection in 2015 in exchange for Martin St. Louis. The Lightning’s
conditional second round pick becomes a first-round pick in the 2014 NHL
Draft if the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final this season. If
Callahan re-signs with the Lightning the two teams will swap selections in the
2015 NHL Draft, with the Rangers acquiring the Lightning’s second-round
pick while Tampa Bay will get New York’s seventh-round pick.
Also from that release is some explanation of the trade by Lightning GM
Steve Yzerman.
“The Lightning are very excited to have Ryan Callahan join the organization
and help us in our quest to make the playoffs,” Yzerman said. “Ryan is an
outstanding player and leader who we look forward to seeing on the ice
tomorrow night.
“We’d like to thank Marty for everything he has done on and off the ice during
his outstanding 13-year career in Tampa Bay. He has been one of the
greatest players in the organization’s history but in the end we honored his
request today. We wish him and his family the best of luck as he continues
730815
New York Rangers
Captain for captain, Callahan for St. Louis
The Rangers and Ryan Callahan came closer to agreeing to a contract
extension. But the final gulf was never bridged and, instead, the Rangers
sent Callahan to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a captain-for-captain trade that
returns veteran Martin St. Louis to New York.
In addition to Callahan, the Rangers also sent their 2015 first-round pick and
a conditional second-round pick in this June’s draft to the Lightning.
However, if the Rangers make the Eastern Conference final, that
second-round pick becomes a first-round selection. Additionally, if Callahan
re-signs with the Lightning, the Rangers receive the Lightning’s
second-round pick in 2015 and the Lightning get the Rangers’ seventh-round
pick that year.
Callahan participated in the Rangers’ morning skate at Madison Square
Garden prior to tonight’s game against the Maple Leafs before the trade was
announced. He was not available to speak to the media in the Rangers’
dressing room following the morning skate.
Meanwhile, the Rangers are working to get St. Louis to New York in time for
tonight’s game, though St. Louis’ travel plans have not been finalized. If St.
Louis can make it to New York in time for the game, he’ll apparently skate on
a line centered by ex-Lightning teammate Brad Richards and left wing Carl
Hagelin.
St. Louis, who turns 39 on June 18 and keeps an offseason house in
Greenwich, Conn., hence his stance that he would waive his no-movement
clause only to come to the Rangers, is a six-time All-Star and won the Hart
Trophy as the NHL’s MVP in 2003-04, the season the Lightning, coached by
ex-Rangers coach John Tortorella, won the franchise’s lone Stanley Cup. He
has also won the Lady Byng Trophy as the league’s most gentlemanly player
three times.
St. Louis, with 29 goals and 32 assists, becomes the Rangers’ leading scorer
with 61 points. His ex-Lightning teammate, Brad Richards, is next with 16
goals and 28 assists for 44 points. Overall, St. Louis has 369 goals and 604
assists in 1,041 NHL games
Callahan was in his third season as the Rangers captain and his eighth with
the Rangers after being selected in the fourth round of the 2004 draft. He has
11 goals and 14 assists this season in 45 games as he’s missed time three
separate times due to shoulder, knee and hand injuries. In 450 NHL games,
Callahan has 132 goals and 122 assists.
He initially was believed to be seeking a seven-year deal worth closer to $7
million annually but, by Tuesday, the sides had come to an agreement on a
six-year term but were still about $500,000 apart on an annual salary, with
the Rangers believed to be offering $6 million annually. The sides might have
closed the gap somewhat today, but not enough for the Rangers to retain
Callahan or risk losing him as an unrestricted free agent.
St. Louis is in the third season of a four-year, $22.5 million deal that counts
$5.625 million annually against the salary cap.
730816
New York Rangers
Trade deadline day finally here
So will it be a D(deal)-Day or a C(Callahan-Day?
There are multiple reports this morning that the Rangers have engaged/are
engaged with talks with the Lightning regarding their captain Martin St. Louis,
who has let it be known he would accept a trade to the Rangers and only the
Rangers.
Trading captain for captain would not do it for the Lightning so the Ryan
Callahan issue, likely, is a separate one from St. Louis, unless Callahan is
included in a package.
After negotiations on Tuesday, the indications were the Rangers and
Callahan had agreed on term (six years) but not salary, with about a
$500,000 gulf between them on an annual basis.
Here’s today’s article on the situation from The Record.
The deadline comes at 3 p.m. and the Rangers face off against the Maple
Leafs at 7 p.m. The morning skate will begin shortly but it might not be an
indication of what lineup the Rangers will use tonight, based on any pending
trades, particularly Callahan if the sides can’t reach a contract extension.
Coach Alain Vigneault, after giving Henrik Lundqvist off from Tuesday’s
practice, did not name a starter against Toronto.
And it is a crucial game.
The Rangers have 69 points, good for third place in the Metropolitan Division,
the last guaranteed playoff spot and tied in points with fourth-place
Columbus. The Flyers are one point clear in second place. The Maple
Leafs are fourth in the Atlantic Division with 72 points and the wild-card cutoff
right now is 69 points.
“I think there’s always concern after one loss,” said Rick Nash of the
Rangers’ two-game losing streak. “When you have great teams that are in
single digit losses, they lose one, it’s a concern. We lose two we’re worried
about it but we can’t change the past. We’ve got to look forward. (On the
power play), our last game (Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the Bruins, 1 for 4 with the
man advantage), our entries we couldn’t get the puck in the way we wanted
to. We worked on breakouts (in Tuesday’s practice). When you look at good
power plays, it’s simple, shoot it get it back, outwork the other team’s penalty
kill. We’ve just got to get back to the basics.
“It’s a fun time of the year,” Nash added. “That’s what makes each game like
a must-win, the other teams are winning every night. The good thing now is
we don’t have to watch the standings, we kind of control our own destiny by
our own style of play.”
Obviously much more soon from Madison Square Garden…
730817
New York Rangers
Leafs 3, Rangers 2 (OT): Wrapping up (a long day)
Posted by Andrew Gross on 03/06 at 01:14 AM
Martin St. Louis’ first day as a Ranger certainly would have been more
happily memorable had it come with a victory but the initial takeaway after his
first game was twofold.
First, in a lineup blessed with speed with Carl Hagelin and Chris Kreider, St.
Louis still stands out. He may not be faster than Hagelin, few in the NHL are,
but he’s equally adept at setting up in the right places for scoring chances
and creating opportunities for himself. Granted, this was after a game in
which Brad Richards, centering those two speedsters, acknowledged the
Rangers spent too much time on the outside.
The second takeaway is that St. Louis should have no issues blending into
this dressing room. For as humble as he was in thanking the Tampa Bay
Lightning organization and its fans for a wonderful 14 years while
acknowledging the disappointment he’s caused with his decision to request a
trade to the Rangers - part of the equation, St. Louis finally acknowledged,
was his initial Team Canada snub by Lightning/Team Canada GM Steve
Yzerman, he also exuded an acceptance in what he needs to bring to the
Rangers and a confidence he can do that.
He’s 38 but he does not play like that.
St. Louis was a minus-1 in 20:11 in his Rangers debut with three shots, two
shots blocked and one missed shot. And while he’s listed at 5-foot-8, like the
similarly-sized Mats Zuccarello (who actually looks bigger on the ice than St.
Louis) St. Louis does not shy from physical confrontations. There he was in
the third period engaged, briefly, with the dangerous Dion Phaneuf.
Here’s the game story on the Rangers’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs
from The Record and http://www.northjersey.com/sports.
“There were a lot of emotions today,” St. Louis said. “I was blessed to play in
one place for 14 years. I’ll cherish those years. Tampa’s been a home for my
family and I have nothing but great memories. The fans have always been
awesome to me. I kind of grew up there so to speak. I grew up as a player
and I’m thankful for everything the Lightning has brought to me and my
family. It was a tough day for my family but we are all excited to be here. This
is an opportunity for me to play in a big-market team and it’s going to be a
challenge, obviously. Being somewhere for 14 years, it’s just different, just
getting ready for the game, just the little things that you’re used to. New
locker room, new teammates, got to get acclimated. I like what they have
here. I think tonight was a gutsy comeback. Unfortunately we didn’t get the
extra point but I was happy to come here and just break the ice, I guess. I
was able to fly in and get that first game over with.
“I always felt if I was going to leave Tampa, the first place I’d want to play
would be in New York,” added St. Louis, who keeps his offseason home in
Greenwich, Conn. “I’ve been fortunate to be in one place for that long. I’ve
gone through a few different managements and at some point in time I’ve
thought about maybe trying to move. It didn’t happen at those times and, to
be honest, Steven Stamkos came in the picture and I got a chance to play
with a pretty great player. You weigh the ups and downs at that time. New
York is a place I wanted to come if I wasn’t going to play in Tampa. It’s been
in the back of my mind fror a long time. But I wouldn’t trade those 14 years in
Tampa for anything. I have a house here. I spend my summers here. i think
this is a place that really fits my family.
“I know this is going to be a challenge for me,” St. Louis continued. “But I love
challenges and I like to rise to the occasion and be put in that position. This is
a chance to play the game in one of the biggest markets and I know what
comes with it. When things are good, it’s awesome. There’s going to be
tough times but you’ve got to live through it and you’ve got to face it. I am my
biggest critic and I’ve always felt that way. And that’s one of the reasons to
keep pushing it.”
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01403.06.201403.06.201403.06.201403.06.201403.06.201403.06.201403.
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2014
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The reaction to the trade from within the Rangers’ room was a strange mix.
The Rangers didn’t just lose a teammate, they lost their leader. Callahan was
a forceful captain who certainly imposed his will and influence on the room,
meaning that in a good way. Brian Boyle has spoken repeatedly of learning
every day he’s been around Callahan and Derek Stepan, who seemed
shaken by the trade when it happened, said Calllahan was someone he
could “lean on.”
On the other hand, the Rangers’ players are well aware of the talents and
scoring ability St. Louis brings to the lineup.
Coach Alain Vigneault said once the game started, though, he didn’t worry
about his team being shell-shocked by the trade.
“I do believe it’s logic that any time you lose an important piece like Cally, it
will have some effect,” Vigneault said. “But we played the game, the shock is
over, now it’s just getting ready for the next one.”
“Obviously, his career speaks for itself,” Marc Staal said of St. Louis. “He’s an
offensive player, we have a lot of respect for him. He’s a good leader.”
And said Henrik Lundqvist, “It was a little bit of a shock. There has been a lot
of talk about Cally but it’s tough to see him leave. He’s been a great
teammate and a friend and great player for this team for so many years. In
the end, this is the way we decided to go as a team and I’m really excited
about having Marty. He’s such a skilled player and one of the best in the
game. it’s such a mixed feeling right. Having the opportunity to play with a
player like that, but at the same time seeing a good friend and teammate
leave. I’m not sure how to feel right now.”
Staal added it was “shocking” and Ryan McDonagh offered that “You’ve got
to move on. We had an afternoon to soak it all in and understand what
happened.”
Brad Richards, reunited with his former Lightning teammate said his new line
with St. Louis and Hagelin certainly has potential but, at times tonight, they
made too many passes.
“We are trying to talk our way through it and get used to each other and get
used to the way we play here and I think you will see a lot better chemistry as
we go,” Richards said.
The Rangers did struggle somewhat in the faceoff circle, winning 33 of 72
draws (46 percent) while Stepan won just 9 of 27 (33 percent).
And Derek Dorsett had a second rough return to the lineup - he also played in
Saturday’s 4-2 loss at Philadelphia after breaking his left fibula at Pittsburgh
on Jan. 3. In the third period, Dorsett was replaced by Dominic Moore on
Derick Brassard’s line.
Vigneault said Dorsett was not injured, he just thought Dominic Moore, after
assisting on McDonagh’s shorthanded goal and scoring one of his own,
deserved more ice time. And it came at Dorsett’s expense. Dorsett could
well find himself out of the lineup against at Carolina if Mats Zuccarello (left
hand) is able to return.
It will also be interesting to see if Vigneault chooses to insert newly-acquired
defenseman Raphael Diaz. Anton Stralman certainly struggled again tonight
as he was a minus-1 in 18:58 and Vigneault could insert a right-handed
shooting defenseman for a right-handed shooting defenseman. Then again,
Kevin Klein logged just 12;20 on a third pair with John Moore (11:08) so
maybe that veteran comes out.
The Rangers practice at noon on Thursday before traveling to Raleigh, N.C.
for Friday night’s game against the Hurricanes, another crucial game in the
playoff hunt, now with 19 games remaining. Also, getting on the road quickly
may be the best thing for St. Louis’ integration into the Rangers’ team
structure.
Lastly, from the Rangers:
- The Rangers notched two shorthanded goals in a span of 79 seconds
early in the third period, with both goals being tallied while killing the same
penalty. The last time the Blueshirts registered two shorthanded goals in a
game was Dec. 10, 2011 at Buffalo. According to the Elias Sports Bureau,
the last time the Rangers tallied two shorthanded goals in less than 90
seconds was Feb. 21, 1981, when Don Maloney notched a pair of
shorthanded goals in a 34-second span against Washington.
- Ryan McDonagh tallied his 10th goal of the season in tonight’s contest,
making the Rangers the first team in the league to have 10 players register at
least 10 goals for them this season.
- Dominic Moore registered two shorthanded points, including one goal and
one assist, recorded three shots, and posted a plus-two rating in 13:24 of ice
time. His two shorthanded points mark a single-game career-high, and he
has now tallied six points (two goals, four assists) in his last nine games.
- Ryan McDonagh notched a shorthanded goal and three shots in a
game-high, 29:48 of ice time. The goal was his 32nd point of the season,
which ties his single-season career-high established during the 2011-12
season. McDonagh has now recorded a goal in each of the last two games,
and became the 13th NHL defenseman to reach the 10-goal mark this
season.
- Derek Stepan tallied a shorthanded assist to extend his assist streak to four
games (five assists), and logged 16:49 of ice time. He has recorded 13 points
(three goals, 10 assists) in the last 14 games. The assist was his 30th of the
season, the second time he has reached the mark, and his 40th point of the
season. Stepan has reached the 40-point mark in each of his four NHL
seasons. He leads the Rangers in assists and ranks third in points this
season.
- Brian Boyle registered a shorthanded assist and logged 11:16 of ice time
in the contest. He is now four points shy of his 100th career NHL point.
- Martin St. Louis recorded three shots on goal and logged 20:11 of ice time
while making his Rangers debut, following his trade from Tampa Bay earlier
today.
- Henrik Lundqvist made 26 saves and is now 22-20-4 overall, including an
11-12-4 mark at home this season.
- Brad Richards led the team with four shots and won a team-high, 12-18
faceoffs (67%) in 19:00 of ice time. He leads the Rangers and ranks 11th in
the league with 206 shots on goal this season.
730818
New York Rangers
Rangers notes: Defenseman Diaz acquired from Canucks
— Andrew Gross
Thursday, March 6, 2014
The Record
Diaz a Blueshirt
In a move to bolster their defensive corps depth, the Rangers acquired
Raphael Diaz, 28, from the Canucks for a fifth-round pick in the 2015 draft.
The 5-foot-11, 197-pound Diaz has one goal and 12 assists in 52 games this
season for the Canucks and Canadiens. Montreal traded him to the Canucks
on Feb. 3 for ex-Ranger Dale Weise.
"We tried to make a deal for him last year when he was in Montreal," Rangers
general manager Glen Sather said. "Raphael is a good puck mover, a
first-pass guy. He can play on the power play."
The move gives the Rangers eight defensemen on their roster but Justin
Falk, 25, has not been used since Dec. 29.
The right-shooting Diaz, a two-time Swiss Olympian, spent parts of nine
seasons in the Swiss-A League. He is in the second season of a two-year,
$2.45 million deal with a salary cap hit of $1.225 million.
Miller reassigned
Right wing J.T. Miller, 20, was reassigned to Hartford (AHL) for the fourth
time this season. He had a goal and an assist in his latest three-game stint
with the Rangers.
Derek Dorsett took his spot on Derick Brassard's line, his second game since
breaking his left fibula Jan. 3.
Mats Zuccarello may return Friday at Carolina after suffering a non-displaced
fracture in his left hand Feb. 16 playing for Norway in the Olympics.
730819
New York Rangers
Rangers trade Ryan Callahan for Martin St. Louis
Originally published: March 5, 2014 11:43 AM
Updated: March 5, 2014 6:06 PM
By STEVE ZIPAY [email protected]
Unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension, the Rangers traded
captain Ryan Callahan, along with two future draft picks, to Tampa Bay
Wednesday for Martin St. Louis, a six-time All-Star who led the league in
scoring last season.
St. Louis, 38, who has 29 goals and 61 points for the Lightning this season,
was expected to arrive in New York Wednesday night when the Rangers host
Toronto. Callahan, a blue-collar player who was drafted by the Rangers in
2004 and has been captain for three years, is expected to play Thursday in
Tampa against Buffalo.
St. Louis lives in Connecticut and trains there in the summer. He has one
more year left on his contract, with a cap hit of $5 million, and will wear No.
26.
According to terms of the deal, the Lightning will receive a second-round pick
in the 2014 draft and a first-round pick in 2015. If the Rangers reach the
Eastern Conference Final this season, the second-round pick becomes a
first-rounder. If Callahan re-signs with the Lightning, the two teams will swap
selections in the 2015 NHL Draft, with the Rangers acquiring the Lightning's
second-round pick while Tampa Bay will get the Rangers' seventh-round
pick.
In the end, it could be huge price to pay for Callahan, who will turn 29 on
March 21 and has said since before the Winter Olympics, during which he
played for Team USA, that his heart was with the team and wanted to stay in
New York.
But Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather balked at
Callahan's initial asking price of $49 million over seven years, and gave his
agent permission to discuss a contract with other teams. Sather, who
preferred a shorter term, pressed to get a deal done prior to the Olympics,
and there were no negotiations while the right wing was in Sochi.
Since then Callahan, who is in his eighth season and averaging more than 18
minutes in ice time with 11 goals and 14 assists in 45 games, softened his
stance to six years and more than $36 million. But it apparently wasn't
enough for Sather, who is expected to speak to the media later Wednesday.
The Rangers, who shipped out a key piece of their past for a present-day
sniper, and the Lightning do not face each other for the rest of the regular
season, but could meet in the playoffs.
"The Lightning are very excited to have Ryan Callahan join the organization
and help us in our quest to make the playoffs," Lightning GM Steve Yzerman
said in a news release. "Ryan is an outstanding player and leader who we
look forward to seeing on the ice tomorrow night."
Yzerman added: "We'd like to thank Marty for everything he has done on and
off the ice during his outstanding 13-year career in Tampa Bay. He has been
one of the greatest players in the organization's history but in the end we
honored his request today. We wish him and his family the best of luck as he
continues his career in New York."
Callahan's intense style that relies on forechecking and shot-blocking, has
led to numerous injuries. He had off-season shoulder surgery last summer,
and has been sidelined with a broken ankle, broken hand and knee injuries in
recent years.
Rangers coach Alain Vigneault had been "optimistic and positive" during the
past week that an agreement would be reached.
"He's the captain of this team, and I'd take him as my captain any day of the
week," Vigneault said after practice Tuesday. "With Cally, what you have is .
. . a player that is not afraid to talk to a teammate when he feels, whether it be
his behavior . . . it doesn't meet Rangers' expectations. I got to know him real
quickly and I'm real happy with his presence and what he brings to this team."
As for the negotiations, Vigneault stuck to his positive tone. "Everybody's
talking and as long as people are talking, I'm being optimistic."
Callahan, who has clearly tired of the daily questions on his status, did not
speak to the media after practicing Wednesday morning at Madison Square
Garden.
A Rochester, N.Y., native, Callahan played in 450 games in New York, with
132 goals and 122 assists. In 59 playoff games, he recorded 14 goals and 10
assists. In those seasons, he has been a fixture on the penalty kill and power
play, and regularly was among the NHL leaders among forwards in hits and
blocked shots.
How the trade will affect the Rangers identity and chemistry is unclear.
Numerous players, including close friend Dan Girardi, who agreed to a
six-year, $33-million extension on Friday, said that losing his long-time
teammate would be unfortunate.
And after Wednesday's practice, and before learning about the trade, Brian
Boyle described Callahan as "a real leader by example. I hope he stays
here."
In their second trade of the day, the Rangers acquired Raphael Diaz, 28, a
Swiss-born defenseman, from Vancouver for a fifth-round draft pick in 2015.
The 5-11, 200-pound Diaz, who also played 46 games for Montreal this
season, is 1-12-13 in 52 games, and is an unrestricted free agent in July. He
is earning $1.2 million.
In 2011-12 and 2012-13 in Montreal, Diaz, who was born in Switzerland, was
4-26-30.
730820
New York Rangers
for something to happen. We've all got to take control and try to make a
difference."
In Martin St. Louis' debut, Rangers lose to Leafs in OT
Notes & quotes:The Rangers also acquired defenseman Raphael Diaz, 28,
from the Vancouver Canucks, for a fifth-round draft pick in 2015. Diaz has
five goals and 38 assists in 134 NHL games.
Originally published: March 5, 2014 10:29 PM
Updated: March 6, 2014 12:03 AM
By STEVE ZIPAY [email protected]
Martin St. Louis of the Rangers skates against
Martin St. Louis of the Rangers skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs at
Madison Square Garden on March 5, 2014. (Credit: Mike Stobe)
Galleries
Martin St. Louis walks out for warmups before Rangers vs. Maple Leafs
Martin St. Louis takes a shot in warmups Martin St. Louis Members of the
media gather on the basketball Madison Square Garden renovations
Web links
Newsday columnist Steve Zipay Steve Zipay's Blue Notes
In a storybook world, Martin St. Louis would have scored the game-winner in
his Rangers debut at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night.
It was a destination that the 38-year-old had targeted after 13 years in Tampa
Bay, where he had been a six-time All-Star, won a Stanley Cup and led the
NHL is scoring for the second time last season. Instead, the Rangers fell in
overtime, 3-2, to the Maple Leafs, and St. Louis had just three shots in 20:11.
"This is Day One for Marty," said friend and former Tampa teammate Brad
Richards after St. Louis was acquired for Ryan Callahan, a second-round
draft pick this season and a first-round pick in 2015. "I've been through it; it's
going to feel a lot different a month from now. It was probably a little surreal
out there."
St. Louis, who had played five games out West and flew directly here to pull
on a No. 26 jersey, was simply happy to "break the ice" on another chapter in
a storied career.
The Rangers trailed 2-0, but Ryan McDonagh and Dom Moore scored
shorthanded goals in 1:19 on the same third-period penalty kill to tie the
score. Tyler Bozak had the winner with his second goal at 1:51 of overtime.
"I thought tonight was a gutsy comeback," St. Louis said. "It was unfortunate
that we didn't get the extra point."
It was just the beginning of a Rangers' run for St. Louis, who spends
summers at his home in Connecticut and trains there. He had a falling-out
with Tampa general manager Steve Yzerman, discussed it with his family,
and requested a trade, specifically to the Rangers.
In a bind, Yzerman honored his request, shipping him to New York and by 7
p.m., St. Louis was skating in former captain Callahan's place on a line with
Richards and Carl Hagelin.
On his first shift, St. Louis, who has 29 goals, provided a glimpse of the skill
that has produced 939 points in 1,041 NHL games. He got into the slot and
fired a one-timer that drew oohs and aahs from the home crowd.
With 19 games left, the Rangers (33-26-4, 70 points) have won once in four
games since the Olympic break and will need a jolt to earn a playoff berth.
Rangers president Glen Sather, who engineered the trade, was asked if St.
Louis, who has a year remaining on his contract, could continue at the same
level. "He certainly looks like it. He's in tremendous shape . . . He's always
been the hardest-working guy on every team he's been on. I don't think that's
going to change here."
St. Louis is ready for the opportunity in a big market. "Believing in yourself is
the greatest thing you can do as a player," he said. "I love challenges, I like to
rise to the occasion and be put in that position."
But Richards had a warning for a team that seemed a little shell-shocked by
the trade. "We added a great player who's been through it and has pretty
much held a team in contention with a lot of injuries down there, on his own,"
Richards said. "Everybody still has to play hard and not wait for Marty or wait
730821
New York Rangers
Maple Leaves at Rangers … It’s Go Time!
05 March 2014, 6:41 pm by Carp in Hockey It's Go Time! New York Rangers
NHL Rangers Report - 307 Comments
Three Rangers Stars: Game 63, Maple Leafs at Rangers, March 5
Marc StaalDan GirardiHenrik LundqvistDaniel CarcilloDominic MooreBenoit
PouliotJohn MooreAnton StralmanBrad RichardsDerek StepanBrian
BoyleChris KreiderRyan McDonaghRick NashCam TalbotDerek
DorsettKevin KleinMartin St. LouisCarl HagelinDerick Brassard
VoteView Results
Game 63.leafs
Maple Leaves at Rangers.
Martin St. Louis makes his Rangers debut, wearing Dave Maloney’s old No.
26, while the ya boys play the first game of the post-Ryan Callahan era.
Say what you will about the trade and the negotiations with Callahan, and
there certainly was a cost involved and St. Louis’ age to be considered. But
the Rangers got the best player that moved on NHL trade deadline day, and
they got him for next season too.
The Rangers have lost two in a row and need to get this turned around
quickly with only 20 games remaining.
The Rangers are just 15-15-3 at home this season. After tonight they play
seven of their next nine on the road.
St. Louis was to slide right into Callahan’s spot on the right of Brad Richards
and Carl Hagelin, and into Mats Zuccarello’s spot on the power play. Henrik
Lundqvist starts his third in a row in goal.
Derek Dorsett returns to the lineup, so J.T. Miller is going back to Hartford
(AHL), especially with Mats Zuccarello ready to return as soon as Friday.
Rafael Diaz, the defenseman obtained from Vancouver today, also will not
play, along with Justin Falk.
Rockland Journal News: LOADED: 03.06.2014
730822
New York Rangers
Official announcement of the Callahan-St. Louis trade
05 March 2014, 12:29 pm by Carp in Hockey New York Rangers NHL
Rangers Report - 787 Comments
NEW YORK, March 5, 2014 – New York Rangers President and General
Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has acquired Martin St.
Louis from Tampa Bay in exchange for Ryan Callahan, a second round pick
in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and a first round pick in 2015.
St. Louis is a two-time Art Ross Trophy winner as the league’s leading scorer
(2003-04, 2012-13), and a former Lester B. Pearson Award and Hart
Memorial Trophy winner as the NHL’s most valuable player as selected by
the players and league, respectively, in 2003-04. The three-time Lady Byng
Memorial Trophy recipient as the league’s most gentlemanly player
(2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13), was also a member of the 2004 Stanley Cup
championship winning Tampa Bay Lightning.
St. Louis has registered 29 goals and 32 assists for 61 points, along with six
penalty minutes and a plus-12 rating in 62 games this season. He is tied for
fifth in the league in goals and eighth in points. He is also tied for eighth in the
NHL with nine power play goals, and ranks third among league forwards with
21:41 average ice time. St. Louis has registered 23 points (12 goals, 11
assists) over his last 20 games, including a 10-game point streak from
January 7 at Winnipeg to January 25 against Colorado. He posted his eighth
career hat trick with a career-high, four goals, on January 18 against San
Jose, and skated in his 1,000th career NHL game on November 19 at Los
Angeles. On January 30 at Ottawa, St. Louis became the eighth active NHL
player to register his 600th career assist.
Last season, St. Louis captured his second career Art Ross Trophy as the
NHL’s leading point scorer with 60 points in the lockout-shortened season.
He became the oldest player in NHL history at 37 years old to win the Art
Ross Trophy, and joined Mario Lemeux and Gordie Howe as the only three
players to post a 1.25 points per game or better average at 37 years of age or
older. His 1.25 points per game put him on pace for 103 points over a full
82-game season. St. Louis also led the league with 43 assists, ranked fifth
with 17 power play assists, and ninth with 20 power play points. He
registered his 900th career NHL point with a two-assist performance on April
9 against Ottawa.
The six-time NHL All-Star (2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011) has skated
in 1,041 career regular season games over 15 seasons with the Tampa Bay
Lightning and Calgary Flames, registering 369 goals and 604 assists for 973
points, along with 286 penalty minutes and a plus-24 rating. St. Louis
currently ranks eighth among active NHL skaters in career assists and
points, and 13th in career goals. He has reached the 30-goal and 50-assist
marks six times, and has surpassed the 90-point plateau on four occasions.
In 2006-07, St. Louis established career-highs with 43 goals and 102 points
in 82 games.
The 5-8, 183-pounder was selected as an NHL First Team All-Star following
the 2003-04 season, after capturing his first Art Ross Trophy as the league’s
leading scorer with 94 points. He captured the Lester B. Pearson Award as
the league’s MVP, as chosen by the players, and the Hart Memorial Trophy
as the NHL’s MVP that season. St. Louis has also been selected as an NHL
Second Team All-Star on four occasions (2006-07, 2009-10, 2010-11,
2012-13).
In post-season competition, St. Louis has registered 33 goals and 35 assists
for 68 points, along with 28 penalty minutes and a plus-seven rating in 63
career playoff games with Tampa Bay. He tallied 20 points, including a
career-high, 10 goals, in 18 games during the 2011 playoffs. His 10 goals
ranked third in the NHL that post-season, while his 20 points tied for third in
the league. St. Louis established playoff career-highs with 15 assists and 24
points in 23 games, en route to winning the 2004 Stanley Cup championship.
He led the league in playoff assists and ranked second in points that
post-season.
Internationally, St. Louis is a two-time Olympian (2006, 2014) and a gold
medal winner as a member of Team Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympic
Games in Sochi, Russia. He has registered two goals and one assist in 11
career Olympic contests. St. Louis is also a two-time silver medalist with
Canada at the IIHF World Championships (2008, 2009). He was named to
the tournament All-Star team after leading all skaters in scoring with 15
points at the 2009 World Championship. In addition, St. Louis captured a
gold medal with Canada at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, tallying two goals
and two assists in six tournament games.
The Laval, Quebec native was originally signed by Calgary as an undrafted
free agent on February 19, 1998. He made his NHL debut on October 9,
1998 against San Jose, and registered his first career point with a goal on
October 20, 1998 at Dallas.
Callahan, 28, has registered 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points, along with
16 penalty minutes in 45 games this season. The Rochester, New York
native was originally selected by the Rangers as a fourth round choice, 127th
overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
***********************************************
Statement from Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman:
and help us in our quest to make the playoffs,” Yzerman said. “Ryan is an
outstanding player and leader who we look forward to seeing on the ice
tomorrow night.”
his outstanding 13-year career in Tampa Bay. He has been one of the
greatest players in the organization’s history but in the end we honored his
request today. We wish him and his family the best of luck as he continues
730823
New York Rangers
Rangers-Maple Leaves in review
06 March 2014, 4:21 am by Carp in Game review Hockey New York Rangers
NHL Rangers Report - 6 Comments
Toronto Maple Leafs v New York Rangers
First, click here for my story from the game last night, after which Martin St.
Louis was pretty forthcoming about demainding a trade.
Second, click here for my story from before the game, about the
deadline-day’s events, with reaction from Glen Sather, Ryan Callahan, Alain
Vigneault, Steve Yzerman, etc.
Thoughts:
1) OK, so you guys who read those, and who were on the blog yesterday, or
on twitter, know how I feel about the trade. But here, in case you don’t read
the stories above, or didn’t read yesterday, is my bottom line of bottom lines:
The Rangers got the best player traded yesterday, period, and he
immediately became their best forward by far. Simple as that. He helps this
year and next, when his cap hit will be a reasonable and manageable $5.625
million. And Ryan Callahan overplayed his hand, starting too high, finishing
too high, probably still believing he will get his seven years and well north of
$6 million or $6.5 million as a free agent July 1. And he probably will.Toronto
Maple Leafs v New York Rangers
2) I told youse last week that it was only 25-75 Callahan would be a Ranger
after the deadline, that Dan Girardi was 80-20, and Martin St. Louis was
60-40 and Ryan Kesler 40-60. Not bad, right? Every once in a while I’m
correct. Though it sure sounded like Callahan and Glen Sather closed
enough ground in contract negotiations that it might get done.
3) Now about this game. Three losses in a row, IMO, where the Rangers just
pretty much handed out gifts on every goal. Just slovenly play around the
front of their net, since the final 12 seconds of the Chicago game, through
Philly and Boston, and on two of the three goals last night (the other,
obviously, was a penalty shot). They really need to clean that up in a hurry
and get back to the stout defensive play that had them at 15-4-1 through the
prior 20 games.
4) I really like the edge that’s showing now in Ryan McDonagh’s game. And
how about Anton Stralman getting squished by Kelly Clarkson, and quickly
returning the favor with an open-ice hit?
5) That’s the good. The bad is that all three defensive pairs was guilty of poor
coverage around the net in this game, including the McDonagh-Girardi pair in
overtime. During 4-on-4 you cannot have bith defensemen behind the net.
But, if you do, the forwards have to be much, much more aware.
6) Which brings us to Brad Richards and Rick Nash, who were just woeful in
their own end. Just awful. And it’s not like they created a lot, though Richards
had a little more hop than usual with St. Louis on his right.
7) And that brings us to the Daily Nash-O-Meter. That needle is pointing
straight down today. He was terrible, and his linemates were equally terrible,
and if the Rangers are going to do anything down this stretch and in the
playoffs, they need Nash, Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider to be tons better
than they’ve been lately. Kreider, away from the puck, is a nightmare. Stepan
just disappears. Nash was bad with and without the biscuit. That line is super
stale. Maybe it’s time to try something else, especially now that St. Louis is
aboard. Stepan-Nash should still be the first line. It hasn’t played like one at
all.
Toronto Maple Leafs v New York Rangers8) And Henrik Lundqvist? I thought
he looked uncomfortable early, and I certainly am not blaming him for
allowing a penalty shot goal and two unchecked dunks. But when he’s on, he
stops the penalty shot more often than not, and maybe he swipes one of the
others. Again, not blaming him because of the slop around him, but he’s been
better. Most of his career.
9) There was one stretch during the second period where Benny Hill music
should have been playing and to that point was the highlight of the game. The
Rangers had a flurry of chances down low, and Bernier lost his stick. The
Rangers over-passed, Toronto’s Phil Kessel botched a 3-on-2 break, the
Rangers then botched their coverage, and Jake Gardner fired a shot off the
crossbar and the far post. The officials and the goal judge then botched the
call, ruling it a goal, until video replay overturned it. Let’s see … 16 people on
ice, including officials. Probably 10 or 11 of them botched something on that
shift.
10) Then McDonagh and Dominic Moore scored twice short-handed during
Richards’ penalty. Our friend iGravy had a great line. Richards wasn’t
arguing the penalty, he was asking for a double minor.
11) The Rangers ended the third period during a 4-on-4, and then went to
OT. So Kreider could have gone to the shower for the final six minutes or so.
I know, the kid’s a nightmare defensively. But, geez, you want to try to win the
game there, no? I mean, Phil Kessel and his wheels are jumping over the
wall every other shift. The Rangers continue to send out the plodding Stepan
and Richards. And with Richards and Nash, to repeat, the odds of being
scored upon aren’t much better than, say, Kreider and Carl Hagelin out there.
Right?
12) Clarkson. I like the way he went after Daniel Carcillo AFTER the officials
had gotten between them. Good to see his act hasn’t changed with the big
contract. Fraud.Toronto Maple Leafs v New York Rangers
13) My favorite part of Trade Deadline Day was when the guy on TSN called
the Islanders a “Tire Fire.” What a disaster. How does that team, so far under
the cap, not re-sign Mark Streit and trade Andrew McDonald to the Flyers.
Why not just overpay them and keep them? And the whole Moulson-Vanek
thing nearly blew up in their faces.
14) The Tire Fires aren’t alone as so many franchises are flinging themselves
into dumpsters. I also enjoyed Lou Lamoriello scolding the Devils media,
telling them they created the whole Martin Brodeur fiasco, when Brodeur had
been talking all week about the possibility of waiving his no-trade clause and
going somewhere else. Like Lamoriello didn’t attempt to trade him. Buffalo
has just oversold, and that Clown Show up there has forced out Pat
LaFontaine, who hired the GM and the coach, and Ted Nolan is probably
about to be re-blackballed no matter what happens, and there’s just a
skeleton of a team left. And it all started by letting Darcy Regier fire Lindy
Ruff, then Regier got fired too.
14) And then there’s Vancouver, where Mike Gillis does a post-deadline
presser looking as if he’s coming off the golf course. How does he allow John
Tortorella to influence any moves with him so obviously imploding up there
and almost certain, IMO, to be out the door in the next 4-12 months. So now
that team that was so deep in quality goalies has both of them gonzo, and
tried but couldn’t trade Ryan Kesler, who wanted out, and Alex Edler. What a
mess. Remember when the Canucks were good? Oh, and one more.
Washington, with two goalies, goes out and gets another one. So Braden
Holtby gets shelled. Will that franchise ever have stability in that position? It’s
like Philly, except not since 1975.
15) Don’t worry kids, the Rangers’ best pre-trade forward, Mats Zuccarello,
could be back Friday. So, see ya J.T. Miller.
*************************************
My Three Rangers Stars:Toronto Maple Leafs v New York Rangers
1. Dominic Moore.
2. Martin St. Louis.
3. Derick Brassard.
*************************************
Kenny Albert’s Three Rangers Stars:
1. Dominic Moore.
2. Ryan McDonagh.
*************************************
David Rosengarten’s Three Rangers Stars:
(drosengarten.com)
1. Dominic Moore.
2. Carl Hagelin.
3. Anton Stralman.
*************************************
Your poll vote for Three Rangers Stars:
2. Tie, Dominic Moore and Ryan McDonagh.
730824
New York Rangers
Maple Leaves 3, Rangers 2 (OT) … post-game notes & quotes
05 March 2014, 11:08 pm by Carp in Hockey New York Rangers NHL
Post-game notes Rangers Report - 67 Comments
Toronto Maple Leafs v New York Rangers
Post-game notes & quotes courtesy of the NYR:
Maple Leafs 3, Rangers 2 (OT)
Team notes:
– The Rangers were defeated by the Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-2, in overtime
tonight at Madison Square Garden, in an Original Six matchup. The
Blueshirts erased a two-goal deficit with a pair of shorthanded goals in a
79-second span early in the third to force overtime and earn a point in the
contest. New York is now 17-8-2 in their last 27 games overall, and 9-5-2 in
their last 16 games at home. – The Blueshirts have posted a record of
33-26-4 overall (70 pts), including a 15-15-4 mark at home this season. – The
Rangers notched two shorthanded goals in a span of 79 seconds early in the
third period, with both goals being tallied while killing the same penalty. The
last time the Blueshirts registered two shorthanded goals in a game was Dec.
10, 2011 at Buffalo. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time the
Rangers tallied two shorthanded goals in less than 90 seconds was Feb. 21,
1981, when Don Maloney notched a pair of shorthanded goals in a
34-second span against Washington. – New York has now recorded a point
in 15 of their last 18 meetings with Toronto (12-3-3 over the span). – The
Rangers and Maple Leafs have been separated by two goals or fewer in 10
of their last 14 meetings (5-3-2), including seven games decided by one goal
(4-1-2). – New York out-shot Toronto, 37-29, with 16 of 18 skaters registering
at least one shot on goal in the contest. The Rangers have been credited with
258 shots on goal over the last seven contests (36.9 shots on goal per
game), and have out-shot their opponent in nine of their last 11 games and
13 of the last 16. – Ryan McDonagh tallied his 10th goal of the season in
tonight’s contest, making the Rangers the first team in the league to have 10
players register at least 10 goals for them this season.
Player notes: – Dominic Moore registered two shorthanded points, including
one goal and one assist, recorded three shots, and posted a plus-two rating
in 13:24 of ice time. His two shorthanded points mark a single-game
career-high, and he has now tallied six points (two goals, four assists) in his
last nine games. – Ryan McDonagh notched a shorthanded goal and three
shots in a game-high, 29:48 of ice time. The goal was his 32nd point of the
season, which ties his single-season career-high established during the
2011-12 season. McDonagh has now recorded a goal in each of the last two
games, and became the 13th NHL defenseman to reach the 10-goal mark
this season. – Derek Stepan tallied a shorthanded assist to extend his assist
streak to four games (five assists), and logged 16:49 of ice time. He has
recorded 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in the last 14 games. The assist
was his 30th of the season, the second time he has reached the mark, and
his 40th point of the season. Stepan has reached the 40-point mark in each
of his four NHL seasons. He leads the Rangers in assists and ranks third in
points this season. – Brian Boyle registered a shorthanded assist and logged
11:16 of ice time in the contest. He is now four points shy of his 100th career
NHL point. – Martin St. Louis recorded three shots on goal and logged 20:11
of ice time while making his Rangers debut, following his trade from Tampa
Bay earlier today. – Henrik Lundqvist made 26 saves and is now 22-20-4
overall, including an 11-12-4 mark at home this season. – Brad Richards led
the team with four shots and won a team-high, 12-18 faceoffs (67%) in 19:00
of ice time. He leads the Rangers and ranks 11th in the league with 206 shots
on goal this season.
Quotebook:
Alain Vigneault on tonight’s game… “We were playing against a team that
plays a fast game and is real good on the rush with good tempo. I thought for
the most part we were able to control some of their skill and some of their
rush. I would have liked to see us be a little bit more effective. We spent a lot
of time in their end and a lot of time with the puck, but didn’t get a lot inside or
quality chances off the puck possession time that we had… so that’s an area
we are going to have to be better. Five-on-five tonight I don’t think we were as
good as we have been in the past.”
Henrik Lundqvist on tonight’s game… “Every point is important right now, so
it’s annoying the way it ended. It felt like we definitely had the chance to get
the two points. We played really well and worked ourselves back into this
game. It’s a big frustration right now to not come out of it with two points.”
Martin St. Louis on today’s events… “There were a lot of emotions today. I
was blessed to play in one place for 14 years. I’ll cherish those years.
Tampa’s been a home for my family and I have nothing but great memories.
The fans have always been awesome to me. I kind of grew up there, so to
speak; I grew up as a player and I’m thankful for everything the Lightning has
brought to me and my family. It was a tough day for my family, but we are all
excited to be here. This is an opportunity for me to play with a big market
team, and it’s going to be a challenge obviously. Being somewhere for 14
years, it’s just different – getting ready for the game, just little things that
you’re used to. New locker room, new team, new teammates – I have to get
acclimated. I like what we have here. I think tonight was a gutsy comeback.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get the extra point, but I was happy to come here and
just break the ice, I guess. I was able to fly in and get that first game over
with.”
730825
Ottawa Senators
Senators land Hemsky, re-sign Phillips
by Wayne Scanlan
on March 5, 2014
The Ottawa Senators are still in the playoff chase.
At least, general manager Bryan Murray thinks so, after trading two draft
picks to aquire winger Ales Hemsky of the Edmonton Oilers, re-signing Chris
Phillips to a two-year deal and seeing Cory Conacher claimed on waivers by
the Buffalo Sabres.
To get Hemsky, the Senators gave up a fifth round draft pick in 2014 and a
third-rounder in 2015.
Hemsky, it turned out, auditioned for the Sens by scoring a pair of goals in
Edmonton’s 3-2 victory over Ottawa Tuesday night. A 30-year-old Czech,
Hemsky is familiar in this area because he played junior hockey for the
Gatineau Olympiques.
This year he has nine goals and 17 assists for the Oilers. He provides captain
Jason Spezza with a skilled winger. With a $5-million cap hit, Hemsky is
earning $5.5 million this season but the Oilers will pick up half of what
remains on his salary this season. He is a pending unrestricted free agent.
Veteran defenceman Phillips, the longest-serving Senator, took a slight pay
cut to $2.5 million, but gets the second year that he wanted.
With Conacher claimed by Buffalo, all that remains of the Conacher-Ben
Bishop trade with Tampa Bay is the fourth round draft pick Ottawa received
along with Conacher. The Senators used the pick to select forward Tobias
Lindberg.
Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 03.06.2014
730826
Ottawa Senators
Scanlan: Hemsky move shows Senators are believers
by Wayne Scanlan
March 5, 2014
Never mind that the Senators dropped two of their first three games after the
Olympic break.
The management approach: full speed ahead in the pursuit of : A) a wild card
spot, B) potential playoff revenues, and C) playoff experience for Ottawa’s
young players. There is, ahem, a lot of work to be done, with your heroes on
the outside looking in and just 19 games remaining in the schedule (after
Wednesday in Calgary).
Though he admitted beforehand he would consider buying and selling at
Wednesday’s trade deadline, general manager Bryan Murray went on the
offence in the hours leading up to the 3 p.m. ET buzzer.
In his biggest move, Murray dealt two draft picks (a 5th rounder in 2014, a 3rd
rounder in 2015) to acquire forward Ales Hemsky from the Edmonton Oilers,
a pending unrestricted free agent. Though Hemsky is earning $5.5 million
this season, the Oilers are picking up half of what remains on his salary.
Hemsky will try to become the top-six forward Ottawa needs, and a winger for
centre and captain Jason Spezza.
Earlier, Murray re-signed veteran defenceman Chris Phillips to a two-year,
$5-million contract, negotiated by Phillips himself on the morning of a game.
Considering Murray had said he might do nothing at the deadline, this was an
eventful day for the Senators.
At noon, the departure of winger Cory Conacher became official, as Murray’s
nephew, Buffalo GM Tim Murray, an ex-Senators assistant GM, claimed
Conacher off waivers to become a member of the Sabres. In letting
Conacher go, the Senators waived a white flag of surrender on the big trade
of last season, in which Ottawa sent promising goaltender Ben Bishop to the
Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Conacher and the 2013 fourth round
pick of the Philadelphia Flyers. That pick turned out to be Swedish forward
Tobias Lindberg.
Bishop, of course, has had a breakthrough season, so Murray swallowed his
pride in letting Conacher have another chance elsewhere. Conacher is
thrilled to go back to where his career began, in Buffalo, where he played for
Canisius College.
In essence, Hemsky takes Conacher’s place on the roster, a significant
upgrade of skill, but he also features many of the high-risk moves that drive
some Senators fans to distraction. Clearly, Hemsky passed the audition for
Ottawa, as he scored a pair of goals in the Oilers’ 3-2 victory over the
Senators. He has nine on the season.
“I guess I didn’t help them too much (Tuesday),” Hemsky said in an interview
with TSN. He did try to help the Senators Wednesday, scooting up the
highway to play for his new team against the Calgary Flames.
Has it really been a decade since Hemsky joined the Oilers as a 13th overall
pick from the Gatineau Olympiques? It seems as though the 6-foot,
185-pound Czech has been involved in trade rumours for most of those ten
years.
Hemsky’s career-high is 23 goals in 2008-09. And this is where it gets
interesting. Hemsky is hardly a shoot-first type of winger for Spezza. With 94
shots in 55 games, he takes less than two per game and was way down the
list of Edmonton shooters. For example, Taylor Hall has taken 186 shots for
the Oilers in 56 games this season.
In Ottawa, Erik Karlsson leads all Senators shooters with 198 (prior to the
Flames game).
At heart, Hemsky is more of a playmaker than a shooter – he had a
career-high 51 assists in 2007-08. In the end, he might be a fit for Kyle Turris
and Clarke MacArthur and winger Bobby Ryan could end up back with
Spezza. No doubt, head coach Paul MacLean will explore all options.
The happiest man in the dressing room was likely Phillips, thought to be
among the assets the Senators could move at the deadline. Because his
agent, J.P. Barry, was not on great terms with the Senators over the handling
of the Daniel Alfredsson departure last summer, Phillips was the front man on
his own contract, accepting a pay cut from the $3.25 million he’s earning this
season for the benefit of a second-year (Murray had been offering a one-year
term). In addition, Phillips and the club agree to a no-trade clause. All in all, a
pretty nice birthday package for a player who turns 36 on Sunday.
Murray likes Phillips in the role of mentor to the young defencemen in the
organization, not the least of whom is Phillips regular partner, rookie Cody
Ceci. In keeping Phillips, Ottawa makes a bit of a recovery from the
Alfredsson public relations nightmare.
Phillips has been a Senator since 1997 and has made an impact on the
region as a community builder and businessman. Next season, Mark
Borowiecki, on a one-way deal, will be the latest young defenceman to
benefit from the Big Rig’s experience.
Also on defence, the Senators dumped a salary and did a good deed by
loaning defenceman Joe Corvo to the AHL Chicago Wolves. Corvo, who
cleared waivers, wasn’t playing with Ottawa and he is an Illinois native so the
move takes him closer to home.
Interesting that of the pending UFA’s – Phillips, Milan Michalek and Matt
Kassian among them – only Corvo moved, via waiver wire and a loan.
In a minor league move, the Senators traded forward Andre Petersson to the
Anaheim Ducks organization in exchange for defenceman Alex Grant. The
Senators lose a Swede, gain a Canadian, from Antigonish.
730827
Ottawa Senators
Leafs general manager Dave Nonis says cost of deadline day deals not
worth it
By The Canadian Press March 5, 2014 5:22 PM
TORONTO - The Toronto Maple Leafs stood pat Wednesday, deciding that
the cost to make a move on trade deadline day was too much.
"We would have been hurting ourselves long-term and we weren't prepared
to do that," Dave Nonis, Toronto's senior vice-president and general
manager, told reporters.
Nonis, who said he made plenty of calls to test the waters, said the asking
prices were high and the talent on offer limited. The sense he got was there
might be more movement come the summer.
"There wasn't a lot available in general," he said. "I think deals that changed
the look of your team seemed to happen at the draft."
Nonis acknowledged that his team had been up and down, putting the onus
on the Leafs to return to their winning ways before the Olympic break.
"If we do, we should be fine. And if we don't, then we're going to have some
difficulties," he said. "But it's not a bad team. I think we've got a good core
group. We're very young still."
Nonis said he did get trade inquiries, pointing to younger players like rookie
defenceman Morgan Rielly — who turns 20 on Sunday.
"Morgan Rielly's easy to move today. But it doesn't makes sense to us."
He said the team could have got some "pretty good high picks" for some of its
players facing unrestricted free agency this summer.
One of those is forward Dave Bolland, who is recovering from a tendon injury.
There is no time frame on his return, with Nonis saying some movement was
still causing him discomfort.
"It's going to take however long it takes. I'm hopeful and confident that he'll be
back this year," said Nonis.
Bolland had surgery after being checked into the board by Zack Kassian in a
4-0 loss in Vancouver on Nov. 2.
Asked about taking on other team's unrestricted free agents via trade, Nonis
said either the price was too high or he felt the Leafs already had comparable
players.
"Why pay a price for nothing?
Asked how close the Leafs were to being a Stanley Cup contender, Nonis
said the salary cap has changed the NHL landscape so that anyone who gets
into the post-season has a chance to win it all.
"Are there favourites? No question, Would I put ourselves in as a favourite?
No. But I think you saw in the last year we were pretty close to moving on."
Toronto, which took Boston to seven games in the first round of last season's
playoffs, was 32-23-8 going into Wednesday night's game in New York
against the Rangers.
Other Leafs who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents after the
season are forwards Nikolai Kulemin, Jay McClement, Mason Raymond and
Troy Bodie, and defenceman Paul Ranger.
730828
Ottawa Senators
Conacher goes from afterthought to top six role in 24 hours
by James Gordon
on March 5, 2014
For erstwhile Ottawa Senators winger Cory Conacher, B-u-f-f-a-l-o spells
relief.
Just 24 hours before the Sabres picked him up on waivers, a disappointed
Conacher was coming to terms with the possibility he might be headed back
to the American Hockey League if no NHL team was willing to take a chance
on him.
Instead, he’ll step right into a marquee role with the rebuilding Sabres.
Buffalo general manager Tim Murray hold Conacher as much in a morning
phone call Wednesday.
“Tim basically told me that he was going to give me a shot at a bigger role in
Buffalo, a top-six player, and I can’t thank him enough for taking a chance on
me,” Conacher said right before leaving to catch a flight to Ottawa.
“It was a crazy 24 hours, but it’s been exciting at the same time to see if
anyone would take a chance on me, and it’s nice to share this with friends
and family, that I’m going to Buffalo, which is pretty close to home and is
almost a second home to me.”
The Burlington, Ont., native played hockey for four years at Canisius College
in Buffalo.
Conacher was clearly thrilled that 24 hours of highs and lows ended on a
high.
“It’s very exciting, you have a team that’s in the process of rebuilding, looks
like, and Tim Murray’s pulling out all the moves to make this team successful,
and I know he can do that. He was a great assistant manager here in Ottawa.
“It’s going to be nice to get the opportunity to prove to him that he didn’t make
the wrong decision and to prove some people wrong I guess here, you could
say, that I was capable of playing a big role.”
Conacher said he’d miss the Senators and his team a great deal, even if it
didn’t work out in the capital.
After dealing with the requisite immigration paperwork, Conacher will join his
new team, likely in time for Friday night’s game against the Florida Panthers.
Conacher leaving for nothing cements last season’s deadline trade that
brought him to Ottawa in exchange for Vezina Trophy candidate Ben Bishop
as one of the greatest heists of the past year.
It was likely an unavoidable one, however, given Bishop was unproven at the
time and the goalie market was soft.
730829
Ottawa Senators
Heat is on after Senators fall to Flames
Bobby Ryan, who barely played in the first half of the game, decided to make
a splash when he finally heard his name called. He dropped his gloves — a
rarity for him — and actually won a bout with Calgary defenceman Kris
Russell.
by James Gordon
on March 6, 2014
CALGARY — Their general manager sent them a message: I still believe in
you.
The Ottawa Senators’ listless performance in a 4-1 loss to the Calgary
Flames shouted back: “Why?”
Hours after Bryan Murray went out and dealt a couple of draft picks to nab
top-six forward Ales Hemsky, his team posted perhaps its most disappointing
effort of the season.
And that’s saying something, given they’d dropped a 3-2 decision to the
Edmonton Oilers the night before.
Markus Granlund, Paul Byron, Joe Colborne and Mike Cammalleri scored for
the Flames who, with a record of 23-31-7, have nothing to play for but pride.
They showed a lot more than an Ottawa Senators group fighting for its playoff
life. Kyle Turris had their only goal.
Joni Ortio, in just his second NHL start, made 30 saves for his first NHL win.
Craig Anderson gave up four goals on 28 shots.
Things started badly, and got worse as the game progressed.
The Flames hit the scoresheet first after Zack Smith tried to break out of his
zone by stickhandling into traffic. Max Reinhart easily forced a turnover at the
blue line and put the puck in front, where Granlund deposited it into the net
just 2:04 in.
No biggie, right? They fought back from 2-0 deficit in Vancouver to win, and
nearly mounted a comeback in Edmonton.
Biggie.
A Chris Phillips holding penalty turned into a Byron power play goal midway
through the second period. Colborne made it 3-0 at 17:13 to send the
Senators to the dressing room with little hope for a rally.
At least they were able to spoil Ortio’s shutout bid. Turris scored his 20th of
the season at 10:24, when a centering attempt hit something and front,
surprised Calgary’s defenders, and left him all alone in front.
That was it, though, as Cammalleri cashed on a Flames power play a minute
later.
GAME FILE
WHY THEY LOST
They looked awfully sluggish against a team with very little talent, but decent
work ethic. The Senators didn’t get their first shot on goal until the 9:15 mark
in the first period, had a bit of a bump, then disappeared for the rest of the
night.
CHEERS
Sean Monahan, Flames
The former 67 notched two assists, including a beauty on the Flames’ last
goal. He set up in the slot, froze Craig Anderson with a look, then dished to
Mike Cammalleri at the side of the net for an easy tap-in. 4-1. Game over.
JEERS
Chris Neil, Senators
Neil inexplicably went lumberjack on a Calgary player behind the Flames net,
slashing and slashing until he earned an offensive zone penalty. That was
right after Kyle Turris had scored to make it 3-1 midway through the third
period. Before the Senators could blink, Cammalleri struck.
FIST FIGHT
730830
Ottawa Senators
With new deal signed, Phillips eyes Senators franchise record
by James Gordon
on March 5, 2014
The Big Rig will remain parked in Ottawa for the foreseeable future.
Chris Phillips, the 35-year-old veteran defenceman who has played all of his
1,126 NHL games in an Ottawa sweater, on Wednesday inked a new
two-year contract to remain with the club that drafted him first overall back in
1996.
That removed his name from the trading block, and some weight from his
shoulders.
“With the uncertainty of this day, if nothing happened, (not knowing) what the
alternatives were, that weighs on you,” said Phillips, who will earn an average
of $2.5 million per season. “So I’m very excited to get something done.”
If everything goes according to plan, he’ll be the franchise’s all-time leader in
games played, something he said would mean a lot to him.
“That would be an unbelievable honour, for me to be able to do that,” said
Phillips, who after Wednesday night’s contest against the Calgary Flames
trailed current leader Daniel Alfredsson by 52 games. “I’m very proud of the
fact that I’ve been able to stay in Ottawa the entire time, and now two more
years. So that’ll be a nice little, I guess, feather in the cap.”
Although the deal didn’t get done until around 9:45 a.m. Wednesday
morning, there was a growing sense over the past few days that the sides
could bridge their gap.
An agreement made sense for both parties. Phillips and his family have deep
roots in the community and wanted to stay. The Senators, meanwhile, have a
very young defence corps that could stand to have some veteran leadership
around a bit longer.
But it wasn’t a slam-dunk by any means. Phillips wanted a multi-year deal,
something the Senators weren’t keen on initially.
“There were issues, there are always issues when you do deals … you’re
always going from one point, and he had another point of view, and it took
some conversations, but today it didn’t take very long,” general manager
Bryan Murray explained.
“I talked to (owner Eugene Melnyk) and made some points — we talked after
the Vancouver game, Eugene and I — and came to an agreement that two
years was certainly what we felt Chris can play, can contribute.
“And we like his veteran leadership, the type of person that he is, the fact that
he really wanted to stay in Ottawa if he could, and I think that helped us a lot
in getting to the price and getting to the term.”
With Phillips signed and a couple of young defencemen waiting for a big
league shot, the Senators also bid farewell to Joe Corvo. He cleared waivers
Wednesday and will be assigned to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. Corvo is
from the area and the Senators didn’t need his services in Binghamton.
730831
Ottawa Senators
Ales Hemsky expected to be top 6 forward Ottawa Senators have been
looking for
By Bruce Garrioch,Ottawa Sun
First posted: Wednesday, March 05, 2014 04:50 PM EST | Updated:
Wednesday, March 05, 2014 07:52 PM EST
CALGARY - The Senators couldn’t beat Ales Hemsky, so he joined them.
On an eventful day for Senators GM Bryan Murray, he couldn’t bring himself
to pay the price for Buffalo Sabres’ winger Chris Stewart so he turned to Plan
B and picked up Hemsky.
The Senators have been eyeing the 30-year-old Hemsky for awhile but he
opened their eyes Tuesday night when he scored two goals in the Edmonton
Oilers 3-2 victory over the Senators.
"I said that to Ales, actually, I said, ‘Didn’t you get the message I was trying to
trade for you?’ I did try (Tuesday)," said Murray with a smile. "(The Oilers)
were smart enough to hold on until (Wednesday) morning."
Hemsky jumped in a car and drove down to Calgary after the trade. He was
scheduled to make his debut on the right side of captain Jason Spezza and
winger Milan Michalek against the Flames only hours following the deal.
After having a long chat with Oilers’ GM Craig MacTavish in the press box
during the game, Murray sent a third-round pick in 2014 and fifth-round pick
in 2015 to the Oilers in exchange for Hemsky.
The Oilers also picked up 50% of whatever is left on Hemsky’s $5 million deal
in the last 20 games of the season. He made his debut Wednesday night
against the Calgary Flames.
"It’s a weird feeling, especially since I’ve been here for so long, I have a lot of
great memories," Hemsky said before he left Edmonton. "When it comes to
the end it’s a weird feeling but I’m excited for a new challenge and to play
different hockey.
"I guess there was a few teams in the mix and I guess Ottawa wanted me and
they made the trade for me. I’m happy for that and hopefully I can help them
make the playoffs."
The Senators were one of four teams that made a pitch for Hemsky. Sources
say the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers
also made a call for Hemsky.
Murray said he had spoken with other teams but they were asking for one of
the club’s top prospects — possibly Cody Ceci or Curtis Lazar — and the
Senators weren’t going to pay that price.
"He’s an offensive-type player, a guy with good puck skills and he can
certainly play with the top six forwards in the league," said Murray.
"We think he can make plays, score some points for us down the stretch. It
wasn’t my plan to get a unrestricted free agent but after much discussion with
our group and a tough loss, we’re still in it and let’s find out where he fits."
Hemsky, who played junior across the river with the Hull Olympiques, was
having a tough time leaving the Oilers. He worked hard for the team and had
been rumoured to be on the move for months.
"It’s a mix of feelings. It’s hard to leave here because I was here for so long
and I was really comfortable here. I knew the city and the team and
everything. It’s the only team I’ve been playing for it’s weird but like I said, I’m
ready for the challenge," said Hemsky.
The Senators will be getting a first hand look at Hemsky and they can decide
before July 1 if they want to offer him a contract.
"Every game I’ve seen him play he’s been a top player with the puck, his
ability to skate and attack the net. That’s what we want," said Murray. "We
hope it’s a fit. We’ll get a chance to evaluate it. To me, it’s the price to look at
a player of this calibre."
Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.06.2014
730832
Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators ink two-year extension with veteran defenceman Chris
Phillips
By Bruce Garrioch
,Ottawa Sun
CALGARY - Chris Phillips is a stay at home defenceman.
The 35-year-old Phillips went right down to the wire, but when push came to
shove Wednesday he didn’t go anywhere after signing a two-year, $5 million
deal contract extension with the Senators.
The deal means Phillips, who suited up for his 1,226th career game with
Ottawa against the Calgary Flames Wednesday night, will likely finish his
career with the Senators.
He was all smiles as he emerged from the training room at the Scotiabank
Saddledome after a team meeting. The Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins
had both shown interest but the Senators hadn’t returned their calls.
After losing captain Daniel Alfredsson in the summer, the Senators felt it was
important to retain his leadership.
"I’m very excited about it," said Phillips, who negotiated his own deal. "It’s
been going on for a little while as far as the talks.
"With the uncertainty of this day and if nothing happened what alternatives
were that weighs on you. I’m very excited to get something done."
As reported by the Ottawa Sun Monday. the Senators had offered Phillips a
one-year deal worth $2.25 million per-season, but he balked at it because he
wanted more term. The Senators added the second year because they didn’t
want him walking out the door.
"The multi-year was a big part for me and to also do it in Ottawa," said
Phillips. "I’ve been there my whole career.
"I believe we’re on the way up and I’d love nothing more than to be a part of
bringing a championship to Ottawa."
Phillips said over the years he’s gotten used to the fact these negotiations are
always going to go to the wire.
I’ve signed a number of deals now over the years and I don’t think any of
them were done overnight or quickly,” said Phillips.
"Really in the last 24 hours there wasn’t a lot going on until I got a call about
9:45 a.m. to go up to Bryan’s (Murray) office and we got it done. That pretty
much sums it up."
Murray said he spoke with owner Eugene Melnyk Sunday in Vancouver and
that’s when the decision was made to put a two-year deal on the table.
"We like his veteran leadership, the type of person that he is, the fact that he
really wanted to stay in Ottawa if he could and I think that helped us a lot in
getting to the price and the term," said Murray. The Senators were pleased
their teammate stayed. Nobody wanted to see Phillips leave. An alternate
captain, he plays an important role on the ice mentoring Cody Ceci and off
the ice as well.
"Keeping Philly: I’m happy for him, I’m happy for the city and I’m happy for the
organization," said captain Jason Spezza. "He’s been a staple around here.
"He’s someone we all look up to and I’m happy that he could get that done.
It’s a great thing for the city and the team."
Phillips is moving in on the all-time games-played record for the Senators of
1,178 currently held by Alfredsson. He could reach it next December as long
as he stays healthy.
"That would be an unbelievable honour for me to be able to do that,” said
Phillips. "I’ve been able to stay in Ottawa the entire time and now two more
years it would be a nice feather in the cap."
Phillips is a heart-and-soul type of player and important part of the fabric of
the Senators. They weren’t going to let him get away. It just didn’t make
sense.
730833
Ottawa Senators
Cory Conacher excited to join Buffalo Sabres
CALGARY - As the clock struck midnight on his career with the Senators,
Cory Conacher headed to the Scotiabank Saddledome to pick up his
equipment.
Next stop: Buffalo.
The Senators winger didn't get the job done while he was here but he'll get a
second chance from former Ottawa assistant GM Tim Murray with the Buffalo
Sabres to establish himself in the NHL.
Picked up on waivers Wednesday, Conacher will join the Sabres Friday. He'll
get a chance to play in a top six role and show that he belongs.
"I'm excited to get this opportunity to play and make an impact with the
Buffalo Sabres," said Conacher before leaving the Saddledome around 11
a.m. MST.
A native of Burlington, Ont. he will be close to home and he played college
hockey in Canisius in Buffalo. If he was given the right by the Senators to
choose his destination, this would have been it.
He re-wrote the scoring record books at Canisius during a storied career.
"They definitely would have been right at the top," he said. "I've loved that city
ever since I started playing at Canisius. It's like a second home to me.
"To be able to play there in the NHL it's a dream come true. At the same time,
it's tough leaving Ottawa. They've got a great organization and they've done
so much for me.
"They have a lot of good people in management who have helped me out and
just the guys on the team have been great. I've got a lot of close friends here.
They're going to be a really good team in the future."
Dealt to the Senators at last year's deadline from the Lightning in exchange
for goaltender Ben Bishop, it just didn't work out in Ottawa for Conacher. If he
isn't scoring, he's not contributing.
That's just the reality. He couldn't get it done here.
"It's definitely tough saying goodbye to these guys," said Conacher. "I'm
getting a second chance I guess. I don't know how to explain (what
happened) here in Ottawa.
"There was times where I felt like I could fit here and there were other times
where maybe I didn't fit here so well. I was able to meet a lot of good players,
teammates and friends.
"I know Tim Murray is turning that organization around and I'm excited to get
there."
730834
Ottawa Senators
Hemsky's days in Edmonton done: He's now a Senator
ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI, Edmonton Sun
After 11 seasons and a handful of false alarms, Ales Hemsky is gone. No
longer an Oiler.
The team that drafted him 13th overall in 2001 dealt him to the Ottawa
Senators Wednesday for a third round pick in 2015 and a fourth round draft
pick in 2014.
Hemsky leaves Edmonton after registering 477 points in 652 regular season
and 30 playoff games, wrapping up his Oilers career with a two-goal night
Tuesday against the Senators.
His high point as an Oiler came during the 2005-06 season when he led the
team with 77 points and helped them to the Stanley Cup finals, putting up 17
points in 24 post-season games.
Hemsky had been rumoured to be on his way out of Edmonton several times
before. His name came up at each of the last three or four trade deadlines as
a player likely on his way out, but the Oilers always seemed to value the silky
winger more than the teams making offers for him and the deals never came
to pass. Finally, with Hemsky eligible for unrestricted free agency this
summer, the Oilers made the move.
He was a great soldier for Edmonton, playing hurt, playing down the lineup
when his pride told him he should be in the top six, and never once griping or
complaining.
While a lot of players wouldn’t dream of coming to Edmonton, Hemsky truly
enjoyed his time here, twice giving up unrestricted free agency to sign
extensions in Edmonton.
He struggled with injuries, though, playing just 22, 47 and 69 games in three
seasons (2009-12) but has been pretty healthy since. He played 38
(including several on a broken foot) of 48 games in last year’s lockout
shortened season and 54 of 62 so far this year.
The organization’s failure also weighed on him. In 11 seasons, he only saw
the playoffs twice, the last time in 2006.
But his time in Edmonton was up.
He was supposed to be gone last summer. He and GM Craig MacTavish
agreed last summer that Hemsky and the Oilers needed to go their separate
ways, but no deal could be found so they had no choice but to reunite for
another year.
The fact that the entire year was spent in the cellar didn’t exactly change
anyone’s mind on the subject. There’s no way Hemsky was re-signing with
the Oilers and no way they were going to let him get away for nothing in the
summer.
By the first week of October it was obvious to everyone close to the team that
Hemsky wouldn’t finish the season in Edmonton.
730835
Ottawa Senators
Calgary Flames knock off Ottawa Senators 4-1
Thursday, March 06, 2014 01:03 AM EST
CALGARY - Only hours after GM Bryan Murray tried to spark his team at the
NHL trade deadline, the Senators flamed out at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Somebody forgot to tell the Ottawa Senators the season didn’t end on trade
deadline day because they looked like a team headed for the golf season in a
terrible 4-1 loss to the Calgary Flames.
Acquired from the Edmonton Oilers before Wednesday’s NHL trade
deadline, Ales Hemsky expressed excitement at being with a playoff
contender, but his Senators looked like anything but.
Alberta is supposed to be a land of opportunity, however, the Senators failed
to pick up a single point after back-to-back losses the 29th-ranked Oilers
Tuesday and 27th-place Flames.
“We don’t play hard enough, long enough to give ourselves a chance to win
or give ourselves an expectation to win in three of the last four games,” said a
fuming coach Paul MacLean.
“That’s certainly not a team that’s battling for a playoff spot. That’s a team
that is conceding a playoff spot. That’s what we have to discuss. That’s what
we have to find out. We certainly played two teams that were possibly
winnable games but you have to play. You have to play the games. We didn’t
play the games.”
It is shocking and shameful.
Joe Colborne, Paul Byron, Mike Cammalleri, Markus Granlund scored for the
Flames while goalie Joni Ortio. Playing in only his second NHL game, Joni
Ortio made 29 saves and only Kyle Turris was able to score. It wasn’t at all
tough.
With only 19 games left on the schedule, the Senators sit six points out of a
playoff spot. Hemsky wasn’t able to do much in his debut, however, there
wasn’t a lot happening around either.
“It stings,” said captain Jason Spezza about getting swept in Alberta.
Perhaps trying to get his team going, Clarke MacArthur opened the third
period with a solid hit on Jiri Hudler. That started a scrum and there was
concern this game could go sideways.
Fortunately, it didn’t happen because the Senators didn’t have a lot of fight in
them. Craig Anderson can’t be blamed because it just wasn’t happening.
“We didn’t take care of the puck. It’s as simple as that. When you don’t take
care of the puck you lose momentum. That’s the way it goes,” said Anderson.
“We have to be mentally tougher, we have to make the right plays and we
have to be better.”
Trailing 3-0 after second to the Flames, Ottawa wasn’t putting much of a
fight. The Senators couldn’t get much in the way of opportunities on Ortio.
He was forced to make the odd good stop, but the Senators didn’t have much
in the way of chances. Colborne gave his club the three-goal lead when he
beat Anderson stick side at 17:13.
It was the largest lead the Flames have held going into a third period this
season.
So frustrated was Bobby Ryan when the Flames pulled ahead 2-0, he
dropped his gloves and took on Kris Russell. Ryan won the fifth fight of his
NHL career but this isn’t something the Senators want.
“I have a pretty long span (for frustration) but I was a little bit at the end of it,”
said Ryan. “Sometimes when pucks aren’t going in and you’re not playing the
way you want to offensively you’re just looking for a way to make the team
push back. It didn’t do anything. They scored on the next shift.”
Byron, another former Gatineau Olympique, redirected a pass from Mark
Giordano by Anderson on the stick side to give the Flames a 2-0 lead. The
Senators didn’t have any reaction.
The Senators didn’t get off to the kind of start they wanted. They didn’t look
sharp at all. They were missing the net when they did get chances and Ryan
didn’t register the first shot until 9:15.
You have to at least get shots against a guy like Ortio. Yes, the Senators had
to play a more disciplined game than they did against the Oilers, but they
hardly dictated the play in the first period in any sense.
Defensive mistakes continued to plague the Senators. A Zack Smith turnover
resulted in Granlund’s first goal of his NHL career. He beat Anderson inside
the post on the stick side at 2:11.
The Senators were forced to play catchup from there. The club will spend
Thursday wit a day off in Banff before flying to Winnipeg Friday to wrap up
this road trip Saturday afternoon at the MTS Centre.
730836
Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray still believes team can make playoffs
CALGARY - Bryan Murray decided to send a message to the Senators.
He still believes.
The Senators GM had a tough time swallowing the club's 3-2 loss to the
29th-ranked Edmonton Oilers Tuesday night but by the time Murray woke up
Wednesday morning he decided to make a move.
It was a busy day for Murray along with closest advisors Pierre Dorion and
Randy Lee with the NHL trade deadline set for 1 p.m. MST. They gathered
around 6:30 a.m. and started to pound away.
Murray decided it was best to send a message to his club so he signed
veteran blueliner Chris Phillips to a two-year deal and acquired winger Ales
Hemsky from the Edmonton Oilers.
The Senators were sitting three points out of a playoff spot heading into their
visit to Scotiabank Saddledome Wednesday night and Murray is hoping this
will provide the boost the club needs.
"That's the message you always try to send to your group," said Murray. "If
we do anything and you are in the hunt, you are on their side and the little bit
that you can help you want to help.
"That's what I try to do. We're there but we've got to get more consistent to be
in the hunt. I hope the message to them is: 'We're trying to help you as much
as we can.'"
Murray admitted he was concerned with the club's position after the loss to
the Oilers. He had to take a step back and think about the price he was willing
to pay to make changes.
"(There was) very much a pause (for thought)," said Murray. "I was very, very
disappointed. I thought Edmonton goalie (Ben) Scrivens played really well.
He made four or five huge stops. There's no question about that.
"But we had to find a way to play in that game like it was the most meaningful
game of the year and we didn't. That bothered me a great deal. In turn, to be
fair to the group, and our top six forwards now, I wanted to send the message
that there's games left so let's do what we can do to finish off the year in good
order and hopefully make the playoffs."
The message was received.
"We know as the games tick by we can't afford to lose," said captain Jason
Spezza. "It's encouraging to see us trying to add somebody to get that push
towards the playoffs.
"We're right in the thick of things but we have a lot of games coming up in a
short period of time. The wins become more crucial. It re-emphasizes how
important this next stretch is and the expectation for us is to get into the
playoffs."
Murray said the players can now simply focus on the task at hand.
"I hope it takes the pressure off everybody," said Murray. "I said to (owner)
Eugene) Melnyk that 'The Edmonton Oilers were just a relaxed team and
they can just go out and play.'
"If they won, they won. If they lost, they lost. We seemed to heap a lot of
pressure on ourselves trying to make the run. That's what playoff bound
teams have to do. Now that his day is over everybody knows who is here and
not here that we just go play hockey and be a good team."
THIS N' THAT
Murray said he didn't have a lot of action on Spezza. There was talk
Wednesday morning the Anaheim Ducks were in pursuit of Spezza to play
behind Ryan Getzlaf as a second-line centre. Murray told reporters nobody
called until after the rumours surfaced. "I had two teams call. They said they
read the newspapers in their town and there was something in it. Beyond
that, I didn't get any calls," said Murray ... The Senators could be calling up
another forward from Binghamton once the dust settles on this trip. It could
be winger Mark Stone, who has been red-hot since being sent down ... After
clearing waivers Wednesday, the club decided to send D Joe Corvo to the
Chicago Wolves of the AHL. He has a home in the area and the Senators had
informed him he wasn't going to play the rest of this season because the club
has eight blueliners. He'll still collect his $900,000 contract in the minors ...
Ottawa also made a minor-league deal with Anaheim by acquiring D Alex
Grant for F Andre Petersson. Grant, a former Penguins' pick, is from
Antogonish, N.S. (the same hometown) as coach Paul MacLean ... G Craig
Anderson made his second straight start against the Flames and D Jared
Cowen didn't to return to the lineup.
730837
Philadelphia Flyers
MacDonald happy to be a Flyer, 'open' to signing here
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted: Wednesday, March 5, 2014, 12:34 PM
Defenseman Andrew MacDonald, calling the last 24 hours a “whirlwind,” said
he was happy to be dealt to the Flyers and “open” to re-signing with the club.
“They’re a really skilled team and a tough team to play against,” MacDonald
said after the morning skate at the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday. “They
play physical, and they’re good in all facets of the game, so it’s exciting to be
able to join this team.”
MacDonald, 27, was acquired Tuesday in a deal that sent the Islanders
minor-league forward Matt Mangene, a third-round pick in this year’s draft
and a second-rounder in 2015.
In Wednesday night’s game against visiting Washington, MacDonald will be
paired with Luke Schenn, while Andrej Meszaros (assuming he is not traded)
will be a healthy scratch. MacDonald is also expected to see time on the
second power-play unit alongside Mark Streit, his one-time defensive partner
with the Islanders.
MacDonald expected a smooth transition playing next to Schenn.
“It shouldn’t be too big of an adjustment,” he said. “Lots of communication is a
good way to get over that.”
Coach Craig Berube likes to pair a puck-mover with a physical defenseman,
which is why he initially doesn’t want to reunite MacDonald with Streit during
five-on-five shifts.
The other pairs Wednesday will have Kimmo Timonen with Braydon Coburn,
and Nick Grossmann with Streit.
Timonen said MacDonald was a welcome addition. MacDonald leads the
NHL with 198 blocked shots, while Grossman is fourth with 146 blocks.
“That tells you these guys play for the team,” Timonen said.
MacDonald, 27, who flew from Winnipeg to Philadelphia late Tuesday night,
worked on the power-play unit during the morning skate.
“You just try to review it and get familiar with it as good as you can, and try to
gain some chemistry early,” he said.
MacDonald averaged 25:25 per game with the lowly Islanders, but he won’t
get nearly as much ice time while on the third defensive pairing with the
Flyers.
“In New York, we were thin there for a while. We had some injuries and some
guys had to play some bigger minutes _ and I was one of those guys,” he
said. “It’s great to get that experience and play those kind of minutes and
stand up for your team, but I understand that’s not going to be the situation
much here. I’ll just do whatever they ask me to do.”
MacDonald can become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but he
hinted he may get a deal done with the Flyers before then.
“I mean, it’s such a great team and organization, you have to be open to a
team like this,” he said. “As of right now, I’m not thinking about it at all. It’s
been kind of a whirlwind. I’m just focusing on tonight’s game and we’ll go
from there.”
MacDonald called Philadelphia “a great city. I always loved playing in this
rink; it’s a great atmosphere. Obviously, with New York, we were on the
losing end of it more times than not…But I’m really happy to be on this side of
the puck now.”
MacDonald said he heard the rumors and expected to be traded.
“I was kind of anticipating it, but once you get the call, it’s still kind of a shock,”
he said. “I’m just happy it was a team like Philly.”
Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.06.2014
730838
Philadelphia Flyers
Meszaros traded to Boston
Frank Seravalli
Posted: Wednesday, March 5, 2014, 2:58 PM
With Andrew MacDonald in the fold, the Flyers had little use for defenseman
Andrej Meszaros.
The Flyers traded Meszaros, who was scheduled to be scratched for the 25th
game this season tonight against Washington, to the Bruins in exchange for
a conditional third-round pick.
The deal was first reported by Rogers Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy.
The conditional pick will become a second-round pick if the Bruins reach the
Eastern Conference final this season and Meszaros plays in at least
two-thirds of Boston's games - or Meszaros is re-signed by Boston prior to
the draft.
Meszaros, 28, had his confidence shaken by numerous injuries and a lack of
playing time with the Flyers. After a 295-game ironman streak to begin his
career, Meszaros has dealt with multiple shoulder injuries and surgeries, a
lower-back issue and a torn Achilles tendon.
The Bruins were long-rumored to be interested in his services. Bruins GM
Peter Chiarelli helped bring Meszaros to the NHL when he was with the
Ottawa Senators as assistant GM in 2005.
The return for the Flyers, for a player with a high salary cap hit, an expiring
contract and little room on the roster, the return was solid. With MacDonald,
Erik Gustafsson and Hal Gill will remain on the roster as extra bodies on
defense.
Meszaros was acquired from Tampa Bay on July 1, 2010 in exchange for a
second-round pick.
730839
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers Notes: Flyers deal 'good soldier' Meszaros to Bruins
Posted: Thursday, March 6, 2014, 1:08 AM
Called a "good soldier" by Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren,
defenseman Andrej Meszaros will now go to war for the Boston Bruins.
The Flyers traded Meszaros to Boston on Wednesday for a conditional
third-round draft pick in June. He will be reunited with his friend Zdeno Chara,
the Bruins' defensive leader and his teammate on Slovakia's Olympic team.
The draft pick the Flyers acquired becomes a second-rounder if Boston
reaches the conference finals and Meszaros plays in at least two-thirds of the
Bruins' playoff games - or if Boston re-signs Meszaros to a contract before
the start of the draft.
If Boston signs Meszaros after the start of the draft, the Flyers said, they will
receive an additional fourth-round pick in 2015.
Meszaros, 28, coming off an injury-plagued season in which he played just
11 games, had five goals, 17 points, and a plus-1 rating in 38 games this
season. He became expendable when the Flyers acquired Andrew
MacDonald from the Islanders on Tuesday.
Holmgren thanked Meszaros for his four years with the Flyers.
"Andrej's been through good times and bad times in this organization,"
Holmgren said. "He was a good guy, and he did have a tough 18 months with
all the injuries he dealt with, and he never once complained - even this year,
when he wasn't in the lineup. He was a good soldier about it."
Like MacDonald, Meszaros can become an unrestricted free agent after the
season.
In the 2010-11 season, Meszaros' first with the Flyers, he was named the
winner of the Barry Ashbee Trophy as the team's best defenseman. He had
eight goals, 32 points, and a plus-30 rating that season.
Meszaros had back surgery in 2012 and season-ending shoulder surgery
last year, but he has played solidly this season.
Breakaways. Holmgren said he never made an offer for Vancouver center
Ryan Kesler, as some media outlets reported. . . . Erik Gustafsson becomes
the Flyers' No. 7 defenseman.
730840
Philadelphia Flyers
minutes with the Islanders, but any stats and figures need to be taken for
what they are given the Islanders' thin roster and overall weak team.
MacDonald makes Flyers debut
The Flyers will quickly get an idea of MacDonald's capabilities, even though
he is a player they've had their eye on for quite a while.
FRANK SERAVALLI,
Meeting with reporters, Holmgren denied a Daily News report from Tuesday
that the Flyers made an offer to Vancouver for forward Ryan Kesler. He did,
however, say the Flyers and Canucks did make contact to "discuss
parameters."
ANDREW MACDONALD knew it was coming.
After rejecting a 4-year, $16 million contract offer earlier this season, it was
only a matter of time before Islanders general manager Garth Snow would
find MacDonald a new home.
MacDonald just didn't know it would happen Tuesday, a day before the
NHL's trade deadline. Or that the call would come while he was enjoying his
pregame nap in Winnipeg.
Snow woke him up. MacDonald rushed to pack a bag and sprinted to
Winnipeg's airport to catch a connecting flight to Philadelphia - where he
played his first game as a Flyer in last night's 6-4 victory against the
Washington Capitals. He was a plus-2, with three blocked shots in just over
18 minutes.
"It's been kind of a whirlwind last 24 hours," MacDonald said at the Flyers'
morning skate.
For MacDonald, the next 6 weeks will be a whirlwind of a different kind - one
pointed toward the Stanley Cup playoffs, which the Islanders made just once
in his six seasons.
When it was all said and done, and the phone stopped ringing a final time
yesterday afternoon, MacDonald was all Flyers general manager Paul
Holmgren had to show for the NHL's trade deadline.
Holmgren dealt spare defenseman Andrej Meszaros to Boston in exchange
for a conditional third-round pick before the deadline expired. MacDonald's
acquisition would have made Meszaros, voted the Flyers' best defenseman
in 2010-11, a healthy scratch for the 25th time this season against
Washington.
"I think we addressed our defense and improved there," Holmgren said.
"[There was] not a lot going on [yesterday]. We were active over the last
couple days trying to get Andrew. We were able to finalize that. We weren't
really looking to do anything else."
The pick from Boston can become a second-round selection this summer if
the Bruins make it to the Eastern Conference finals and Meszaros plays in at
least two-thirds of their game. Or, if the Bruins choose to sign Meszaros to an
extension before the draft.
The Flyers will face Meszaros - expected to fulfill the role of injured former
Flyer Dennis Seidenberg - twice over the final 19 games.
When you add the Flyers' two deadline deals together, Holmgren essentially
acquired MacDonald for the price of Meszaros and a second-round pick.
The Flyers had zero interest in re-signing Meszaros, who is in the final year of
a $24 million contract inherited by Holmgren in a 2010 trade from Tampa
Bay.
MacDonald, on the other hand, began a 20-game audition last night for a new
deal with the Flyers. He said candidly that he would be "open" to signing with
the Flyers, but who wouldn't for the right price? It all depends on whether he
believes he can grab a better deal on the open market on July 1, and he
clearly has a number in mind.
MacDonald, 27, is playing out the string of a 4-year deal that pays him
$550,000 per season, just over the league minimum.
"We believe he's going to make our team better," Holmgren said. "With an
eye on the future, we have an interest in keeping Andrew longer term.
"Right now, I think we've got to sit back. We've had some internal
discussions. Andrew just got here today. He doesn't know the Philadelphia
Flyers organization and what we're all about. We'll let him get settled and at
some point down the road, we'll probably have discussions."
Early indications are MacDonald could be seeking as much as $4 million to
$5 million per season in a longer-term deal. He played mega, top-pairing
The Flyers were mentioned as a finalist for Kesler - who ultimately ended up
not being moved because Canucks ownership reportedly stepped in - by the
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Vancouver Province, ESPN and TSN, all
echoing our report.
With Meszaros' $4 million off the books, the Flyers are expected to clear the
$64.3 million salary cap (by approximately $296,799) without the help of
long-term injury exceptions for the first time in the NHL's salary-cap era.
The Flyers' roster remains largely the same as it was before this week, with
the exception of MacDonald. Holmgren said all along he likes his team as
currently assembled.
"Obviously, I'm really excited," MacDonald said. "I left some good friends
behind in New York, but obviously, it's a great opportunity here - a great team
and a great organization. It's exciting to be able to join this team."
730841
Philadelphia Flyers
Giroux: Caps killer for Flyers
FRANK SERAVALLI, Posted: Thursday, March 6, 2014, 12:16 AM
IN HIS FIRST game in Philadelphia this season, in November, repeated
blows from Ray Emery rained on Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby against
his will while 19,000 fans roared with delight.
On Sunday afternoon against the Flyers, Holtby allowed three goals in a little
more than 10 minutes as Washington blew a two-goal, third-period lead and
lost in overtime.
Then, hours before his start against the Flyers last night, the Capitals snuck
in one last trade on deadline day to acquire Jaroslav Halak from Buffalo - the
same goaltender who singlehandedly beat Washington in a 2010 playoff
series.
Holtby was having a bad day. His bad day turned into an even rougher
evening, allowing two goals on his first nine shots before being pulled in the
second period.
His backup? No joke, last-second call-up from Hershey, Philipp Grubauer,
was originally scheduled to make a promotional appearance at a Turkey Hill
Minit Market in Lancaster last night.
But with the Flyers' furious start last night, it wouldn't have mattered if Holtby,
Halak or three-time Vezina winner Glenn Hall was in net. Rambunctious and
relentless, the Flyers were downright nasty in the first 30 minutes.
It took the Capitals nearly 34 minutes just to register their fifth shot on goal.
Playing with an intensity that is near impossible to sustain over a full game,
the Flyers jumped out to a four-goal cushion in the first half of last night's
game before falling asleep at the wheel in the third period. Jake Voracek
scored what ultimately became the game-winner to seal an all-important, 6-4
victory for the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on national television.
That's not to say there weren't a few tense moments, especially after
Washington scored again after Voracek regained a two-goal lead for the
Flyers.
"The first two periods, we played well," Claude Giroux said. "We did a lot of
good things. We played like a team, the team we want to be. We've got to
tighten up in the third period, but we hung on."
Coupled with the Rangers' overtime loss to Toronto, the Flyers increased
their second-place cushion in the Metropolitan Division to a season-high two
points. They awake today riding a four-point cushion on a playoff spot for the
first time all season.
"For the first two periods, it was probably some of the best hockey we played
all season long," said Steve Mason, the winning goalie. "We stopped skating.
We stopped playing the way we were playing. We were fortunate to come out
of the game with two points in regulation."
And they largely have Giroux to thank for that. Giroux chipped in with two
goals and another assist for his sixth point against the Capitals in two games.
In fact, with last night's tallies, for the first time in his career Giroux has scored
at least two goals in two consecutive games.
With his three points, Giroux finally climbed to a point-per-game pace with 62
points in 62 games. He finished with 48 points in 48 games last season. The
Flyers' captain now has 44 points over his last 33 contests, the most points in
the NHL since Dec. 11.
But the Flyers' latest win over their new Metropolitan Division rival began like
something similar to one of their old Patrick Division clashes. You could
almost see old Flyers coach Paul Holmgren waggling a stick from the bench
at then-Capitals coach Terry Murray. Or Dale Hunter scrapping with Ron
Hextall.
There is no love lost with these old foes, finally getting reacquainted five or
six times a season. They have combined for an amazing 346 penalty minutes
in five games this season.
Those numbers still don't come close to the 419 the Flyers and Senators
combined for exactly 10 years ago last night, which still stands as a franchise
record.
Last night, an old-fashioned donnybrook broke out after Luke Schenn's clean
hit on Ryan Stoa near the Flyers' bench. Schenn then fought Tom Wilson,
while John Erskine chucked knuckles with Vinny Lecavalier and Wayne
Simmonds danced with Connor Carrick.
At one point, Simmonds wrestled with Carrick while he reached an arm
around Erskine in the corner to help Lecavalier sneak in one last swing. The
fans were on their feet inside Wells Fargo Center, producing one of the
loudest roars of the season.
It was one Holtby remembers well - and probably won't soon forget.
Slap shots
When rosters were expanded yesterday, winger Michael Raffl was recalled
from AHL Adirondack. Raffl, who is waiver-exempt, was sent down Tuesday
to make room for Andrew MacDonald. Raffl's second-period goal was
changed to Adam Hall . . . With Lecavalier's ejection, Raffl moved up into the
top three lines . . . Phantoms goaltender Cal Heeter backed up Steve Mason
on an emergency-basis last night. Ray Emery (lower-body) reinjured himself
during practice Tuesday and was not ready to return to the lineup.
730842
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers mapping out the final stretch
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
THREE-POINT lead, 19 games to go, and nothing is assured for the Flyers but you already knew that. The trade deadline came and went, and
defenseman Andrew MacDonald came and defenseman Andrej Meszaros
went, and now the focus is on the finish of the regular season - and beyond.
If the Flyers get into the playoffs, they will arrive as one of the better teams in
the NHL since Nov. 1, and as an interesting group of survivors - of the firing of
a coach, and a dreadful start, and the assimilation of a new system under
Craig Berube. They play in a conference where the top team is flawed on
defense and uncertain-ish in goal, and where most everybody else is
jammed into the same station wagon. If they get in, they will be overlooked on
the one hand and have a significant opportunity on the other.
On a night when the Flyers had a 4-0 lead over the Washington Capitals and
then saw it close to 4-3, then 5-3, then 5-4, and then finally 6-4, the evidence
continues to mount: The East is that wide open.
"I view the whole NHL that way, to be honest with you . . . over the years,"
Berube was saying. "Last year was different - you had two top teams in there,
the Presidents' Trophy winner [Chicago, along with Boston in the Stanley
Cup Final]. But if you look before that, LA just gets in and they win the Cup.
It's always kind of been like that for the last little while.
"I think the way the league is set up now, and [with] the salary cap, all of these
teams are very competitive. Some teams don't get off to a good start at the
beginning of the year but they push at the end of the year and they get on a
roll. Like I said before, you get in the playoffs and anything can happen."
If you were going to draw up a road map of a long run in the playoffs, there
would be three necessary mileposts along the way.
The first would be goaltending. If Steve Mason continues to play at his
current level, this should not be an issue. Big "if," clearly, but you go with what
you see - and Mason has been good enough. For instance, none of the goals
against the Caps was his fault.
The second would be balanced scoring. Led by Claude Giroux, who has
recovered from a summer injury and an awful start to become one of the
hottest players in the NHL, the Flyers have seven players with at least 14
goals. If you believe that secondary scoring is vital for successful playoff
teams, the Flyers' roster has that kind of a profile.
Third is the shutdown defenseman. This is the Flyers' question. Chris
Pronger is retired except as far as the salary cap is concerned, Shea Weber
is still in Nashville, and the Flyers do not have a dominator on their back line.
It isn't for lack of trying, but it is their current reality. And so, just as they are
balanced up front, they are attempting to win with balance in the back. It is
what the MacDonald acquisition was about.
Meszaros could be a dynamic player, but you never knew when he was going
to turn it on. Once a week, he would show you stuff that justified all of the
good things everybody ever thought about him. The problem was, the Flyers
play three times a week, not once - and in those other two games, Meszaros'
play was occasionally mystifying.
MacDonald was acquired for those other two games. There is some speed
and some offense in his game, but there also is shot-blocking and stability.
And if you don't have the guy who can play 27 minutes a night, night after
playoff night, you need that stability from five or six defensemen if you are
going to have a chance.
It is a familiar April and May lament in the NHL: "If we hadn't been a
defenseman short . . . " So when you can make a move at the deadline that
adds somebody of MacDonald's caliber - again, this isn't to overstate his
abilities - it is, well . . .
"It's huge," Berube said. "We've got lots of good defensemen here and we've
got depth here. That's important."
It is their road map this season and the Flyers are sticking to it. Really, they
have no choice.
730843
Philadelphia Flyers
Giroux carries Flyers past Capitals
The night will be remembered for an all-out, first-period brawl that had the
fans on their feet and blood dripping off some of the players' jerseys.
It should be remembered for another Claude Giroux showstopper.
Giroux scored two goals and added an assist as the surging Flyers outlasted
Washington, 6-4, at the Wells Fargo Center and registered their seventh win
in their last eight games.
That gave Giroux consecutive three-point games in wins over the Capitals,
including Sunday's 5-4 comeback victory in Washington. It also gave him 19
goals and 46 points in his last 36 games.
Washington, which nearly overcame a 4-0 deficit, got to within 4-2 on Alex
Ovechkin's power-play goal with 13 minutes, 25 seconds left. With 10:35 to
go, Troy Brouwer, left alone in front, cut the deficit to 4-3.
But Jake Voracek, after taking a slick pass from Scott Hartnell, gave the
Flyers a 5-3 lead with 8:09 remaining, scoring from the slot for his second
goal of the night and 18th of the season.
The Caps didn't quit. Brooks Laich's tip-in - Washington's third power-play
goal of the night - got the Caps within 5-4 with six minutes left. Washington
had a season-low eight shots over the first two periods, then had 17 shots in
the final period.
Steve Downie's first goal in 27 games - an empty-netter - locked up the win
with 51.9 seconds left.
The Flyers jumped out to a lead 6:48 into the game, when Sean Couturier did
the dirty work and Giroux supplied two sensational moves on the game's first
goal. Couturier checked defenseman Jack Hillen into the boards near the
blue line, knocking the puck free for an on-charging Giroux, who swooped
around Ovechkin and undressed goalie Braden Holtby with a deke before
putting a backhander into an empty net.
"Coots did a real good job of getting the puck," Giroux said.
Just 1:34 later, Voracek, set up nicely by Giroux, scored a power-play goal
from the high slot to make it 2-0.
With 8:01 left in the opening period, Flyers defenseman Luke Schenn legally
checked Ryan Stoa, but Washington's Tom Wilson took exception. Schenn
got the best of Wilson in their heavyweight bout, and then Vinny Lecavalier
and John Erskine fought down one end of the ice and several players tried to
jump in.
When order was restored, the teams were assessed with a combined 56
penalty minutes, and Erskine and Lecavalier were ejected for getting
involved in a secondary fight.
Fittingly, the melee occurred on the 10-year anniversary of a Flyers-Ottawa
game that produced an NHL record 419 penalty minutes and 16 - yes, 16 ejections.
In the second period, Giroux scored his 22d goal, and Adam Hall (tip in of
Schenn's blast) added his fifth as the Flyers built a 4-0 lead and sent Holtby
(four goals on 18 shots) to the bench. Holtby was relieved by Philipp
Grubauer, who was recalled from Hershey earlier in the day and had been
scheduled to make an appearance at a Turkey Hill Minit Market in Lancaster
on Wednesday night.
Washington cut it to4-1 on a power-play goal by Joel Ward, whose shot
appeared to deflect off newcomer Andrew MacDonald. After two periods, the
Caps had been outshot, 23-8.
After the trade deadline passed and the Flyers had made just one minor
move Wednesday afternoon, general manager Paul Holmgren said he
deliberately didn't shake up the team.
"They've been through a lot together - the poor start, the coaching change and they've battled back, and I think they deserve to stick together and see
where they can go," Holmgren said.
730844
Philadelphia Flyers
“You figured all those scorers were going to go somewhere,’’ Holmgren said.
“I think once the dominoes fell – Vanek to Montreal came out of the blue for
me.’’
Flyers send Meszaros to Boston for draft pick
Holmgren denied he expressed any interest to Nashville about the idea of
acquiring defenseman Shea Weber, who is due $13 million this summer.
Wayne Fish Staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, March 5, 2014 4:38 pm
Also, Holmgren said he never was a serious bidder for Vancouver’s Ryan
Kesler, as some media outlets had suggested.
VOORHEES – Andrej Meszaros showed a lot of promise when he first
showed up at the Flyers’ door.
In fact, he won the Barry Ashbee Trophy as the team’s best defenseman that
initial 2010-11 season.
But things have gone downhill since then. Injuries and suspect play turned
him into a marginal player.
On Wednesday, just before the 3 p.m. trade deadline, the Flyers ended their
relationship with the Slovakian backliner, sending him to the Boston Bruins in
exchange for a conditional draft pick.
The trade to acquire Andrew MacDonald from the Islanders on Tuesday
made Meszaros that much more expendable.
“MacDonald is a guy we focused on to make our team better, with an eye on
the future,’’ general manager Paul Holmgren said in a press briefing at the
Skate Zone. “We have an interest in keeping Andrew longer term and the
trade with Andrej, we looked at our future, too, in terms of the draft pick
(believed to be a third-rounder or better, depending where Boston finishes in
the standings).
“I spoke to Andrej (minutes before the deadline) because I knew it was going
to get out. I wished him well. Andrej has been through a lot of good times and
bad times in this organization. He was always a good guy, always had a
smile on his face. I wished him well and thanked him.’’
In Boston, Meszaros will be united with countryman Zdeno Chara, captain of
the Bruins and former Norris Trophy winner.
“There were actually quite a few teams who called about Andrej,’’ Holmgren
said. “This is even going back a few weeks ago.’’
Meszaros, 28, recorded 32 points and was a plus-30 in the award-winning
season. Since that performance, though, he saw his playing time go down.
Season-ending shoulder surgery limited him to just 11 games (in a 48-game
season) last year.
The nine-year veteran is in the final season of a contract which pays him $4
million a season, one of the reasons why the Flyers wanted to part ways.
The Flyers now have $6.4 million in salary cap space.
Meszaros came to the Flyers in a trade with Tampa Bay on July 1, 2010 in
exchange for a second-round draft pick.
Philadelphia managed to strengthen its team without taking a regular player
off its roster. This way, the chemistry on this rapidly improving team doesn’t
get shaken up.
“I like our team,’’ Holmgren said. “It’s a really together group. They’ve been
through a lot together – the poor start, the coaching change and now they’ve
battled back.
“I think they deserve to stick together and see where they can go with this.’’
After a 1-7 start, Holmgren could have begun to break up this group but
instead stuck with it. Since then, the Flyers have gone 31-17-6.
“Even when it was bad, they remained focused,’’ Holmgren said. “They did
what they needed to do, they know they needed to play better. Nobody is
happy about a 1-7 start.
“Through the (coaching) change and the teaching that the coaches have
done. . .the system change that they went through, they worked at it, they
stuck with it and have had some success because of it.’’
Holmgren said he wasn’t surprised by any of the “big’’ deals that were done
over the past couple days, including Ryan Miller to St. Louis, Roberto Luongo
to Florida, Thomas Vanek to Montreal, the Martin St. Louis-Ryan Callahan
trade and Marion Gaborik to Los Angeles.
“Other than finding out the parameters of what they were looking for, there
were never any real discussions as it relates to the Flyers,’’ Holmgren said.
“(Otherwise) nothing really came up over the course of the last five or 10
days. I like our forward group, the young core of our team. We’ll see where
we go with it.’’
Burlington County Times LOADED: 03.06.2014
730845
Philadelphia Flyers
MacDonald lauded as true team player
PHILADELPHIA – Kimmo Timonen says there are some opposing players
that catch your eye and when new Flyer defenseman Andrew MacDonald
played for the Islanders, he was that kind of a performer.
MacDonald leads the NHL in blocked shots with 198 and that’s one of the
reasons he’s viewed as a heart-and-soul player.
“I watched him this year, he played a lot of minutes (25-plus),’’ Timonen said
after Wednesday’s morning skate at the Wells Fargo Center. “He played with
a lot of confidence.
“Sometimes when you play against teams, you notice some players and I
noticed him. He made nice plays, blocked shots – so good for us.’’
Blocking shots against some of the league’s big cannons can be the ultimate
sacrifice.
“If you kill penalties, you’re going to get hit with the puck, even if you don’t
want to get hit,’’ Timonen explained. “That tells you that these guys play for
the team.
“They do whatever it takes to prevent a goal. There’s always a need for guys
like that.’’
MacDonald confirmed that blocking shots is a source of pride with the Nova
Scotia native.
“There’s different ways to show that you care about the team,’’ MacDonald
said. “Some guys go out there and drop the gloves, fight and back the guys
up.
“I’m not really the toughest guy so I try to do what I can and blocking shots is
one way I know how to do that.’’
At the morning skate, MacDonald was seen participating on the second
power-play unit, a sign of confidence from the coaching staff.
“I think he’s a good two-way defenseman,’’ said coach Craig Berube, who
decided to pair MacDonald with Luke Schenn in even-strength situations.
“He gets the puck up the ice and he defends well.
“Over the last couple years on the Island I’ve noticed him.’’
MacDonald, finishing up the final year of a contract which pays him a rather
modest $550,000, did not rule out the possibility of entertaining a contract
offer from the Flyers.
“It’s such a great team, organization,’’ MacDonald said. “You have to be open
to a team like this. But as of right now, I’m not thinking about it at all. It’s been
kind of a whirlwind.’’
MacDonald leaves an Islander team that’s out of contention for a Flyer club
which has big hopes for the postseason.
“I’m really excited,’’ he said. “I left some friends behind in New York but it’s a
great opportunity here. I’m looking forward to it.’’
MacDonald said he shouldn’t have too much trouble making the adjustment
to his new team.
“I think when you’re a hockey player you know all different types of systems,’’
he said. “I met with the coaches before practice and I’m trying to get familiar
with it all.’’
So when the Flyers jumped to a 4-0 lead less than 12 minutes into the
second period, it seemed a little bit odd that the Caps weren't responding.
Andrew MacDonald made his Flyer debut and the defenseman wore No. 47.
He was paired with Schenn and picked up his first assist as a Flyer on the
Raffl goal. “He’s a good skater, good puck mover,’’ said Berube. “Smart guy,
fluid.’’ MacDonald said he had some nerves at the start. "First few shifts a
little nervous,’’ MacDonald said. “After that I felt more comfortable as the
game went on.’’ ... Goaltender Cal Heeter, a recent call-up from the
Phantoms, filled in for Ray Emery (lower body injury) for a third straight
game. ... The win was the Flyers’ 30th ROW (regulation-overtime win). ...
Caps defenseman Dmitry Orlov was suspended for this game due to the
two-game suspension he received for boarding the Flyers’ Brayden Schenn
in Sunday’s game at Washington. ... Flyers won the season series against
the Capitals 3-1-1. ... Giroux recorded his fourth three-point game in the last
10 games. ... Berube called timeout after the Caps’ third goal. The message:
“Just get some attack going,’’ he said. “Let’s get playing. I don’t want to sit
back, I never do. We stopped attacking.’’
But then they woke up.
730846
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers hold off Capitals' rally
PHILADELPHIA -- Given the way the Flyers came back on the Capitals last
Sunday, it figured to be a spirited rematch Wednesday.
First, Joel Ward scored late in the second period, then Alexander Ovechkin
connected with a shot past Steve Mason at 6:35 of the third and it was a
game again.
That was followed by a goal from Troy Brouwer at 9:25.
The Flyers, however, held their ground, getting a late goal from Jake Voracek
(his second of the game), and went on to a 6-4 win at the Wells Fargo Center.
Washington’s three-goal rally in the third came about due to some ill-timed
penalties by the Flyers. Three of the four Washington goals for the game
came on the power play.
“Penalties (hurt),’’ said coach Craig Berube. “I’m not sure if they were
warranted but they definitely gave them life.’’
The first two periods were all Flyers as they outscored the Caps 4-1 and, in
the process, ran up a 23-8 margin in shots.
They also stood up to the Caps’ challenge with the fists.
After Luke Schenn buried Ryan Stoa with a check near the Flyer bench, the
Caps’ Tom Wilson engaged with Schenn. Then Vinny Lecavalier and John
Erskine squared off. Erskine and Lecavalier received game misconducts.
“It was good hockey,’’ Berube said. “We were intense, we were quick, we
were on things. We had everybody going.’’
But when the Caps turned it around, the Flyers were the ones who began to
play tentatively.
“We were playing well but in that third period they kind of became
aggressive,’’ Claude Giroux said. “We sat back a little bit. We have to make
sure when we get a lead like that, we keep it.’’
The Flyers broke on top with a goal from Giroux at 6:48. Sean Couturier sent
Giroux in alone on Braden Holtby, who went backhand to score the goal.
That was followed up with a power-play goal from Voracek. His 30-footer
found its way through traffic.
The Flyers continued their domination in the second period, adding on two
more goals before the Caps broke through on a power play.
When Giroux scored his second goal of the game at 5:25, the Caps were in
trouble. Scott Hartnell checked Mike Green off the puck behind the
Washington net and that freed Giroux for his 23rd goal of the season.
A goal by Michael Raffl at 11:52 spelled the end for Holtby. Raffl tipped Luke
Schenn’s point shot into the net. Holtby was pulled in favor of Philipp
Grubauer.
Then Ward started the comeback before Voracek's second goal off a Hartnell
feed at 11:51 gave the Flyers some breathing room at 5-3. Brooks Laich
closed out the Caps' scoring at 14:00. Steve Downie added an empty-net
goal at 19:08.
The ending was a little too close for comfort.
“For the first two periods, it was probably some of the best hockey we’ve
played all season long,’’ Mason said. “In the third period, we stopped moving
our feet.’’
Added Raffl: “You feel more comfortable when you have that lead. We might
have taken our foot off the gas there. We have to learn from it and move on.’’
Short shots
730847
Philadelphia Flyers
MacDonald ‘excited' to be joining Flyers
By Rob Parent, Delaware County Daily Times
PHILADELPHIA — In the aftermath of his first practice with the Flyers
Wednesday, Andrew MacDonald called the previous 24 hours “a whirlwind.”
The Flyers are a little more interested in what he’s going to be able to do for
them over the next 42 days or so.
MacDonald, the puck-moving defenseman from the Islanders, will be
counted upon to expedite the Flyers’ main mission down the stretch drive of
the regular season and (they hope) forward into the playoffs. The Flyers
Tuesday traded a third-round draft pick in the June draft, a second-rounder in
2015 and minor leaguer Matt Mangene for MacDonald, a pending
unrestricted free agent at 27.
“He’s a solid, two-way defenseman in our league,” general manager Paul
Holmgren said of MacDonald. “He’s still a young guy and he’ll bring a lot to
our team. He’ll make our team better.”
As for other moves at Wednesday’s trade deadline ... there wasn’t much to
get excited about.
About a half-hour prior to the deadline, Holmgren made the anticipated trade
of defenseman Andrej Meszaros to the Boston Bruins, getting a a 2014
conditional third-round draft pick in return. Taken as a whole then, the Flyers
swapped one unrestricted free agent defender for another, and spent a
second-round pick in the swap. The thought is that by replacing offensively
minded but defensively flawed Meszaros with MacDonald, they will offer
goalie Steve Mason a safer, quieter environment with which to work.
“He adds skating, puck movement, and he’s a good two-way defenseman,”
coach Craig Berube said of MacDonald, who was paired with Luke Schenn
Wednesday night against the Washington Capitals. “He leads the league in
shot blocks, (and is) an all-around player. Gets back to the puck quick,
moves the puck, gets up the ice and he defends well.”
On their crowded blue line, the Flyers need all of that and more. Their level of
defensive zone chaos is always unpredictable. Don’t think MacDonald’s old
partner Mark Streit has filled him in on that.
“Obviously, they’re a really skilled team and a tough team to play against,”
MacDonald said of his new club. “They’re physical and they’re good in all
facets of the game. So it’s exciting to be able to join this team.
“At New York we were thin there for a while. We had some injuries and some
guys had to play some bigger minutes and I was one of those guys. It’s good
to be able to experience those kinds of minutes and stand up for your team.
But I understand it’s not going to be that situation as much here. I’ll just do
whatever they ask me to do.”
One other caveat that shouldn’t be and won’t be ignored: The Flyers cleared
some valuable cap space in the process. Wiping Meszaros’ $4 million hit off
the books and adding MacDonald’s mere $550,000 leaves the Flyers with
$6.4 million of cap space. Unless the Flyers have some hidden agenda with
an unsigned free agent, the bulk of that money could be used toward
re-signing MacDonald to a deal prior to the free agency period.
And sooner rather than later.
“We added Andrew with an eye on the future, looking to re-sign him,”
Holmgren said. “And in terms of the assets we gave up to acquire Andrew I
think we had to look to the future and try to recapture some of that.
“You try to put your team in place in the summertime. If you make an addition
at the deadline it’s got to be an upgrade. That’s what we were looking to do
this year and I think we’ve done that.”
The argument could be made that the Flyers could have added either
another scoring wing to give their top line another look, or a third-line forward
to take shaky Steve Downie’s place and present the opposition with a very
sold four-line look.
Holmgren admitted he’d pondered such possibilities, but in the end said he
was never close to making an offer for another forward.
That would include Vancouver’s Ryan Kesler, Holmgren saying he only
inquired about “the parameters of what (the Canucks) were looking for,”
when it came to Kesler. But Holmgren literally laughed at the notion that he
was bargaining hard against the Pittsburgh Penguins to try to acquire the
top-shelf center.
“Today was just kind of slow,” Holmgren swore. “We didn’t have a lot going
on and weren’t really looking to do anything else. I’ve said all along, I like our
team. We’ve improved our defense a little bit ... we’re ready to go.
“I like our team. They’re a really together group. They’ve been through a lot
together; the poor start, the coaching change, and now they’ve battled back.
I think they deserve to stick together and see where they can go with this.”
Delaware County Times LOADED: 03.06.2014
730848
Philadelphia Flyers
MacDonald happy to assist in Flyers' win
By Jack McCaffery, Delaware County Daily Times
Posted: 03/06/14, 12:00 AM EST |
PHILADELPHIA — From the top of the score sheet to the fine print nearer to
the bottom, Andrew MacDonald was thrilled with his first game as a Flyer
Wednesday.
In that order.
First, MacDonald was satisfied that the Flyers won, 6-4, over the Washington
Capitals. That he generated an assist on Michael Raffl’s second-period goal
was a fringe benefit.
“That’s nice, too,” MacDonald said. “Obviously, it is a bonus. The most
important thing was a win. But it is nice to get that off your back, too.”
The 27-year-old defenseman was acquired from the New York Islanders
Tuesday in a beat-the-deadline trade for a second- and a third-round draft
choice, and was hustled into the lineup Wednesday. Paired mostly with Luke
Schenn, the two assisted on Raffl’s even-strength goal that gave the Flyers a
4-0 lead.
“I felt good out there,” he said. “The most important thing is to just keep it
simple and rely on what got you here and on the skills that you have and
apply them.”
MacDonald had played his entire six-year career with the Islanders, but
made a smooth adjustment to his new assignment.
“Ah, it wasn’t too bad,” he said. “You have to get used to playing with different
guys, no matter what team you are on. The ‘D’ always gets scrambled and
you end up with different guys. The most important thing is to communicate
out there and talk, even before the game and just try to work out little things
that you might try to use during the game.”
Some of that on-ice communication was difficult, given the passion of the
assembled 19,919 and the six-goal third period.
“Coming in here I always loved playing in this rink because it is so alive,”
MacDonald said. “I was used to being on the wrong side of it for so long, but
it is great to hear the fans on our side.”
Despite the adjustment, the appearance on the score sheet and the victory
out of the way, MacDonald was not ready to declare that the most difficult
chores are behind.
“I won’t say it is going to get easier,” he said. “It is a long stretch before the
playoffs, and we have important games coming down the stretch. For me
personally, it was just nice to get that first win under the belt.”
730849
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers jump out early, then hang on to win
By Rob Parent, Delaware County Daily Times
Posted: 03/05/14, 11:51 PM EST | Updated: 57 secs ago
That cut the lead to 4-1, but the Flyers seemed in no apparent danger until
the third period began.
Washington started to outskate the Flyers, and before long the Capitals took
advantage. Alex Ovechkin finally awoke with one of his patented circle shots
on the power play, just beating Mason at 6:35 with a bullet.
“I felt it hit my glove, and obviously I didn’t have enough of it,” said Mason,
who saw 17 third-period shots after just 8 over the first two periods. “We’ll talk
to the equipment company tomorrow.”
All of 2:50 later, Troy Brouwer scored to cut the Flyers’ lead to 4-3.
PHILADELPHIA — It wouldn’t be accurate to say the Flyers started anew
after Wednesday’s trade deadline tolled, but if their most recent resurgence
is any indication, it might be fair to say their expectations are new and
improved.
Then again, the way they almost caved in the third period Wednesday night,
it might be right to say not much has changed after all.
Perhaps somewhat inspired by their general manager’s optimistic tone
earlier in the day about sticking with what his players have rebuilt, the Flyers
went out and constructed perhaps their most impressive two periods of the
season, then desperately held on through a Capital comeback attempt to
grab a 6-4 victory at Wells Fargo Center.
Jake Voracek scored two goals, including a very important insurance goal
with 8:09 remaining that would wind up as the game-winner. Claude Giroux
also scored twice, continuing his season reconstruction that has seen him
collect eight goals and nine assists for 17 points in his last 10 games.
Not so coincidentally, the Flyers (33-24-6, 72 points) have gone 8-2 over that
same stretch.
“We played as a team,” Giroux said of the Flyers’ first 40 minutes. “That’s the
kind of team we want to be. We want to be a team that plays together and
rolls four lines. We played like that in the first two periods. ... We did a lot of
good stuff. But we have to look at the video and see what we did in the third.
That’s not the way we want it to be.
“I feel in the third period we had a lot of mental mistakes.”
They showed up in the form of penalties which led to a pair of Washington
power play goals that almost turned the game for good. Just like the Flyers
did in Washington in a 5-4 comeback victory Sunday.
“They have a good power play,” Giroux said of the Caps. “They’ve got a lot of
tools that can hurt the other team. They move the puck well. Hopefully we did
some good stuff on the (penalty kill). But they did great stuff on the power
play.”
Yet it wouldn’t be enough, thanks to Voracek’s last goal and a Downie
empty-netter with 52 seconds left that quelled the Capital comeback.
The only new look the Flyers sport after GM Paul Holmgren’s trade deadline
moves is former Islanders defenseman Andrew MacDonald playing where
Andrej Meszaros once was. Against the Caps, MacDonald didn’t seem out of
place; he assisted on one goal, was on the ice for two goals and played solid
defensively.
Evidence of that could be seen in the play of Luke Schenn, who had his best
game in weeks. But then, it was hard to find fault with any Flyers on the ice as
they jumped out to an early two-goal lead, knocked out Washington goalie
Braden Holtby early and held the Capitals (29-24-10-68) to only eight shots
on goal through the first two periods.
It was easy to say Holmgren was onto something earlier in the day when
asked to assess his team’s immediate fortunes.
“Even when it was bad, they remained focused on what they needed to do,”
Holmgren said of a Flyers team that started the season with seven losses
and a coaching change in its first eight games. “Nobody’s happy about a 1-7
start. But through the change and the teaching the coaches have done, and
the system change they went through, they worked at it, they stuck with it and
have had some success now because of it. They earned the right to stick
together as a group and see where they can go.”
For now, the Flyers have gone as high as second place in the Metropolitan
Division, but they also nearly blew a four-goal lead on this night.
The Capital resurgence began when Mike Green flipped a puck netward, and
teammate Joel Ward somehow redirected it through goalie Steve Mason’s
legs at 14:06 of the second period.
All seemed OK again when Scott Hartnell drew two Caps near him, then hit
Voracek in the middle of the ice. He beat replacement goalie Philipp
Grubauer to restore a two goal lead with 8:09 left. But Mark Streit was
whistled for a penalty and Brooks Laich tipped in a Mike Green shot to cut the
lead to 5-4. More nervous times were to come until Downie finally finished off
the Caps.
For the Flyers, however, this season is still a work in progress.
730850
Philadelphia Flyers
McCaffery: Flyers have earned their general manager's trust
“They earned the right to stick together.”
That’s why the players, almost all of them, are still around. That’s why the
general manager, once under verbal assault, is right there, too.
By Jack McCaffery, Delaware County Daily Times
Posted: 03/05/14, 10:56 PM EST | Updated: 18 secs ago
PHILADELPHIA — Paul Holmgren was in the Wells Fargo Center five
months ago, during a different visit from the Washington Capitals, keeping
his eyes open, resisting covering his ears.
The Flyers were being bombarded, and so, the chant ricocheted off of every
flat surface: Fire Holmgren … fire Holmgren. He understood, he said. Given
that the Flyers had been 1-7 and were about to go 3-9 and that they were
already onto their second coach, he acknowledged he might have been
thinking the same thing.
He also thought something else.
He thought it could be different by March.
“Like I said all year long, I like our team,” Holmgren said Wednesday, at the
Skate Zone, hours before the Flyers’ 6-4 over the Caps at the Wells Fargo
Center. “We wanted to upgrade in certain areas, and we did.”
There has been a twist here, a minor-league promotion there. There was the
coaching change, from Peter Laviolette, whose message had turned flat, to
Craig Berube, a Coach of the Year candidate. But there wasn’t upheaval, not
in November, not in March.
That’s what Holmgren was proud of Wednesday when he surfaced at the
close of the NHL trade deadline with no outward sign of exhaustion. A day
earlier, he had sent a bundle of draft choices to Long Island for 27-year-old
Andrew MacDonald. Wednesday, he pushed Andrej Meszaros, 28, to
Boston, recapturing some picks and some salary flexibility. There was a
slight upgrade and some papers ruffled, yet nothing likely to rattle the Stanley
Cup future odds board.
But that was the situation as it had developed from the poor start to what has
become a strong late Flyers season. There was no reason for Holmgren to
channel his inner Sam Hinkie and just start jackhammering his roster down to
Together We Build emptiness.
“I really believe you try to put your team in place in the summertime,”
Holmgren said. “And if you make an addition at the deadline, it’s got to be an
upgrade. That’s what we were looking to do, and I think we did that.”
What else is a GM to say when he was either unable or unwilling to fashion a
franchise-redefining trade? Not much. Yet those “Fire Holmgren” chants will
reverberate should the Flyers fade and miss the playoffs now that they have
wrestled into second place in the Metro Division with 19 games to play. And
Ed Snider well could be in the front of the mob, spelling out the f-i-r-e with
hand gyrations. Holmgren knows how the personnel department works just
upstairs from his office. So when he chose to protect what he’d already
constructed, he had to have believed it gave him the best chance to be the
general manager at the next deadline, too.
No, the Flyers were not so perfect that they couldn’t have benefited from
another star-level player. But since their miserable start, punctuated by that
7-0 loss to the Caps, they have won almost two out of every three games.
“I liked our team all along,” Berube said. “I think the guys worked extremely
hard to get to this point. A lot of guys have done a lot of good things here this
year and have improved. Obviously, we are not where we want to be yet. We
have a long way to go. But we are working toward that and we are getting
better.”
They have won seven of their last eight and were dominating Wednesday,
limiting Washington to eight shots over the first two periods.
Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek scored two goals apiece and MacDonald
registered an assist on a second-period Michael Raffl goal.
“Even when it was bad, they remained focused,” Holmgren said. “They knew
they had to play better. Nobody is happy with 1-and-7. But through the
change and the teaching that the coaches have done, the system change
that they went through, they worked at it, they stuck with it, and they had
some success now because of it.
When copying make sure you get the writers name at the bottom of articles
730851
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers trade Andrej Meszaros to Bruins for pick
March 5, 2014, 2:45 pm
Tim Panaccio
Defenseman Andrej Meszaros, a former Barry Ashbee Trophy winner as the
Flyers' top defenseman, was traded Wednesday to the Boston Bruins for a
conditional 2014 third-round pick, according to a source.
Sportsnet's Dan Murphy first reported the trade on Twitter.
The third-round pick is conditional in the Flyers' favor, according to Paul
Holmgren, and could become a better pick or multiple picks.
The Bruins, wrecked with injuries on their blue line, needed a defenseman,
and Meszaros, who will be unrestricted this summer, became a more likely
trade candidate when the Flyers acquired Islanders defenseman Andrew
MacDonald on Tuesday.
Meszaros has been continually jockeyed back and forth in the lineup for the
Flyers the entire season because of inconsistent play. He appeared in just 38
games this season, registering five goals and 12 assists.
The irony is this year has been the first one in a while where he was fully
healthy, and yet his play on the blue line hasn’t measured up to his health.
Interestingly, he began his career with Ottawa playing in 298 consecutive
games without being injured.
Meszaros has had wrist and back surgeries and tore his Achille's tendon,
which limited his number of games as a Flyer to 11 last season and 62 the
previous year.
The Ashbee Trophy winner in 2010-11, Meszaros was carrying a $4 million
cap hit.
The Flyers attempted to deal Meszaros in training camp and could not.
730852
Philadelphia Flyers
The plan is to also use him with Streit in four-on-four situations, in addition to
the power play.
Not for rent: Flyers intend to re-sign MacDonald
MacDonald averaged whopping minutes – 25:25 – with the Isles but won’t
see those kind of minutes as a Flyer.
March 5, 2014, 1:00 pm
“In New York, we were thin and had some injuries and some guys had to play
bigger minutes and I was one of those guys,” MacDonald said. “I understand
that won’t be the same here.”
Tim Panaccio
Whether he was too rich for the Islanders' blood or just wanted to get off the
Island right away by not re-signing we may never know, but Andrew
MacDonald was happy to be traded to the Flyers.
“They’re really skilled team and tough team to play against,” the newest
Flyers defenseman said this morning. “They are very physical and good in all
facets of the game. It’s exciting to join this team.”
The 27-year-old will make his Flyer debut tonight against Washington.
Coach Craig Berube said MacDonald would be paired with Luke Schenn
five-on-five and work the left point on the second power play with his former
Islander partner, Mark Streit.
Andrej Meszaros is the odd man out tonight.
Today is the NHL trade deadline and the Flyers are likely trying to deal
Meszaros for a second-round pick to partially make up for what they gave the
Isles for MacDonald. Boston needs a defenseman and Meszaros would be a
nice fit there.
Both MacDonald and Meszaros are unrestricted free agents in July.
MacDonald arrived in Philadelphia at 11 last night from Winnipeg.
“It’s a great opportunity here and great organization,” he said at this
morning's skate. “I’m really looking forward to it. It’s been a whirlwind the last
24 hours.”
He got a cram session on Berube’s systems and power play.
“When you’re a hockey player you know those things and go over it with
coaches before practice and try to get familiar,” MacDonald said.
“You try to review it and get familiar as best as you can and gain some
chemistry early. Just do the right things out there and be in the right places.”
The Flyers have had an eye on MacDonald for a while. They traded two draft
picks for him and intend to re-sign him. He’s not a rental player. He reportedly
was seeking a four-year deal worth in excess of $16 million before being
traded. This is the final year of MacDonald's entry-level contract. His cap hit
is a very respectable $550,000. Hence, a big raise is coming.
“It was one of those things,” he said of his contract situation with the
Islanders. “It seemed like something (a contract) wasn’t going to get done for
a while. I was anticipating [a trade], but once you get the call, I was kinda
shocked. But I’m happy it was Philly.”
MacDonald said he would consider re-signing here rather than test free
agency.
“Such a great team and organization, you would have to be open to a team
like this,” he said.
MacDonald is the second-leading NHL shot blocker since the start of the
2010-11 season (666). This is the first time this decade the Flyers will have
the NHL’s No. 1 and No. 4 shot blocker (Nick Grossmann, 146 blocks) in the
lineup together.
MacDonald has 198 blocks. Kimmo Timonen said MacDonald is a guy who
always put the team’s needs ahead of himself on the ice, even knowing he
could get hurt blocking all those shots.
“There’s a different way to show you care about the team,” MacDonald said.
“Some guys go out and drop the gloves and fight and back guys up. I’m not
the toughest guy. I try to do what I can. Block shots is one way to do that.”
Berube said he has always thought highly of MacDonald in games against
the Flyers.
“Over the last couple years, he was always noticeable,” Berube said. “He can
skate, he moves the puck well, he gets up the ice.”
730853
Philadelphia Flyers
Before trade, MacDonald had caught a Flyer's eye
March 5, 2014, 12:45 pm
Sarah Baicker
Months before the Flyers acquired defenseman Andrew MacDonald, Kimmo
Timonen was watching him.
The Flyers’ veteran blueliner liked what he saw.
“He played a lot of minutes,” Timonen said. “He played with a lot of
confidence. Sometimes when you play against teams, you notice some
players, and I noticed him. He made nice plays and he blocked shots and he
played a lot of minutes. It’s good for us.”
MacDonald joined his new team on the ice for Wednesday’s morning skate
ahead of the Flyers’ game against the Washington Capitals. He will be in the
lineup, partnered primarily with Luke Schenn –- though he spent most of the
skate working with his former New York Islanders teammate Mark Streit
during power-play drills.
Streit, like Timonen, is pleased with the addition.
“He’s like a ‘modern defenseman,’ I would call him,” Streit said. “Because
he’s good overall. He’s a good skater, plays well defensively and has a good
first pass, which is a huge asset. Then offensively, he’s good too. He can play
on the power play, and on top of that, he blocks a lot of shots.
“He’s a team guy. He does everything for the team. Whenever you have the
chance to get a guy like that on your team or on your side, it’s a big plus. It’s
a pleasure to have him here.”
This season with the Islanders, MacDonald averaged 25:25 on the ice every
night – more than any current Flyers defenseman. He won’t be asked to play
as much in Philadelphia, instead taking on slightly less responsibility. It will
be an adjustment, but according to Streit, that’s a good thing for everyone on
the team.
“Personally, I don’t need to play 25-26-27 minutes,” Streit said. “I’d rather
play around 20. Down the line, guys are fresher, you have less injuries. It just
makes the team better. If you have guys playing between 25 and 30 minutes
80 games and then the playoffs, that’s tough. Today’s game, especially with
the speed, how fast the game is, it’s tough to handle. I’m sure he makes the
adjustment, and we all do. As long as you’re winning.”
Another benefit to the addition? MacDonald leads the NHL in blocked shots
this season, with 198. Add that to Nick Grossmann, who ranks fourth with
146, and the Flyers become even tougher in their own zone, especially on
the penalty kill. The Flyers' PK is currently eighth-best in the league.
“That’s what we have to do some days, we have to block shots,” Timonen
said. “And if you kill penalties, you’re going to get hit by the puck even if you
don’t want to get hit. That tells you these guys play for the team. They do
whatever it takes to prevent the goals. There’s always needs for guys like
that who can do that. We’re really happy about that.”
MacDonald's addition adds a bit of pressure to a Flyer who's already aware
his name has been talked about in plenty of trade rumors: Andrej Meszaros.
But even he believes the newest defenseman improves the Flyers' blue line.
Meszaros is not expected to suit up tonight, assuming he remains with the
Flyers past the 3 p.m. trade deadline. (The Flyers now have nine
defensemen.)
“The team’s gotta do what it’s gotta do to make it better,” Meszaros said.
“Obviously he’s a great player, a great addition. We’ll see what happens the
next four hours. It will be interesting.”
Wednesday's game will be a quick education in Flyers hockey for
MacDonald, who's spent his entire career on Long Island. The good thing is,
according to Streit, he's easy to play with and played a similar style with the
Islanders.
“It’s exciting,” Streit said. “He’s a great guy and a really good player. It makes
our team better.”
730854
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers-Capitals: 5 things you need to know
March 5, 2014, 11:00 am
It’s not often the Flyers can say they held Ovie off the scoresheet. The Caps’
captain has 26 goals and 16 assists in 32 career games against the orange
and black.
Even scarier, Ovechkin always comes to play in Philadelphia. He has 16
markers and nine helpers in 18 career visits to Wells Fargo Center, including
the playoffs.
Tim Riday
The Flyers would be wise to stay out of the box. They gave the Capitals six
power plays on Sunday and miraculously killed them all off. They won’t get
away with giving Ovechkin and Washington’s prolific PP units that many
opportunities again.
The Flyers (32-24-6) will wrap up their home-and-home series with the
Washington Capitals (29-23-10) on Wednesday night.
4. Injuries
Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. at Wells Fargo Center. The game will be televised
on NBCSN.
Let’s take a closer look at the matchup:
1. That’s all, folks
The Flyers and Capitals will clash for the fifth and final time this season on
Wednesday. Washington won the first two contests before the Flyers reeled
off back-to-back victories in the next two meetings.
Both clubs have 20 games remaining this season and are fighting for a
playoff spot in the crowded Metropolitan Division. The Flyers currently hold
the second-place position in the Metro with 70 points. The New York Rangers
and Columbus Blue Jackets are right behind them with 69 points apiece. The
Capitals (68 points) and New Jersey Devils (67 points) are also within striking
distance of the Flyers.
It’s at the point where every game the rest of the way will have Stanley Cup
playoff implications. It’s important for the Flyers to make the most of their
divisional games.
Sunday was a perfect example of that. The Flyers rallied from a two-goal,
third-period deficit and beat the Caps 5-4. Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux
each tallied three points in the win and Vinny Lecavalier potted the
game-winning marker at the 2:45 mark of overtime.
Voracek (four goals, two assists) and Giroux (three goals, three assists) have
led the way for the Flyers in the team’s four games against the Caps this
season. On the other end of the ice, Joel Ward (three goals, three assists)
and Nicklas Backstrom (two goals, four assists) have given the Flyers
headaches in the series.
2. Wheeling and dealing
NHL teams can make trades up until 3 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon but the
Flyers and Capitals got a jumpstart on the deadline, both striking deals on
Tuesday.
The Flyers bolstered their blueline by acquiring defenseman Andrew
MacDonald from the New York Islanders in exchange for two draft picks and
prospect Matt Mangene (see story).
“He’s a great addition for our team,” said Mark Streit, who played parts of
three seasons with MacDonald on Long Island. “He’s a good, all-around
defenseman. He plays well defensively, blocks a lot of shots and has a good
first pass. It’s a really good mix.”
The Flyers now have nine defensemen on the active roster. What’s the next
move? Will there be a next move? Anything can happen on deadline day.
Stay tuned.
Washington, on the other hand, is likely done making moves. They sent a
fourth-round pick to the Anaheim Ducks for veteran forward Dustin Penner
and shipped Martin Erat and John Mitchell to the Phoenix Coyotes in
exchange for Chris Brown, Rostislav Klesla and a draft pick on Tuesday.
Klesla and Brown are expected to join Washington’s AHL affiliate, the
Hershey Bears, but Penner will likely find himself on the Caps’ top line with
Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin.
3. The Ovechkin factor
Speaking of Ovechkin, the Flyers did a fantastic job containing the Russian
sniper in Sunday’s win at the Verizon Center.
Ovechkin, who is leading the NHL in goals with 43, finished the game with six
shots in 20 minutes of ice time but did not register a point and was a minus-3
for the Caps.
Goalie Ray Emery (groin pull) isn’t ready to play just yet. Cal Heeter was
recalled from the Adirondack Phantoms on Tuesday and will serve as Steve
Mason’s backup.
For the Capitals, Jack Hillen (right tibia) and Mikhail Grabovski (left ankle) are
listed as questionable for Wednesday’s tilt.
Aaron Volpatti is on injured reserve with an upper-body injury and won’t suit
up.
5. This and that
• Giroux has seven goals and eight assists in his last 10 games.
• Dmitry Orlov, who was assessed a five-minute major for boarding Brayden
Schenn on Sunday, will begin his two-game suspension.
• MacDonald had four goals and 20 assists while averaging over 25 minutes
a game for the Islanders this season.
• Penner had 13 goals and 19 assists for the Ducks this season. He played
on their top line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.
• Even with a win, the Caps can’t pass the Flyers in the standings. The Flyers
hold the tiebreaker by having eight more regulation/overtime wins.
730855
Philadelphia Flyers
Still, the Flyers survived, thanks to Giroux (two goals, 23 overall) and
Voracek.
Giroux, Voracek carry Flyers to win over Capitals
He and Voracek scored a combined seven goals against the Caps in this now
completed home-and-home series, which includes Sunday’s 5-4 Flyers'
overtime win in D.C.
March 6, 2014, 12:00 am
This was the fifth time Giroux has had three or more points in a game. Over
his last 11 games, he has nine goals and nine assists for 18 points.
Staff
It should not have become a nail-biter.
Not with a 4-0 lead and everything going so well and the Flyers having played
two of their best opening 40 minutes all season, allowing just eight shots.
But it happened.
Luckily, their top line bailed them out and Steve Downie gave them a
much-needed empt-netter to secure the Flyers’ wild 6-4 victory over the
Washington Capitals on Wednesday night at Wells Fargo Center (see Instant
Replay).
“They didn’t play the way they wanted the first two periods and we were and
that third period they became aggressive and sat back a bit,” said Flyers
captain Claude Giroux.
“When we get a lead like that, we’ve got to keep it. The first two periods we
were playing well and winning battles and we got away from it. We need to
play 60 minutes.”
His line with Scott Hartnell and Jakub Voracek did yeoman’s work in the win
with six points. Voracek and Giroux each had two goals.
Voracek’s second marker (18th overall), late in the game, gave the Flyers a
5-3 lead that would shrink again before Downie decided it with his
empty-netter.
“They’re attacking and skating with speed,” said Flyers coach Craig Berube.
“Making plays and working hard down low. Cycling the puck and competing.
Power play, doing a good job.”
The victory kept the Flyers in second place in the Metro Division with 72
points -- two more than the third-place Rangers while dropping the Caps four
points behind the pace.
Thing is, the Flyers made it look so easy, enjoying a 4-0 lead, chasing
starting goalie Braden Holtby and even having an ‘ol fashioned brawl to get
them going (see story).
So much early emotion may have distracted the Flyers from finishing the task
as the Caps whittled down a 4-1 deficit in the third period thanks to the usual
suspects -- bad penalties.
Did we mention the Flyers' usually adroit penalty-kill units gave up three
power-play goals, as well?
“Penalties and a couple goofy goals,” Berube said. “Penalties. I haven’t
looked at them yet or am sure if they were warranted, but it definitely gave
them life.”
And nearly ruined all the good work early.
“It was good hockey. We were intense, we were quick, we were on things,”
Berube said. “We had everybody going.”
Flyers goalie Steve Mason picked up his 26th victory but he looked like he
was fighting the puck a bit in the third period when the Caps scored three
goals.
“The first two periods we played some of the best hockey all season long,”
Mason said. “Going into the third period, we stopped moving our feet,
stopped playing the way we had been playing.
“They have offensive talent on that team and they can take advantage of
sloppy play. That’s exactly what happened. We’re fortunate to come out of it
with two points.”
The PK units had gone 6 for 6 against the Caps in the previous game but
gave up three power-play goals in four chances on Wednesday.
“Couple bad breaks and any time you have [Alex] Ovechkin on the ice and try
to focus on him, he can shoot the puck as well as anybody in the league,”
Mason said. “They took advantage of it.”
“When they are going, everybody follows,” Mason said of the top line. “We
have to have that on a consistent basis moving forward because every game
is so important.”
730856
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers, Capitals engage in another line brawl
March 5, 2014, 11:45 pm
Staff
It was Rivalry Night. That’s how it was billed on NBCSN before the puck
dropped, but it didn’t require any advanced marketing. The Flyers and
Capitals handled all the necessary promotion once the game began.
“When you play home and home, you build up a bit of bad blood, I guess,”
Luke Schenn said. “It started out the same way [Wednesday]. It was a wild
first period.”
Early in the first period, with the Flyers up two goals in what would become a
6-4 win at the Wells Fargo Center (see Instant Replay), Schenn checked
Capitals center Ryan Stoa into the boards. It was a good hit and a hard hit
and, by most accounts, a clean hit. Didn’t matter. Clean or no, it started a
lengthy line brawl between the two teams.
Schenn and Tom Wilson went at it. Vincent Lecavalier and John Erskine
went at it. Wayne Simmonds and Connor Carrick went at it. It seemed like
everyone went at it.
While Simmonds was scrapping with Carrick, he somehow managed to grab
Erskine from behind with a free arm, which allowed Lecavalier to give Erskine
a good shot over the top. There were so many bodies throwing so many
punches that it felt for a time like a cartoon fight -- indeterminate legs and
arms flailing about from an animated dust cloud.
When the fracas finished and the limbs were untangled, the two teams were
hit with a combined 56 penalty minutes. Erskine and Lecavalier all received
game misconducts and watched the remainder of the evening’s proceedings
from their respective locker rooms. Listening to all the infractions get
announced over the PA system sounded a bit like the hockey version of an
old movie gag.
“I made a hit and got asked to fight and stuff like that,” Schenn said. “That’s
the way it goes sometimes. Obviously, you don’t want to see guys like Vinny
get kicked out of the game. That’s a bad trade-off for us. But sometimes guys
are standing up for each other and that’s the way it goes sometimes.”
While players were being pulled off each other, fans at the Wells Fargo
Center chanted “Holt-by.” You no doubt remember why: Back on Nov. 1,
Capitals goalie Braden Holtby played the unfortunate part of Ray Emery’s
punching bag during another big brawl between the two teams.
In a coincidental twist noted by calendar aficionados and hockey fight
historians, Wednesday marked the 10-year anniversary to the day of the
still-infamous brawl between the Flyers and the Ottawa Senators. The Flyers
and Senators combined for an astounding 419 penalty minutes that evening.
A decade later, it remains a dubious NHL record.
“It was exciting for hockey and for our fans,'' Flyers goaltender Robert Esche
said at the time. The story didn’t mention it, but you imagine Esche giving that
quote while icing his face and fists.
730857
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers, MacDonald want to make extension work
They seemed content to test free-agency waters, but may forego that to
re-sign with the Flyers. They’ll have salary cap space next year with Andrej
Meszaros traded to Boston and Kimmo Timonen likely to retire. Those two
players had a combined cap hit of $10 million this season.
One thing that attracted MacDonald to the Flyers was the reputation of the
organization, in particular chairman Ed Snider.
By Dave Isaac
PHILADELPHIA Paul Holmgren made his move a little less than 24 hours
before the final buzzer rang on the NHL trade deadline.
There was nothing impulsive about it. It wasn’t a rushed decision, made as
the pressure mounted from seeing little sand left in the hourglass.
Andrew MacDonald was the Flyers’ primary target.
“We believe he’s gonna make our team better,” the Flyers’ general manager
said of his new defenseman. “With an eye on the future, we have an interest
in keeping Andrew longer term.”
That, however, will cost him far more than the two draft picks it took to put him
in a Flyers uniform for at least 20 games. Both sides hope it will be longer.
MacDonald, 27, is in line for his first big payday in the NHL. When he signed
a four-year, $2.2 million deal with the New York Islanders, he wasn’t an
established player in the league.
Over the past two seasons he’s made a name for himself, mainly by
becoming the NHL’s leader in blocked shots. His $550,000 cap hit is the
lowest on the Flyers’ roster.
Next year, it could be among the highest if he is re-signed. Both sides seem
willing to make that happen.
“It’s such a great team and organization, I think you have to be open to this,”
MacDonald said. “As of right now, I’m not thinking about it at all. It’s been kind
of a whirlwind.”
Things got off on the right foot when MacDonald was traded and he got a call
from Flyers captain Claude Giroux. That impressed MacDonald, who already
had Philly as a top three destination on his list as he approached unrestricted
free agency for the first time in his career.
“It’s a home run on our side of the coin,” said Peter Cooney, MacDonald’s
agent.
“The beauty of Philadelphia is every year they’re competitive in the playoffs
and for the Stanley Cup.”
That’s something MacDonald isn’t used to after playing 295 games across
six seasons for the Islanders. He had 17 goals and 72 assists. This season,
he was a minute eater for the Islanders in all situations. His 25:25 average ice
time entering Wednesday’s action was eighth in the NHL and more than any
other Flyer.
In Philadelphia, he won’t be relied on so heavily.
“We had some injuries and some guys had to play some bigger minutes and
I was one of those guys,” MacDonald said. “It’s great to be able to get that
kind of experience and play those kind of minutes and stand up for your
team, but I understand that’s not gonna be the situation as much here. I’ll just
do whatever they ask me to do.”
One thing they will ask is for MacDonald to re-sign.
The question for the Flyers is what that will cost. New York Rangers blueliner
Dan Girardi set the market for pending unrestricted free agent defensemen
when he signed a six-year, $33-million extension last week.
Cooney declined to say exactly what he had in mind for an extension, but
said he is “not afraid of a long-term deal” in the neighborhood of four to six
years. The Flyers own MacDonald’s rights until July 1.
“We’ve had some internal discussions,” Holmgren said. “Andrew just got
here today. He doesn’t know a lot about the Philadelphia Flyers and the
organization, what it’s all about. Let him settle in and at some point we’ll
certainly have discussions.”
The Islanders extended an offer to MacDonald’s camp, reportedly four years
and $16 million. MacDonald and his agent made a counter offer that the
Islanders and their general manager Garth Snow declined.
“He takes care of players like family, if they’re deserving,” Cooney said. “It’s a
real solid National Hockey League organization and one Andrew really is
going to like.”
The Flyers certainly like him. In games against the Islanders, Timonen said
MacDonald stood out.
“He played with a lot of confidence,” Timonen said. “Sometimes when you
play against teams, you notice some players and I noticed him. He made nice
plays and blocks shots, plays a lot of minutes. Good for us.”
How good? Time will tell whenever Holmgren contacts Cooney to start the
negotiations.
“The beauty is we’ve got a lot of time now,” Cooney said. “Our door is wide
open.”
Courier-Post LOADED: 03.06.2014
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Philadelphia Flyers
“I’ll just do whatever they ask me to do.”
Flyers' core 'earned the right to stick together'
As a sixth-round pick in the 2006 draft, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound defenseman
is somewhat of a late bloomer. He split time in the NHL and AHL in the
2009-09 and 2009-10 seasons. In the last few years, he’s come on as a
strong asset for the Islanders.
Mar. 6, 2014 1:26 AM
“A lot of times defensemen it takes more time to get to the level that’s needed
to play in the NHL,” Flyers coach Craig Berube said.
Dave Isaac
VOORHEES — Kimmo Timonen stopped untying his skates in the Flyers’
locker room after the morning skate when Scott Hartnell walked past.
Timonen stood up and hugged his teammate of seven seasons with the
Flyers and six with the Nashville Predators before that.
“Fourteen years was a good run, buddy,” Timonen said jokingly as if Hartnell
had just been traded.
That’s how loose the Flyers locker room was on the day of the trade deadline.
“There’s been lots of players over the years that have been drafted in the
later rounds. Sometimes it’s late bloomers. Sometimes people don’t pick up
on what you do and you slip by a little bit.”
Players appreciate being 'buyers'
After the morning skate, the TV in the dressing room was tuned to trade
deadline coverage. All eyes were glued to the talking heads determining
which teams were buyers and which were sellers.
The Flyers were happy to be the former, considering the acquisition of
MacDonald.
Perhaps they knew that as the league was wheeling and dealing, their
general manager, Paul Holmgren, had no intention of making any big moves.
“Your GM is trying to get those pieces to upgrade your team,” Wayne
Simmonds said. “It’s a big puzzle. I think it’s hard to find the right pieces of
guys that will make you a championship contender and get into the playoffs.”
His only trade was sending defenseman Andrej Meszaros to the Boston
Bruins for a conditional 2014 third-round draft pick.
In Holmgren’s eyes, there wasn’t a whole lot of work to do on the roster
because the group he’s got already overcame a lot this season.
After only three games, the Flyers fired Peter Laviolette and installed Craig
Berube as head coach. They still had their struggles, opening the season
with a 1-7 start.
“Even when it was bad, they remained focused on what they needed to do,”
Holmgren said. “They knew they had to play better.”
“They earned the right to stick together as a group and see where they can
go.”
The lone trade of the day was sending Meszaros to Boston for a draft pick,
making up for one of the two they spent a day earlier to acquire Andrew
MacDonald.
Meszaros, 28, spent four seasons with the Flyers. He had an incredible first
season and was awarded the Barry Ashbee Trophy as the team’s best
defenseman with eight goals and 24 assists in 81 games, but he really made
his mark by playing physical and having a cannon of a shot from the blueline.
After that, he was riddled with injuries until this season, when he was a
healthy scratch 24 times and would have been a 25th Wednesday with the
addition of MacDonald.
“He’s been through a lot of good times and bad times in this organization, and
he was always a good guy, had a good smile on his face,” Holmgren said. “I
wished him well and thanked him. He was a good guy, and he did have a
tough 18 months with those injuries, and he never once complained. Even
this year when he wasn’t in the lineup, he was a good soldier about it.”
Since Meszaros wasn’t a big factor on the Flyers’ roster this season and
wouldn’t have been re-signed, Holmgren pulled the trigger.
The important thing to the Flyers’ GM was that he saw growth in a core group
that recovered from a horrid start to put themselves in playoff position with 19
games left in the regular season.
“They’re a really ‘together’ group,” Holmgren said. “They’ve been through a
lot together.
“They deserve to stick together and see where they can go.”
MacDonald won't be called upon as much with Flyers
With the Islanders, MacDonald was counted on to play huge minutes in all
situations.
With the Flyers, he was paired with Luke Schenn on the Flyers’ third pair and
played on the second power-play unit with old partner Mark Streit from their
days on Long Island.
“It’s great to be able to get that kind of experience and play those kind of
minutes and stand up for your team,” MacDonald said, “but I understand
that’s not gonna be the situation as much here.
730859
Philadelphia Flyers
Hot top line helps Flyers survive late surge by Caps
Mar. 6, 2014
Dave Isaac
PHILADELPHIA For all the late comebacks the Flyers have made this
season, they nearly fell for their own routine against the Washington
Capitals.
After coughing up a four-goal lead, they fought through a surge by the Caps
to win 6-4. The Flyers remain in second place in the Metropolitan Division
and have won three straight, all against division opponents.
“Late in a game with a one-goal lead, you maybe want to let back a little bit,”
coach Craig Berube said. “We just– not stopped playing, but stopped
attacking, stopped getting in the offensive zone and put pucks on net and
making plays.”
In the third period, the Caps scored two of their three power-play goals on the
night. The first came from Alex Ovechkin, who fired his trademarked
one-timer from the left circle. Goalie Steve Mason had it go into his glove
then fall out and in the net behind him.
“I felt it hit my glove and obviously didn’t have enough of it,” said Mason, who
had 21 saves on the night. “We’ll talk with the equipment company
tomorrow.”
He was able to joke about it because the Flyers held on, getting an empty-net
goal from Steve Downie with 51.9 seconds left to ice it. For a while there, it
looked like Downie may have affected the game the other way. He was in the
box when Ovechkin scored and the Caps mounted a rally.
“Penalties, I haven’t looked at them yet,” said Berube, whose team gave the
Caps four power plays. “I’m not sure they were warranted, but that definitely
gave them life.”
Before the comeback was perhaps two of the best periods of hockey the
Flyers had all season. Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek each scored a pair of
goals in the game. For Giroux it was a three-point night, his fourth time
notching that feat in his last 10 games.
“I think we did a good job of coming out of the zone, breaking out together as
five guys and supporting each other,” Giroux said. “We played as a team.
That’s the team we want to be. We want to be a team that rolls four lines and
we can all play together.”
The Flyers really looked like they had the game in full control after Voracek’s
first of the night. It came on the power play and a melee ensued.
Zac Rinaldo drew a penalty after steamrolling Troy Brouwer with a hit and the
Capital retaliated.
On the power play, Giroux passed the puck to Voracek at the point. He
danced around one defender and his wristshot beat Holtby for his 17th goal
of the season.
The Flyers were dominant both in skill and physicality when the Capitals
decided they had had enough.
Luke Schenn demolished Ryan Stoa with a clean hit and then had to answer
to Tom Wilson with the gloves off. John Erskine was looking for a Flyer to
fight with and found a couple takers. He ended up going with Vincent
Lecavalier while Wayne Simmonds tried to pull him away.
After the line brawl at 11:59 of the first stanza, the Flyers continued applying
pressure and went to the locker room with a 2-0 lead.
In the second period, they doubled it.
First it was Giroux on a one-timer. Scott Hartnell hit Caps defenseman Mike
Green, causing him to cough up the puck and leave it for Giroux, who
notched his 23rd of the year.
At 11:52, the Flyers scored a fourth when new Flyer Andrew MacDonald
passed to his defensive partner, Schenn. Michael Raffl tipped Schenn’s blast
of a slapshot, giving him his eighth goal of the year and MacDonald an assist
in his first game in orange and black. That ended Holtby’s night. He made 12
saves on 18 shots.
“MacDonald made a nice pass to me and I was on my one-time side,”
Schenn said. “I kind of made a shot pass, I guess, and Raffl did a great job of
getting a stick on the puck and it obviously changed direction. It was a
fortunate goal and a big one for us.”
Then the Caps started their furious comeback.
Bang. Bang. Bang. Two of the three goals on the power play to make it 4-3
Flyers. Berube called timeout.
“Just get some attack going again,” Berube told them. “Let’s get playing. I
don’t want to sit back. I never do.”
Two minutes and change later, Voracek stepped up and scored his 18th of
the year on a nice feed from Hartnell. Giroux and Voracek had multi-point
nights, and Hartnell was given the one assist, Giroux’s second goal listed as
unassisted even though Hartnell played a big part.
“They’re the leaders of this team,” Mason said of the Flyers’ top line. “When
they are going, everybody follows. We have to have that on a consistent
basis moving forward, because every game moving forward is so important.
Tonight, for two periods, we played an extremely good hockey game. You
can’t let your foot off the gas in this league, because teams will take
advantage of it.”
730860
Philadelphia Flyers
Giroux, Voracek help Flyers hang on to beat Caps
Mar. 5, 2014
Dave Isaac
PHILADELPHIA — Whatever the reason, the Flyers seem to be a team that
enjoys pressure recently.
Claude Giroux, the team's captain, has perhaps performed the best. His
three points Wednesday helped the Flyers to a 6-4 win over the Washington
Capitals to give the Flyers three straight wins, all against division opponents.
Sunday in Washington the Flyers used a huge third period to come back and
beat the Caps. This time around the Flyers blew a four-goal lead and barely
held on to win.
Giroux got the Flyers on the board at 6:48 of the first period when he took a
nifty pass from Sean Couturier, went in on the Washington net with Alex
Ovechkin on his tail and juked goalie Braden Holtby out of his net. Giroux had
an empty net to shoot at for his 22nd goal of the season.
"Coots did a real good job of getting the puck," Giroux said. "I was coming
through and had a small breakaway and was able to put it in."
Zac Rinaldo drew a penalty after steamrolling Troy Brouwer with a hit and the
Capital retaliated. That led to Giroux paving the way for a second Flyers goal
on the man advantage.
The captain passed the puck to Jake Voracek at the point. Voracek danced
around one defender and his wristshot beat Holtby for his 17th goal of the
season.
The Flyers were dominant both in skill and physicality when the Capitals
decided they had had enough.
Luke Schenn demolished Ryan Stoa with a clean hit and then had to answer
to Tom Wilson with the gloves off. John Erskine was looking for a Flyer to
fight with and found three takers. He ended up going with Vincent Lecavalier
while Wayne Simmonds tried to pull him away.
After the line brawl at 11:59 of the first stanza, the Flyers continued applying
pressure and went to the locker room with a 2-0 lead.
In the second period, they added to it with two more.
First it was Giroux, who had his third point of the night on a one-timer. Scott
Hartnell hit Caps defenseman Mike Green, causing him to cough up the puck
and leave it for Giroux, who notched his 23rd of the year.
At 11:52, the Flyers scored a fourth when new Flyer Andrew MacDonald
passed to his defensive partner, Luke Schenn. Michael Raffl tipped Schenn's
blast of a slapshot, although the goal was incorrectly credited to Adam Hall.
That ended Holtby's night. He made 12 saves on 18 shots.
"MacDonald made a nice pass to me and I was on my one-time side,"
Schenn said. "I kind of made a shot pass, I guess, and Raffl did a great job of
getting a stick on the puck and it obviously changed direction. It was a
fortunate goal and a big one for us."
A few minutes later, Washington finally beat Steve Mason with their sixth
shot of the night at 14:06. With Schenn in the penalty box for tripping, Green's
slapshot from the point was tipped by Joel Ward and behind the Flyers'
netminder, who made 21 saves on the night.
Power plays allowed Washington to get back into it. In the third period,
Ovechkin scored at 6:35 with Steve Downie in the penalty box. The Caps
scored at even strength at 9:25 to make it a one-goal game when Brouwer
scored from the slot with no Flyer there to cover him.
Voracek notched his second at 11:51 to allow fans to breathe and re-gain a
two-goal lead for the Flyers when he took a nice cross-ice pass from Hartnell
and deposited it behind Philipp Grubauer.
Another power play let the Caps make it close again. Brooks Laich tipped a
lob shot from Green at the point with 6:00 to go, but the Flyers held on to win.
Downie added an empty-net goal with 51.9 seconds left to secure the win for
the Flyers, who remain in second place in the Metropolitan Division.
"We know how important these points are," Schenn said. "Washington is
right behind us in the standings and we knew this was a huge home and
home for us. Like people have been saying, it's a sprint to the finish here to
try to get a playoff spot. These divisional opponents are huge."
730861
Phoenix Coyotes
What to expect from Martin Erat
Staff
Winger Martin Erat isn’t arriving in Phoenix on a wave of confidence.
“Even though his goal scoring, well, he’s tied with our goaltender for goal
scoring so it isn’t where we need it to be,” General Manager Don Maloney
said. “But we think that can come back. He’s a good player. If we get him
back to the level we can get him to, this is a good deal.”
Despite Erat’s struggles this season — one goal and 23 assists — the
Coyotes weren’t hesitant to add him Tuesday in a four-player deal that sent
defenseman Rusty Klesla and forward Chris Brown to the Washington
Capitals. The Coyotes also received minor-leaguer John Mitchell.
NHL: New Jersey Devils at Washington CapitalsFamiliarity and fit seemed to
trump all the uncertainty about Erat, which aside from a slow offensive year
also includes the fact that he’s now requested a trade twice in his career —
last season when he asked to leave Nashville and then this season when he
asked the Capitals to deal him.
“Early in the year, he wasn’t playing much there and I think there wasn’t much
going and it’s hard for a player to get confidence,” coach Dave Tippett said.
“You never know what’s happening with the other team. They’ve got other
players they’re looking at or whatever they’re doing. I wasn’t too concerned
about that. I remember him more from the Nashville days, and I thought he
was a very efficient player for him.”
His prowess with the Predators — he hovered at, near or above the 20-goal
plateau in six seasons — gives credence to the claim he’ll be able to settle in
with the Coyotes because of the similarities between their style and that of
the Predators’.
“He can play both left and right winger. Left shot,” Tippett said. “He’s a
competitive player on the puck, and he’s less out of a shooter mode and
more out of a competitive, win puck battles, win (and) make good plays on
the wall, make good plays when they need to be made.
“I wouldn’t put him strictly as a set-up guy, but he’s just a competitive player.
When you watch a player play, there’s player that make plays when it’s an
easy time to make plays. But there’s players that make plays in hard
situations, and he’s a guy that has the ability to do that. I think he’ll fit in well
with our group.”
What also will help the transition is Erat is already familiar with his apparent
linemates, center Martin Hanzal and winger Radim Vrbata. All have played
together for the Czech Republic at the World Championships. Erat also
played with center Mike Ribeiro last season in Washington.
“You look at his stats,” Vrbata said. “I think it speaks for his stats. I think he
likes to pass more than shoot. If he’s in a good spot, I hope he will take a
shot. But he’s pretty strong with the puck, and I think he’s a good playmaker.
Hopefully if we end up playing together, I’ll try to get open for him and
hopefully we can build some chemistry.”
Arizona Republic LOADED: 03.06.2014
730862
Phoenix Coyotes
Martin Erat arrives with Phoenix Coyotes hoping to spark a playoff run
By Sarah McLellan azcentral sports Wed Mar 5, 2014 8:13 PM
Aside from a quick run-through this morning, the Coyotes won’t accurately be
able to predict how well winger Martin Erat will transition into the lineup until
Thursday's game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Despite being added via a trade Tuesday and arriving at Jobing.com Arena
on Wednesday, Erat wasn’t able to participate in practice.
He successfully made the cross-country journey from Washington, D.C. after
the Coyotes acquired the 32-year-old in a four-player trade that sent
defenseman Rusty Klesla and forward Chris Brown to the Capitals along with
a 2015 fourth-round pick, but Erat’s equipment was lost along the way.
“Five-hour flight and get off and practice. He probably had that arranged,”
coach Dave Tippett joked.
In all honesty, after requesting a trade out of Washington earlier this season,
Erat couldn’t wait for a fresh start and he’s grateful it’s happening in Phoenix.
“It’s been very exciting news,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for the trade for a
long time, and I’m very excited to be here. I’ve been playing against the
organization for a long time in Nashville, and it’s a great organization.”
Until Erat banks up a stack of games, that’s really all the Coyotes have to go
off — his reputation from his time with the Predators. They haven’t put much
stock in his days with the Capitals where he played on the opposite side he’s
used to and had his minutes slashed.
“He plays hard along the boards, in front of the net, as I remember, and he
kills penalty,” fellow Czech Republic native Zbynek Michalek said. “A guy
who does a little bit of everything, I guess. He had a rough season so far in
Washington, but he’s got a lot of skill and he proved that years before in
Nashville.”
Erat is expected to debut with winger Radim Vrbata. It’s unclear who will
anchor that line at center. Martin Hanzal is the obvious choice, but he’s
questionable to play with a lower-body injury.
The Coyotes should welcome back defenseman Derek Morris, who left
Tuesday’s game with a scratch on his eye from a high stick.
Erat, however, isn’t too worried about where he slots into the lineup.
“I really don’t care where I fit,” he said. “I’m all about winning, and the first
thing that comes to my mind is the playoffs.”
His addition is supposed to help the Coyotes reach that destination, but it’s
realistic to have concerns that his one-goal output so far is enough to spark
an offense that’s struggled to find consistency the past few months.
“He contributed 23 assists, so he’s around the puck a lot,” Tippett said.
“That’s what we want. He just has to come in and be a solid player for us and
help our group.”
This wouldn’t be the first time the Coyotes have helped revived a career. Erat
is hopeful he’s the next beneficiary.
“It’s all about what the coach gives you and what role you’re going to play,” he
said. “I’m not saying I’m a 50-goal scorer, but I’ve been scoring and hopefully
I get back to it.”
730863
Phoenix Coyotes
Is addition of left wing Martin Erat enough to help Phoenix Coyotes?
By Sarah McLellan azcentral sports Wed Mar 5, 2014 8:40 PM
After months of strategizing and weeks of negotiations, the fate of the
Coyotes can no longer be influenced by General Manager Don Maloney.
“You hope to God you did enough to help your team,” Maloney said.
It’s a fair question whether Maloney accomplished that for the Coyotes at this
year’s NHL trade deadline. Sticking with his style, he did one deal that fulfilled
a need while not hurting his current core.
Winger Martin Erat patches up a hole left in the team’s top-six forward group,
and he cost Maloney only a pair of minor-leaguers who had become
non-factors with the Coyotes and a mid-round draft pick next year.
But management didn’t want to stop there. Part of the reason they also
traded defenseman David Rundblad on Tuesday, aside from being able to
save some money to help acquire Erat later in the day, was to use the asset
they received in return, a second-round draft pick this year, to add more help,
chiefly up front.
They dangled that piece in discussions Wednesday before the trade deadline
expired at 1 p.m., but they went home empty-handed.
“We were involved in some of the bigger deals, which involved significantly
increasing our payroll,” Maloney said. “Went to the ownership, and they were
all behind it and all for it. We got the approval. We just couldn’t finish the
deal.”
And that’s unfortunate.
Montreal received winger Thomas Vanek, along with a conditional fifth-round
pick, for a conditional second-round pick and a forward.
Winger Matt Moulson and another forward went to Minnesota for a pair of
second-round picks and a forward.
And winger Ales Hemsky, a realistic target for the Coyotes, was had by
Ottawa for a third-rounder and a fifth.
The price tag on some of these players was a first-round pick, a second and a
prospect only a week ago, Maloney said, so the drop in the asking price
pushed the Coyotes into the conversation.
“When you start talking multiple picks and multiple second-round picks, I’m
telling you it doesn’t look like much now,” Maloney said. “But three and four
and five years from now when you’re saying where are all our players and
there’s nobody there, that’s why. So we’re just very cautious of
over-spending in that area for pure rentals.”
But the rental status wasn’t too much of a concern. Maloney felt the chances
of re-signing these potential players improved once he got them in a uniform.
Moreover, isn’t the injection of skill — even if only for the interim — worth it,
especially when there’s so much impetus to get into the playoffs?
With ownership in place, the Coyotes are attempting to craft an organization
that has a playoff berth as a minimum expectation.
“We’ve got a story to tell,” Maloney said. “This is our story. We expect to be a
playoff team. Then if we’re not, then we’re going to do something different
around here.”
Maloney and his staff will examine whether the team needs to get younger
and if a personnel shift is required. That’s when that extra second-round pick
could come in handy, at the end of the season or the draft when roster
reconstruction starts.
For now, though, all Maloney can do is wait and see if this group has what it
takes.
“We like our team,” Maloney said. “I think adding Erat was a key for us.”
Time will tell if that was enough.
730864
Phoenix Coyotes
the players they were considering and the cost involved, LeBlanc called the
executive committee for a response.
Coyotes' trade deadline pursuits offer glimpse of future
"The process was very encouraging. You walk in, 10 minutes later you get an
answer, and it was the right answer," Maloney said. "It gives me hope that
there's going to be more available to us going forward if we do the job."
Craig Morgan
LeBlanc confirmed that that was the case when Maloney approached him.
MAR 05, 2014 9:02p ET
"It wouldn't have been as big of a deal if it hadn't involved draft picks,"
LeBlanc said. "We would have been OK if we had to go deeper into our
wallet, but giving up draft picks is a big deal, especially when with some of the
players, we felt strongly that we wouldn' ™t be able to re-sign them."
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Don Maloney's face was a mixture of fatigue and
disappointment as he walked down the hallway in Jobing.com Arena to grab
a bite to eat shortly after the NHL's trade deadline had passed. Hump day
had come and gone without any further moves from the Coyotes general
manager.
There would be no big-time scorer to add to a group struggling to find the net.
There would be no shutdown left defenseman to placate his coaching staff.
There would be no big splash to signal the Coyotes' arrival among the
big-boy spenders.
"It was not for lack of effort," said Maloney, who joked about the impact of his
lack of sleep the past few days to reporters at a press conference. "I'm
fossilizing as we speak here."
If you were underwhelmed by the Coyotes' deadline moves, you were
probably in the majority. Nothing about the addition of Martin Erat suggests
that Phoenix is ready to take a seat at the table with the Western
Conference's superpowers.
But here's why it went down the way it did, and here's why there is still reason
for optimism.
First and foremost, the Coyotes were in play on a couple of big names
Wednesday. Maloney did not and cannot name them, but NHL sources
confirmed the Coyotes made a strong push for Edmonton forward Ales
Hemsky and were also in on the bid for New York Islanders forward Thomas
Vanek.
Czech-mate
Erat should bolster Hanzal, Vrbata line
Hemsky went to Ottawa for third- and fifth-round draft picks; Vanek went to
Montreal for a 2014 conditional second-round draft pick and Swedish forward
prospect Sebastian Collberg. Those prices seem cheap for top-end talent,
but there are other factors to consider
The Coyotes acquired a second-round draft pick on Tuesday for defenseman
David Rundblad and minor leaguer Mathieu Brisebois. That is believed to be
what the Coyotes offered for Hemsky, but Edmonton GM Craig MacTavish's
decision to accept two lower picks might have been influenced by rivalry.
Hemsky is a Czech, and the Coyotes have four of those already. If they had
acquired him, there was a fair chance they could have re-signed him when he
became an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. The prospect of
facing a former teammate five times a year might have made MacTavish
think twice about further pursuit of a deal with the Coyotes.
With Vanek, the Coyotes believed, as many teams did, that a first-round pick
was a necessity in the deal. That was a non-starter for an organization that
desperately needs to build more organizational depth, particularly at the
forward position.
The return on Vanek was not what the Islanders hoped, and that will surely
open GM Garth Snow up to criticism since he gave up a first-round pick and
Matt Moulson to land Vanek earlier this season, then appeared to make a
last-ditch effort for a return.
The Coyotes had little confidence they could re-sign Vanek at the end of the
season, which gives you better insight into why they did what they did.
"When we were talking about those players, it was strictly on a rental basis
with the idea that maybe we'll have a chance to re-sign them," said Maloney,
again refusing to name names. "That's really where the cutoff line was.
There's a certain point where you say 'OK, what are you going to pay for a
rental?' What are you going to pay for a guy we can try and re-sign?'
"We're very cautious of overspending in that area for purely rentals."
The good news for the fan base is that the Coyotes were willing to spend
more money. When Maloney approached co-owner Anthony LeBlanc with
LeBlanc said Maloney actually had to calm the ownership group's zeal for a
deal.
"We've got a group of Type-A guys who don't like losing," he said. "If it
hadn' ™t been for Don we probably would have bought everything. The
ownership group was prepared to not be very smart today, but Don really
took us through the process and taught us something."
Would the Coyotes have acted differently had they known Vanek could be
had for a second-round pick and a prospect? Maybe, but they aren't exactly
bursting at the seams with expendable forward prospects (which Montreal
provided for New York). In fact, they need to build that stock.
"The other reality is that is we aren't the youngest team in the NHL, so those
picks are even more important to us," LeBlanc said. "Our average age is
higher than the NHL average."
It's also important to note that the teams that made big splashes on
Wednesday are teams that are preparing for playoff runs. It's every fan's
fantasy to see their team making a Cup run, but realistically, the Coyotes
aren't quite ready for that yet.
But the club did improve its chances of making the playoffs by adding Erat,
the long-sought wing for the Martin Hanzal-Radim Vrbata line. If you accept
the notion that there are five teams competing for the eighth and final playoff
spot -- a belief bolstered by the current standings and the distance Los
Angeles and Minnesota have opened on those five teams with matching
five-game winning streaks -- then the Coyotes moves compare favorably to
the other four.
Vancouver is in freefall and dealt away goalie Roberto Luongo on Tuesday.
Nashville also appears to be in sell mode, having dealt original Predator
David Legwand to Detroit. Dallas traded defenseman and leader Stephane
Robidas without adding anything significant, and Winnipeg just lost
second-line center Mark Scheifele for six to eight weeks with what appears to
be a knee injury.
That may be small solace for a fan base that was hoping for so much more,
but with so much speculation swirling on whether the Coyotes would be
sellers at the deadline, the first-year ownership group made a commitment to
something else. They made a commitment to build, and that can't be done
overnight.
"If you really look at it, it would be very difficult for us to trade off an important
player for a draft pick or two, or a B-level player and try and be credible to our
fan base," Maloney said. "'Yeah, we're trying to win, but we got some picks
that are going to help us five years from now.
"We've got a story to tell, and this is our story. We expect to be a playoff team,
and if we're not, we're going to do something different because this is a
minimal expectation for this franchise."
foxsportsarizona.com LOADED: 03.06.2014
730865
Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins fail to land star Kesler
By Rob Rossi
March 5, 2014 2:03 p.m.
Updated 6 minutes ago
General manager Ray Shero called Ryan Kesler “a really good hockey
player” on Wednesday.
Shero cannot call Kesler a Penguin, though.
The Penguins could not close a deal on Kesler, a coveted center who
remained with the Vancouver Canucks past the expiration of the NHL trade
deadline.
“We had inquired with them, but … I don't think there was a deal there to be
made,” Shero said.
The Penguins and Canucks discussed parameters of a trade, but Shero
never formalized an offer beyond informing Vancouver general manager
Mike Gillis which assets were available.
Those assets were center Brandon Sutter, a first- and third-round pick, and
the Canucks' choice of any defensive prospect in the system — except Derrik
Pouliot, a first-round pick from the 2012 draft.
Members of the Penguins player development staff have lobbied Shero to
make Pouliot untouchable because their opinion is he could make an Olli
Maatta-like transition to the NHL at some point next season.
Maatta, also a first-round pick in 2012, has emerged as a top rookie
candidate this season at age 19.
Pouliot is 20.
“Derrick's a big part of our group going forward,” Shero said. “He's a special
talent.
“The good thing about the trade deadline is you always know which of your
players are good because those are the ones other teams ask for.”
Shero believed the Canucks needed Pouliot to be included in a package for
Kesler, who has two years remaining on his contract that is salary cap
friendly at $5 million annual.
Despite being in contact with Gillis since last week, Shero started
Wednesday unconvinced Vancouver ownership was willing to part with
Kesler a day after trading franchise goalie Robert Luongo to Florida. Gillis
told reporters in Vancouver that ownership was involved in his dealings
regarding Kesler, though Gillis denied any rift with his bosses.
Landing Kesler would have been a “hockey trade,” Shero said. It would have
been his biggest since sending center Jordan Staal to Carolina in exchange
for Sutter, defenseman Brian Dumoulin and the 2012 first-round pick that
was used on Pouliot.
Sutter, dismayed to hear his fate might be tied to Kesler's future, went from
uncertain of his place with the Penguins to being the center for whom Shero
landed a couple of wingers.
The Penguins acquired Marcel Goc from Florida and Lee Stempniak from
Calgary on Wednesday. The combined costs were third- and fifth-round
picks at the 2014 draft and a third-round pick in 2015.
Shero lauded both players' “versatility.” Goc also can play center, and
Stempniak, a right-handed shot, could see time with captain Sidney Crosby
and left winger Chris Kunitz on the top line.
Where they play will be left up to coach Dan Bylsma, Shero said — but
upgrading the third line, which has featured Sutter and 16 different wingers,
was a priority for the past several weeks.
“What's important to us is our depth at the forward position,” Shero said,
noting the Penguins did not sacrifice a roster player for Goc and Stempniak,
both of whom are in the final seasons of current contracts.
Shero said those acquisitions also will help with the Penguins' cap flexibility
until the Stanley Cup playoffs, when teams can exceed the upper payroll
limit.
Goc and Stempniak combine to count $4.2 million prorated against the cap,
leaving the Penguins enough room under the $64.3 million cap to clear space
for defenseman Paul Martin's potential return before the playoffs, Shero said.
Martin (broken right hand) is expected to play during Round 1, Shero said.
The Penguins are less certain defenseman Kris Letang (stroke) or backup
goalie Tomas Vokoun (blood clot) will return this season.
Right winger Pascal Dupuis, a top-line regular before his right ACL was torn
on Dec. 23, is out for the season.
Tribune Review LOADED: 03.06.2014
730866
Pittsburgh Penguins
Starkey: Penguins stars on the spot
Mostly, though, the Penguins will need their stars to play like stars when the
weather grows warm.
It's been awhile.
By Joe Starkey
March 5, 2014 10:06 p.m.
Updated 7 hours ago
The story isn't Ryan Kesler. Not at all.
The Penguins swung hard and missed on Kesler. So give 'em credit for
stepping to the plate — general manager Ray Shero always does — and let it
go. Move on. The story isn't the big fish they did not land or the shrimp they
pulled in to play on the top line.
Honestly, it's not about the star they did not get.
It's about the stars they still have.
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, James Neal and Marc-Andre Fleury are the
Penguins' highest-paid players (along with injured defenseman Paul Martin).
Isn't it about time those guys did something other than fall apart and fail to
produce in the biggest games of all?
Depth is wonderful. You need depth. Shero found some Wednesday in the
form of Marcel Goc and Lee Stempniak. The latter has the speed and quick
release to potentially mesh with Crosby. Goc is a solid, versatile, veteran
presence. Maybe Beau Bennett returns to bolster the third line. The
Penguins have other young forwards who could fortify their depth.
It is the stars, however, who ultimately give you the chance to win
championships.
Go back to 2009. Fleury (first round), Crosby (second), Malkin (third) each
scribbled his signature on a series that year to vault the Penguins into the
Stanley Cup Final. How many series has any one of them owned since then?
Neal arrived two years after the Cup and has been a wonderful
regular-season performer. But he has failed to score a goal in 20 of his 25
playoff games here. Worse, he is prone to fits of on-ice insanity. He got
suspended for a game in the Flyers series two years ago — a series he
entered with an injured hand because of a stupid fight with Bruins
defenseman Andrew Ference.
Playing with an injured foot, Neal put up zero points and a minus-7 rating
against the Bruins last spring. This is the year he needs to earn that $5 million
salary in the most important games.
Fleury has disintegrated too often over the past four postseasons. He was
mercifully pulled in the first round last year. It's true that his failures were
partially the result of a team-wide distaste for defense. But your $5 million
goaltender simply has to play better. There's a reason you gave him that
seven-year contract, and it wasn't to watch him put up sub-.900 save
percentages and give up ridiculous goals every spring.
Crosby and Malkin — earning $17.4 million between them — have come
unglued too often and found the net too rarely with seasons on the line.
Go back to the Montreal series in 2010, when the two combined for two goals
in seven games. After missing the following year's playoffs, both
underachieved against the Flyers in 2012. Claude Giroux outplayed Crosby.
Sean Couturier outplayed Malkin. The most memorable play the two
combined on in that series was a manic Malkin running over Crosby at the
offensive blue line on a Penguins power play.
Then last year happened. After productive series against the Islanders and
Senators, the Penguins' two studs let the Bruins get under their skin early.
Unfathomably, they combined for no points in a humiliating sweep.
So forget about Ryan Kesler. Forget about the fact the Steelers made more
interesting personnel moves than the Penguins at the NHL trade deadline.
The Penguins still have enough to get through a suddenly strengthened East.
It will be a matter of building on their evolving commitment to defense and
winning the coaching battles in key areas such as matchups and special
teams. It will require some depth guys coming through, plus Martin and
maybe Bennett returning (Kris Letang seems like way more of a long shot).
730867
Pittsburgh Penguins
Stempniak, Goc embrace trades to Penguins
Josh Yohe
March 5, 2014 9:27 p.m.
Updated 6 hours ago
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Penguins players received what they wanted
Wednesday: a little bit of help.
The Penguins sounded delighted to remain intact — none were parted with
during the team's two trades — and are enthused about the additions of
forward Marcel Goc and right wing Lee Stempniak. They didn't believe a
blockbuster was necessary to contend for the Stanley Cup.
Now they'll get a chance to prove it.
“It was a vote of confidence in the group of players that we have here,” left
wing Tanner Glass said.
While the Penguins are pleased no blockbusters were made, they also are
delighted with the additions of Goc and Stempniak.
Stempniak in particular drew praise. He has become training partners with
defenseman Brooks Orpik in Boston during the summer and formerly played
with Glass and Taylor Pyatt.
“He was my captain at Dartmouth,” Glass said. “Awesome guy. He has the
offensive talent and instincts. But he works at it. He's one of the
hardest-working guys I've ever been around, to be honest.”
Orpik and Glass said Stempniak is difficult to play against because of his
lower-body strength. He has 146 goals in 616 NHL games, though he has
only nine goals this season while playing for struggling Calgary.
“He's going to fit in,” Orpik said. “He's got a great shot, and he's a straight-line
player. Maybe his numbers are down a little bit this year, but a change of
scenery might help him.”
“If I could have made a list of teams to be traded to, Pittsburgh would have
been right at the top, if not the very top,” said Stempniak, whose wife gave
birth to twin girls on Friday.
Stempniak is a natural right wing and will be placed on a line with Sidney
Crosby or Brandon Sutter. Coach Dan Bylsma said he isn't sure how his lines
will shape up, though he referred to Stempniak and Goc as players who
would improve the Penguins' “top nine.”
“We've talked about Lee Stempniak for a number of years,” Bylsma said. “It's
not just a phone call today.”
While the Penguins like Stempniak's goal-scoring potential and rugged style,
they also like the versatility Goc brings. He is a natural center who can play
either wing, a standout penalty killer and a strong faceoff performer.
He could play on Sutter's left wing or center the fourth line.
“It doesn't matter,” Goc said. “I'm a natural center, but I can play wing. I'll talk
with the coaches about it. I want to help in any way that I can.”
Stempniak and Goc said the Penguins' up-tempo style should be a good fit.
“The strengths of my game are being physical and getting on the forecheck,”
Stempniak said. “When you think of the Penguins and how they play, those
are the things you think of.”
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Penguins make two moves for depth as trade deadline passes
March 5, 2014 2:02 PM
By Dave Molinari/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Lee Stempniak is the Penguins’ consolation prize.
They weren’t able to acquire Vancouver center Ryan Kesler before the NHL
trade deadline this afternoon, but did finalize a deal to add Stempniak, a
31-year-old right winger, from Calgary.
Stempniak had eight goals and 15 assists in 52 games with the Flames.
He is 5 feet 11, 186 pounds and could get some work on the No. 2 power
play.
The Penguins had to relinquish a third-round draft choice to land him.
Earlier in the day, they acquired center Marcel Goc from Florida for a pair of
draft choices.
Goc, 30, is 6 feet 1, 197 pounds and has 11 goals and 12 assists in 62 games
this season. He is a versatile two-way player who is good on faceoffs. The
Panthers will receive a third-round selection in 2015 and a fifth-round
selection this year.
The Penguins were one of several teams to make a serious bid to acquire
Kesler, but the Canucks ultimately decided against trading him.
Kesler has two years remaining on his contract, and is expected to be put on
the market again during the off-season.
Barring a change in their plans, the Penguins will be among the clubs
pursuing him then.
Post Gazette LOADED: 03.06.2014
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Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins players recall awful games in San Jose
March 5, 2014 11:34 PM
By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Holding an afternoon practice Wednesday at SAP
Center seemed to go off without a problem for the Penguins.
So it's not the steel and cinder blocks that hinder them.
"Not a lot of good memories in this building," defenseman Brooks Orpik said.
"It's always a fun place to play in, but it would be a lot more fun if you had
more success."
The Penguins are 0-8-2 in their past 10 road games against the San Jose
Sharks. They will get a chance to end that skid tonight.
It's not that the Penguins can't beat San Jose. They handled the Sharks just
fine Dec. 5 in a 5-1 win. But that was at home.
"We got the best of them in our building, and I'm sure they're not going to
forget that," Orpik said.
Several members of the current Penguins club remember a 4-3 shootout loss
in the team's most recent game here, Nov. 3, 2011. Or a 5-0 drubbing Nov. 7,
2009. Or a 2-1 loss Oct. 28, 2008, when the Sharks were stifling and outshot
the Penguins, 34-10.
"They're a good team, and they play well here," Penguins center Sidney
Crosby said. "They come out hard. I feel like the start has always been an
important factor in those games that have been close or not so close. We
need to make sure that we're ready from the start.
"They're going to come hard, especially here. You want to make sure you
establish your game as fast as you can. That's especially important here."
Happy Despres stays put
Defenseman Simon Despres was aware that his name had been attached to
some rumors leading up to NHL trade deadline Wednesday.
After the team arrived here following a long flight from Nashville, Tenn.,
Despres was watching the clock when he got summoned to the visiting
coaches' offices.
"When the trade deadline -- ding, ding, ding -- came, I was actually in the
coaches' office, but that was for something else," Despres said. "I was
sweating pretty much. But I'm really happy, relieved, to be here. I'm definitely
happy to still be with the Penguins. I was a little nervous, to tell you the truth."
Conner returns to practice
Penguins winger Chris Conner practiced for the first time since his wrist injury
Dec. 31 in a game at New Jersey.
"I don't have a time frame," Conner said. "It was just the next step. We'll see
how that is for a few days."
Conner said his conditioning is good after skating regularly with winger Beau
Bennett (wrist injury) and strength coach Mike Kadar before he rejoined
practice.
"It's just a matter of getting your timing and making sure everything is working
like it's supposed to," Conner said.
Bennett and Kadar skated after practice.
Tip-ins
The Penguins placed defenseman Kris Letang on injured reserve. He has
been out since late January after having a stroke. ... Despres and winger
Brian Gibbons flew here with the Penguins from Nashville, but on paper they
made a side trip to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Penguins assigned them to
their American Hockey League club, then recalled them as a technicality.
Those two players now are eligible to play for Wilkes-Barre in the AHL
playoffs. ... In a separate, more tangible move, the Penguins reassigned
winger Chuck Kobasew to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after he cleared waivers.
730870
Pittsburgh Penguins
He plays on the power play and the penalty-kill. He’s outstanding at getting
the puck out of the Penguins’ zone, a key to the way they like to play. “I agree
a lot of people don’t realize all of the things he does for us,” Bylsma said.
Ron Cook: Stars here already hold playoff keys for Penguins
It’s hard to think the Penguins can win the Cup without Martin and Letang,
who is not expected back this season.
March 5, 2014 7:50 PM
“He will be back at some point,” Shero said of Martin. “I’m not sure if it’s right
before the playoffs or the first game of the playoffs.”
By Ron Cook / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
As nice as it would have been to put Vancouver Canucks center Ryan Kesler
in a Penguins sweater, he wasn’t going to carry the local hockey club to the
Stanley Cup by himself. The heavy lifting must be done by Sidney Crosby,
Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, Chris Kunitz and Marc-Andre Fleury. They’re
here even if Kesler isn’t. I still like the Penguins as heavy Cup favorites,
especially if defenseman Paul Martin comes back from a hand surgery.
Kesler is a fine player, one of the best two-way players in the NHL. He would
have slipped in nicely at right wing on the Penguins’ first line with Crosby and
Kunitz and given the team two terrific lines along with the Jussi
Jokinen-Malkin-Neal line. Then, next season, after Pascal Dupuis comes
back from knee surgery, Kesler could have taken the third-line center spot.
When the Penguins most recently won the Cup in 2009, they had three
strong centers in Crosby, Malkin and Jordan Staal.
There was just one problem: The Canucks’ asking price for Kesler.
“I don’t think there was a deal there to be made,” Penguins general manager
Ray Shero said Wednesday after the trade deadline came and went.
You have to give up something to get something, but Vancouver’s demands
for Kesler seemed excessive. It’s believed Shero made a strong run at him.
Some reports had the Penguins willing to trade Brandon Sutter, one of their
prized young defensemen — Simon Despres, Brian Dumoulin or perhaps
even Derrick Pouliot, the best prospect of the bunch — and two high draft
choices.
Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
That it really is true what they say?
That, often times, the best trades are the ones that aren’t made?
Giving up first- and third-round draft choices in any deal is tough, especially
the way Shero frequently has used high-round picks as trade bait. But it’s
understandable. The Penguins are built to win big now, not three or four
years from now. You worry about later, later.
Losing Sutter would have hurt more. He’s also a good two-way player and
will continue to get better as a third-line center. He’s a really good
penalty-killer. It’s hard to judge his offensive production this season — 10
goals and 21 points in 61 games — because he’s had to play with so many
different linemates because of the Penguins’ ridiculous number of injuries.
They lead the NHL with 369 man-games lost.
It also would have been difficult to part with one of the young defensemen.
Shero had to be careful with those guys. Defensemen Brooks Orpik, Matt
Niskanen and Deryk Engelland will be unrestricted free agents after this
season. There’s also no guarantee Kris Letang will play again after his stroke
in late January, although he and the Penguins are hopeful of a full recovery.
No team has too many defensemen.
This is just a guess, but you probably aren’t excited about the deals Shero
made Wednesday, picking up bottom-six forwards Marcel Goc of Florida and
Lee Stempniak of Calgary for draft choices. Shero gushed about their
versatility and the depth up front they bring the Penguins. He even mentioned
the possibility of Goc, a center, giving coach Dan Bylsma the option of
playing Malkin more with Crosby. We’ll see how that goes, but we know this
for sure: If Goc and Stempniak make the team even marginally better, they
will be worth the investment.
The Penguins’ Cup chances still come down to Crosby, Malkin, Fleury and
the others.
I have no doubt the team is good enough to win.
That makes two of us.
“We definitely believe in this group,” Crosby said.
A healthy Martin is critically important. No one on the Penguins gets more
valuable minutes. He is on the ice late if the team is down a goal or up a goal.
Everyone will be watching Fleury. I believe he’s going to be great in the
postseason. It’s not just because of his NHL-best 32 wins this season and the
outstanding hockey he has played. His teammates are committed to playing
better in front of him. To a man, they feel as if they let him down a year ago
when he was benched for Tomas Vokoun in the first-round series against the
New York Islanders.
Certainly, Crosby, Malkin and the rest must do their part. It still is hard to
believe the Penguins scored just two goals in the four-game beating they
took last season from the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference final.
Astonishingly, Crosby, Malkin and Neal didn’t get a point in the series and
were a combined minus-14. By comparison, Kunitz looked like Mario
Lemieux by getting one goal.
All of ’em will be better if the Penguins face the Bruins again in the
conference final, as many expect.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it
730871
San Jose Sharks
Overall, McLellan sounded anything but disappointed that there wasn't an
infusion of outside talent.
San Jose Sharks let trade deadline pass without major deal
"We're excited about it," he said. "When we put everything together there is
some cohesiveness and there's a unity amongst our team that is nice to have
moving forward."
By David Pollak
Captain Joe Thornton looks at it similarly -- and optimistically.
Posted:
"We have good chemistry in here," he said. "Everybody wants the same
thing. Good group of guys that like each other. I think we're very, very deep
up front. Right now we've got two goalies that can play any night. I think this
team is as deep as we've ever had here."
Updated:
03/05/2014 01:39:44 PM PST
03/05/2014 05:36:34 PM PST
SAN JOSE -- For the Sharks, this was the NHL trade deadline that wasn't.
General manager Doug Wilson has stayed out of the final day fray before, but
Wednesday marked the first time in his tenure that he didn't pick up a player
from outside the organization in the final month that he could.
"We came into the deadline with the approach that we believed in our
players," Wilson said. "A lot of our decisions were impacted on health issues
and several of them were clarified in the last little while."
Inside the locker room, players welcomed the faith shown by management.
"I'm glad we get to have another kick at the can," defenseman Dan Boyle
said. "We did some good things at the end of last year, and we brought up
some good kids this year. I'm definitely happy with our locker room and I'm
glad that people upstairs and people behind the bench believe in us, also."
Wilson, who became G.M. in May 2003, signaled last month that once a
half-dozen injured players that included Logan Couture and Raffi Torres
were healthy, he felt San Jose would finally be close to the team he thought
he was constructing last summer.
Rookie Tomas Hertl does remain out long-term as he recovers from knee
surgery, and Wilson said he held off on determining a deadline strategy until
he could see how another rookie, Matt Nieto, would perform in his spot after
the Olympic break after injuring his foot in the final game before the
three-week shutdown.
"He was actually a crucial piece for us, to know that he was going to be
healthy and be able to play at a high level," Wilson said of Nieto, who had the
winning goal Sunday in San Jose's 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils.
But beyond health considerations, the Sharks also were limited in what they
could do at the deadline by the NHL salary cap. When Torres and Couture
came off long-term injured reserve, San Jose was above the $64.3 million
payroll cap, for example, but quickly became compliant when Brad Stuart
was placed on injured reserve, excluding his salary from cap considerations.
Had the Sharks made one of the big-name, high-salaried deadline
acquisitions of players such as forward Tomas Vanek ($5.75 million cap hit),
a player or players making a similar amount of money would have had to be
lopped off the payroll one way or the other.
And Wilson's options were limited because some of the Sharks top-end
veterans have clauses in their contracts that limit or prevent trades without
their approval.
None of which is to suggest Wilson wasn't working the phones, trying to see
what was out there.
The Sharks did consider bringing back forward Devin Setoguchi, now with
the Winnipeg Jets. And TSN analyst Pierre LeBrun said San Jose went
"pretty far down the road" in talks with the New York Rangers for Ryan
Callahan, who became part of the day's biggest deal when he went to the
Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Martin St. Louis. Wilson declined to
comment on that report.
Wilson characterized this year's trade deadline as a "rental market," and said
the Sharks were not about to give up the younger players that sellers were
looking for in return.
"We've worked hard to do this reset-refresh to get to this point," Wilson said,
using the term he coined a year ago when the Sharks traded away Ryane
Clowe, Douglas Murray and Michal Handzus before brining in Torres and
Scott Hannan. "We weren't going to sacrifice things just to make a change to
look like we did something."
And both Wilson and coach Todd McLellan pointed out that there won't be
the challenge of familiarizing outside players with the Sharks system.
The Sharks were involved in a minor league transaction that became the final
deal of the day as they sent Worcester forward James Livingston to the Los
Angeles Kings for a conditional 7th round draft pick in 2016.
San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 03.06.2014
730872
San Jose Sharks
Several Sharks glad trade deadline in rearview mirror
March 5, 2014, 4:00 pm
Kevin Kurz
SAN JOSE – Dan Boyle admitted that among the first things he did after
waking up on Wednesday morning was tuning in his television to NHL trade
deadline coverage. Not surprisingly, it was on once he got to the Sharks’
practice facility a couple hours later, too.
Boyle wasn’t expecting to be moved to another club, and some other Sharks
said in the days leading up to the deadline that they didn’t expect much to
happen in terms of personnel changes, either. Still, they are glad to have it in
the rear view mirror, according to the veteran defenseman.
“Even though your name isn’t in the rumor mill or talked about, it certainly is
not a fun day,” Boyle said. “It’s a fun day in the media and for people at home
watching, but as a player it’s definitely one of those days that unless you’re
looking forward to a trade, it’s a tough day.”
Joe Thornton said: “We didn’t really hear of too much coming into it, so I don’t
think too many guys expected any moves. … This group really has bought
into the system the coach has brought along, and we really enjoy each
other’s company and like playing hard for each other. We’d like to continue
that as a group.”
Despite there only being 19 games left in the regular season, the Sharks are
a somewhat tricky team to evaluate due to the numerous injuries with which
they’ve had to cope. There isn’t a single regular season game in which
they’ve had completely healthy roster, and with Tomas Hertl likely out for at
least the rest of the regular season, that will continue.
The health of the team is trending the right direction, though, including the
recent season debut of Raffi Torres, who had a hugely positive impact on the
team at last year’s deadline. Adam Burish and Logan Couture also give the
Sharks the healthiest lineup they’ve had in weeks, and even Hertl has
resumed skating.
“With Raffi and [Burish] and Logan coming back, those are probably our
trade deadline acquisitions,” Thornton said. “It’s nice that everybody stays
around.”
Boyle said: “I’m glad we get to have another kick at the can, so to speak. We
did some good things at the end of last year, and we brought up some good
kids this year. I’m definitely happy with our locker room, and I’m glad that
people upstairs and people behind the bench believe in us, also.”
From the coaching staff’s perspective, Todd McLellan and staff won’t be
tasked with integrating a new face into the active roster. The Sharks have
had mixed results in that regard in recent years.
While players like Torres found a role right away in the second half of 2013,
recent failures include Daniel Winnik, TJ Galiardi and Dominic Moore in
2012. The jury is still out on current players like Burish and Tyler Kennedy,
who was acquired over the summer but has failed to stay in the lineup on a
nightly basis and is still making key errors at inopportune times.
McLellan said: “It can vary from being very simple to giving that new player
some direction, and it just takes off it blends right away. It can be very difficult
other times, where, the way the team plays, the expectation between the new
team and the new player don’t quite match or mesh. There’s always a
gamble in acquiring somebody at this time of the year.”
The Sharks aren’t making any bets this time around.
“When we put everything together, there is some cohesiveness and there’s a
unity amongst our team that is nice to have moving forward,” McLellan said.
“You’re not running around trying to integrate new people, upset lines, and all
that type of stuff. We feel really good about our team going forward.”
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San Jose Sharks
wanted to move first round picks. At the same point, we want to win, and we
think this group has certainly played at the level we wanted to. We weren’t
going to sacrifice things just to make a change to look like we did something.”
Wilson: Sharks earned their chance to stay together
“There’s a trust and respect to what people have earned with how they’ve
played. Guys in that room we believe in, because they’ve earned it.”
March 5, 2014, 2:30 pm
Kevin Kurz
SAN JOSE – An improving health situation, a generally successful season to
this point, a reluctance to part with any young prospects or draft picks and a
lack of wiggle room under the salary cap all resulted in a sleepy trade
deadline for the San Jose Sharks.
The team that general manager Doug Wilson had on Wednesday morning is
the same assemblage he will go to battle with for the final 19 games of the
regular season and playoffs, as the noon PST deadline came and went
without a single transaction by the club.
Health was the most important factor, according to Wilson.
“We came into the deadline with the approach that we believed in our
players,” Wilson said. “A lot of our decisions were impacted on health issues,
and several of them were clarified in the last little while.”
[KURZ: Sharks stand pat at trade deadline]
Raffi Torres’ return from knee surgery has been encouraging, as the winger
has three goals in three games and has skated well, including Tuesday night
against Carolina. There were concerns over Matt Nieto after the rookie
blocked a slap shot on Feb. 5 against Dallas and missed the final game
before the break. Nieto, too, looks fine, and scored twice against New Jersey
on Sunday.
“If some of our guys hadn’t played to the level expected or weren’t healthy,
we would have had a completely different approach to this deadline,” Wilson
said.
Tomas Hertl, though, is still on the shelf for the foreseeable future. He skated
again for about 20 minutes on Wednesday, but it was a very light skate.
Wilson didn’t offer any sort of timetable on the promising forward who had
knee surgery on Dec. 31, but according to a source, it's unlikely Hertl will play
again in the regular season. He hasn't yet been ruled out of the playoffs.
Wilson addressed the void that Hertl, who found a home on a line with Joe
Thornton and Brent Burns, leaves.
“There’s a young man that stepped up pretty strongly in Matt Nieto, and
certainly you’ve got Joe Pavelski,” Wilson said. “I think the players that have
really showed what they could do during the times earlier in the season when
we didn’t have all our players, really earned equity with [head coach Todd
McLellan] and the way we want to play.”
The general manager credited the team’s coaching staff numerous times for
getting the Sharks to where they are now despite some significant obstacles.
Along with Torres and Hertl, the Sharks lost center Logan Couture for 16
games before the Olympic break, and were without fourth-liner Adam Burish
until early February. Tyler Kennedy, Marty Havlat and Brad Stuart (currently
still out with an upper body injury) have also had stints on the injured list.
If there’s a benefit to not adding any new blood, it’s that each and every
player on the Sharks roster already knows his teammates well, and is aware
of how he has to play to be successful in McLellan’s system.
“We travel more than anybody else, so we don’t get a lot of quality practice
time,” Wilson said. “I think what happens when you have a compressed
schedule, a lot of games and not a lot of practices, that impacts more your
integration.
“I think it is a factor. You decide when you’re bringing somebody in you’ve
only got [19] games left, and not many practices. It’s a challenge sometimes.”
Wilson categorized this year’s trade deadline as a rental market, and didn’t
want to give up a player like Hertl, 2013 first round pick Mirco Mueller, or his
2014 first rounder in order to gain a player that would only depart in the
offseason.
“Everybody wanted young players,” Wilson said of his discussions with other
general managers. “We’re not going to move a Tomas Hertl, a
[Marc-Edouard] Vlasic, [Justin] Braun or [Tommy] Wingels, or whoever I’m
forgetting in this conversation. … We aren’t in a position where we really
730874
San Jose Sharks
Kurz: Don't be surprised if Sharks are quiet at trade deadline
March 5, 2014, 12:00 pm
Kevin Kurz
SAN JOSE – The NHL’s noon trade deadline has come and gone, and the
San Jose Sharks remain the same.
General manager Doug Wilson has apparently decided to stick with his
current roster for the final 19 games of the regular season and playoffs. The
Sharks are a virtual lock to make it to the postseason with a 39-17-7 record.
There was speculation on Tuesday that the Sharks were interested in
bringing back forward Devin Setoguchi, but a team source indicated that deal
was never close to coming to fruition.
Another rumor on Tuesday had Sabres scoring winger Thomas Vanek
potentially coming to San Jose, but that was strongly denied on Tuesday
evening.
The salary cap also likely hindered any potential trade. According to
CapGeek.com, San Jose has approximately $1.7 million in cap room, and
that’s assuming injured defenseman Brad Stuart is on long term injured
reserve. Stuart has missed the last four games with an upper body injury.
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San Jose Sharks
Crosby, Penguins searching for rare win in San Jose
March 5, 2014, 4:30 pm
Staff
Since that last win on Oct. 22, 1997, the Penguins are 0-8-2 at SAP Center.
They’ll try and end that on Thursday night, as the Sharks continue their
four-game homestand as well as a run of 12 straight against Eastern
Conference opponents.
The Penguins, who practiced at The Tank on Wednesday, will be playing in
their third game of a five-game road trip.
“They’re a good team and they play well here,” said Crosby, who has four
assists but no goals in five career games against the Sharks. “They come out
hard, so I feel like the start has always been an important factor in those
games that have been close, or not so close. … Like any place on the road,
you want to establish your game as fast as you can. That’s especially
important here.”
Crosby leads the league in assists with 54, three more than Joe Thornton.
He’s likely to win the scoring title, too, as his 83 points are well ahead of Phil
Kessel’s 69. He hasn't skated against the Sharks in San Jose since Nov. 7,
2009.
The Sharks will be trying to avenge a decisive 5-1 defeat in Pittsburgh on
Dec. 5. San Jose outshot the Penguins for the game, 45-30, but were never
really in it from the start of the second period on despite Evgeni Malkin being
a late scratch due to injury.
The Penguins (41-16-4, 86 points) are 6-3-1 in their last 10 road games, and
continue their trip on Friday in Anaheim.
730876
St Louis Blues
Blues have fun while it lasted, head back out on road
8 hours ago • By Dan O'Neill
It's been almost a month, but there was hockey in town on Tuesday night.
And hey, wasn't that fun while it lasted?
Following the Olympics break and a three-game trip west, the Blues finished
off their one-game homestand with a 4-2 victory over Tampa Bay before
leaving town Wednesday. They will begin another three-game road swing in
Nashville, making subsequent stops in Nashville, Colorado and Minnesota.
For a team that had nine players involved in the Olympics, the travel is a
tough turnaround. For a laundryman it's even tougher.
“We've had the most difficult schedule of any franchise coming back from the
Olympics,” said Blues mentor and Team Canada coach Ken Hitchcock.
“Between travel and road games and everything, and our guys have really
sucked it up, especially in the four games since the Olympic break.
“Our guys deserve a lot of credit. We still need a lot of rest and we're going to
get it, but the guys deserve a lot of credit the way they have sucked it up and
played hard. I think just being at home has helped (the Olympians) and I think
we'll get an even better game from them in Nashville.”
With all that in mind, Hitchcock declared Wednesday as an optional practice
and several players took time off.
Interesting to note that, in addition to the 33-year old Ryan Miller, the Blues
have added two other prominent goaltenders in their 30s.
On Oct. 10, 1995, 33-year old Grant Fuhr made his Blues home debut and
stopped 33 of 36 shots to beat Edmonton 5-3. Brett Hull scored four of the
Blues' five goals. Al MacInnis and Chris Pronger had two assists each. Not a
squad team, eh?
That team finished fourth in the Central Division. No, really.
On Oct. 12, 1968, a 39-year old Jacques Plante had been out of hockey for
three years when he made his Blues debut at the Arena. He got his 64th
career shutout as the Blues beat the Kings 6-0. Red Berenson, Camille
Henry, Ab McDonald (2), Craig Cameron and Gary Sabourin were the
goal-scorers.
That team went to the Stanley Cup finals and lost to Montreal.
Glenn Hall, of course, also was a goaltender in his 30s when he played his
first game for the Blues. But he was an original member, the first player taken
by the team in the expansion draft.
T.J. Oshie tied the game 2-2 n Tuesday night with his first and the Blues’ third
shorthanded goal this season. Oshie now has at least one power play, one
shorthanded and one game-winning goal in each of his six NHL seasons
Alexander Steen had gone four games without a goal when he scored his
29th of the season n Tuesday, a goal that broke the 2-2 tie in the third period.
It was Steen's eighth game-winning goal, extending his career high and
pulling him to within one of Anaheim’s Corey Perry for the NHL lead.
It was an unusual goal in that Steen actually fumbled his initial move to shoot
on the forehand. But that drew a reaction from netminder Ben Bishop and
wound up giving Steen room on the backhand.
“Yeah, the pass (from David Backes) was a little hard, but I just caught it,”
said Steen, who also had his 20th assist in the game. “When I caught it, I
think (Bishop) kind of bit. I had the top half of the net.”
Tampa Bay had a 2-0 lead after the first period on Tuesday. But Lightning
coach Jon Cooper fully expected the Blues to fight back.
“There's a reason they've got 40 plus wins,” Cooper said. “They're a good
strong heavy team. They work, they didn't panic when they went down and
that's why they are where they are in the standings.”
St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.06.2014
730877
St Louis Blues
Hockey Guy: Blues spark goalie swap-o-rama
13 hours ago • By Jeff Gordon
See what the Blues started?
By making the blockbuster Ryan Miller deal early, Blues general manager
Doug Armstrong sent the trade dominoes tumbling for goaltenders.
Several netminders changed teams while former Blues goaltender Jaroslav
Halak cooled his heels with the Sabres, wondering if he would change teams
again.
The Canucks made the big move, off-loading Robert Luongo and his onerous
contract on the Panthers. Luongo welcomed his return to South Florida and
that struggling franchise gained a marquee player to sell to its withering fan
base.
“It is huge,” Florida GM Dale Tallon said. “He's a big name down here, and it
sets the tone for our franchise. [We] want to win the Stanley Cup, and talk is
cheap, so we're acting and we're following up on what we said we would do.”
Our guess: This trade will be an unmitigated disaster for the Panthers, a team
that is bleeding cash. How can Luongo carry a downtrodden franchise in his
twilight years?
This was a great deal for the rebuilding Canucks, but it would have been a
much better deal a year ago -- when Vancouver still owned emerging star
Cory Schneider.
Now the Canucks have the tag team of Eddie Lack and Jacob Markstrom,
who came from Florida in this trade. These two played together in the
Swedish Elite League.
“There’s going to be a drop-off in experience, for sure,” Canucks GM Mike
Gillis told reporters in a conference call.
The Canucks also acquired big center Shawn Matthias. If Gillis moves
much-coveted center Ryan Kesler today as many expect, Mattias will help fill
that void.
As for Markstrom, he has been a highly regarded prospect who has been
unable to find traction playing behind the suspect Panthers. It will be
interesting to see what he can do with this fresh start.
Luongo, 35, had nine years and $40.5 million left on his contract heading into
this season. The Canucks had to eat 15 percent of that to facilitate this swap.
He took the high road out of town, remembering the 2011 playoffs that nearly
brought Vancouver the Stanley Cup.
“There are a lot of great things,” Luongo told the Vancouver media. “We had
a great run and fell short and that’s going to hurt me for a while. I wish we
could have done more to win that (Game 7). There was a lot of stuff that
happened in between and I have nothing but good things to say about the
fans who were really supportive to the end and it didn’t go unnoticed for sure.
The organization brought my game to another level. It’s all positive stuff.”
Here are some thoughts on the other goaltender moves:
The Sabres tried to pitch Jaroslav Halak to the Wild, but that team opted for
Ilya Bryzgalov instead, paying the modest price of a fourth-round pick. That
team showed faith in fill-in Darcy Kuemper while opting not to acquire more
significant insurance in the form of Halak or Devils icon Martin Brodeur.
(There was some premature speculation that Brodeur had agreed to a trade
to Minnesota, after a farewell performance for the Devils. For now he remains
in Jersey.)
The Oilers turned around and spent third- and fifth-round picks to pry Viktor
Fasth out of Anaheim. Fasth’s return from the injured list gave the Ducks
three quality goaltenders and that team opted to take the picks now rather try
to move one of them in the summer. Frederik Andersen played well this
season for the Ducks and team also has prospect John Gibson tearing up the
AHL.
Luongo's arrival in South Florida may allow the Panthers to rent out Tim
Thomas to a contender. Wouldn't the Capitals have to at least consider that
move?
AROUND THE RINKS: Defensemen were also on the move ahead of the
trade deadline, with the Flyers solidifying their defense by adding Andrew
McDonald from the Islanders and the Ducks adding experience by getting
Stephane Robidas from the Stars. McDonald's shot-blocking about should
help the Flyers clean up their defensive zone play. The Flyers may turn
around and dump defenseman Andrej Meszaros today . . . The Bruins did
not land a D-man Tuesday, so expect them to secure help today. Meszaros is
just one of the names on their list . . . The Capitals added a big-but-inert
winger, Dustin Penner, and ditched sleepwalking winger Martin Erat on the
Coyotes. We'd be surprised if either player proved useful . . . The Penguins
have been the overt bidder for Kesler, but the Flyers also made a significant
push for the No. 2 Canucks center. Expect frantic bidding on that front today
. . . Thomas Vanek is the next hottest commodity on the market. The
Islanders scratched him from the lineup Tuesday night while fielding offers.
As we've noted before, the Ducks have a lot of draft picks and a lot of
interesting young forwards to play at trade chips . . . Expect the Kings to
prowl the scorer market, which includes Matt Moulson of the Sabres, Marian
Gaborik of the Blue Jackets and Mike Cammalleri of the Flames.
730878
St Louis Blues
Blues at Predators
5 hours ago • By Dan O'Neill
When • Tonight at 7
Where • Bridgestone Arena
TV, radio • FSM, KMOX (1120 AM)
Blues • The Blues have won both games with goaltender Ryan Miller, who is
expected to start against Nashville. In each, the Blues fell behind 2-0 before
rallying to beat Phoenix and Tampa Bay. Tonight is the start of a three-game
trip that also includes stops in Colorado and Minnesota. The team is playing
six of its first seven games on the road after the Olympics. Forward Patrik
Berglund has three goals in the past two games. His line — which includes
Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko — accounted for six points in a 4-2
win over the Lightning on Tuesday. Forward T.J. Oshie scored the Blues’
third shorthanded goal against TB. The Blues allowed a season-low 17
shots-against on Tuesday.
Predators • After missing 51 games due to an infection in his surgically
repaired hip, goaltender Pekka Rinne made his first start since Oct. 22 on
Tuesday against Pittsburgh. Rinne turned away 16 of 19 shots in a 3-1 Preds’
loss. The lone Nashville goal was scored by Patric Hornqvist, moving him
into a tie for sixth on the franchise’s all-time goals list. Nashville has lost four
straight at home to St. Louis. In the series, the Blues and Preds have needed
a shootout to determine a winner 14 times, with Nashville holding an 8-6
record in those games. The Preds acquired forwards Calle Jarnkrok and
Patrick Eaves from Detroit for forward David Legwand on Wednesday.
Injuries • Blues — C Vladimir Sobotka (broken kneecap) and D Jordan
Leopold (ankle), out. Predators — C Matt Cullen (lower body) day to day; C
Nick Spaling (lower body) IR.
730879
St Louis Blues
Miller is going to have to get used to facing fewer shots
5 hours ago • By Dan O’Neill
Following the Olympics and a three-game trip west, many of the Blues are
still getting re-acclimated. To that end, the team finally came home and
played at Scottrade Center on Tuesday.
It was fun while it lasted. Let’s do it again real soon.
The one-game homestand was consummated with a 4-2 victory over Tampa
Bay before the Blues left town Wednesday afternoon to embark on another
three-game road swing, which starts with a stop tonight in Nashville.
For a group that has 10 players that were involved in the Olympics, the travel
has been a tough turnaround. That’s to say nothing about laundry
challenges.
For Ryan Miller, the upheaval has been especially demanding. In the midst of
all the jet-setting, the Team USA goaltender got traded from the Buffalo
Sabres to the Blues. That involved more time-zone tripping.
But getting acclimated to his surroundings isn’t just about sleeping habits,
restaurants or MapQuest. Miller is in a whole new world professionally, which
became clear at Scottrade Center on Tuesday. As a backstop in Buffalo,
Miller was facing shots in bunches. The Sabres are allowing 35 shots per
game, or as they say in Buffalo, “Whoops, there goes another rubber tree
plant.”
Playing his first home game for his new team, Miller was tested with 17 shots,
the fewest the Blues have allowed all season. He made 15 saves to record
one of the least-contested wins of his 11-year career. That’s an average of
five saves per period, or one every four minutes. At that rate, you can cook
perfect soft-boiled eggs between saves.
Miller, aka “The Thin Man,” is nothing if not dedicated. He is a student of the
craft, a technician of the position, mad about pads.
“His work ethic, his focus, his love for goaltending is out of this world,” said
David Backes, who played with Miller in back-to-back Olympics.
For Miller, this new environment, this contrast in shot counts, isn’t a question
of good or bad. It’s just different, something to be studied and resolved.
“I’m just going to have to get really familiar with our last 15-20 games on
tape,” Miller said. “I kind of have see where things are happening and get
used to the guys. And from there, it’s always going to be hockey.
“You’re going to have to make a save at some point. It’s still the NHL, there’s
going to be opportunities; I’m just going to have to be ready for the shots
when I get them. It’s more just getting into the rhythm of the team and being
familiar with the other guys.”
So it is with the Blues, who are second in the league when it comes to
shots-against. The Note is allowing 26.4 per game, or roughly one more than
New Jersey. The paradox lies in the quality of the shots. It is, in some ways, a
worst-case scenario for a goaltender.
There often aren’t enough shots to keep a goaltender in a good sweat. But
when shots come, they often are the most dangerous kind. It helps explain, to
some extent, the inconsistent texture the Blues have experienced in goal,
helps explain why they were in the Miller market.
“We’re a hard group to gauge a goalie over a short period of time,” coach Ken
Hitchcock said. “We don’t give up a lot of shots, but when we give them up,
they’re doozies. So we’re a hard group to evaluate. I think over time, it takes
some getting used to for a goaltender.
“You know you’re not going to get a ton of shots-against, but the team is
going to give up some big ones. Like (Tuesday), the game’s 3-2 and (Miller)
makes a great save right in the middle of the slot there, I mean, 15 feet away,
point-blank. That’s the type of goaltending we need to move forward.”
There is something else the Blues need from their goaltending — body
language. His 33 years on earth, years as a No. 1 goaltender and an NHL
All-Star, have given Miller the right kind. The Blues are still finding out about
his playing demeanor. They may already benefit from his presence. In both of
Miller’s starts, the Blues were behind 2-0 before rallying for wins.
Without Miller, the team was 6-13-2 when the opponent scored first and
4-10-3 when trailing after one period. With him, they are 2-0 in both
categories.
“I think as time moves on, we’ll get a better evaluation for Ryan as a
goaltender,” Hitchcock added. “But I think his disposition and the way he
carries himself. … He has a professionalism that rubs off on everybody,
coaches, players. … Just from the time he comes into the building, the way
he carries himself, he has a real positive effect on everybody.”
At the same time, St. Louis is giving Miller something he desperately needed.
The Sabres are debris field, with players and presidents coming and going,
with years of cleanup and rebuilding on the horizon. Miller is on the backside
of his career. He wants to be part of something relevant, part of something
vibrant.
The crowd at Scottrade on Tuesday helped him get oriented.
“That was really special,” he said. “I think it’s a great sports town.
Everybody’s been telling me how great the fans are and how much they care
about their sports teams and all the different sports. I think that’s pretty cool.
“I’m excited to be here. It’s a lot of fun to play in front of this crowd. They’re
excited, energetic and the boys put on a good (effort). You can tell they draw
energy from it. It’s really cool.
“Hopefully I can continue to give them something to cheer about with this
group.”
730880
Tampa Bay Lightning
Marty St. Louis writes letter to Lightning fans
Tribune staff
Published: March 5, 2014
|
Updated: March 5, 2014 at 06:28 PM
Former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Martin St. Louis addressed his
departure from the club with the following letter to fans and media, distributed
by the team:
“Today is a bittersweet day for me. I am sad that this chapter of my career is
over. I have had 14 wonderful years in Tampa and have cherished being a
member of the Tampa Bay Lightning. I would like to thank Mr. Vinik, Tod
Leiweke, Steve Yzerman, Bill Wickett, Jon Cooper and the coaching staff
and the entire Lightning organization for everything they have done for me
through the years and today.
“Mr. Vinik is an amazing owner and man, I am and will remain entirely
thankful and appreciative of him and everything he has done for me and my
family. I am also so thankful to the unbelievable fans of Tampa Bay.
“When I arrived here in 2000, you all supported and believed in me when not
many did. You have continued to support me through the years and I am
extremely thankful for it! I know many of you are disappointed with me for my
decision to want to leave.
“I would rather not discuss what brought me to that decision, but in the end
this is a decision for my family. I respect the fact that many of you do not
agree with my decision and are angry with it. All I really can say is that I am
sorry and I am very appreciative of the support you have shown me through
the years.
“Last but not least, I want to thank my teammates and the training staff. I
have made some friends here who will be my friends for life. I will miss them
all.
“My wife, my 3 boys and I will always hold Tampa very near and dear to our
hearts. This has been our home and where we have built an amazing life.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you Tampa for everything you have
provided me and my family.”
Tampa Tribune LOADED: 03.06.2014
730881
Tampa Bay Lightning
Bolts’ Stamkos cleared, will return Thursday
By Erik Erlendsson
Published: March 5, 2014
|
Updated: March 5, 2014 at 08:31 PM
TAMPA — The Tampa Bay Lightning received the best possible
trade-deadline acquisition Wednesday morning: Steven Stamkos is cleared
to play.
Stamkos received final clearance to return to the lineup following an X-ray
and discussion with team physician Dr. Ira Gutentag and will be in the lineup
when Tampa Bay opens a six-game homestand on Thursday against
Buffalo.
“I’m very excited,’’ Stamkos said. “I was fairly confident going into it, but I still
tried not to think about it too much. But I was hoping to be cleared and I was.’’
The news came the same day team captain Marty St. Louis was traded to the
New York Rangers for captain Ryan Callahan and conditional draft picks,
meaning the last game the two played together came on the same day
Stamkos sustained a broken tibia Nov. 11 when he crashed into a goal post
during a game at Boston.
“It’s bittersweet,’’ Stamkos said of his pending return. “I’m obviously very
excited about getting the opportunity to play and I was looking forward to
getting back with Marty and playing.’’
Originally expected to be out three to six months, Stamkos pushed to be
ready for the Olympics, but did not receive clearance and had to withdraw
from Team Canada on Feb. 6.
He underwent another exam Feb. 24 hoping to be ready to return, but took
the extra two weeks to assure the bone was fully healed.
Now he knows he needs to get past his first couple of shifts.
“Guys in practice are not going to hit you like you are hit in a game situation;
that’s a hurdle that mentally I will have to get over to know that physically you
are going to be OK,’’ Stamkos said. “That will probably take a couple of shifts
and get a couple of hits under the belt to get that out of the way, but I’ve been
pain free on the ice for a while now and that’s a good feeling.’’
His return will provide a big boost to the lineup.
“I think we still made the best acquisition of the trade deadline, Stammer is
going to help us tremendously,’’ defenseman Victor Hedman said. “He
scored 60 goals two years ago and we know what kind of a player he is, so
we are very excited to see Steven back on the ice.’’
730882
Tampa Bay Lightning
Callahan brings something new to Bolts
By Erik Erlendsson
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ryan Callahan put up 132 goals and 254 points in 450 games with the
Rangers, and the winger plays a strong defensive game.
TAMPA — The Lightning know what they are losing in trading captain Marty
St. Louis — the heart and soul of the team for more than a decade.
They also know what they are gaining in exchange in Rangers captain Ryan
Callahan — a heart-and-soul player with an entirely different style of play.
Callahan, a two-time member of the U.S. Olympic hockey team, is expected
to make his Lightning debut tonight against Buffalo.
“He fills a need for us in that he’s not replacing Marty St. Louis, but he plays in
all situations,” general manager Steve Yzerman said. “He kills penalties, he’s
a great shot blocker, probably most well known for penalty killing, his
defensive ability, shot-blocking ability. He’s very good in front of the net on
the power play. He’s an all-around solid player who really competes.”
Callahan, a fourth-round pick in the 2004 draft, spent seven-plus seasons
with New York. In 450 career games, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound winger has
132 goals and 254 points.
In the final year of his contract, Callahan was seeking a reported six-year
deal from the Rangers. After getting over the shock of leaving the only
organization he has known, Callahan is ready to start something new.
“The first initial emotion is the surprise I got traded there,’’ Callahan said.
“After that goes away, I think of the excitement, knowing I’m going to Tampa,
which is a great organization and is in the playoff picture right now.’’
While Callahan is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end
of the season, Yzerman is not looking at him solely as a rental player.
“Our intention is to get him re-signed,’’ said Yzerman, who has already
reached out to Callahan’s camp.
Head coach Jon Cooper is excited to insert Callahan, who led Rangers
forwards with 132 hits and was second with 47 blocked shots despite missing
17 games with a broken thumb.
“I think Ryan Callahan is something this team needs,’’ Cooper said. “There’s
one area that we needed to get better in and that was ... playing with a little bit
of snarl. And Ryan Callahan is going to bring us that.’’
The Lightning also made a minor-league swap on Wednesday, sending
forward Dana Tyrell and defenseman Matt Taormina to Columbus in
exchange for forwards Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and Dalton Smith, both
of whom will report to Syracuse of the American Hockey League.
730883
Tampa Bay Lightning
Fennelly: St. Louis story has bad end
By Martin Fennelly
“For me, he was the heart and soul for this team,” Lightning defenseman
Victor Hedman said.
I'm thinking back 10 years, to a night in Calgary. The Lightning's dream
season was on the edge of a cliff in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals. Tied
after regulation, then after one overtime, everyone back here holding their
breath. The Lightning gulped for air.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
It took Marty. Early in the second overtime, pouncing on a rebound and
scoring. Calgary's arena went dead. The series lived. The Lightning went
home and won it all. It took Marty.
TAMPA — It shouldn't have ended like this.
As time ran down in Game 7, two Flames sandwiched Martin St. Louis. He
was bleeding from his forehead and the bridge of his nose. And then he was
bleeding and carrying the Stanley Cup.
At the Forum on Wednesday, the ground shook.
It was on every face, even the security man posted at a door.
“This is an awful day,” he whispered.
The Lightning news release had appeared.
Ryan Callahan had been acquired for a conditional second-round draft pick
in 2014 NHL draft and a first-round selection in 2015 in exchange for Martin
St. Louis.
… in exchange for Martin St. Louis.
Like that, it was over.
A two-hander to this community's skull.
Stunning.
Steven Stamkos, cleared to play.
Marty St. Louis, cleared to leave.
“Well, it's happened, and you still don't believe it,” Stamkos said.
Marty St. Louis should have retired with the Lightning. He should have went
from here to the Hockey Hall of Fame. He should have had a special night at
the Forum, his 26 retired and raised to the rafters, everyone standing,
cheering until their voices were gone.
There eventually will be a night like that, a healing.
Until then, this is one of the truly ugly exits in local sports history, by one of its
greatest stars.
Have any parents out there tried to explain to their crying child why Marty St.
Left?
He bailed without a real goodbye, though he did compose an open letter to
Lightning fans, probably on the way to New York, where he made his
Rangers debut Wednesday night.
Like the Bucs and Sapp, Lynch and Brooks, the Bolts' big three has
completely vanished.
Brad Richards left a while back, traded away (St. Louis rejoins him in New
York). Vinny Lecavalier was bought out last June. And now no more Marty —
no Lightning player left from the 2004 Stanley Cup champions. Marty was the
last of them.
We could spend days pointing a finger at Lightning general manager Steve
Yzerman, whose original choice — back when he helped pick Team Canada
— began this carnage. Then Yzerman couldn't defuse things when Marty
went megaton on him.
You can't say the Lightning are better today. And Yzerman is officially The
Man Who Traded Marty. Not the crown you want. If playoff promise
dissolves, the GM is a fixed target. And there's no guarantee that Yzerman
will be able to sign Callahan after the season.
But we could spend weeks pointing a finger at St. Louis' selfish pride in
demanding this trade.
Here was the new captain, anointed at last, just two days before the season
began, big ceremony and all, running out on his teammates during his 13th
Lightning season. For someone who always played larger then life, it's a
small way to leave.
For no player has been bigger in this franchise's history than Marty St. Louis.
It was more than all those games and points, or the Hart Trophy in the Cup
season, or the two league scoring titles.
That memory, at least, will never leave.
It shouldn't have ended like this.
730884
Tampa Bay Lightning
1.25 — Average points per game last season, joining Mario Lemieux and
Gordie Howe as the only players in NHL history to reach that average at age
37 or older
St. Louis era ends: A look back
QUOTES
Staff
“I’ve said many times in the past and I continue to maintain that Marty St.
Louis is the heart and soul of our hockey team.”
— Former Lightning GM Jay Feaster, after signing St. Louis to a six-year,
$31 million deal in 2005
St. Louis — small in stature, big in heart — often paid the price.
Marty St. Louis, who joined the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2000, was
considered by many as the heart and soul of the team. Here’s a look back at
his career with the Bolts.
CAREER STATISTICS
Regular Season
Season Team Gms G A Pts Plus/Minus
1998-99 Calgary 13 1 1 2 -2
1999-00 Calgary 56 3 15 18 -5
2000-01 TB 78 18 22 40 -4
2001-02 TB 53 16 19 35 4
2002-03 TB 82 33 37 70 10
2003-04 TB 82 38 56 94 35
2005-06 TB 80 31 30 61 -3
2006-07 TB 82 43 59 102 7
2007-08 TB 82 25 58 83 -23
2008-09 TB 82 30 50 80 4
2009-10 TB 82 29 65 94 -8
2010-11 TB 82 31 68 99 0
2011-12 TB 77 25 49 74 -3
2012-13 TB 48 17 43 60 0
2013-14 TB 62 29 32 61 12
Totals 1,041 369 604 973 24
Postseason
2002-03 TB 11 7 5 12 5
2003-04 TB 23 9 15 24 6
2005-06 TB 5 4 0 4 -2
2006-07 TB 6 3 5 8 6
2010-11 TB 18 10 10 20 -8
Totals 63 33 35 68 7
HONORS
♦ Won the Hart Memorial Trophy as 2004 league MVP, as well as the Lester
B. Pearson Award as MVP in voting by NHL players.
♦ Won the Art Ross Trophy twice (2003-04, 2012-13) as the NHL’s leading
scorer.
♦ Won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy three times (2009-10, 2010-11,
2012-13) as the NHL’s most gentlemanly player.
BY THE NUMBERS
8 — Career hat tricks
37 — Age last season, when St. Louis became the oldest player to top the
NHL in scoring
6 — All-Star selections
2 — Olympic appearances for Team Canada (2006, 2014), winning a gold
medal last month in Sochi
“Very few shifts go by without something happening when Martin St. Louis is
on the ice.”
— Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman
“His first three or four strides are explosive. From a standstill, Marty is one of
the fastest players in the league.”
— Former Lightning center Brad Richards, now reunited with St. Louis in
New York
“It’s plain and simple — there’s not enough guys that want to make a
difference. They’re clock-killers ... and I’m fed up.”
— St. Louis, after the slumping Lightning dropped a 4-3 decision to Atlanta in
2008.
“Having three kids, I can talk about sportsmanship all the time and I have
credibility now.”
— St. Louis, after winning the 2013 Lady Byng Award for gentlemanly play
for the third time in four seasons. In a lockout-shortened year, St. Louis led
the league with 60 points, while posting only 14 penalty minutes.
“Martin St. Louis is extremely fast and has an offensive upside that he hasn’t
realized yet in the NHL, but he will.”
— Former Lightning GM Rick Dudley, after signing St. Louis as a free agent
on July 31, 2000
“Hey, I wasn’t even drafted. I’ve had everything against me all of my career.
I’ve had to prove myself at every level.”
— St. Louis, during his first training camp in Tampa
“Marty St. Louis has the heart of a lion.
— Former Lightning coach John Tortorella
“I’d like to say I have a few good years left in me, but I don’t feel like I have
that much time.”
— St. Louis, on the brink of the Lightning season opener in October
LATE DRAMA: St. Louis scores off a rebound 33 seconds into the second
overtime at Calgary, lifting the Lightning to a 3-2 victory in Game 6 of the
Stanley Cup final on June 5, 2004. Two nights later, Tampa Bay edged
Calgary 2-1 to become NHL champions.
“I was just trying to put it on net,” said St. Louis, who needed oxygen on the
Lightning bench during the opening period. “At that point in time, it’s not the
pretty goal that’s going to win it. I just thought, ‘Throw it on net because you
never know.’ ”
MATCHING THE GREAT ONE: A few weeks after hoisting the Stanley Cup,
St. Louis won the 2003-04 Hart Trophy as MVP of the league. St. Louis was
named on 97 of 105 ballots after earning the first of two Art Ross trophies as
the NHL’s leading scorer. He became the first player since Wayne Gretzky in
1987 to win the Hart, the Art Ross and the Stanley Cup in the same season.
“It’s going to be a tough year to top,” St. Louis said.
REACHING A MILESTONE: Last November, St. Louis played in his 1,000th
NHL game as Tampa Bay visited Los Angeles. Not bad for an undersized
skater out of the University of Vermont who started his NHL career with
Calgary in 1998 before signing with the Lightning.
“I’ve been blessed to play most of my career with one team,” St. Louis said.
“The Tampa Bay Lightning have been nothing but great to me and my
family.”
FOLLOW THE LEADER: On Oct. 1, 2013, the Lightning named St. Louis as
captain to succeed Vinny Lecavalier, who signed with the Flyers as a free
agent in the summer.
“Marty embodies everything a captain should be,” Tampa Bay coach Jon
Cooper said. “This has been Marty’s team for a little while, and it’s soon to be
Stammer’s (Steven Stamkos) team at some point.”
BITTERSWEET DAY: In scoring four goals against San Jose six weeks ago,
St. Louis matched the franchise single-game record set by Chris Kontos in
Tampa Bay’s inaugural game on Oct. 7, 1992. Despite the outburst by St.
Louis, the Sharks rallied for a 5-4 victory.
“You score an early one, personally, you have to feel good,” said St. Louis,
who scored all of his goals within the game’s first 22 minutes. “It gives you a
boost and I rode the wave.”
730885
Tampa Bay Lightning
Fan reaction mixed to St. Louis’ departure
Tribune staff
Tampa Bay Lightning fans had mixed reactions Wednesday to news the
team and general manager Steve Yzerman honored captain Marty St. Louis’
request for a trade. Here is a sampling from the comments on TBO.com:
“Let’s face it, he wanted out of Tampa Bay. He’s had the locker room a mess
since this started, and you have seen it work onto the ice. Good move trading
him. Now we need to move forward, shake it off and play good hockey from
here on out.”
— Adele Clark
“good job yzerman, you run the man who was tampa bay hockey for the past
decade out of town.”
— Matt Bubniak
“Marty placed being a bench-role player in Sochi for Team Canada above
being the “C” of the Lightning and the leader of “his” team. Stop bashing
Yzerman because he did the right thing before Sochi and now with the trade.”
— Thomas Fowler
“St Louis has fought hard for everything he has earned. I am trying keep this
as the most important memory, but his exit, and the purported reason for it,
leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.”
— Chad L Kirchen
“Thank you Marty for the memories and the Stanley Cup.”
— Lee Ross
730886
Tampa Bay Lightning
Marty St. Louis career timeline
Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 5, 2014 6:08pm
A look at Marty St. Louis' career:
Feb. 19, 1998: Signed by Calgary as a free agent
Oct. 9, 1998: Played in first NHL game against the Sharks.
Oct. 20, 1998: Scored his first NHL goal in Dallas against the Stars
July 31, 2000: Signed by the Lightning as a free agent
April 20, 2003: Scored game-winner in triple overtime against the Capitals in
Game 6 to clinch the Lightning's first playoff series victory.
June 5, 2004: Scored game-winning goal in double overtime of Game 6 of
the Stanley Cup final against the Flames, forcing a Game 7.
June 7, 2004: Won his first Stanley Cup, thanks to a 2-1 victory over the
Flames in Game 7. In doing so, St. Louis became the first player since
Wayne Gretzky in 1987 to win both the Hart Trophy and Stanley Cup in the
same season.
Dec. 9, 2011: Consecutive games streak snapped at 499 after suffering facial
and nasal fractures getting hit in the face with a shot during practice.
July 7, 2013: Became the oldest Art Ross Trophy winner in NHL history at
age 37, having scored a league-high 60 points in a strike shortened season.
Oct. 1, 2013: Named the 10th captain in Lightning history
Nov. 19, 2013: Played in his 1,000th career game against the Kings in Los
Angeles,
Jan. 18, 2014: Tied a franchise-record by scoring four goals in a 5-4 loss to
the Sharks.
Feb. 23, 2014: Won an Olympic gold medal as member of Team Canada in
Sochi, Russia
March 5, 2014: Traded to the Rangers for forward Ryan Callahan, a 2015
first-round pick and a 2014 second-round pick.
Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.06.2014
730887
Tampa Bay Lightning
New Yorkers react to the Marty St. Louis-Ryan Callahan trade
Times Staff
New Yorkers react to the Marty St. Louis-Ryan Callahan trade:
"St. Louis is 38 years old. So, I'd rather have kept Cally and kept the draft
picks. With the draft picks, either draft young players or trade them for a
younger player.''
"We should never give Callahan that money, disagree that Callahan will get
that money, you will see we won't, and Callahan is getting advice from his
agent, and it is not good advice either, wait until he signs for 6 years and 5 mil
with Buffalo in the offseason. He is not getting 6 years/6 mil per, no way.''
"Callahan and a 1st and 2nd, and if they make the conference finals, two
firsts, this for a player that is 37 years old, and I have people saying it was the
best Sather could do. If he did nothing, it would have been much better. We
could have signed a player with the $5.5 million in savings Callahan freed up.
It is not what you want to do, but it is not killing the team in the future.''
"This move screams of "shiny." I don't like it. And I will root like hell that the
Rangers can win the Cup with MSL but I'll also be here in June to remind
folks of my steadfast opposition to this move, whether I am eating crow or
otherwise.''
"I don't like the deal primarily because they aren't good enough to win right
now. So, in my opinion, the 2 picks are more valuable to the team than a 38
year old veteran, regardless of how good, for a little over a year.''
730888
Tampa Bay Lightning
Marty St. Louis era draws to a sad ending
Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
He was always one of the smallest players on the ice.
How then can the departure of Marty St. Louis leave such a large hole?
The Lightning not only traded away the best player in its history Wednesday,
it traded away a good chunk of its heart and a pound of its soul.
It traded away Marty Time, those precious moments when the game was
ticking away and St. Louis would sweep in from the far reaches of the ice to
save the day. It traded away grit and passion and fire. It traded away the best
part of its history, and the closest link the team and the fans have ever had.
Most of all, it traded away much of its own identity.
And you wonder: Will the fans ever forgive St. Louis for forcing such a day?
Marty is a Ranger. This feels wrong. This feels awful. This feels like a
betrayal by the player you trusted the most.
You can debate whether to blame St. Louis for asking for this trade or Steve
Yzerman for accommodating him. You can think the return is a little light for
the time being or that the Lightning did the best it could with tied hands. At
this point, it only matters that, from now on, St. Louis is going to be skating in
another team's colors. It is an image that is going to be difficult for a lot of
people to absorb.
Did it really have to come to this? Sure, St. Louis was ticked when he didn't
make the original list of players on the Canadian hockey team. But he did
make it, and his gold medal was just as shiny as anybody's. If you are miffed
that you weren't invited to a party, are you still miffed when you're invitation
comes later?
Here's something, though. Yzerman said Wednesday that St. Louis and he
had talked about a trade even before the Olympics came along. Yes, the
omission had something to do with it, but it doesn't sound like it had
everything to do with it. St. Louis had toyed with the idea of relocating north
before.
Still, if the Olympic slight had something to do with hurrying St. Louis'
decision along, it will be hard for many to understand. As fans, we are all
used to seeing sloppy endings in sports -— Derrick Brooks, John Lynch,
Vinny Lecavalier, Brad Richards — because of money, or because of age, or
because of injury. But it seldom because a team's captain decides, in the
middle of a playoff run, he would rather play somewhere else.
In the end, we may never fully know why that team seemed more appealing
to St. Louis than this one. If it was the Olympic slight, did that matter more
than the role St. Louis had as captain of this team? Did it matter more than
the bond he had built with all of those fans whose children wore his jersey.
Remember, this was not a Lightning problem. Those checks always cashed
just fine. This was not a fan problem. They always cheered his name.
At any point, St. Louis could have stopped all of this. He had a no-move
clause in his contract, after all. He could have been angry at Yzerman every
day for the rest of his life — he wouldn't be the first player who didn't like his
general manger — and still, he could have been here for his teammates and
his fans.
But, evidently, he could not bear to play here any longer. What a shame for
him. What a shame for you. What a shame for the Lightning. No matter what
else you think of St. Louis, part of his legacy will be that he was Captain
Opt-Out, the guy who skated away.
It's a shame. For a very long time, we thought of St. Louis as ours, you know.
True, St. Louis started his career in Calgary, but the Flames had no idea what
they had in him. He grew up here. He became a star here. He won a Cup
here.
To many, St. Louis was the face of the Lightning, more than Vinny Lecavalier,
more than Brad Richards, more even than Steven Stamkos, whose legacy
will eventually overtake St. Louis. It was more than his 1,041 games, and
more than his 369 goals, and more than all of his awards.
With St. Louis, it was his style, his speed, his relentlessness, his
competitiveness that struck a chord with the fans of Tampa Bay. It was his
attitude that was never going to slow down and never going to back away.
He was our Derek Jeter, you know. He was our Emmitt Smith. He was our
John Stockton. For the Lightning, He was equal parts Ronde Barber and
Derrick Brooks and James Shields. He was an elegant, dignified performer
who never left Tampa Bay fans asking for more.
Until now.
Until this.
When you think of all of that, you wonder: Did the Lightning get enough for
him?
Again, Yzerman got about as much return for St. Louis as possible. If you buy
the premise that keeping an unhappy player catches up to a team, what
choice did he have?
Don't get me wrong. There is a reason that Ryan Callahan was the captain of
the Rangers. He's a good player, even if he turns out only to be a rental. But
he isn't St. Louis, and he isn't capable of the same impact for the Lightning
down the stretch. (If he was, the Rangers wouldn't have thrown in extra draft
picks to get him.) And there is still a possibility that he will leave for free
agency after the season.
As for the draft picks? Well, fans love draft picks, because they hint of a
brighter tomorrow. And yes, the second-round draft pick next summer (which
could grow to a first-rounder), and the first-rounder in 2015 might bring a nice
return. Someday.
On the other hand, the Lightning has all of 20 games to go in this playoff run.
Don't you think Marty might have affected, say, four of them? Six? Certainly,
it could be a significant enough number to affecting the seeding of the
Lightning as the team goes forward.
The Lightning is a different team today. It has a different feel. And the players
in the room have a view of an empty locker.
Yeah. That was where Marty dressed, back when he used to play here.
What a shame it was that it had to end.
730889
Tampa Bay Lightning
Lightning trades captain Marty St. Louis to Rangers
Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 5, 2014 11:02am
The Lightning has traded captain Marty St. Louis to the Rangers for their
captain Ryan Callahan and 2015 first-round pick and a 2014 second-round
pick. New York apparently upped its offer on Tuesday to include the
first-round.
If the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference finals, the second-round pick
becomes a first-round pick.
"I respect the fact that many of you do not agree with my decision and are
angry with it," St. Louis said in a statement. "All I can really say is that I am
sorry and I'm very appreciative of the support you have shown me through
the years.''
Interesting that Callahan is a potential unrestricted free agent, so there is a
chance the right wing will be a rental, though you have to believe there is
some idea Tampa Bay will be able to sign him.
Callahan apparently had asked the Rangers for a six-year, $39 million deal.
The Rangers reportedly have offered six years, $36 million.
If Callahan signs with the Lightning, the Rangers will get the Lightning's
second-round pick in 2015. Tampa Bay will get New York's seventh-round
pick.
St. Louis, arguably the greatest player in Tampa Bay history, and its all-time
points leader, is having a wonderful season with 29 goals and 61 points in 62
games. He also is averaging 21:41 of ice time.
Callahan, 28, also a right wing, has struggled this season with 11 goals, 25
points in 45 games and averages17:56 of ice time. He does, though, bring an
element of grit that Lightning can use.
St. Louis, 38, who has one year left on his contract, asked for a trade last
month after he was left off the initial roster for Team Canada, of which
Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman was executive director.
The belief is St. Louis requested to be moved only to the Rangers. He has a
home in Greenwich, Conn., where he and his family spend their summers.
Speculation about trade talk between the Lightning and Rangers had quieted
in the past week, but it apparently heated up with the new offer.
St. Louis, who had a miserable minus-4 game in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the
Blues, did not speak to reporters after the game.
730890
Tampa Bay Lightning
Lightning's Stamkos cleared to play Thursday against Sabres
Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 5, 2014 10:13am
TAMPA — Steven Stamkos said he expected to have some trouble sleeping
Wednesday night.
"I'm excited, a little anxious, a little nervous all in one," he said.
That is because the Lightning's star center, after missing 45 games with a
broken right tibia, has been cleared to play and will be in the lineup Thursday
against the Sabres at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
"There's going to be some anxiousness and some nerves for sure," Stamkos
said. "I'm not going to come in here and expect to be where I was before the
injury. That's not realistic."
Stamkos, who was injured Nov. 11 at Boston when he slid into a goalpost
and who had a titanium rod inserted into the bone to facilitate healing, said all
the tests show the right leg is as stable and strong as the left.
That's not to say he won't wonder how it will react.
"It's going to be by getting hit, taking a hit, giving a hit. Those are the things
that will be going through my mind for sure," Stamkos said. "But after the first
couple of shifts I think it will be fine."
The Lightning, loser of seven of its past 10 games and 9-10-1 since Jan. 5,
can certainly use Stamkos, a former 60-goal scorer who had 14 goals in 17
games before he was injured.
In those 17 games, Tampa Bay averaged 3.1 goals. In the 45 he missed, it
averaged 2.6.
"We feel we made the best acquisition of this trade deadline," defenseman
Victor Hedman said. "Getting Stammer back in the lineup is going to help us
tremendously."
And with Lightning captain Marty St. Louis traded to the Rangers, the locker
room will benefit from another strong, confident voice.
Stamkos, an alternate captain, said Wednesday afternoon no one had
approached him about being captain, and that "it doesn't really matter right
now."
But Stamkos also said he is ready to assume a bigger leadership role.
"I'm going to utilize all the skills Marty has taught me over the years,"
Stamkos said. "He's taught me a lot of things and he's taught a lot of guys a
lot of things. We learn from that and get stronger as a team. That's the only
way we can get through this."
730891
Tampa Bay Lightning
at Flyers 2 2 2 6
Capitals 0 1 3 4
Marty St. Louis scoreless in Rangers debut
Times wires
NEW YORK — New Ranger Marty St. Louis, acquired from the Lightning
earlier in the day in a trade deadline deal, was scoreless on three shots as
New York lost 3-2 in overtime to the Maple Leafs on Wednesday.
Tyler Bozak scored on a penalty shot then got the winning goal 1:51 into
overtime.
St. Louis, the former Lightning captain swapped for Ryan Callahan, received
an ovation when he hopped over the boards for his first shift 38 seconds in.
He created a surge of excitement when he fired a hard shot on goal from the
top edge of the left circle. Before the game, his jersey was flying off the racks
in the team store at Madison Square Garden.
"I know this is going to be a challenge for me, but I love challenges and I like
to rise to the occasion," St. Louis said after his 20 minutes, 11 seconds of ice
time. "This is a chance to play the game in one of the biggest markets, and I
know what comes with it. … I always felt if I was going to leave Tampa, the
first place I'd want to play would be in New York. It's been in the back of my
mind for a long time, but I wouldn't trade those 14 years in Tampa for
anything."
Canadiens add Vanek
MONTREAL — The Canadiens acquired winger Thomas Vanek from the
Islanders in a deadline day deal. Montreal gave up forward prospect
Sebastien Collberg, a 2014 second-round pick and a fifth-rounder. The picks
will change hands only if Montreal makes the playoffs.
Vanek, 30, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, becomes the
Canadiens' leading scorer with 53 points. He is in the final season of a $50
million, seven-year contract.
In other deals of note:
• The Predators traded forward David Legwand, who was expansion
Nashville's first pick in 1998, to the Red Wings for Patrick Eaves, a prospect
and a third-round pick. Legwand is the Predators' career leader in points,
goals, assists, winning goals and overtime points.
• The Blue Jackets traded their highest-paid player, winger Marian Gaborik,
to the Kings for right wing Matt Frattin and two conditional picks.
• In a swap of goalies, the Panthers sent Tim Thomas to the Stars for Dan
Ellis, who was with the Lightning in 2010-11.
• The Devils traded center Andrei Loktionov and a conditional third-round
pick in 2017 to the Hurricanes for left wing Tuomo Ruutu.
• The Flyers traded defenseman Andrej Meszaros to the Bruins for a 2014
third-round pick.
• The Sabres traded forwards Matt Moulson and Cody McCormick to the Wild
for forward Torrey Mitchell and two second-round picks.
Maple Leafs 0 1 1
1 3
at Rangers 0 0 2 0 2
First Period—None. Penalties—van Riemsdyk, Tor (goaltender
interference), 19:21.
Second Period—1, Toronto, Bozak 13 (penalty shot), 1:44. Penalties—None.
Third Period—2, Tor, Kadri 16 (Kulemin), 2:00. 3, NYR, McDonagh 10
(D.Moore, Boyle), 5:34 (sh). 4, NYR, D.Moore 5 (Stepan), 6:53 (sh).
Penalties—Richards, NYR (tripping), 5:18; Kreider, NYR (hooking), 12:47;
Kulemin, Tor (slashing), 19:03; Brassard, NYR (slashing), 19:03.
Overtime—5, Tor, Bozak 14 (Kessel, Ranger), 1:51. Penalties—None. Shots
on Goal—Tor 11-5-10-3—29. NYR 12-9-13-3—37. Power-play opps—Tor 0
of 2; NYR 0 of 1. Goalies—Tor, Bernier 23-16-7 (37 shots-35 saves). NYR,
Lundqvist 22-20-4 (29-26). A—18,006. T—2:40.
First Period—1, Phi, Giroux 22 (Couturier, Read), 6:48. 2, Phi, Voracek 17
(Giroux, Simmonds), 8:22 (pp). Penalties—Brouwer, Was (slashing), 8:09;
Erskine, Was, major-game misconduct (fighting), 11:59; Wilson, Was,
minor-major-misconduct (instigator, fighting), 11:59; Lecavalier, Phi,
major-game misconduct (fighting), 11:59; Simmonds, Phi (cross-checking,
slashing), 11:59; L.Schenn, Phi, major (fighting), 11:59.
Second Period—3, Phi, Giroux 23, 5:26. 4, Phi, Hall 5 (Raffl, L.Schenn),
11:52. 5, Was, Ward 19 (Green, Ovechkin), 14:06 (pp).
Penalties—L.Schenn, Phi (tripping), 12:23; Backstrom, Was (interference),
16:02.
Third Period—6, Was, Ovechkin 44 (Backstrom, Carlson), 6:35 (pp). 7, Was,
Brouwer 17 (Hillen, Backstrom), 9:25. 8, Phi, Voracek 18 (Hartnell), 11:51. 9,
Was, Laich 7 (Green, Alzner), 14:00 (pp). 10, Phi, Downie 4 (Read,
B.Schenn), 19:08 (en). Penalties—Downie, Phi (elbowing), 4:53; Chimera,
Was (roughing), 7:43; Rinaldo, Phi (roughing), 7:43; Streit, Phi (hooking),
12:11. Shots on Goal—Was 3-5-17—25. Phi 13-10-7—30. Power-play
opps—Was 3 of 4; Phi 1 of 2. Goalies—Was, Holtby 19-14-3 (18 shots-14
saves), Grubauer (11:52 second, 11-10). Phi, Mason 26-15-5 (25-21).
A—19,919. T—2:38.
730892
Tampa Bay Lightning
Reaction to Lightning trading Marty St. Louis to Rangers
Times staff
Victor Hedman, Lightning defenseman:
"It's going to be different, but we have to keep pushing. We wish him the best
of luck in New York but we're excited to have Ryan (Callahan) on board."
Jon Cooper, Lightning coach:
"That's a tough loss, not only for our team but for what he's done for this
organization. But in saying that, you can honestly say the team we fielded
(Tuesday) is not as good as the team we're going to field (tonight)."
Jay Feaster, ex-Lightning GM:
"What concerns me is you lose the heart and soul of the team, and what
should be great news in terms of (Steven) Stamkos coming back, that's
tempered."
Alain Vigneault, Rangers coach:
"I really believe this makes us a better team. … I'm very happy and excited to
have Marty St. Louis with us. Another Frenchman, I like that part."
Ryan Kennedy, Hockey News:
"If I'm a Tampa fan, I'm pretty upset with St. Louis right now."
Sean Gentille, Sporting News:
"The trade makes the Lightning worse, and one of the teams behind them
better. … It's crazy St. Louis asked and Steve Yzerman accommodated him."
730893
Tampa Bay Lightning
Marty St. Louis' letter to Lightning fans
Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Former Lightning captain Marty St. Louis, traded to the Rangers Wednesday,
addressed his departure from Tampa Bay in the following letter to fans and
media:
“Today is a bittersweet day for me. I am sad that this chapter of my career is
over. I have had 14 wonderful years in Tampa and have cherished being a
member of the Tampa Bay Lightning. I would like to thank Mr. Vinik, Tod
Leiweke, Steve Yzerman, Bill Wickett, Jon Cooper and the coaching staff
and the entire Lightning organization for everything they have done for me
through the years and today.
Mr. Vinik is an amazing owner and man, I am and will remain entirely thankful
and appreciative of him and everything he has done for me and my family.
I am also so thankful to the unbelievable fans of Tampa Bay.
When I arrived here in 2000, you all supported and believed in me when not
many did. You have continued to support me through the years and I am
extremely thankful for it! I know many of you are disappointed with me for
my decision to want to leave.
I would rather not discuss what brought me to that decision, but in the end
the years.
Last but not least, I want to thank my teammates and the training staff. I
have made some friends here who will be my friends for life. I will miss them
all.
My wife, my 3 boys and I will always hold Tampa very near and dear to our
hearts. This has been our home and where we have built an amazing life.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you Tampa for everything you have
provided me and my family.”
730894
Toronto Maple Leafs
Maple Leafs: Jonathan Bernier to start, Martin St. Louis to join Rangers
By: Kevin McGran Sports Reporter, Published on Wed Mar 05 2014
NEW YORK—Leafs coach Randy Carlyle has a question: Why does the
league even schedule games on trade deadline day?
“I think it’s crazy we’re playing on trade deadline day,” Carlyle said after
Wednesday’s morning skate. “I think it should be a dark day in the NHL. It
would be a lot easier on the people involved. It doesn’t make any sense from
my perspective. Why not just have one day? It would be easier. If they have
to start the season one day earlier, or extend the season by one day, it would
make sense.”
The Maple Leafs, with Jonathan Bernier in net, will face the Rangers, with
Henrik Lundqvist in net, just four hours after the trade deadline passes and
wreaks havoc on the minds of the players, and the rosters of the teams. The
Rangers, for example, were endevouring to get Martin St. Louis in town in
time for the game, following a trade that sent Ryan Callahan and draft picks
to Tampa.
“Dealing with it as a coach, it’s on everywhere,” said Carlyle. “TVs are going.
Everyone has it on their mobile phones, and iPads and computers. It’s not
something you run away from. It’s part of the business side of the sport.”
While all was quiet before noon with the Leafs, the Rangers media relations
department closed the team’s room once word spread about the trade, with
some Rangers players looking shocked.
Callahan had been in a contract dispute. St. Louis, 38, had been unhappy in
Tampa from the moment GM Steve Yzerman failed to choose him for the
Canadian Olympic team. That Yzerman added him later as a replacement for
Steve Stamkos did little to assuage St. Louis.
The Lightning also get New York’s 2015 1st-round pick and 2014
second-round pick. The Rangers could get a pick of Tampa’s if Callahan
re-signs there.
“Marty seemed like he wanted out of Tampa,” said Leafs forward Nazem
Kadri. “He’s a heck of a player. He’s going to help any team he goes to.
Tampa Bay also got a pretty good player. Both teams came out on the proper
end of that.
“That’s a funny scenario because you’re not quite sure how the team
chemistry is going to form after that. Marty is a veteran, been in league a long
time. For a guy they don’t know as good as Callahan, it could be a little weird
to start.”
NOTES: Leaf captain Dion Phaneuf missed the morning skate but was
expected to play Wednesday night. Dave Bolland was in Carolina seeing a
specialist about his ankle. “We were told to stay the course, that the course of
action we have in place for him right now is the best one,” said Carlyle.
“We’re going to stay with that.”
Toronto Star LOADED: 03.06.2014
730895
Toronto Maple Leafs
Martin St. Louis dealt to Rangers in blockbuster NHL trade, expected to face
Maple Leafs tonight
“We had a conversation, that’s between me and Steve,” St. Louis said. “He
had a tough job to do, and we’re competitors. I’m glad that it turned out the
way it did.”
Few outside the organization expected it to turn out like this, with St. Louis
getting his way out of Tampa Bay.
With files from Star wire services
By: Mark Zwolinski Sports reporter, Published on Wed Mar 05 2014
It was quiet on NHL trade deadline day until about 11:15 am.
That’s when a deal sending Tampa’s Martin St. Louis to the Rangers for
Ryan Callahan broke on Twitter, and woke up deadline day with the NHL’s
second blockbuster deal in 24 hours.
Tampa also receives a first-round pick in 2015 and a second-rounder in
2014. If the Rangers advance to the conference finals this year, that second
rounder becomes a first rounder.
St. Louis is expected to play for the Rangers tonight against the Maple Leafs.
He has 18 goals and 51 points in 51 career games vs. Toronto.
St. Louis’s departure from the Lightning — he has been in Tampa since 2000
and is arguably the franchise’s all-time greatest player — was speculated
ever since his initial snub from Team Canada’s men’s hockey team that won
the gold medal at the Sochi Olympics.
St. Louis was included on the Sochi team when teammate Steven Stamkos’s
leg injury forced him off the roster. But with Tampa GM Steve Yzerman
ultimately responsible for the overall roster, and with Yzerman having left
Stamkos off the 2010 team in Vancouver, it was believed that St. Louis would
no longer remain in Tampa.
his outstanding 13-year career in Tampa Bay,” Yzerman said in a press
release. “He has been one of the greatest players in the organization’s
history but in the end we honoured his request today. We wish him and his
family the best of luck as he continues his career in New York.”
St. Louis got to choose his destination by virtue of the no-trade clause in his
contract. That turned out to be New York, where he’ll replace a pending
unrestricted free agent in Callahan on right wing.
The second-round pick the Lightning are getting in the deal becomes a
first-rounder this June if the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference final. If
Callahan re-signs with Tampa Bay, the teams will swap picks in the 2015
draft with the Rangers getting the Lightning’s second-rounder for New York’s
seventh-rounder.
Stamkos tweeted Wednesday morning, less than an hour before the trade,
that he would be returning to the lineup Thursday in a home game against
Buffalo.
It was believed that Yzerman likely wouldn’t let St. Louis go, given Stamkos’s
return and the fact his team is poised for the playoffs and a potential run to
the conference final.
But St. Louis was moved — joining Roberto Luongo (traded from Vancouver
to Florida on Tuesday) as the deadline’s second blockbuster deal.
Callahan’s departure was less stunning only because of the dialogue
between agent Stephen Bartlett and the Rangers over the past several
weeks.
Callahan, a 28-year-old Rochester, N.Y., native, was rumoured to be within a
half million dollars of sealing a new, six-year extension worth between $6.25
and $6.5 million with the Rangers. Callahan softened his previous demands
for a seven-year extension; his future in Tampa — whether the Lightning will
sign him or hold onto him as a rental for the remainder of this season — is
unknown.
St. Louis has one year and $5 million left on his contract, which carries a
$5.625-million cap hit for the 2014-15 season.
There was strife between St. Louis and Yzerman beginning Jan. 7 when he
was left off Canada’s 25-man roster again, just as he was in 2010. Four years
ago, Yzerman wasn’t his GM in the NHL, and he didn’t expect to be left home
again.
The injury to Stamkos appeared to provide Yzerman with a chance to make
good with St. Louis, but even after Canada won the gold medal, the veteran
winger did not say all was well.
730896
Toronto Maple Leafs
Leafs GM eyes off-season moves after trade deadline dud: Feschuk
By: Dave Feschuk, Published on Wed Mar 05 2014
It was a question worth asking as the NHL trade deadline came and went
without so much as a Maple Leaf murmur on Wednesday.
How could GM Dave Nonis, on a day he acknowledged that the 2013-14
Leafs are the most inconsistent, unpredictable team he has ever assembled,
survey his roster and decide the right amount of change was precisely none
at all?
One game the Leafs look like an offensively gifted playoff noisemaker. The
next they look defensively inept and destined for the latest in a line of
franchise faceplants. Sometimes they look like both on the same night. And
Nonis, seeing all this, and seeing no end of Eastern Conference rivals
improving their rosters on Wednesday, decided the best course of action was
inaction.
Nonis managed to spin this two ways. On one hand, he said, the no-trade
Wednesday was a vote of confidence in his roster: He could have, he pointed
out, traded a handful of the team’s pending free agents for draft picks and
made the stretch run to the playoffs far more precarious.
But it was also a vote of non-confidence — or, at least, less confidence than
you’d expect from a GM in MLSE’s rah-rah era. Nonis characterized his team
as “still stocking the shelves.” He said the club wasn’t possessed of a deep
enough talent base to be swapping draft picks and prospects for rental
players. So the Leafs couldn’t be aggressive buyers. But at the same time
they couldn’t be sellers.
“I didn’t want to sell to get draft picks, and I didn’t think we should be
expending high picks for rentals,” Nonis said. “I think the group as it is has a
chance. I was prepared to let them play the last 19 games and see how we
do.”
In other words: Nonis might be prepared to bet you the Leafs will make the
playoffs. But he’s not betting heavily. And he certainly wasn’t prepared to pay
dearly for marginal upgrades en route.
“There was a lot of teams today that tried to make deals — good teams —
that at the end said it’s not worth it for us,” Nonis said. “The asking price was
just too high.”
That had to strike some fans as rich. The ancient rivals in Montreal, after all,
picked up Thomas Vanek for little more than a conditional second-round pick
and a prospect. Meanwhile, other conference rivals upgraded various
positions with marginal outlays. The Washington Capitals made their latest
attempt to find solidity in net in a cheap deal for Jaro Halak. The Boston
Bruins picked up veteran defenceman Andrej Meszaros for a third-round
pick. The Red Wings got stronger at centre by acquiring David Legwand from
Nashville for a relative pittance.
And over in the West — well, the bargains kept coming. Matt Moulson went
from Buffalo to Minnesota in a deal that sent back nothing steeper than a
couple of second-round selections.
Still, plenty of bigger names on the trade block didn’t move. Canucks centre
Ryan Kesler stayed put, as did Calgary forward Mike Cammalleri and New
Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur. And maybe the Leafs were shopping in
different aisles than the teams that paid dollar-store tickets. The top-four
defenceman Toronto has been seeking clearly wasn’t being given away for
nothing. And as for a defensive-minded centreman to replace, say, Dave
Bolland — he of the ankle-tendon injury more than four months into the
healing — well, Nonis said he considered it and decided against it.
Making a deal for a deal’s sake just wasn’t in the plan. And the kind of
improvement this team is seeking, Nonis said, will be better addressed in the
off-season, starting around the June draft.
“A lot of managers, really, that’s what they were saying, is that, ‘We’re not
prepared to make that trade today. We may be prepared to make it in June,’ ”
Nonis said.
Nonis concluded that the status quo was the way to go, flaws and all. And so
this is still a boom-and-bust team, a score-or-suffer entity. The owners of the
league’s fourth-best power-play unit also ice the third-worst penalty kill. And
for all their man-advantage dangerousness, on Wednesday in New York the
Leafs allowed two short-handed goals on the same power play for the
second time in four games.
This is still a team that never looks comfortable with a lead — the team that
authored an epic collapse in Boston allowed its league-leading 20th
game-tying third-period goal on Wednesday, when the Rangers came from
2-0 down to equalize at 2-2 in the final frame before the Leafs won it 3-2 in
overtime.
Still, this is also a team on pace to possibly defy an historic standard for
playoff worthiness. Never before in the post-1967-expansion era has a team
made the post-season with a shots-on-goal differential worse than minus-8.
The Leafs were still averaging 8.4 fewer shots a game than their opponents
heading into Wednesday’s game. They were also giving up a league-high 36
shots a night, relying far too heavily on one line and one goaltender, possibly
taking certain opponents too lightly.
Preparation, Nonis said, has sometimes lacked.
“I think it’s great to have that feeling that you can win every night. But you
have to prepare for it, too,” he said. “It gets more difficult (from here). It
doesn’t make any sense that it does, but it does. These last games are
harder to win. And everyone is competing hard. Even teams who are out of
the playoffs compete harder down the stretch. If we’re not prepared to up our
compete level, we’re going to have a tough time.”
Such was Nonis’s overriding message to his team: He’s a believer, but only
temporarily so. Change might not have made sense on Wednesday. But
barring an unexpectedly spectacular playoff run, change will be in the offing
soon.
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Toronto Maple Leafs
St. Louis made it to New York in time to suit up against the Leafs.
Despite themselves, Maple Leafs edge Rangers in OT
“There were a lot of emotions today,” said St. Louis after the game. “This is
an opportunity for me to play on a big-market team and it’s going to be a
challenge.
By: Kevin McGran Sports Reporter, Published on Wed Mar 05 2014
“I’ve always felt if I was going to leave Tampa, the first place I’d want to play
would be in New York.”
He got a big cheer from his new fans.
NEW YORK—For better or worse, the Maple Leafs that took to the ice
Wednesday night are the Maple Leafs that will attempt to make the playoffs.
At times, they are all about jaw-dropping offence. Often, they are about
suspect defence. All the time, they are about goaltending.
All three were in evidence Wednesday night in Toronto’s 3-2 overtime win
over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Tyler Bozak had two goals — one on a penalty shot and then the winner in
OT — and Nazem Kadri added a third period marker.
The Leafs, again, looked like a team that doesn’t know what to do with the
puck in their own zone, and were outshot 37-29. And a team that suddenly
can’t get a power play goal has no trouble getting scored on when the other
team is short-handed.
Starting goalie Jonathan Bernier again saved the team’s bacon for the Leafs’
first win since the Olympic break.
It was the type of game that drives coaches crazy.
“And grey, and bald . . . all of the above,” said Leafs coach Randy Carlyle.
Things were fine, with the Leafs coasting with a 2-0 lead, until Brad Richards
took a tripping penalty early in the third, giving the Leafs their first power play.
They promptly got scored on twice, on that same power play, just like in Long
Island a week ago.
First, Ryan McDonagh scored, his shot going well wide until it deflected off
Dion Phaneuf’s skate and into the net behind Bernier.
Then Dominic Moore, jumping on a giveaway by Phil Kessel at the Rangers’
blue line, scored off the rush to enliven a Madison Square Garden crowd the
Leafs had kept quiet to that point.
“We have to look at it as two points that are huge right now,” said Carlyle. “It
doesn’t look that way right now, because you’re so frustrated about the way it
went. But it will show in the standings as two points, and you move on.
Leaf goalie Jonathan Bernier talks about OT win over Rangers and NHL
trade deadline
“Points are at a premium now. We’ve got to find a way to keep getting some.
We’re going to have to play better than we did (Wednesday night).”
The win put the Leafs into third in the Atlantic, one point up on Tampa. But
don’t get too excited — the Lightning have two games in hand and the Leafs
far too often find ways to be their own worst enemy.
“That was tough tonight,” said Bozak. “That was a bounce that’s not going to
happen, off Dion’s leg and into the net. Nothing we can do about that one,
just have to play well on the power play. We played well for the most part.
made better decisions, just got lackadaisical for a bit.”
Toronto has given up third-period leads 20 times — most in the NHL. Bernier
was asked what he thought the Leafs had to do to hold leads.
“Work on our power play, I guess,” Bernier joked. “We played 58 minutes of
great hockey. We have to bear down. Especially when we have a 2-0 lead.
Make sure we make the right play and the smart play. We have to learn from
it.”
No doubt some fans were hoping the Leafs might have added some
defensive help on trade deadline day, but general manager Dave Nonis
declined to make such a trade.
“It’s great,” said Bernier. “It means they have faith in us. We feel we have a
pretty good group in here.”
While the Leafs’ roster remained intact, the same couldn’t be said of the
Rangers, who pulled Ryan Callahan off the ice early at the morning skate to
inform him he’d been traded to Tampa Bay for 38-year-old sniper Martin St.
Louis.
“It’s been a long 24 hours for him,” said Richards, St. Louis’s centre with the
Rangers as he had been years ago with the Lightning. “We are trying to talk
our way through it and get used to each other. You will see better chemistry
as we go.”
It was a strange atmosphere in which to prepare for a game — New York’s
captain traded and Tampa’s captain hopping on a plane to try to get to New
York.
“I think it’s crazy we’re playing on trade deadline day,” said Carlyle. “I think it
should be a dark day in the NHL. It would be a lot easier on the people
involved. It doesn’t make any sense from my perspective. Why not just have
one day? It would be easier. If they have to start the season one day earlier,
or extend the season by one day, it would make sense.”
730898
Toronto Maple Leafs
Leafs call up Peter Holland and Carter Ashton
By Lance Hornby,Toronto Sun
NEW YORK - Should the Maple Leafs have made a depth move at the
deadline?
Carter Ashton and Peter Holland will get the first chance to prove that there
are internal resources to fill any gaps. Both forwards were called back from
the Marlies for Wednesday’s game against the Rangers, becoming two of the
four recalls the Leafs are permitted between now and the end of the regular
season.
“We’re like anybody else, trying to find a way to inject youth into our lineup,”
coach Randy Carlyle said. “Young players take different paths and different
amounts of time to get comfortable at the National Hockey League level.
When Carter goes to the AHL he stands out (a hat trick on Sunday) and the
same for Peter.
“We knew these players would be coming back here. Now we look for them
to take the next step, make a contribution. They’re big guys, they can play the
game at a high level, they’re NHL-quality, they’re going to get more of an
opportunity going forward.”
Carlyle noted that both are former 2009 first-rounders, Ashton with Tampa
Bay, Holland with Anaheim.
“It’s a process,” said Ashton, who has been up and down from the Marlies
four times now. “My goal is to play in the NHL, so when I’ve gone down, I
want to do all the little things right and get my opportunity.”
If the Leafs make the playoffs, the CBA permits three call-ups at any time,
unless four are already up, in which case they can stay the duration.
Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.06.2014
730899
Toronto Maple Leafs
Maple Leafs coach Carlyle no fan of deadline-day games
Randy Carlyle wouldn’t have minded a little bad weather, baggage problem
or paperwork issue to have kept Martin St. Louis’s flight grounded in Tampa
Bay for Wednesday’s game in New York.
But the Leafs coach did sympathize that the Rangers had to prepare for a big
game with an important new addition spending the morning on a two-hour
flight.
“Personally, I think it’s crazy we’re playing on trade deadline day,” Carlyle
said. “But that’s just my opinion. It should be a dark day on the NHL
(schedule), because it would be easier on people involved.
“It doesn’t make any sense. Why not have just one day (dedicated to trades)?
If you have to extend the season one day later or start it one day earlier, it
would just make more sense.”
Carlyle was surprised by the magnitude of the Rangers — Lightning trade,
St. Louis for Ryan Callahan.
“You have two players who were faces of their franchises exchanging
places,” he said. “It’s a changing of the guard. It’s all part of the business side
of hockey and it can be cruel at times.
“But we know the Rangers are going to come at us with an aggressive
forechecking style. It doesn’t matter if Marty is there or not.”
Leafs get check-up
Centre David Bolland was not with the Leafs in New York, spending Tuesday
at a specialist’s office in Carolina where his surgically repaired ankle tendon
was examined.
“Basically we were told to stay the course we have in place,” Carlyle said.
Winger Colton Orr stayed in Toronto where his lower body injury has
sidelined him the past few games. Defenceman Dion Phaneuf took a
“maintenance day” in Carlyle’s words, but the absence of the Leaf captain
when two others with a C were traded for each other raised some eyebrows
before the 3 p.m. all-clear sounded.
“As we’ve stated throughout the course of the last 20 games, we’re going to
rest people to make sure they’re healed,” Carlyle said. “Most important, it’s
that they’re ready to play.”
Square deal for Rangers
The Rangers started the season with nine road games in their first 10 starts,
as ongoing $1 billion in renovations continued at Madison Square Gardens.
They won four of those and will finish with 12 of their final 19 on the road after
playing the Leafs.
“The beginning of the season was a little tough on us, but I think it made us
stronger for doing that,” said forward Dominic Moore. “We’ve kept our minds
on improving, win or lose. We’ve made strides coming together as a group
the past couple of months. We have to peak at the right time, we just have to
keep the pedal down.”
Loose Leafs
Before Wednesday’s games, three ex-Leafs were in the top 20 of NHL
shooting percentage. Alex Steen was eighth (17.8), Mikhail Grabovski ninth
(17.6) an Clarke MacArthur 17th (16.2) ... Former NHLer Anson Carter, now
an entertainment promoter, dropped by the Leaf room to say hello to Nazem
Kadri. The young centre said Carter was helpful last year with advice on his
contract negotiation. Ironic that Carter should appear on deadline day when
he was often rumoured to be coming to the hometown Leafs in his playing
days ... Kadri spoke of his slump, two assists in six games prior to
Wednesday, as being a case of one game where one goal can change his
fortunes ... The Rangers have eight players from Ontario. “I love that,”
Toronto-born ex-Leaf Moore said. “It’s great playing with guys you kind of
share that bond with. I have fond memories of playing for the team I grew up
cheering for.”
730900
Toronto Maple Leafs
Maple Leafs won't have easy time on road to playoffs
By Terry Koshan,Toronto Sun
First posted: Thursday, March 06, 2014 12:35 AM EST | Updated: Thursday,
March 06, 2014 12:41 AM EST
Buckle up, Maple Leafs fans.
The road to the Stanley Cup playoffs isn’t about to get any more smooth.
That became fact on Wednesday when general manager David Nonis
decided to take all of his irons out of the fire and stand pat as the National
Hockey League’s trade deadline came and went.
Not that Nonis, who had his eyes peeled for a centre and a defenceman,
could have added a player who was going to arrive and be a major influence.
That would have meant giving up part of the future, and if it was Morgan
Rielly, Jake Gardiner or Nazem Kadri leaving, it would have been a mistake.
Growing pains are part of any youngster’s development, and each has the
tools to be an effective NHL player for years.
So Nonis and coach Randy Carlyle will grit their teeth, along with the rest of
the front office and coaching staff, and hope that this club can survive long
enough to secure a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.
It’s a nightly adventure behind the blue line, where the Leafs just don’t have
the means to clamp down consistently.
Not that further proof was needed, but there were the Leafs on Wednesday
night against the New York Rangers allowing two short-handed goals on the
same power play for the second time in less than a week.
Of course, one could point out that the Leafs didn’t allow a goal at
even-strength versus the Rangers and wound up winning 3-2 in overtime.
The Leafs are keeping their fingers crossed that Dave Bolland will make an
impact when he returns from an ankle injury, even though no one is sure
when that might be.
And they’re of the belief that this team is good enough to do some damage in
the playoffs.
It’s not going to be easy. Little comes easy to the Leafs. But giving up youth
on Wednesday to try to amend that wouldn’t have done much for the
long-term growth of the organization.
POINT SHOTS
The Leafs catch plenty of flak for their poor defensive play, but it should be
noted that Phil Kessel was able to draw both Rangers defencemen — Dan
Girardi and Ryan McDonagh, a pair of reliable veterans — behind the net
before setting up Tyler Bozak for the winner. It’s not just the Leafs who
encounter defensive problems ... Bozak’s seven shots on goal were a
personal career high for one game. On several other occasions, Bozak had
six shots on goal in one game. What’s more, the overtime goal was Bozak’s
first in the NHL, as was his second-period score on a penalty shot, which was
awarded after he was impeded by Rangers defenceman John Moore ... The
Leafs were flying early, and not in a good way. Ex-Leaf Anton Stralman
bowled over David Clarkson with an open-ice hit. Later, Benoit Pouliot
stepped into Nazem Kadri ... Nikolai Kulemin did all the work on Kadri’s goal.
He got the puck off Stralman and circled in front, where he waited long
enough to get a clear shot at goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Kadri was parked
to the left of Lundqvist and slapped Kulemin’s rebound into the net ... When
the Leafs allowed the tying goal in the third period, it was the 20th time this
season that happened, the most in the NHL ... What’s bigger? The chip on
Martin St. Louis’ shoulder or his heart? St. Louis is a hell of a player. But
there’s no way around the idea that his departure from Tampa Bay, and the
manner in which it happened, will take some shine off his reputation. St.
Louis didn’t demonstrate the qualities that any great captain should have
when he engineered his trade out of Tampa Bay.
FROM THE HASH MARKS
Not surprisingly, Nonis hinted that 19-year-old Rielly was the target in most of
his conversations with his fellow general managers, saying that it would have
been easy to trade Rielly, except that “it did not make sense to us.” It’s
difficult to envision any scenario in which it would make sense to trade Rielly.
All of those general managers who wanted the 2012 first rounder see the
same potential in him that the Leafs do. Rielly will be patrolling the Leafs blue
line, and doing it well, we presume, long after most of his teammates are
gone. We get that Nonis has to consider everything trade-wise if the belief is
that it makes the team better, but Rielly should be considered as close to an
untouchable as management is willing to allow ... Also smart on Nonis’ part:
Keeping goaltender James Reimer. There’s no definitive answer if Jonathan
Bernier gets hurt and Reimer was playing for another team ... St. Louis’ first
game as a Ranger was not noteworthy. He played 20 minutes 11 seconds,
registering three shots on goal, but no points ... We’re in agreement with
Carlyle, who told reporters in the morning that scheduling games on trade
deadline day is not right. Why put players such as St. Louis in stress mode as
they rush to join their new teams? ... The Leafs, for now, have held on to their
six picks in the 2014 NHL draft, taking place in Philadelphia the weekend of
June 27. They have their first-rounder, but do not have a second-round pick.
Once Peter Holland played in his 25th game for the Leafs, which happened in
January, the third-round pick the Leafs sent to Anaheim in November to get
Holland became a second-rounder.
730901
Toronto Maple Leafs
For a while on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, it appeared
Kadri, Lupul and Clarkson were starting to answer the bell.
Leafs' Kadri, Lupul and Clarkson need to step up
Both Lupul and Clarkson had quality chances that were stopped by the
Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist before Kadri scored his 16th of the season to put
the Leafs up 2-0 early in the third. It was Kadri’s first goal in seven games.
By Mike Zeisberger,Toronto Sun
Lupul, meanwhile, did not hit the scoresheet and has just 36 points in 55
games. And Clarkson? He remains stuck on four goals. That says it all.
After subsequently allowing two short-handed goals that knotted the game
2-2, Kessel and Bozak combined for the overtime winner in a 3-2 Leafs
victory.
Some 340 days ago, Nazem Kadri received The Smooch Seen Around The
Country.
Once again, the Leafs relied on the Kessels, the Bozaks and the JVRs for the
win.
Kadri and teammate Joffrey Lupul had each just recorded four-point
performances in a 4-0 whitewash of the host Ottawa Senators when Don
Cherry busted into the Maple Leafs dressing room to fetch the young
forward.
It’s time Kadri, Lupul and Clarkson help them out more.
Minutes later, there was Kadri on national TV, getting a kiss from Grapes as if
he was a modern day Doug Gilmour.
Up in the Maple Leafs management box, team officials hoped that the
outstanding showings that had just been turned in by Kadri and Lupul on that
memorable March 30 evening in the nation’s capital were signs of a bright
future for a franchise attempting to make its first post-season appearance
since 2004.
Three months later, general manager David Nonis inked free agent David
Clarkson to a seven-year, $36.75-million US pact. And while loyal Toronto
fans are alarmed at the lack of production from the Minico native — and
rightly so — very few of them were bitching at the time of the signing,
encouraged that the Toronto brass was being pro-active.
Nazem Kadri. Joffrey Lupul. David Clarkson. Entering training camp, these
were the players who were going to provide the offensive depth for a team
that already sported one of the NHL’s top lines in Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak
and James van Riemsdyk.
To date, Kessel, Bozak and JVR have been as advertised, if not more.
Kadri, Lupul and Clarkson? Not so much.
And that has to change in a hurry if the Leafs hope to qualify for their second
consecutive appearance in the NHL’s annual Stanley Cup tournament.
By standing pat as the NHL’s much-ballyhooed trade deadline came and
went at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nonis was, in a sense, giving the players in
his dressing room a vote of confidence rather than giving up future assets for
immediate return.
Such inactivity was a tough pill to swallow for many in Leafs Nation, who
quickly pointed out how most of the Eastern Conference teams the Leafs are
battling for a post-season berth had bolstered their rosters.
To that end, they have a point.
The rival Montreal Canadiens pulled off the shock of deadline day by picking
up sniper Thomas Vanek while the Sens stoked their offence by acquiring
Ales Hemsky. The Rangers added defending scoring champion Martin St.
Louis while the Tampa Bay Lightning, his former team, picked up Ryan
Callahan in return and will welcome Steven Stamkos back Thursday after a
four-month absence with a broken leg.
The Washington Capitals brought in goalie Jaroslav Halak. Longtime
Nashville Predator David Legwand is now a Red Wing. You get the picture.
Still, while those around him were strengthening themselves for the
post-season push, Nonis wasn’t going to play follow the leader.
“That’s like trying to keep up with the Joneses,” Nonis said. “But if it’s not
going to help you, then why do it? To make a deal that’s going to set you back
because someone else has made a deal, that’s not a prudent way to build
your team.”
According to various reports, the Leafs were in on the Vanek talks, but could
not get the Islanders to pick up part of his salary, which handcuffed a Toronto
team that is pretty much up against the cap.
“I think the group as it is has a chance,” Nonis said of his roster. “I was
prepared to let them play the last 19 games and see how we do.”
Or they’ll be kissing a potential playoff spot goodbye.
730902
Toronto Maple Leafs
Tyler Bozak scores two as Maple Leafs beat Rangers
plane touched down was met with applause and he was in on some early
chances with linemates Richards and Carl Hagelin. Before leaving Tampa,
St. Louis posted a letter to fans and media.
“Today is a bittersweet day for me,” it read in part. “I am sad that this chapter
of my career is over. I have had 14 wonderful years in Tampa. I know many of
you are disappointed with me for my decision to want to leave.
Thursday, March 06, 2014 12:07 AM EST
“I would rather not discuss what brought me to that decision, but in the end
the years.”
NEW YORK - The Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning made a bold trade on
deadline day, but it was the stand-pat Maple Leafs who gained ground in the
standings.
The irony in captain Callahan being traded was his ties to the last Ranger
wearing the C who was dealt. In 2003, they sent Mark Messier’s rights to the
San Jose Sharks for a fourth rounder who eventually became Callahan.
After coming perilously close to blowing a two-goal third-period lead at
Madison Square Garden, thanks again to their toxic power play’s penchant
for short-handed goals, they ended up spoiling Martin St. Louis’s Broadway
debut.
Carlyle used seven defencemen on Wednesday, using Peter Holland, sitting
Carter Ashton, all while awaiting David Bolland’s return. He’ll have to work
with what he has after the Leafs listened but did not act by 3 p.m. “Trade
deadlines come and go and over the years,” Carlyle said. “I’ve learned you
don’t have high expectations, you don’t change a lot of your group.”
Tyler Bozak’s second of the night came in overtime, after he’d beaten Henrik
Lundqvist on a penalty shot, giving Toronto a 3-2 win, its first since the
Olympic break. The Leafs passed the Lightning by a point to escape
wild-card country for at least one night and moved four up on the Rangers.
“It doesn’t feel so good right now, but tomorrow in the standings it will show
two points,” said coach Randy Carlyle.
He paced the bench looking to throttle someone as the Rangers scored twice
with Brad Richards in the box to erase the hard-earned Leafs lead.
“(A coach turns) grey, bald, old ... all of the above,” Carlyle said. “But late in
the third period, we got the puck deep and played a grind game. Points are at
a premium now. We need that before we go out on the road (for five of the
next six).”
Toronto looked fine after Nazem Kadri came out of a scoring funk to bury a
Nikolai Kulemin rebound early the third and drew the Nash penalty. But then
came a Ryan McDonagh double deflection that ramped up off a Leaf stick
and banked in off Dion Phaneuf, who was well out of Jonathan Bernier’s line
of sight. Not Phaneuf’s fault, but the whole unit had been stuck in its own end.
Phaneuf took a hard tumble into the boards later in the third and after
finishing the game gingerly, spent much time in the trainer’s room.
With Toronto trying to shake that off , Phil Kessel tried to force a pass through
about three Rangers, with Derek Stepan picking it off. He set up ex-Leaf
Dominic Moore for a breakaway and in a New York minute, the dead building
was on its feet. It was the second time in four games the Leafs had given up
short-handed goals on the same minor and dropped them to a league worst
10 against overall.
“Yeah, Randy definitely let us know how he felt,” Kadri said. “It sucks to give
up two when you’re on the power play, but our power play has been clutch for
us all year and we’ve been in the top five in the league. And Bernie kept us
in.”
Bernier made 35 saves in all, with Kessel redeeming himself by digging the
puck out to an uncovered Bozak at 1:51 of extra time.
“We have to work on our power play, I guess” joked the diplomatic Bernier.
“But I thought we played a good game and the guys let me see the puck.
“We would’ve liked the extra point, but if you look at what’s happened (four
one-goal results post-Sochi), they’re all going to be tight games the rest of
the way.”
The Leafs had only five shots in the second period, but one of them was
Bozak’s penalty shot.
Following some tense moments when Bernier lost his stick, James van
Riemsdyk sent Bozak away with a stretch pass. Defenceman John Moore
hooked Bozak enough for a freebie, in which Bozak weaved in slowly and
buried between Lundqvist’s pads. Lundqvist had better luck with video review
after referee Dean Morton signalled goal when Jake Gardiner’s drive
appeared to have gone in and out. It in fact brushed the knob of Lundqvist’s
stick, struck the crossbar and post.
The MSG crowd wasn’t sure how to digest the day’s big news, except to note
Callahan merchandise was taken off display cases around the building and
he appeared to be edited out of the club’s pre-game highlights video. St.
Louis’s appearance in the Rangers’ entry tunnel a couple of hours after his
BOZAK MAGIC ON THE PENALTY SHOT
Chances are Tyler Bozak and Henrik Lundqvist have never heard of Steve
(The Puck Goes Inski) Buzinski.
But the not-so-famous Rangers goaltender was the last to allow a penalty
shot goal by the Maple Leafs, at an earlier incarnation of Madison Square
Garden. Almost 72 years after Bud Poile (father of the Nashville GM) beat
Buzinski, Bozak weaved in and went five-hole on Lundqvist. Add that to
Bozak’s excellent mark of 11 goals on 19 shootout attempts this year.
“It’s just something I’ve had success with,” said Bozak, who had the rare daily
double of a penalty shot and overtime goal on Wednesday. “I’ve got
confidence with it and it’s just been going in. Who knows how long it will last?
I’m just going to enjoy it.
“I usually just kind of come in (slow) and take a look, more likely to shoot than
deke, but I saw an opening.”
Bozak continues to keep pace with his higher profile wingers, Phil Kessel and
James van Riemsdyk. Kessel assisted on the game winner and van
Riemsdyk created the breakaway that resulted in Bozak’s penalty shot call.
But both Americans also had awful giveaways, while Bozak won seven of his
first eight faceoffs and was 18 of 33 overall, staying in the much improved
55% to 60% of the past four games.
“It wasn’t the best start for me at the beginning of the year,” Bozak said of his
work in the dots. “I’m doing pretty much all the same things. I’ve just focused
on it a little more. During the break I realized I wasn’t doing well. Sometimes
(faceoff wins) are the difference of a second or half second better than the
other guy.
Some nights it’s the benefit of the doubt of the guys upstairs (keeping stats).”
730903
Toronto Maple Leafs
No help on the way for Leafs, it's all on them now
By Rob Longley,Toronto Sun
old pal Brian Burke last January, the team isn’t going for broke while it’s still
building.
“If you look at today, the vast majority of trades were rentals and that’s kind of
what the deadline has turned into, which is fine,” Nonis said. “But I just didn’t
think that (the asking prices), reflected value. We would have been hurting
ourselves long term and we weren’t prepared to do that.
“Either the rental prices were too expensive or we feel we have players in
those spots right now that can do the same thing. Why pay the price for
nothing?”
BOLLAND WON’T BE RUSHED BACK
There are no new players to fuel the playoff push, but Maple Leafs general
manager Dave Nonis still has hope.
With no new deadline day acquisition to boost the roster, the Leafs are
looking to within for some help.
Hope that his inconsistent team will rediscover the form that piled up points
before the Olympic break interrupted that run of success.
Welcome back, David Bolland?
Hope that the supposedly imminent return of injured centre Dave Bolland is
in fact near and that the centre can quickly summon the impactful role that
helped the Leafs to such a strong October-November start.
The question mark is appropriate as Bolland’s return from a tendon injury
near his ankle suffered in early November is still in some doubt. The team
had hoped the centre would be back in the lineup after the Olympic break, but
four games later, the Mimico native is still recovering.
And hope that come April, the team can find lightning in a bottle should it
maintain its spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture over the final 19
games of the season.
“It’s going to take however long it takes,” Leafs general manager Dave Nonis
said on Wednesday. “I’m hopeful and confident he will be back this year, but
he has got to get over that hump.”
While there were nibbles and phone calls on Wednesday and in the GM’s
words, an opportunity to “make a splash,” the day ended with Nonis resisting
the temptation to tinker.
While there was a hope that Bolland would be back by now — or available for
next week’s California road trip — Nonis said the former Chicago Blackhawk
won’t be rushed.
In other words, if he couldn’t get better, Nonis sure wasn’t going to make his
team worse.
“The injury was significant and there’s a fair bit of healing and scar tissue and
strengthening that needs to go on,” Nonis said. “If you’ve watched him
practise, most of the times you think he’s ready to go. But there’s certain
movements that are bothering him a little bit and that’s just the strengthening
of those muscles that were severed.”
What’s left, then, is the potentially misguided faith that those currently filling
the Leafs roster — plus Bolland — can tighten up, add secondary scoring
and secure a second consecutive trip to the post season.
“Now it’s up to the group to play the level that we saw pre-Olympic break,”
Nonis said on Wednesday when asked to evaluate the Leafs’ playoff
prospects now that deadline day didn’t enhance them. “If we do, we should
be fine and if we don’t ... we’re going to have some difficulties.
“We went through a very good stretch before the break. When you go
through a stretch that’s that long, when you play that well, it’s not just a flash.
You’ve seen them do it. We’ve had some stretches where we’ve been very,
very good and we’ve had some stretches where we haven’t been good
enough.”
The most recent “not good enough” phase included the three-game losing
streak prior to Wednesday’s contest vs. the New York Rangers at Madison
Square Garden.
In each of those defeats, the defensive struggles that have plagued the team
were in evidence. Most of the season, coach Randy Carlyle has been at wit’s
end to shore up those efforts and you can be sure that Nonis at least
investigated acquiring some help.
But the fact that he was unable (or unwilling) to make a move more than likely
had to do with who was available and at what cost rather than a commitment
to standing pat.
The Leafs weren’t a Stanley Cup favourite entering the trade deadline and no
matter what Nonis would have accomplished on Wednesday, they wouldn’t
have been one exiting it, either. Having said that, the Leafs second-year
general manager sees no reason why the team couldn’t make a sustained
playoff run.
“I think that anybody who gets in the post-season now has a chance to win,”
Nonis said. “That’s the one thing that the (salary cap) has done. Are there
favourites? No question. Would I put ourselves in as a favourite? No.
“But I think you saw last year we were pretty close to moving on. You’ve seen
teams finish in the five, six, seven and eight hole the last couple years and do
very, very well. Getting in the playoffs gives everybody a chance. It never
used to be that way.”
Figuring that the Leafs could join the ranks of recent lower seeds making a
big run at the Cup, is a massive stretch at this point but it also speaks to
where the team is in its building process.
Meanwhile, Nonis isn’t overly fond of what he feels the trade deadline has
become. There may come a day where one key addition would be worth
parting with prospects, but as he has maintained since taking over from his
730904
Toronto Maple Leafs
Maple Leafs unwilling to try ‘to keep up with the Joneses’ at trade deadline
Michael Traikos | March 5, 2014 | Last Updated: Mar 5 6:57 PM ET
as Nazem Kadri, Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly to take the next steps in
their development.
But mostly, they will be patient. As Nonis said, the window is not closing.
Aside from Bolland and a few other spare parts, the core of this team is under
contract for next season. That does not mean everyone will be back. But the
Leafs can live with a playoff experience that does not go further than the first
round if the team shows signs of growth.
If not, that’s what the off-season is for.
With no reinforcements on the way, the Maple Leafs will count on young
players such as Nazem Kadri, pictured, Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly to
take the next steps in their development.
Not good enough to be buyers. Not bad enough to be sellers.
That was the position Dave Nonis found himself in during Wednesday’s trade
deadline, which was more of a waste of time than anything for the Toronto
Maple Leafs general manager.
Nonis headed into the day prepared to do nothing. And that’s the way he left
it, confident that the prices for rental players were either too high or the
returns would not have enough impact to change the identity of a possible
playoff team that is still struggling with consistency. It was a cautious — and
yet risky — approach for a GM whose team entered Wednesday night’s
game against the New York Rangers with the fifth-best record in the Eastern
Conference, but was clinging to a four-point lead on a playoff spot.
“That’s kind of the challenge you face,” Nonis said in a news conference
shortly after the 3 p.m. deadline. “I didn’t want to sell to get draft picks, and I
didn’t think we should be expending high picks for rentals. I think the group,
as it is, has a chance, and I was prepared to play the last 19 games and see
how we do.”
While the Leafs held steady, other teams around them in the standings were
unafraid to make changes, although in some cases it was unclear whether or
not it was an improvement. The Lightning and Rangers swapped captains;
Montreal added Thomas Vanek; Ottawa acquired Ales Hemsky; David
Legwand went to Detroit.
The Leafs, meanwhile, are the same team that has relied on a cocktail of
superb goaltending, unbalanced scoring and luck to get where they are this
season. On some nights, they have looked like world-beaters capable of
winning a round or two in the playoffs. On others, they look like a house of
cards about to collapse.
The question is: which team will show up for this final stretch? The team that
went 11-5-0 to start the season, or the team that won twice in regulation in
November or the team that went 11-2-1 before the Olympic break?
Even Nonis is unsure, which might also have been why he was not willing to
make a move.
“Our team, as you know, we’ve been up and down,” he said. “We’ve had
some stretches where we’ve been very good and some stretches where we
haven’t been good enough. Now it’s up to the group to play the level we saw
pre-Olympic break. And if we do, we should be fine. If we don’t we’re going to
have some difficulties.
“It’s not a bad team. We have a good core group. We’re still very young, I
think we’re top five in terms of the youngest teams in the league. So the
players we’ve been giving some time to, we need to get some more [out of
them] and see what they can do.”
If it sounds like a long-term plan, it is. The Leafs could have used help on
defence and, with Dave Bolland still out, some depth at centre. But the right
options just weren’t there.
The price for Vancouver’s Ryan Kesler — believed to be a top-six forward, a
top-end prospect and first-round pick — was too high. The defencemen who
were available (Mike Weaver went to Montreal, while Nick Schultz went to
Columbus) were not considered upgrades over what Toronto already has.
I think any team that gets into the post-season now has a chance to win.
That’s what the cap has done
“It’s like trying to keep up with the Joneses,” Nonis said. “If it’s not going to
help you, then why do it?”
And so, the Leafs will hope that Bolland returns from an injury that has kept
him out of the lineup for more than four months, and they will cross their
fingers that no one else gets hurt, and they will count on young players such
“I think any team that gets into the post-season now has a chance to win.
That’s what the cap has done,” Nonis said. “Are there favourites? No
question. Would I put ourselves in as a favourite? No.
“I think you saw last year we were pretty close to moving on. We’ve seen
teams finish in the five, six, seven hole and do very well.”
In other words, check back in six weeks to see if this team is good enough.
National Post LOADED: 03.06.2014
730905
Toronto Maple Leafs
Tyler Bozak plays hero as Maple Leafs stop Rangers in overtime
Ira Podell, Associated Press | March 5, 2014 | Last Updated: Mar 5 10:44 PM
ET
NEW YORK — Tyler Bozak scored on a penalty shot and then got the
winning goal 1:51 into overtime to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-2 victory
over the Rangers on Wednesday night, spoiling the New York debut of Martin
St. Louis.
Bozak got to a loose puck in front that bounced past Rangers defencemen
Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh and slammed a shot past Henrik Lundqvist
to snap the Maple Leafs’ three-game losing streak (0-1-2) and stretch New
York’s skid to three (0-2-1).
Toronto built a 2-0 lead on Bozak’s second-period goal and Nazem Kadri’s
tally in the third. The Rangers tied it on short-handed goals by McDonagh
and Dominic Moore 1:19 apart.
Lundqvist bounced back from two straight losses in which he gave up 10
goals, and finished with 26 saves. Toronto’s Jonathan Bernier had dropped
two straight after regulation — allowing nine goals in the process — before
sitting out Monday’s loss against Columbus. He stopped 35 shots.
The Rangers got even by scoring twice on the first power play they gave up in
two games.
McDonagh made it 2-1 at 5:34 with his 10th goal, and Moore tied it when he
finished a 2-on-1 rush with Derek Stepan. It was the second time in four
games Toronto allowed two short-handed goals on one power play.
It wasn’t enough to make St. Louis a winner in his first Rangers game.
St. Louis was acquired Wednesday morning from Tampa Bay in the rare
swap of team captains that sent New York’s Ryan Callahan to the Lightning.
St. Louis, whose jersey was flying off the racks in the team store at Madison
Square Garden before the game, got the chance to wear his own just hours
after being dealt.
Just after Toronto killed a power play that carried over from the first period,
James van Riemsdyk came out of the penalty box and sent Bozak in on a
breakaway. Rangers defenceman John Moore hounded him from behind
with his stick and prevented Bozak from getting a clean shot away. However,
Bozak was awarded with a penalty shot at 1:44.
Bozak skated in on Lundqvist, who came way out above his crease, and
found space between his pads to score his 13th goal of the season on his first
career penalty shot.
The Maple Leafs’ next best scoring chance didn’t register on the shot board
as defenceman Jake Gardiner’s drive struck the crossbar and then the right
post before bounding away. It was originally ruled a goal on the ice, but that
call was overturned by video replay.
Toronto managed only five shots in the second period, compared to nine for
New York.
The Maple Leafs doubled their lead at 2:00 of the third when Kadri steered in
the rebound of Nikolai Kulemin’s shot.
St. Louis got a nice ovation when he hopped over the boards for his first shift
38 seconds in, and created a surge of excitement when he fired a hard shot
on goal from the top edge of the left circle.
Bernier was sharp and stood tall following a handful of miscues by
teammates in front of him, stopping 12 shots in the first period.
Lundqvist was just as solid at the other end, denying all 11 Toronto shots that
came his way.
National Post LOADED: 03.06.2014
730906
Washington Capitals
Capitals acquire goaltender Jaroslav Halak, send Michal Neuvirth to Sabres
By Katie Carrera, Updated: March 5 at 3:52 pm
Updated 8:02 p.m.: PHILADELPHIA – After making one low-risk move to
bring in Dustin Penner and another separate, inevitable, one to part with
Martin Erat a day before the NHL’s trade deadline, Washington Capitals
General Manager George McPhee saved his most significant addition as the
3 p.m. buzzer struck Wednesday.
The Capitals acquired veteran goaltender Jaroslav Halak and a third-round
pick in 2015 from the Buffalo Sabres for home-grown netminder Michal
Neuvirth and defenseman Rostislav Klesla, who was part of Tuesday’s trade
to send the discontented Erat to Phoenix.
“I talked to [Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong] and he actually thinks
that Halak is better with more work,” McPhee said. “We play a system where
teams get probably more shots the way we play but most of them are from
the outside, we’ll allow those. In some ways that might be better for this
particular goaltender.”
Neuvirth, 25, had grown displeased with what amounted to a backup role
over the past two seasons as he appeared in a combined 26 games. Back in
December, Neuvirth’s agent publicly requested that the Capitals trade the
2006 second-round pick while the goaltender was serving as a regular
healthy scratch during Grubauer’s stint as starter.
This year, Neuvirth posted a 4-6-2 record with a .914 save percentage and
2.82 goals-against average but each time he had a chance to take control of
the starting spot an injury or illness slowed his progress. Over his six seasons
with the Capitals, Neuvirth amassed a 59-41-13 record with a .910 save
percentage and 2.67 goals-against average but never seemed to be the
organization’s first choice having to battle for ice time with Semyon
Varlamov, Tomas Vokoun, Holtby and then Grubauer.
He’ll get a fresh start in Buffalo.
Given the way Washington’s depth chart in net evolved over the course of the
season — from having a clear-cut starter at the outset in Braden Holtby to a
three-player tug-of-war between him, Neuvirth and prospect Philipp
Grubauer that left each of the organization’s goaltenders eager for more NHL
ice time, confidence or both — the team was rumored to be in the mix for a
goaltender.
he wants to be,” Sabres General Manager Tim Murray told reporters in
Buffalo Wednesday. “I think when he gets to feel some love again or
back. In saying get his game back, his stats are pretty good right now on a
good team but not a great team.”
When Halak entered the trade mill last week, when he was sent from St.
Louis to Buffalo as part of the Blues’ deal to land Ryan Miller on Feb. 28,
McPhee was intrigued.
Washington Post LOADED: 03.06.2014
“Your instincts tell you that’s something that might work,” McPhee said in a
phone interview. “You think about Michal Neuvirth not happy as a number
two and if you believe bringing in Halak upgrades the tandem and you start to
pursue it…. It upgrades our tandem and that’s what you’re trying to do at this
time of year.”
McPhee didn’t declare Halak, 28, the Capitals’ number one after the deal,
stating that both he and Holtby will get starts as the team pushes over the
final 20 games to reach the postseason for a seventh consecutive year.
But there’s certainly opportunity for the more experienced Halak, who is in his
eighth NHL season and will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, to
show he’s ready to be a team’s top option in net after spending the past three
seasons working in tandem with Brian Elliott in St. Louis.
“I think everything is open. At the end of the day goalies, like all players, need
to perform,” Halak’s agent Allan Walsh said in a phone interview. “Jaro’s
destiny is in his hands. He’s played so well in the past that he’s put some very
good goalies on the bench like [Montreal's] Carey Price and I think that Jaro
is looking to play the same way again.”
Halak, who will meet the team in Boston Thursday, needs no introduction to
Capitals fans or most of his new teammates.
His performance in the 2010 Eastern Conference quarterfinals was a large
reason why the Montreal Canadiens were able to knock off the Presidents’
Trophy-winning Capitals in seven games. It was that playoff elimination that
spurned the Capitals’ transition from a free-wheeling offensive team to one
trying to establish a more balanced identity — something they’ve yet to find
consistently under their third coach since that switch.
“I have great memories playing against them. Now I’m going to be their
teammate and try to do my best,” Halak told the Buffalo News before
departing the Sabres. “I know they have a lot of hockey left and they’re in a
playoff race. I’m going to try to do my best to help them get there.”
In 40 games with the Blues this season, Halak posted a 24-9-4 record with a
.917 save percentage and 2.23 goals-against average, which in line with his
career numbers (.917, 2.38) over 260 regular-season games. They’re better
than Holtby’s 2.94 GAA and .911 save percentage but one could look to the
team Halak has played for in aiding those statistics.
During Halak’s four years in St. Louis, the Blues have been one of the
stingiest defensive teams in the league. They’ve been ranked first or second
in fewest shots against each of those four seasons, never allowing more than
27.7 on average. This year the Capitals allow the fourth-most shots on goal
per game in the league at 33.4.
McPhee said he isn’t concerned about Halak making that transition.
730907
Washington Capitals
NHL trade deadline: Martin St. Louis to Rangers for Ryan Callahan, picks
By Katie Carrera, Updated: March 5 at 1:06 pm
>> Update: The Capitals acquired goaltender Jaroslav Halak — yes him —
and a third-round pick in 2015 from Buffalo in exchange for Michal Neuvirth
and defenseman Rostislav Klesla, who was part of the trade that sent Martin
Erat to Phoenix Tuesday. More on the deal here.
Capitals acquire Jaroslav Halak, send Michal Neuvirth to Buffalo
>> Update: We’ve reached 3 p.m. but that’s simply the deadline deals need
to be filed with the league. Trades are often announced in the next 60 to 90
minutes as the moves are finalized — take last year for example when Martin
Erat’s trade to the Capitals wasn’t announced for at least an hour after the
deadline.
Some of the trades that have trickled out since incluing Thomas Vanek
heading to Montreal from the Islanders, who receive prospect Sebastien
Collberg and a second-round pick, Matt Moulson and Cody McCormick to
Minnesota from Buffalo for Torrey Mitchell and Nashville sending David
Legwand to Detroit.
>> Update: Boston adds the defensive depth they were looking for in
acquiring Andrej Meszaros from Philadelphia, who already landed Andrew
MacDonald on Tuesday, for a third-round pick.
>> Update: Another goaltending swap as Tim Thomas heads to Dallas while
the Stars send Dan Ellis back to Florida.
>> Update: Columbus adds defenseman Nick Schultz from Edmonton for a
fifth-round pick.
>> Update: The New Jersey Devils, another team vying for a playoff spot
alongside the Caps, has acquired Tuomo Ruutu from the Carolina
Hurricanes for Andrei Loktionov and a conditional third-round pick in 2017.
>> Update: Pittsburgh added some forward depth acquiring Marcel Goc from
the Florida Panthers for a third-round pick in 2015 and fifth-round pick in
2014 according to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos.
>> Update: Marian Gaborik is on the move again. Metropolitan Division rival
Columbus, which jumped into the last wild card spot after a win Tuesday
night, has traded the right winger to Los Angeles for forward Matt Frattin, a
second-round pick and a conditional third-round pick. This will be the third
team Gaborik has played for in the last two seasons. More on the Blue
Jackets parting ways with Gaborik from the good folks at the Columbus Post
Dispatch here.
>> Update: The goaltender movement continues as Montreal adds depth
with Devan Dubnyk from Nashville for future considerations. Dubnyk started
the season with the Oilers then went to the Predators as part of the deal that
sent former Capital Matt Hendricks to Edmonton in January.
>> Update: After signing veteran defenseman Chris Phillips to a two-year,
$5 million extension Ottawa also landed pending unrestricted free agent Ales
Hemsky from Edmonton for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-round pick
in 2015.
>> Update: TSN’s Trade Center was the focal point of the visitors’ dressing
room as the Capitals came off the ice and every player wanted details of the
captain swap between the Lightning and Rangers.
Tampa Bay sent Martin St. Louis, who had requested to be traded earlier in
the season, to New York in exchange for pending unrestricted free agent
Ryan Callahan for a first-round pick in 2015 and a conditional second-round
pick in 2014. (If the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference finals the
second-round pick becomes a first-round choice in 2014.)
and help us in our quest to make the playoffs,” Lightning General Manager
Steve Yzerman said in a news release. “We’d like to thank Marty for
everything he has done on and off the ice during his outstanding 13-year
career in Tampa Bay. He has been one of the greatest players in the
organization’s history but in the end we honored his request today. We wish
him and his family the best of luck as he continues his career in New York.”
>> PHILADELPHIA – The Capitals recently wrapped up their skate at Wells
Fargo Center ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Flyers and after what
was an eventful trade-deadline eve for them and around the league.
Washington acquired Dustin Penner from Anaheim Tuesday afternoon in
exchange for the 2014 fourth-round pick that the Ducks sent to the Capitals
back in September as part of the Mathieu Perreault deal. Resident fancy
stats guru Neil Greenberg weighed in on the low-risk deal and believes
Penner is a steal for the Caps. Based on the line rushes in the morning skate,
Penner will make his Capitals debut as second-line left wing on a unit with
Marcus Johansson and Troy Brouwer.
Tuesday night, the Capitals finally parted ways with Martin Erat sending him
to Phoenix with prospect John Mitchell for veteran defenseman Rostislav
Klesla, prospect Chris Brown and a 2015 fourth-round pick. Both Klesla and
Brown were assigned the AHL’s Hershey Bears, though, leaving the Capitals
still without any clear defensive help.
Elsewhere around the league Tuesday, the biggest splash came as
Vancouver sent goaltender Roberto Luongo (along with prospect Steven
Anthony) back to the Florida Panthers for Jacob Markstrom and Shawn
Matthias ending a three-year saga with the Canucks’ depth chart in net.
Several goaltenders have been on the move ahead of Wednesday’s 3 p.m.
deadline. In addition to Luongo, Minnesota acquired Ilya Bryzgalov from
Edmonton for a 2014 fourth rounder; Edmonton picked up Viktor Fasth from
Anaheim for a fifth (2014) and third (2015) round pick and of course last week
St. Louis landed Ryan Miller along with Steve Ott from Buffalo in exchange
for Jaroslav Halak, Chris Stewart, forward prospect William Carrier and a
conditional first-round pick (2015).
Inexpensive defensive options also were on the move with Mike Weaver
going from Florida to Montreal for a fifth round pick in 2015, Anahiem flipped
the pick they received from the Capitals to acquire Stephane Robidas from
Dallas and Andrew MacDonald went from the Islanders to the Flyers for a
third-rounder in 2014, a second-rounder in 2015 and minor-league prospect
Matt Mangene. MacDonald is expected to suit up on a defensive pairing with
Luke Schenn tonight against the Caps.
Does General Manager George McPhee have another deal up his sleeve to
add defensive depth? We’ll find out in the next few hours.
730908
Washington Capitals
NHL trade deadline: Dustin Penner a steal for Caps
By Neil Greenberg, Updated: March 5 at 11:11 am
Acquiring Dustin Penner from the Anaheim Ducks for a fourth-round pick in
the 2014 NHL entry draft is a steal for the Washington Capitals. It gives them
a skater capable of playing top-six minutes while parking a 6-foot-4,
247-pound frame in front of the net — a skill that has been lacking this
season.
Among Washington’s forwards with at least 100 shots taken this season, only
Joel Ward has fired from a closer range during even strength.
That type of net presence will also help with the “dirty goals.” According to
Sporting Charts, Penner has almost as many tip-ins (10) and backhanded
shots (12) as the Capitals as a whole (12 for each), plus a high concentration
of his attempts are generated in and around the goal crease.
Penner should also help drive puck possession, which has been a problem
for Washington. Ignoring special teams and lead-protecting situations, the
Caps have taken 48.2 percent of the shots on goal — only Montreal, Calgary,
Philadelphia, Edmonton, Toronto and Buffalo are worse. The Ducks,
however, have outshot opponents 207 to 160 (56.4 percent) with Penner on
the ice. Only Eric Fehr comes closest to tilting the ice as much among
Washington’s forwards, and he still falls short with the team outshooting
opponents 220 to 212 (50.9 percent) in those same situations.
So what did Washington have to give up for this big-bodied,
possession-driving top-six forward? Not much: only a fourth-round pick in the
upcoming draft. Getting a bona-fide NHL player that late in the draft is always
a crapshoot. From 2007 to 2010, just 16 forwards drafted in the fourth round
have played 20 or more games, which is exactly how many Washington has
left in the 2013-14 season.
This trade did not address Washington’s most glaring need (left-handed
top-four defenseman) but it went a long way in improving a team that finds
itself on the outside of the current playoff picture.
730909
Washington Capitals
Capitals ‘sleeping’ against Flyers
By Katie Carrera, Updated: March 6 at 12:26 am
PHILADELPHIA – In the span of two games the Capitals have gone from
poised to pass the Flyers in the standings to four-points behind their I-95
rivals, who sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division. While
Philadelphia has moved up, the Capitals remain stuck a point outside the
Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Washington didn’t do much to remedy its predicament here Wednesday night
in a 6-4 loss. Listless for much of the first 40 minutes, the Capitals recorded
as many shots as their opponent scored goals in the opening 31 minutes 52
seconds, resulting in starter Braden Holtby being pulled from the net.
“It’s not acceptable, it’s not the way we want to play. We were sleeping the
first two periods. We were not even in this game,” Nicklas Backstrom said.
“We’re so lucky that we had a chance to win it or at least tie it up. I don’t know
what to say — it’s not good.”
Said Joel Ward: “Real disappointing … I don’t know what to say on the start,
just a couple of mistakes that we made obviously and they gained some
momentum from it. We know they usually come out hard, we just didn’t match
that intensity.”
Coming out flat in the early stages of a season is one thing, but with only 19
games remaining, putting forth that type of insufficient performance can cost
teams playoff berths.
With another tough game at Boson on Thursday night, the Capitals have little
choice but to move on from these ugly losses against the Flyers as quickly as
possible.
“I think we never have a good game after trade deadline. Maybe guys put
some pressure on themselves, thinking too much. But today at the start it
was not how we’re supposed to start the game,” Alex Ovechkin said.
“Everybody was kind of nervous, everybody look around at what happen with
the team but you know it’s over and tomorrow is a new day. We just have to
forget this game. I’m pretty sure lots of guys going to respond well and whole
team going to respond well and as captain I need to lead by example.”
That trade was set up by two previous deals Tuesday. Washington acquired
left wing Dustin Penner from the Anaheim Ducks for a fourth-round pick in
2014. It also dealt disgruntled forward Martin Erat and AHL forward John
Mitchell to the Phoenix Coyotes for defenseman Rostislav Klesla,
minor-leaguer Chris Brown and a fourth-round draft pick in 2015.
Penner, also an unrestricted free agent this summer, was expected to start
on the second line in Wednesday night’s game at the Philadelphia Flyers. He
was to play with center Marcus Johansson and right wing Troy Brouwer.
“Playing in the [Eastern Conference], I think, suits [Penner‘s] game a little bit
more,” Caps coach Adam Oates told reporters in Philadelphia prior to the
game. “He fits into our puzzle on the power play and he’s gonna get a lot of
chances to play. Hopefully it’ll work.”
Klesla was sent to Buffalo with Neuvirth in the Halak trade, which also netted
the Caps a third-round pick in 2015. Klesla’s acquisition and departure were
both financially motivated. With a $2.975 salary-cap hit, he had to be
included in the Erat deal to make it work for Phoenix, according to McPhee.
That prompted Washington to ask for Brown, a 23-year-old who led all AHL
rookies in goals last season with 29.
But the Caps needed to clear salary-cap space, too, if they wanted Halak and
to maintain financial flexibility. Klesla was assigned to AHL Hershey, but still
counted against their cap. They had $1.8 million in cap space after the Erat
trade. Halak’s cap hit is $3.75 million, but by ditching Klesla they are now
$2,136,540 below the NHL’s $64.3 million cap ceiling, according to the web
site CapGeek.com.
McPhee wouldn’t comment on the status of top prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov,
a Russian left wing whose contract in the KHL ends April 30. But if the Caps
do hope to sign Kuznetsov, a 2010 first-round draft

sport-scan daily brief

Transcription

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