As expected, it was quite a busy week around the league with plenty of trades being made before the deadline. You can catch up on the moves made in our Eastern and Western Conference recaps. Here are five other key stories from around the hockey world.
Dell Signs Extension: Sharks goaltender Aaron Dell was viewed as one of their top trade chips heading into the trade deadline but he wound up staying put. One day later, he put pen to paper on a two-year, $3.8MM extension that will keep San Jose’s goaltending duo intact for the next two years. The Sharks will be spending a lot more on their masked men next season as the combined cap hits of Dell and Martin Jones will jump from $3.625MM to $7.625MM.
Two Canucks Out For The Year: The injury bug hasn’t been kind to Vancouver this season and that continued this past week. Winger Loui Eriksson suffered a fractured rib and is out for the season while winger Sven Baertschi separated his shoulder and he is also done for the year. It’s the second time this year that each will miss at least ten games. For perspective, eight other Canucks skaters have missed at least ten contests in 2017-18.
Hornqvist Extension: There is rarely a dull moment around the trade deadline when Jim Rutherford is around. After landing Derick Brassard in the days leading up to it, they struck again the day after the deadline by signing winger Patric Hornqvist to a five-year, $26.5MM extension. The 31-year-old has been a key and consistent part of their attack for each of the last four seasons and should crack the 20-goal mark for the fifth straight season and eighth out of the last nine. (The one season he didn’t do so was the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign.) The Penguins now have just over $70MM committed to 17 players for next season.
Bergeron Has Foot Fracture: Although he played in one game after being seen in a walking boot, Bruins center Patrice Bergeron has been shut down due to a fracture in his foot. He is set to be re-evaluated in two weeks but there is no firm timetable for his return. Bergeron has played an integral role in Boston’s success so far this season and has been hovering around the point-per-game mark all year. With the Bruins being safely in a playoff spot, they will at least be afforded the opportunity to be as patient as they need to be to make sure he’s fully recovered for the postseason.
CHL Considering Lifting Import Goalie Ban: One of the more controversial decisions the CHL had made in recent years was back in 2013 where it prevented its 60 teams from selecting European-born goaltenders in the annual Import Draft. Now, it appears that they are at least considering reversing that decision which could create some opportunities for the top draft-eligible junior netminders to cross the pond once again, something that would certainly appeal to NHL scouts.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.