This past week was a fairly quiet one around the hockey world with the NHL being shut down for three days. However, there were some notable events around the league over the past few days which are highlighted in our top stories of the week.
Oilers Add Defense: With Oscar Klefbom, Kris Russell, and Andrej Sekera all injured, Edmonton GM Peter Chiarelli decided to shake up his back end with a pair of trades. First, he acquired Alex Petrovic from Florida in exchange for Chris Wideman and a 2019 third-round pick. He’s only a couple of years removed from being an important part of Florida’s blueline but has been more of a depth player since then. After that, the Oilers picked up Brandon Manning and the rights to Robin Norell from Chicago in exchange for Drake Caggiula and Jason Garrison. Manning had indicated earlier that he’d be open to a move and he got his wish with this trade. Manning ($2.25MM) and Caggiula ($1.5MM) both have one year left on their contracts so the Oilers are adding a bit of salary beyond this season which is notable given their limited flexibility.
Key Defensemen Injuries: A pair of Central Division teams were dealt tough blows on the injury front. Wild defenseman Mathew Dumba will miss at least the next three months after undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured right pectoralis muscle. While there’s still a chance he could return in the final week or two of the season, it’s still a huge loss for Minnesota as he is one of their top rearguards while sitting second in the league for goals by a blueliner. Meanwhile, Winnipeg’s Dustin Byfuglien will miss at least a month with a left leg injury. Early indications are that he could be out longer but there won’t be an update until closer to the All-Star break. The veteran was quietly off to his highest point per game average of his career while averaging 24:30 per night.
Guentzel Extension: The Penguins have locked up one of their forwards for the long haul, signing Jake Guentzel to a five-year, $30MM extension. The 24-year-old is in the final year of his entry-level contract but is averaging close to a point-per-game this season in a breakout year. The deal will make him the fourth-highest paid forward in Pittsburgh behind Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel. That’s quite a salary level to get to for a player who hadn’t established himself in the league just two years ago. However, if he continues to produce at his current pace, the contract has the potential to be a bargain for the Penguins before too long.
Dallas CEO Sounds Off: The Stars have not had consistent performances from star forwards Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn and team CEO Jim Lites decided to send a very public message to voice his displeasure. What’s notable about this particular expletive-filled rant is that it wasn’t a spur of the moment event but rather a planned one as he had called in some team reporters in to make that statement. The NHLPA released a statement on Sunday condemning Lites’ comments, calling them “reckless and insulting”. It’s certainly going to be worth watching to see if this helps Seguin and Benn reach a higher level or if this could be an issue that gets bigger down the road.
Ottawa Injuries: This season has not been kind to the Senators when it comes to injuries and things just got a whole lot worse over the past seven days. Goalie Craig Anderson was diagnosed with a concussion and with Mike Condon in the minors (and injured), they’re now rolling with a tandem of AHL veteran Mike McKenna and youngster Marcus Hogberg, who made his NHL debut on Saturday. Meanwhile, the team will also be without top blueliner Thomas Chabot for roughly three weeks due to an upper-body injury. The 21-year-old is tied for second in the NHL in points by a defenseman and leaves a gaping hole on an Ottawa back end that isn’t particularly deep. The Senators are currently last in the Atlantic Division and these injuries won’t make it any easier to get out of there.
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