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Calgary Flames Showing Interest In Joel Edmundson

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Despite their inconsistent goal-scoring, the Calgary Flames are reportedly looking to add on defense. The Flames, who have been quiet so far during a busy trade season, have shown interest in acquiring Montreal Canadiens defenseman Joel Edmundson, per TSN’s Pierre LeBrun on tonight’s edition of Insider Trading.

Edmundson, who the Canadiens acquired in a late-offseason trade in 2020, has seen his defensive play dip sharply after a solid first season in Montreal in 2020-21. The 29-year-old has dealt with significant injuries over the past two campaigns, limited to just 24 out of 82 games last season and 39 out of 60 games this year. With the Flames on the fringes of a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, general manager Brad Treliving is looking to Edmundson to help propel the team ahead of teams in the race, such as the Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild, and Seattle Kraken.

The Flames have had a publically disappointing season so far, with inconsistency plaguing a refreshed, star-studded roster. With the deadline rushing into view in just a few hours, the team sits five points behind the eighth-place Jets with no games in hand. Poor goal-scoring output and a sharp decline in production from Jonathan Huberdeau have robbed Calgary of a bonafide offensive superstar, something they had two of last season in Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk. Elias Lindholm has done his part, recording 51 points in 59 games despite losing his previous year’s linemates. A team save percentage far south of the .900 mark hasn’t helped, with Jacob Markstrom in the midst of his worst season since entering the NHL full-time in 2015.

Whether or not the Flames actually make a move to buy at the deadline likely hinges on the result of tonight’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. A loss tonight would leave them seven points out of a playoff spot, a tough deficit to make up in an average but tight Western Conference. Earlier reports suggested the Canadiens could receive a first-round pick in exchange for Edmundson, as he has one year after this left on his deal-making $3.5MM per season. With the defense market dried up and Calgary not in a position to part with such a significant asset, likely to be a top-16 pick, it could be an unwise gamble on the part of Treliving.

Anaheim Ducks Acquire Dylan Sikura

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The Anaheim Ducks have announced a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, acquiring forward Dylan Sikura in exchange for Max Golod.

Sikura will immediately report to the Ducks’ AHL affiliate San Diego Gulls, while Golod will report to the Blackhawks’ ECHL affiliate, Indy Fuel. In 52 games so far this season, Sikura has scored 14 goals and 32 points in the AHL. Much like their NHL affiliate, the Gulls’ season has been incredibly bleak, currently dwelling in the basement of the Pacific Division. Last season, Sikura scored over a point per game with the Colorado Eagles, so the Gulls are banking on him finding his scoring pace again.

Golod has spent the last three seasons split between the AHL and ECHL. It wasn’t until this year that he found his scoring touch, now scoring slightly over a point per game with the Tulsa Oilers. Transitioning now over to the Fuel, Golod will look to build on the most successful season of his professional career.

 

 

Deadline Notes: Trade Bait, Oilers, Bjork

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After a whirlwind start to the trade deadline, TSN has released a new and improved trade bait list leading up to the last day of action. Shortly thereafter, number seven on the list, Max Domi, appears headed to the Dallas Stars. Pending unrestricted free agents on the list include James van Riemsdyk, Dmitry Kulikov, and John Klingberg, among others. Notably, there are a couple of Vancouver Canucks still on the board, J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser, both with term remaining on their contract.

Although many contending teams have already improved, these players could still provide reasonable depth for a playoff pursuit. Because the activity leading up to the deadline has been hectic, many might think that tomorrow’s activity will not live up to recent years’ official deadline day. However, with the ensuing arms race seemingly across the entirety of the league, teams could still look to push themselves even further over the edge.

Other notes:

  • After adding Mattias Ekholm and Nick Bjugstad, Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic reports the Oilers appear finished with their deadline activity. Adding a bonafide top-four defenseman, as well as making their bottom six harder to play against, the Oilers addressed two large needs this trade deadline. Already employing the sport’s most dynamic duo in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, this looks to be the group the Oilers will take into the playoffs. After losing to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final last year, the door is wide open in the west for the Oilers to go to their first Stanley Cup Final since the 2005-06 season.
  • Earlier today, disgruntled forward Anders Bjork was traded by the Buffalo Sabres to the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations. As the future came to pass, both teams announced that forward Carson Gicewicz will be sent from the Rockford IceHogs to the Rochester Americans, thus completing the trade. In his second full season in the AHL, Gicewicz has scored six points in 43 games this year.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Christoffer Sedoff

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The Vegas Golden Knights have announced via a press release that the team has signed WHL defenseman Christoffer Sedoff, 21, to an entry-level contract.

The undrafted defenseman is in his third season for the Western Hockey League’s Red Deer Rebels. This season, Sedoff has scored 45 points (primarily assists) in 53 games, leading his team among defensemen. The native of Finland plays much like his fellow countrymen, mobile, and has the ability to move the puck up the ice quickly. As there is usually a learning curve with the transition from juniors to professional hockey, the young defenseman provides valuable depth to the Golden Knights.

Buffalo Sabres Place Rasmus Dahlin On Injured Reserve

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The Buffalo Sabres announced on Thursday that defenseman Riley Stillman has been added to the active roster, while defenseman Rasmus Dahlin has been placed on injured reserve.

Dahlin has missed the past two games with an undisclosed injury, a significant blow for the Sabres as they continue to battle for a playoff spot. They’ve conceded nine goals in their past two outings without Dahlin, and while they were able to rally for seven goals to defeat the Washington Capitals, poor defense cost them points against the league-worst Columbus Blue Jackets.

The 22-year-old has been one of the top defensemen in the league this season, recording a jaw-dropping 62 points in 56 games. He leads all Sabres skaters in ice time, averaging 26:01 per game. He’s still classified as day-to-day, though, and could be activated ahead of Monday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers if healthy. However, the move to injured reserve confirms he’ll miss at least the next two games.

It’ll be a tough go for those two games against high-powered division rivals: the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning. Stillman is ready to join the team after being acquired Monday from the Vancouver Canucks and clearing immigration hurdles. Although he provides NHL experience, he doesn’t move the needle much to fill in for someone of Dahlin’s caliber. It means the pressure shifts almost entirely to rookie Owen Power to ensure the Sabres don’t lose too much ground in the playoff race over the next few days.

The 24-year-old Stillman had played in 32 games for the Canucks before the trade, registering five assists. Now on his fourth NHL team, Stillman could relieve Jacob Bryson in the lineup. His pairing with Ilya Lyubushkin has been the team’s worst in terms of expected goals among pairings with at least 150 minutes together, per MoneyPuck.

Buffalo remains in a playoff spot by points percentage, but the New York Islanders and now-fortified Ottawa Senators stay on their tail.

Snapshots: Stanley, Red Wings, Panthers

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Entangled in all of the trade deadline chaos, Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest reports that Winnipeg Jets’ defenseman Logan Stanley has requested a trade from the team. Strickland also notes that Winnipeg is not guaranteed to move on from the young defenseman.

Drafted in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft, Stanley hasn’t entirely found his footing in Winnipeg. Last year, Stanley played relatively well throughout the season, racking up a modest 13 points in 58 games played. Also, as he is a defenseman that plays to his size, the 6’7″ defenseman managed to accrue 131 hits and 100 blocks over the course of last year. With a couple of trips to the injured reserve this season, Stanley desires a fresh start outside of Winnipeg. Because of his youth and contract status with the team, it is possible that Winnipeg could retain Stanley and try to repair a relationship that has soured for at least one side. If the relationship can’t be repaired, the playoff-hopeful Jets could send him to another team in an individual trade, or look to include Stanley in a larger deal.

Other notes:

  • The Detroit Red Wings announced today that Jordan Oesterle has been activated off of injured reserve, while forward Michael Rasmussen has been placed on the IR. Rasmussen appeared to have a lower-body injury after taking a shot off the knee in Detroit’s Saturday night game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now in his 4th season in the NHL, Rasmussen never seemed to live up to his ninth overall draft selection. Topping out at 27 points in 80 games last year, Rasmussen has played far better this year under new head coach Derek Lalonde. Playing in only 56 games so far this season, Rasmussen has produced a new career high of 29 points. After the trade of Tyler Bertuzzi earlier this morning, the Red Wings will now be without another valuable forward in the lineup.
  • Florida Panthers announce that forward Grigori Denisenko has been loaned back to the Panthers’ AHL affiliate Charlotte Checkers. A frequent call-up of the Panthers this season, Denisenko has appeared in 18 games, scoring a total of three points. Denisenko will now join the third-place Checkers as he helps the team push for the playoffs in the AHL

Edmonton Oilers Acquire Nick Bjugstad

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3:15 pm: The details of the trade have been confirmed by the Coyotes, making the transaction official.

2:35 pm: The Edmonton Oilers have added another player to the mix for their playoff run, acquiring Nick Bjugstad from the Arizona Coyotes, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. The Coyotes will receive a 2023 third-round pick and Michael Kesselring, while retaining 50% of Bjugstad’s contract. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman also reports that defenseman Cam Dineen is heading to Edmonton in the deal, and he’ll report to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.

Bjugstad, 30, has never quite lived up to the high expectations from his early career in Florida, but has played at a relatively high level for the Coyotes this season. With more regular ice time, some of his offensive production has returned, and he brings size, physicality, and versatility to the Oilers bottom six.

Standing 6’6″ and more than willing to use his frame to lean on defenders, Bjugstad has scored 13 goals and 23 points in 59 games this season. He won’t be expected to do a ton of scoring in Edmonton, but for $450K in cap space, he’s well worth a mid-round pick.

The Oilers are all-in, trying to surround Connor McDavid with enough firepower to win the Stanley Cup. Mattias Ekholm’s addition to the blueline already paid dividends last night, and now Bjugstad can bring a little more punch down the middle. A third-round selection is meaningless to a team like this, other than its value in trade.

For Arizona, though, completing another short-term salary retention to squeeze a draft pick out of Edmonton is good work. The team is up to 22 picks in the top three rounds of the next three drafts, and—if managed properly—could turn that into quite the pile of young talent.

Interestingly enough, as CapFriendly points out, the Oilers had exactly enough cap space to pull off this trade after getting the Nashville Predators to retain salary on Ekholm yesterday. A lot of eyebrows raised when the Predators only held onto 4% of the total, but it ended up being exactly what general manager Ken Holland needed to bring in Bjugstad.

Chicago Blackhawks Acquire Anders Bjork

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The Chicago Blackhawks have made another deadline move, acquiring Anders Bjork from the Buffalo Sabres. Bjork has been buried in the minor leagues for almost the entire season but carries a $1.6MM cap hit.

Darren Dreger of TSN reports Buffalo promised Bjork they would find him a new home.

It never did work out in Buffalo, where he was supposed to come and flourish after some up-and-down years with the Boston Bruins. Bjork was part of the trade that sent Taylor Hall and Curtis Lazar to Boston in 2021, but he’ll leave Buffalo with just eight goals and 14 points to show for his 64 games in a Sabres sweater.

At 26, it’s hard to believe Bjork will ever really become an impact player at the NHL level, though Chicago will have plenty of offensive opportunities to hand him as they try to shine another asset.

The only issue with this one is that Bjork would need a $1.8MM qualifying offer for the Blackhawks to retain his rights as an RFA, which seems unlikely. Perhaps the two sides will work out a cheaper extension over the next few months; otherwise, Bjork could hit the open market this summer looking for another fresh start.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet broke news of the deal on Twitter. 

Vegas Golden Knights Acquire Jonathan Quick

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Jonathan Quick never really did join the Columbus Blue Jackets. After this week’s trade, the veteran goaltender was immediately back on the market, following some reports that he was blindsided and upset about being traded from the Los Angeles Kings.

He didn’t make much sense for the Blue Jackets, given their current situation, so they have quickly found him a new home. Columbus has negotiated a deal with the Vegas Golden Knights to send Quick back to the Pacific Division. The Blue Jackets will receive Michael Hutchinson and a 2025 seventh-round pick, while retaining 50% of Quick’s contract.

Given how little Columbus received in this deal, it seems like more of a favor than anything to a veteran goaltender who didn’t want to join a losing team for the last few months of the season.

A 2025 seventh-round pick is about the lowest-valued asset you can receive, and Hutchinson is on an expiring deal that will be of little use to the Blue Jackets.

What this trade does set up, however, is a potential matchup between Quick and the Kings in the playoffs. With question marks around the health of Logan Thompson and Laurent Brossoit, there is a real chance that Quick gets playing time in Vegas, and potentially some revenge on the team that he believed he would spend his entire career with.

The question now is whether Quick has any effective hockey left in him. The 37-year-old has been bad this season, posting an .876 save percentage in 31 appearances, and has an .896 over his past five seasons combined. Perhaps the Golden Knights can find a way to unlock prime Quick for a few months, but it seems unlikely at this point.

Dallas Stars Sign Gavin White

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The Dallas Stars have locked up a player from last year’s draft, signing prospect Gavin White to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will likely kick in for the 2023-24 season.

White, 20, was selected 115th overall last summer, after being passed over in his previous year of eligibility. The young defenseman went from three points as a rookie with the Hamilton Bulldogs to 56 in his sophomore OHL season, putting him on the radar of NHL scouts.

This year, he has 37 points in 42 games split between Hamilton and the Peterborough Petes. That’s enough for Dallas to give him an NHL deal, and it will mean he is headed to the AHL next season to play for the Texas Stars.

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