Columbus Blue Jackets News Clips Feb. 24-25, 2019
Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 02: Columbus Dispatch: Jarmo Kekalainen positions Blue Jackets for playoff run PAGE 04: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets add former Ohio State player Ryan Dzingel, trade away Anthony Duclair PAGE 05: Columbus Dispatch: Cannon aside, so far Matt Duchene having a blast PAGE 06: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets 4, Sharks 0: Matt Duchene scores first goal with Jackets in big win PAGE 08: The Athletic: G61: If Sergei Bobrovsky has played his last game with the Blue Jackets, he left with a perfect performance PAGE 12: The Athletic: Blue Jackets make another trade, land Ryan Dzingel from Ottawa for Anthony Duclair and picks PAGE 14: The Athletic: Matt Duchene’s arrival brings competition and, for one night anyway, seat in pressbox for Alexander Wennberg PAGE 16: The Athletic: Together Matt Duchene and Blue Jackets will try to solve their own playoff riddles PAGE 19: Columbus Dispatch: Ryan Dzingel familiar with his new team PAGE 21: Columbus Dispatch: Trade decisions hinge on what will help team win now PAGE 23: The Athletic: How Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen will approach the final 24 hours before the NHL trade deadline PAGE 26: The Athletic: Bold moves by Blue Jackets show they are ‘serious about winning’ PAGE 29: The Athletic: What winger Ryan Dzingel adds to the Blue Jackets’ push for playoff success
Cleveland Monsters/Prospects
NHL/Websites
PAGE 32: Sportsnet.ca: 24 NHL trade candidates: Who will stay, who will go? PAGE 39: Sportsnet.ca: NHL Trade Deadline history by the numbers PAGE 41: USA TODAY: Everything you need to know heading into Monday's NHL trade deadline
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Jarmo Kekalainen positions Blue Jackets for playoff run
By Michael Arace, Columbus Dispatch – February 23, 2019
If Bill Raftery were calling this NHL trade deadline, he’d look at what Jarmo Kekalainen is doing in Columbus and say, “ONIONS!”
Kekalainen on Saturday night added another piece to the Blue Jackets when he acquired left wing Ryan Dzingel and a seventh-round draft pick from the Ottawa Senators for forward Anthony Duclair and a couple of second-round picks.
The Dzingel deal came a day after Kekalainen acquired No. 1 center Matt Duchene from the Senators for a first-round pick, a conditional first-round pick and two prospect forwards.
The trade deadline is Monday at 3 p.m. There was a supposition that Kekalainen might try to unload one of his pending unrestricted free agents — goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and star left wing Artemi Panarin — to avoid losing them for nothing July 1. There’s still a chance Bread could be dealt. Stay tuned.
Whatever happens, it is clear that Kekalainen is not bluffing when he says that he wants to give the Jackets their best chance to make the playoffs — and maybe even win a first-round series. (Imagine that.)
For Duchene, 28, and Dzingel, 26, Kekalainen has spent future assets to acquire two more players who are pending unrestricted free agents. Thus, it is within the realm of possibility that Bread, Bob, Duchene and Dzingel could skate off into free agency and leave the Jackets with nothing to show for it.
There is something crazy and beautiful about all of this.
It’s possible that ownership has mentioned that it might be a good idea that the Jackets make the playoffs — and actually pose a threat. It’d be good for the fans, who are starved for the excitement. It’d be good for the bottom line as the playoffs are pure profit. It’d be good for season-ticket sales.
But, man, if those four guys walk July 1 … that’d be a dent in the ol’ long-term plan, wouldn’t it?
Bah. Kekalainen has enhanced the Jackets’ chances of making the playoffs and fortified them to make a run. He wants the locker room to know that management is standing behind the players. He wants the fans to know he’s not messing around.
He is paying the price with the hope that Duchene might want to hang around for another eight years. And that Dzingel might make a similar commitment.
Dzingel played at Ohio State. He’s a depth forward who has been steadily improving and has some scoring pop. He knows Columbus and is said to love the city. Shoot, maybe he’ll even stay.
It’s a gamble. It might be worth the price. Kekalainen has kept in place his most-prized prospects. He has to think, too, that there is a chance the new guys will be impressed.
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Duchene has played a grand total of eight playoff games in two appearances with the Colorado Avalanche. The last time he had a taste of the postseason was in 2014, when he came off a knee injury to play Games 6 and 7 of a first-round loss to the Minnesota Wild.
“This is what I’ve been looking for,” Duchene said. “I’ve been looking for a team that has an opportunity to do something. … I look around the (locker) room and some of the talent we have is special.”
On nights like Saturday night — when the Jackets romped to a 4-0 victory over a quality San Jose Sharks team in front of a full house in Nationwide Arena — one gets the sense about how this great city, which saved its soccer team, would explode if the Jackets did anything of note.
Kekalainen is going for it between now and the next accounting, which is July 1, when free-agent season opens.
Send it in, Jerome!
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Blue Jackets add former Ohio State player Ryan Dzingel, trade away Anthony Duclair
By Ray Stein, Columbus Dispatch – February 23, 2019
The Blue Jackets on Saturday played the type of game that showed they mean business in their push toward a Stanley Cup playoff appearance.
Then, moments after polishing off a 4-0 win over San Jose that ranked among the team’s most complete performances of the season, the Blue Jackets’ front office took another serious step toward improving their team for the stretch run.
One day after the Jackets acquired star center Matt Duchene from Ottawa for two prospects and draft picks, they pulled the Senators’ chain again and landed left wing Ryan Dzingel for forward Anthony Duclair. Draft picks also were part of the deal.
Dzingel, 26, who played collegiately at Ohio State, already has established his career high in points (44) and assists (22) this season, and one more goal to his total of 22 would tie his career high in that category, too.
A native of Wheaton, Illinois, Dzingel is expected to slot directly on the Jackets’ second line with center Pierre-Luc Dubois and Oliver Bjorkstrand.
“We are very happy to add Ryan Dzingel to our team,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said in a statement. “He is a very good player ... and a quality person who we believe will be a great fit with our group.”
Duclair, 23, had played alongside Dubois and Bjorkstrand the past two nights, but he had frustrated coach John Tortorella off and on throughout the season.
He was scratched for the Jackets’ loss to Tampa Bay on Monday for what Tortorella called “bad listening skills.”
The trade to Ottawa means Duclair, who had 11 goals and eight assists in 53 games with the Blue Jackets, will be playing for his fifth team in four years after previous stints with the New York Rangers, Arizona and Chicago.
He has 48 goals and 60 assists in 265 career NHL games.
Dzingel, 6 feet and 190 pounds, has 62 goals and 64 assists in 247 career games for the Senators, who drafted him in the seventh round, No. 203 overall, in 2011.
Along with Dzingel, the Jackets received a seventh-round pick in the 2019 draft. Besides Duclair, they also sent to the Senators second-round selections in the 2020 and ’21 drafts.
Like Duchene — as well as current Blue Jackets forward Artemi Panarin and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky — Dzingel will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, meaning he can sign with any NHL team beginning July 1.
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Cannon aside, so far Matt Duchene having a blast
By Ray Stein, Columbus Dispatch – February 23, 2019
As a 10-year NHL veteran, Matt Duchene has been around the league long enough to have at least one informed opinion about Nationwide Arena.
Asked on Friday about the cannon that blasts inside the building before every Blue Jackets game and after every goal and victory by the home team, Duchene said, “It scares the (bleep) out of me every time.”
Duchene, 28, had a different perspective on Saturday before his first home game as a member of the Blue Jackets, having arrived via a trade with Ottawa.
“It’ll sound a lot better, that’s for sure,” he said.
Duchene didn’t seem to have any issues dealing with a celebratory cannon shot of his own making.
After scoring his first goal as a Blue Jacket less than a minute into the second period against the San Jose Sharks, Duchene did not even flinch as he skated toward the handshake line at the bench while the cannon let loose its boom.
A few hours earlier, he had more sensitive ears in mind when considering the jarring noise.
“My wife (Ashley) was asking me what we should do with our little guy (6-week-old Beau) when the cannon goes off. I said, ‘Just cover his ears as hard as you can,’ ” he said.
It will be a few days before Duchene can make his family whole in central Ohio. He said he planned to fly to Ottawa on Sunday and return with his family in time for Tuesday’s home game against Pittsburgh.
How long Duchene remains in Columbus is, of course, the operative question. He will be an unrestricted free agent July 1, free to sign with any NHL team.
The Blue Jackets traded for Duchene — giving up two prospects and potentially two first-round draft picks — with no promises that he will sign with the club beyond this season. For the moment, Duchene said, he’d prefer to wait until the end of the season to discuss an extension with Columbus.
“I want to see what everything is like here,” he said. “It’s a brand-new spot. Everyone’s on the same page: Let’s focus on the hockey.”
So far, at least, Duchene is enjoying playing on the top line with Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever played on a line with more talented guys than those two,” Duchene said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. We’re going to keep getting used to each other.”
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Blue Jackets 4, Sharks 0 | Matt Duchene scores first goal with Jackets in big win
By Ray Stein, Columbus Dispatch – February 23, 2019
At some point in recent weeks, John Tortorella eyed the Blue Jackets’ late-February schedule and shuddered at a Saturday night matchup against San Jose.
Not only were the Blue Jackets playing a Western Conference power, but the game also was the second of a back-to-back after a road contest in Ottawa and — oh, yeah — in the waning, nerve-racking hours before Monday’s NHL trade deadline.
“It’s one of those games I circle,” Tortorella said. “It’s a tough game for us to play because of the travel ... and how good that (Sharks) team is.”
Tortorella needn’t have worried. After winning 3-0 at Ottawa on Friday, the Blue Jackets played one of their most complete games of the season with a 4-0 victory over San Jose in front of a sellout crowd of 19,025 at Nationwide Arena.
Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots for his second consecutive shutout and the Blue Jackets got goals from three of their four forward lines to sweep the season series from the Sharks, who sit second in the NHL’s Pacific Division.
“I’m impressed with our team,” Tortorella said. “We salvaged our week here and went 2-2.”
The Blue Jackets had opened the week before the trade deadline with a 5-1 stinker of a loss to Tampa Bay, then dropped a 3-2 decision at Montreal the next night.
But they made it a fun weekend on all sorts of fronts. First, the team acquired free-agent center Matt Duchene from Ottawa in a Friday trade for two prospects and potentially two first-round draft picks. A few hours later, the Jackets methodically took apart the depleted Senators 3-0 as Bobrovsky made 22 saves.
Then the Blue Jackets flew home, landing after midnight, and arrived at the rink early for a 5 p.m. start against one of the West’s top teams, who had spent Friday in Columbus after a shutout win in Pittsburgh the night before. Somehow, the Jackets summoned the strength to put on a clinic.
“We wanted to get right back after it,” said Boone Jenner, whose goal at the nine-minute mark of the first period gave the Jackets the early lead. “We had great energy. Everyone contributed throughout the whole game.”
Duchene made it 2-0 in the first minute of the second period when he scored his first goal as a Blue Jacket by cleaning up a rebound of an Artemi Panarin shot. Cam Atkinson added a power-play goal with 7.5 seconds remaining in the period when he poked home a rebound on a Zach Werenski shot from the point.
“We did some good things against a pretty stingy team,” said Atkinson, who scored his team-leading 34th goal.
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Bobrovsky was even stingier, playing an active and solid game. It marked the second time in his NHL career that he has recorded consecutive shutouts.
“It’s definitely a great feeling, but it’s even better to get the result,” said Bobrovsky, who like Panarin, is a pending free agent who could be traded by the Blue Jackets before the league deadline at 3 p.m. Monday.
The Jackets made another move after the game, sending forward Anthony Duclair and second-round draft picks in 2020 and ’21 to Ottawa for free-agent forward Ryan Dzingel a seventh-round selection in 2019.
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G61: If Sergei Bobrovsky has played his last game with the Blue Jackets, he left with a perfect performance
By Aaron Portzline, The Athletic – February 23, 2019
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The electric atmosphere in Nationwide Arena on Saturday was created by the home debut of first-line center Matt Duchene, acquired a day earlier in a trade with Ottawa. The buzz just after Saturday’s game was caused by another trade, also with Ottawa, to acquire another forward, Ryan Dzingel.
But the in-between was highlighted by a command performance from goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who had 26 saves in a 4-0 win over San Jose in what might have been Bobrovsky’s final game in a Blue Jackets sweater.
It is difficult, given Bobrovsky’s enormous regular-season success, to add a new line to his resume, but he did it Saturday.
Bobrovsky has started both ends of a back-to-back many times in his workhorse days as the Blue Jackets’ backstop, but he’s never pitched shutouts in both games. Nobody in franchise history had ever done it and only one goaltender — Vegas’ Marc-Andre Fleury on Nov. 23 and 24 — has done it this season.
But Bobrovsky, who had 22 saves in a 3-0 win Ottawa on Friday, is working on a shutout streak of 124 minutes, 50 seconds.
“Thank you very much,” Bobrovsky said. “Definitely a good feeling. Nice to get two in a row, two wins, two shutouts. I felt great. The guys did a good job, helped me a lot and did a great job in front of me.
“With Matt (Duchene), there’s a lot of excitement around the team, a lot of juice. It was fun to play these last two games.”
In previous seasons the Blue Jackets have avoided giving Bobrovsky starts in both ends of a back-to- back, but coach John Tortorella acknowledged he didn’t talk to Bobrovsky before jotting his name on the lineup card Saturday.
The Blue Jackets, firmly in a playoff spot most of the season, are trying to bring themselves back comfortably over the line. With last night’s win, the Jackets are third in the Metro, but just one point ahead of ninth-place Pittsburgh Penguins … who roll into town Tuesday.
“It’s time to play,” Tortorella said. “It’s time to play. We’re trying to get in. I’m not too interested in back-to-backs and all the talk about that stuff.
“I think Bob has found his game. I think I’ve been fair with (back-up Joonas) Korpisalo also, in the time I went with him when his game was there. Korpi is still going to be part of this here, eventually. But right now, the way Bob is playing, I’m going to go with him.”
That’s assuming Bobrovsky remains on the Blue Jackets’ roster through Monday’s 3 p.m. NHL trade deadline.
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As of right now, that seems highly likely. Trading Bobrovsky will be difficult because very few clubs with playoff aspirations this time of year have a need for a franchise goaltender.
Plus, there’s this: Bobrovsky has a no-move clause, and it might take a long-term contract extension with his new club to make him willing to waive his no-move with the Blue Jackets.
Put another way: Do the Calgary Flames need a goaltender? Probably. But would Bobrovsky sign long term with the Flames? Probably not. End of deal.
Does Carolina, currently in the second wild-card, need a goaltender? Yeah, sure. But would the Blue Jackets trade their franchise goaltender to the club that’s nipping on their heels in the Eastern Conference?
“Let’s see,” Bobrovsky said. “Let’s see what’s going to happen. I’m a Blue Jacket now. I’m happy with the wins.”
The likely bet is that the Blue Jackets keep Bobrovsky through the trade deadline, giving him one more crack — likely on his way out of town — to show the NHL that he can be as good in the postseason as he’s been in the regular season.
“I don’t think about it,” Bobrovsky said. “For these back-to-backs, I was focused on the moment. Now I’m here and I’m happy with the results, what I get for these two games.”
Duchene scored in his Nationwide Arena debut, a rebound goal off a Cam Atkinson shot just 59 seconds into the second period, giving the Blue Jackets a 2-0 lead.
Boone Jenner, Atkinson and Pierre-Luc Dubois also scored for the Jackets, but it was Bobrovsky — with his 29th career shutout — that stole the show.
“He didn’t have much (action Friday) against Ottawa,” Tortorella said. “But he seems very focused. He made a couple of plays, like in the third period, when he punched (a puck) out to break us out (of the zone) … he’s trying to do that.
“So you can tell he’s feeling very comfortable in there. He did a little work for us here the last couple of games.”
When Bobrovsky was pressed again to provide clarity on the next couple of days — would he waive his no-move clause? Is he expecting to finish the season in Columbus? — he made his final swat-away of the night.
“I don’t want to comment on that,” he said, with a smile. “I don’t want to talk about it. Let me enjoy the shutout today and don’t think about those things. Thank you. Thank you very much.”
Notebook
• Duchene got quite the ovation when his name was announced in the starting lineup and again when he was welcomed on the big screen in Nationwide. “It was great. I was blown away. You watch guys get stuff like that on TV and stuff, and you expect stuff like that. But then when it’s you, you’re blown away by it. It’s very humbling. You don’t expect it ever. Thank you to the fans for welcoming me that well.”
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• Duchene set off the cannon only 59 seconds into the second when he scored off a rebound. “It sounded a lot better on the other side of things, for sure.”
• The Sharks had earned points in nine of their last 10 games (8-1-1), including a 4-0 rout of Pittsburgh on Thursday. Also, they’d been parked in Columbus since Thursday night, while the Blue Jackets played in Ottawa on Friday and didn’t get home until well after midnight.
• Here’s Tortorella: “It’s one of those games I circled, where it’s a tough game for us to play, with the travel and them coming back and them waiting on us. As they always do, they came out fast. Their first few shifts I’m saying, ‘Whoa! I’m not sure where we’re going to be going here.’ We got our legs underneath us. Played simple. Really stressed trying to stay away from the east-west stuff. We played north and found a way. I’m impressed with our team tonight. The last couple of games we’ve salvaged our week, going 2-2 here. I don’t usually gloat about our team, but I’m impressed with the team as far as how they’ve handled their business here.”
• The addition of Duchene and Dzingel gives the Blue Jackets six 20-goal scorers, tops in the NHL. Atkinson 34, Duchene 28, Panarin 24, Dubois 23, Anderson and Dzingel 22.
• Here’s Duchene on that topic, before the Dzingel trade was announced: “The depth on this team … I remember yesterday walking into the (Ottawa dressing) room before I got traded and seeing all the names and I was like, ‘Wow, that’s a hell of a team.’ Hopefully, I can bring another element to that and fit in, and so far so good.”
• Duchene was given an additional assist after the game when video review showed the puck glanced off his stick before Atkinson swept it into the net, a power-play goal with 7.5 seconds remaining in the second. (Panarin was originally credited with the helper.) Here’s Duchene: “I couldn’t see what I got, I thought it was either Cam’s stick or the puck. I asked him right away if he got it. We had a double tip on it before, so I thought I scored and I thought I scored again, then realized I didn’t. It was a big goal for us, and good for him to go in there and get that one you have to get. You have to get those.”
• The arrival of Duchene has temporarily put Pierre-Luc Dubois in no-man’s land, no longer between the club’s top two offensive players — Panarin and Atkinson. Dubois went long stretches of Saturday’s game without playing and finished with just 9:16 in ice time, by far a season low.
• Here’s Tortorella on the subject: “I’m sure it is (difficult). I have to work on my coaching part of it, too. Not to lose him. It’s not just Duchene, it’s the play of Nash’s line. That takes it away. I have to be very cognizant of that, not to lose, not only his development but how good a player he is for us and keep him involved.”
• Here’s Dubois himself, in two takes, on losing his job to the new guy.
Dubois, take 1: “He helps our team. The best part about playing hockey is winning. Everybody’s happy when you win. He’s an amazing player. He’s not just having a good season this year, he’s proven his entire career that he’s a really good player. He adds to our center depth and makes us a really better team.
Dubois, take 2: “This is hockey. He’s proved that he can play that first-line role. Like I said, he makes our team a better team. It’s healthy competition. You want guys to push each other. From what I’ve seen he’s a great guy, too, so there’s a lot I can learn from him.”
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• Nash’s line? Yep.
• The Blue Jackets’ fourth line — Brandon Dubinsky – Riley Nash – Eric Robinson — was an excellent line, especially early. Dubinsky might have played his most effective, physical game of the season. He and Robinson each had five hits.
• Sold-out crowd. Saturday night. You know how the Blue Jackets have handled this in recent seasons. Tonight, with nearly 900 standing-room only tickets sold, was an impressive outing, though. Here’s Tortorella: “We’ve kind of … we’ve had situations like this before and we’ve kind of let down. People have left here saying, ‘Aw, crap.’ As we’ve all talked about, we want to turn this into something that gives us momentum to play in this building. The crowd helped us and I hope they enjoyed themselves.”
• D Ryan Murray (upper body) has been deemed week-to-week by the club.
• The Blue Jackets assigned D Adam Clendening to Cleveland after the game.
• During the first period Saturday, the Blue Jackets paused during a TV timeout to honor Paul Donskov, a legendary figure on the local hockey scene. Donskov, founder of Donskov Hockey Development and patriarch of a hockey family, has helped train most, if not all, of the elite hockey players who have come out of central Ohio — Connor Murphy, Jack Roslovic, Sean Kuraly, the Brothers Sherwood, Trent Vogelhuber, Carson Meyer, etc. — as well as athletes of all ages and levels. Blue Jackets vice president of operations and development J.D. Kershaw presented Donskov with the honor. Donskov, along with his wife, Debbie, and sons Anthony and Matthew, runs the day-to-day operations of the gym. His son Misha Donskov is the director of hockey operations for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Analytically speaking
The Athletic’s hockey data dynamo Alison Lukan provided these insights into the Blue Jackets’ win:
• For the second consecutive game, the Jackets earned the win they got. When Tortorella says he was “impressed,” he had a reason to be. Against a talented Sharks team, in five-on-five play, the Jackets had 53.33 percent of shot attempts, 60 percent of scoring chances and 55.56 percent of high-danger attempts according to Naturalstattrick.com.
• Moneypuck.com had the expected goal total at 2.98 to 2.17 and, much like in Ottawa, Bobrovsky was a difference-maker. In his second consecutive shutout, according to evolving-hockey.com, Bobrovsky’s save percentage was 7.35 percent higher than expected based on the unblocked shots he faced. That equals 2.5 goals saved above average.
Coming into this game, the Jackets were not favored to win. But the first goal — scored by Boone Jenner — took their probability of winning from 41.90 percent to 61.97 percent. The Jackets never looked back after that.
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Blue Jackets make another trade, land Ryan Dzingel from Ottawa for Anthony Duclair and picks
By Aaron Portzline, The Athletic – February 23, 2019
COLUMBUS, Ohio — As the Blue Jackets were putting the finishing touches on one of their more impressive wins this season, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen was completing another significant trade.
The Blue Jackets on Saturday acquired forward Ryan Dzingel and a seventh-round draft pick in 2019 from Ottawa in exchange for forward Anthony Duclair, a second-round pick in 2020 and a second-round pick in 2021.
The trade was settled near the end of the Blue Jackets’ 4-0 win over San Jose before a sold-out crowd of 19,025 in Nationwide Arena.
It’s the second trade in as many days for Kekalainen, both of them with Ottawa. On Friday, the Blue Jackets landed center Matt Duchene in a multiplayer deal.
Dzingel, an Ohio State product, will fly to Columbus on Sunday and make his Blue Jackets debut on Tuesday against Pittsburgh.
“I’m excited to get there,” Dzingel told The Athletic. “It’s a city I know well, obviously, and I know some guys in the room, too, especially Dutchy. I’m thrilled to get the opportunity.
“I’m excited to play games in crunch time. It’s time to get wins. That’s the only thing that matters. I’m looking forward to having that atmosphere with the guys again.”
In acquiring Dzingel, 26, the Blue Jackets have added yet another unrestricted free agent to their roster. He’s in the final year of a deal signed with Ottawa that pays him $1.8 million per season.
But they’ve also added another 20-goal scorer, giving them six on the roster. Dzingel, expected to play left wing with the Blue Jackets, has 22-22-44 in 57 games with Ottawa, already a career high for points.
“They’re very fast and skilled,” Dzingel said. “They play on both ends of the ice. Torts focuses on that a lot. You’re going to stay accountable and do the right thing, and I think that’s why they win.
“I’m just going to try to use my speed and bring what I bring to the table. That’s why they picked me up.”
The Blue Jackets have parted with two first-round picks (a 2019 and a conditional in 2020) and two second-round picks in the two trades with Ottawa.
Kekalainen has added two significant roster players without trading a significant player off the roster — Duclair had been a frequent healthy scratch — or any of the organization’s top prospects. Kekalainen declined comment pending a conference call with reporters on Sunday morning. The trade became public during coach John Tortorella’s post-game press conference, but he denied knowledge of it.
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The trade ends a brief and tumultuous run in Columbus for Duclair, who signed with the Blue Jackets as an unrestricted free agent at the NHL minimum salary ($650,000) last summer. He was in and out of the lineup and in and out of Tortorella’s dog house, including several harsh public critiques by the coach, most recently before a game in Montreal.
In 53 games, Duclair had 11-8-19 in 53 games.
It’s unclear where Dzingel fits in the lineup, but he could simply slot in where Duclair played on Saturday, with center Pierre-Luc Dubois and right winger Oliver Bjorkstrand.
Then again, the Blue Jackets might not be done making moves.
They’re continuing to listen to offers for left winger Artemi Panarin, who is an unrestricted free agent and has expressed his desire to test free agency on July 1.
The Blue Jackets won’t give Panarin away, however.
Kekalainen has told his fellow GMs that any trade for Panarin must include immediate help for the NHL roster as well as significant pieces for the future, either top prospects or high draft picks.
Don’t be surprised if the Blue Jackets try to trade center Alexander Wennberg, who has played far below his $4.9 million price tag in the last two seasons. Wennberg was a healthy scratch for a second straight game on Saturday vs. San Jose.
Dzingel, who spent 2011-12 through 2013-14 at Ohio State, becomes the fourth Buckeyes player to skate with the Blue Jackets, following R.J. Umberger, Nate Guenin and Zac Dalpe.
He’ll wear No. 19.
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Matt Duchene’s arrival brings competition and, for one night anyway, seat in pressbox for Alexander Wennberg
By Tom Reed, The Athletic – February 23, 2019
KANATA, Ontario — Matt Duchene not only gives the Blue Jackets an excellent player at a position of need. He also gives the coaching staff the options and competition they crave.
John Tortorella wasted no time sending a message to underachieving center Alexander Wennberg. He was made a healthy scratch in the Blue Jackets’ 3-0 win over the Senators on Friday night in Canadian Tire Centre.
“I think it puts people in a situation where there’s going to be fighting for ice time let alone getting into the lineup,” Tortorella said. “It gives me some flexibility in that area there. There’s a number of different things you can do when you kind of solidify the middle of the ice there. We’ll just see how it goes.”
Asked specifically why he sat out Wennberg, who has two goals in 51 games this season, the coach replied: “It got crowded.”
Wennberg was rested for the final regular-season game of last season in Nashville. But you would need to go back to March 20, 2016, for the last time he was sat out for performance-related issues.
“I think Nasher’s line has been playing very well … and they had a number of chances tonight,” Tortorella said of Riley Nash. “I’m certainly not going to forget about Wenny. I did miss him on the penalty kill because I had a lot of guys who kill penalties take penalties tonight. So, we certainly missed him there, but those are the decisions I’m going to have to make. We’ll see where we go from game to game with this.”
It’s bothered Tortorella that Wennberg relinquished the first-line center duties to Pierre-Luc Dubois last season with virtually no pushback. The same thing happened again this season on the second line as Wennberg’s continued offensive struggles — he has 56 points over his last 125 games — necessitated Boone Jenner’s move from wing to center.
The coach had resisted temptation to scratch Wennberg, citing his defensive contributions. But it’s also true Tortorella didn’t have a suitable replacement. That changed with the addition of Duchene, who has 27 goals and 31 assists this season and is perennially strong in faceoffs.
Meanwhile, Wennberg notoriously has been bad on the dots, winning just 45.5 percent of his career draws.
“It’s hard to have a strong center ice,” Tortorella said. “It’s hard to find a (center) when you think you need one. This is a very good player that, in our situation right now as we’re trying to get (into the playoffs), it’s really good timing, obviously.”
Will a night watching from the pressbox help spark Wennberg’s competitive fire? The Blue Jackets would love to see him return to his 2016-17 form when he registered 13 goals and 46 assists.
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The Eastern Conference is loaded with quality centers. The acquisition of Duchene also gives the Blue Jackets a chance to move the 20-year-old Dubois down in the lineup if Tortorella desires.
In his debut, Duchene played on the top line in place of Dubois and centered Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson.
Dubois, who had just three points in his previous seven games, picked up an assist in Friday’s game and earned his coach’s praise. He centered a line with Oliver Bjorkstrand and Anthony Duclair. There are some who believe Duchene’s arrival might take some pressure off the second-year player, who was benched for most of the third period in Tuesday’s loss in Montreal.
“One, two, three, I don’t care about that,” Tortorella said of assigning lines in order of importance. “It’s situational play for me and when one line maybe isn’t going the other two will get more (ice time).”
Analytically speaking
The Athletic’s hockey data dynamo Alison Lukan provided these insights into the Blue Jackets’ win:
• It might have taken a while for the Blue Jackets to establish control on the scoreboard, but they were playing to the advantage against Ottawa. The Jackets controlled shot attempts (57.5 percent), scoring chances (60.42 percent) and high-danger attempts (65.22 percent) and never trailed the Senators in any category in any period throughout the game.
• The expected goal total according to Moneypuck.com was 3.41 to 2.16 in favor of Columbus. Comparing that with the final score of 3-0 says a lot about Sergei Bobrovsky’s play. The goaltender’s save percentage was 6.6 percent above expectations for unblocked shots, according to Evolving- hockey.com. That equates to 2.31 goals saved above expectations.
• More games will show a more complete representation of what Matt Duchene can bring to the Jackets’ lineup, but it was a promising start in Union blue for the center. The line of Duchene with Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson had team bests in both shot share (70 percent) and high-danger attempts (85.71 percent) and was plus-7 in scoring chances. Individually, Duchene had three shot attempts, three scoring chances and two high-danger attempts.
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Together Matt Duchene and Blue Jackets will try to solve their own playoff riddles
By Tom Reed, The Athletic – February 23, 2019
KANATA, Ontario — Matt Duchene’s international hockey resume is paved in gold. His Stanley Cup playoff history is papered in participation certificates.
As a member of Team Canada, Duchene has won titles in the Olympics, World Cup of Hockey, world championships and world junior championships. Meanwhile, the talented center hasn’t advanced out of the first round of the playoffs in his nine previous NHL seasons.
In fact, the newly acquired Blue Jackets center has appeared in just eight playoff games — or as many as Markus Nutivaara.
“That’s what I’m looking for, that’s kind of what gets me up every morning right now for sure,” Duchene said of playoff success. “That’s something I haven’t experienced in this league yet.”
The Blue Jackets can say the same.
It’s one of the most intriguing aspects of Friday’s blockbuster trade with the Senators. Duchene and his new club seek together what they have failed to achieve on their own: winning a playoff series.
First, they have to qualify. Player and team took their initial step toward the goal with a 3-0 win Friday night over the club that dealt him to Columbus. With his parents and wife in attendance, Duchene centered the top line with Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson. He registered three shots on goal in 19:11 of ice time, but didn’t factor in the scoring.
It ended a strange and emotional day for Duchene, who heard the occasional boos from the crowd at Canadian Tire Centre but also was warmly greeted during pregame introductions and a first-period video tribute.
“Just a bunch of everything,” he said when asked about his feelings on the day. “It’s always bittersweet when something like this happens, but I’m excited about the opportunity.”
Duchene’s wording was similar last season — “It’s bittersweet for sure, but I’m excited for a new opportunity” — when the Avalanche traded him to the Senators on Nov. 5, 2017. At the time, he was joining a club that had taken the Penguins to double overtime of Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Final the previous spring.
But despite registering 50 goals and 57 assists in 118 games with the Senators, Duchene found himself in a familiar situation: a good player on a bad team. That description had summed up a decent chunk of his career in Colorado, as well.
Duchene, 28, wants to win, and if the unrestricted free agent gets to July 1, he will have his choice of successful suitors.
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Columbus is a great place to raise a family — the Duchenes have a 6-week-old son, Beau — but is it a place the highly coveted center can raise a banner?
How the Blue Jackets fare in the last six weeks of the regular season and during a potential playoff run figures to feature prominently in Duchene’s decision whether to sign a contract extension with them.
“I have no idea what I’m going to do,” he said before the game. “We’ll see. It’s totally up in the air.”
The Blue Jackets sent two prospects, Vitaly Abramov and Jonathan Davidsson, along with a 2019 first- round draft pick and a conditional 2020 first-round pick to the Senators for Duchene and minor-league defenseman Julius Bergman.
Ottawa receives the 2020 first-rounder only if Duchene signs a long-term extension in Columbus. The Blue Jackets would consider that a small price to pay because it probably means Duchene helped them on a deep playoff run for the first time in franchise history.
“We all have something to work for,” Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said. “We are just looking to win hockey games. I think it’s a great mix in what he brings to our team and what we can help him accomplish with the way we play.”
The irony of these teams making a deal on the day they played against each other should be lost on nobody. The Blue Jackets and Senators were arguably the most widely discussed clubs as Monday’s trade deadline approaches.
Would the contending Blue Jackets move Panarin and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky? How many pieces would the rebuilding Senators ship out? Duchene, Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingle were all held out of Thursday’s 4-0 loss in New Jersey. Stone and Dzingle were idled again Friday.
Duchene played for the Blue Jackets while wearing a No. 95 red Senators undershirt. He’ll get fitted with some new team-issued swag Saturday before making his Columbus debut against the Sharks.
Duchene was asked about the Nationwide Arena cannon.
“It scares the shit out of me every time,” he said.
Duchene enjoyed playing on a line with Panarin. The two forwards made a couple of nice passes to each other, especially in the first period. But Saturday’s game could be the second and final one together if general manager Jarmo Kekalainen opts to trade Panarin.
“He’s a creative guy,” Duchene said of Panarin. “Right away, I think we see the game similar in terms of give-and-gos. He’s a great playmaker. You just trust him to get open.
“I think the three of us can do something special here, and we want to get better every game.”
Atkinson said the Blue Jackets were “buzzing” late Friday morning when players learned Duchene had been traded to them. Adding a gifted center gives them scoring depth at a position of need. Duchene has 27 goals and 31 assists this season.
Seth Jones acknowledged the acquisition only heightens the trade deadline drama. He was asked how deep into the playoffs the Blue Jackets could go if management opted to keep Panarin for the remainder of the season.
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“Our goal is to win the Stanley Cup, but I’m not going to sit here and say we’re going to,” Jones said. “We’re just working to get better every day. This is someone we can really use and he’s going to take some pressure off (Pierre-Luc Dubois) and our other centers. We are looking to make a run here and hopefully we can click and get this thing going.”
Foligno and coach John Tortorella thought the Duchene deal sent a clear message to a club that’s looking to reach the playoffs for a third consecutive spring.
“Listen, we added a really good player,” Tortorella said. “I think it’s great that Jarmo steps up and the organization steps up and shows some faith in us.”
Duchene arrived at the rink Friday morning to skate only to learn he was being traded. He returned home to a house his family has been renting for more than a year and began to pack for a fresh start.
The center grew up in central Ontario and enjoyed playing so close to home. He was willing to leave it again, however, for a chance to win somewhere else. His decision to notify the Senators about not re- signing here had little to do with the club’s initial extension offer, which Duchene said he deemed fair. It was all about the Senators’ current predicament.
Dead last in the standings, they don’t even have their 2019 first-round draft pick. The Senators traded it to the Avalanche for, you guessed it, Duchene. It’s interesting to note the 2019 first-round selection Ottawa acquired from the Blue Jackets is, according to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun “lottery protected” should Columbus miss the playoffs and earn a top-three pick.
Blue Jackets fans don’t want to think about such a scenario. Neither does Duchene.
“I believe we can grab a spot and have a great run,” he said.
Some players traded at the deadline opt to leave their families behind so as not to disrupt their lives until the offseason. Duchene is bringing his wife and baby with him.
“(Ottawa) is going to be a tough place to leave, but I’ve heard great things about Columbus and we’re going to get settled in there as soon as possible,” he said.
Both Duchene and Kekalainen said they didn’t even broach the subject of a contract extension Friday.
About 30 minutes after the game, the Blue Jackets general manager walked through the arena bowels and down a hallway, where the Duchenes had gathered. Kekalainen shook hands with the player’s father and spoke with his mother and Duchene’s wife, who had her son swaddled in a blanket.
Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson also met the parents and said they plan to travel to Columbus to attend a game in the coming weeks.
“With the position I’m in, I get to do this one time,” Duchene said. “You’ve got to really be sure you are making the right decision. For me, the biggest perspective is I have a 6-week-old and he’s going to be 8 years old or 7 years old at the end of my next contract. That kind of puts it in perspective. You want to make sure you are making the right choice.”
If the Blue Jackets can reach the playoffs and win a round or two, it might make Duchene’s choice much easier.
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Ryan Dzingel familiar with his new team
By Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch – February 24, 2019
The latest new guy in the Blue Jackets’ locker room knows exactly what to expect in his debut game for Columbus on Tuesday night.
That’s because it wasn’t long ago that Ryan Dzingel, a 26-year-old forward acquired from the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, was sitting in the cheap seats at Nationwide Arena as an Ohio State student and hockey player.
“I went to a bunch,” Dzingel said. “I got cheap tickets as a student, so I went to as many as I could during the hockey season. I’ve definitely been to a lot.”
Unlike Matt Duchene — who was acquired Friday from the Senators — Dzingel knows exactly when the cannon fires during games. He knows what the “5th Line” means, knows the crowd will shout “Leo!” after the introduction of anthem singer Leo Welsh and knows how much Columbus loves the Blue Jackets.
“They still had a good fan base that went to the games, so nothing has really changed on that front," said Dzingel, who’s from Wheaton, Illinois, and attended OSU from 2011 to 2014. “I think it’ll still be exciting, and I’m really looking forward to it. I just want to get there already and get this thing going.”
The Blue Jackets want the same after parting with 23-year-old forward Anthony Duclair and two second- round draft picks for Dzingel — a pending unrestricted free agent with 22 goals and 44 points this season.
Dzingel adds even more depth up front and has no lack of motivation. He’s also big enough (6 feet, 190 pounds) to win board battles and fast enough to create scoring chances once he gets the puck.
“I think Ryan will be a great addition,” general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. “He plays the style of hockey that the Blue Jackets want to play: fast. He brings another guy who can score goals and drive to the net.”
He's also a Buckeye, which matters to a team fighting a perception that players don’t want to play in Columbus on their own choosing.
“He’s got the ties to the city and the area,” Kekalainen said. “Obviously, that’s a positive, too. He knows where he’s coming to and we’re really excited.”
It will be up to coach John Tortorella to decide which line Dzingel starts with, which could be revealed Monday in practice. He has top-six experience, playing left wing on Duchene’s line in Ottawa, but is open to whatever role he’s handed.
“I think we have a lot of good lines, so wherever coach uses me it’s going to be fine and (I’ll be) playing with the right guys,” he said. “I’m really excited, because I think we have four solid lines that are going to do some damage.”
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That’s the goal, anyway. If it works out, both Kekalainen and Dzingel have already expressed interest in extending the forward’s stay.
“Obviously, it’s like a second home to me and I love Columbus,” said Dzingel, who flew in Sunday with Duchene and Duchene’s family. “I’m excited, and I could definitely see myself playing there for a while. We’ll see if it works out.”
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Trade decisions hinge on what will help team win now
By Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch – February 24, 2019
They’ve already done the tango and fox trot with the Ottawa Senators, but the Blue Jackets could also waltz into the NHL’s trade deadline.
After acquiring star Matt Duchene from the Senators on Friday and forward Ryan Dzingel on Saturday, his Ottawa teammate, the Jackets now have until 3 p.m. Monday before the disco ball stops spinning.
“It can happen in various different ways, but you need a dance partner before you can get to the dance floor,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said during a conference call Sunday morning. “We have opportunities, for sure, that we’re going to be evaluating here with our staff until (the deadline), and then we’ll make those decisions. At 3:01, we’ll know the team that’s here for the rest of the year.”
Will that team include Russian stars Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, who are awaiting July 1 and the start of unrestricted free agency?
Bobrovsky seems like the surest bet to stay put, because of his full no-movement clause and a soft goaltending rental market. But Kekalainen insists that Panarin — the Jackets’ leading scorer — could also remain.
He’s looking for a deal that will help Columbus in two ways — the long term (draft picks, prospects) and short term (NHL-ready players).
“That’s the focus right now,” Kekalainen said. “We’ve been saying we want to send a message, first and foremost into the locker room and to our fan base, that we’re serious about winning.”
How serious?
“We’re not trading Artemi Panarin for draft picks,” he said. “We’re serious about winning, and Artemi Panarin is a huge part of our team.”
After scooping up Duchene and Dzingel, the Blue Jackets already sent a message. Their roster is bolstered and they’ve responded with back-to-back shutout wins against Ottawa and San Jose to reclaim third place in the Metropolitan Division.
Duchene, 28, has stepped right into the No. 1 center role, skating with Panarin and Cam Atkinson, while Dzingel, 26, comes with experience playing top-six minutes on Duchene’s line in Ottawa. They each have 20-plus goals, too, giving the Jackets an NHL-high six 20-goal scorers.
“Our team is strong right now,” Kekalainen said. “I thought we played one of our best games (Saturday) night. Our goaltender (Bobrovsky) played great, our defense looks strong, our forward lines are deep and we just added another guy after the game into that mix, so we have a good team.”
Good enough to make a playoff run? Possibly, but the Jackets are still monitoring a number of situations prior to the deadline.
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Kekalainen might want to add a veteran defenseman, or two — especially with Ryan Murray out “indefinitely” with an upper-body injury — but he’s already provided a significant boost if it doesn’t materialize.
The way he’s done it is also notable, adding two impact forwards using prospects, draft picks and just one player off the NHL roster as bait, enigmatic forward Anthony Duclair.
Columbus has parted with a first-round pick in 2019 (Duchene), second-round picks in 2019 and 2020 (Dzingel) and could also fork over its 2020 first-rounder to Ottawa if the Jackets sign Duchene to a contract extension. They also sent two highly regarded forward prospects — Vitaly Abramov and Jonathan Davidsson — to the Senators.
That’s quite a haul to give up, and Kekalainen covets draft picks as a superb scout prior to his GM role, but he sees this as a unique situation.
“We want to try to win,” he said. ”(Picks) are valuable, but so are these players, and we feel they were worth it. We’ll worry about the picks later.”
In the meantime, teams are pairing off as the night winds down. Will the Blue Jackets find another dance partner?
Stay tuned.
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How Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen will approach the final 24 hours before the NHL trade deadline
By Aaron Portzline, The Athletic – February 24, 2019
COLUMBUS, Ohio — By swinging two big trades to add high-caliber forwards, the Blue Jackets have made the biggest splash so far as the NHL trade deadline nears. And general manager Jarmo Kekalainen isn’t done yet.
Many have billed the additions of Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel in successive trades with Ottawa as proof that Kekalainen is throwing caution, not to mention draft picks, to the wind and “going for it.”
It’s hard to read those trades any other way.
Yet, there’s still a chance the Blue Jackets trade forward Artemi Panarin before the 3 p.m. Monday deadline.
The Blue Jackets are still listening to offers for Panarin, but the demand — a trade that helps Blue Jackets “today and tomorrow” as Kekalainen has said repeatedly — hasn’t changed.
“The answer is still the same, as I’ve said consistently,” Kekalainen said Sunday on a teleconference. “Only if there is an offer that really makes sense in the short term as well as the long term will we be moving either one of those guys (Panarin or goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky).
“That’s the focus right now. We’ve been saying that we want to send a message into the locker room … first and foremost into our dressing room, but (also) into our fan base, that we’re serious about winning.
“We’re not trading Artemi Panarin for draft picks.”
One needn’t strain too hard, however, to see Kekalainen’s moves as a precursor to a Panarin trade, a bold series of steps that have not only affected the trade market in the Blue Jackets’ favor but also have helped set the market value for a high-end offensive player.
With Duchene, a point-a-game center, off the board, the number of first-line players believed to be available is down to two — Panarin and left winger Mark Stone, also of Ottawa.
The number of teams looking for such a player, even as a rental, is larger than two. Winnipeg, Nashville, Calgary, Boston and, possibly, Vegas are all in the hunt for an elite player.
Kekalainen hasn’t been offered a deal yet that has compelled him to trade his dynamic left winger. But when Stone is traded in the next 24 hours — that’s when, not if — the market for Panarin could become intense.
Put another way: Kekalainen and the Blue Jackets have created scarcity, which — when coupled with high demand in the marketplace — results in higher prices. (Economics 101.)
“I’m sure I’ll find out in the next 24 hours … what it’s done to the marketplace, I’ll hear from the other teams,” Kekalainen said. “But that’s just speculation. I’ll leave it at that.”
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Blue Jackets management has promised the players they wouldn’t trade Panarin, Bobrovsky or others without making moves to replace them with significant players. The vow was to give this roster a fighting chance to make the playoffs and be a threat in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
One could say the Blue Jackets have made the Panarin follow-up trade — the one for Dzingel, also a left winger — pre-emptively, allowing Kekalainen to wait out a possible Panarin trade closer to the deadline without having to worry about the corresponding move.
A trade of Panarin would almost certainly bring a roster player back to the Blue Jackets, as Kekalainen’s demand would indicate. But it would also allow the Jackets to recoup some of the draft picks that have been traded in the Duchene and Dzingel trades.
To get Duchene, the Blue Jackets parted with two prospects — forwards Vitaly Abramov and Jonathan Davidsson — and potentially two first-round draft picks.
The Blue Jackets’ 2019 first-round pick goes to Ottawa unless (worst-case scenario) the Jackets miss the playoffs and use the draft lottery to leap into a top three pick. In that case, the first-round pick would slide to 2020 and the other first-round pick would push to 2021.
As of now, the Blue Jackets’ 2020 first-round pick will go to Ottawa if the Blue Jackets are able to sign Duchene to a contract extension.
To get Dzingel, the Blue Jackets parted with their second-round picks in 2020 and 2021.
Now, there is plenty of time to recoup draft picks, and draft picks mean little to the Blue Jackets fan preparing face paint for the franchise’s first-ever playoff run.
But draft picks are also the lifeblood of an organization, and, as it stands, the Blue Jackets have only four picks in this summer’s draft — one in the third round, one in the fourth and two in the seventh — and potentially none in the first three rounds of 2020.
“We value draft picks,” Kekalainen said. “But 2020 and ’21 second-round draft picks, for example, you could wait for them to materialize in your lineup (until) maybe ’24 or ’25. We want to win, as I’ve said. We’re going to try to win.
“While draft picks are valuable, we have some time to get some back and we’ll work on them later. This is by no means, these moves, to not put value on draft picks. They are valuable. But so are these players, and we feel they’re worth it. We’ll worry about these picks later.”
The Blue Jackets traded Abramov and Davidsson, but they haven’t touched their most promising prospects, most of whom are playing in Europe: forwards Liam Foudy, Alexandre Texier, Emil Bemstrom and Kirill Marchenko; defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov; or goaltenders Elvis Merzlikins, Ville Vehvalainen or Daniil Tarasov.
The Blue Jackets might have to part with one of those prospects, or an expendable roster player or AHL Cleveland player, to acquire help on their blue line.
Even before Ryan Murray suffered an upper-body injury, the Blue Jackets were said to be looking for a defensive stalwart at the deadline, similar to the move they made last spring to acquire Ian Cole.
But with Murray out week to week, the need is more profound.
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Kekalainen is in for a busy final lap before the trade deadline. There’s no guarantee he does or doesn’t trade Panarin. Bobrovsky, who has pitched back-to-back shutouts, seems less likely to move because he has a no-move clause in his contract and likely wouldn’t accept being shipped out of Columbus as simply a rental player.
The drama the Blue Jackets have carried with them all season is coming to a crescendo.
“We have a good team,” Kekalainen said. “We want to make it stronger still. We have time. We’ll see what happens.”
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Bold moves by Blue Jackets show they are ‘serious about winning’
By Pierre LeBrun, The Athletic – February 24, 2019
How about Jarmo?
That was the comment most often received in my inbox Saturday night and Sunday morning from rival team executives around the NHL giving the ultimate nod to Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen.
“He’s got a team built for the playoffs, I don’t blame him, it’s bold but I think he’s making the right call,” said one Western Conference team executive Sunday.
Bold, well, because the Jackets weren’t even in a playoff spot at the very moment they got Matt Duchene on Friday. Then they doubled back on Ottawa and got Ryan Dzingel on Saturday night.
And there’s the matter of pending UFA stars Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky…
“Panarin and Bobrovsky put Jarmo in an extremely unenviable position,” said an Eastern Conference team executive on Sunday. “Nobody in the industry would have criticized him for selling his assets and waiting for better times. However, he decided to go all in. That takes big balls.’’
Yes, indeed.
The Jackets have added two rentals and could perhaps keep two rentals of their own. It’s rent, rent, rent and fingers crossed for an organization seeking its first-ever playoff series victory.
“He is going for it and with the moves replaces the departure of Panarin with those two players if he can resign them,” said another Western Conference team executive.”Our game today has become ‘many moving parts’ with the cap/contracts, parity injuries, etc…Makes life interesting.”
Oh, life has been interesting in Columbus this year, all right.
The Jackets are still just one point out of the danger zone but also closely in range of second in the Metro.
With all due respect to the amazing, first-place New York Islanders, the reason what Columbus is doing makes so much sense is because the division is completely wide-open.
The key provision for the Jackets is not just to make the playoffs, but also to avoid the Death Match cross-over with Tampa Bay in the Atlantic.
So get in, and try to finish top three in the Metro. I say they will.
Another Western Conference team executive commented Sunday on what is becoming more and more obvious: Panarin is likely staying put.
“I can’t see Jarmo moving him now,” he said.
Maybe, maybe not.
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I think getting Dzingel, as my Blue Jackets beat guru Aaron Portzline points out, allows for Kekalainen to move Panarin on Monday by having his replacement already on the roster if a team really, really steps up.
“The answer is still the same I’ve said consistently: only if there’s an offer that makes sense in the short term as long as in the long term we’d be moving either one of those guys,’’ Kekalainen said Sunday on a media call referring to Panarin and Bobrovsky.
He added that this is about sending a message in his dressing room and to the Jackets fan base: “We’re serious about winning.”
I happened to be next on the media call question-wise so I pressed on regarding Panarin. I asked Kekalainen about the perception that teams are starting to think the player is no longer available.
“I haven’t told a price tag or anything to any team, I told every team if they have interest in the pending UFA they make an offer, that’s it,’’ responded the Jackets GM. “If they feel like they don’t want to make an offer, that’s their business.’’
So, the door remains open to a Panarin trade even if unlikely?
“Yeah, we’re serious about winning, Artemi Panarin is a huge part of our team,’’ responded Kekalainen. “…We’re not trading Artemi Panarin for draft picks.’’
Translation: It would need to be a huge offer with at least a roster player or two involved. Why would a rival contender want to do that? I guess because Panarin is the best player in the deal.
So while it doesn’t appear Panarin will move, one must keep the possibility open before 3 p.m. ET Monday, especially now that Dzingel is in the fold on the wing.
Now, I know some folks are a bit bemused that Ottawa and Columbus would be trading partners two straight days. Why not just try to get Duchene and Dzingel as part of the same trade?
Well, Columbus indeed did try just that.
“We were talking about both players all along,’’ Kekalainen confirmed.
And to boot, my understanding from other sources is that what the Jackets ended up paying for Dzingel on Saturday was pretty much what they were willing to include in a larger deal including Duchene on Friday.
So the only thing to extrapolate from that is that Ottawa — and I don’t blame Sens GM Pierre Dorion — probably thought he could get a bit more for Dzingel on Saturday and he certainly tried hard. Teams that showed interest in Dzingel included Carolina, Boston, St. Louis and Calgary. My sense is the Bruins and ‘Canes really pushed. I think the Hurricanes would have only made a Dzingel deal if they knew they could sign him.
Ottawa had to move. They have the Mark Stone situation to figure out and while the Senators could have waited until Sunday to move Dzingel, the feeling was that they needed all the time they could spare to deal with a huge one in Stone so Dorion pulled the trigger on Dzingel.
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Which worked out perfectly for Kekalainen, who has had one hell of a weekend. And he’s perhaps not done. I believe he’d like to add a defenseman before Monday’s deadline.
Now, the ultimate risk here is that again they don’t win a playoff series and Duchene and Dzingel join Bobrovsky and Panarin in the July 1 market. All four could be gone in months. Two of them most definitely are.
The Jackets know that. But they clearly feel their time is now to go for it because they’ve got enough talent in the pipeline to turn the page later.
“We always have to keep in mind the big picture as well and to be able to compete in the future,’’ Kekalainen said. “But we have a strong team now, and what made these trades possible is the strong depth chart that we have and the prospects that are going to be ready for the NHL sooner rather than later, at least in how we evaluate them. Only time will tell if we’re right or wrong. But we feel we still have some really good prospects that are close to playing in the NHL and no matter what happens in the near future after the season, we’ll be getting some good, young players into our lineup. We’re going to be strong this spring and we’re going to be strong next year as well.’’
It would be one remarkable story if this is the year we finally see a deep Jackets playoff run.
MARK STONE
My read on the Mark Stone derby as of Sunday morning is that we have Winnipeg, Boston, Calgary and Nashville in there and perhaps to some lesser degree the Islanders and Vegas.
Now on Vegas, with the old Kelly McCrimmon-Stone connection from their Brandon WHL days, I think the Golden Knights only get seriously involved if they know they can sign him. No way Vegas does a Stone rental. As I’ve said before, I think Calgary is the same, even though the Flames are in first place. If they’re paying the major price on Stone, they’d like to know they’ve got a good shot at re-signing him at the very least.
(Important note: as of Sunday morning, a source indicated the Senators had not given any team permission to speak directly with Newport Sports on Stone.)
I think Nashville and Winnipeg could live with Stone as a rental to start and worry about the rest later. I don’t quite know with Boston other than the Bruins have some assets the Senators really covet.
My money’s on the Jets to get Stone but so much has to play out here over the next 24 hours. My sense is the asking price from Ottawa would need to lower a bit for Winnipeg to go all in.
Other options for the Jets include Wayne Simmonds and Kevin Hayes. I actually don’t think Winnipeg must absolutely do anything — honestly, the Jets can win it all as is, in my humble opinion — but those three guys are the obvious options with more than 24 hours to go.
And finally, on Stone, don’t count out the Senators making one final offer to the player on Sunday to try and sign him. It feels a bit late in the game for it but I suspect they will try anyway.
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What winger Ryan Dzingel adds to the Blue Jackets’ push for playoff success
By Tom Reed, The Athletic – February 24, 2019
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ryan Dzingel considers himself “spoiled,” a word rarely associated with seventh- round draft picks.
It’s a feeling, the winger said, that comes from having made a deep playoff run in his first full NHL season in 2016-17. Dzingel helped the lightly regarded Senators to the cusp of the Stanley Cup Final before losing Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final to the Penguins in double overtime.
The newest Blue Jackets forward experienced emotions as raw and powerful as they come in pro sports.
“After you see 40-year-old men crying in the locker room after a loss, it really sinks in,” Dzingel said Sunday in a conference call. “It was definitely a special year for me and my family. I got a taste of what it takes to play in the playoffs and it’s not easy. That helped me in my career right away and hopefully we can take that into Columbus and have some success there.”
The Ohio State product wants to recapture those feelings with the Blue Jackets, a 19-year-old franchise still searching for its first playoff series win.
What Dzingel, 26, adds to his new club is speed, a maturing scoring touch, a familiarity with Matt Duchene and a potential X-factor quality depending on where John Tortorella deploys him in the lineup.
Dzingel, expected to make his Blue Jackets debut Tuesday night, was acquired along with a seventh- round draft pick from Ottawa in exchange for forward Anthony Duclair, a second-round pick in 2020 and a second-round pick in 2021.
The 6-foot, 190-pound winger is enjoying a career year and, according to observers who closely follow the Senators, he’s demonstrating a consistency that was lacking in previous seasons.
There are parts of Dzingel’s game that still need improving. He lacks physicality and his hockey acumen isn’t elite, according to those observers, but then again we’re talking about the 204th overall selection in the 2011 draft.
He’s an emerging player willing to work at his craft. He used to spend summers with Blue Jackets skills coach Kenny McCudden in Chicago in an effort to round out his game.
Dzingel is no longer just a winger who creates scoring chances with his outside speed. His offensive portfolio has expanded, enabling him to play higher in the Senators’ lineup.
TSN analyst and former NHL forward Ray Ferraro said the additions of Duchene and Dzingel give the Blue Jackets three formidable lines.
“Easy to like CBJ top-nine forwards now as they will have depth, size, skill,” Ferraro wrote in a text message exchange with The Athletic.
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Dzingel probably won’t know what line he will play on until after Monday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline. He could slot in on the top unit with Duchene and Cam Atkinson if the Blue Jackets deal unrestricted free agent Artemi Panarin.
The Wheaton, Ill., native had been skating on the left side of the Senators’ top line with Duchene and Bobby Ryan. In fact, he played 440:40 with Duchene at five-on-five this season, the most minutes with the star center compared with any other Senators forward.
“I had a lot of time with Duchene and a lot of chemistry with him so whether it’s with him or any of the other guys, I’m excited,” said Dzingel, who has 22 goals and a career-high 44 points in 57 games. “I think we have four solid lines that are going to do some damage.”
If the Blue Jackets opt to keep Panarin, Ferraro believes Dzingel could be a matchup problem for opponents lower in the lineup. He could play with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Oliver Bjorkstrand.
“If he’s on CBJ third line, he should be able to exploit his speed (versus) secondary D-pairings,” Ferraro wrote. “(He’s) very fast, a darter into space with a good shot.”
In trading for Dzingel and Duchene, the Blue Jackets possess two of the NHL’s most accurate shooters over the past seasons for players appearing in a minimum of 75 games. Duchene ranks 17th at 17.2 percent (55 goals on 320 shots) and Dzingel places 19th at 16.7 percent (45 goals on 269 shots).
The Athletic’s Alison Lukan will provide readers with a deep statistical dive into what each deadline acquisition brings to the Blue Jackets on Thursday. According to Evolving-hockey.com, Dzingel was third among Senators with 200-plus minutes of five-on-five play in expected goals per 60 (.77) this season.
He also can benefit the Blue Jackets on special teams, Ferraro added.
“Dzingel should be a good (second-unit power play) addition,” the TSN analyst said.
Duchene, who tallied his first goal as a Blue Jacket on Saturday, returned to Ottawa on Sunday to retrieve his wife and infant son, Beau. On the flight back to Columbus, he also brought Dzingel along for the ride.
“He just had a little man, Beau, so I told him he’s a ‘Buckeye’ now,” Dzingel said. “It’s going to be exciting. There’s a lot of other stuff going on in the city that he can be happy about and enjoy. He’s basically a good buddy, (and like) family to me. He’ll be around all of my friends and family, too. It’s a really great city … a hometown feel.”
Dzingel can only do so much recruiting in terms of Duchene, who like himself can become an unrestricted free agent July 1. For all his offensive statistics and international success with Team Canada, Duchene has had no luck in the NHL postseason. He’s appeared in just eight playoff games, all with the Avalanche.
“He’s a guy whose sole focus is to win a Cup,” Dzingel said.
While Duchene remains quiet on his future, Dzingel said Sunday he’s open to possibly signing an extension in a city he considers a second home. He played three seasons at Ohio State from 2011-14 before serving a three-year apprenticeship with the Senators’ top farm team.
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“He is definitely one of those players that we have identified as a candidate to stay here into the future,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. “We did not just acquire him to be a rental. Obviously, he has that right July 1 to become a UFA and we realize the risk that could happen, but as goes for all of our UFAs, we’d like to keep our pending UFAs.”
Panarin and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky are likely to play elsewhere next season.
But if Columbus can qualify for the playoffs and go on a deep run like the one Dzingel enjoyed two years ago, the two former Senators could become long-term Blue Jackets this summer.
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Sportsnet.ca / 24 NHL trade candidates: Who will stay, who will go?
By Rory Boylen, Sportsnet – February 22, 2019
There are always a ton of rumours around the NHL trade deadline and, often, the deadline day itself fails to live up to expectations. This season feels different, though, with not only a number of big names floating around the rumour mill, but teams considering blowing things up.
For instance, the Anaheim Ducks have been in a free fall for months now, but if they decide to become sellers a whole bunch of difference-making players could become available and re-shape the Stanley Cup race. Los Angeles, who already traded out Jake Muzzin, could continue moving out key players if they decide to restructure.
Even though we’ve seen a few trade dominos fall already, the potential for some other big moves is very real.
Here are the top 25 names rumoured to be available (with some who’ve already been traded crossed off), ranked by the likelihood they’ll be traded on Feb. 25:
Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the country’s most beloved game.
1. Mark Stone, Ottawa
Contract: $7.35 million through 2018-19
The biggest question of the trade deadline is whether or not the Senators will even make Stone available. The 26-year-old is one of the best, if still underrated, two-way players in the game with 28 goals and 62 points in 59 games. Stuck on a bottom-feeding team, Stone has the league’s best relative CF% at 5-on-5 and makes everyone around him better. The only issue is he’s on an expiring contract so the return would be far higher for Ottawa if an acquiring team can get an extension worked out.
Lots of interest in Mark Stone. A league executive believes there are likely eight contenders that will be serious about acquiring him. #Sens
— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) February 24, 2019
2. Wayne Simmonds, Philadelphia
Contract: $3.975 million through 2018-19
If you’re after skill and sandpaper, Simmonds is one of the best options out there. From 2015-16 to today, only Alex Ovechkin (63) and Jamie Benn (45) have more than Wayne Simmonds’ 44 power-play goals, so if you need help on the man advantage, he’s a good player to look into. In that same span, he ranks 26th among all NHL forwards in hits, showing the six-foot-two, 185-pound winger’s physical side.
Sportsnet’s Starting Lineup
NHL player agent JP Barry on dealing with clients ahead of trade deadline
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February 21 2019
3. Kevin Hayes, NY Rangers
Contract: $5.175 million through 2018-19
With younger centres pushing for time from within the organization, the rebuilding Rangers are considering trading pending UFA Hayes to add some pieces and make room for the future. For his part, Hayes’ play has only increased his value and he leads the Rangers in primary assists per 60 minutes. Teams are always looking for depth at the centre position and may be able to get Hayes for a bargain price if it’s starting to look like he’ll be one of the last players on the board. The Rangers are motivated sellers. If you need a third-line centre who could perhaps play on your second as well, Hayes is a solid pickup for a few months.
4. Marcus Johansson, New Jersey
Contract: $4.583 million through 2018-19
Well out of the race, the Devils will sell, sell, sell. Injuries have prevented Johansson was hitting on his potential since coming to New Jersey from Washington two years ago, but he’s heating up lately with 12 points in his past 13 games.
5. Cody Ceci, Ottawa
Contract: $4.3 million through 2018-19
Not at all thought highly of in the analytics community, Ceci was nonetheless Ottawa’s most leaned- upon blueliner when it came to matching up against the opponents’ best and his shot shares show it — when Ceci has been on the ice this season, the Sens have generated just 42.66 per cent of the shots at 5- on-5. On top of that, he’ll be an expensive re-sign as an RFA this summer with an already expensive cap hit. That said, he is a 25-year-old right shot defender and perhaps used further down the lineup in a less onerous role will do him some good. Ceci was made a healthy scratch Sunday for precautionary reasons ahead of the deadline.
6. Derick Brassard, Florida
Contract: $3 million through 2018-19
His cap hit is a little lower than it otherwise would be because Vegas retained $2 million in salary in the three-way trade conducted with Ottawa last season. Florida acquired Brassard Feb. 1, but given they are well out of the playoffs it’s likely they’ll flip him again by Feb. 25. Brassard doesn’t have the point totals to show it this season, but he’s a better fit as a second-line centre than a third-liner in a defensive position. Penguins GM Jim Rutherford said after the trade that he believed Brassard had trouble shifting into that role on Pittsburgh’s third line.
7. Mike Hoffman, Florida
Contract: $5.187 million through 2019-20
Through 60 games, Hoffman is having a career year and could very well score 30 times for the first time. Still, he’s mostly been slotted in on Florida’s third line, and with a clearer need for defencemen and a
33 goaltender on Florida’s radar it might be a good time to sell high on the 29-year-old. Still with one more season on his deal, he’s not even a rental, which should up the price. Considering Florida got him for picks in the second, fourth and fifth rounds, it’s a flip they should easily win.
8. Artemi Panarin, Columbus
Contract: $6 million through 2018-19
Panarin’s future in Columbus (along with Sergei Bobrovsky) has been in the air all year and while it’s still possible he’ll get moved on Feb. 25, it now appears more likely than before he’ll stay. Columbus has made a couple moves to bring in Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel already, with GM Jarmo Kekalainen saying he wanted to send a message to his players and fans that the Blue Jackets were going for it. He also shot down the idea of trading Panarin for picks. Still, a pending UFA with extremely high value, if Kekalainen can get something that helps Columbus now, he didn’t close the door on the idea of moving Panarin.
9. Jimmy Howard, Detroit
Contract: $5.29 million through 2018-19
GM Ken Holland’s reported ask has been a first-round pick for Howard, who is slated to be a UFA this summer. He hasn’t played more than half the games in a season and finished with a save percentage above .910 since 2012-13, but is above league average this season. Not someone you want to have to lean on as a No. 1 through a playoff run, Howard is a security blanket for some team with struggling or underperforming ‘tenders. But is the cost too prohibitive?
10. Dougie Hamilton, Carolina
Contract: $5.75 million through 2020-21
Playing second-pair minutes for a team that has struggled to score most of the season, Hamilton’s offence has slowed this season and he’s on pace for his worst point total since he was a second-year player with the Boston Bruins. But make no mistake: He’s as much an analytics darling as ever. Although the Canes have been rolling for a while and even starting to score, GM Don Waddell still said he was after a forward and acknowledged he had the depth on defence to possibly do something. Hamilton may as well be the representative for any Carolina bliueliner here — if it’s not him that goes for a forward, it could be Brett Pesce or Justin Faulk.
11. Adam McQuaid, New York Rangers
Contract: $2.75 million through 2018-19
A right-shot pending UFA defender, McQuaid can be trusted with PK minutes and probably best fits as a third-pair depth piece to complement a partner with more offence in his game. McQuaid has reached 10 points just once in the past seven years, but has 68 games of playoff experience and won a Cup with Boston in 2011.
12. Micheal Ferland, Carolina
Contract: $1.75 million through 2018-19
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Put him on a line with an offensive stud or two and Ferland, who would otherwise be a third-liner, becomes a very reliable contributor who puts in 20 goals and adds sandpaper to a top line. Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos has previously reported that it was believed Ferland was seeking Tom Wilson-type money ($5.16-million cap hit), which could make him a straight-up rental for any buyer. But what he would bring in the final months of the regular season and in a playoff run is exactly what many teams are looking for. Even the Canes, now in a favourable position for a playoff spot, may just keep him as their own rental.
13. Alex Chiasson, Edmonton Oilers
Contract: $650,000 through 2018-19
The Oilers would just want to get a late draft pick back for Chiasson, who is one of the obvious candidates to leave Edmonton on an expiring contract. A decent depth piece for the bottom-six, Chiasson had a good run of success in Edmonton that has led to a career-high 17 goals already, plus he has the experience of winning a Stanley Cup just last spring with Washington.
14. Artem Anisimov, Chicago Blackhawks
Contract: $4.55 million through 2020-21
The Blackhawks would do well to shed some salary and while they’d need clearance from the player in order to get that done with Brent Seabrook or Duncan Keith, Anisimov only has partial protection in that he can submit a list of 10 teams to which he’ll accept a trade. He’s a big, 6-foot-4 centre who probably fits best on a third line now and that might mean Chicago has to retain some salary to get a deal done, but whatever they can shed would be worth it. He’s a capable penalty-killer and can still approach 20 goals and 40 points.
15. Cam Fowler, Anaheim
Contract: $6.5 million through 2025-26
Everybody is always looking for puck-moving defencemen and the theme around this year’s deadline seems to be GMs looking for players with term on their contracts. Fowler checks both of these boxes. Like most everyone on the Ducks, Fowler has struggled this season but can usually be counted on to approach 40 points. Don’t be surprised if he returns to form in a new destination. GM/interim coach Bob Murray has already moved off Brandon Montour to Buffalo, but moving Fowler would be a distinct step away from the current core. Is that kind of overhaul in the cards for one of hockey’s most disappointing teams?
16. Mikkel Boedker, Ottawa
Contract: $4 million through 2019-20
When Boedker was made a healthy scratch Sunday night, it heightened the possibility he’ll be moved before Monday’s deadline. Still speedy with some offence, Boedker is quietly having his best offensive season in a few years as the Senators’ style has really opened up this season. Mostly a bottom-six player, Boedker can move up the lineup in a pinch and could help give a boost to someone’s power play in a complementary role.
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17. Jason Zucker, Minnesota
Contract: $5.5 million through 2022-23
If teams are going to pay up to get a skilled player with control, Zucker could bring the Wild back a nice haul. He’s got speed to burn and had easily his best season in 2017-18 with 33 goals and 64 points, so we’ve seen him at his best. Last year’s success hasn’t carried over to this season, though, and this regression is one of the factors contributing to Minnesota’s struggles. But he’s 27 and had been on the rise four years in a row before this one. Already with some younger pieces traded out, the Wild could choose to move on from another player in his prime, though if they do so with Zucker they should get their best return yet.
18. Alec Martinez, Los Angeles
Contract: $4 million through 2020-21
He won’t wow you with point totals or big hits, but the 31-year-old Martinez does everything pretty well. A second-pair defenceman and left shot who played the right side next to Jake Muzzin before he was dealt, you can feel good about deploying Martinez in all three zones, plus he comes with the added bonus of having two more years of control after this season.
19. Jeff Carter, LA Kings
Contract: $5.875 million through 2021-22
You’re not getting prime Carter anymore, so don’t bank on adding a 40-goal man here — in Carter’s past 80 regular season games he has 23 goals. But, he is a versatile player who can play both wing and centre and within a better offence than Los Angeles there may be more offence to tap here. He just turned 34 on Jan. 1 and has another three years of control beyond this one, which could be a blessing or a curse. If you’re going after Carter you’re probably looking for size, offensive upside, and a playoff veteran.
20. Alexander Wennberg, Columbus
Contract: $4.9 million through 2022-23
In Matt Duchene’s first game as a Blue Jacket, Wennberg was made a healthy scratch and he’s been called out by coach John Tortorella more than once this season. There doesn’t appear to be room on the centre depth chart in Columbus for Wennberg anymore and though he likely won’t bring back much in a trade, he could perhaps return some kind of future asset to begin to make up for what Columbus gave up in their other deals. He’s two years removed from his breakout 59-point performance, but hasn’t come within 20 points of that since. A playmaker first, is there a team out there in need of a centre that’s willing to take a chance on the 24-year-old being sold low?
21. Julius Honka, Dallas
Contract: $863,333 through 2018-19
The Stars have a lot of defencemen on their roster and Honka hasn’t been able to break through and earn any consistent minutes. Once thought very highly of within the organization that picked him 14th overall in 2014, he now hasn’t played a game in more than a month, nor got a point since mid- December. The Stars made one trade for Mats Zuccarello, but after he got hurt in his very first game,
36 perhaps they turn to this 23-year-old blueliner to try and net some other production. Honka is a right- shot defenceman who’s still young and worth a gamble.
22. Eric Staal, Minnesota
Contract: $3.5 million through 2018-19
As the Wild continue to plummet it’s looking more likely they’ll trade their biggest rental player. Coming off a 42-goal season, Staal is back scoring at a level he was before coming to Minnesota, when he looked like someone in decline. But could another deal to a contender push him to better levels? Teams are always looking for depth centremen and the 34-year-old, Cup-winning Staal could still provide good value.
23. Ilya Kovalchuk, Los Angeles
Contract: $6.25 million through 2020-21
If he could do it again, Kings GM Rob Blake probably wouldn’t give Kovalchuk the same three-year contract to woo him back from the KHL he did over the summer. The 35-year-old has been everywhere from the first line to the fourth line for the Kings, playing as few as 6:20 in a November game. He scored twice on Dec. 22 in his first game back from an injury that kept him out three weeks, and has only six goals in 25 games since. If the Kings trade Kovalchuk it’s hard to imagine the receiving team not also wanting Los Angeles to retain some of his salary.
24. Chris Kreider, NY Rangers
Contract: $4.625 million through 2019-20
The rumoured asking price is high, and why not? Kreider has 26 goals and 47 points in 62 games that has him on pace to easily set career highs, and he’s got another season on his contract before becoming UFA. The Rangers don’t have to trade him and, in fact, the case has been made they should keep him and re-sign him in the summer to be part of the core to move ahead with. But if a team comes along and pays up for an aggressive power forward they can take two playoff runs with, the Rangers could perhaps be persuaded to let him go if it improves their rebuild.
TRADED PLAYERS
Matt Duchene, Ottawa
Contract: $6 million through 2018-19
TRADED TO COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Ryan Dzingel, Ottawa
Contract: $1.8 million through 2018-19
TRADED TO COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Jake Muzzin, Los Angeles
Contract: $4 million through 2019-20
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TRADED TO TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Mats Zuccarello, NY Rangers
Contract: $4.5 million through 2018-19
TRADED TO DALLAS STARS
Brandon Montour, Anaheim
Contract: $3.38 million through 2019-20
TRADED TO BUFFALO SABRES
Gustav Nyquist, Detroit
Contract: $4.75 million through 2018-19
TRADED TO SAN JOSE SHARKS
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Sportsnet.ca / NHL Trade Deadline history by the numbers
By Rory Boylen, Sportsnet – February 24, 2019
Although Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel have already been moved by Ottawa to Columbus, leaving Artemi Panarin’s trade likelihood in doubt, there are still a number of things that could unfold on Feb. 25. For instance, none of the big players in the Western Conference have made a move yet, and pending UFA Mark Stone is still out there and unsigned by Ottawa.
You can tune in to Sportsnet starting at 8 a.m. ET/5 a.m. PT Monday morning for a full day of trade deadline coverage and analysis as teams bulk up for the playoffs, or take a step back from the present with the future in mind.
No deadline day is the same, but we have a long history of them to extract some interesting stats. With that, here are 14 interesting numbers put together by the impeccable Sportsnet Stats staff, in relation to the trade deadline.
1: The fewest moves made in a deadline season by the eventual Stanley Cup champions in the salary cap era. This is shared by three different teams. In 2006, Carolina acquired Mark Recchi on deadline day; in 2008 Detroit picked up Brad Stuart on deadline day; and in 2012 Los Angeles acquired Jeff Carter four days before the deadline. In the salary cap era, the eventual champions have always made a deal within two weeks of the deadline.
2: The number of teams that haven’t made a deadline day trade in either of the past two seasons. Both Carolina and Minnesota were silent in 2017 and 2018.
4: The most times any one player has been traded on deadline day. Alan May was traded a total of five times in his career, with four of them happening at the deadline (1988, 1989, 1994, 1995). The teams that acquired him were Calgary, Dallas, Los Angeles and Edmonton. Lee Stempniak (just re-signed by Boston on Sunday) and Thomas Vanek (who has a no-move clause with Detroit) are the only players who could be traded for the fourth time on deadline day this season. If Vanek is moved, he would become the first player to ever get traded on three consecutive deadline days.
Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the country’s most beloved game.
5: The most trades made in a deadline season by that year’s eventual Stanley Cup winner in the salary cap era. In 2011, the Bruins made five deals all within two weeks of the deadline. In that time they acquired Chris Kelly, Tomas Kaberle, Rich Peverley, Boris Valabik, Anton Khudpbin, Stefan Chaput and David Laliberte.
9: Most total pieces moved in one trade on deadline day (2007).
Los Angeles got: Johan Fransson, Jaroslav Modry, 2007 second, 2007 third, 2008 first
Dallas got: Mattias Norstrom, Konstantin Pushkarev, 2007 third, 2007 fourth
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13: The number of consecutive seasons Anaheim has made a trade on deadline day. They are the only team that has made at least one transaction on the last day of dealing in each season of the salary cap era. The team has had two GMs in that time: Brian Burke and Bob Murray. Colorado had a streak of 15- straight deadlines making a move until they stayed quiet in 2018.
14: The most goals scored by a player acquired on deadline day for his new team in the remaining regular season games. Toronto traded Lee Stempniak to Arizona in 2010 and he went on to convert 14 goals in 18 regular season games and was then shut out in seven playoff games.
15: The most consecutive years one team has gone without making a single trade on deadline day. The Bruins did not make a single transaction at the trade deadline from 1968 to 1983.
20: The most points accumulated by a player moved on deadline day with his new team the rest of the season. In 2010 the Colorado Avalanche picked up Peter Mueller who went on to score nine goals and 11 assists in 15 regular season games. The Islanders’ pick up of Robert Rychel in 1997 and San Jose’s acquisition of Brian Campbell in 2008 were the next most-productive regular season finishers with 19 points apiece.
31: The number of first-round picks traded on deadline day since 1968. In 2018 a record five first-round picks were moved on the final day of dealing. The most frequently traded pick? Eighty-five third- rounders have moved on deadline day since 1968, with the 81 second-rounders moved a close second.
35: David Poile has made the most deadline day deals of any current NHL GM with 35, followed by Jim Rutherford’s 28 made as GM of Carolina and Pittsburgh.
36: The number of deadline day trades made by the Anaheim Ducks in the salary cap era, which is the most among all teams. Arizona comes second with 34. Excluding Vegas (2) the Dallas Stars have made the fewest deadline day deals since 2006 with just six.
62: The number of deadline day trades made by the Pittsburgh Penguins since 1968, which is the most among all NHL teams in that time. Excluding the California Golden Seals and Vegas Golden Knights, the fewest deadline day trades made since ’68 is 20 by the Minnesota Wild.
592: The total number of trades made on deadline day since 1968. These trades have included 1,114 players and 409 draft picks.
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USA TODAY / Everything you need to know heading into Monday's NHL trade deadline
By Kevin Allen, USA TODAY – February 24, 2019
With the Blue Jackets and Capitals both significantly improving their teams this week, will the Penguins answer with a deal?
For sure. Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford is historically one of the most aggressive traders. He lost two more defensemen, Brian Dumoulin (concussion) and Kris Letang (upper body), in Saturday’s outdoor game. He will be looking at defensemen.
Which team has done the best job in the early deals?
Most would say the Blue Jackets because they have added Matt Duchene (28 goals) and Ryan Dzingel (22 goals). But Capitals GM Brian MacLellan helped his team considerably by adding speedy Carl Hagelin to be a fourth-line role player and Nick Jensen to be a dependable third-pairing defenseman. Jensen could help the Capitals as much as Michal Kempny did last season. Stars GM Jim Nill also added veteran defenseman Ben Lovejoy and creative forward Mats Zuccarello for reasonable prices. The Senators are also doing a good job stockpiling draft picks.
How should we rate this year’s crop of available players for the deadline?
The best forward group in recent memory. Mark Stone, Kevin Hayes, Wayne Simmonds and Mike Hoffman are four players that will significantly upgrade teams. There are rumors about Simmonds ending up in Tampa Bay, but several teams are interested. Nyquist is having a good season. Marcus Johansson (Devils) could add secondary scoring to a team. The defense crop is weak, unless a general manager wants to make a hockey trade to land one of the Hurricanes' defensemen. Carolina GM Don Waddell would probably be willing to deal Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce or Justin Faulk, especially if he could acquire a forward who can play in his top-six.
Who is the sleeper in this season’s trade market?
Hoffman (Panthers) has another season left on his contract paying $5.187 million, and teams are interested because he is not a rental. He has 26 goals this season.
What do the Red Wings want for Gustav Nyquist?
General manager Ken Holland has asked for a first-round pick, but he would probably take a second- rounder and a young player, like he did in the Jensen deal with the Capitals. The Red Wings would prefer to re-sign Nyquist.
Who’s under the most pressure to make something happen?
Predators GM David Poile. He has the league's most talented defense, and a proven goaltender. The Predators are considered one of the top Western Conference contenders, but they don’t look sharp. They could use another scorer, particularly for the power play, where they rank last. When you have a chance to win it all, you don’t stand pat at the deadline.
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Why didn’t the Predators get Matt Duchene?
The price was considered too high. Based on what Columbus gave up, it seems logical to conclude that the Predators would have had to give up Eeli Tolvanen, a first-round pick and two more pieces.
Will the Hurricanes deal forward Micheal Ferland?
They would prefer not to because they are trying to make the playoffs for the first time in a decade. But several teams, particularly the Golden Knights, have interest in Ferland (16 goals, 33 points). If the ‘Canes can acquire a forward who can help them now, they will move the pending unrestricted free agent.
Will goalies Sergei Bobrovsky or Jimmy Howard move?
Don’t see it happening. There’s no goalie marketplace.
Any other names circulating in the marketplace?
Since the Blue Jackets are all in, it's presumed they won't trade Artemi Panarin. But why wouldn't they trade him if they can get a return that helps now? The Red Wings' Luke Glendening (two years left on his deal) also is out there because he is a valuable role player with quickness and the ability to win faceoffs. The Rangers would move Chris Kreider, who has a year left on his contract, in the right deal.
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