As the dust settles on Trade Deadline 2014, I can’t help but wonder about the deal that wasn’t. And I feel I can say this now without fear of scorn and the threat of being banished from the city by a crowd wielding sticks and pitchforks.
Hindsight is 20/20, but I have to be honest. When the rumour mill started up, I was surprised to hear of the Penguins interest in Ryan Kesler. While Ray Shero is one of the most shrewd GMs in the league with a reputation for killer trades, famously swiping Iginla from the Bruins during last year’s trade deadline, I questioned the focus on Kes. I’m sure Shero had a strategy, but in my mind the Pens’ challenge is defense, not offense. While it’s true the team have not executed recently, it’s nothing that a little line switching can’t solve. There is no question the offensive talent is there. Crosby, Malkin, Kunitz and Neal are all capable of delivering, and young guns like Beau Bennett (currently on IR) have proven they can step up to the plate and put a couple between the pipes.
The Penguins need a solid defensive player to cover the gap left by Kris Letang. Tanger’s health scare is not something to be sniffed at – news of his stroke rocked the league and had messages of sympathy pouring in from fans of all locales. But if the Penguins are to have a real shot at the Cup run this season, they need to plug the holes in their D before filling out their offense. Sure, Kesler may have been a short-term fix on the top line with Pascal Dupuis on IR, but was Kesler ever the right guy for this short-term strategy?
Goaltending isn’t currently an issue for the Penguins for the remainder of the season, but it requires some long-term strategic thinking. Marc Andre-Fleury, affectionately dubbed ‘Flower’ by his teammates, has been solid with a .916 save percentage and a league-leading 32 wins this season. Back-up Tomas Vokoun has been out with a blood clot since October 2013 and, at age 37, looks questionable for a return this season. Back-up goaltender Jeff Zatkoff, called up from the Pens AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre Penguins, trails just behind Fleury with a save percentage of .909. The Pittsburgh Penguins serve as Zatkoff’s only NHL experience, with a total of 12 games played and 704 minutes on the ice at the NHL level.
But that’s the Penguins. The Canucks – that’s another story for another day. Significant changes are on the horizon for a team who have experienced a rollercoaster since the 2010-2011 season.
One thing is for sure – all eyes will be on the Vancouver Canucks as the regular season counts down and the team get set to start potentially the largest restructuring in the franchise’s history.
(Photo: @iamseanavery)
Despite not being on an active roster, hockey fans near and far know a little, or a lot, about former New York Ranger, Sean Avery. Now, the rest of the non-hockey loving contingent in America may know him too, as he trades skates for dance shoes. Avery will be partnered with professional dancer Karina Smirnoff for the 18th season of the popular show Dancing with the Stars.
The move to dancing contestant comes as no surprise—the 33-year-old Canadian has made headlines throughout his career—which included an internship at Vogue magazine.
How far Avery makes it, will be up to the judges. This season’s class of participants is strewn with impressive athletic talent, most notably Olympic gold medalist ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White, Paralympic snowboarder Amy Purdy, and swimmer Diana Nyad.
Avery isn’t the only contestant with a link to hockey, former Full House actress Candace Cameron Bure is married to former NHLer Valeri Bure, younger brother of NHL Hall of Famer, Pavel Bure.
This season should prove enjoyable for fans old and new. One thing is for certain, if the dance moves don’t work out, Avery could throw a few cross-checks to his opponents backstage.
The 18th season will premiere on ABC, March 17th.
Photo credit: Kathy Willens/The Associated Press
Winnipeg Free Press Online Edition
The Philadelphia Flyers made a couple of deals at the NHL Trade Deadline, but not the big “headline” deal that the organization is known for pulling off.
In the first trade, the Flyers acquired defenseman Andrew MacDonald from the New York Islanders in exchange for a 2014 third round draft pick, a 2015 second round draft pick and center Matt Mangene. MacDonald can skate and is willing to give up his body to block a shot. He has 198 blocked shots this year.
MacDonald logs a lot of ice time per game since he was playing even strength, on the power play and on the penalty kill for the Islanders. He played on one of the worst defensive teams in the league, and is a minus 19 on the season. He’ll be reunited with fellow defenseman Mark Streit, and maybe the change of scenery will be a good thing for the 27 year-old defenseman. Luke Schenn will finally have a steady defensive partner and that could help his play be more consistent.
If MacDonald needs any motivation to play better then maybe being in the middle of the playoff race will help. The Flyers currently sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division.
MacDonald is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. The Flyers will most likely overpay for the mediocre defenseman because that it what they are know for doing.
In the second trade, defenseman Andrej Meszaros was sent to the Boston Bruins in exchange for a conditional third round draft pick in 2014. After acquiring MacDonald, the Flyers had nine defensemen on the roster and had to move one of them.
Meszaros was splitting time with fellow defenseman Erik Gustafsson this season. The Flyers cleared $4 million in cap space by moving Meszaros. He likes to jump into the play and has five goals in 38 games played this season. He can play physical, and the Flyers used him on the second power play unit. The defenseman isn’t the fastest skater in the league.
There was no need to try and pull off the big deal unless it was for a number one defenseman. The Flyers have been one of the best teams in the NHL since November 8. The lines seem like they have some good chemistry, and are comfortable playing with each other.
(Image courtesy of Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald)
Trade deadline day is always a sour day for Buffalo Sabres fans. This is the day we either don’t make a move or we lose all the players we have grown to love. The 2014 trade deadline became the latter and as a Sabres fan, I am hopeful for better days, however I am saddened by the losses. Our new GM Tim Murray seems to be ready and willing to make the trades that he feels we need to move forward.
The Sabres began making moves on Friday, March 1, as Buffalo fans were shocked by the loss of both goalie Ryan Miller and forward Steve Ott, both going to St. Louis. In return we received goalie Jaroslav Halak, forwards Chris Stewart and William Carrier as well as a 2015 1st round draft pick and a 2016 conditional 3rd round draft pick. The Sabres were then quiet until Wednesday afternoon when all other teams were also kicking up the trades.
On Wednesday, the first move the Sabres made was for Cory Conacher who was put on waivers by Ottawa. Conacher is coming back to Buffalo as he played locally at Canisus College, and seems to be excited to be coming back to this city.
The next move was a trade letting go of defenseman Brayden McNabb and forward Jonathan Parker to Los Angeles, along with a 2014 2nd round draft pick and a 2015 2nd round draft pick. In exchange, we received defenseman Nicolas Deslauriers and forward Hudson Fasching. Neither player will see time in the NHL this season as Deslauriers will report to the Rochester Americans, and Fasching is currently attending the University of Minnesota.
Neuvirth with the Capitals in January 2012, Wikipedia
Another transaction today was sending newly acquired Halak to Washington along with a 2015 3rd round draft pick in exchange for goalie Michal Neuvirth and defenseman Rostislav Klesla. Neuvirth should be the Sabres backup goalie for now with the loss of Miller and subsequent promotion of Jhonas Enroth to starting goalie. Klesla should also see plenty of time on the ice and hopefully bring some new life to the Sabres D-line.
The last trade of the day, and the one that I am most upset about, dealt forwards Matt Moulson and Cody McCormick to Minnesota in return for forward Torrey Mitchell, a 2014 2nd round draft pick and a 2016 2nd round draft pick. Since Buffalo picked up Moulson, he has been giving our forwards the spark they had been missing the last 2 seasons. He is fast, gritty, and likes to score goals, something Buffalo fans had longed for – for a long time. McCormick is a loss for the Sabres in terms of someone who was able to stand up for himself and his teammates. He was tough and brought grit to the team that made us look tough when he was on the ice.
Again, as a Sabres fan, I am relatively bummed by this year’s trade deadline day. We traded away our captain (not the first time), our franchise goalie, several gritty players, and a player who has scored many goals for us. Regardless of how players are performing, you form a bond with them and always hate to see them go, even though it is part of the business. The biggest problem I have with this whole process is the number of draft picks Buffalo always seems to pick up. At best, you get a player you may see in a Sabres uniform in 4 years. Management keeps saying we, as fans, need to suffer for a few years of rebuilding before we can put a solid competitive team on the ice. I, for one, am getting pretty frustrated at waiting – and when you get rid of all your players year after year, the rebuilding is never going to end. The Sabres were already one of the youngest teams in the NHL and I would have to imagine that with the addition of these new players, we should now officially be the youngest and most inexperienced.
Information about our new players:
Cory Conacher: played parts of three seasons with Ottawa and Tampa Bay. In 2012, Conacher was awarded the Les Cunningham Award, as well as the AHL’s Dudley “Red” Garrett Memorial Award with the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals. Conacher (5’8″, 180 lbs, 12/14/89) is from Burlington, Ontario.
Nicolas Deslauriers: currently a member of the Manchester Monarchs and is leading the team in goals and shots. He has spent most of the season at left wing, despite being labeled as a defenseman. Deslauriers (6’1″, 230 lbs, 2/22/91) is from LaSalle, Quebec.
Hudson Fasching: was drafted by LA in 2013 and currently plays for the University of Minnesota. He ranks third on the team with 27 points in 31 games as a freshman. Fasching (6’2″, 213 lbs, 7/28/95) is from Burnsville, Minnesota.
Michal Neuvirth: has spent his NHL career with the Capitals and has played in 134 games. He has a 59-41-13 record, recording 7 shutouts, a .910 save percentage, and a 2.67 goals against average. He has only played 13 games this season with the Caps. Neuvirth (6’1″, 209 lbs, 3/23/88) is from Usti Nad Labem, Czech Republic.
Rostislav Klesla: had a rough trade day as he was traded to Washington from Phoenix and then traded to Buffalo, so he never saw any time in Washington. He has played 13 years in the NHL with both Phoenix and Columbus, totaling 159 points and 620 penalty minutes. Klesla (6’3″, 215 lbs, 3/21/82) is from Novy Jicin, Czech Republic.
Torrey Mitchell: playing in his 6th NHL season, spent between San Jose and Minnesota. He has played 383 games, scoring 35 goals, 55 assists, and 194 penalty minutes. Mitchell (5’11”, 189 lbs,1/30/85) is from Greenfield Park, Quebec.
(Photo: Philadelphia Flyers)
The Boston Bruins have acquired 28-year-old defenseman Andrej Meszaros for a 2014 third-round draft pick from the Philadelphia Flyers. The Slovakian native is in his ninth NHL season and currently in the last year of a six-year, $24 million deal; he currently has 5 goals, and 12 assists in 38 games with the Flyers.
Meszaros has a history with Bruins Captain Zdeno Chara, most recently from their time playing for Slovakia at the Winter Olympics in Sochi. The history skates further with Chris Kelly and GM Peter Chiarelli all from the groups past with the Ottawa Senators.
Following the mold of previous trade deadlines before, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli looked to add to holes in the lineup via a rental player without losing his core roster.
The Bruins have been faced with a gaping hole as of late, after the season ending knee injury to Dennis Seidenberg. Defenseman Adam McQuaid has also been missing from the lineup with injury and a delayed return date.
Although still unreported, Meszaros could easily be expected to join their team for tomorrow evenings home contest against the Washington Capitals.
(Photo: Lightning)
The Tampa Bay Lightning started their trade deadline day with some big news, Steven Stamkos was going to return on Thursday!
Of course, as most of us know now, that wasn’t going to be the only big news of the day. At 11:23 AM, TSN reported the much speculated trade of a captain switch, Martin St. Louis for Ryan Callahan. Along with Captain Cally, the Lightning got a conditional second round pick in the 2014 draft, and a first round selection in the 2015 draft. The Lightning’s conditional second round pick becomes a first-round pick in the 2014 NHL Draft if the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final this season. The 2015 will see the the Rangers getting the Lightning’s second round pick (for New York’s seventh round pick) if Callahan re-signs with the Lightning at the end of the season. At the age of 28, Captain Cally has skated in 45 games with the Rangers this season. He has netted 11 goals and 25 points, with only 16 penalty minutes. Of the goals, four were on the power play.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound forward registered a season-best, five-game point streak from October 11 through November 7, recording five goals and two assists during that stretch.
“The Lightning are very excited to have Ryan Callahan join the organization and help us in our quest to make the playoffs,” Yzerman said. “Ryan is an outstanding player and leader who we look forward to seeing on the ice tomorrow night. We’d like to thank Marty for everything he has done on and off the ice during his outstanding 13-year career in Tampa Bay. He has been one of the greatest players in the organization’s history but in the end we honored his request today. We wish him and his family the best of luck as he continues his career in New York.”
Callahan, a native of Rochester, New York, represented Team USA in Sochi. He appeared in six games and had one assist. In 2010, he earned a silver medal with Team USA in Vancouver. Callahan has played in 450 career NHL games, all with the Rangers, over eight seasons, collecting 132 goals and 254 points. He set career-highs during the 2011-12 season for goals (29), points (54), penalty minutes (61), power-play goals (13) and game-winning goals (nine). He was originally drafted by the Rangers in the fourth round, 127th overall, at the 2004 NHL Draft. 
The other big news for the Lightning today, was the return of centre Steven Stamkos. He has been cleared for return to action, Steve Yzerman announced on Wednesday morning. He will return to action on Thursday night against the Buffalo Sabres.
“Steven saw Lightning medical director Dr. Ira Guttentag this morning and based on the latest X-ray, a clinical exam and his functionality on and off the ice we are pleased to announce he is cleared to play.” Yzerman said. “We look forward to seeing him on the ice with his teammates tomorrow night.”
Stamkos has been out of action since November 11, when he fractured his right tibia in a game against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. It required him to have surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital where a titanium rod was placed in the tibia. The star player has missed 45 regular season games, and the Olympics, since his injury.
“Today is obviously an exciting day for me,” said Stamkos after learning the news. “Adversity is a good test and you’re going to have to go through it in your career, so you hope it makes you a better player and a better person. I have a new perspective on my career as a professional athlete and how hard you have to work to maintain that. I’d like to thank the training staff for their dedication and hard work, ensuring that I got back into the lineup as quickly as possible.”
Photo: Tampa Bay Lightning
New York Rangers captain Ryan Callahan has been officially swapped for the Lightning’s captain Martin St. Louis this afternoon. Callahan, with a long history of injuries, a slipping performance, and no Stanley Cup Championships, has said his bittersweet goodbyes.
Although many are upset to see him go, improvement cannot happen without change. The Rangers are in a steep 20 year Stanley Cup drought, and now that the Rangers made a bold move by signing Marty St. Louis, the team will have a leader with Stanley Cup experience. Some Ranger fans may be skeptical with the decision, considering his age. Many may fear he is only a ‘rental’ player. But for his age, he has been, and still is one of the most elite players in the NHL. Marty St. Louis was signed for a very reasonable 5$ million.
With the rapidly changing team, St. Louis will now play alongside with fellow offensive super-stars, Rick Nash, Mats Zuccarello, Carl Hagelin and Chris Kreider. St. Louis will also have the opportunity to play again with Brad Richards, his teammate from the 2004 Stanley Cup Championship in Tampa Bay.
The Rangers future looks very bright, and all should be optimistic about 2014 post-season.
The Olympics are finally over. I must say that the games were great to watch. I sat on the corner of my seat for most of the hockey games. What great plays and fantastic moves were shown on the ice! Congrats to Canada and the women’s and men’s hockey teams!
Now we are in the middle of trading for the NHL. By the time you read this column, most of the trading will be done! So, I will not write about this. I read a column a while back that I want to share with you all and today is the day.
No America, you cannot have Wayne Gretzky as your own!
In the beginning of February I read an article that asked readers from ‘TeenDigest’, ‘Who are the most Athletic Americans?’
Wayne Gretzky made it to fifth place. As a Canadian, that was interesting and a bit odd! I know you haven’t heard from him in a while. He has been out of the spotlight and far away from the NHL. There was money owed from the NHL to him when the Phoenix Coyotes went into bankruptcy. But still, he is Canadian!
About ten years ago, I was a long haul truck driver. One of my loads was to Phoenix to deliver some posters to the Coyotes. The girl who helped us was young and was totally in awe of him. It was so funny to listen to her! Wayne could do no wrong and he is and was the greatest, blah, blah. I am so lucky to work on his team..blah, blah. I still remember it.
Even though, he moved to the south when he made it big, he belongs to Canada. He was born in Ontario, voted as the 10th greatest Canadian and he lit the torch for the Vancouver Olympics four years ago.
Gretzky played eight International games with Team Canada and accumulated twenty goals, twenty-eight assists and forty-eight points. Not bad for a northern boy!!
Yes, Wayne Gretzky is not American. He may live in the south and enjoy the warm winters but his skates get tied up in Canada! So, for those dreamy teenagers out there in ‘TeenDigest’ land, Canada gets Gretzky but we are open to trade for other Athletic Americans!
This week, we thought we’d travel to Vancouver (virtually) and give the Canucks some love. Good cop, bad cop, naughty or nice, Sedin or Sedin. We pulled this look together off of the Sedin twin tank top from 500 Level. While a lot of their clothing is in a Chicago state of mind – they have some pretty cool pieces for pretty much every team in the league.
Everywhere you look, spring is skating into fashion, floral patterns are blooming everywhere. We chose to mix a floral skirt with a leather piece, while we chose a blazer, a leather jacket would work as well.
Wedge sneakers, patterned tights and a beanie give this look a casual flair that would absolutely fly for a hockey game. If skirts aren’t your thing, inexpensive lightly patterned floral jeans are popping up everywhere and that would certainly work as a skirt substitute. We suggest a smaller pattern for your tights if the floral pattern you choose is a bold one, but if you choose a more subdued floral pattern, go a little crazy with the tights. Have fun with it!
Pick a team color polish to give your nails some spirit and a wristlet in a coordinating color. We found a clutch/wristlet combo that would certainly make a splash with the metal whale on the front.
As always, sub in colors to make the look work for your home team. Think you have a great game day look, or have a suggestion for our next Team Look of the Week? We want to hear from you — tweet @thepinkpuck your photos and ideas!
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