Early winners emerge ahead of NHL trade deadline
With Monday's 3 p.m., ET, trade deadline still five days away, early bird shoppers have become this year's story. Carolina Hurricanes' Jiri Tlusty and Andrej Sekera, plus Toronto's Daniel Winnik all moved Wednesday. Fourteen trades have already been negotiated since Jan. 2.
Here are the winners among the early shoppers:
1. Minnesota Wild: The Jan. 2 acquisition of goalie Devan Dubnyk from the Arizona Coyotes for a 2015 third-round pick was the catalyst to the Wild's rise to a wild card spot in the Western Conference. He is 13-3-1, with a 1.66 goals-against average and .935 save percentage. The Minnesota goalies' save percentage was below .900 before his arrival. On Wednesday, the Wild added to their forward depth by trading a 2016 third-round pick to the Florida Panthers for Sean Bergenheim, a feisty forward with a good playoff history.
2. Winnipeg Jets: GM Kevin Cheveldayoff made the boldest move of his career when he traded an injured Evander Kane, plus defenseman Zach Bogosian to the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Tyler Myers, winger Drew Stafford, a first-round pick and two key prospects. Myers is more offensive than Bogosian and Stafford can make-up for Kane's lost goals. Then Cheveldayoff added Jiri Tlusty who is essentially a 15-20 goal scorer. Cheveldayoff sent a message to his fan base that he is intent on making the playoffs for the first time.
3. Nashville Predators: The Nashville Predators upgraded their defense and secondary scoring by giving up a first-round pick to land puck-moving defenseman Cody Franson and third-line center Mike Santorelli from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both players are former Nashville players. Franson is a puck-mover and a big-bodied defender, while Santorelli is considered a dependable forward with modest scoring ability. The Predators also gave up forward Brendan Leipsic and Toronto agreed to take center Olli Jokinen.
4. Los Angeles Kings: The Kings proved how badly they want to win their third title in four seasons by giving up a first-round pick to land defenseman Andrej Sekera. The Kings have needed a puck-moving, transition defenseman since Slava Voynov was suspended by the NHL early in the season. Even if Voynov is acquitted of domestic abuse charges, there is no guarantee that the NHL will reinstate him immediately. Sekera was probably the most coveted defenseman in the marketplace when he was dealt today.
5. Pittsburgh Penguins: The Penguins gave up a first-round pick to land winger David Perron who is now one of their key offensive players. Although currently in a six-game scoring slump, Perron has nine goals and 14 points in 22 games. The Penguins gave up a 2016 second-round pick, and a 2015 fourth, plus forward Zach Sill, for Winnik who is a respected third liner who can chip in goal scoring. The Penguins were out of cap room, so landing a valuable $1.3 million cap hit is a coup. Earlier, Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford also added forward Max Lapierre, a feisty role player who becomes more effective in the playoffs.
6. Carolina Hurricanes: Securing another first round pick, plus prospect defenseman Roland McKeown, is major step for a team that is trying to rebuild on the fly. The 2015 draft is considered deep, and the Kings pick, even if they make the playoffs, should be in the top 20. They also picked up a third-round pick for Jiri Tlusty, plus a conditional sixth-round pick that becomes a fifth if Winnipeg makes the playoffs. Remember, the 'Canes believed they couldn't re-sign either Sekera or Tlusty. Based on what has happened in the marketplace since last summer, Sekera probably will be looking for a deal next summer in excess of $5.5 million per season.