Trades, Weekly Streamers, and More
Staal, Lemieux, Volkov on the move
Ekblad Injury
A long-term injury to the Panthers’ No. 1 defenseman really hurts. There has been talk that he was in the Norris Trophy conversation and maybe that is true. In my ratings, he is a little outside that group but probably Top 10 in the league this season. 11 goals in 35 games is a difference maker for a defenseman.
Could Gustav Forsling take on a bigger role? He played a season-high 25:34 Sunday.
Eric Staal to Montreal
The Buffalo Sabres traded veteran center Eric Staal to the Montreal Canadiens for a third and fifth-round pick.
Staal, 36, is not having a productive season, managing three goals and 10 points in 32 games and mired in a 23-game goal-scoring drought, but his isolated impacts are favorable at both ends of the ice and that is not unusual for him, even late in his career.
He is not needed to be an impact player in Montreal but Staal can play in the top nine, especially if he can slide to the wing when the team is fully heathy.
Brendan Lemieux to Los Angeles
Lemieux is a 25-year-old winger who leads the league with 59 PIM in 31 GP but has seven points (2 G, 5 A) and has yet to score 20 points in an NHL season. Not sure he is better than the options that the Kings already have on their fourth line but maybe the Kings are looking for someone with Lemieux’s specific skill set.
Alexander Volkov to the Anaheim for Antoine Morand
Volkov is a 23-year-old winger who had six points (3 G, 3 A) in 28 GP over the past two seasons for Tampa Bay.
Morand is a 22-year-old winger who has 22 points (6 G, 16 A) in 75 AHL games over the past two seasons.
SUNDAY GAMES
N.Y. Rangers 4 Washington 5
WSH RW T.J. Oshie 1 G, 2 A (6 G, 9 A in past 18 GP)
WSH RW Tom Wilson 2 G (2 G, 3 A in past 4 GP)
WSH D Dmitry Orlov 2 A
NYR RW Colin Blackwell 2 G
NYR C Kevin Rooney 2 A
NYR D Adam Fox 2 A (1 G, 13 A during a 7-game point streak)
New Jersey 1 Boston 0
NJ G Mackenzie Blackwood earned a 40-save shutout. (.940 SV% in past 5 starts)
BOS G Jaroslav Halak saved 28 of 29 shots. (.919 SV% in 15 GP)
Columbus 1 Detroit 4
DET G Calvin Pickard stopped 16 of 17 shots. (37 saves on 39 shots in two weekend wins vs. CBJ)
Nashville 3 Chicago 2
CHI LW Alex DeBrincat 2 G (3 G, 3 A in past 6 GP)
CHI C Pius Suter 2 A (3 G, 2 A during a 4-game point streak)
NSH RW Viktor Arvidsson 1 G, 1 A
CHI C Kirby Dach was on the ice for all three goals against.
Florida 4 Dallas 1
FLA LW Jonathan Huberdeau 2 G, 1 A (2 G, 3 A in past 4 GP)
FLA G Chris Driedger stopped 33 of 34 shots. (.927 SV% in 15 GP)
Anaheim 3 St. Louis 2
STL RW Vladimir Tarasenko 1 G, 1 A (2 G, 5 A in 11 GP)
ANA LW Max Jones 2 A
ANA G Anthony Stolarz stopped 38 of 40 shots.
WEEKLY STREAMERS
Martin Necas, RW, Carolina
7 G, 10 A in past 13 GP
Valeri Nichushkin, LW, Colorado
5 G, 5 A in past 13 GP
Jason Robertson, LW, Dallas
4 G, 11 A in past 15 GP
Alex Killorn, LW, Tampa Bay
7 G, 6 A in past 14 GP
DIGGING DEEP
Tampa Bay Lightning center Ross Colton is a 24-year-old rookie out of the University of Vermont and he’s not playing much (9:31 ATOI) but he does have four points (1 G, 3 A) in the past five games and has strong shot metrics.
MONDAY GAME PROBABILITIES
MONDAY DFS VALUE PLAYS
PHI C Scott Laughton $3500 at BUF
PHI RW Travis Konecny $4900 at BUF
SJ RW Kevin Labanc $4100 vs. MIN
BUF LW Taylor Hall $4600 vs. PHI
COL D Sam Girard $4800 vs. ANA
WPG D Josh Morrissey $4900 at CGY
LA G Cal Peterson $7200 at VGK
BUF G Linus Ullmark $7000 vs. PHI