The Seattle Kraken traded forward Calle Jarnkrok to the Calgary Flames in exchange for a 2022 second-round pick (originally the Florida Panthers'), a 2023 third-round selection, and a 2024 seventh-rounder, the team announced Wednesday.
Seattle will retain 50% of Jarnkrok's salary.
This marks the Flames' second big acquisition ahead of next week's trade deadline after the club landed Tyler Toffoli from the Montreal Canadiens in February.
The Kraken selected Jarnkrok from the Nashville Predators in the expansion draft. The 30-year-old forward has 12 goals and 14 assists in 49 games this season and can slot in anywhere in the Flames' lineup.
Calle Jarnkrok, acquired by CGY, is a versatile middle-six defensive forward who can chip in goals as well at 5v5. Was playing up in Seattle's lineup but will be best suited to a 3rd line role. #Flamespic.twitter.com/uAybrED1Tn
The deal carries an average annual value of $8.1375 million, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports. The first three years have a no-movement clause, and the final five years have a limited no-trade clause, Friedman adds.
Hertl was set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season ended.
The 28-year-old's name was floated around in trade rumors all season long, but San Jose's management was adamant that the club wanted to sign him to a long-term deal.
Tomas Hertl, signed to an 8x$8M extension by SJ, is a high-end two way number one centre who is well-rounded offensively and has a strong track record of strong defensive play as well. #SJSharkspic.twitter.com/W3fC49x2fj
Hertl plays a dynamic two-way game and excels on both ends of the ice. He's having a great campaign with the Sharks, tied for first on the team with 25 goals and sitting second in points with 48.
San Jose currently has no forwards on its roster signed beyond the 2023-24 season. The club has defensemen Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic signed long term, but Hertl now figures to be the Sharks' centerpiece on offense as they usher in a new era.
Hertl has 176 goals and 195 assists in 562 career games. He ranks third on the squad with 315 points and second with 148 goals since the beginning of the 2015-16 season.
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Erik Kallgren recorded a 35-save shutout in the first start of his NHL career Tuesday night in a 4-0 defeat of the Dallas Stars.
Kallgren received a warm welcome when he entered the Maple Leafs' locker room postgame.
"I don't know. I'm going to take this very day-by-day," Kallgren said postgame when asked if he thinks he can keep it up with the Leafs, according to The Leafs Nation's David Alter. "I've been called up less than a week ago. I'm still just trying to enjoy this; try not to think too much."
Head coach Sheldon Keefe wasn't quick to commit to giving Kallgren a string of starts after the Swede's impressive debut.
The club summoned Kallgren to the crease after Petr Mrazek allowed four goals against the Buffalo Sabres in Sunday's Heritage Classic game. Regular starter Jack Campbell remains sidelined with a rib injury.
The Leafs' goalies have struggled mightily over the last couple of months, with the team surrendering 39 goals in its previous eight games.
Kallgren, 25, had played just 30 minutes of NHL hockey before Tuesday's start, making 10 saves on 11 shots against the Arizona Coyotes last week. He's managed a .904 save percentage and 3.02 goals against average in 26 games with the AHL's Toronto Marlies this season.
The Sharks are looking to acquire a second-round pick plus another selection or prospect, LeBrun adds.
The 26-year-old is in the final year of a two-way contract that pays him $725,000 at the NHL level. He's been a revelation for the Sharks this season, slotting into the left side of the team's top-four and logging big minutes alongside Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns.
Middleton has three goals and six assists in 41 games this season. He's averaged 19:01 minutes of ice time per game and ranks second on the team with six blocked shots per 60 minutes. He'll be a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the season.
We saw four Canadian teams make the playoffs last year thanks to the North Division, but this season looks like it might be a different story. As it stands, Calgary and Toronto are the only two teams well on the way to the postseason. Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Vancouver are currently on the outside looking in, while Ottawa and Montreal have been out of it for awhile.
Despite the varying differences in the standings between all seven Canadian clubs, each one should be active in one way or another at the trade deadline. Let's take a look at how each team should approach this year's deadline as March 21 approaches.
Calgary Flames: Trust what you got
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Deadline cap space: $870,000
The Flames already made a big splash on the trade market by bringing in Tyler Toffoli well ahead of the deadline. As a result, the team now boasts one of the league's deepest group of forwards. Add to that an elite goaltender and a competent blue line, and you find yourselves with one of the toughest teams in the NHL to play against.
Calgary has little cap space at their disposal and a depleted set of draft picks. They managed to nab Toffoli without giving up one of their top prospects, which was some tidy work by GM Brad Treliving. At this point, Calgary needs to stand pat and trust what they've put together. Since Feb. 1, the Flames have won 14 of 17 games; the team is clicking on all cylinders and will be a nightmare to face in the playoffs. Perhaps the club opts to add a depth defenseman or forward for cheap, but it wouldn't be at all surprising if they're quiet.
Edmonton Oilers: Trade for a goalie
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Deadline cap space: $591,000
Enough is enough in Edmonton. The club went into the year entrusting Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen in net - it hasn't worked out. The soon-to-be 40-year-old Smith has been on and off IR all year, and when he's played, he hasn't been great. Koskinen has gotten the bulk of the starts as a result but has only managed a .904 save percentage and -4.46 goals saved above average. He's played well as of late, but if the Oilers want to go deep in the playoffs, he can't be the one in the crease. The Oilers are the 12th-best team in the league with 3.21 goals scored per game but are the 11th-worst with 3.21 goals allowed per game. A fix in net could go a long way.
There are a number of options on the goalie market, with Marc-Andre Fleury far and away the best option out there. He's proven on numerous occasions he has what it takes to guide a team to the Stanley Cup Final, and can provide Edmonton the stability they desperately need. It hasn't been confirmed whether or not he would accept a trade out of Chicago, but the asking price will probably be hefty. If he were to allow a trade, Edmonton should be all over him. Otherwise, the Oilers might look for an upgrade with Joonas Korpisalo, Braden Holtby, or Jaroslav Halak.
Montreal Canadiens: Sell, sell, sell
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Deadline cap space: $7.7 million
The Canadiens have teetered between being a buyer and seller at the deadline over the last decade, but this is the first year in a long time where a true fire sale could go down. Ben Chiarot is almost certainly going to get dealt, but the team has a handful of other players who could presumably find new homes.
Artturi Lehkonen, Brett Kulak, Cedric Paquette, Mathieu Perreault, and Chris Wideman are all on expiring deals and could be moved. Montreal's big-ticket names like Jeff Petry and Brendan Gallagher will likely only get moved in the summer - if they get dealt at all. Montreal has been playing great hockey under new head coach Martin St. Louis, so perhaps that will deter the team from selling cornerstone veterans and rebuilding. Kent Hughes' and Jeff Gorton's phone will surely be ringing off the hook for plenty of players on their roster. They're not in a position to sell low on anybody at this point, but if the right deal comes along, there should be no hesitation to accept as they usher in a new era in Montreal.
Ottawa Senators: Use cap space
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Deadline cap space: $55 million
The Senators don't have a ton of assets to sell at this year's deadline. Michael Del Zotto and Tyler Ennis could fetch mediocre returns; Nick Paul, Erik Brannstrom, and Chris Tierney, who could still be a part of the team's future, aren't locks to be moved. What the Senators do have, though, is a massive amount of cap space that can be used to their advantage.
Contenders all around the league are pressed right up against the cap and will be desperate to shed some salary in order to bulk up for the playoffs. The Senators could be big winners if they help facilitate trades either by taking on contracts or by simply retaining salary as a third party. The club has a great foundation of young studs and is inching closer to contention, but they're just not there yet. Eugene Melnyk and Pierre Dorion need to capitalize on stockpiling assets if they don't want to be in this position next year.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Bolster blue line
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Deadline cap space: $3.7 million
The Maple Leafs could go a number of ways at the deadline this year, but all signs point toward the club bringing in a defenseman to reinforce their middling defensive group. Sheldon Keefe and Kyle Dubas have both indicated their faith in Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek, so it seems unlikely the team will add a goaltender. Perhaps Campbell's minor injury changes things, but he's still their guy come playoff time assuming he's healthy. The team's forward group is deep and dangerous and doesn't need much tinkering, scoring 3.71 goals per game - fourth-best in the NHL.
Toronto needs to address its defensive issues and bring in a solid blue-liner. Things are trending toward Jake Muzzin returning to the lineup before the playoffs, which is a great sign. But still, handing big minutes to Travis Dermott and Justin Holl isn't going to fly in the postseason. Dubas has said he isn't big on the idea of bringing in a rental player this year, but there are a number of defensemen on expiring contracts that the club can easily acquire and perhaps for a cheap price. Veteran blue-liners Justin Braun, Luke Schenn, Damon Severson, or Ben Chiarot could fit the bill and provide the Leafs with some much-needed help.
Vancouver Canucks: Don't make a panic move
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Deadline cap space: $2.4 million
The Canucks might have a slim chance to make the playoffs at this point, but that doesn't mean they should be big sellers. Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller have been floated around in the rumor mill over the last few months, but parting ways with either player at this point might end up being a huge mistake.
Miller has proven himself since landing in Vancouver, and with one more year on his contract, there's not much of a reason to sell yet. He could still be in line for an extension, so there's no real rush to trade him, and he's been one of the team's best, most consistent players. Splitting with the 25-year-old Boeser wouldn't be wise unless the return is massive. Despite having a bit of a down year, he's still on pace for an impressive 27 goals while ranking third on the team with a 58.39 expected goals for percentage.
The beginning of the season was a nightmare in Vancouver, but things are looking brighter. With new management, a new coach, and the team heading in the right direction, there isn't an urgent need to offload one of the team's stars. If a team makes an offer they can't refuse, then it's a different story. But there's no need to make a trade at this point just for the sake of shaking things up.
Winnipeg Jets: Trade Andrew Copp
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Deadline cap space: $669,000
Similar to the Canucks, the Jets are a great team on paper that simply haven't been able to put it together this season. Many pegged the team as a potential dark horse Stanley Cup contender entering the year. However, even making the playoffs is starting to look out of reach. The Jets have too much talent throughout its lineup to be as bad as they've been, but clearly something isn't clicking. They don't have a ton of rental players to offer on the market, but Copp should garner a ton of interest around the league if he's available.
The versatile forward is exactly the kind of depth player contending teams will be looking to add at the deadline. Similar to forwards Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman, who were big additions at the deadline in the past, he could be the exact bottom-six piece teams need for a much-needed boost. He can play up the middle or on the wing and is on pace for a career-high 50 points this year. Copp should be able to land the Jets a nice package and would allow the team some time to address its bigger underlying issues during the offseason.
The Kraken originally claimed Czarnik off waivers from the Islanders in February. He skated in six games with the team, registering two assists. Czarnik put up five points in 11 games with New York before joining Seattle.
The Panthers acquired Juolevi in October in a trade that sent defenseman Noah Juulsen and forward Juho Lammikko to the Vancouver Canucks. Vancouver drafted the 23-year-old fifth overall in the 2016 draft. Juolevi went pointless in 10 contests with Florida this season.
Ivan Miroshnichenko, a top prospect in the upcoming NHL draft, was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Miroshnichenko was told his diagnosis is the most common form of Hodgkin’s lymphoma - a cancer of the lymphatic system - and is curable.
The 18-year-old is currently receiving treatment in Germany and could miss all of next season.
Miroshnichenko was playing for the VHL's Omskie Krylia in Russia this campaign. He recorded 10 goals and six assists in 31 games with the club. Miroshnichenko captained Russia's U18 team to gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2021, managing nine points over five games.
Miroshnichenko has been projected to go near the top of the 2022 NHL Draft, rating as high as No. 2 on The Athletic's Corey Pronman's rankings and No. 6 on TSN's Bob McKenzie's rankings.
Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has seen trade rumors revolving around his star player Patrik Laine, but he confirmed there's no substance to them.
"Yeah, it bothers me because people make up shit, that's what bothers me," Kekalainen said, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "I understand that sometimes from conversations you have (with teams), some of it may leak out, and a name gets in there, but this is not a case like that. This is just somebody making shit up from their own speculation of what we might do. They make it up and hope for the headlines and hope for the clicks. I think that's unethical. And I don't have any time for it."
Laine is set to become a restricted free agent again this offseason after signing a one-year, $7.5-million deal with the Blue Jackets last summer. The media has raised questions about Laine's future in Columbus ever since the Blue Jackets acquired him from the Winnipeg Jets in January 2021.
The 23-year-old didn't perform to expectations last season, scoring 10 goals and adding 11 assists over 45 games in Columbus. This campaign has been a different story, with Laine recording 20 goals and 18 assists in 35 games and looking like a legitimate franchise star.
Kekalainen added that he isn't in a rush to extend Laine at this point since the team has two more years of control due to his pending RFA status.
"When the time is right, we're going to sit down and look at all the options together and see if we can come to a solution that he will stay for us for a term that fits the need of both sides and for the dollars that meet the needs of both sides," Kekalainen said.
"Let's see if there's a marriage that we can get into. And if not, you know, that's hockey. I always say, every player that gets into the time frame when they can become (unrestricted) free agents, they can do that if they want to. And there's not much we can do about it."
Since entering the NHL in 2016, Laine ranks eighth in the league with 170 goals in 386 games.
The fifth edition of theScore's 2021-22 Vezina Trophy Power Rankings features one first-time entrant and the return of a previous member of the list.
5. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Patrick McDermott / National Hockey League / Getty
Previous ranking: N/A
RECORD
GAA
XGA/60
SV%
HDSV%
GSAA
29-8-4
2.27
2.41
.921
.825
14.77
It was inevitable that Vasilevskiy would end up on this list at some point, though it's a bit shocking that this is the Lightning netminder's first appearance this season. While many goalies endure hot and cold streaks, Vasilevskiy has remained as consistent as they come. He's garnered less fanfare than usual because his numbers haven't been as dominant as in years past, but he's quietly having an excellent year. He's only allowed four goals or more in six appearances this year while playing the sixth-most minutes (2,479) among all NHL goaltenders.
4. Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators
Frederick Breedon / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Previous ranking: 3
RECORD
GAA
XGA/60
SV%
HDSV%
GSAA
25-16-3
2.46
2.77
.923
.854
20.18
Few pegged the Predators as a playoff team entering the season, but Saros' superb play in net is a big reason the club is currently in the race. He's in the midst of a modest cold streak after dropping five of his last six contests, but his overall stats haven't taken much of a hit. He ranks fourth among all goalies with 20.18 goals saved above average.
3. Jacob Markstrom, Calgary Flames
Derek Leung / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Previous ranking: N/A
RECORD
GAA
XGA/60
SV%
HDSV%
GSAA
25-11-5
2.10
2.42
.927
.851
21.14
Markstrom stumbled in December and January after a great start to the season. It looks like he's back on track, while the Flames have been one of the NHL's hottest teams of late. He's won nine of his last 10 starts and allowed two goals or fewer in eight of those victories. He also has an incredible eight shutouts on the season. With Calgary playing at an elite level, he should challenge for the trophy at the end of the season.
2. Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes
Len Redkoles / National Hockey League / Getty
Previous ranking: 2
RECORD
GAA
XGA/60
SV%
HDSV%
GSAA
29-7-2
2.03
2.74
.930
.836
22.30
Andersen is having the best statistical season of his career and has the pleasure of backstopping one of the NHL's most well-rounded teams. The Hurricanes took a big gamble by completely shaking up their crease during the offseason, but the addition of Andersen - who struggled with the Maple Leafs last season - is paying dividends so far. Carolina sits atop the Metropolitan Division, and Andersen's play is a major reason for the team's success.
1. Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
Emilee Chinn / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Previous ranking: 1
RECORD
GAA
XGA/60
SV%
HDSV%
GSAA
25-6-3
1.95
2.90
.941
.884
34.57
Shesterkin is showing no signs of slowing. He leads all goaltenders in virtually every statistical category and he's doing it while backstopping a less-than-stellar Rangers squad. At five-on-five, New York is second to last in the NHL with a 44.77 Corsi For rating and gives up the tenth-most high-danger scoring chances (664), so the team almost certainly wouldn't be sitting comfortably in a playoff spot if not for Shesterkin. Not only is he the front-runner for the Vezina, but he's also certainly in the mix for the Hart Trophy after Carey Price won the award in 2015 with a .933 save percentage and 1.96 goals against average.
Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler wasn't pleased Saturday when a reporter raised questions about the team's leadership group.
With the Jets enduring a rocky 2021-22 season, Jeff Hamilton of The Winnipeg Free Press asked Wheeler how much responsibility for the team's outlook falls on the players who wear letters on their sweaters.
"Well, I guess that's the real joy of being in that position. When things go good, nobody says a word about you, and when things go bad, it's your fault," Wheeler responded. "So I'm comfortable if you need to write a negative story, you can write it about me. No different than in the past. I think the fact that I'm still here talking to you instead of doing something else speaks volumes."
Hamilton replied by asking Wheeler if he feels he hasn't garnered enough praise during his time in Winnipeg.
"I was just being a little bit sarcastic," Wheeler said.
He added: "I mean, are you looking to get into a pissing match, you and I?"
The Jets currently sit sixth in the Central Division with a 22-21-9 record. They're in the midst of a four-game losing streak and have just five wins in their last 18 contests.
Longtime head coach Paul Maurice abruptly stepped down from his role in December, leaving Dave Lowry to take over in the interim. Maurice said at the time that the club needed a new voice and that he knew he needed to resign.
Wheeler, 35, started the season with just seven points in his first 17 games but is now up to six goals and 34 points in 38 games.
