It's been quite some time since an Edmonton Oilers defenseman filled the net at a clip similar to Oscar Klefbom.
The 23-year-old unloaded his 11th of the season past Florida Panthers netminder James Reimer on Wednesday night and in doing so has now put himself on pace to have one of the most productive seasons by an Oilers defenseman in almost a decade.
At his current pace, Klefbom should conclude the year with 14 goals, which would be the highest total for an Oilers defenseman since Sheldon Souray posted 23 during the 2008-09 season.
In fact, over the last 17 seasons only eight defensemen have finished the season with as many or more goals than Klefbom currently has.
Year
Players
Goals
08-09
Sheldon Souray
23
05-06
Marc-Andre Bergeron
15
07-08
Tom Gilbert
13
05-06
Chris Pronger
12
00-01
Tom Poti
12
00-01
Janne Niinimaa
12
16-17
Oscar Klefbom
11
13-14
Justin Schultz
11
At his current pace, Klefbom would finish with the third-highest such total since the 1999-2000 season.
The Oilers have certainly set out to be tougher on the back end this season, but added offense from their blueliners will always be a welcomed sight and Klefbom is doing his part.
A couple general managers confirmed that a league-wide memo was sent out by the Canadiens noting that the 26-year-old is available, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels.
Pateryn has served as a scratch for much of the season, having dressed in only 22 games, while mounting just one goal and six points. With his name now on the trade block, Pateryn is scheduled to take the ice for the first time in 10 days Tuesday when the club visits the New York Rangers.
The Senators netminder recorded his fifth shutout of the year Thursday against the New Jersey Devils, becoming the fastest goalie in Senators history to hit the mark, doing so in just his 32nd game of the season.
Condon improves to 17-9-5 on the season with a 2.48 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.
The victory also puts the Senators two points up on the Boston Bruins for second spot in the Atlantic Division and sees them just four points behind the Montreal Canadiens for top spot with three games in hand.
For a second straight season it looks as though the Winnipeg Jets will be taking in the postseason from the comfort of their own homes.
The club has fallen six points out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference on the back of four straight defeats.
With that, you can count on the Jets to be sellers at the deadline as the team has a number of contracts that they would be better without.
The club already has nearly $6 million in cap space - the fourth-most in the league - and with a few more contracts moved, they could free up a lot more money, cash that could be used to chase pending unrestricted free agents such as Ben Bishop - but that's discussion for another day.
Nevertheless, the deadline gives the Jets the opportunity to deal players that could be looked at as assets for potential playoff teams and set themselves up nicely for some offseason acquisitions.
Toby Enstrom
Toby Enstrom might be one of the few players that miss the days as an Atlanta Thrasher.
That's because it was during his final two years in the Georgia capital that the Jets defenseman put up his most productive seasons in the NHL.
During the 2010 and 2011 seasons Enstrom put up 50 and 51 points respectively, adding up to the fifth-highest point total for a rearguard over those years, behind only Duncan Keith, Lubomir Visnosvky, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Dan Boyle. Not bad company.
Since then his production has dropped significantly. He amassed 16 points last year and is on pace to hit just 20 this time around.
His $5.75-million cap hit is less than ideal and with him owed as much next year as well, the Jets might be forced to eat salary in a potential deal. It's not the scenario the Jets had hoped for, but it could still be a deal worth making regardless.
Mathieu Perreault
If Kevin Cheveldayoff could go back, he probably wouldn't have signed Mathieu Perreault to four-year, $16.5-million extension
Perreault was coming off a third straight 40-plus point season last year and looked to be trending upward, despite a drastic drop in goals scored.
However, after 41 games this season and just four goals and 17 points to his name, things clearly aren't looking good.
To make matters worse, the extension hasn't kicked in yet. It will do so at the conclusion of this season, meaning four years at $4.125 per season is on the books for Winnipeg going forward.
It gets worse.
His new deal includes a modified no-trade clause in which the 29-year-old gives the Jets a list of just five teams that he can be traded too.
Perreault may still have value and could resurrect his career, but with such a limited window in which to make that decision, it could be in the team's best interest to trade him if a worthy adversary presents itself.
Drew Stafford
Such as the Jets did with Drew Stafford when they acquired him during the 2014-15 season, the team should now deal him to a playoff hopeful club.
Stafford is on an expiring contract and after potting 21 goals a season ago, he has just four in 37 games, meaning the club is unlikely to resign him.
With the insertion of Patrik Laine into the lineup on the right side, Stafford has been pushed down the Jets' totem pole. He currently resides on the fourth line and for that is now averaging just 13:31 of ice time per game, the fewest minutes since his rookie campaign.
Stafford could be a great depth option if given a few more minutes of ice time, but with no future aspirations with the Jets, the team would be smart to get whatever they can for him at the deadline.
Sure, his production is not what it once was, but rest assured that he still has value and is on pace to best last season's 22-point output.
The Canucks are starting to slip out of the playoff picture and Burrows is on the final year of his four-year, $18-million contract. The team should, in turn, be looking to sell off expiring assets and set their sights on next season.
With 34 points in 70 career playoff games, a knack for killing penalties, and a skill set built for playoff hockey, Burrows is the perfect candidate for a contending team looking to add depth for a Cup run.
Burrows would have to agree to waive his no-trade clause, but in the event he does, here are three teams who would benefit from Burrows' services:
The team would be smart to add a defenseman at the deadline, but could also benefit from picking up Burrows.
Carl Hagelin was diagnosed with a concussion last week, Evgeni Malkin is nearing a return from a lower-body injury that has kept him out since Jan. 24, and Conor Sheary remains sidelined. The team could use some insurance and someone capable of chipping in both offensively and defensively, while aiding their porous penalty kill.
Burrows might not be a game-changer for the Penguins, but if Hagelin, Nick Bonino, and Bryan Rust proved anything last year, it's that championship teams need their role players.
Blackhawks
It might shock you to know that the Chicago Blackhawks currently boast the third-worst penalty kill in the NHL. The team is killing off infractions just 76.8 percent of the time, with only the Dallas Stars and Sabres managing worse.
The Blackhawks' forte over the last few seasons has been adding depth to their roster ahead of the postseason and they may be up to their old tricks again.
Chicago could use the penalty-killing services of Burrows, while a couple more goals from their bottom six forwards would be great.
The club should know first hand that when the playoffs begin, Burrows steps up his game, as it was Burrows who eliminated the Blackhawks during the quarterfinals in 2011 with a Game 7 overtime tally.
Wild
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
The Minnesota Wild don't need to do much to make themselves a contender, they can already been considered as such.
Nevertheless, adding that extra piece can work wonders for a team that has reached the third round of the playoffs just once in its previous 16 seasons.
A team with the fourth-best offense and second-best defense - in terms of goals for and goals against - needs to add very little, but some depth on the fourth line could help give the team a fully capable four-line unit.
The line currently boasts the likes of Chris Stewart, Erik Haula, and Jordan Schroeder. Burrows could replace Schroeder giving some added experience and a more reliable offensive option.
Small tweaks are all the Wild should be looking for ahead of the trade deadline and Burrows sounds like the perfect option for them.
What may have cost Ken Hitchcock his job is now making Mike Yeo look like a genius.
After a tailspin down the standings that forced general manager Doug Armstrong to take action, the St. Louis Blues' goaltenders have pulled the chutes and helped the club go 4-1-0 in five games since Hitchcock was dismissed.
The Blues' offense has also awoken after a stretch of five games that saw the team average 2.6 goals per game while going 1-4-0 prior to Yeo's promotion. Since then, the team has put an average of 3.2 goals past opposing netminders.
The biggest change in the team's play, though, has clearly been on the other side of the puck, where - compared to the five games that preceded Hitchcock's firing, which saw the Blues give up 4.4 goals per game - the goalies have allowed just 1.2 per game.
The stretch of strong play has helped the Blue not only pump the breaks on their previous skid, but also edge out the Nashville Predators for third spot in the Central Division.
Of course, it shouldn't go without mentioning that on the day Yeo took over as bench boss, future Hall of Fame netminder Martin Brodeur extended his duties beyond assistant general manager, taking over as a goalie coach alongside former 'tender Ty Conklin.
Not a bad voice to have in one's ear.
Allen holds a 2.69 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage, while Hutton has posted 2.65 and .902 marks, which both need to improve going forward. But if the goalies can continue to kick out pucks at a similar clip, the Blues, who give up the fifth-fewest shots against per game and boast a top-10 offense, might not be in trouble after all.
Mike Babcock is doing his best to avoid starting another goalie controversy in Toronto.
Despite the fact goaltender Frederik Andersen has given up 19 goals in his last four starts - including one that saw him pulled after 11 minutes - and Curtis McElhinney was nearly perfect in the team's 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, the Maple Leafs bench boss will turn to his No. 1 on Thursday night against the St. Louis Blues.
"It hasn't been good enough. But there are times in the year when you have little dips and you just have to make sure you work hard every day and those dips are shorter and they don't happen as often and that's the challenge for him," Babcock said, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton. "He was in a situation last year where I think he played around 42 games last year. We want him to play a lot more, so the challenge for him is to be able to handle that.
"(McElhinney) did a really good job for us last game. Freddie goes tonight with an opportunity to bounce back. Our team was no good against St. Louis, we weren't competitive, so this should be a better opportunity for Freddie because our team will play better, and now he has to do his start."
Exactly a week ago Thursday, the Blues demolished the Maple Leafs 5-1 in St. Louis' first game since Ken Hitchcock's firing, with Andersen giving up all five goals on 31 shots.
Andersen started the regular season by allowing 22 goals in his first five games, but followed that up with one of the most consistent stretches of quality performances from any goalie this season, allowing two or fewer goals in 18 of his next 24 games.
Matthew Tkachuk will be trading in his pom-poms for hockey gloves Tuesday night.
The Calgary Flames rookie will be in Pittsburgh, where he and his teammates will be tasked with shutting down his favorite player growing up, Sidney Crosby.
"I'm going to try to not be a little fan out there tonight," Tkachuk said when asked about Crosby, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.
The Flames will hope to avoid witnessing a milestone from Crosby, as the Penguins' captain is just three points away from 1,000 for his career.
After weeks of speculation, the deed has been done. The Boston Bruins fired head coach Claude Julien Tuesday, putting yet another highly capable coach on the open market.
While Gerard Gallant, Jack Capuano, and Ken Hitchcock are still available for the taking, Hitchcock may have already coached his last game and the other two can't hold a candle to Julien's resume, making the former Boston boss the hottest commodity.
Julien certainly seems like a slam dunk for the Vegas coaching job, but coaches of his caliber don't become available very often, so it certainly wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for a team to part ways with their current bench boss in order to gain an upgrade.
In such a situation, the business logistics can get messy, but nevertheless, here are five teams who should consider replacing their current head coach with Julien.
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers baffled the hockey world when they abruptly dismissed Gerard Gallant back in late November.
The move proved there was a disconnect between the management team and the on-ice personnel. Tom Rowe has served as the team's interim head coach since the move, but the team has not fared much better under new direction.
Gallant coached the team to a 11-10-1 record before his dismissal, while Rowe has gone 12-9-9 since. Julien could help the Panthers save the season and gain direction going forward. But would management let him do his job distraction free?
Dallas Stars
Firing coaches is the hip thing to do these days - or so it seems.
For that reason - and the fact that the Dallas Stars are struggling mightily with a near-identical roster to last season - Lindy Ruff might be the next coach to go.
Whether that's the case or not, the Stars would be foolish not to inquire about Julien.
Like the Panthers, he could help the club save its season by hopefully getting Dallas back to the postseason. The team is in need of a defensive retooling, as the goaltending isn't giving the team any breaks and the offense isn't firing like it did last season.
Colorado Avalanche
This one is pretty obvious.
The Avalanche have lived up to their team name this season, plummeting to the bottom of the league standings.
The team appears ready to sell off their biggest assets as they look to rebuild for the future.
As Mike Babcock has proved in Toronto, a rebuild can be sped up with a clear system put in place for the young players. The Avalanche players have gone to bat for Jared Bednar this season, suggesting he isn't the problem. And while that may be true, maybe Julien could be an answer.
Calgary Flames
It's just Glen Gulutzan's first year with the Calgary Flames, but it could also be his last.
The team remains right on the cusp of a playoff spot, tied with the St. Louis Blues at 55 points but currently on the outside looking in due to more games played. Regardless, they haven't lived up to expectations this season.
To Gulutzan's credit, the team is giving up fewer goals per game than the previous campaign and the special teams have also been better than they were last season. Still, inconsistent goaltending has been the team's biggest impediment, and the Flames are underperforming given the talent on the roster,
Perhaps Julien could set them straight.
New Jersey Devils
Another recent hire in John Hynes may have to step aside.
The Devils are far from a championship-caliber team, but the addition of Taylor Hall this offseason should have pushed them closer toward the playoffs, and it has not.
Instead, the team remains in a similar spot - No Man's Land. The team is once again poised to finish outside the playoffs and without a top-five draft pick.
The Devils could use a coach who can reestablish them as a stingy, offense-smothering unit. New Jersey has some solid pieces in place, it just needs a Julien-type coach to help put it all together.
Every Tuesday, theScore's hockey editors will examine the fortunes of the north's seven NHL franchises. Welcome to "O Canada."
With the All-Star Game in the rear-view mirror, it's now crunch time. There are just over eight weeks remaining in the regular season, and teams are making that final push for a playoff spot.
Let's discuss who among the seven Canadian franchises is a contender for a playoff berth, and who's primed for an early offseason:
Calgary Flames
Status: Pretender
Take: The Calgary Flames have been too inconsistent for their own good.
The team has remained in the playoff conversation for most of the season, but on the back of - once again - unreliable goaltending, the Flames have failed to get over the hump.
Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson have failed to turn in the seasons expected to make the Flames a threat in the West, combining for the eighth-worst team save percentage.
Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau have been hot of late, but are still set to see their point totals take a dive.
Factor in the club facing a strong Pacific Division, an inspired St. Louis Blues club, and the always dangerous Los Angeles Kings, and it's likely the Flames sit this one out.
Edmonton Oilers
Status: Contender
Take: It's the first time in a long time the Edmonton Oilers have fit this bill.
The club has skyrocketed up the standings with a healthy Connor McDavid, the outstanding play of Cam Talbot, and a more sound defensive system.
They're playing a more structured game, and, along with McDavid's surge and Leon Draisaitl's breakout, the team has quickly become one of the premier offensive threats in the league.
They can hang with the big boys, and while their full potential may still be a year or two down the road, the Oilers are quickly making a name for themselves.
Montreal Canadiens
Status: Contender
Take: While Montreal fans may have thought the sky was falling after P.K. Subban was shipped out to Nashville, the Canadiens appear to be better for the deal eight months later.
Much like the Oilers, Montreal has thrived since dealing away one of its top talents. Shea Weber has made a seamless transition with the club, gifting the team with a more defensively sound option on the back end. Having the hardest shot in the league certainly doesn't hurt, either (actually it does, just ask Brendan Gallagher).
Factor in that Carey Price has been healthy and Alexander Radulov has been among the best offseason signings of the year, and the team is primed for a deep playoff run.
Ottawa Senators
Status: Contender
Take: The Ottawa Senators continue to defy skeptics, posting the second-best record in the Atlantic Division with a near-identical club from a season ago.
A tip of the hat to new head coach Guy Boucher is in order. In quick stead, Boucher has turned the Senators into a defensively sound club, and made Erik Karlsson a better all-around player.
The team's penalty kill - which ranked 29th last season - is now the 10th most reliable unit in the league. And, after giving up a league-high 32.8 shots per game last season, the Senators are allowing 30.1 - a jump to 13th.
The Senators have done this without their No. 1 goaltender, and the team could surprise some when it reaches the postseason.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Status: Contender
Take: Talk about a changing of the guard.
Just one year removed from finishing with the worst record in the league, the Maple Leafs have rebounded on the strength of their numerous rookies, and look poised for their first playoff berth since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.
Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner haven't skipped a beat since being thrown into the fire, while Frederik Andersen - minus his initial and current slumps - has been a rock on the back end.
The team's defense remains a question mark, to put it lightly, but with an elite offense and Andersen's ability to provide elite goaltending, the Maple Leafs are much closer to being contenders than pretenders.
Toronto has the third-best point percentage in the Atlantic, fast-tracking its rebuild.
Winnipeg Jets
Status: Pretender
Take: The Winnipeg Jets have proven on several occasions that they have what it takes to contend, but - like the Flames - are impeded by their goaltending.
The trio of Michael Hutchinson, Connor Hellebuyck, and Ondrej Pavelec has faltered. Hellebuyck is the only goalie with a save percentage over the .900 mark (.908), while his 2.82 goals-against average is actually the best on the team.
The team is averaging the fourth-most goals against per game, and is riding the fifth-worst team save percentage at .899.
The trio of Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Patrik Laine has been among the best lines in hockey, but you can only go so far when you can't keep the puck out of your own net.
Vancouver Canucks
Status: Pretender
Take: The Canucks have shown glimpses of promise, but always seem to come back to earth.
The team is scoring at the third-worst rate in the league, and for that reason has mounted the third-worst goal differential at -27.
Bo Horvat has taken great strides in his development, but few others have aided him along the way. Loui Eriksson looks primed for a buyout down the road - a huge disappointment for the team.
The Canucks would be better off tearing it down and rebuilding, but with the Sedins still in the fold, that appears unlikely. Instead, the team is on pace to finish in no-man's land.
