Sport-scan daily brief

“I think for us all year we’ve had so many injuries,” team captain Henrik Zetterberg said. “I think getting some guys back that’s some new bodies, getting some new, fresh blood in. That’s the same as getting a player from another team. I think we have a good squad in here and looking forward to the postseason.”

The Wings are currently seventh in the Western Conference, three points up on St. Louis, heading into play Wednesday.

“I’ve been satisfied lots of years,” Babcock said. “But they’re different each and every year. This year has been invigorating for me because there are so many kids and every day there are so many projects. There’s way more individual video, way more meetings to help kids get better quickly. Our strength coach has done a fantastic job this year and it’s all been a part of us getting better and I think that’s been more important than ever this year.”

Macomb Daily LOADED: 04.04.2013

667780 Detroit Red Wings

GOPHER HEADS SOUTH: Nick Bjugstad to Join Florida Panthers, Make NHL Debut on Saturday

TWITTER: @GeorgeRichards

It took Nick Bjugstad a little while to get back to the Panthers' director of media relations on Wednesday afternoon. He was too busy packing.

"I'm very excited,'' Bjugstad said when finally reached. "It's been pretty hectic today, but I'm very excited."

The Panthers signed Bjugstad to a three-year entry level contract on Wednesday. Bjugstad is flying south on Thursday and will be at Friday's practice at the Coral Springs Iceplex.

On Saturday, the 20-year-old center who was the 19th overall pick in 2010 will make his NHL debut.

"It was just kind of waiting it out to see what would happen, what the deal was,'' Bjugstad said. "Then I got the call. I'm pretty excited and thankful for what I've got going as well. It should be fun. It's a whirlwind. I'm packing up all my stuff, getting ready to get to Florida.

"It's pretty surreal. I just got done playing my final college game which was a tough one. But it makes it easier knowing I'm jumping into the NHL. It's very exciting. I'm sure the nerves will be going a little bit.''

Bjugstad said he wasn't thinking about joining the Panthers, not until the University of Minnesota's season surprisingly ended last week. The top-ranked Gophers were upset in the NCAA regionals in overtime by Yale.

Last summer, Bjugstad contemplated joining the Panthers but the lure of school, getting his degree and winning another national title for the Gophers was too much to turn back. Bjugstad said Wednesday he was 12 credits away from a degree in Business Marketing Education and could finish those up this summer.

"I didn't really think about what the next step was. I was focused on my season,'' he said. "It didn't end the way I wanted it to. I came back to win a national championship and things happen. We lost in overtime and that's a tough deal. But I thought this was right for my future, my development, to move onto the next level.

"I think I'm ready to go. I'm close to my degree and we'll see what happens there. I just think I'm ready to go.

"I want to get a feel for what the NHL is like. Thankfully the NHL is the opportunity I'm getting. It's pretty crazy it starts on Saturday.''

Macomb Daily LOADED: 04.04.2013

667781 Detroit Red Wings

BIG ADDITION ON TRADE DAY: Panthers Ink Nick Bjugstad; Former Gopher to Make NHL Debut Saturday ... Smithson Dealt, Santorelli Picked Up

TWITTER: @GeorgeRichards

Wednesday was one of the slowest trade deadline days the Florida Panthers have endured as general manager Dale Tallon made just one minor deal.

The big news, however, came with what Tallon added away from the parameters of the deadline.

Nick Bjugstad, the 19th overall pick of the 2010 NHL draft, signed a three-year deal with the Panthers on Wednesday and will make his NHL debut Saturday against the Capitals.

Bjugstad, who scored 54 goals over the past three seasons at the University of Minnesota, is scheduled to fly to South Florida on Thursday.

"Nick is going to be here,'' Tallon said. "We have 11 games left. This will be a good learning experience for him. If he does well, it will make it that much easier for him at training camp next year. It's a good chance to evaluate him.''

Bjugstad, a 20-year-old center, recently finished his junior season at Minnesota and won't wait long to start his NHL career as he is expected to be on the ice for Florida's practice Friday in Coral Springs.

With fourth-line center Jerred Smithson sent to Edmonton for a fourth round pick on Wednesday, well, the Panthers have an open slot.

Tallon said he is excited to see his first-round Class of 2010 on the ice Saturday.

Defenseman Erik Gudbranson, the third overall pick in 2010, made his NHL debut last season; Quinton Howden (25th overall) joined the Panthers on Jan. 26.

"Time flies when you're having fun,'' Tallon said. "This is an exciting time for our franchise."

The Panthers have been reluctant to rush their top young players although they are making an exception for Bjugstad.

Although they privately wished he would have started his professional career in the minor leagues this year, they didn't want to risk Bjugstad returning to Minnesota for his senior year and becoming a free agent in 2014 by not signing with Florida.

The Panthers will burn a year of his entry level contract by bringing him up to the NHL level. It's a tradeoff they were willing to make.

"We understand what the consequences are,'' Tallon said. "He is an asset we wanted to get signed. We wanted to get him in the fold, get him some games. We want him indoctrinated with our team now.''

Smithson, whom Florida acquired for a sixth-round pick from Nashville last season, was told of the news after Wednesday's practice. Smithson isn't expected to join the Oilers until after the weekend as he and his wife are expecting their first child this week.

"I feel bad about that, he is a solid pro and a classy guy,'' Tallon said. "I have to think about the long-term future of the franchise. That's the business part of it that happens. Sometimes it sucks. You're dealing with family and friends. We told him we would do everything we can to help.''

Florida also lost forward Mike Santorelli as Winnipeg picked him up on waivers. Santorelli played 13:05 in Florida's 3-2 shootout win in Tampa on Tuesday after being waived earlier that day.

Santorelli was slated to be third in the shootout but never took the ice as Jacob Markstrom stopped all three Tampa Bay shots.

Santorelli said he is excited about the opportunity to join a Winnipeg team that currently leads the Southeast Division and is trying to win the franchise's second division title and first since the Atlanta Thrashers took the banner in 2007.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity Winnipeg is giving me and I look forward to helping them out,'' Santorelli said. "It's an exciting time there. It's a great place to play. I hope I can help as much as I can.''

With all of Florida's injuries, there weren't many chips for Tallon to deal on Wednesday. Tallon and coach Kevin Dineen said they don't feel like the Panthers -- who won the division for the first time last season -- are in rebuilding mode.

"This is a business. A big business,'' Dineen said. "You have to manage your team appropriately not just immediate but for your long-term future. .-.-. There is a sense we have some real quality guys who are stepping into more prominent role. We don't want to go back to being a long-term rebuilding project. There's still some excitement left this season.''

Tallon expects to have a healthy team come training camp when the Panthers embark on a new challenge of playing in an eight-team division with Tampa Bay, Montreal, Boston, Toronto, Ottawa, Detroit and Buffalo.

"When you're at the bottom,'' Tallon said, "teams just expect you to panic and give up players. That's not going to happen here.''

Macomb Daily LOADED: 04.04.2013

667782 Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers score eight unanswered goals to smother flickering Flames

By Joanne Ireland, Edmonton Journal April 4, 2013 1:04 AM

CALGARY — The message was delivered a few hours before the Edmonton Oilers filed out onto the ice at the Scotiabank Saddledome Wednesday looking to extend their win streak to five games against the free-falling Calgary Flames.

If they were going to make a playoff push, they were going to do so with the group of players that started the season. General manager Steve Tambellini made only one move on trade deadline day, adding depth centre Jerred Smithson.

The Oilers responded with an 8-2 victory, which pushed them into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with a 16-13-7 record. They will play the Canucks in Vancouver on Thursday.

“We feel really good about our chances of making the playoffs and we really like the group in here,” said winger Taylor Hall, who left the game with a goal and four assists. He has now racked up 10 points in the last three games. “This was a big game for us.”

After spotting the Flames a 2-0 lead five minutes into the opening period Wednesday, the Oilers pushed back, scoring eight straight goals, including three second-period power-play goals from the club’s three first overall draft picks.

“It’s hard not to look at the core and what this team has and see that they’re going to have success,” said winger Ryan Jones, who was one of the players facing a possible move on trade deadline day.

“Guys are maturing right in front of your eyes. You watch them become better players all over the ice and it’s going to be an exciting team in the future and, obviously, I want to be a part of it as long as I can and whether that’s just this year or not, so be it.

“We’re playing some exciting hockey and playing meaningful games at an important time of the year.”

After Matt Stajan, who had just three goals in his first 34 games this season, got the first two goals past Devan Dubnyk, Sam Gagner redirected a shot from defenceman Jeff Petry three minutes later to kickstart the Oilers comeback. Blue-liner Ryan Whitney ripped a one-timer past Joey MacDonald to send the teams into the first intermission tied 2-2.

Whitney, too, is heading to unrestricted free agency this summer, but rather than deal him for a draft pick, which is what he would have netted at the deadline, he’s going to finish out the year with Edmonton. He left the game with a goal, an assist and a fighting major after a late scuffle with Tim Jackman.

Then there were the draft picks who scored in a span of 6:17. Nail Yakupov, with his second goal in as many games, and his first of two on the night, started the second period spree. Hall, who now has five goals in the last three games, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also contributed before Jordan Eberle netted two in the third.

“It was a little stressful (today), then I got word I was going to be here. It feels good,” Whitney said. “We were all excited to play tonight. We had a bit of a rough start, but after that we took over.”

“This is the group that we want. We’ve battled for this position, and we’ve been through the crap together,” said Jones, who, like Whitney, pointed to the players’ meeting as the turnaround. The Oilers have gone 8-2-2 since the gathering in Chicago on March 9.

“We found a way again to win a game. Obviously, it wasn’t the ideal start, but we battled back, then we took the game over,” said defenceman Ladislav Smid. “We’ve had our ups and downs this year, but lately we’ve been able to get it together and play decent hockey. Again today, we were rolling all four lines and we stuck with our game plan.

“We have 12 games left to play and our fate is in our hands. We just have to take it game by game.”

OIL DROPS: Mike Brown had to have a stubborn cut repaired after a first-period fight with Steve Begin. He returned in the second period ...Winger Magnus Paajarvi, who was pushed into the net in the second, is expected to be good to go against the Canucks.

jireland@edmontonjournal.com

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 04.04.2013

667783 Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers Game Day — No time to inhale as intact line-up kicks off key road trip in Calgary

Bruce McCurdy

Three keys for Edmonton Oilers in Game 36 vs. Calgary Flames

Trade deadline has come and gone with such minor tinkering to the Edmonton Oilers’ roster that they will ice the exact same line-up in Calgary tonight as topped the Flames 4-1 in Edmonton on Monday night. While the organization has made three trades in recent days, the only NHLer involved was incoming depth forward Jerred Smithson, and he won’t be incoming in the corporeal sense until the weekend in California. The Oilers did have to return Anton Lander to Oklahoma City to make room for Smithson on the roster, but Lander was merely a press box visitor during his most recent trip to Edmonton anyway.

On the ice the forward lines and defence combos remain unchanged:

#4 Taylor Hall – #93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – #14 Jordan Eberle

#91 Magnus Paajarvi – #89 Sam Gagner – #83 Ales Hemsky

#28 Ryan Jones – #10 Shawn Horcoff – #64 Nail Yakupov

#37 Lennart Petrell – #94 Ryan Smyth – #13 Mike Brown

#5 Ladi Smid – #2 Jeff Petry

#15 Nick Schultz – #19 Justin Schultz

#6 Ryan Whitney – #44 Corey Potter

#40 Devan Dubnyk

[#35 Nikolai Khabibulin]

Three keys for the Oilers beating the Flames tonight:

1. Close ranks. The lack of action on trade deadline is a tacit expression of management’s confidence in the current group to get the job done. A worthy response would be a reflection of that confidence in a solid, committed team effort.

2. Play a lot better than they did on Monday night. I had the pleasure of attending Monday night’s game live and while I enjoyed the Oilers converting their opportunities against the flow of play in the first period, I was less than entirely satisfied with the process which saw the Oil hemmed into their own end for minutes at a time. Ralph Krueger noted much the same in his pre-game comments today, saying: “[The Flames] played really hard in our building the other night and everything went our way. In a lot of portions of the game, they were the better team and deserved more than that score. We need to respect what they’re bringing at us today. It’ll be a tough, tight game here today.”

3. Take it to a team that’s down a few quarts. The Flames are still reeling from the departures of Jarome Iginla and Jay Bouwmeester. Today’s loss of Blake Comeau is relatively minor, but there is no cavalry coming. Moreover, Miikka Kiprusoff’s decision to invoke his no-movement clause — entirely defensible as it is given his family situation — might further unsettle the waters. Kiprusoff gets the night off tonight, at least the start of it. (Who knows, given the way the Oilers have bolted from the gate the last two games.) Joey MacDonald, who finished strong on Monday, will get the start.

Game time in the Pengrowth Saddledome is 20:00MDT, with the game televised on Sportsnet West.

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 04.04.2013

667784 Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers GM Steve Tambellini tweaks roster on NHL trade deadline day, nothing more

John MacKinnon

Saying he didn’t want to disrupt the positive chemistry that has emerged on his young, gifted team, Edmonton Oilers GM Steve Tambellini added a depth centre at the NHL trade deadline day, but otherwise left his 9th-place roster intact.

In adding 34-year-old Jerred Smithson, obtained for a 4th-round pick from the Florida Panthers, Tambellini shored up an area of weakness on the Oilers all season without touching any other position.

How fans react to that will depend on their sensibility. Here’s what Tambellini had to say at his media availability at the Oilers offices on Wednesday.

Variously, Eric Belanger (foot, groin), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Shawn Horcoff (broken knuckle) all have missed chunks of time this season.

As a result, in recent weeks, veteran left winger Ryan Smyth has been pressed into service at centre, as has Lennert Petrell.

With Belanger still nursing a sore groin, Smithson will be useful immediately. Well, not quite immediately, as his wife went to hospital Wednesday to give birth to the couple’s first child. But Smithson is expected to join the Oilers in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 04.04.2013

667785 Edmonton Oilers

UPDATE: Edmonton Oilers acquire centre Jerred Smithson from Florida Panthers

By Joanne Ireland, Edmonton Journal April 3, 2013

Calgary — Over the course of the next few days, Jerred Smithson will welcome his first child into the world, then he’ll slip into an Edmonton Oilers jersey for the first time.

Punch-drunk? Just a little.

Smithson, a six-foot-three, 209-pound centre, was dealt from the 29th-place Florida Panthers to the Oilers at the trade deadline Wednesday for a fourth-round draft pick.

“As you probably know, I have a lot going on right now. We’re heading to the hospital tonight (Wednesday) and hopefully she’ll deliver tomorrow,” Smithson said. “So I was definitely shocked when I heard, but then I started to look forward to it. “Without a doubt, this is a team that’s moving in the right direction.”

Smithson will give the Oilers depth on the fourth line and the penalty kill, and he’ll boost the team’s faceoff percentage. It was the lone deal Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini made on trade deadline day, leaving the team otherwise intact.

The Oilers are pushing to secure a playoff spot before they close out the regular season against the Vancouver Canucks on April 27.

The 34-year-old Smithson will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. He won’t cost the Oilers much, his contract is just $800,000 and it will be pro-rated over the remaining 13 games.

“I was definitely shocked. I really enjoyed my time here in Florida, but I had a feeling I might be traded,” he said during a phone interview. “And once I had time to think about it and everything started to settle down, I really started to look forward to it. I love the direction this team is heading.

“There’s nothing better than being in that playoff push and there’s so much talent on that team.”

The Oilers had seen plenty of Smithson when he was with the Nashville Predators from 2005-12. He was shipped to the Panthers during the 2012 trade deadline. Through 34 games this campaign, he has five points, including two goals, and was 54.8 per cent in the faceoff circle. The native of Vernon, B.C., has 38 goals and 57 assists in 578 career NHL games.

He spent his junior career with the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen through the 1999-2000 season, and went undrafted, but turned pro with the Lowell Lock Monsters of the American Hockey League in 2000.

Smithson signed his first NHL contract with the Los Angeles Kings in 2001, spending much of his time with the Manchester Monarchs, the Kings’ AHL affiliate. The Oilers have been without Eric Belanger, their top faceoff man, since March 26. Prior to that, he missed five games with a groin injury.

“He’s great in the faceoff circle and an extremely simple hockey player, which is effective in a lot of systems. He’ll complement the team, for sure,” said Oilers winger Ryan Jones, who played with Smithson in Nashville. “Any time you can get a guy who’s played a lot of games in the league and has some playoff experience, it’s a benefit. He will give us some leadership down the stretch. We don’t have too many guys here who have experienced the push to the playoffs.”

Smithson isn’t expected to join the team before Saturday’s game against the Kings in L.A.

“He’s a defensive centreman who brings size and depth into our group that we can use,” said Oilers head coach Ralph Krueger. “It’s a good acquisition for our organization.”

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 04.04.2013

667786 Edmonton Oilers

Trade Deadline Day — Who among the Edmonton Oilers might be on the block?

Bruce McCurdy

The trade deadline has arrived — as the pundits are fond of saying, there’s no tomorrow. That’s especially true this year, as the Two-Morrow trade already happened last week.

Even as their flags currently flutter in a favorable direction, there’s no way to be certain which way the trade wind blows for the Edmonton Oilers. Will they be buyers or sellers? Will they be barterers of current player for current player as they were in 2012 (the Tom Gilbert for Nick Schultz deal), or will they be holders of the fort?

As is his wont, Steve Tambellini has been holding his cards close to his chest, though Oilers fans can at least be secure in the knowledge there are a few face cards and one or two aces in there among the deuces and the treys. When asked by Sportsnet’s Gene Principe during Monday night’s game whether he expected a busy trade deadline day, Tambellini revealed little: “Hard to tell. We’re talking to a lot of teams about different options, short-term, long-term … I really won’t know until I get there on Wednesday.”

Certainly the recent swing in Oilers’ fortunes must have them leaning away from being pure sellers. Players who in other years might be moved along as rentals at the deadline must now be considered in terms of their value as “rentals” to the Oilers. This year — at long, long last — the Oil have meaningful games to play between now and June 30 when current contracts expire. So the decision around a Ryan Whitney or Ryan Jones must first start with questions about how does he help the Oilers and how could he be replaced in the immediate short term. Additional arrows in Stu MacGregor’s quiver have to take a back seat to the current needs of the team. Which is music to the ears of this Oilers fan. Welcome back, playoff contention.

The laundry list of what Oilers might need is long to the verge of comprehensive: I’ve heard talk of a #2 or even #1A goalie, a top-pairing defenceman, a middle pairing d-man, a depth d-man, a big winger, a big centre, etc. ad infinitum. Pipe dreams, most of them, especially at this point in the season with so many teams clustered in the playoff chase and many of the better names in the rumour mill already traded or re-signed by their current teams.

Who might be targetted as incoming players is pretty speculative at this point; there are 29 other teams out there that are potential trading partners. We can, however, look at members of the 2013-13 Oilers who might be in the discussion to possibly be headed elsewhere. We’ll stick to members on the current team here, and leave the endless possibilities for Linus Omark for others to fantasize about to their heart’s content. (“Why not Crosby and Malkin?”)

In their comprehensive trade deadline coverage, TSN.ca lists no fewer than three Oilers in Whitney, Jones and the omnipresent Ales Hemsky among their top 25 guys most likely to be traded. Let’s start with that trio and then briefly consider a half dozen lesser possibilities.

* * *

There’s no doubt that the pedigreed backliner has fallen a long way. The long-time minute muncher has found himself in an unfamiliar role anchoring (using the term advisedly) the third pairing, ranking fifth on the Oilers blueline in games played, average ice time, and total ice time. He has found himself a healthy scratch on no fewer than eight occasions, but has still suited up more often than bottom-of-the-roster alternatives Corey Potter, Mark Fistric, and Theo Peckham, all of whom would be poised to move up the depth chart in the event of Whitney’s departure — barring, of course, an NHL-ready defenceman coming the other way in this or a separate trade. For all his defensive flaws, Whitney does rank second among Oiler rearguards in scoring with 3-8-11 in 27 GP, and is prominent in any conversation about who is the best pure passer on the back end. The best time to move him was likely when Brett Clark was still an option, so if it didn’t happen then …