Sport-scan daily brief

It is interesting, though, that the chip people pointed to the most, Clowe, netted only draft picks. It leads to one of the major disconnects between the outside world and the reality – Clowe was a favorite everywhere except in the marketplace. Indeed, the marketplace clearly wonders if he might not simply be on the back few holes of his career.

He could thrive in New York under John Tortorella. He could find a place and role that fits his current skill set better than his place in San Jose. This could turn into quite the deal for the Rangers.

But the picks say otherwise. Between his struggles the past couple of seasons and his unrestricted status, that fact is hard to avoid.

Hannan, of course, came west for a sixth-round pick and is equally free come summer, so one could make a similar argument for him. But Wilson’s decision there is a simple one – he decided the Sharks still need what Murray used to be able to do, and concluded that Hannan was the best buy in a restricted market for that.

And Torres, the little ball of other people’s hate, will chafe a lot of purists, is designed to be the less banged-up version of Clowe. He is still the classic disturber, and if he can stay within the guidelines of play that everyone else in the game has generally agreed upon, he could have a value down the stretch.

He might also needlessly consume a lot of teammates’ energies if he cannot.

In sum, the Sharks changed their shows and hat but not their overall look, and the only real ways that this can end badly are if (a) Hannan and Torres provide less than Murray and Clowe and the team finishes poorly . . .

. . . or (b) if head coach Todd McLellan is forced to play them both when he desires otherwise. There is no indication that Wilson has ever imposed his will on McLellan’s lineups, and this would be an odd time to change their interpersonal dynamic. In addition, it is unlikely that McLellan objected strenuously to either deal or could not see the values in Hannan and Torres, so the daily decisions on their presence among the 18 won’t be acts of self-justification.

So no, the Sharks were not remade. They did not make a play for Marian Gaborik or Jason Pominville or Blake Comeau or Ryan O’Byrne because Wilson still wanted to keep the working heart of the group together. Whether this decision will pay off in May – or if there will be a May – remains to be seen. But for the moment, this is what Doug Wilson calls “refreshment.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.04.2013

667924 San Jose Sharks

Sharks acquire LW Torres from Coyotes

April 3, 2013, 12:00 pm

Staff

The Sharks have acquired 31-year-old left wing Raffi Torres from the Phoenix in exchange for a third round pick in the 2013 draft, the team announced Wednesday afternoon.

The 6-foot, 210-pound left wing has five goals and seven assists for 12 points and 13 penalty minutes in 28 games. Torres is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, as he’s in the final year of a two-year deal worth $3.5 million.

The trade came just before the noon NHL trade deadline.

Torres was given a 25-game suspension by the league for his illegal hit on Chicago’s Marian Hossa in the playoffs last April. That was later reduced to 21 games, and carried over to the first eight games of this season.

In 619 career NHL games over parts of 11 seasons with the Islanders, Oilers, Blue Jackets, Sabres, Canucks and Coyotes, Torres has 132 goals and 117 assists for 249 points and 486 penalty minutes. He was drafted in the first round (fifth overall) by the Islanders in the 2000 draft.

The move caps a busy 10 days for the Sharks. They acquired defenseman Scott Hannan for a conditional sixth round pick earlier on Wednesday, and sent right wing Ryane Clowe to the Rangers for three draft picks on Tuesday. On March 25, defenseman Douglas Murray was traded to Pittsburgh for two draft picks.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.04.2013

667925 San Jose Sharks

Former Sharks D Hannan returning to San Jose

April 3, 2013, 9:45 am

Staff

The deal is for a seventh round selection but could become a sixth round selection in the event Hannan plays in one playoff game in 2013.

Hannan, 34, has played in 29 games for Nashville this season, posting one assist and 20 penalty minutes. He spent the 2011-12 season with Calgary, notching 12 points (2 goals, 10 assists) and 38 penalty minutes in 78 games.

“Scott Hannan is a player we are very familiar with and gives us an added veteran depth presence on defense,” said Wilson.

Hannan spent the first eight years of his career in San Jose, playing 508 games which ranks him 10th all-time among Sharks players. His +45 rating ranks him 5th all-time.

San Jose Sharks media services contributed to this report.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.04.2013

667926 San Jose Sharks

Boyle authors Goal of the Year nominee for Sharks

April 3, 2013, 11:45 pm

Staff

SAN JOSE – Right about center ice, and with the puck on his tape, Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle had a decision to make with his team on a two-man advantage.

The result was the prettiest goal the Sharks have scored all season, as Boyle went end-to-end and walked Wild defenseman Ryan Suter in the high slot before sliding it past Nicklas Backstrom. Boyle’s sixth marker – and fifth on the power play – gave the Sharks a 2-0 first period lead at 5:19.

“I was going to drop it probably by the red line, and I just changed my mind. I’m glad I did,” Boyle said.

Suter, a potential Norris Trophy candidate after signing a $98 million deal with the Wild in the offseason, will probably want to avoid seeing replays that are sure to be repeated on various networks nationwide.

“Obviously, he’s a great defenseman and doesn’t get beat too many times,” Boyle said. “It’s probably not something that happens to him very often.”

Todd McLellan was asked what the reaction was like on the Sharks' bench following Boyle’s beautiful rush.

“Wow,” McLellan said. “You could feel the excitement for him. There was a lot of ‘wows.’ It was a pretty impressive individual rush.”

The Sharks have scored five goals on a two-man advantage this season, four by Boyle, including this one.

Boyle, who was the subject of several trade rumors leading up to Wednesday’s noon deadline, ranked it second on his list of the best goals of his career.

His favorite came when he was in Tampa against a player whom he now calls a teammate.

“The nicest one I scored is actually against Minnesota years ago, when I was in Tampa. [Brent Burns] was on defense, and I kind of undressed him,” Boyle said with a smile. “If you guys can look that one up, that was my favorite one.”

The Sharks surrendered the two-goal lead, but markers by Joe Thornton and TJ Galiardi broke the 2-2 tie and gave San Jose its sixth consecutive victory. So far, the Sharks are 5-0 on a season-long seven-game homestand.

They jumped over Los Angeles with the win and now sit in fifth place in the Western Conference.

“We’ve got to start catching some teams and separating ourselves from that final playoff spot,” Boyle said. “We’re doing good things, but we saw last month how quickly that can go the other way if you start cheating.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.04.2013

667927 San Jose Sharks

Kurz's Instant Replay: Sharks 4, Wild 2

April 3, 2013, 9:30 pm

Staff

Joe Thornton and Marty Havlat had a goal and an assist, while Dan Boyle and TJ Galiardi added power play goals in a 4-2 Sharks win over Minnesota at HP Pavilion on Wednesday night.

The game was tied 2-2 in the second period when the Sharks took advantage of some sloppy play by the Wild in their own zone. Minnesota failed to get the puck out numerous times, and Jared Spurgeon turned it over to Brent Burns. Burns gave the puck to Thornton, whose attempted pass deflected off of Clayton Stoner’s skate and past Niklas Backstrom at 14:42 to give the Sharks a 3-2 lead at the intermission.

Galiardi gave them some insurance with a power play goal at 6:55 of the third period. Scott Gomez deflected a Brent Burns’ shot towards the net, and Galiardi deposited the loose puck for just his second goal.

The Sharks finished 2-for-5 on the power play, and had to kill off just 53.3 seconds of power play time to Minnesota at the end of the game. The game got nasty at that point the Wild on the power play, looking to close the gap. Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Heatley exchanged slashes and wrestled at the side of the net, and the result was Heatley leaving the ice clutching his left arm/wrist area.

The Sharks saw a 2-0 lead evaporate in the second.

Minnesota’s offense was dormant for much of the game until former Sharks draft pick Charlie Coyle got on the board. Coyle feathered a pass to Zach Parise who put it on net, and Coyle tipped in a loose puck behind Antti Niemi at 10:33 of the middle frame to make it 2-1.

It didn’t take long for the Wild to tie it. Just 25 seconds later, Thornton’s clearing attempt up the wall went right to Dany Heatley’s stick, and the former Shark blasted a shot inside the far post for his 11th goal.

Stoner’s ill-advised delay of game penalty in the first period led to the Sharks taking a 2-0 lead. The defenseman carelessly shot the puck into the stands from his own zone, putting the Sharks on a two-man advantage. Dan Boyle went coast-to-coast on a rush from behind his own goal line, sidestepping Ryan Suter in the process, and slid home his sixth goal on what may have been the highlight-reel goal of the year for San Jose at 5:19.

Havlat gave the Sharks an early lead with his fifth goal at 1:34 on a pass from Thornton, after Burns skated the puck in deep.

The Sharks and Wild will play the rubber match of their three-game season series on April 18 at HP Pavilion. The Sharks snapped a four-game losing streak to the Wild.

Special teams

Boyle’s goal was his fourth five-on-three goal of the season, setting a new team record. Five of his six goals have come with a man advantage.

Galiardi’s power play goal, the third of his career, was his first since Dec. 15, 2009 when he was with Colorado.

The Sharks have had to kill off just three penalties in their last four games. James Sheppard’s hooking minor at 19:06 of the third period was the only time they were shorthanded.

In goal

Niemi made his 14th straight start, and 23rd in the last 24 games. He made 31 saves for his 18th win.

Lineup

The Sharks lineup was the same from their 3-2 win over Vancouver on Monday, as Jason Demers remained out with an undisclosed injury and Matt Tennyson played his second career NHL game on defense.

Demers is expected to return in the “next couple of days,” according to general manager Doug Wilson.

Up next

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.04.2013

667928 San Jose Sharks

Vlasic, Heatley get nasty after final horn

April 4, 2013, 12:00 am

Staff

The Wild were on a power play with the clock winding down, and had a six-on-four advantage with the goalie pulled. At the side of the net next to Antti Niemi, Heatley and Vlasic exchanged some slashes, shoves and punches, and the result was Heatley skating off of the ice in pain with what looked to be a left arm or wrist injury.

Vlasic gave a succinct interpretation of how events unfolded.

“He took a swing at me and missed. I took a swing at him and got him. That’s what it is,” Vlasic said.

Where did Vlasic hit him?

“I don’t know. He just swung at me and I swung at him. He could have easily hit me. I wasn’t intending to hurt him. I just wanted to slash him, because he took a swing at me and missed. He got me the shift before.

“If he’s going to slash me, I’m going to defend myself and just swing back, and unfortunately I got him. I didn’t want to hurt him. If he’s going to slash me I was just defending myself, and swung back.”

Vlasic was issued a five-minute major for slashing and a game misconduct at the 20-minute mark of the third period, while Heatley got a minor for roughing. Vlasic indicated that the game took a nasty turn in the third period.

“The last couple of shifts, you can watch the video. [Joe Pavelski] got slew footed, I got cross checked by [Heatley] in front. I gave him a cross check back. Guys were battling in front. If you’re going to get a cross check, I assume you can give one back. That’s what happened in the last shift. Unfortunately, I got him in the wrist or shoulder. I’m not sure where I got him. That was not my intent. My intent was just to defend myself.”

According to a tweet from Mike Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Wild coach Mike Yeo “indicated Heatley will be out for awhile.”

Todd McLellan said of the game: “There were some battles and that type of stuff, but it was emotional. It gets right down to the end when we’re down six-on-four…competitive teams and competitive players, on both sides.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.04.2013

667929 St Louis Blues

Hockey Guy: West gets wilder at trade deadline

6 hours ago • BY JEFF GORDON

The already crazy Western Conference got even nuttier before the NHL trade deadline hit this afternoon.

While the Blues did a little housekeeping — sending extraneous defenseman Wade Redden to Boston for a seventh-round pick in 2014 — some of their immediate rivals muscled up.

(The Blues did make a nice addition for the long-term, signing power forward prospect Dmitrij Jaskin to an entry-level deal. He starred at the World Junior Championships and tore up junior hockey, so he could be something in a few years. For now he is a Riverman.)

Perhaps the biggest surprise came when the rebuilding Columbus Blue Jackets took on disgruntled New York Rangers winger Marian Gaborik. New general manager Jarmo Kekalainen made a splash with that move, citing Gaborik as “a long-term solution, not just a short-term fix” according to the Columbus Dispatch.

So much for the notion that Columbus was starting over from scratch with younger players. The Blue Jackets will try to extend Gaborik's contract this summer and make him the new Rick Nash.

The Rangers got back forwards Derek Dorsett and Derick Brassard and defensive prospect John Moore. Columbus replaced the disappointing Brassard by adding Blake Comeau from Calgary for a fifth-round pick.

The Blue Jackets also did some housekeeping by moving No. 2 goaltender Steve Mason to the Philadelphia Flyers for goaltender Michael Leighton and a third-round pick in 2015.

Here were some other moves of note:

• The Minnesota Wild sent two prospects, Matt Hackett and Johan Larsson, plus first- and second-round draft picks to Buffalo to land skilled winger Jason Pominville -- who scored 25 points in 37 games this season. Pominville will give the Wild some badly needed secondary scoring.

The San Jose Sharks added agitating Raffi Torres from the Phoenix Coyotes, spending a third-round pick for the pending unrestricted free agent. Torres will fill the slot vacated by Ryane Clowe’s departure to the Rangers in an earlier deal. Will Raffi regain his reckless playing style after taking it easy this season in the Valley of the Sun? Brendan Shanahan hopes not.

San Jose added journeyman defenseman Scott Hannan from Nashville for a conditional seventh-round draft pick. That gives them a bit more insurance for the blue line.

The Anaheim Ducks added offensive depth, getting center Matthew Lombardi from the Coyotes. The Coyotes also shipped 900-year-old winger Steve Sullivan to the New Jersey Devils

The Canucks tried to ditch Roberto Luongo and his onerous contract, but the Toronto Maple Leafs took a pass. Luongo told reporters that he would redo his 12-year deal if it allowed him to become a No. 1 goaltender again. “I’d scrap it right now if I could,” he said.

Goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff was much less eager to move. He will finish out the season in Calgary and then retire. So that’s that.

Our Town’s Ben Bishop got a chance to become a No. 1 goaltender, moving from Ottawa to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Senators did well in that deal, getting skilled rookie winger Cory Conacher and a fourth-round pick.

The Predators moved winger Martin Erat, a fixture on the Nashville hockey scene, to Washington with Michael Latta for prospect Filip Forsberg.

Toronto got a little tougher be spending a fourth-round pick to get Ryan O’Byrne from Colorado.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.04.2013

667930 St Louis Blues

Blues move Redden at trade deadline

6 hours ago • By Dan O'Neill

The Blues made a move to address their glut on left defense today by trading veteran Wade Redden to the Boston Bruins before the trade deadline expired at 2 p.m.

The team received a conditional seventh-round pick in 2014 from Boston in return. If Redden appears in one or more playoff games for the Bruins this season, the compensation becomes a sixth-round pick.

Redden, 35, played in 23 games with the Blues, scoring two goals, three assists and accumulating a minus-2. The Blues signed Redden to a one-year, $800,000 contract on January 18, after he was was waived and bought out of the remaining two years of his contract with the New York Rangers.

Redden got off to a terrific start in St. Louis, scoring goals in two of his first three games. Then on Feb. 17, the Blues honored Redden at Scottrade Center as he played in his 1,000th career game.

But in the past few days, the team has made trades to acquire defensemen Jordan Leopold and Jay Bouwmeester. Like Redden, both are lefthanded shooters. In addition, the Blues also have lefthanded defenders Barret Jackman, Kris Russell and Ian Cole on their roster.

In Boston, Redden will be reunited with his former teammate and defense partner Zdeno Chara. The two were blue-line standouts for the Ottawa Senators in the early 2000s, a team that played in the Stanley Cup finals in 2007.

The Blues also announced they have signed Dmitrij Jaskin (dih-MEE-tree YEAH-skihn), the team's second-round selection in the 2011 NHL draft, the 41st player chosen overall.

Jaskin, 20, agreed to a three-year entry level contract. He will report to the Blues’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate in Peoria. But it is possible the 6-foot-3, 205 pound forward could see NHL time before the season ends.

“Jaskin is an NHL-ready combination of size and skill,” Blues’ director of player development Tim Taylor said. “His offensive prowess, physicality and hockey sense give him the versatility to play up and down the lineup and contribute in a variety of roles.”

Jaskin played in 51 games for Moncton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He led the Wildcats with 99 points, including 46 goals and 53 assists, and collected 73 penalty minutes.

A native of Omsk, Russia, Jaskin was named the QMJHL’s first star of the month for November 2012 and January 2013.

Prior to 2012-13, Jaskin spent two seasons with Slavia Praha HC of the Czech Extraleague collecting 12 points (four goals, eight assists) and 32 penalty minutes in 63 games.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.04.2013

667931 St Louis Blues

Blues updates: Trade deadline, Bouwmeester's status, Halak injury

8 hours ago • By Jeremy Rutherford

While the Blues did a little housekeeping, some of their immediate rivals muscled up. Read more

There is less than one hour left before the NHL trade deadline. It should come as no surprise that Blues players, as they came off the practice ice this morning, said they hope the roster stays intact and this group finishes out the regular season and perhaps beyond.

“We’ve shown that the core in here has got what it takes to be good on a regular basis and win games and win a playoff round,” Blues captain David Backes said. “That being said, we’re not satisfied with those results. We’ve got to keep growing and keep progressing or else I think changes may be made. But the group in here is a group of character guys that put it in every single day. We need to stick together and bring it every night, and when we do, we like our chances.”

The instant rebuttal, which has been heard in recent weeks, is that this core group has not done anything other than win one playoff round last year. I asked defenseman Barret Jackman for his response to that sentiment.

“You’ve got to start from somewhere,” Jackman responded. “Every team hasn’t done anything until they win. You look at other teams around the league and nobody is satisfied until they’ve won the Stanley Cup, and if they don’t win it, they’re disappointed. There’s always expectations on a team. We expect to win and until we do that, it’s going to be disappointing.

“I really hope (this is the group). It’s a group that’s been together for quite a few years now with the exception of a few pieces. But we’ve been in the slums together and last year we were at a high and then back down to a low in the playoffs. We’d love to ride a high all the way to the prize.”

BOUWMEESTER UPDATE

New Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester was not on the ice this morning. On Tuesday, he was seeking a work visa and had hoped to meet the club soon and be in Thursday’s game against Chicago.

“I don’t know where the visa stuff is right now,” Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. “As soon as I get through with (the media), I’ll go back and see where that’s at. The assumption is that if (Jarome) Iginla can get in Pittsburgh in that period of time from Calgary, then we’re hoping Jay can get in quick too.”

HALAK'S STATUS

Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak, who left Monday’s 4-1 win over Minnesota in the first period, has a groin injury and is out indefinitely.

Some rumblings are that Halak didn’t re-aggravate the injury that caused him to miss eight games earlier this season, but rather it’s a new injury in the groin.

“Halak is out,” said Hitchcock, who indicated the goalie may be put on injured reserve. “He’s out … that’s the best way I can describe it. I’ll let you know when he’s in.”

Asked if Halak will play at all the remainder of this season, Hitchcock replied: “I can’t tell you that right now.”

Is there a guarantee? “No,” Hitchcock said.

After his 20-save relief effort in Minnesota, picking up his first victory since Jan. 31, Brian Elliott will get the start Thursday against Chicago. Elliott said that he’s better equipped for the job today than in early February, when his poor performance forced the Blues to turn to Jake Allen.