(michael starghill/Flickr)

at 9th in the Eastern Conference. However, for some reason, the one team the Caps have had consistent success against has been the Montreal Canadiens. That success continued Friday night when the Caps returned to the Verizon Center, as they defeated the visiting Habs, 4-1. Both the players and coaches attributed the wins over Montreal to favorable matchups and jumping on them early, but what gives them that advantage? The fact that Washington is playing a team that has similar issues as their own game is a big part of the dominance over the Canadiens.

One would think that there isn’t much to compare these two teams, considering one team has 24 Stanley Cups and the other team has only one Stanley Cup Final appearance — which they lost (I’ll let you figure out which one is which). However, in terms of how these two have played of late this season, there are more similarities that seem to be more visible when these two teams play each other. With the Capitals still being a better team than they seem like, they’ve been the ones to take advantage of such similarities — almost as if looking in the mirror and seeing what everyone else has seen lately.

The Caps came into Friday’s game as a team that struggles to exit their zone without making a brutal mistake. Best example: the Caps’ last game against the Carolina Hurricanes where they lost 5-0. Justin Bourne did a great job of analyzing just one of the five goals scored against Washington that exposed the Caps’ struggles on zone clearance. Demonstrated by Bourne, almost always with five skaters in the defensive zone, it usually seems as though only two have any actual impact on protecting the puck, while the others are just hanging around expecting the puck to be cleared instead of positioning themselves in any other event. More often than not, it causes turnovers and only more time playing in their own end.

Fun fact: the Habs have the SAME problem. Example: Just on the first goal, a blind attempt by Tomas Plekanec to move the puck along the boards presumably to clear went awry, and as Jason Chimera obtained possession of the puck, he sent the puck just wide of the net where Mathieu Perreault kept his head up and found great positioning to bank in the goal. Carey Price called the goal a “collective brain cramp,” which the Caps took note of and scored. There’s your early goal for Washington. Still, while Brooks Laich, Matt Hendricks and coach Dale Hunter made this the point at which they won the game, the last time the Caps scored first was Feb. 9 against Winnipeg — they lost that game in overtime.

Montreal and Washington are two of the worst teams in terms of being able to break out, mostly due to their struggles in their own end. The Caps seemed to have no problem with that, seeing as the second goal of the night by Jason Chimera was a semi-breakaway and this time really drove the net, putting enough force behind the puck to push it past Carey Price and behind the goal line for the league-approved goal. The next goal, a beauty by Alex Ovechkin, was probably an even better example of such, as the Capitals moved the puck quickly and created enough space to continue around the stationary Habs defense to put a third goal past Price.

One more similarity, the pressure the Caps have going forward is much like a Canadian team — even Elliotte Friedman said so the other day. This “Canadian-franchise level pressure” going on for the Caps is akin to pressure that teams that struggle like Montreal still face, such as urging to make trades, the need to win a Cup sooner than later, the frustration at the less-than-average seasons by the Caps’ superstars is unlike Washington has ever dealt with before. Moving forward, they are one point behind the Florida Panthers for eighth in the conference and two behind Winnipeg for the lead. Despite the panic among Caps fans, the Caps are 99% not sellers by Monday, the trade deadline, especially after their win over the Habs on Friday. With that in mind, and with the pressure to succeed, they will need to find ways to plug those holes and fix the mistakes that have almost damned their season. Hunter said after the game he wishes he could “bottle it up” whatever it is that the Caps have against the Canadiens. Next chance to do so will be in a huge game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are in 10th, but tied with the Caps with 65 points.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Could Michael Ryder be headed back to Boston at the trade deadline?

With just a few days remaining until the NHL trade deadline, the Boston Bruins continue to contemplate just what they should do. Rumors are rampant, and with the news on Nathan Horton not being so good, the pressure to acquire a big-name player rather than a smaller puzzle piece continues to swell as the hours tick down to the deadline.

Boston has been rumored to be interested in a couple deals, one that would bring back Michael Ryder, who was a key contributor during the 2011 Stanley Cup playoff run, from Dallas along with defenseman Sheldon Souray. The other deal has a bigger name, as Boston is one of several teams that may be interested in Los Angeles captain Dustin Brown, whose name started popping up once the Kings acquired Jeff Carter from Columbus.

The Ryder-Souray trade would make the most sense– at least for Boston. Ryder is a guy fits well into the Boston system, performed well at both ends of the ice during the pressure-packed playoffs, and has the trust of coach Claude Julien. Most importantly, he is playing as well as he did in the playoffs, posting 24 goals and 20 assists with a plus-13 rating. Souray, a three-time NHL All Star who spent last year in the AHL, has played quite well for the Stars. He has just 5 goals and 13 assists, but is a plus-12, has been better one-on-one, is a physical presence, has a great shot from the point, and has cut down on turnovers – which has been an issue in the past.

This deal likely would involve a couple players on the roster (Jordan Caron, Benoit Pouliot) and a draft pick or prospect. Maybe the Stars would feel bad for the Bruins and take Joe Corvo too, but don’t count on that.

Deal Likelihood (out of 10): 7 (for Souray); 5 (for Ryder)

The Dustin Brown talk is intriguing, as he is one of the game’s best young power forwards who has scored at least 20 goals in four straight seasons. He is also among the league leaders in hits and is a great locker room guy who has served as LA’s captain the past few years. He is similar to Nathan Horton in many ways, including the ability to go into prolonged offensive slumps. However, he is the type of player that fans in Boston would love: hard-nosed, tough, and skilled.

Now, the Kings came out on Friday and said Brown was not available. This does not mean he can’t be acquired via trade, but it does mean a high price. He would likely take a current defenseman (Johnny Boychuk, Adam McQuaid, Steve Kampfer), a prospect (Ryan Spooner, Jared Knight, Alexander Khokhlachev, Dougie Hamilton) and a draft pick.

Deal Likelihood (out of 10): 3

One name that has not been brought up much, but would be similar to the deals that brought Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley to Boston

(Icon SMI)

last February, would be that of P.A. Parenteau of the New York Islanders. Parenteau is a feisty forward with solid offensive skills. He would be a nice addition to the team, especially with Peverley out for another few weeks.  He has been a solid scorer in the AHL for a few years, then netted 20 goals and 33 assists last year with the Isles.  He is on a pace for just 16 goals this season, but already has 42 assists and 54 points in just 60 games. He would help with Boston’s power play, and would provide more depth – especially if Pevrerly and/or Horton cannot come back.

This move would likely only require a guy like Caron or a second-round pick.

Deal Likelihood (out of 10): 7 – Not saying Parenteau is the guy they go for, but if the Bruins do make a move, it will be for a guy like Parenteau or Ryder. Other possible names on the radar are Derek Roy of Buffalo, Mike Knuble and Jeff Halpern of Washington, Brian Rolston of the Islanders, Teddy Purcell of Tampa Bay, and Jarret Stoll of Los Angeles.

Steve Kendall has covered hockey at all levels for 20 years. You can follow him on Twitter @skendallhockey

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Brian Burke has little time remaining to swing a deal (John Cordes/Icon SMI)

With the NHL’s trade deadline set for Monday at 3:00 PM EST, crunch time is officially here for general managers all across the league. There is a select group of about six or seven general managers that have a bit of added pressure, though, and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Brian Burke is one of them.

That group, which also includes Dale Tallon of the Florida Panthers, Kevin Cheveldayoff of the Winnipeg Jets and George McPhee of the Washington Capitals, is specifically made up of general managers whose teams are battling for a playoff spot.

Burke and the Maple Leafs─more so the latter─find themselves in a rather unfamiliar situation this season. As everyone knows by now, the Leafs haven’t qualified for the NHL’s post-season since the lockout that wiped out the entire 2004-2005 season. What this means is simple: for the first time in many years, the Leafs can officially be considered ‘buyers’ as the deadline approaches. That’s great news for a team whose fanbase and front office carry high expectations each season, but it may mean a little extra work will be needed upstairs.

The big question that is being asked concerns the Leafs’ most pressing needs. There are plenty, which makes finding an answer almost impossible. Among those needs are a top-line centre, sizable top-six winger, a solid defensive defenceman and a veteran goalie who can help James Reimer and Jonas Gustavsson fight through their current and future slumps.

It goes without saying that no one is entirely sure what Burke, perhaps the most unpredictable general manager in the league, has up his sleeve. In fact, there is even talk of Burke and his staff remaining silent between now and Monday afternoon and sticking with the current roster as the 82nd game nears. With the appetite for upgrade present in Toronto, that strategy would undoubtedly upset many Maple Leaf fans.

But worrying about upset Leafs fans isn’t why the pressure is building on Burke. Actually, the main reasons are rather obvious. For one, a playoff berth would bring added passion that has been missing over the last several seasons back to Toronto and a shot at the playoffs is not something the Leafs can just throw away. While standing pat and not making any moves, or at least none that would result in a major impact, might not be considered “throwing the season away,” it could result in another Leaf-less month of May.

Another transaction that could be considered “throwing the season away” would be dealing second line centre Mikhail Grabovski to another team. This is something that still appears unlikely to happen, although the chances seem to be greater following Darren Dreger’s report of Grabovski and the Leafs being well apart when it comes to contract negotiations, something that will need to be successfully completed if Grabovski is to wear blue and white again next season.

A player of Grabovski’s calibre would probably fetch a half-decent return, although you would expect to see nothing more than high draft picks or a high draft pick and a prospect. That, of course, would be considered ‘selling,’ which would go against what the Leafs consider themselves to be.

Secondly, the Maple Leafs fell 2-1 to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday while the Jets defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3, meaning they currently sit one point outside of the eighth and final playoff spot. Looking at the teams around them, you will see that there is now little room for error.

That’s where a veteran player would come in handy. Whether it fill one of the four needs listed above or some other position doesn’t really matter. All that does matter is that a change will need to be made soon while remaining buyers.

Twitter: @LukasHardonk | Email: lukas.hardonk@gmail.com | Lukas’ archive

For every Leafs article on THW, follow @THW_MapleLeafs on Twitter.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Mike Babcock's words have sparked a rumor frenzy. (Icon SMI)

“A new facility, no question. If you want the city to come back, you got to revitalize downtown, and a big part of that’s going to be the new arena, and the mall and the stuff going around it, and that’s very important. That’s why we need the state to jump onside, and the sooner the better, if we’re going to revitalize Michigan. It’s got to start right here in Detroit.”

While it’s no secret that the team’s owners, Mike & Marian Illitch, have been interested in a new arena for several years, Babcock’s words have sparked renewed interest.

The Detroit News is reporting that an area long speculated to be the location of any such new arena build has seen “at least 22 properties” scooped up since 2008. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that this area is located just blocks north of both the Fox Theatre and Comerica Park, two facilities already owned and operated by Illitch Holdings.

The mention of a “mall” somehow tied to the possible Red Wings relocation becomes one of several rumored additions to the downtown area, including a stop on the proposed Woodward Light Rail Project.

What really has people talking though, are the final sentences of the Red Wing coach’s statement:

“That’s why we need the state to jump onside, and the sooner the better, if we’re going to revitalize Michigan. It’s got to start right here in Detroit.”

The suggestion that the state must jump on board before the project can proceed has many residents enraged, mostly because Michigan’s economy is still recovering and Babcock was insinuating that public funds would be used to drive the project.

(Mrmiscellanious/Wikimedia Commons)

Pockets have been tightened in uncertain economic times, and taxpayers are understandably concerned about footing the bill for such a massive undertaking that a new arena complex would be, especially when the team could easily foot the bill themselves.

Mike Illitch’s net worth is estimated at $1.7 billion dollars, leaving many asking why he doesn’t fund the project himself. Part of the answer to that question may be the knowledge that he doesn’t have to.

It has become commonplace in today’s sporting world for the locale that will host the team to ante up some of the necessary funds in building a state of the art venue. Illitch himself has been a part of this trend, receiving “$115 million from the city of Detroit, Wayne County and corporate investors” to help fund the building of Comerica Park (home of the Detroit Tigers) which opened in 2000 (the total cost of the project was $300 million, Illitch funded $185 million on his own). If Illitch knows he can get money from elsewhere, why wouldn’t he try? Afterall, the construction would likely result in a net gain for the area down the road.

That’s the main argument for having the public fund at least a part of the building process for new venues. Owners have thrived on pressuring various levels of government to support them based on promises of financial prosperity for the location down the road. Usually, they’re right.

Building a new arena in the area will draw crowds regularly, making it a prime place for the  business to spring up, and significant help in the restoring Detroit’s once booming economy. The long-term benefits are clearly there, but are those promises enough to convince the public it’s a good idea? Probably not. Especially when the public isn’t even sure there is a need for a new arena in the first place.

(DrVenkman/Wikimedia Commons

Opened in 1979, Joe Louis arena is one of the NHL’s oldest, and its various problems have long been debated. While some acknowledge the lack of certain “creature comforts” and pleasant nuances that newer arenas feature, others are too busy living in the nostalgia and basking in the glory of one of the NHL’s most successful teams. Still others have never been to the arena and spew uninformed opinions as they hang on to their wallets tightly, for better or for worse.

When it comes to those that have been to the arena, as mentioned, reactions are mixed. In consecutive editions of the NHLPA’s Player’s Poll, Joe Louis Arena has popped up as a member of the top 5 places players enjoy playing. That fact may be more due to the atmosphere than the arena itself, as fans have rated the Arena the 5th worst in the NHL.

So what’s to make of all this new arena insanity? For now, not much.

A new arena will take 1.5-2 years to build once an agreement has been reached and ground is broken. It’s reaching that agreement that will be the issue. With opinions so divided, the city of Detroit may not be willing to shell out much money during this difficult economic time. Illitch, in all his vast sums of wealth, wont jump the gun and fund the project himself if he feels he can wait a few more years for the city’s assistance, but at age 82 he may not be willing to wait all that long.

What we have now are simply rumors, and until something more concrete is put forward, rumors they will stay. To suggest that Detroit will have a new arena in the next five years may be a bit of a stretch at this point. Within 10? It’s almost guaranteed to happen.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Yesterday the first major traded happened when the Columbus Blue Jackets traded disgruntled center Jeff Carter to the goal-starving Los Angeles Kings in exchange for blue liner Jack Johnson and a 1st round draft pick in 2012 or 2013. You can find part 1 here.

Below you will find part 2 of 3:

Once again the Edmonton Oilers will definitely be sellers this season as their thin defensive corpse was not good enough to support their budding stars Hall, Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins. With Ales Hemsky about to re-sign with the team (reportedly two year at $5MM/year), Nikolai Khabibulin currently injured and coming with a hefty contract and Andy Sutton previously signing a one-year extension with the team, the Oilers don’t have many assets to trade before the deadline. The team is shopping Eric Belanger, who’s been a major disappointment this season, but he’s not very appealing. An impending UFA, Ryan Smyth would certainly interest a lot of teams looking for scoring and leadership, but he owns a no-movement clause and I don’t believe he would waive it after coming back to Edmonton.

The Florida Panthers are currently vying for a playoffs spot, battling both the Washington Capitals and the Winnipeg Jets for the division lead. The team would like to get rid of unproductive forwards Marco Sturm and Sean Bergenheim to find the missing pieces to contend in the East. As for UFA blue liner Jason Garrison, he is drawing a lot of interest around the league because of his very affordable salary ($650,000) and offensive touch (13 goals), but the team would be foolish not to re-sign him.

Dustin Brown is not on the trade market contrary to recent rumors (Photo by Chassen Ikiri).

The Los Angeles Kings made their major move yesterday when they acquired Mike Richards’ best friend Jeff Carter from Columbus in exchange for puck-moving defenseman Jack Johnson. Dustin Penner, who’s been a frequent healthy scratch, is still being shopped around the league, as the impending UFA is having a tough year and was victim of a pancake injury earlier this season. Contrary to some rumors, captain Dustin Bown is not available as per GM Dean Lombardi. While young goalie Jonathan Bernier would be a viable option for teams looking for a quality netminder (Lightning and Jackets among others), the Kings won’t likely trade him before the draft as they prefer to keep as an insurance policy for the playoffs. Also, the Kings have announced today that they have extended rearguard Willie Mitchell to a two-year deal worth $7MM.

Ravaged by injuries up front, the Minnesota Wild are falling down the standings faster than Keanu Reeves’ career going 3-5-2 in the past ten games. With injuries to key players like Mikko Koivu, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Guillaume Latendresse, the team desperately need offensive help before it’s too late. The team is currently dangling UFA goalie Josh Harding as a trade bait to acquire a top-six forward. Possible rentals for the Wild are Wojtek Wolski, Andrei Kostitsyn and Brad Boyes. The team could also trade veteran defensemen Greg Zanon (UFA) and Marek Zidlicky to get much-needed scoring punch.

After trading veteran Hal Gill to the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2nd round choice and forward Blake Geoffrion, the Montreal Canadiens are now last in the Eastern Conference eight points out of the 8th spot. I analysed the Habs’ best trade options in an article last month and with Gill gone, the most likely candidate to be trade is now AK46.

The Nashville Predators are doing all they can to re-sign defenseman Ryan Suter before the deadline and if they can’t re-sign he might become available, but the price will be hefty. After the acquisition of Hal Gill, the Predators might be willing to sacrifice a young defenseman like Jon Blum or Ryan Ellis to add top-six forward to an already potent line-up. Ant that player could very well be Sergei Kostitsyn‘s older brother Andrei Kostitsyn.

After acquiring forward Alexei Ponikarovsky last month and with the impending return of forward Travis Zajac from a recurring Achilles heel injury, the New Jersey Devils are set up front. However, with blue liner Henrik Tallinder out six to eight weeks with a blod clot in his left leg and Adam Larsson still out with a bruised lower-back following a PK Subban body-check, the Devils will certainly look to add a depth defenseman such as Jaroslav Spacek, Chris Campoli or Roman Hamrlik before the deadline. As for impending UFA Zach Parise, he will not be dealt this season, but look for GM Lou Lamoriello to extend him before July 1st. If Parise wants to test free-agent market, then Lamoriello will trade him and see what hefty return he can get for the nifty Parise. While both Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg will be UFAs at season’s end, don’t expect them to be dealt as they both want to re-sign in New Jersey.

With the New York Islanders eight points out of a playoff spot, it is likely that GM Garth Snow will be a seller before the trade deadline. Players that could be moved out include goalie Evgeni Nabokov even if there are rumors about him re-signing with the team after Rick Dipietro‘s career ending injury. Also, veteran rearguards Milan Jurcina, Mike Mottau, Steve Staios and Mark Eaton who are all slated to become UFAs at season’s end could be dealt to contenders. Yet, the most prized trading bait might be Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau who’s making an affordable $1,250,000 this season and has 54 points in 60 games this year. PAP will be one of the top targets come deadline day and the price will most likely be a 1st rounder.

Currently leading the Eastern Conference with 81 points, the New York Rangers will definitely be buyers this season, but don’t expect a major overhaul in the Big Apple. GM Glen Sather has already managed to trade under-performing tweener Erik Christensen to the Wild and is still looking to unload Wojtek Wolski. While the Rags are certainly interested in sniper Rick Nash and have the assets to acquire him, I really don’t think they will trade for him in the next 72 hours. Look for the Blue Shirts to tweak their line-up and add a depth forward such as Daniel Winnik or Adam Hall and a veteran defenseman such as Scott Hannan or Jaroslav Spacek to mentor their young blue liners.

Currently ranked 7th in the Eastern Conference, the biggest surprise in the NHL this season, the Ottawa Senators, will certainly be buyers. Bryan Murray will not mortgage the future of the team to make a major acquisition, but look for the Sens to add a top-nine forward like David Jones or Eric Belanger to a young core led by the likes of Spezza, Alfredsson and Michalek. Murray could also try to add a insurance policy in net following Craig Anderson‘s injury (finger cut) that he sustained against the Capitals on Wednesday. San Jose Sharks’ Antero Niittymaki could be a cheap option in goal.

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Follow me on Twitter for more updates on the trade deadline and the NHL in general.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

The New Jersey Devils have a couple of needs they could be looking to fulfill, and as the New York Postsuggests, they might be searching for a center.

Travis Zajac, previously the Devils’ ironman, has been limited to just eight games this year while dealing with an Achilles’ tendon problem. He returned to the lineup in December after offseason surgery, but did not get far before his doctors encouraged him to stop skating. Although The Star-Ledger is reporting that Zajac is doing light skating and strengthening exercises, it’s unlikely he will make a significant contribution this year.

The Devils have Adam Henrique and Patrik Elias performing well at center, but the majority of their top scorers are wingers, suggesting that the Devils could benefit from picking up another center.

Here are some names that have been mentioned in the latest batch of rumors that could come to New Jersey.

Brad Boyes, Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres have been a major disappointment this year, and now seems like a good time to get a rebuild going. The Calgary Sun mentions Boyes as one of the players who could be on the move.

Although Boyes is playing right wing this year, center is his natural position. He came to Buffalo in a trade with the St. Louis Blues last year and had 14 points in 21 games. But this season, he has not contributed as much, as he has missed 13 games and only managed 13 points and a minus-five rating.

He ranks eighth on Buffalo with a 47.2 percent faceoff-win percentage and averages about 14 minutes of ice time, in addition to being ranked eighth with 2:11 of power-play ice time. He has the potential to contribute offense on the power play, as he has previously posted more than 10 man-advantage goals in a season. This would help the Devils’ power play, which is ranked 18th in the NHL with a 16.7 percent success rate.

Boyes has a $4 million salary this year and will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Paul Gaustad, Buffalo Sabres

Boyes’ teammate in Buffalo, Paul Gaustad, could also be on the move as suggested by ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun. Gaustad is described as a physical player and penalty killer who has also displayed strength in the faceoff circle.

Paul Gaustad could fit in with New Jersey, but he could also be taken off the market if the Sabres work out a new contract with him. (Icon SMI)

Gaustad has been with the Sabres his whole career and is an alternate captain. He is a consistent 20-30 point scorer and is on pace to post 24 points after starting off with 17 points in 54 games.

He is tied for first on the Sabres with a 56.2 faceoff-win percentage, which will be a huge help to New Jersey. They are 29th in the NHL with a team faceoff-win percentage of 46.8 percent.

He is also second with 2:52 of ice time on the penalty kill  and third with 94 hits.

Gaustad has a $2.5 million salary and is a UFA come July 1. He would be a good fit in New Jersey; however, Nick Cotsonika of Yahoo Sports reported earlier this week that the Sabres would like to re-sign Gaustad. Can a deal get done in time?

Marcus Kruger, Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks are still a playoff contender, but they have their share of holes to fill, and the Chicago Sun-Times says that general manager Stan Bowman would be willing to part with younger players to get a top defenseman or an experienced center. First-year center Marcus Kruger was named as one of the players available.

The 21-year-old Kruger is in his first full season with Chicago and has 17 points in 52 games to date. He could have up to 24 points this year and is averaging about 14 minutes of ice time per game.

Marcus Kruger is available for trade, and the Devils could like what he brings as a young, developing center. (Warren Wimmer/Icon SMI)

Kruger is extremely affordable, as he is making $715,000 this year and will get $900,000 in 2012-13. He is a restricted free agent after next season. The Devils already have one strong, young center in Henrique, and adding another one wouldn’t hurt as Patrik Elias ages.

Samuel Pahlsson, Columbus Blue Jackets

Who on Columbus isn’t available to be traded? Blue Jackets writer Aaron Portzline reports on Twitter that there is a strong market for Pahlsson. While it’s not known which teams want him, New Jersey could be a possible destination.

At 34 years old, Pahlsson would bring experience to the Devils forward corps. He is also a Stanley Cup winner, having won the trophy with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. He can give a team about 20 points a year, and he currently has 11 points through 59 games in his third season in Columbus.

He is also sixth with a 51.2 percent faceoff-win percentage and tied for fifth with 94 hits. His 2:24 of ice time on the penalty kill ranks fourth on the Jackets.

Pahlsson has a $2.65 million price tag this year and is scheduled to be a UFA in July.

Kyle Wellwood, Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets are currently in third place in the Eastern Conference, so they might be wary of making any trades. However, if they decide to sell, the Calgary Sun suggests that Wellwood could be a possible trade chip.

Wellwood was a 40-point player earlier in his career, but his production largely dropped off over the years. After starting 2010-11 with Atlant Moscow of the KHL and posting eight points in 25 games, he came to the San Jose Sharks, where he had 13 points in 35 games.

He has experienced a resurgence this year, as he currently has 36 points in 61 games with Winnipeg. He is on pace to score 47 points, which would be a new career high. He is sixth with a 51.6 percent faceoff-win percentage and ninth with 2:03 of ice time on the power play.

Like Marcus Kruger, Wellwood comes with an affordable price tag. He is making $700,000 this year and will be a UFA in July. His career year could really help the Devils as Zajac continues to heal.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.