sport-scan nhl report for 11/22/14 for your …sharks.nhl.com/v2/ext/media/20141122-clips.pdf ·...

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SPORT-SCAN NHL REPORT FOR 11/22/14

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

SPORT-SCAN, INC. ♦ [email protected]

Arizona Coyotes

Center Martin Hanzal's status against the Sharks is still unclear. Hanzal has missed the past two games with a lower-body injury.

"I'm expecting he'll skate in the morning, and then we'll make a decision after that," Dave Tippett said.

Boston Bruins

Defencemen Zdeno Chara (knee), Adam McQuaid (broken thumb) and David Warsofsky (groin) are definitely out for Boston, while pesky Brad Marchand is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Marchand practised Thursday, but was ruled out of the Columbus game.

Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres are relieved to learn goaltender Michal Neuvirth’s lower-body injury is not as bad as first feared and he could be back practicing in a few days. In the interim, it’s Jhonas Enroth’s show.

Calgary Flames

Kris Russell is hampered by lower-body issues.

“Still uncertain,” Bob Hartley said of Russell’s activation for Saturday’s visit by the New Jersey Devils.

Centre Matt Stajan (knee) skated before Friday’s practice with Russell and centre Joe Colborne (wrist).

Forwards Mikael Backlund (abdomen), Mason Raymond (shoulder), Jones (upper body) did not go for a spin.

Chicago Blackhawks

Phillip Danault, who is scheduled to make his NHL debut against the Oilers while Anbdrew Shaw misses his second consecutive game with an upper-body injury.

Patrick Sharp has begun skating while recovering from a right knee injury. Joel Quenneville said the winger reported he was "OK" after taking the ice Thursday in Chicago for the first time since suffering the injury Nov. 4 against the Canadiens.

Sharp was placed on the long-term injured list retroactively Friday, but is still on pace to return to action in the next couple of weeks.

Shaw was at the rink Friday. Quenneville said the forward was "feeling better" and didn't rule out a return Sunday night against the Canucks.

Colorado Avalanche

Alex Tanguay will miss an undetermined amount of time with a facial fracture, which he suffered in Thursday's Avalanche loss to the Capitals.

If there is any good news to Tanguay's injury, it is that he did not suffer a broken jaw, coach Patrick Roy said. But Tanguay will not play Saturday against Carolina and no prognosis on how long he'll miss has yet to be determined.

Rookie Dennis Everberg will be lost indefinitely to a separated shoulder, suffered in the third period from a hit by Washington's Tom Wilson. Jamie McGinn also remains sidelined with a back injury, as does goalie Semyon Varlamov with a groin injury.

The Avs will make a call-up from Lake Erie of the AHL later Friday, but Roy said the team was still evaluating whom.

Avalanche: Goaltender Semyon Varlamov remains out with a groin injury, so Reto Berra will get his second straight start Saturday.

Center Jesse Winchester (concussion) practiced but remains out.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Cody Goloubef (knee), Ryan Murray (knee), Fedor Tyutin (knee), Brandon Dubinsky (abdominal surgery), Mark Letestu (groin) and Nathan Horton (back).

Defenseman Kevin Connauton made his debut with the Blue Jackets. He played 16:38.

Blue Jackets rookie Alexander Wennberg blocked a shot with his leg/foot and limped off but later returned.

Dallas Stars

RW Ryan Garbutt (upper body) and RW Valeri Nichushkin (hip/groin) are out.

The Stars traded veteran defenseman Brenden Dillon to San Jose in exchange for defenseman Jason Demers and a third-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft on Friday.

The Stars signed center Jason Spezza to a $30 million, four-year contract extension. The deal came nearly five months after the Stars acquired the high-scoring forward in a trade from Ottawa just before the start of free agency.

Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings forward Daniel Alfredsson turns 42 next month, hasn't skated regularly since October and, at the quarter-pole of the season, has given no indication he will return to the NHL. The Wings, for whom he played last season, have operated since last month with the belief Alfredsson is done, and that he will tell them if he wants to have his retirement news conference at Joe Louis Arena. As of this evening, he had not informed them of any such pending event.

Speculation out of Canada today instigated rumors he'd announce his decision Monday when the Wings host Ottawa, because Alfredsson spent 17 seasons with the Senators before seeing a better chance for an elusive Stanley Cup in Detroit.

Pavel Datsyuk will miss his third game in a row, sitting out for the fifth time in the past seven games due to a pulled groin.

Datsyuk skated after practice Thursday in Winnipeg but the entire team did not skate Friday after arriving in Toronto, opting for an off-ice workout.

Coach Mike Babcock said even if Datsyuk has skated Friday he wouldn't have been ready to play.

Edmonton Oilers

Nail Yakupov took a stick in the face in the third period but did return last night.

Defenceman Martin Marincin, after playing spectator for the last five games, was back in the Oilers’ lineup in place of Keith Aulie

Florida Panthers

Thursday, Aleksander Tomas Fleischmann and Rocco Grimaldi returned after missing Tuesday’s game with an illness. Dmitry Kulikov (knee) also returned after missing four games.

Defenseman Colby Robak was scratched for Thursday's game, as were forwards Sean Bergenheim and Scottie Upshall, who missed his first game of the season with a minor lower-body injury.

Los Angeles Kings

D Alec Martinez (finger) is questionable.

Martinez, who has missed three games with a finger injury, will be with the team on the three-game trip that starts Saturday in Dallas, Coach Darryl Sutter said. Martinez did a conditioning skate before Friday's practice, but it's not known when he will return to the lineup.

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Minnesota Wild

Wild C Mikko Koivu (illness) is questionable. D Jonas Brodin (illness) and LW Matt Cooke (hip flexor) are out.

Montreal Canadiens

Michael Bournival, still recovering from a shoulder injury, skated by himself earlier in the morning.

Coach Michel Therrien confirmed that Carey Price will start in goal against the Bruins, while Dustin Tokarski will start against the Rangers.

Therrien met with new defenceman Bryan Allen — acquired from the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday in exchange for Rene Bourque — on Friday night in Boston and will decide whether the 6-foot-5, 223-pounder will be in the lineup Saturday.

Mike Weaver returned Thursday after missing one game with an upper-body injury, and that means the only injured Canadiens player is Bournival.

New Jersey Devils

D Jon Merrill (arm), LW Ryane Clowe (head), D Bryce Salvador (lower body).

New York Islanders

Michael Grabner, who is recovering from hernia surgery, skated with the team in the morning but was not activated.

Johnny Boychuk played after missing part of Tuesday's game with a lower body injury.

New York Rangers

Though he was scratched on Wednesday, Lee Stempniak (back) practiced Thursday, and with a few extra days to heal because of Friday’s snowout, should be ready for Sunday against the Canadiens.

Ottawa Senators

The Senators are expected to use the same lineup that trumped the Predators, which means rookie Curtis Lazar will miss his second game with a minor injury.

Lazar was dinged up during a 1-on-1 drill in Wednesday's practice. He participated in Friday's on-ice session, and expressed an anxiousness to get back in action as quick as possible.

D Chris Phillips (undisclosed injury) and C Curtis Lazar (undisclosed injury), questionable; D Marc Methot (back), out.

Philadelphia Flyers

Chris VandeVelde suffered a lower-body injury in the third period Thursday and is listed as day to day. If VandeVelde can't play Saturday, Jason Akeson figures to return to the lineup.

Defenseman Michael Del Zotto is also listed as day to day with an unspecified injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins played their first game without veteran winger Pascal Dupuis, who will miss the rest of the season after blood clots were found in his lungs. Defenseman Simon Despres was a healthy scratch for the first time this season Friday, giving way to defenseman Robert Bortuzzo to play alongside Rob Scuderi.

San Jose Sharks

Friday, the Sharks acquired defenseman Brenden Dillon from the Stars in exchange for defenseman Jason Demers and a third-round pick in the 2016 draft.

Goalie Antti Niemi will get the start in net after sitting out the final two games of the trip.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning D Mattias Ohlund (knee) and D Victor Hedman (hand) are out.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Phil Kessel left practice early with a stiff neck after falling during a drill. Asked how he was after practice, Randy Carlyle said “He’s complaining.” Early indications are he won’t miss any time.

The team reassigned winger David Booth to the AHL Marlies on a conditioning stint Friday. Booth, who has yet to play a game after breaking his foot in the preseason, is expected to play two games with the Marlies and join the Leafs in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

Joffrey Lupul practised with the team again on Friday as he works toward a return from a broken hand. Lupul said he hasn’t ruled anything out, but also appears to be targeting the Pittsburgh game.

Vancouver Canucks

Frank Corrado was called up from minors, from Utica-AHL

NHL Daily Transactions

Calgary Flames Corban Knight Called up from minors, from Adirondack-AHL

Calgary Flames Max Reinhart Sent to minors, Adirondack-AHL

Chicago Blackhawks Phillip Danault Called up from minors, from Rockford-AHL

Dallas Stars Jason Spezza Contract extended, Four-year contract extension

Dallas Stars Jason Demers Traded from Sharks, w/ 2016 3rd rd pick for Brenden Dillon

Pittsburgh Penguins Scott Wilson Called up from minors, from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton-AHL

San Jose Sharks Brenden Dillon Traded from Stars, for J. Demers, 2016 3rd rd pick

Toronto Maple Leafs David Booth Sent to minors, Toronto-AHL for conditioning stint

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Sharks notebook: Thornton having productive season

By David Pollak

SAN JOSE -- The Sharks are having an up-and-down season, but not Joe Thornton -- the player who took the most heat in the offseason for last spring's playoff collapse.

Through 22 games, Thornton leads the team with 20 points and is on an eight-game scoring streak going into Saturday night's contest against the Arizona Coyotes. Only once has he gone even two consecutive games without a goal or an assist.

Just don't try to connect any of those seven goals and 13 assists to his loss of the captaincy or whatever indirect hints there may have been that he might be happier elsewhere. More than one-fourth of the way through the season, Thornton repeated his constant message since training camp.

"Nothing's changed at all," Thornton said Friday when asked about his different role this season. "It really hasn't. I'm 35 years old. I know what kind of player I am and what kind of guy I am. I'm not going to change at this point in my life."

Thornton, one of four alternate captains instead of the guy wearing the C, has been consistent with that message since training camp.

And he continues to go with the flow, even when coach Todd McLellan split Thornton and Joe Pavelski onto different lines in an attempt to make Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture more productive.

"Pav's a good enough player that he'll make any line better, and I enjoy playing with Patty," Thornton said. "Hopefully we'll get not just two lines going but every line going."

Pavelski, who practiced again Friday on a line with Couture and Matt Nieto, allowed that there might be a little extra determination from Thornton this season. But overall, he endorsed the idea that nothing has changed.

"We knew that's what we'd get out of him coming in," Pavelski said. "He wasn't going to go any other way."

Injured forward Raffi Torres is back in San Jose after spending the past few months rehabbing his knee at home in Toronto. There was no immediate update on when he might be able to play again.

SATURDAY'S GAME

Arizona (8-10-2) at Sharks (10-9-3), 7:30 p.m. CSNCA

Via San Jose Mercury News

Sharks send defenseman Jason Demers to Dallas Stars for Brenden Dillon

By David Pollak

SAN JOSE -- Two NHL teams falling short of expectations traded defensemen Friday, with the Sharks sending Jason Demers and a third-round pick in the 2016 draft to the Dallas Stars for Brenden Dillon. But Sharks general manager Doug Wilson played down the timing of the trade as any kind of wake-up call, saying it was an exchange he would have made even before the season started.

"This is a hockey deal that works very well for both teams," Wilson said Friday. "This is something we've been working on for quite a while. They were looking for a right-shot defenseman, we were looking for a big, physical left-shot defenseman that we think has got the skill set to trend up."

Dillon, 24, is expected to join the Sharks before their Saturday night game against the Arizona Coyotes. He will wear jersey No. 4, the same as he did for the Stars, who signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2011 after four seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League.

At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Dillon adds heft to the San Jose blue line as he becomes the team's second biggest defenseman behind Brent Burns. In describing Dillon's assets, Sharks coach Todd McLellan also noted Dillon has "some bite" in his game.

"It's an ingredient that maybe we lacked back there a little bit," McLellan said of Dillon's overall play. "Very good skater, excellent size, left-handed shot that plays an aggressive, hard game. He's a guy that can skate very well, jump into the play and then get back."

Dillon's offensive numbers -- one assist in 20 games this season, 26 points in 149 NHL games overall -- do not match those of the 6-foot-1, 195 pound Demers, who is more of a puck carrying, offensive-minded defenseman.

Demers, 26, had a career-high 34 points on five goals and 19 assists in 75 games last season. Overall, he had 98 points in exactly 300 games with San Jose but had struggled this season, with only three assists in 20 games and a minus-6 rating.

The Sharks rewarded Demers with a new two-year, $6.8 million contract last summer. Under terms of the trade, San Jose will pick up 35 percent of his salary through the end of next season. Dillon's $1.25 million contract expires at the end of this season, when he becomes a restricted free agent.

"You never know. It's a business, right? These things happen," Demers said before leaving for a flight to Dallas, where he is likely to play Saturday night against the Los Angeles Kings. "I guess they saw a way to make the team better. Hopefully the team does well, and hopefully it's good for both of us."

The Sharks' seventh-round pick in the 2008 draft, Demers was popular in the locker room, where he went by the nickname "Daddy" and constantly joked around with teammates.

"I'm going to miss those guys. It's going to be weird when we play them twice this year," he said, acknowledging he already had checked those dates on the schedule -- Feb. 19 in Dallas, April 6 at the SAP Center. Demers also agreed he might benefit from a change in scenery.

"You never want to leave this place, and this is home," he said, "but it's been an up and down year a little bit. You never know, sometimes change is a good thing."

With a rough schedule, the Sharks are 10-9-3 and in fifth place in the Pacific Division; Dallas, which made the playoffs last spring as the Central Division's fifth-place team, is 7-9-4 and in sixth place. Still, both Wilson and McLellan rejected the idea the trade was dictated by the team's subpar performance to this point.

"This is a deal I would have done in the summer, I would have done today, I would do tomorrow," Wilson said. "The window just happened to be open for both teams."


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Sharks lose to Panthers in shootout

By David Pollak

SAN JOSE -- A goal by Patrick Marleau with 33.1 seconds remaining forced overtime Thursday night and enabled the Sharks to salvage a point in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Florida Panthers.

But nobody in the San Jose locker room was feeling good about the 59 minutes of hockey that preceded Marleau's shot.

"The point's great, but we're not happy with where our game's at. That's probably the biggest thing we'll take from tonight," forward Tommy Wingels said. "We're a better team than we showed."

That, unfortunately, has been a common theme with the Sharks lately and even their first game at the SAP Center after two weeks on the road didn't change that.

Florida Panthers center Nick Bjugstad (27) celebrates with Erik Gudbranson (44) after scoring a goal against the San Jose Sharks during the second period

"Guys, including myself, can bring a lot more and need to bring a lot more if we're going to have success," Wingels said. "We're a team that can score and has scored in the past. We've got to start doing that again."

The loss continued another pattern the Sharks (10-9-3) were hoping to break as the Panthers became the third less-than-stellar Eastern Conference team to sweep the season series from San Jose, which is now a collective 0-5-1 against Florida, the Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets.

This was the first of six consecutive home games for a Sharks team that has been on the road for a record 16 of their first 21 games. But whatever buzz their return might have created was gone just 24 seconds into the first period.

On the game's first shot, Panthers forward Nick Bjugstad deflected the puck past goalie Antti Niemi for a 1-0 Florida lead.

The teams traded power-play goals in the second period, with Logan Couture scoring at 6:19 for the Sharks and Bjugstad getting his second of the night at 17:23.

That was all the scoring until the Sharks pulled Niemi for an extra attacker with 1:45 left in the game, and a minute later Marleau took a pass from Joe Thornton in the corner and beat Luongo on the far side.

"I was just trying to get it on net as quick as possible, but I knew he was going to be on the near post so I was able to find the far side," said Marleau, who had missed on a penalty shot at 13:07 of the final period that would have tied the game.

A penalty to Marc-Edouard Vlasic with 10.5 seconds left in regulation forced the Sharks to start the overtime short-handed. When that didn't settle things, it was Bjugstad who scored what turned out to be the shootout winner after both Couture and Panthers forward Jussi Jokinen tallying before that.

The fact San Jose's goals came from Couture and Marleau drew attention to the fact coach Todd McLellan had split the slumping pair up before the game, moving Marleau to the Thornton line and dropping Joe Pavelski alongside Couture. But because both goals came with the Sharks having a man advantage, Couture wasn't ready to endorse the move.

McLellan, on the other hand, said he liked what he saw from both.

"When you look at Patty's game, he was much more aggressive tonight than he has been with his speed. He drew a penalty shot. Had some chances," McLellan said. "Cooch looked more like Cooch should, with some of the shooting attempts that he normally gets."The game marked a milestone for Marleau, who became the first Shark to play in 400 consecutive games for the team.

It also was Jason Demers's 300th NHL contest.

The Sharks failed to fill the building for the second time this season with an announced crowd of 17,331, or 231 shy of capacity. The team's sellout streak ended Oct. 25 after 205 regular season and playoff games.


Sharks know they need to start piling up wins at SAP Center

By David Pollak

SAN JOSE -- Their nightmarish start of the schedule behind them, the Sharks know they can't waste the opportunity to start stringing wins together at home starting Thursday night against the Florida Panthers.

Sixteen of San Jose's first 21 games were on the road and the Sharks emerged with a 10-9-2 record that would not get them into the playoffs if the season ended today based on points per game.

"Collectively, this is an important chunk of games for us, over the next six or over the next 13," Coach Todd McLellan said as his teams plays the next six — and 11 of the next 13 — at the SAP Center. This is a really important time for our team, and we have to elevate our play.

"It has to be better than what it's been to this point in the season," he said. "We get an opportunity to do it here at home."

At the same time, he didn't want his players looking past the Florida Panthers, a team that beat San Jose 4-1 on its most recent trip — a game that typified several of the Sharks' losses this seasons to teams that have perennially missed the playoffs.

"We've got today's game to worry about," McLellan said, "and we'll worry about the rest of the them as they come."

Marc-Edouard Vlasic got the message before his coach delivered it to the media.

"I'm worried about Florida tonight," the defenseman said. "Other than that, we shouldn't be worried about anything else."

Jason Demers, however, was willing to look at the bigger picture.

"We've got to win at home. We've got to be dominant at home," said Demers, who will be playing his 300th game as a Shark. "We've got to take advantage of these home games and start piling on the wins."

The Panthers and Sharks have gotten off to similar starts with one more point than games played. Florida also only has two regulation losses in nine road games.

Still, the Sharks know that the pressure is on not to lose to another team generally considered among the NHL's also-rans as San Jose already has gone 0-4 in its season series against the Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets.

Players have talked about the situation, but Vlasic said he doesn't have the answers to why the Sharks have trouble against those teams.

"I'm sure I don't know," he said. "You guys will keep searching for those answers, I don't know what they are."


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Sharks have Marleau, Thornton on same line to spark offense against Florida Panthers

By David Pollak

SAN JOSE -- Sharks coach Todd McLellan isn't counting on just being home from a long road trip to spark his team's struggling offense Thursday night against the Florida Panthers.

McLellan unveiled new lines at the morning skate that put Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau together at the start of a game for the first time all season. Tomas Hertl rounds out that line while Joe Pavelski takes Marleau's place alongside Logan Couture and Matt Nieto.

Thornton and Pavelski have been productive all season, but Marleau and Couture had one goal between them on the recently completed seven-game trip.

"We're going to split them up and give them some different linemates," McLellan said. "For both of them, they are extremely talented players. They are playing with a high level of frustration right now in their game."

Couture hasn't scored since San Jose's last home game, a 3-2 loss to Vancouver on Nov. 6. Marleau scored once on the road trip, a power play tally Nov. 8 in Dallas that is his only goal in the past 15 games.

"They and we have to ask them why," McLellan said. "Are they getting the offensive opportunities that they want? If they are, why are they occurring? If they aren't, why aren't they occurring? Can they be cleaner, more involved around the net a little bit more and coming through the neutral zone with the puck? Yeah, they certainly can."

Marleau, who will become the first Sharks to play in 400 consecutive games against the Panthers, said he was happy with the chances he was getting, "but I'd be a lot happier when they go in."

Basically, he said, "the chances are there and we just have to find a way to get it across the line. When they usually go in, they start going in in buckets. We've just got to make sure we don't get frustrated and down ourselves and keep working for those opportunities."

McLellan set up a third line with Tommy Wingels, James Sheppard and Barclay Goodrow and a fourth line of Tye McGinn, Andrew Desjardins and Tyler Kennedy.

Goalie Antti Niemi will get the start in net after sitting out the final two games of the trip.


Sharks’ early evaluation period is running out

By Ross McKeon

San Jose head coach Todd McLellan (center) says it’s obvious that his 10-9-3 team has plenty of work to do.

The clock is ticking.

Evaluation of a team usually occurs at the quarter-season mark, which the Sharks hit last week. But, because the team played 16 of its first 21 games on the road, denying it needed practice time, the next stretch of games — 11 of 13 at home beginning with Thursday’s shootout loss to Florida — will tell San Jose general manager Doug Wilson what is right and wrong with the Sharks.

The process may have started with Friday’s trade of defenseman Jason Demers and a draft pick to Dallas for defenseman Brenden Dillon.

Right now, there is more wrong than right. Coach Todd McLellan put it another way.

“We have some work ahead of us, it’s pretty obvious,” he said.

With that, here are five key points:

Burns on D: The results of moving Brent Burns from forward back to defense have been give-and-take. Offensive numbers (seven goals, 18 points) are good, but a minus-5 rating and 22 penalty minutes on 11 minors suggest there’s work to do.

Face-offs: First or second in the league at winning them every year since 2008, the Sharks are middle of the road thus far. Possession time depends on winning draws along with not having to chase the puck. The Joes — Thornton and Pavelski — are winning 55 percent, but everyone else expected to have success in the circle is below 50 percent.

Jumbo: Speaking of Thornton, he’s been the team’s best player. Whether or not offseason criticism has provided motivation, the 35-year-old is the team’s most noticeable player most nights. He’s riding an eight-game points streak (four goals, five assists) and leads the team in scoring with 20 points.

Missing O: I believe the busy road schedule has a lot to do with the team scoring only nine goals in its past six games. But the team is struggling to bring the puck clean out of its end and through center ice with speed. The Sharks are not getting opponents back on their heels with enough of a push. Until that changes, they’ll struggle for quality chances.

Depth on D: In a word, the defense is lacking. Finding a third pair has been a struggle. Matt Irwin played seven straight games early, but has dressed for only four of 13 since. Demers, 25, looked to turn the corner when playing almost half a season with Marc-Edouard Vlasic last year, but Demers regressed and now he’s gone. Scott Hannan, 35, was supposed to be a “seventh D,” but he’s played in all but six games. Honestly? This core looks like it misses a Brad Stuart or someone banging on the door from Worcester. Maybe Dillon will be the answer.

Only 11 games remain in this stretch to assess the team after Saturday’s visit by Arizona. Tick, tick, tick.

Picture this: What we know is that 47-year-old Sabres goaltending coach Arturs Irbe, a one-time popular Shark, suited up as emergency backup when Buffalo lost Michal Neuvirth to injury in the first period Tuesday against the Sharks. What few also know is that the person who tweeted out a picture of Irbe in uniform that night — injured Buffalo goalie Matt Hackett — is the nephew of Jeff Hackett, who lost his job with San Jose to Irbe in 1992-93.

Don’t forget us: The Kings plan to bring the Stanley Cup to Parliament Hill in Ottawa, possibly the day before their Dec. 11 game with the Senators, to visit Canada’s hockey-loving Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Los Angeles sported 12 Canadian-born players on its roster the night it won the Cup for the second time in three seasons.

Slap shots: One-time Sharks captain Rob Blake was back in L.A. on Thursday after his recent Hall of Fame induction. Asked why he wasn’t sporting the Hall of Fame jacket given to honorees, Blake said that it didn’t fit and had to be left in Toronto. … Another former Shark, Ryane Clowe, has missed six straight games after suffering what appears to be his third concussion in less than two seasons. There are murmurs he might not play again. … Evidence is in that the competitive gap between East and West is narrowing. In 123 games through Thursday, Western Conference teams hold just a 63-60 edge over the East, which was dominated last season.

Via San Francisco Chronicle

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Sharks trade Demers to Dallas for defenseman Dillon

By Associated Press

The Sharks traded defenseman Jason Demers and a future draft pick to the Dallas Stars for defenseman Brenden Dillon.

The Stars will get a third-round pick in the 2016 draft in Friday’s deal.

The 24-year-old Dillon has nine goals and 17 assists in 149 career games with Dallas. He had one assist in 20 games this season, along with 26 penalty minutes, 27 hits and 29 blocked shots.

Sharks general manager Doug Wilson calls Dillon a “late-blooming” player whose game is trending up and who will help San Jose for the present and future.

The 26-year-old Demers has 16 goals and 82 assists in 300 career games. He has three assists in 20 games this season.

Via San Francisco Chronicle

Blue line swap could benefit both Sharks and Stars

By Kevin Kurz

SAN JOSE – Much like the Sharks, the Dallas Stars haven’t gotten off to the kind of start they were hoping for this season.

Their problems stem mainly from their back end, where Dallas is allowing 3.35 goals-per game, 27th in the NHL. The Stars sit in sixth place in the Central Division with a 7-9-4 record and 18 points, ahead of only Colorado (17 points).

Jason Demers-for-Brenden Dillon is their third recent transaction on the blue line. The Stars dealt Sergei Gonchar to Montreal on Nov. 11 and placed Kevin Connauton on waivers on Nov. 18, where the Columbus Blue Jackets claimed him.

“You can see with our back end, we’ve been working hard on that,” Stars coach Lindy Ruff told the Dallas Morning News, shortly after the trade was announced. “We’ve made some adjustments and we’ve brought some younger guys in.”

The Stars were in need of a right-handed defenseman, so turning to the Sharks was no surprise. Demers will be one of just two righties on the Stars’ roster with youngster and recent recall John Klingberg, 22, being the other.

San Jose has righties in Brent Burns and Justin Braun, while Worcester prospects Taylor Fedun, Matt Tennyson and Taylor Doherty all also shoot right. One of them could very well arrive in San Jose shortly to take up Demers' vacant position.

On the left side the Sharks feature Marc-Edouard Vlasic as their rock, but rookie Mirco Mueller is still getting acclimated to the NHL. Scott Hannan and Matt Irwin haven’t performed up to par, so the Sharks had to pay a visit to Dallas' Leftorium.

Dillon could get a chance right away to help on that side at the expense of either Hannan or Irwin, either of whom could be the next to depart as the Sharks try and correct some blue line issues of their own.

“We’re very fortunate to have a fairly large cache of right-shot defensemen, so it allowed us to do this deal,” Doug Wilson said.

The Sharks have made it a priority to play a righty with a lefty since the start of the season. That’s what Dallas is aiming to do now.

Ruff said: “We’ve made some adjustments and we’ve brought some younger guys in. I think the puck moving, what Klingberg has added, the right-handed defenseman, I think everybody has seen the dividends.

“When I got involved in the Olympics, the No. 1 thing we talked about was lefty-righty, lefty-righty, because they’re under so much duress that when you’re caught in your back end, a lot of times there’s no play. So I think that part has helped.”

Although he’s struggled this season, Demers has shown he can excel when he’s put in the right situation. Last year, he essentially supplanted Dan Boyle on the top defense pair with Vlasic late in the season and the result was his best year as a professional.

The Stars hope that he gets his career trending the right way again in the Lone Star State.

“Jason is coming off his most productive season in the NHL and is just entering the prime of his career,” Stars general manager Jim Nill said in a press release. “Organizationally, we were in the marketplace for a right-handed, two-way defenseman and he will help us tremendously in finding a balance on our blueline.”

Via Comcast SportsNet.com

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Demers 'surprised' as Sharks deal him for big defenseman

By Kevin Kurz

SAN JOSE -- Jason Demers admitted that a change of scenery could be beneficial, speaking with the local media shortly after he was traded to Dallas along with a third round pick in 2016 for defenseman Brenden Dillon and before he was to hurry off and catch a flight bound for Texas later on Friday.

“You never want to leave this place, and this is home, but it’s been an up-and-down year a little bit,” said Demers, who has three assists and a -6 rating after a career-high 34 points last season. “You never know, sometimes change is a good thing. I’m going to stay open-minded and stay positive and take this as the best situation for me, going to a young team like that. We’ll see what happens.”

[NEWS: Sharks acquire Dillon from Dallas]

The 26-year-old is among the more popular players with the fans and his teammates. The Sharks are the only organization he’s ever known since he was drafted in the seventh round in 2008.

Demers played his 300th career NHL game, all with the Sharks, on Thursday against Florida. It was his last in teal, though, as he was pulled off the ice just before the team began practice on Friday morning.

“It’s surprising. The words aren’t quite there yet. It hasn’t quite sunk in,” Demers said. “Probably when I fly out there in a little bit it will start to sink in. It’s different. It’s been five, six years since I’ve been here. It’s going to be a change.”

“It’s a business, right? These things happen. I guess they saw a way to make the team better. … Hopefully the team does well and hopefully it’s good for both of us.”

General manager Doug Wilson indicated that the move wasn’t made to mentally jolt his struggling club, which has lost five of its last seven (2-4-1) and sits in fifth place in the Pacific Division.

Acquiring the 24-year-old Dillon, who will likely be in the lineup on Saturday against Arizona, was done solely for the purpose of improving his hockey team. Dillon differs from Demers in that he’s younger, is a left-handed shot, and is bigger, standing at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds.

The Sharks will retain 35 percent of Demers' salary after the defenseman signed a two-year, $6.8 million deal in the offseason. Dillon brings a salary cap hit of $1.25 million and is a pending restricted free agent, according to CapGeek.com.

Dillon has one assist and 26 penalty minutes in 20 games with the Stars, and is fifth on the team with 27 hits. He has 26 points (9g, 17a) in 149 career games with Dallas over parts of four seasons.

“This is a deal that I would have done in the summer, I would to today, and I would do tomorrow. I’ve shared what our vision is, and players that fit for now and the future,” Wilson said.

How does Wilson, who said he’s been interested in Dillon for some time, expect his new piece to fit in?

“Great skating defenseman, lots of size, physicality. Can play an up-tempo game. He’s got a multitude of skills that fit really well,” Wilson said. “He’s a young player that’s already played in this league for quite awhile. He just fits that role, the big left shot guy that can complement what we have.

“We’re not going to put any limitations on him. He’s a quality kid. We did a lot of research. Both players are quality people with great character. We will miss Jason a lot as a player and also as a person. Jason’s commitment to the community and everything, we stand for as an organization. We thank him a lot. We do.”

Todd McLellan will welcome another defenseman that plays a more physical style, something his club has been lacking on the back end.

“He has some bite,” McLellan said. “He’s capable of moving that big body around and then he uses it with some physicality. I remember him jumping into the play a lot and skating so well that he can be aggressive, not only physically, but also pressuring up the ice and joining the rush and that kind of stuff.”

The Sharks’ coach was on the same page as the general manager in expressing that the trade was not done in order to send any message to his inconsistent roster.

“I don’t think you ever make a move just for that sake. If you do, then that’s a mistake,” McLellan said.

“Our organization made a move that we thought would help our hockey club, obviously for the present, but also for the long term. We felt that we needed an ingredient back there that we didn’t necessarily have. To get that, you have to give up a very good asset, and that’s where Jason comes into play.”

The Sharks and Stars will play each other twice more -- Feb. 19 in Dallas and April 6 at SAP Center.

Demers admitted he already looked at the schedule.

“Oh yeah, I already know when I’m coming to give it to the Sharks,” he said with a smile.

“I’ve appreciated the people here and the organization and the players and the fans have accepted me like family. I consider this place home. I’ll always have a foothold here I think, and I’ll always come back here. I’m going to miss this place, miss the rink, and miss the people. It’s a great place to live and play. Obviously, I’m going to miss the guys.”


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Demers trade could be important event in Sharks history

By Ray Ratto

Programming note: Coyotes-Sharks coverage starts Saturday at 7 p.m. with Sharks Pregame Live on Comcast SportsNet California

On its face, the Sharks moving Jason Demers for Brenden Dillon is your standard cat-and-dog trade -- two mid-level defensemen who do not necessarily impact their teams in any major way. Certainly that’s how San Jose and Dallas viewed them.

But what if, in some weird time-warped notion six months out of phase, this is the start of Doug Wilson shaking up a stale room? What if this is not where the movement ends, but where it begins? What if this is the “rebuild,” done incrementally but still in motion?

Now that would be something, and something is needed badly right now.

San Jose is a miserable (for them) 10-9-0-3, below Calgary and Winnipeg in the current Western Conference standings. Since the end of October, they are 4-5-0-2, with losses to Florida twice, Buffalo twice and Columbus. The have already completed 40 percent of their road schedule, and while a quick look at the standings would indicate that they are a very good road team, in reality they are closer to the middle of the pack. Their defense is lower-third, they are sub-mediocre in 5x5 situations, and they are barely over break-even in faceoffs.

In short, they do not resemble the Sharks of regular seasons past, and since the regular season is what we know they know how to do, this cannot be called a good start by any means.

So the Demers-Dillon deal is, in and of itself, mostly new-face-for-old. Dillon is slightly younger and two-third cheaper - so the Sharks had to throw in a third-round draft choice in 2016 - and is a restricted free agent this coming year while Demers is a UFA after 2016.

But the future is now for San Jose, more than for Dallas. The Stars are sixth in the slightly less imposing Central Division (12th overall), and probably need Demers more to help stabilize what is a younger group that has 31-year-old Trevor Daley, 29-year-old Alex Goligoski and 27-year-old Jordie Benn to go with a raft of younger players.

The Sharks, though, need to skew younger and more athletic. Their window has already begun to close, and to the extent that Dillon gives them something different, the deal will help.

But only to an extent. If this is where the movement ends, then this will be neither remembered nor praised (or lamented) as an important day in Sharks history. This can no longer be a patient franchise, and though the temptation to do something really big and/or stupid (like, say, making a coaching change, which would be insane) must be growing, they had the chance to do those things in the summer and never came close to anything.

So the Demers/Dillon deal will either be the start of more movement that changes the team’s current predicament and atmosphere, or we will answer the question, “Where were you when Jason Demers was traded?” with an honest and forthright “He was traded? I wondered why I hadn’t seen him lately. Thought it must have been some sort of phony-baloney lower-body injury.”


Sharks acquire D Dillon, ship Demers to Dallas

By Staff

Programming note: Coyotes-Sharks coverage starts Saturday at 7 p.m. with Sharks Pregame Live on Comcast SportsNet California

San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson announced on Friday that the team has acquired defenseman Brenden Dillon from the Dallas Stars in exchange for defenseman Jason Demers and a third-round selection in the 2016 NHL Draft.

Dillon, 24, has posted 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) and 174 penalty minutes in 149 NHL games, all with Dallas. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound native of New Westminster, BC was originally signed as a free agent by Dallas on March 1, 2011.

This season, Dillon has one assist and 26 penalty minutes in 20 games with the Stars. He is fifth on the team in hits (27) and fourth in blocked shots (29).

"Brenden is a well-rounded, physical player who brings an important ingredient to our existing group of defensemen," said Wilson. "He was physically a late blooming player and we feel, at the age of 24, his game is continuing to trend upwards. He fits really well for our organization now and for the future."

Demers, 26, has played in exactly 300 NHL games, all with San Jose, collecting 98 points (16 goals, 82 assists). He was originally selected by San Jose in the seventh round (186th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

"Jason has been an important member of our organization for the last several years, we have tremendous respect for him and we wish him the best in Dallas," added Wilson.

The Sharks and Stars face off Feb. 19 in Dallas and on April 6 in San Jose.


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Jamie's Thought of the Day

By Jamie Baker

1) Going into the home game Thursday night against the Florida Panthers, the Sharks were beginning a stretch where they play 33 of the next 48 games at home. Hey, who’s complaining about the road travel now?

2) I said in an earlier blog that the Sharks are the most interesting team in the NHL. I was wrong, Toronto is!

3) Speaking of the recent road trip, I found time to fly from Columbus to Syracuse (on the off-day last Friday) to watch my daughter play. She plays for the UVM (Univ. of Vermont) Woman’s hockey team and I was there to watch them come back from a 3-0 first period deficit to win 6-5 in overtime. Talk about spoiled, I got to see my daughter, watch her team win in OT and see a team I was cheering for score six goals.

4) You know where this was leading. In the last 7 games the Sharks have scored 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1 and 2 goals. That’s 11 goals in seven games for those keeping score at home.

5) So what do the Sharks need to do to start scoring? Well that’s the question they are asking themselves but I’ll chime in with a few thoughts:

• Cleaner, crisper breakouts

• Speed through the neutral zone – attacks off the rush

• Hit the net – not hitting the net means you don’t score on the original shot and can’t create 2nd/3rd scoring opportunities

• Make the goalie move laterally – it opens up holes and makes it more difficult for the goalie to control rebounds

• Muck it up in front of the opponents net and get some gritty, greasy, dirty goals that are created by screens, tips, rebounds and just finding a way to score

6) Some great games coming up:

• Wednesday, Nov. 26 – Calgary Flames (one of the early season surprises)

• Saturday, Nov. 29 – Anaheim Ducks (you remember what happened last game eh?)

• Tuesday, Dec. 2 – Philadelphia Flyers (their only visit to SAP Center this season)

• Thursday, Dec. 4 – Boston Bruins (Original 6 team, Thornton’s old team, enough said!)

7) My thoughts and prayers to Ottawa GM, Bryan Murray, as he fights the stage 4 cancer that is in his body. May he find strength in his battle and peace in knowing he has so many people thinking and praying on his behalf.

8) Joe Thornton has been the most consistent player for the Sharks this season. He is currently riding an 8-game point streak, has 20 points on the season. Of the 20 points, 16 are even-strength points, 7 more than any other Sharks forward.

9) Jason Demers, aka ‘Daddy’ is a wonderful person and I wish him all the luck in Dallas. And I would like to give a big warm welcome to Brenden Dillon who is now part of Sharks Territory.

10) It’s a head scratcher to think the Sharks are done with Columbus, Florida and Buffalo for this year and ended up with a 0-5-1 record.

11) Anaheim and LA are a combined 15-4-4 at home this year. Of the 4 regulation losses, two of them have been to the Sharks who beat LA 4-0 on opening night and Anaheim 4-1 on Oct 26. Scratch scratch!

12) The Sharks are 5-2-1 against teams in the West. That’s a good thing because they play 18 of their next 20 games against teams in the West.

13) I broke up the season into quarters (21, 21, 20 and 20 respectively) and here is how it breaks down from a home/road and West vs East (opponent) standpoint:

• 1st Quarter: Games 1 – 21: Home (5), Away (16), vs West (8), vs East (13)

• 2nd Quarter: Games 22 – 42: Home (13), Away (8), vs West (18), vs East (3)

• 3rd Quarter: Games 43 – 62: Home (14), Away (6), vs West (13), vs East (7)

• 4th Quarter: Games 63 – 82: Home (9), Away (11), vs West (11), vs East (9)

Via Great White Bites

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Coyotes-Sharks Preview

By JACK CASSIDY

The San Jose Sharks have yet to find a groove, but they're hoping their new acquisition can change that dynamic.

Brenden Dillon will play his first game for the Sharks as they continue a six-game homestand Saturday night against the Arizona Coyotes.

San Jose (10-9-3) dealt defenseman Jason Demers and a future draft pick to Dallas for Dillon on Friday.

The 24-year-old defenseman had nine goals and 17 assists in 149 career games with the Stars. He ranked third on Dallas in total ice time and had one assist, 23 penalty minutes, 27 hits and 29 blocked shots in 20 games this season.

"Brenden is a well-rounded, physical player who brings an important ingredient to our existing group of defensemen," general manager Doug Wilson told the Sharks' official website. "He was physically a late blooming player and we feel, at the age of 24, his game is continuing to trend upwards. He fits really well for our organization now and for the future."

Dillon strengthens a defensive unit that ranks near the bottom of the NHL with 31.5 shots allowed per game, although the play of Antti Niemi (.917 save percentage) and Troy Grosenick (.948) has kept the Sharks' goals-against average at a respectable 2.59.

San Jose lost 3-2 in a shootout to Florida on Thursday in its first home game following a seven-game trip. Niemi gave up a goal 24 seconds in but responded by allowing one on 25 shots the rest of the way.

"We get scored on on the first shot of the game, coming home from that long road trip, and we could have responded differently," coach Todd McLellan said. "At least we responded positively."

The Sharks have played 16 of their 22 games on the road, going 8-6-2.

Most of San Jose's issues have stemmed from a sputtering offense, which has failed to score more than two goals in seven straight games - the Sharks have 11 goals over that span.

"We'll get to our practice facility, get our equipment on, go out and work on a few things, and get settled at home," McClellan said. "We have some work ahead of us. It's pretty obvious."

Arizona (8-10-2) has struggled away from home, losing seven of 11 following a 3-1 defeat in Dallas on Thursday.

The Coyotes have also dealt with problems on offense, averaging 2.40 goals for one of the lowest marks in the NHL. They're in the midst of playing six of seven on the road.

"Everybody has hard parts of their schedule, and it's just a hard part of our schedule," coach Dave Tippett said. "But with that being said, I like the way our guys are competing. We're hanging around games. We're doing a lot of things to give ourselves a chance to win."

Those scoring troubles, however, apply only to the 5-on-5 game as Arizona ranks among the best in the league with 15 power-play goals. Lauri Korpikoski scored Thursday's goal on the man advantage, marking the fourth consecutive road game the Coyotes have netted a power-play goal.

Mike Smith, who owns a 4-10-1 record and 3.30 GAA, is likely to get the nod in net. He's 0-4-1 in his last five starts but 7-1-2 with a 1.46 GAA in his past 10 against the Sharks.

San Jose is 17-2-4 in the last 23 meetings at home.

Via Yahoo Sports

Sharks trade Demers, draft pick to Stars for Dillon

By Staff

The San Jose Sharks on Friday traded defenseman Jason Demers and a third-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft to the Dallas Stars for defenseman Brenden Dillon.

Demers, 26, has three assists and a minus-6 rating in 20 games while averaging 18:11 of ice time per game. He set career-highs last season with five goals and 34 points.

A 2008 seventh-round pick of the Sharks (No. 186), Demers has 16 goals and 98 points in 300 regular-season games.

"Jason is coming off his most productive season in the NHL and is just entering the prime of his career," Stars general manager Jim Nill said. "Organizationally we were in the marketplace for a right-handed, two-way defenseman and he will help us tremendously in finding a balance on our blue line."

Dillon, 24, was fourth on the Stars with an average ice time of 20:36. In 20 games he has one assist and a minus-2 rating. His six goals last season was second among Dallas defensemen.

In parts of four seasons with the Stars, Dillon had nine goals and 26 points in 149 regular-season games.

"Brenden is a well-rounded, physical player who brings an important ingredient to our existing group of defensemen," Sharks GM Doug Wilson said. "He was physically a late-blooming player and we feel, at the age of 24, his game is continuing to trend upwards. He fits really well for our organization now and for the future."

Via NHL.com

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D-swap: Stars and Sharks trade blueliners Demers and Dillon

By Ben Valentine

If you’re a Stars defenseman, don’t get too comfortable. You might be on the move.

Brenden Dillon was the latest casualty Friday, as he was shipped out to San Jose for another blueliner, Jason Demers, and a third-round pick. The Stars moved Sergei Gonchar to Montreal last week.

The Gonchar deal looked like one to increase cap flexibility this season. This trade appears to be for other reasons — Dallas is off to a poor start, the 24-year-old Dillon is a restricted free agent at the end of the season, and is a left-handed shot.

Meanwhile the 26-year-old Demers is signed through 2015-16, and is a right-handed shot. He’ll be the second righty for Dallas on the blue line.

For the Sharks part, they acquire a big body — Dillon is 6’3, 210 lbs compared to Demers who stands at 6’1, 195. They also pick up a bit of cap relief in the short term, as Demers’ cap hit was $2.21 million per season compared to Dillon’s $1.25, though San Jose will retain 35 percent of Demers salary in the deal. And, according to Sharks GM Doug Wilson, that Dillon is a left-handed shot was a big key to him pulling the trigger.

As for the fancy stats, Demers posted positive possession numbers, but the Sharks are a solid puck-possession team in general and his numbers were middling compared to his teammates over the past three seasons.

Dillon’s raw possession numbers were worse, going into the negative category. But relative to his team, his numbers were similar to Demers.

Demers took to twitter to comment on the deal:

@jasondemers5

Been a hectic few hours but it's been a hell of a ride and I am truly grateful to the city of San Jose and the fans for making this my home

@jasondemers5

For the past five years and I have nothing but good things to say about the sharks organization! Going to miss everybody

@jasondemers5

But excited to start my time with the @DallasStars and get this thing started! Texas time !!

Some Sharks players were understandably saddened to see a teammate shipped out.

@Burnzie88

Tough to see such a great guy leaving and awesome teammate #daddy

@Logancouture

:(

@Vlasic44

Very tough to see such a great friend and teammate leaving. Wish you all the best in Dallas. #Thanksdaddy #onlyfrancophoneleft

Via Sporting News

Rumor Roundup: Dupuis’ injury has Penguins perusing trade market

By: Lyle Richardson

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ forward lines suffered a serious blow when veteran winger Pascal Dupuis was sidelined for six months with a blood clot in one of his lungs. It didn’t take long for rumors to surface over how they’ll address Dupuis’ absence.

USA Today’s Kevin Allen believes the Penguins have trade options to pursue. Among them are Buffalo Sabres wingers Drew Stafford and Chris Stewart, who are both eligible for unrestricted free agency in July, and Edmonton Oilers right wing Nail Yakupov.

Allen doubts if Stafford and Stewarts are the type of players Penguins GM Jim Rutherford covets. Yakupov, meanwhile, has yet to reach his projected potential as a scoring winger. Allen believes the Penguins could have interest in Yakupov’s teammate Jordan Eberle but questions if the Oilers would part with him.

TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports the Penguins were already in the market for a top-six winger prior to Dupuis’ illness. He claims they already looked at Stafford and Stewart but “didn’t go down that road.”

Allen and McKenzie agree Rutherford is likely to draw upon his depth in promising young defensemen (Scott Harrington, Brian Dumoulin, Philip Samuelsson and Derrick Pouliot) as trade bait. Teams which also need blueline help include the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars, though they could be in the market for veteran help rather than young rearguards.

Rutherford isn’t likely to rush into making a deal, especially if his club keeps playing well. His preference could be to wait until the March 2 trade deadline approaches, when there could be better options available.

The Penguins aren’t the only club which could shop an extra defenseman. Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen reports the Senators will have a decision to make with Marc Methot and Patrick Wiercioch once Methot returns from injury.

SHARKS CIRCLING TRADE MARKET

With only four victories in November, the San Jose Sharks’ recent struggles is generating speculation of in-season changes.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports their current homestand could prove crucial, suggesting trades could be in the offering if their inconsistency continues. He speculates forwards Tyler Kennedy and Adam Burish could be moved, as well as goalie Antti Niemi, who’s an unrestricted free agent next summer.

LeBrun feels they’ll continue the process of getting younger which began last summer. He also speculates over the future of coach Todd McLellan, prompting colleague Bob McKenzie to state there would be considerable interest in McLellan if he became available in-season.

Moving Kennedy and Burish would be minor deals. The Sharks won’t trade Niemi until Alex Stalock returns from minor knee surgery and has a few games under his belt.

Early-season inconsistency has generated speculation over McLellan’s future before. If the Sharks regain their footing and string some wins together by mid-season, management won’t consider any shake-ups behind the bench.

Via The Hockey News

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Sharks send Jason Demers, third-round pick to Dallas for Brenden Dillon

By: Jared Clinton

It’s been a busy day for Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill.

Earlier this afternoon, Nill and the Stars announced the re-signing of center Jason Spezza to a four-year deal worth $30 million dollars. The deal, worth $7.5 million annually, wasn’t Nill’s final move of the day, however, as a trade between the Stars and the San Jose Sharks came out of nowhere.

The deal sends defenseman Jason Demers and a third-round pick to Dallas, while defenseman Brenden Dillon goes the other way.

It’s a strange trade for Dallas, frankly, as it doesn’t really address the Stars issues on defense. Over the course of the past two seasons, Demers hasn’t really been tasked with much more than bottom pairing duties while taking the bulk of his faceoffs in the offensive zone. Even then, he hasn’t fared extremely well.

The positive for Demers and his new team is that in San Jose he was largely weighed down by playing minutes with Scott Hannan. Over half of Demers’ 5-on-5 time on ice was with Hannan, during which the duo posted a 48.5 Corsi For percentage. Apart, Demers posted a 51.7 CF%. Not spectacular, but Demers’ skill-set may be enough to help the Stars move the puck up ice more efficiently, something they’ve struggled with mightily this season.

It’s also cap friendly for the Stars. At a $2.2 million cap hit this season and next – the Sharks retained $1.2 million in salary in the deal – the move means Dallas will have nearly $19.5 million in cap space next season. With 16 players under contract next season and several defenseman coming up as restricted free agents, the deal gives Nill the ability to pay his younger defenseman, which is clearly of interest to him.

On the other end of the spectrum, San Jose gets a younger blueliner who was part of what was arguably Dallas’ best pairing. Alongside Jordie Benn, Dillon helped drive possession while facing the second toughest competition. He wasn’t flashy by any means, but he was steady and it makes the trade a bit of a head-scratcher from a Stars perspective. It’s possible Nill knew what Dillon would be looking for as an RFA and wasn’t willing to pay the price and decided to cut ties now.

Both San Jose and Dallas haven’t had the type of season they were hoping for, so more than anything, this trade could be considered a simple shuffling of the deck. Nill did good work to have the Sharks retain salary and hand over a third-rounder, but it’s difficult to imagine he did much to actually improve his defense.

Dillon will get his game back in Dallas when the two teams will play each other on Feb. 19 when the Sharks visit the Stars, and on April 6, Demers will go back to San Jose as the Stars take on the Sharks.

Via The Hockey News

Trade: Stars get Demers from Sharks, send Dillon to San Jose

By Jason Brough

Stars GM Jim Nill was on Sportsnet’s Hockey Central earlier today to discuss the Jason Spezza contract extension. During the interview, he also touched on the struggles his team has endured this season with a “very young” defensive corps.

Well, his team is slightly older on the back end now, because Nill has traded 24-year-old d-man Brenden Dillon to San Jose for 26-year-old blueliner Jason Demers.

From the Dallas Morning News:

Dallas already traded Sergei Gonchar to Montreal last week and lost Kevin Connauton to Columbus on waivers this week, so this makes the third defenseman to leave in the first two months of the season.

The Stars will lose some size in Dillon (6-4, 225), but will gain some puck movement skills and the ever elusive right-hand shot. Dallas called up John Klingberg six games ago and has been pleased with the work of the right-handed defenseman, who joined a group of all lefties.

In Demers, the Stars get a veteran with 300 NHL games on his résumé, plus 39 more in the playoffs.

“Jason is coming off his most productive season in the NHL and is just entering the prime of his career,” said Nill in a press release. “Organizationally, we were in the marketplace for a right-handed, two-way defenseman and he will help us tremendously in finding a balance on our blueline.”

Demers is signed through 2015-16 with a cap hit of $3.4 million, after which he can become an unrestricted free agent.

Dillon is a pending RFA with a cap hit of $1.25 million. Whether the “frustrating” negotiations that preceded his current contract had anything to do with the trade, that’s probably a fair thing to wonder. But Nill definitely wasn’t hinting at that in the release.

“We would like to thank Brenden Dillon for all of his contributions to this organization,” Nill said. “He is a tremendous young man and we wish him well in his career.”

Update:

Sharks GM Doug Wilson’s statements:

“Brenden is a well-rounded, physical player who brings an important ingredient to our existing group of defensemen. He was physically a late blooming player and we feel, at the age of 24, his game is continuing to trend upwards. He fits really well for our organization now and for the future.”

“Jason has been an important member of our organization for the last several years, we have tremendous respect for him and we wish him the best in Dallas.”

@SanJoseSharks

Wilson: "This was a good hockey deal. It's a trade where both teams got what they wanted and needed." #SJSharks

@reporterchris

Told the #SJSharks retained 35% of Demers's salary in that Dillon trade with #stars.

Via NBC Sports, Pro Hockey Talk

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Jason Demers traded to Stars for Brenden Dillon in surprise Sharks swap

By Greg Wyshynski

The San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars pulled off a trade of young defensemen that’s fascinating on several fronts, especially the fiscal one.

The Sharks flipped Jason Demers and a 2016 third-rounder for Stars defenseman Brenden Dillon. The former is 26 and a puck-moving defenseman; the latter is 24 and a big body. Neither one has gotten off to a good start this season, and both now have new zip codes.

From the Stars, some summary:

Demers, 26, has posted three assists (0-3=3) in 20 games played for San Jose this season. His 30 hits are second amongst San Jose defensemen and he has yet to be on ice for a power play goal against in 21:14 of shorthanded time. He set career highs in goals, assists and points (5-29=34) in 75 games played during the 2013-14 season.

The six-year NHL veteran has appeared in 300 career NHL games, all with San Jose, producing 98 points (16-82=98) and a +20 plus/minus rating. In 39 playoff contests, he has produced nine points (3-6=9) and 44 shots.

"Jason is coming off his most productive season in the NHL and is just entering the prime of his career," said Nill. "Organizationally, we were in the marketplace for a right-handed, two-way defenseman and he will help us tremendously in finding a balance on our blueline."

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound native of Dorval, Quebec was originally selected by San Jose in the seventh round (186th overall) of the 2008 NHL Draft.

Dillon, 24, has posted one point (0-1=1) in 20 games this season. Signed as an undrafted free agent, he has appeared in 149 career NHL regular season games, all with the Stars, producing 26 points (9-17=26).

"We would like to thank Brenden Dillon for all of his contributions to this organization. He is a tremendous young man and we wish him well in his career."

Demers signed a two-year deal in the summer to avoid arbitration ($6.8 million), but his grasp on a spot in the Sharks’ top six seemed tenuous at best. His ice time was down (18:11) vs. last season (19:29) as was his power-play time. (Brent Burns' return to the blue line impacted that.) The Sharks have depth on defense; in Dillon, they get a big body that shoots lefty, which is something they needed as well.

Demers continues the Dallas blue line shakeup, which has seen Kevin Connauton get claimed by Columbus and Sergei Gonchar shipped to Montreal in the last week. As last season showed, he can be a very effective puck mover and special teams presence. Maybe the change in scenery will jumpstart his game.

Of course, how long he’ll see that scenery is anyone’s guess. The Stars get a player on a two-year deal that will go UFA in Summer 2017; they traded away a young player in Dillon who’ll command a hefty raise and long-term deal next summer. Apparently, it’s one Jim Nill didn’t intend to hand out.

There’s a lot to like here for the Stars. Demers is a veteran they lack, and a nice offensive upgrade for a unit that contributed little offensively beyond Trevor Daley this season. And the Sharks are keeping 35 percent of his salary, which is another bonus. (Boy, how bad did the Sharks want Demers out or Dillon in?)

If the Stars didn’t have faith that Dillon commanded a long-term deal, better to cut bait now and improve the backend immediately.

But we are intrigued to see what a player of Dillon’s stature can become with some quality Larry Robinson time in San Jose …

Via Puck Daddy

Stars trade Brenden Dillon to Sharks for Jason Demers, draft pick

By Chris Peters

The Dallas Stars traded away promising defensmen Brenden Dillon to the San Jose Sharks for Jason Demers and a third-round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. This is the second time in a week that the Stars have traded away one of their top-four defenseman, with Sergei Gonchar having been shipped to the Montreal Canadiens in an earlier deal.

The 24-year-old Dillon is a physical defenseman who should help fill a need for the Sharks and make their backend a little meaner, while also providing some defensive responsibility. Dillon has just one assist in 20 games this year.

Demers, meanwhile, comes to the Stars with a little more experience and is coming off of a strong showing in 2013-14 in which he posted 34 points in 75 games. His production has been a bit slower this year however with three assists in 20 games.

The defense has been an issue for both the Stars and Sharks early this season, so perhaps trading blueliners with differing skillsets will help balance out their respective bluelines.

Dillon being shipped out is particularly surprising, considering how the Stars had been so high on him after two very strong seasons with the club. Dillon also has great size and was arguably Dallas' best overall defender. He and the Stars had a difficult contract negotiation over the summer when he was a restricted free agent.

The Stars got the better of that lengthy impasse, however, when they signed him for one year at a fairly cheap $1.25 million. That should be a solid addition for San Jose, at a reasonable price.

Demers is playing in the first season of a two-year deal that comes with a $3.4 million. According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, the Sharks will retain 35 percent of Demers' salary as part of the deal.

He brings a higher offensive upside than Dillon and also already has 300 NHL games under his belt. The Stars could use a veteran presence on the back end, but it wouldn't appear that Demers is going to make them a lot tougher defensively, which has been a real issue this season.

It will be interesting to see how these two fit in with their new clubs, both of which have underachieved this year.

Via CBS Sports

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Stars trade Brenden Dillon to Sharks for Jason Demers, pick

By Jimmy Hascup

Looking to add a different complexion to their defense, the Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks completed a trade Friday afternoon.

After signing Jason Spezza to a contract extension earlier Friday, Stars general manager Jim Nill sent defenseman Brenden Dillon to San Jose for defenseman Jason Demers and a 2016 third-round draft pick.

Both teams have underperformed this season. The Stars have struggled to keep the puck out of their net. They have a minus-12 goal differential and are 3-7-0 in their last 10 games. The Sharks, at minus-1, are 4-5-1 in their last 10 and have scored more than two goals twice in that span.

Dillon, 24, is a 6-3, 225-pound blueliner who adds size and ruggedness to the Sharks' defensive core. He has one assist in 20 games this season, while averaging 20:29. He also has 23 penalty minutes.

"Brenden is a well-rounded, physical player who brings an important ingredient to our existing group of defensemen," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said in a statement. "He was physically a late-blooming player and we feel, at the age of 24, his game is continuing to trend upwards. He fits really well for our organization now and for the future."

Dillon, a left-handed shooter, will likely slot in with offensive-minded right-hander Brent Burns, also giving the Sharks a physically imposing second defensive pair.

The Sharks have tried to get more mobile on defense. Sergei Gonchar was recently traded to the Montreal Canadiens, which allowed youngsters such as John Klingberg to enter the lineup.

Demers, 26, shoots right, and he's built in the puck-moving mold. Though he has struggled with three assists in 19 games, Demers is coming off a year in which he tallied 34 points.

"Jason is coming off his most productive season in the NHL and is just entering the prime of his career," Nill said in a team statement. "Organizationally we were in the marketplace for a right-handed, two-way defenseman and he will help us tremendously in finding a balance on our blue line."

Demers is in the first year of a two-year, $6.8 million contract. Dillon is making $1.25 million and will be a restricted free agent in the offseason.

Via USA TODAY Sports

Sharks, Stars make a deal

By Sports Network

Frisco, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - The San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars, two clubs struggling to stay afloat in the competitive Western Conference, made a transaction on Friday.

Dallas acquired defenseman Jason Demers and a third-round draft pick in 2016, while defenseman Brenden Dillon heads to San Jose.

Demers spent his entire five-plus season career skating for the Sharks, totaling 16 goals and 82 assists over 300 regular-season contests along with three goals and six assists during 39 playoff appearances.

Dillon posted just one assist in 20 games this season. He picked up nine goals and 17 helpers in 149 NHL contests since breaking in with the Stars during the 2011-12 season.

Via FOX News

Scoring drought continues for Worcester Sharks

PHANTOMS 4, SHARKS 0

By Jeff Moeller

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Worcester's four-game losing streak can be easily evaluated.

"We're just in a goal drought," Worcester coach Roy Sommer said after the Sharks dropped a 4-0 decision to Lehigh Valley at the PPL Arena Friday. "This is not a good time for this to happen. This is also not a good time to be a goaltender for Worcester because he is not getting enough support offensively."

Worcester, which dropped to 8-7-1 overall, managed 36 shots on Lehigh Valley goalie Anthony Stolarz, who made several key saves in the second and third periods to record the shutout. The Sharks did limit the Phantoms to 20 shots. They won an earlier meeting between the two teams, 4-3, at home Nov. 5.

Over their last four games, the Sharks have scored just three goals.

"Getting to the net has been a problem," Sommer said. "Our big scorers aren't getting enough quality chances. We didn't get enough good shots overall tonight. We did have some open nets in the final minutes, but we couldn't connect. Their goalie did an outstanding job and he came up with some big saves."

Worcester had a two-man advantage in the final 1:49 and fired four shots on Stolarz, who turned aside all of them with several Sharks crowding the net.

Lehigh Valley sealed the victory when Andrew Gordon stole a pass from Worcester defenseman Dylan DeMelo, who was trying to bring the puck up the ice just beyond his own net. Gordon skated in on Worcester goalie Aaron Dell, deked to pull him out and flipped the puck over Dell's glove side just 59 seconds into the final period for a 4-0 lead. Dell replaced starting goalie J. P. Anderson early in the second period after Lehigh Valley jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

The Phantoms, winners of their past two games, took a 1-0 lead just 1:44 into the game when Taylor Leirer beat Anderson to his stick side with a shot from the slot.

Worcester peppered the Lehigh Valley area and outshot the Phantoms, 16-7, in the first period, but the Sharks couldn't find the net. Taylor Doherty and Melker Karlsson each had chances in front of Stolarz, as they recorded three shots apiece.

Worcester continued hold the advantage in shots through two periods, outshooting Lehigh Valley, 22-16.

Robert Haag gave the Phantoms a 2-0 lead at 11:15 of the first period with a short-handed goal from the left point to Anderson's stick side. Lehigh Valley made it 3-0 just 90 seconds into the second period when Brandon Manning's shot from just beyond the right faceoff circle apparently caromed off two Worcester players and bounced high past Anderson into the net.

Dell replaced Anderson, who gave up three goals on 11 shots. Sommer indicated Dell would be in net tonight when the Sharks visit Hershey.

"At that point, we wanted to get him (Dell) some work," said Sommer. "He looked good out there.'

The stop in Allentown was the second in a four-game road trip that continues tonight in Hershey and concludes in Portland Wednesday before Worcester returns home Friday night to host Springfield.

Sommer remained optimistic his club can quickly rebound with their overall play as well as the power play, in which they have nine goals in 71 attempts after going 0 for 5 against Lehigh Valley.

"We need to break out of this soon," he said. "I hope we can. We need to be better on our 5-on-5 attack and we haven't been getting it done with our power play. We just have to score some goals."

Via Worcester Telegram

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757266 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes still in search of consistency

By Sarah McLellan

SAN JOSE – It's been more than a month — the third game of the season, to be exact — since the Coyotes had a winning record, but chop the schedule down into smaller pieces and it appears progress is being made.

The Coyotes closed on their second 10-game segment Thursday, a 5-4-1 stretch that saw their goals-against drop to 25 from an abnormally high 36 through the first 10 games. Perhaps it's no coincidence then that 11 of their 18 points have also come during their most recent 10-game span.

But the Coyotes are still digging out from their early-season hole, and their inability to string wins together is slowing that process.

"We're trying to play a better sound defensive game, and it's led to more points," coach Dave Tippett said. "But still, there's points that we let get away during that 10 and we've gotta continue to strive to find ways to get those points. Not just play well in the game, you gotta get points out of the game."

Tippett gives Coyotes break amidst packed schedule

Three wins in a row remains the season-high, although the Coyotes could have established a season-long point streak (four) if they would have grabbed at least a point against the Stars Thursday.

But the issue that popped up in that game, a 3-1 loss thanks to a pair of Dallas goals in 33 seconds to start the third, is the same one preventing the Coyotes from going on a run in the standings: inconsistency.

"In the past when we've had success, we've had longer winning streaks," winger Lauri Korpikoski said. "I feel like if we'd lose one or two, we'd never lose a third one. This year we haven't been able to have that consistency and in this league, nobody's going to feel sorry for you. They're going to try to take advantage of you if they see you're in trouble. So we just gotta be better. The consistency factor is probably the biggest thing."

With such a busy schedule, the Coyotes can't devote the time to analyze every in-game lapse that's cost them points. But they can carry them forward as reminders and the more often the Coyotes debut a complete effort, the more likely they'll see the payoff reflected in their record.

"All year you can go back and say there's points that come back and haunt you," Tippett said. "But you gotta take care of what's ahead of you."

Streak snapped

For the longest time, Korpikoski's first period power-play goal looked like it would stand up as the winner against the Stars.

And even though it didn't, Korpikoski surely enjoyed some personal satisfaction in snapping a 15-game goalless drought with his second goal of the season.

"Obviously, I was fighting it a little bit scoring-wise so it's been kinda frustrating," he said. "I've been getting some good chances, creating some chances, but just the pucks haven't gone in for me this year. But still, I tried not to get frustrated or lose faith. … Hopefully I can turn it around here and pucks start to go in."

Coyotes insider Sarah McLellan looks at the plus and minus in the loss to the Stars.

Ice chips

The Coyotes were scheduled to practice in San Jose Friday afternoon but with Saturday's game against the Sharks the first of a back-to-back set to conclude this three-game road trip, the session was canceled as Tippett figured rest would be more advantageous to the group.

•Center Martin Hanzal's status against the Sharks is still unclear. Hanzal has missed the past two games with a lower-body injury.

"I'm expecting he'll skate in the morning, and then we'll make a decision after that," Tippett said.

Saturday's game

Coyotes at Sharks

When: 8:30 p.m.

Where: SAP Center at San Jose.

TV/radio: FSAZ/KTAR-AM (620).

Sharks update: The Sharks have dropped two in a row and lost five out of their past seven games. In six home games so far this season, they've won only twice. On Friday, the Sharks acquired defenseman Brenden Dillon from the Stars in exchange for defenseman Jason Demers and a third-round pick in the 2016 draft. In 20 games with the Stars, Dillon had an assist, 27 hits and 29 blocked shots. Center Joe Thornton leads the team with 20 points. Centers Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture are tied with a team-high eight goals apiece.

Via Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.22.2014

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