ST. PAUL
Jaycob Megna Jersey Womens , Minn. (AP) — his season in charge of the Minnesota Wild, general manager Paul Fenton has taken his first steps toward remaking the roster.If the Wild don’t pick up the pace in the Western Conference race, more moves could be coming soon.The Wild traded left wing Nino Niederreiter to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday for center Victor Rask, a swap of underperforming but still-young players on long-term contracts between teams under new regimes.The 26-year-old Niederreiter, a native of Switzerland, has nine goals and 14 assists in 46 games this season for the Wild. He’s in the second season of a five-year, $26.25 million contract that came after a career-best 2016-17 season.For a team that currently ranks 22nd in the NHL in goals per game (2.83 entering play on Thursday against Anaheim), Niederreiter simply wasn’t producing enough. He scored his second goal in three games on Tuesday against Los Angeles, after being dropped down to the fourth line.The Wild entered play on Thursday in eighth place in the Western Conference, their streak of six straight appearances in the playoffs in precarious position. They acquired right wing Pontus Aberg in a deal on Wednesday that sent AHL center Justin Kloos to the Ducks.“We’re looking for consistency,” Fenton said on a conference call with reporters. “For me, when you make change like this, it shows players that nothing is forever and it gives them an alert that if they want to be here they’re going to have to play and play the way that we want them to play and be successful.”The Wild acquired Niederreiter, who was the fifth overall pick in the 2010 draft
Max Jones Jersey Womens , from the New York Islanders in 2013 for right wing Cal Clutterbuck and a third-round draft pick. The Wild clearly came out ahead on that deal, with Niederreiter playing in all but three games over his first four seasons with the team and posting 25 goals and 32 assists in 2016-17.Perhaps the Hurricanes, who are in their first year under general manager Don Waddell, will similarly benefit from Niederreiter’s switch in situations. He has 112 goals and 119 assists in 498 NHL games.“I don’t want him to fail so that we look good,” Fenton said. “I want him to thrive there, and I want Victor to thrive here as well.”The Hurricanes, who have made the playoffs only once in 12 years since winning the Stanley Cup, have headed in a new direction this season under Waddell and rookie coach Rod Brind’Amour. They’re currently in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, entering their game on Friday against the Ottawa Senators.The 25-year-old Rask, a native of Sweden, has only one goal and five assists in 26 games this season for the Hurricanes after missing the first 20 games following surgery on two of his fingers as a result of what the Hurricanes said was a slicing accident in the kitchen. Rask is in the third season of a six-year, $24 million contract.“I think he needed a change of scenery,” Fenton said, “and I’m hoping he gets back his scoring and his distribution so he can be very productive for us.”Rask has 63 goals and 100 assists in 339 NHL games. Though their ages are only six months apart
Andrej Sustr Jersey Womens , Rask will give the Wild a $1.25 million annual discount from Niederreiter in salary cap charges. He also plays a more coveted position that is in flux for the future with the Wild, with Mikko Koivu (35) and Eric Staal (34) currently holding center spots in the lineup.“My experience tells me you can’t have enough centers,” Fenton said. CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Calgary’s fourth-line forwards provided all the offense the Flames needed against the Ottawa Senators.Andrew Mangiapane, Garnet Hathaway and Derek Ryan combined on Calgary’s second and third goals of the night in a 5-1 win over the Senators on Thursday night.Mangiapane and Hathaway each had a goal and an assist. Ryan assisted on both goals.“They’re tenacious,” Flames coach Bill Peters said. “That line is doing everything right. In all three zones, they’re doing things right.”Mark Giordano scored Calgary’s league-leading 18th short-handed goal.Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist and Mikael Backlund also scored for the Flames.Mike Smith made 18 saves for the win in a game pitting the top team in the West against the team with the worst record in the East.Calgary opened up a five-point gap on San Jose atop the Pacific Division. The Sharks dropped a 4-2 decision to Los Angeles on Thursday.The Flames and Sharks clinched playoff berths earlier this week.Dylan DeMelo gave the Senators (25-43-6) a brief 1-0 lead in the first period. Craig Anderson turned away 31 shots in the loss.Ottawa dropped to 3-6-1 since Marc Crawford took over for the fired Guy Boucher on March 1.Crawford said Calgary didn’t play a great game, but played the right way.“They stop in the right places, they move the puck the right way, they support each other the right way, and their fundamentals stopping at the net at both ends are something that we’ve got to get to,” Crawford said.“We still make a few too many mistakes both on possession and turning the puck over in inopportune places.”Mangiapane scored his second goal in as many games, taking a cross-ice pass from Ryan and scoring over Anderson’s glove nine minutes into the second period.Mangiapane started the season with Calgary’s AHL affiliate in Stockton, California.The 22-year-old from Bolton
Barrett Hayton Jersey Womens , Ontario, has seen his ice time increase in the last six weeks as he and his linemates have become key contributors.“It helps when you’re playing with two great guys and building up chemistry,” Mangiapane said.“Every day you’ve just got to keep proving yourself though. I think I belong here, but it’s still a day-to-day job. Work hard in practice, work hard in the game and good things will happen.”Mangiapane, Ryan and Hathaway capitalized on an Ottawa turnover in Calgary’s zone in the first period. The trio rushed the puck up ice and Hathaway finished with a tap-in for a 2-1 lead.“It was a pretty play and I was lucky enough to be at the end of it,” Hathaway said. “Pretty much whenever we’re on the ice, we know what the right play is.“We’re not guessing. You don’t have to guess where the other guy is going to be. You don’t have to throw away the puck. You can control it. You get a little more confidence as you do that and can build off it.”Giordano’s short-handed goal that pulled Calgary even in the opening period was his seventh point in six games.NOTES: Sean Monahan (illness) and Sam Bennett (upper-body injury) returned to Calgary’s lineup after missing two games, but Bennett did not play the third period. … Giordano moved into second in all-time games played as a member of the Flames (827), behind Jarome Iginla (1,219). … Senators forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau served a one-game suspension Thursday for boarding Canucks defenseman Ashton Sautner on Wednesday.UP NEXTSenators: At Edmonton on Saturday.Flames: At Vancouver on Saturday.
