Neuvirth went 3-3-2 with a 2.19 GAA and .942 SV% since becoming the Sabres starer after the Sabres traded Jhonas Enroth to Dallas. With the Sabres tanking for Connor McDavid, it seems like Neuvirth was performing too well, so they have sent him to the Islanders to become New York’s backup. Neuvirth will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Hamilton has registered 30 points (9G / 21A) in 52 games with Worcester this season. He is expected to report to Lake Erie, after being swapped for Stollery.
Stollery, 27, has five goals and nine assists (14 points) in 46 games with Lake Erie (AHL) this season. He will likely report to Worcester (AHL) after being swapped for Hamilton.
The Blues acquired Zbynek Michalek earlier in the day, who is a shot blocking defensive defenseman, but he is recovering from a concussion right now so the Blues add Bortuzzo as insurance. Bortuzzo is an in-your-face physical defenseman who plays a relatively simple game.
Cole, 26, will be a restricted free agent in the offseason. He has the size to be a good defensive defenseman but has shown a little bit of offensive acumen as well. He had nine points (4G / 5A), a plus-16 rating, 42 hits and 63 blocked shots in 54 games this season.
Injuries have limited Kennedy to just 25 games this season. He is a bottom-6 forward who brings some feistiness to the Islanders lineup. He was a key member of the Penguins 2009 Stanley Cup run, so he will break some playoff experience to the Islanders.
Zidlicky, 38, is a veteran right handed defenseman that the Red Wings have been searching for. He should slot in on the Red Wings second pair and will definitely see big minutes on the power-play. He has a great one-timer and should help the Red Wings PP that already ranks first in the NHL.
Desjardins, 27, switches places with Ben Smith and should slot right in on the Blackhawks fourth line. He has just eight points (5G / 3A) in 56 games, so moving to Chicago is not going to bump up his fantasy value.
Smith, 25, has one more year on his deal with a $1.5M cap-hit. Smith is a physical two-way forward, who is a few years younger than Andrew Desjardins who went the other way. Smith had five goals and four assists in 61 games with Chicago.
Michalek has missed the last six games with a concussion, but he was expected to return to the ice later today, before he was dealt to St. Louis. Michalek is a great shot blocking defenseman and replaces the hole Roman Polak left when he went to Toronto. Michalek has eight points (2G / 6A) in 53 games this season.
Flynn, 26, is a hard working forward who can play centre or wing. He was played huge minutes with Buffalo, but will play a bottom-6 role in Montreal. He has five goals and 12 assists (17 points) in 54 games. Flynn is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
Petry, 27, is a strong two-way forward who is very good at breaking out of his own end. He is strong offensively as well, posting 15 points (4G / 11A) in 59 games with the lowly Oilers. He was a minus-25 in Edmonton, but that won’t be the case in Montreal. He will likely slot in on right side on the Habs second pair.
Connolly, 22, was a first round pick of the Lightning (6th overall) in 2010. He has a big frame at 6-foot-2 and he has been a proven goal scorer at all levels and tallied 12 goals and three assists (15) in 50 games usually in a bottom-6 role in Tampa Bay. He is a restricted free agent in the offseason.
Gudas, 24, is expected to miss the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery in early January. He has one more year on his deal with a 992K cap-hit. Gudas is extremely physical and possesses a heavy slap-shot from the point. He was second on the Lightning in hits (115) and fifth in blocked shots (63) despite playing on 31 games.
Coburn has one more year left on his deal with a $4.5M cap-hit and the Lightning feel better about their blue line depth by adding Coburn, who has playoff experience. Coburn is mobile for a big-dude at 6-foot-5, 220 lbs. and can be a good shutdown D-man with offensive upside. He has one goal and eight assists (9 points) in 39 games this season.
Sheppard is a versatile forward who can play all three positions. He has played primarily on the Sharks third line, tallying 16 points (5G / 11A) in 57 games this season. He has never really lived up to his 9th overall selection in 2006, but he is good big-body, two-way forward who will help the Rangers bottom-6.
The Red Wings were searching for a big body forward and they found that in pending unrestricted free agent Erik Cole. Cole has 18 goals and 15 assists (33 points) in 57 games with Dallas this season. The 36-year-old also led the Stars in hits with 116, so he brings a much needed physical brand of hockey to Detroit.
Klingberg, 24, was a second round pick (34th overall) in the 2009 NHL draft. He is a big-boy at 6-foot-3, 205 lbs. but has only been able to score one goal in 12 games in six years since being drafted. He has 15 goals and 15 assists (30 points) in 51 games with St. John’s (AHL) this season.
Stempniak has scored nine goals with nine assists (18 points) in 53 games with the Rangers this season. This could be just a cap-dump, but it is not a big one considering Stempniak’s cap-hit is just $900K. He should play a consistent bottom-6 role with Winnipeg.
Moore has shuffled in and out of the Rangers lineup with Matt Hunwick this season. In 38 games, Moore has scored once with five assists and a plus-7 rating. He should get a full-time role in Arizona.
