Calder Trophy Power Rankings: Dahlin continuing historic season

In the fifth edition of our Calder Trophy Power Rankings, we've got our first goalie entry of the season, and another first-timer breaking into the top three.

You can read the previous installment here.

ATOI = Average time on ice
SCF% = Percentage of scoring chances generated while the player was on the ice at 5-on-5
HDCF% = Percentage of high-danger scoring chances generated while the player was on the ice at 5-on-5
HDSV% = Save percentage on high-danger chances against
GSAA = Goals Saved Above Average
Courtesy: Natural Stat Trick

5. Carter Hart, Philadelphia Flyers

Elsa / Getty Images Sport / Getty
GP W-L-OT GAA SV% HDSV% GSAA
22 13-8-1 2.79 .917 .842 4.96

If last week could be eliminated, Hart's debut on our rookie power rankings would have been much higher. Unfortunately, being pulled in a pair of starts and suffering a lower-body injury puts him at No. 5 for now.

Still, an impressive body of work for a 20-year-old starter puts him on the list. He may not be able to push Philly into the playoffs this year, but Hart is showing that the organization finally has a bright future in goal.

4. Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars

David Becker / National Hockey League / Getty
GP G A P ATOI SCF% HDCF%
62 10 17 27 23:05 50.52% 51.99%

Heiskanen isn't showing signs of rookie fatigue, and he easily leads all freshman in ice time. He's also notched seven points in 13 games since our last Calder rankings, and his underlying numbers are increasing, too.

3. Andreas Johnsson, Toronto Maple Leafs

Kevin Sousa / National Hockey League / Getty
GP G A P ATOI SCF% HDCF%
55 17 17 34 12:58 51.43 50.99

At 24 years old, there's an asterisk next to Johnsson's rookie contributions. However, the Maple Leafs winger has come on strong lately, leading all Calder nominees with 12 points since the last edition of these rankings.

He also sits second among rookie skaters with 17 goals this season, and Johnsson is getting it done despite averaging less than 13 minutes per game. His recent promotion to Auston Matthews' line should give Johnsson the minutes he deserves.

2. Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres

Kevin Hoffman / Getty Images Sport / Getty
GP G A P ATOI SCF% HDCF%
62 8 28 36 20:55 50.93 48.77

Dahlin is second in the rookie scoring race, but the proper perspective on his production shows the Swede's extraordinary talent.

His 36 points so far rank fourth in NHL history among 18-year-old rookie defensemen, trailing only Aaron Ekblad (39), Bobby Orr (41), and Phil Housley (66).

1. Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks

Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / Getty
GP G A P ATOI SCF% HDCF%
52 26 30 56 18:23 46.42 48.37

Pettersson hasn't put up blistering numbers lately, notching a modest 11 points in 12 contests since our last rankings. But the Canucks' phenom is still on pace to record 75-plus points if he stays healthy.

With about 20 games left for most teams, it's going to take a remarkable effort to knock Pettersson off his perch at No. 1.

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Flames GM Treliving unwilling to mortgage future at deadline

Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving didn't want to go all-in at the trade deadline and shave years off the team's championship window.

"I wasn't prepared to start firing off A assets … just for something short term,” Treliving told reporters on Monday, according to The Athletic's Scott Cruickshank. "There's no mourning. The hearse is not driving by and none of us are climbing in.

"I'm going to go have a cold beer right now and still have guys like (Juuso) Valimaki in our organization - that's a pretty good day."

The Flames tried to bolster their forward depth, but reportedly fell out of the mix for forwards Mark Stone and Jason Zucker.

“Our goal was to try to help our team, without taking off of our team,” said Treliving. "But that caveat was always there - that we weren’t prepared to remove Juuso Valimaki, we weren’t prepared to move Rasmus Andersson, we weren’t prepared to go deep into first-round picks."

Calgary added defenseman Oscar Fantenberg from the Los Angeles Kings. But the Flames stood pat otherwise while top Western Conference teams - the San Jose Sharks, Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville Predators, and Winnipeg Jets - upgraded significantly.

Despite the added pressure, Treliving wasn't going to budge.

“You’re aware what’s going on around you - you don’t have blinders on,” he said. “But because your next-door neighbor buys a big car? If you can’t afford it, you don’t get the big car, right? That’s just the way it works."

The Flames lead the Western Conference heading into Tuesday's action, and they're on pace for their highest point total since 1988-89 - the last season Calgary won the Stanley Cup.

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NHL podcast: Trade deadline debrief, sorry state of Senators

Welcome to Puck Pursuit, a weekly NHL podcast hosted by John Matisz, theScore's National Hockey Writer.

Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play, and Spotify.

In this episode, John is joined by Gus Katsaros of McKeen's Hockey and Graeme Nichols of The Athletic Ottawa to recap the trade deadline action on Monday. Topics include:

  • Stone to Vegas: The Knights' perspective
  • Granlund, Hayes, Montour, Nyquist trades
  • Blue Jackets going all-in on 2018-19
  • Stone to Vegas: Ottawa's perspective
  • Any silver lining in Senators' rebuild?

... and more!

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Trade deadline winners and losers: Preds address needs, Flames whiff

With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, let's look at the winners and losers from a busy day in the NHL.

Winners

Vegas Golden Knights

Brian Babineau / National Hockey League / Getty

The Golden Knights landed the top trade chip available in Mark Stone, and the two sides already agreed to terms on an eight-year extension.

The price was more than fair for general manager George McPhee, as he only gave up one key prospect, a depth player, and a second-round pick. Vegas will likely go on the road to face either the San Jose Sharks or Calgary Flames in a tough first-round matchup, so without the extension, this trade would look vastly different.

All indications suggest Erik Brannstrom, the top prospect heading to Ottawa, has the potential to be a special player. But Stone, 26, can help Vegas contend for a Stanley Cup this season and beyond. He's a dynamic point-per-game winger, and also one of the top defensive forwards in the game, as evidenced by his league-high 88 takeaways. - Wegman

Columbus Blue Jackets

Over the last three days, the Blue Jackets acquired Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Adam McQuaid, and Keith Kinkaid. While the team's draft-pick cupboard is now bare, the only player from the active roster lost in the process was Anthony Duclair, who was becoming a permanent resident in John Tortorella's doghouse.

Duchene, and to a lesser extent, Dzingel, give Columbus a formidable top-nine forward group. McQuaid provides the Jackets with grit, experience, and a right-handed shot on the bottom pairing, while Kinkaid fills a need as a backup goalie. With the Metropolitan Division more wide open than it's ever been, Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen picked the right time to go for it all. - Wegman

Nashville Predators

It was obvious what Predators GM David Poile needed to do during the lead-up to the trade deadline. With his defense and goaltending tandem requiring little to no fixing, upgrading the club’s top-heavy forward group became the focus.

Although Vegas ultimately won the grand prize of Mark Stone, Poile managed to acquire two second-tier talents in Minnesota’s Mikael Granlund and Philadelphia’s Wayne Simmonds. Exchanging just Ryan Hartman, Kevin Fiala, and a conditional fourth-round pick for two sure bets is some crafty work. Granlund is signed through 2019-20, and Simmonds is a pending free agent. Neither is guaranteed to stick long term, but that’s a lesser concern for a contending team.

Suddenly, Nashville’s dominant top line of Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, and Viktor Arvidsson has some serious company, and the Western Conference better watch out. - Matisz

Losers

Calgary Flames

Tom Szczerbowski / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Flames’ lack of cap space killed them this trade period, forcing GM Brad Treliving to watch as rival clubs, particularly within the conference, bulked up significantly. A deal to acquire the Wild's Jason Zucker fell through, which also didn't help matters.

Oscar Fantenberg, from the Kings, ended up being Calgary's lone add. The 27-year-old is a decent defenseman, though his potential impact pales in comparison to that of Vegas’ Mark Stone, Nashville’s Wayne Simmonds and Mikael Granlund, Winnipeg’s Kevin Hayes, and San Jose’s Gustav Nyquist.

The Flames' post-deadline roster leaves much to be desired among the bottom-six forwards and goalies. Calgary needs to hope unexpected starting goalie David Rittich, who’s been a tremendous story this season, doesn’t turn into a pumpkin anytime soon. - Matisz

Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins GM Jim Rutherford has developed a reputation for making big-time trades, sometimes around the deadline. During crunch time this year, however, he mainly stood on the sideline.

Rutherford made two low-key swaps, bringing in Erik Gudbranson from Vancouver for Tanner Pearson, and receiving Chris Wideman from Florida in exchange for Jean-Sebastian Dea. The Gudbranson move, while defensible given the state of Pittsburgh’s blue line, was a little weird because the incoming player isn't exactly a fit for the modern NHL. He's simply too slow to defend at a high level these days. Wideman for Dea, meanwhile, was essentially a minor-league transaction.

So now, this is the roster Rutherford - who, to be fair, made changes from November through January - has in place as Pittsburgh battles Carolina for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Let's face it: On paper, the Penguins don't have a championship-caliber squad. - Matisz

New York Islanders

The Islanders' biggest move ahead of the trade deadline was inking 37-year-old Dennis Seidenberg to a one-year contract. If that doesn't solidify their status as a deadline-day loser, then what does?

Sure, the Isles lead the Metropolitan Division, but the Washington Capitals trail them by just two points and made two notable additions, picking up Nick Jensen and Carl Hagelin. The Blue Jackets sit third in the division, but they made a bevy of moves to become contenders.

The Islanders had the necessary cap room and prospect capital to be big players on deadline day and add a much-needed injection of offense. Instead, Lou Lamoriello sat on his hands.

The cost for even a subtle addition up front, such as Wayne Simmonds or Marcus Johansson, was well within reach. - Wegman

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Report: Talks between Flames, Wild about Zucker ‘fell through’

What seemed to be a "done deal" between the Calgary Flames and Minnesota Wild involving forward Jason Zucker reportedly "fell through" Monday, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, although it's not clear why.

Zucker recorded a career-high 64 points last season, and the Wild rewarded the speedy winger with a five-year, $27.5-million deal. The 27-year-old has 15 goals and 16 assists this season.

It was reported Monday that talks between the Flames and Ottawa Senators regarding forward Mark Stone also fell apart late Sunday night.

Calgary managed to acquire defenseman Oscar Fantenberg from the Los Angeles Kings, but any attempts to bolster the Flames' forward depth at the trade deadline were unsuccessful.

On the other side, it was a busy weekend for Wild general manager Paul Fenton, who played both deadline buyer and seller. The Wild added forwards Kevin Fiala and Ryan Donato while parting with forwards Charlie Coyle, Matt Hendricks, and Mikael Granlund.

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Wild sign Staal to 2-year extension

The Minnesota Wild have agreed to a two-year extension with forward Eric Staal, the team announced.

Staal's contract carries an average annual value of $3.25 million, and the 34-year-old center will earn $3.5 million next season and $3 million the following year.

The veteran has found new life since joining Minnesota. After seeing his offense regress in his final years with the Hurricanes, Staal bounced back with 28 goals during his first season in Minnesota, and 42 goals in the 2017-18 campaign - his highest mark since his sophomore year.

The 6-foot-4 forward has contributed 18 goals and 41 points so far in his third season with the Wild, and he ranks second in team scoring.

Approaching the trade deadline, Staal remained adamant about staying with the team and submitted a 10-team no-trade list, making it difficult for general manager Paul Fenton to move him.

Minnesota sits a point up on the Colorado Avalanche for the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference heading into Monday's action.

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Sabres send Beaulieu to Jets for 6th-rounder

The Buffalo Sabres have traded defenseman Nathan Beaulieu to the Winnipeg Jets for a sixth-round draft pick, the team announced Monday.

Beaulieu carries a $2.4-million cap hit in the final season of a two-year contract before becoming a restricted free agent this summer. He's notched seven points while averaging 14:42 per contests in 30 games this season.

The 26-year-old blue-liner is one of several additions the Jets made Monday, along with Kevin Hayes, Matt Hendricks, Par Lindholm, and Bogdan Kiselevich.

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