NHL Big Hits

Some big things have gone down in the NHL, I'm going to break them down for you:

Pekka Rinne Injured

The leader in the Vezina race went down in the third period Tuesday in a game against Vancouver. He is out for 3 -5 weeks with knee sprain.  Nashville is on fire this season and are currently in first place in the Central Division. Carter Hutton will take over while Rinne is out. It is possible that he Predators try to make a trade for a goalie so they can stay in the play-off race. This injury just might have cost Pekka Rinne this years Vezina Trophy.

Minnesota Get Their Goalie

On Wednesday the Minnesota Wild took a chance on former first round pick Devan Dubnyk. He was traded from Arizona, and in return the Coyotes received a third round pick in the upcoming draft. His time with the Wild could not have started any better, he finished his first game with a shout-out and a win over Buffalo. I believe if he plays to his abilities he can be the piece that will help the Wild go from a play-off fringe team to a Stanley Cup Contender. As in any sport this might not be the last move, while it would be unlikely for the Wild to get another goalie there are rumors about Ottawa's Craig Anderson being on the trade market. Craig Anderson is a good goalie capable of being a reliable starter in this league.

Marc Staal: Empire State of Mind?

It has come out that the New York Rangers and Pending UFA Marc Staal have agreed to a deal in principle. The supposed deal is 6 years at 5.7 million per year. From Staal's point of view this is a deal that both gets him paid and allows him to stay with the team that drafted him. As for the Rangers they get a solid top 4 defensemen, and  a fan favorite.  Staal will solidify the rangers blue line with the likes of Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh who are both locked up for the long term. Dan Boyle is also locked up for next year giving them at least a solid three going forward. This is a underrated signing considering how well Staal played while the top defensemen were injured. Having so much money tied up in the defense it will be interesting to see how the Rangers structure their forwards for the upcoming season.

All-Star Replacments

With the injuries to Pekka Rinne and Jimmy Howard the NHL needed to choose who would replace them in Columbus for this years NHL All-Star Game.  The choices were the Islanders Jaroslav Halak and the Penguins Marc-Andre Fleury. Halak has had a good season and is one of the reasons the Islander sit atop the Metropolitan Division. Marc-Andre Fleury on the other hand has been on a team that has been marred with injuries and illness, and he is one of the reasons they are still in a play-off position. Both are very deserving goalies.