2 more Canucks players show symptoms of mumps virus
Vancouver Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins says two more players and a trainer are experiencing symptoms of the mumps.
Desjardins confirmed Sunday that forward Anton Rodin and defenceman Ben Hutton are the latest players to be affected by the disease that has dismantled the Canucks’ lineup.
The Canucks were missing five players due to the highly contagious virus in their 4-1 loss at home to San Jose on Saturday night.
Troy Stecher is the only player with a confirmed case of the mumps, but fellow defencemen Chris Tanev and Nikita Tryamkin, along with forwards Mike Chaput and Markus Granlund were held out of Saturday’s game after showing symptoms.
The Canucks’ next game is Tuesday at home against Detroit.
Kings acquire goalie, Bishop, in trade with Tampa Bay
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings have decided to make their post-season push with two dependable veteran goalies sharing the crease.
Los Angeles acquired Ben Bishop from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday in a trade including goalie Peter Budaj and an exchange of draft picks.
The Kings will pair Bishop with Jonathan Quick in a formidable tandem down the stretch as they attempt to make the playoffs for the seventh time in eight years. Los Angeles (30-27-4) is three points behind St. Louis for the second wild-card berth in the Western Conference.
Quick returned only Saturday from a 59-game absence with a serious groin injury, and general manager Dean Lombardi didn’t want to overwork his two-time Stanley Cup champion goalie during a difficult March schedule.
“This is not an insurance policy,” Lombardi said. “It is a way that we think to make sure that Jon is broken in properly, and make sure we’re in position to win every game down the stretch. Let’s face it, there’s not a lot of room for error . . . and we want to make sure we have a No. 1 goalie in there every night.”
The Kings gave up Budaj, who filled in admirably as their starter during Quick’s 4 1/2-month absence, along with junior defenceman Erik Cernak.Tampa Bay also got a 2017 seventh-round pick and another conditional pick that could become a second-round selection, but only if extraordinary conditions are met.
Los Angeles received Bishop and Tampa Bay’s 2017 fifth-round pick. Bishop is an unrestricted free agent this summer.
The deal also was surprising after Budaj’s unlikely success with the Kings this season. The veteran Slovak netminder filled in splendidly after Quick got hurt in the first period of Los Angeles’ season opener, going 27-20-3 with a 2.12 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage.
But Budaj, who spent the previous two seasons in the AHL, gave up 19 goals during a rough five-game stretch earlier this month, including a 5-0 loss at Tampa Bay in which Bishop recorded the shutout. Budaj returned to a backup role Saturday while Quick backstopped the Kings to a 4-1 victory over Anaheim.
“Peter did a good job for us,” Lombardi said. “Stopped what you’re supposed to stop. He put up some pretty good numbers, but if you’re looking at some of the things I saw in the last couple of weeks, probably the aim was to make sure we had a quote-unquote No. 1 in there every night.”
Bishop is 16-12-3 with a 2.55 GAA and a .911 save percentage this season.
Lombardi said the Kings are trying to get Bishop to Minnesota in time for today’s game.
Bishop’s departure from Tampa Bay is just the latest upheaval in a tough season for the talent-loaded Lightning, who lost captain Steven Stamkos to knee surgery in mid-November. Stamkos is skating and doing hockey drills, but the team hasn’t said whether he’ll attempt to return this season.
Wild acquire centre, Hanzal, from Arizona for draft picks
The Minnesota Wild have acquired Czech centre Martin Hanzal from the Arizona Coyotes in a trade that includes several draft picks.
Arizona got a 2017 first-round pick, 2018 second-round pick, conditional 2019 fourth-round pick and minor leaguer Grayson Downing from Minnesota for Hanzal, forward Ryan White and a 2017 fourth-round pick. The Coyotes announced the deal Sunday night.
Hanzal was considered one of the top rental players available ahead of Wednesday’s NHL trade deadline. The 30-year-old pending free agent has 16 goals and 10 assists in 51 games this season and 313 points in 608 NHL games, all with the Coyotes.
White, who turns 29 next month, has seven goals and six assists in 46 games this season for the Coyotes.
The move signals an aggressive approach from the Wild, who lead the Central Division and Western Conference.