Dzingel to Columbus in dealer double
OTTAWA— The Ottawa Senators continued to sell off their team Saturday, while the Dallas Stars became the latest team to get a head start on Monday’s trade deadline.
The Senators traded left wing Ryan Dzingel and a seventhround draft pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Anthony Duclair and two second-round draft picks. It was the second deal in as many days between the two teams after Ottawa sent forward Matt Duchene to Columbus on Friday.
Ottawa added second-round picks in 2020 and 2021 to its collection for Dzingel. The Sens acquired two prospects, a firstround draft pick and a conditional first-rounder for Duchene and could have up to 16 draft selections over the next three years.
“We’re pleased with the futures we’ve received in this deal,” said Senators general manager Pierre Dorion. “The two second-round picks add to the significant depth of quality selections we’ll have available to us in the next three drafts to fuel our rebuild.”
Dzingel had 22 goals and 22 assists in 57 games this season for the last-place Senators.
Duclair, who had 11 goals and eight assists in 52 games this year for Columbus, is moving to his fifth NHL franchise in five seasons.
The Stars, meanwhile, made a couple of deals Saturday, acquiring Mats Zuccarello from the New York Rangers hours after they picked up defenceman Ben Lovejoy from the New Jersey Devils.
Zuccarello, Kevin Hayes and Adam McQuaid all sat out New York’s 5-2 win over New Jersey on Saturday afternoon.
The Stars, according to a Sportsnet report, sent two conditional draft picks to the Rangers: a conditional second-round pick that would become a firstround selection if Dallas wins two playoff rounds, and a thirdround pick that becomes a firstround pick if Zuccarello stays in Dallas next season.
Dallas sent defenceman Connor Carrick and a 2019 thirdround draft pick to the Devils in the Lovejoy deal .
Lovejoy is an 11-year veteran and defensive specialist who won a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016. SKINNER SURVIVES SCARE: Jeff Skinner remarkably returned a period after a hush fell through the crowd at the sight of Buffalo’s leading scorer attempting to crawl off the ice with an injury to his left leg. Sam Reinhart picked up the offensive slack by scoring three times in the Sabres’ 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals.
Skinner was hurt five minutes into the second period when he tripped over Washington’s Carl Hagelin’s stick, which got caught between his legs. Skinner was unable to put weight on his left leg while being helped off the ice and taken to the locker room.
The 36-goal scorer then drew a loud cheer upon returning to the ice to start the third period.
“Good training staff, I guess,” Skinner said. “I don’t know. It was a bit of a weird feeling at first. And then I obviously kind of tested it out and it settled down a bit. It was good to get back out there.” STAAL RETURNS TO CANES: Carolina activated centre Jordan Staal from injured reserve on Saturday, and the 30-yearold centre had an assist in the Hurricanes’ 3-0 win over Dallas.
Staal’s return is significant for a Carolina team that began Saturday one point out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. He had missed 32 of 34 games with a concussion.