Oilers get goalie Talbot from Rangers
The Edmonton Oilers got their goaltender, acquiring Cam Talbot from the New York Rangers.
On a busy day of trades Saturday at the NHL draft in Sunrise, Florida, the Oilers sent the 57th, 79th and 184th picks to New York for Talbot and the 209th pick. Talbot has just 57 games of NHL experience, but at age 27 he could still blossom into a starter.
He has a year left on his contract and can be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Along with Talbot, the Rangers traded Carl Hagelin to the Anaheim Ducks as part of larger deal that also included Emerson Etem. Six goaltenders have been traded at the draft so far.
Ducks: Anaheim’s busy draft weekend demonstrated they’re still determined to improve a team that finished a game short of the Stanley Cup Final last month.
The Ducks acquired Hagelin and goalie Anton Khudobin in trades while shipping out defenseman James Wisniewski and forwards Etem and Kyle Palmieri, creating salary cap flexibility and adding a proven scorer to their lineup.
Anaheim gave up on hometown talent Etem to get Hagelin, who spent his first four NHL seasons with the Rangers, getting 58 goals and 72 assists with impressive speed and a scoring touch. He also played in 73 postseason games during that stretch.
Palmieri was sent to the New Jersey Devils for two draft picks.
Canucks- Hurri canes trade: Vancouver traded goaltender Eddie Lack to Carolina for two draft picks. The Canucks acquired Carolina’s third- round pick in this weekend’s draft and a seventh- round pick next year. With Khudobin going to Anaheimfor Wisniewski, that leaves Lack and starter CamWard as the organization’s top two netminders.
Wild: Minnesota has been searching for a reliable goalie for years, an issue that almost cost it dearly before Devan Dubnyk arrived to save its season.
The Wild’s investment in Dubnyk shows it doesn’t believe his stellar play over the final four months of last season was a fluke.
The Wild agreed to terms with Dubnyk on a six- year contract, cementing the 29- year- old as the unquestioned man between the pipes for the foreseeable future.
Historic pick: For the first time, a Chinese player has been selected in the NHL draft. Andong Song was chosen by the New York Islanders with the No. 172 pick.
The defenseman, who goes by the name “Misha,” started playing hockey on a smaller- than- normal rink in Beijing when his mother was trying to find him a sport. Once his talent was spotted, his family moved to Canada, and he quickly excelled when he began playing as a 10- year- old. Now his pro rights belong to the Islanders, his selection broadcast live in China.
“Feels like I’m a star already,” said Andong, who was followed by a Chinese television crew Saturday. “But long way to go.”