This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the Rink
The Philadelphia Flyers traded defenseman Kimmo Timonen to the Chicago Blackhawks Friday in exchange for a second round draft pick in 2015 and a conditional draft pick in 2016, according to general manager Ron Hextall. The 39-year-old veteran blueliner was diagnosed with blood clots last summer and has missed the entire season due to the condition, but was recently cleared to play and has been preparing for a return to the ice for the past several weeks.
With the Flyers unlikely to make the playoffs, Timonen gets one last chance at a Stanley Cup with the high-flying Blackhawks. Timonen could be worth a look in some fantasy leagues, as he's playing behind a deadly offense that features Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane (injured), Marian Hossa, Brandon Saad, and Patrick Sharp among others. Timonen put six goals and 35 points in 77 games in 2013-14 and has recorded 571 points in 1,092 career NHL games.
Timonen could flourish in the Windy City, as he won't be counted on to be the team's top offensive defenseman as he was in Philly. There isn't as much pressure. With Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook on the blueline, Timonen can do his thing without much of a spotlight on him. Whatever happens, there aren't many players out there that are more deserving of a Stanley Cup.
Here's what you need to know for Saturday's NHL action.
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
Sabres (Michal Neuvirth) at Panthers (Roberto Luongo), 3:00
Red Wings (Jimmy Howard) at Predators (Pekka Rinne), 3:00
Hurricanes (Cam Ward) at Islanders (Jaroslav Halak), 5:00
Devils (Cory Schneider) at Blue Jackets (Curtis McElhinney), 5:00
Coyotes (Mike Smith) at Bruins (Tuukka Rask), 5:30
Leafs (Jonathan Bernier) at Canadiens (Carey Price), 7:00
Rangers (Cam Talbot) at Flyers (Rob Zepp), 8:00
Wild (Devan Dubnyk) at Avalanche (Semyon Varlamov), 10:00
Blues (Brian Elliott*) at Oilers (Ben Scrivens), 10:00
Senators (Andrew Hammond) at Sharks (Antti Niemi), 10:00
*Confirmed Starters
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check out our Projected Goalies Grid.
Injury News For Teams Playing Saturday
Coyotes
Zbynek Michalek, D (upper body) -- Won't play Thursday against the Rangers Craig Morgan of FOX Sports Arizona reports. "He's still not feeling right," coach Dave Tippett said Wednesday. "We'll just wait and see where it goes."
Bruins
Kevan Miller, D (shoulder) -- Was transferred to long-term injured reserve Thursday, the Boston Herald reports.
David Krejci, C (knee) -- Was transferred to long-term injured reserve Thursday, Braden Campbell of the Boston Herald reports.
Gregory Campbell, C -- Will be out at least a week with an upper-body injury.
Sabres
Zemgus Girgensons, C (ankle) -- Was placed on injured reserve Thursday.
Tyler Ennis, C (lower body) -- Won't play Thursday against Vancouver.
Patrick Kaleta, RW (lower body) -- Was placed on injured reserve Sunday.
Josh Gorges, D (lower body) -- Was placed on injured reserve Sunday.
Hurricanes
Ryan Murphy, D (leg) -- Recently suffered a slight setback in his injury rehab, Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer reports.
Blue Jackets
Brandon Dubinsky, C -- Suffered an upper-body injury in Thursday's game against the Canadiens and will not return, Shawn Mitchell of The Columbus Dispatch reports.
Kevin Connauton, D (foot) -- Will not play Thursday against the Canadiens.
Jeremy Morin, LW (upper body) -- Has resumed light skating work this week.
Boone Jenner, LW -- Coach Todd Richards said Wednesday that he doesn't expect Jenner (back) to resume practicing with the team next week.
Jack Skille, LW -- Will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery next week, the Blue Jackets' official site reports.
Dalton Prout, D (upper body) -- Was a participant in Wednesday's optional skate, Shawn Mitchell of the Columbus Dispatch reports.
Sergei Bobrovsky, G (groin) -- Appeared to be a full participant at Wednesday's practice, indicating afterward he had his best day on the ice since suffering the injury, Shawn Mitchell of the Columbus Dispatch reports.
Red Wings
Kyle Quincey, C (ankle) -- Participated in the Red Wings' morning skate, but won't play Thursday against the Sharks, MLive.com's Ansar Khan reports.
Henrik Zetterberg, LW (upper body) -- Isn't expected to return to the Red Wings lineup until next Wednesday's game against the Rangers.
Joakim Andersson, RW -- Coach Mike Babcock indicated he was hopeful Andersson (illness) would be able to play Tuesday against the Kings, MLive.com's Ansar Khan reports.
Oilers
Nail Yakupov, RW (groin) -- Returned to practice Thursday, according to the Oilers web site.
Nikita Nikitin, D (shoulder) -- Was skating with the team Monday, according to the Oilers web site.
Panthers
Dave Bolland, C (upper body) -- Wasn't present for the Panthers' morning skate Thursday, George Richards of the Miami Herald reports.
Brandon Pirri, C (upper body) -- Was a participant in Thursday's morning skate, George Richards of the Miami Herald reports.
Wild
Jared Spurgeon, D (face) -- Will not travel to Nashville for Thursday's game against the Preds.
Canadiens
P.A. Parenteau, RW (concussion) -- Won't play Thursday against the Blue Jackets.
Sergei Gonchar, D (upper body) -- Won't play Thursday against the Blue Jackets.
Alexei Emelin, D (shoulder) -- Was placed on injured reserve by the Canadiens over the weekend.
Predators
Anton Volchenkov, D (lower body) -- Joined the team for Wednesday's practice, John Glennon of The Tennessean reports.
Devils
Keith Kinkaid, G (groin) -- Will not be available to serve as the Devils' backup goalie Friday against the Bruins, Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger reports.
Islanders
Casey Cizikas, C (lower body) -- Won't play Tuesday, according to Newsday's Arthur Staple.
Rangers
Jesper Fast, RW (sprained knee) -- Skated in a regular jersey at Thursday's morning skate, Newsday's Steve Zipay reports.
Senators
Craig Anderson, G (hand) -- Was able to make it through practice Tuesday, though it doesn't appear that he's close to returning, the Ottawa Citizen reports.
Zack Smith, C (wrist) -- Was a participant in Tuesday's practice, Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun reports.
Jared Cowen, D -- Has been suspended for three games as a result of his hit to the head of Jussi Jokinen during Saturday's game against the Panthers, TSN.ca reports.
Flyers
Ray Emery, G (lower body) -- Was placed on injured reserve Thursday.
Sharks
Raffi Torres, LW (knee) -- Underwent a successful procedure on the torn ACL in his right knee Wednesday, David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News reports. GM Doug Wilson said the Sharks expect to have Torres fully healthy for the start of training camp in September.
Blues
Ian Cole, D (upper body) -- Will not play Thursday against the Jets, Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Kevin Shattenkirk, D (abdomen) -- Has resumed skating after undergoing abdominal surgery three weeks ago, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Hot
Pavel Datsyuk, C, DET – Datsyuk has scored five goals in his last four games, giving him 22 goals and 50 points in 49 games on the season. With three of his last seven games being multi-goal outings, the top-line center has helped the Red Wings pick up points in four of their last five games. At 36-years of age, the Magic Man is still producing at a point-per-game and appears destined to carry the Wings to their 24th consecutive playoff berth.
P.K. Subban, D, MTL – Subban has recorded five points and a plus-6 rating in his last two games and has recorded at least one point in eight of his last nine outings. The 25-year-old is now up to 12 goals and 47 points in 61 games on the season. He's averaging a whopping 26:05 of ice time this season and his recent play is a big reason the Habs have incurred just one regulation loss in their last 11 games.
Cold
Jaromir Jagr, RW, FLA – Jagr had gone eight straight games without a point before being dealt to the Florida Panthers on Thursday. Considering the Panthers are right in the middle of the playoff race, Jagr should provide just the spark the team needs. He's expected to make his debut Saturday against Buffalo and should land himself in a top-six role. Revitalized on a playoff contender, Jagr should breakout of this slump very soon.
Antoine Vermette, C, ARZ – Amidst trade speculation, Vermette is struggling to produce of late for the Coyotes. The 32-year-old is pointless in five straight games and hasn't recorded an assist in 12 straight outings. While he's still got 13 goals and 35 points in 63 games on the season, the Coyotes are well out of the playoff picture and have lost eight straight games. Vermette is a minus-22 on the season and likely won't come close to matching last season's 24 goals. Considering the lack of energy and motivation in Arizona, Vermette's fantasy value would rise significantly if he was dealt to a contender.
Recommended Pickup
Kyle Turris, C, OTT – Owned in only approximately 50 percent of ESPN leagues, the second-line center has been red-hot of late. Turris has recorded five goals and nine points in his last seven games, helping the Senators win six of their last eight games. He's dominating right now, firing a whopping 17 shots on goal in his last four outings. The Senators are currently trying to sneak into the postseason and the 25-year-old center is leading the charge. Grab Turris if he's available, as he's going to be money down the stretch.
