Every week there are minor moves and stories around the National Hockey League that tend to fall through the cracks. Consider this our weekly roundup of those moves from the previous week, all wrapped up in one neat little package.I'm getting the idea that Ottawa prospect Alexander Nikulin was just a tad bit unhappy being a member of the Senators organization. On Sunday, the 23-year old forward issued what was, basically, an ultimatum to the team's front office when he threatened to return to his native Russia if he wasn't dealt to another team as soon as humanly possible. TSN had the story:
The 23-year old Nikulin has stated that he will return to Russia if the Senators do not have a deal in place by Monday. He was a scratch Saturday night as the Binghamton Senators faced Bridgeport. Nikulin stated on his Russian blog that he is disapointed in how slow the process is going. "So, I've asked for a trade, and the General Manager of the Senators Bryan Murray has agreed. But for some strange reason it's been really dragging. Because I was supposed to have been traded last week by Friday. Then they moved the deal to Monday. But then on Monday nothing was clear again, so I wait."By Tuesday afternoon, Nikulin found himself as a member of the Phoenix Coyotes when he was dealt for defenseman Drew Fata.
Thus far, Nikulin has registered 52 points in 73 games in the American Hockey League, while Fata, a former third-round pick of the Penguins, is on his fourth different franchise in four years. Seems like a good deal for Phoenix, even if Nikulin never amounts to anything. Very low risk, potential high reward for the Coyotes.
The 2003 First Round: Everybody Wins .... Almost
This past Thursday the New York Rangers ultimately gave up on 2003 first-round pick, forward, Hugh Jessiman, when they traded him to the Nashville Predators for the always enticing package of future considerations. Translation: If we get a bag of pucks, we'll be happy.
This seemingly insignificant move is somewhat interesting, if for no other reason than Jessiman, as of right now, is the only player selected in the first-round of the '03 draft to have not played a game in the National Hockey League. Ouch.
As always, hindsight is perfect 20/20, but some of the players taken after Jessiman at No. 12 overall: Dustin Brown, Zach Parise, Ryan Getzlaf, Brent Burns, Mike Richards, and Corey Perry. To continue, there are only three members of the class to have not scored a goal in the NHL, and one of them, Marc-Andre Fleury, is a goalie. And between you and me, I wouldn't rule out him scoring a goal at some point in his career, seeing as how he aggressively shoots for empty nets.
From Finland, to Wilkes-Barre, to Pittsburgh to ... Wilkes-Barre
This past off-season, as the Pittsburgh Penguins were leaving no stone unturned in their quest to replace forwards Marian Hossa and Ryan Malone, they took a flier on Finnish Elite League star Janne Pesonen. Pesonen, a former ninth-round pick of the Ducks, had blossomed into one of the better players in Finland as a member of Karpat.
Pesonen failed to make the big club coming out of training camp, and instead began the season with the Penguins AHL team in Wilkes-Barre, registering 11 points in eight games. The quick start, combined with the Penguins frustrating inability to score goals early in the season, led to Pesonen getting called up for his NHL debut on Saturday night.
He logged nine minutes in the Penguins 6-3 win over St. Louis, and was quickly rewarded with a trip back to Wilkes-Barre the following day.
Martin Gelinas Signs In Switzerland
Martin Gelinas played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, scored 309 goals, won a Stanley Cup, and was part of the original package that helped land Wayne Gretzky in Los Angeles, and today, he's signed in Switzerland with the hockey club SC Bern.
