Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our daily look at the previous night's action. During the offseason, it's our link dump that looks at some of the storylines and moves taking place around the league three times per week. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.Ducks Acquire Evgeny Artyukhin For Drew Miller
On Thursday, the Anaheim Ducks added some bulk to their lineup by acquiring 6-foot-5, 254-pound winger Evgeny Artyukhin from the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward Drew Miller and a third-round pick. Artyukhin, 26, played in 73 games with Tampa Bay this past season, registering six goals to go with 10 assists and 151 penalty minutes. One of the biggest players in the NHL and capable of dropping the gloves, Artyukhin will add even more toughness to an already big, and physical, Ducks lineup.
Miller, 25, has six goals in 53 NHL games.
Jose Theodore Will Enter Camp As No. 1 Goalie
Washington Capitals goaltender Semyon Varlamov was one of the top stories during the 2009 NHL playoffs, as he took over for a struggling Jose Theodore and not only helped the Capitals overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, but also helped lead the team to Game 7 of the conference semifinals. His stellar play, apparently, wasn't enough to earn him the No. 1 goaltender job heading into training camp this year ... at least not yet.
Head coach Bruce Boudreau said on Thursday, via Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post, "Right now Jose is the No. 1 guy and the other two young men have got to come in and play the way they did last year and try to push him out."
He continued: "Jose won 33 games for us last year, and like the year before when Cristobal Huet got hot down the stretch, Varly came in and did a great job where we just couldn't take him out. But that was 13 games ... It doesn't make up for 12 years of experience. I've seen an awful lot of goalies come in at a young age and go into a slump for a year or two. I think Jose has earned and deserves the right [to be] the No. 1 guy." [Washington Post]
Loose Pucks
... An excerpt from The Book Of Rebuild, Chapter 1: And Burke said, Let the Marlies bring forth prospects, the talent yielding potential, and the draft pick yielding fruit after his kind, whose potential is in itself, upon the Marlies: and it was so. [Pension Plan Puppets]
... What sort of impact will Jay Bouwmeester's arrival in Calgary have on Dion Phaneuf? [Matchsticks & Gasoline]
... Ticket information for the Winter Classic at Fenway Park will be announced on Monday. [Boston Globe]
