Short takes

Bullpen goalies needed

After seeing Roberto Luongo and Al Montoya get hurt in the same game last week in Florida and position players like Scottie Upshall and Derek MacKenzie nearly having to play goal and goalie coach Rob Tallas serving backup, it's again time the NHL figures this out.

Either every team needs to employ the equivalent of a bullpen catcher or every team needs to have a rotating pool of area emergency goalies that attend every game.

Wild goalie coach Bob Mason and its position players are safe. Wild GM Chuck Fletcher joked, "At least this shouldn't happen to us. We always seem to carry three goalies."

Looking to draft

As expected, the Buffalo Sabres and Arizona Coyotes were in clean-house mode at the deadline as they challenge Edmonton in the race for Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel in June's draft.

Buffalo traded goalie Michal Neuvirth, fourth-leading scorer Chris Stewart and forwards Brian Flynn and Torrey Mitchell. Arizona traded Keith Yandle in a blockbuster and Antoine Vermette.

"We're in 30th place," Sabres GM Tim Murray said. "Our time is the future."

Injuries everywhere

As Wild fans know, injuries this time of year can be destructive to a team's playoff hopes, although the Wild has impressively survived injuries to Jason Zucker, Matt Cooke and Ryan Carter and has now navigated through injuries to defensemen Marco Scandella and Jared Spurgeon.

The Blackhawks are doing the same with Patrick Kane. And amazingly, in his first practice with Boston, Brett Connolly, acquired from Tampa Bay instead of Chris Stewart, broke his hand.

Now Calgary is facing life without Norris Trophy contender Mark Giordano.

"We've got to buckle in," Flames GM Brad Teliving said. "This is the group that got us here."