Minnesota Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has acquired forward David Jones from the Calgary Flames in exchange for goaltender Niklas Backstrom and a sixth-round selection in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. The team also acquired defenseman Conor Allen from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for forward Michael Keranen and right wing Scott Sabourin from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for center Brett Sutter.
Jones, 31 (8/10/84), has recorded 15 points (9-6=15) in 59 games with Calgary this season and ranked second on the team with 115 hits. The 6-foot-3, 208-pound native of Guelph, Ont., owns 188 points (102-86=188) in 446 career NHL regular season games with Colorado and the Flames. He set career highs with 27 goals and 45 points with the Avalanche in 2010-11. Jones notched five points (2-3=5) in 11 playoff games with Calgary last season and owns six points (2-4=6) in 21 career playoff matches. He was originally selected by the Avalanche in the ninth round (288th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
Allen, 26 (1/31/90), has tallied 11 points (2-9=11) and 62 penalty minutes (PIM) in 48 American Hockey League (AHL) games with Binghamton and Milwaukee this season. The 6-foot-2, 208-pound native of Chicago, Ill., has recorded 76 points (19-57=76) and 246 PIM in 193 career AHL games with Connecticut, Hartford, Milwaukee and Binghamton. He appeared in seven NHL games with the New York Rangers and made his NHL debut on Dec. 29, 2013 at Tampa Bay.
Sabourin, 23 (7/30/92), has notched five points (3-2=5) and 56 PIM in 28 games with the Ontario Reign (AHL) this season. The 6-foot-3, 203-pound native of Orleans, Ont., has collected 43 points (20-23=43) and 287 PIM in 153 career AHL contests with Ontario and Manchester.
Backstrom, 38 (2/13/78), went 194-142-50 with a 2.48 goals-against average (GAA), a .915 save percentage (SV%) and 28 shutouts in 409 career games with Minnesota and is the franchise’s all-time leader in wins, shutouts and games played. He appeared in the 2009 NHL All-Star Game, was a finalist for the 2009 Vezina Trophy and teamed with Manny Fernandez to win the 2006-07 William Jennings Trophy as the Wild allowed a league-low 191 goals. Backstrom was originally signed by Minnesota as a free agent on June 1, 2006.
Keranen, 26 (1/4/90), tallied 23 points (8-15=23) in 45 games with Iowa this season. Sutter, 28 (6/2/87), recorded 14 points (4-10=14) in 57 games with Iowa this season.
[Source: Minnesota Wild press release]
