Two NHL teams seeking a jolt to their middling seasons swapped players on Monday, as the Dallas Stars acquired veteran forward Andrew Cogliano from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Devin Shore.
Cogliano, 31, has three goals and eight assists in 46 games this season, as his ice time (13:15) was cut by nearly two minutes per game. Considered one of the fastest skaters in the NHL, Cogliano has also been the league's most durable players. His "iron man" streak of 830 games was only snapped by a two-game suspension last season; otherwise, he hasn't missed a game to injury in his NHL career.
Cogliano has 379 points in 912 career games with the Ducks and the Edmonton Oilers. He's signed through 2021 with a $3.25 million cap hit.
"In acquiring Andrew, we are able to add a conscientious player who brings a veteran presence to our room," said Dallas general manager Jim Nill. "His explosive speed, 200-foot game and iron-man mentality will help our team both on and off the ice."
Shore, 24, is in his fourth NHL season, all spent with Dallas. He has five goals and 12 assists in 42 games this season, but like Cogliano has seen his ice time (13:18) tumble from last season's 15:26 per game. He has 82 points in 209 career games, and can play center or wing. Shore is signed through 2020 after which he'll become a restricted free agent, with a cap hit of $2.3 million.
Both the Ducks (19-18-9) and the Stars (23-19-4) have been on a roller coaster this season. Anaheim is winless in its last 11 games, with general manager Bob Murray issuing a statement backing coach Randy Carlyle after Sunday night's overtime loss at Winnipeg. "At this time, I am not considering a coaching change. I am more focused on our players, specifically with who is going to step up in this situation," he said.
Trading away a well-liked veteran like Cogliano, who has been with the Ducks since 2011, certainly sends a message to that locker room.
Dallas (23-19-4) has lost two games in a row and is 5-4-1 in its last 10 games, sitting in third place in the Central Division. The team has been rocked by harsh words from management recently, as team president Jim Lites ripped star forwards Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn for their down seasons and coach Jim Montgomery called out the team's losing culture after a 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
"I'm very frustrated that I have not been able to gain consistency in our performance, and I haven't been able to change the culture of mediocrity," he said.