The Dallas Stars have claimed defenceman Sami Vatanen from waivers. Vatanen had spent this season with the New Jersey Devils.
The Stars picked up Sami Vatanen on waivers. Right-handed defenseman most recently in New Jersey.
— Matthew DeFranks (@MDeFranks) April 12, 2021
Stars Claim Defenceman Sami Vatanen Off Waivers
The Dallas Stars bolster their defensive depth with a trade deadline day move.
Key Players
Sami Vatanen
Things have not gone according to plan for the Devils this season. After trading Vatanen to the Carolina Hurricanes at last year’s trade deadline, the Devils brought him back signing him to a one-year contract in the off-season. This was a good signing at the time, but the Devils are a young team that are struggling in a tough East Division. While it might have been best to keep the defenceman long-term, he is an asset a contending team can use. While Vatanen is injury-prone when he is in the lineup he is very effective. Vatanen came to the Devils for the first time in the fall of 2017 in a trade that saw the Devils sent centre Adam Henrique to the Anaheim Ducks. Since arriving in New Jersey, Vatanen has been a workhorse on defence. He solidified the right side and is a minutes eater averaging 21:08 time on ice in his career.
Originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2009 NHL Draft by the Ducks, Vatanen will now be on his third team in his eight-year NHL career. In 434 career games, Vatanen has recorded 194 points (45 goals and 149 assists) averaging over 21 minutes of time on ice. In 44 games in the postseason with the Ducks and Devils, he has recorded 23 points (six goals and 17 assists).
What This Means For Vatanen’s New Team
As previously mentioned Vatanen is a workhorse on defence. With the Stars having a solid defensive group, he will likely play on the bottom pair but could fit into the team’s top four if injuries hit. Vatanen can match up well against the opposition’s top line. Not to mention his ability to carry the puck out of his own defensive zone to start the rush. He is also good on the power-play. He is the ideal defenceman quarterbacking the power play. In his career of the 45 goals he has scored, 21 came on the powerplay. Of his 149 career assists, he has recorded 65 of them on the power-play. He may not get power-play time in Dallas, but is again an option if other defenders are unavailable.
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