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Following last night's 4-0 loss to Toronto, the Anaheim Ducks made a minor move in sending San Diego Gull Max Friberg to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for goalie Dustin Tokarski.
The Habs acquired Max Friberg from Anaheim in exchange for Dustin Tokarski. DETAILS -> https://t.co/qDI4G2aBih pic.twitter.com/5hamP4Jm76
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 7, 2016
Tokarski, a 26-year old former fifth round draft pick of Tampa Bay, has appeared in 33 regular season NHL games with both the Lightning and Canadiens, going 10-12-4 with a .904 save percentage. He stepped in for an injured Carey Price during the 2013-14 Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers, going 2-3 with a .916 SV% as Montreal was eliminated.
After spending much of his first six seasons as a pro in the AHL with the Norfolk Admirals (goalie for the club's record-setting championship team in 11-12), Syracuse Crunch, and Hamilton Bulldogs, Tokarski earned an NHL backup role in 14-15 with Montreal. For his AHL career he has a 128-92-18 mark with a .910 SV% and 18 shutouts in the regular season, and a 14-6 playoff record with 4 shutouts and a .937 SV%. This season Tokarski has gone 3-3-4 with a .909 SV% with the Canadiens affiliate St. John's IceCaps.
SB Nation Canadiens sister site Habs Eyes On The Prize has an in-depth look at Tokarski from the offseason that is worth you time: read it here.
Friberg, a 2011 fifth round selection by Anaheim, made his NHL debut with the Ducks last season in a 2-1 overtime win over Vancouver at Honda Center on December 28, 2014. He played five games with Anaheim this season, seeing his most playing time (14:14) in the Ducks November 7 shutout of San Jose.
Primarily an AHL hand during his Anaheim tenure, he put up back to back 40-point seasons with the Norfolk Admirals in 13-14 and 14-15, scoring 17 goals in his first full season of 13-14 and 15 last season. This year in San Diego, Friberg has five goals and 12 assists in 25 games, good for fifth on the team in scoring.
Analysis
While some were quick to speculate that the move means goalie John Gibson's lower body injury suffered against Toronto is more significant, Orange County Register Ducks beat reporter Eric Stephens was quick to throw water on that notion, and Ducks staffer Kyle Shohara relayed news to further the point:
Been told that Tokarski deal isn't response to Gibson getting hurt. Injury isn't considered to be serious. Day to day in literal sense.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) January 7, 2016
For those curious, Gibson is on the ice practicing with Ducks now.
— Kyle Shohara (@kyleshohara) January 7, 2016
Stephens also reported that Tokarski is headed to San Diego, likely to become the sixth goalie to appear in a game for the Gulls. Since Gibson's recall, San Diego has seen Matt Hackett, Ryan Faragher, Anton Khudobin, and Jeff Lerg appear for the club, with Hackett scuffling with a .901 SV%, Faragher a .895 SV%, Lerg making one relief appearance, and Khudobin going 4-1-0 with a .925 SV%.
Khudobin is clearly playing above his level in the AHL, and likely wants (and probably deserves) another shot in the NHL. If it's with Anaheim or somewhere else is obviously to be determined, but this seems like a deal to get San Diego a reliable AHL goalie to help handle Hackett's injuries. One could speculate that this means Khudobin is on his way out to get that chance somewhere else, or perhaps Anaheim has interest from elsewhere in Frederik Andersen that could bring back scoring help.
Either way, this move seems to be one strictly for the farm, and one to set up another down the road.