The first deal of the day before the deadline that involved a player in the pool, saw the Edmonton Oilers start a domino effect, as they dealt goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov to the Minnesota for a draft pick in 2014.
Bryzgalov signed with the Oilers in the off-season, hoping to give the rebuilding club a little bit more stability, but when the team couldn't necessarily rely on the goaltending of Devan Dubnyk and Bryzgalov, changes started earlier in the season, when the team dealt Dubnyk to Nashville and acquired Ben Scrivens from the Kings. Scrivens had played well since his arrival, which likely meant that Bryzgalov may have been getting anxious in the back-up role.
Bryzgalov was only able to register 5 wins and a shutout for the Oilers in his appearances, good enough for 12 points and ranking 481st in pool scoring, but he should be able to provide some depth for the Wild, who are more than likely unsure about the future of Josh Harding and Niklas Backstrom, while riding Darcy Kuemper through this playoff push.
In return, the Oilers will receive a mid-round pick in the Draft in June and they've opened up a goaltending spot, which they filled quickly with Viktor Fasth from the Anaheim Ducks. Fasth, who was dropped in the pool, was traded to Edmonton right after, with more picks going the other way.
Given the goaltending minutes situation in Edmonton and Minnesota, this could be a boost to Bryzgalov's numbers, which will boost John's numbers, but this is another case of too little, too late. John sits in 20th spot, heading into Tuesday night's games, with little chance of making too much noise before the end of the year.
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