Wild make deadline deals for defenseman Leopold, forward Stewart
After a much busier NHL trade deadline than expected in Minnesota, accomplished, journeyman defenseman Jordan Leopold is coming home.
The Wild traded for the Golden Valley, Minn., native and former University of Minnesota national champion early Monday afternoon, less than an hour before the NHL's 2 p.m. CT trade deadline. They gave up defenseman Justin Falk and a 2015 fifth-round pick for Leopold and his expiring contract.
The 34-year-old helps shore up Minnesota's injury-riddled defensive corps as the Wild continue their surging playoff push. In 677 NHL games with seven different clubs, he's accumulated 76 goals, 161 assists (237 points) and 285 penalty minutes, averaging 20:43 of ice time per outing.
"If Jordan was from Ontario, we still would've had interest in him," general manager Chuck Fletcher said. "But in this particular case, it made it really nice we were able to acquire him. He'll be motivated; after practice, he can go home and see his family. That will take a lot of pressure off him, and I think he'll enjoy the game more, and we'll enjoy having him as a result."
Leopold attended Robbinsdale Armstrong High School and spent four seasons with the Gophers, who won the national championship in 2001-02 -- the same season Leopold received the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey's top player. Anaheim drafted him in the second round (44th overall) of the 1999 NHL entry draft and traded his rights to Calgary a year later.
He spent his first four NHL seasons with the Flames before stints in Colorado, Florida, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and St. Louis. He's represented the United States at the 2006 Olympics and four World Championships, too.
The Blue Jackets acquired Leopold from the Blues in November for a 2016 fifth-round pick. Leopold's appeared in 25 games this season, scoring one goal and handing out three assists.
A member of Leopold's inner circle helped spur along the move, and it wasn't his Minneapolis-based agent Ben Hankinson. Leopold's 11-year-old daughter, Jordyn Leopold, penned the team's front office a hand-written letter, begging the franchise to trade for her father.
Leopold's 11 Year old daughter wrote the @MNWild a letter pleading for trade...AND IT WORKED! http://t.co/C4ctmymTZp pic.twitter.com/Nkvrm59X4C
— KFAN1003 (@KFAN1003) March 2, 2015
"Well my dad is very lonly (sic) without his family," she wrote. "We are living in Minnesota right now, and I am lost without my dad and so is my mom, my 2 sisters and my brother.
"Your team need's (sic) some more D men so can you please, please, please ask the jackets if you guys can get him!"
Said Fletcher: "After I saw it, there was a lot of pressure to close the deal, that's for sure."
Spending much of the season in Iowa with Minnesota's AHL affiliate, Falk played 13 NHL games this year without notching a point. In six NHL seasons -- five with the Wild -- he's played in 131 games, scored one goal and had 18 assists.
Having traded for Panthers forward Sean Bergenheim last week and red-hot goaltender Devan Dubnyk earlier in the season, Fletcher toned down expectations of any deadline deals by saying he might've been done making moves. But with defenseman Keith Ballard -- a collegiate teammate of Leopold's -- on injured reserve and fellow blueliners Jared Spurgeon and Marco Scandella nursing injuries, Fletcher decided it was worth dealing Falk and a late pick in exchange for a left-handed shot that provides some defensive depth.
"I'd say we came in (to the deadline) with sort of modest goals," Fletcher said. "I think we're a harder team to play against today than we were a week ago."
And Fletcher, notorious for wheeling and dealing at the deadline, didn't stop with Leopold.
About 10 minutes before Monday's trade cutoff point, Fletcher sent Buffalo a 2017 second-round pick in exchange for right wing Chris Stewart. He also snagged Boston forward Jared Knight in exchange for Zach Phillips.
Stewart, a 27-year-old, sixth-year NHL veteran, found out about the trade while live with TSN.
"Minnesota Wild?" Stewart said to the Canadian television sports network as it broke the news. "Sounds good."
Stewart has 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) and 63 penalty minutes in 61 games with the Sabres this season. Drafted 18th overall in 2006 by Colorado, he spent two-plus seasons with the Avalanche before being dealt to St. Louis.
The Blues traded him to Buffalo last season in the Ryan Miller deal. In 443 NHL games, Stewart has 126 goals, 127 assists and 510 penalty minutes.
"I'm excited to get back" to the Western Conference, Stewart said, adding his best attribute is his size -- 6-foot-2, 228 pounds. "I really like to go to the net."
After earning $4.2 million this year, Stewart will become an unrestricted free agent after the season. So will Leopold, who will have earned $2.25 million by the end of the year. Both players are expected to make their Wild debuts Tuesday night at the Xcel Energy Center against Ottawa.
In the Knight trade, Minnesota and Boston swapped AHL prospects. Knight has three points and 38 penalty minutes in 36 games with Providence this season, while Phillips had 15 points and 14 penalty minutes in 49 Iowa Wild contests.
Knight has totaled 27 points and 66 penalty minutes in 107 career AHL games. Boston drafted the Battle Creek, Mich., native 32nd overall in 2010; a year later, Minnesota picked up Phillips 28th overall.
The team also assigned Stephane Veilleux to Iowa. The veteran left winger cleared waivers after being placed there last week.
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