Avalanche Acquire Danny Richmond from Capitals

The Colorado Avalanche have announced that they have acquired defenseman Danny Richmond from the Washington Capitals in exchange for center Mike Carman. In 24 games this season with Hershey of the AHL, Richmond has four assists. He last played in the NHL during the 2007-08 season with the Chicago Blackhawks. In 28 games with Lake Erie of the AHL, Carman has three goals and three assists for six points. He has yet to appear in an NHL game. This is nothing more than a depth move for both teams' AHL affiliates, as Richmond and Carman will likely spend the remainder of the season in the minors.

Capitals Sign Danny Richmond to One-Year Deal

The Washington Capitals have announced that they have signed defenseman Danny Richmond to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay him $525,000 at the NHL level and $125,000 at the AHL level. In 68 games last season with Toronto of the AHL, he had three goals and 20 assists for 23 points and 121 penalty minutes. He last played in an NHL game during the 2007-08 season with the Chicago Blackhawks. This is just a depth signing for the Capitals, as Richmond will likely play all of next season with Hershey of the AHL, bringing lots of grit and physical play to their defense.

Maple Leafs Re-Sign Kulemin, Add Richmond

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that they have re-signed left wing Nikolai Kulemin to a two-year contract worth $4.7 million. The deal averages out to $2.35 million per season. The team also announced that they have signed defenseman Danny Richmond to a one-year contract. Financial terms of his deal were not disclosed. The Kulemin signing is a decent one for the Maple Leafs, as he has good two-way skills and has plenty of offensive upside. Richmond is really just a depth signing for the team, but if he does play with the Maple Leafs next season, he will provide plenty of toughness on the blueline.

Blues Acquire Fallon From Blackhawks for Toivonen, Richmond

The St. Louis Blues announced today that they have acquired goaltender Joe Fallon from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for goaltender Hannu Toivonen and defenseman Danny Richmond. Fallon has appeared in 29 games this season with Rockford of the AHL, posting a 15-10-1 record with a 2.64 GAA and a .912 save percentage. Toivonen has played in 26 games with Peoria of the AHL this season, posting an 11-11-3 record with a 2.73 GAA and a .906 save percentage. Richmond has one goal and 15 assists for 16 points and 135 penalty minutes in 54 games this season with Peoria. This will be Richmond's second stint with the Blackhawks. He played with the team for parts of three seasons before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in July 2008. In 49 career NHL games with the Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes, he has three assists and 75 penalty minutes.

This is really just a minor trade for both teams and in no way do I believe it's suggesting the Blackhawks are looking to move a goalie. Both Chicago and St. Louis were likely looking to bolster their AHL affiliates through this trade. Fallon brings promising goaltending depth to the Blues' organization, while Toivonen brings experience to the Blackhawks. Despite showing a lot of promise early in his NHL career, Toivonen has struggled at the NHL level in recent years, having last played in the league during the 2007-08 season. Perhaps a change of scenery will do Toivonen some good. Richmond gives the Blackhawks a very physical defenseman, but given their current depth on their blueline, he likely won't see much, if any, playing time this season.

Blues Sign Defensemen Richmond & Fletcher

The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have re-signed defenseman Danny Richmond and signed defenseman Justin Fletcher to contracts. Exact length and financial terms of their deals were not disclosed. Richmond was traded to the Blues from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the 2009 trade deadline for defenseman Andy Wozniewski. Richmond did not appear in any NHL games last season, instead playing in 73 AHL games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Peoria, scoring four goals and 18 assists for 22 points and 129 penalty minutes. He has appeared in 49 NHL games with the Carolina Hurricanes and Chicago Blackhawks, scoring three assists and 75 penalty minutes. Fletcher did not play in any NHL games last season, instead playing in 68 AHL games with Peoria, scoring eight goals and 24 assists for 32 points and 50 penalty minutes. These are really just depth signings for the Blues. Richmond is a very physical blueliner, while Fletcher plays with a bit of offense to his game. Both players will likely spend most of next season in the minors given the team’s depth on defense.

Penguins Acquire Wozniewski from Blues for Richmond

The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired defenseman Andy Wozniewski in exchange for defenseman Danny Richmond in a minor trade. Wozniewski has played in only one game this season, going scoreless. He has spent the rest of the season with the Blues' AHL affiliate in Peoria. Richmond has not played in the NHL yet this season, last playing seven games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season. Not much to say about this trade, as it looks both teams are just adding blueline depth for their minor league teams. However, if both teams suffer injuries to their defense, these guys could possibly be called up as replacements.