By Kyle Kujawa – Detroit Red Wings Public Relations Coordinator
DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today acquired left wing Erik Cole and a conditional third-round selection in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for center Mattias Janmark, defenseman Mattias Backman and a second-round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Cole, 36, has skated in 57 games for Dallas this season, ranking third on the club in goals (18) and fourth in points (33) in addition to a team-best plus-four rating. The 6-foot-2, 205-lb., forward has skated in 881 games for the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens and Stars during his 13-season NHL career, totaling 526 points (262-264-526) and 659 penalty minutes.
He has twice reached the 30-goal plateau, doing so most recently with a career-high 35 as a member of the Canadiens in 2011-12. Cole also matched his career-high point total that year with 61 (35-26-61), first set during the 2006-07 season with Carolina (29-32-61). Originally drafted by the Hurricanes in the third round (71st overall) of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Cole reached the Stanley Cup Finals on two occasions with Carolina, losing to Detroit in 2002 before helping the franchise to its first-ever championship in 2006.
The Oswego, N.Y., native has represented the United States at the 2005 and 2007 IIHF World Championships as well as the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Prior to turning professional, Cole spent three seasons at Clarkson University, registering 103 points (52-51-103) in 103 games and earning honors as the ECAC Rookie of the Year (1998), ECAC First-Team All-Star (1999) and ECAC Second-Team All-Star (2000).
Janmark, 22, was selected by Detroit in the third round (79th overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. The Danderyd, Sweden, native has spent the last four seasons in the Swedish Hockey League with AIK and Frolunda, picking up 97 points (45-52-97) and 118 penalty minutes in 171 games since 2011-12. He made his North American debut in 2013-14, playing in eight combined regular-season and playoff games for the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins on a tryout at the conclusion of his SHL season.
Backman, 22, has split the 2014-15 campaign between the Griffins and Linkoping of the SHL. In 18 games with Grand Rapids, he totaled four points (0-4-4) and six penalty minutes. Since returning to Sweden, he has notched 16 points (4-12-16) in 23 games, which places him 19th among the league’s defensemen. A native of Linkoping, Sweden, Backman was drafted in the fifth round (146th overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by Detroit and has recorded 71 points (13-58-71) during his 182-game SHL career. He helped Sweden to a gold medal at the 2012 World Junior Championship in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, picking up three points (0-3-3) in six contests.
