As the trade deadline passed today, I found myself more interested in the rumors of deals discussed than in most of the deals that actually happened.
Among the most interesting was San Jose supposedly offering up Antti Niemi for James van Riemsdyk. I don't understand how San Jose could do this as Greiss and Niittymaki don't really seem like a goaltending tandem for a contending team. Maybe they were planning on taking Bobrovsky back, but that still seems like a silly idea. Not to mention Philly would have looked awful to have taken another major salary in goal.
I also wonder if Dallas knew that Vancouver was willing to trade Cody Hodgson. If so, they may have offered Ott+. Hodgson is exactly the type of player that I'd have to imagine Dallas was looking for today: a young, skilled top-six forward.
And then of course there's the Rick Nash fiasco. What a mess there is in Columbus right now. I feel bad for the fans, as Columbus could really be a strong hockey market in my mind.
In my mind, a lot of these players whose names were whispered or confirmed to be on the market may be moved around the draft. Of course, the new CBA could also put a stop to that. Still, I think there'll be some blockbusters in this summer, much like last summer (M. Richards, J. Carter, D. Heatley, B. Burns).
Just for fun, here are the names I wouldn't be surprised to see moved around the draft: Rick Nash, Corey Schneider, Steve Ott, Brendan Morrow, Paul Stastny, Jonathan Bernier, Sergei Bobrovsky, Ryan Clowe, Ryan Malone, Marc Methot.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Quick Hits: Pre-Deadline Edition
- Jeff Carter for Jack Johnson and a first is easily the deadline's first blockbuster trade, and in my opinion is a mistake by both Los Angeles and Columbus.
- Even if Carter has matured, he rarely played with Richards in Philly so there won't be much chemistry there - the two are just great teammates. Carter has also expressed many times his preference is playing center, which he won't get to do in LA. Carter needs to play center with a playmaking winger like Ales Hemsky or Patrick Kane to have the most success IMO.
- There are plenty of advanced stats out there (not to mention the very basic plus minus rating) to show that Jack Johnson simply isn't as good as advertised. And if LA doesn't make the playoffs, Columbus is stuck with next year's first round pick. This looks bad after Philly was able to draft Couturier with the pick they got from Columbus for Carter.
- Still, if there's one reason to be excited in Columbus it's that Johnson will be very optimistic and will have a lot of positive energy. The dude loves hockey, and loves America. Columbus deserves more players like that.
- Phoenix acquiring Antoine Vermette surprised me as I didn't realize they had enough room in their budget to make a big addition.I think that's a really solid move for a team that just continues to surprise. I've been thinking all year LA would end up in 7th and either Colorado or Dallas would end up in 8th in the West, but now I think Phoenix will likely hold down one of those two spots.
- I'm not at all a fan of Detroit giving Todd Bertuzzi a two-year extension. The dude has his moments, but he's becoming less and less of a factor for a team that needs their top-six forwards to get younger. I really can't imagine how he'll even be a regular in the lineup in two years for the Wings.
- A small trade that I think would make a lot of sense: The Maple Leafs sending Keith Aulie to St. Louis for Ben Bishop. I don't think it'll happen or has even been discussed, but that trade would make sense for both teams in my opinion.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Tampa/Detroit/Colorado Three Team Deal
In the first unexpected move of the 2012 trade deadline in the NHL, Tampa Bay sent winger Steve Downie to Colorado for defender Kyle Quincey. Then, Tampa dealt Quincey to Detroit for a first round pick and minor league defender Sebastien Piche.
Detroit:
First off, one of Ken Holland's mistakes was choosing to keep Derek Meech over Kyle Quincey in 2008. I remember hating the move when it happened, even though I knew Quincey to was seen at times at college parties around Grand Rapids (where he played AHL hockey) from time to time. The dude was a kid, and any partying ways were sure to die off after exposure to Babcock and the Red Wings, who are very much fitness freaks. If I remember correctly, the move was made because Meech was able to play forward (though he really never belonged as a forward) and was forced after Chelios decided to come back yet again. And now Detroit has to trade a first round pick and a prospect - albeit one not likely to be an NHL player - to reacquire Quincey? Yikes.
However, forgiving that mistake by Holland, the trade is solid for Detroit. Quincey is an upgrade currently over Commodore, Kindl, and Ericsson. He's also a good insurance policy when/if the Wings lost Lidstrom or Stuart this summer. And, a Holland said, he likely developed better playing big minutes on weaker teams. He can play on the power play and/or penalty kill. In short, he improves the Wings and I'm glad he's back. Any locker room issues will likely be erased by the professionalism of his new teammates and coaching staff.
Meanwhile, while Detroit has been a great team in the draft, they've actually been relatively poor with first round picks. And while I'm sure Sebastian Piche is a heck of a nice guy, he's never been noticeable at AHL games I've attended and likely won't be a factor in the NHL. So in short, Detroit probably received more than they gave up in the trade.
Colorado:
It seems that some Colorado fans thought that Kyle Quincey alone could have netted them a top-six forward, but that simply wasn't the case though I thought they might make him part of a package to land a guy like James van Riemsdyk.
Overall, I think they got a good return in Steve Downie. The guy is a 15-25 goal guy who brings a lot of sandpaper to his game. He's played on a line with Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis and has been effective, so he's not out of place on a team's scoring line. He's probably a good second/third line forward who brings a physical presence and can chip in with some offense. I think he'll be a welcome addition to Colorado.
Tampa Bay:
This trade is harder for me to understand from Steve Yzerman and Tampa Bay's point-of-view. When it was first reported that they traded Downie for Quincey, I thought Stevie Y had made a great trade as his team needs to improve their core defenders. Quincey would have been a solid guy for the second-pairing. Acquiring him only to trade him for a late first round pick and a middle-of-the-road prospect seems odd to me as in my opinion Quincey would have been more valuable to Tampa than the package they received for him. Of course, Tampa has now stockpiled draft picks with two first rounders and three (and another possible second rounder). And it could be that Yzerman knows that if he wants to acquire the star young goalie his team so desperately needs that he needs to trade a lot of picks. Other than that though, I find the trading of Quincey hard to understand.
Detroit:
First off, one of Ken Holland's mistakes was choosing to keep Derek Meech over Kyle Quincey in 2008. I remember hating the move when it happened, even though I knew Quincey to was seen at times at college parties around Grand Rapids (where he played AHL hockey) from time to time. The dude was a kid, and any partying ways were sure to die off after exposure to Babcock and the Red Wings, who are very much fitness freaks. If I remember correctly, the move was made because Meech was able to play forward (though he really never belonged as a forward) and was forced after Chelios decided to come back yet again. And now Detroit has to trade a first round pick and a prospect - albeit one not likely to be an NHL player - to reacquire Quincey? Yikes.
However, forgiving that mistake by Holland, the trade is solid for Detroit. Quincey is an upgrade currently over Commodore, Kindl, and Ericsson. He's also a good insurance policy when/if the Wings lost Lidstrom or Stuart this summer. And, a Holland said, he likely developed better playing big minutes on weaker teams. He can play on the power play and/or penalty kill. In short, he improves the Wings and I'm glad he's back. Any locker room issues will likely be erased by the professionalism of his new teammates and coaching staff.
Meanwhile, while Detroit has been a great team in the draft, they've actually been relatively poor with first round picks. And while I'm sure Sebastian Piche is a heck of a nice guy, he's never been noticeable at AHL games I've attended and likely won't be a factor in the NHL. So in short, Detroit probably received more than they gave up in the trade.
Colorado:
It seems that some Colorado fans thought that Kyle Quincey alone could have netted them a top-six forward, but that simply wasn't the case though I thought they might make him part of a package to land a guy like James van Riemsdyk.
Overall, I think they got a good return in Steve Downie. The guy is a 15-25 goal guy who brings a lot of sandpaper to his game. He's played on a line with Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis and has been effective, so he's not out of place on a team's scoring line. He's probably a good second/third line forward who brings a physical presence and can chip in with some offense. I think he'll be a welcome addition to Colorado.
Tampa Bay:
This trade is harder for me to understand from Steve Yzerman and Tampa Bay's point-of-view. When it was first reported that they traded Downie for Quincey, I thought Stevie Y had made a great trade as his team needs to improve their core defenders. Quincey would have been a solid guy for the second-pairing. Acquiring him only to trade him for a late first round pick and a middle-of-the-road prospect seems odd to me as in my opinion Quincey would have been more valuable to Tampa than the package they received for him. Of course, Tampa has now stockpiled draft picks with two first rounders and three (and another possible second rounder). And it could be that Yzerman knows that if he wants to acquire the star young goalie his team so desperately needs that he needs to trade a lot of picks. Other than that though, I find the trading of Quincey hard to understand.
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