July 1 Frenzy: Blue Jackets acquire Saad from Blackhawks

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Derek
In a cap cutting move, the Blackhawks traded Brandon Saad to the Blue Jackets. Getty Images

In a cap cutting move, the Blackhawks traded Brandon Saad to the Blue Jackets.
Getty Images

With the July 1 frenzy on deck, the Blue Jackets and Blackhawks made big news earlier today. Columbus acquired forward Brandon Saad from Chicago in exchange for Artem Anisimov and Marko Dano as part of a seven player blockbuster deal. The full trade has Saad going to the Jackets with defenseman Michael Paliotta and forward Alex Broadhurst for Anisimov, Dano, Corey Tropp and the Hawks reacquiring Jeremy Morin.

Elliott Friedman broke the trade on Twitter this afternoon. Chris Johnston had more details on the key players the Hawks were getting back.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/615988914898251776

When the news broke, the hockey internet was in shock. I don’t think anyone anticipated the Hawks having to part with a key piece of the future. A 2011 second round pick, the 22-year old Saad has been part of two Hawks’ Stanley Cups including the franchise’s second in three years. After posting career bests in goals (23), assists (29), points (52) and games played (82), he posted eight goals and three assists in the postseason. He was seeking a huge raise that would’ve killed the Hawks’ salary cap.

According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Saad was asking for an average of $6.5 million over six years. A crazy amount for a player who just completed his rookie contract. This is what you get in today’s salary cap where young players coming off rookie deals can demand the moon and force GM’s hands. We saw it with Dougie Hamilton this past weekend which explains why Don Sweeney sent him to the Flames for a first and two seconds. Hamilton asked for more than he received from Calgary eventually agreeing to a six-year deal worth $34.5 million ($4.75 million average).

Chicago general manager Stan Bowman decided that his team was facing a offer sheet that they couldn’t match and wound up getting two roster players back in Anisimov and Dano who fit into their immediate future. More so Anisimov who has a year left on a contract that pays him $4 million. He and the club are working towards an extension. The former Ranger had a tough season missing 30 games due to injuries while posting just seven goals and 20 assists. The 27-year old center fills a void with the Hawks moving on from Brad Richards. They now have a projected top three of Jonathan Toews, Anisimov and Teuvo Teravainen in the middle with Andrew Shaw one of the league’s best checking centers.

Dano is only 20 and tallied eight goals and 13 helpers in 35 games as a rookie for Columbus while splitting time in AHL affiliate Springfield with 11-8-19 in 39 games. A 2013 first round pick, he is highly thought of. So, the Hawks did well getting a prospect with potential.

The Jackets are still hoping to get Saad signed before the clock strikes 12 PM on July 1. If they don’t, he can receive offer sheets. Something the Hawks feared which explains why they moved him. If I’m Glen Sather, I have to be thinking about a extension for Chris Kreider. They can’t do it now with Derek Stepan a Group II who’ll get about $6 million. However, with Kreider having a year left at $2.6 million that’ll be the next order of business this Fall or Winter. Kreider has put up similar numbers to Saad posting 21 goals and 25 assists in 80 games this past season while adding seven goals and two helpers in the postseason. The 24-year old power forward is entering a critical year.

In other happenings Tuesday, the Ducks acquired defenseman Kevin Bieksa from the Canucks for a 2016 second round pick. A good return for the declining 34-year old veteran who’ll replace unrestricted blueliner Francois Beauchemin. The 35-year old would be a solid addition for any team looking to bolster their back end.

The Sharks signed new goalie Martin Jones to a three-year deal worth $9 million. … The Jets re-signed former Sabres forward Drew Stafford to a multi-year contract worth $8.7 million. He helped Winnipeg make the postseason after coming over from Buffalo in the Evander Kane blockbuster that also featured Tyler Myers to Winnipeg and Zach Bogosian to the Sabres.

… The Oilers dealt checking center Boyd Gordon to the Coyotes for forward Lauri Korpikoski. An equal swap of two checking forwards who are solid secondary players.

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NHL News and Notes: Semin to be bought out, Sharks acquire Martin Jones

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Derek
Eric Lindros won't be joining Hall Of Fame inductees Sergei Fedorov, Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Pronger and Phil Housley in Toronto. Getty Images

Eric Lindros won’t be joining Hall Of Fame inductees Sergei Fedorov, Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Pronger and Phil Housley in Toronto.
Getty Images

With free agency a day away, there were a couple of notable players placed on waivers for buyouts who will become free agents. There was also a trade made involving a goalie.

Topping the list is Alex Semin. The enigmatic Russian had three years remaining and $21 million. After a disastrous season that saw him score only six goals with 13 assists in 57 games, he’ll hit the market tomorrow. A skilled player who possesses a deadly right shot, he should draw interest from teams looking to catch lightning in a bottle. He’s 31 and in the right situation could still perform.

Do the Rangers have interest in a talented headcase for a year at say $3 million? I used to like Semin but wonder how serious he is about staying in the NHL. He could return home to the KHL. Some have suggested taking a flyer and trying him with Kevin Hayes and newly acquired Emerson Etem on the third line. A line weakened by Glen Sather dealing away reliable checking forward Carl Hagelin to Anaheim for Etem and pick 41 where they selected Ryan Gropp. They need a upgrade but I’d prefer Joel Ward. He might be out of their price range.

Semin would probably be a better fit for the Penguins. He can slot in with countryman Evgeni Malkin. The Islanders also could be an option. But would Garth Snow want to mess with team chemistry? He also could bring back Brad Boyes who also was waived and will be bought out by the Panthers. The 33-year old is owed $2.5 million for 2015-16. Unlike Semin, he was okay tallying 14 goals and 24 helpers in 78 games. Still a serviceable player, Boyes will wind up somewhere in a secondary role on the power play.

In other news, the Bruins dealt goalie Martin Jones to the Sharks for a 2016 first round pick and forward Sean Kuraly. A former San Jose 2011 fifth round pick who spent the last three seasons playing for Miami University of Ohio. Unlike the deals they made at the Draft in which they gave away Dougie Hamilton and moved Milan Lucic, this one makes sense. When they acquired Jones from the Kings as part of the Lucic deal, he wasn’t going to be retained with Tuukka Rask one of the league’s best netminders. And LA was never trading Jones to bitter rival San Jose. Boston got a first round pick. Good value for a unproven goalie. A lot better than what Sather got for Cam Talbot. You have to wonder what Sather was thinking.

It’s been a rough start for new Bruins GM Don Sweeney who left himself open to criticism for trading Hamilton to the Flames for three draft picks and went off the board for picks 13, 14 and 15. In another perplexing move, he acquired Flyers pest Zac Rinaldo Monday for a 2017 third round pick. How is a one-dimensional tough guy worth that? Rinaldo is signed thru 2016-17 earning $850,000 per year. Sweeney insists that they’re not rebuilding. This is the same franchise that gave up on Tyler Seguin and have declining winger Loui Eriksson entering his final year making $4.5 million. Reilly Smith is signed thru 2016-17. Joe Morrow has played in 15 NHL games scoring one goal. He better crack their blueline.

Lidstrom and Fedorov headline Class Of 2015: As expected yesterday, a pair of former Red Wings headlined the 2015 Hockey Hall Of Fame class. Nicklas Lidstrom and Sergei Fedorov will be inducted in Toronto along with Chris Pronger. Those three were easy selections even with Pronger becoming the first active NHL player to make it due to his salary on long-term injured reserve. The Coyotes acquired him from the Flyers to get to the cap floor.

Joining them is American Phil Housley. The former All-Star defenseman was a big scorer for the Sabres and Jets totaling 338 goals and 894 assists for 1,232 points with eight different teams including the Flames, Blues, Devils, Capitals, Blackhawks and Maple Leafs. He had two stints with Calgary. The 1,232 points rank second all-time among American born players trailing only Hall Of Famer Mike Modano. Housley was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall Of Fame in 2004.

The 51-year old from St. Paul Minnesota was drafted by the Sabres sixth overall in 1982. Playing as a 18-year old who turned 19 during the ’82-83 season, he registered 19 goals and 47 assists for 66 points making the All-Rookie Team. He spent eight seasons in Buffalo before being traded to Winnipeg in a blockbuster deal for Dale Hawerchuk. Also part of the deal were draft picks with the teams swapping first round picks in the 1990 Draft with the Jets winding up with Keith Tkachuk at number 19 while the Sabres took Brad May with number 14.

Housley holds the record for most games played (1,495) without winning a Stanley Cup. The closest he came was with the Caps in 1998 when they were swept by the Red Wings with Fedorov and Lidstrom starring for Detroit.

Angela Ruggiero, Peter Karmanos and Bill Hay also were elected. Ruggiero had a notable career with Team USA winning Olympic gold in 1998 along with two silver medals and a bronze. She represented American women’s hockey at four Olympics. She also was a big part of four world championship teams that won gold.

Karmanos is the owner of the former Whalers relocating them to Carolina. He makes it in the builder category for being involved in hockey for over four decades including the Compuware youth hockey program. He also brought junior hockey to the U.S. when he bought the Plymouth Whalers.

Hay also joins the Class of 2015. The first NCAA graduate to play in the NHL debuting with the Blackhawks in 1960, he served as president and chief operator of Hockey Canada while also being chairman. He had a similar role with Calgary.

Bob McKenzie finally gets recognized for excellence in hockey journalism with the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award. The radio voice of the Kings, Nick Nilson joins them as the winner of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award in the broadcast category. The induction ceremony is November 9 in Toronto.

Omissions included Eric Lindros and Mark Recchi. For a sixth straight year, voters overlooked Lindros who was easily one of the most dominant power forwards in the 90’s. The controversial former center totaled 732 points in 558 games during his first eight seasons with the Flyers and Rangers averaging a whopping 1.31 points-per-game. The 1994-95 Hart and Lester B. Pearson winner will have to wait another year.

Lindros finished with 865 points (372-493-865) in 760 games. Concussions and injuries cut his career short. The Big E retired at age 34 after tallying 26 points in 49 games with the Stars. Of course, I wonder if his forcing a trade from Quebec after being selected number one overall in 1991 has anything to do with being left out. There’s no question he rubbed people the wrong way. Especially French Canadians.

His Flyers career was basically ran by parents Carl and Bonnie. Lindros’ divorce with former Flyers architect Bobby Clarke was ugly. He was traded with a conditional 2003 third round pick to the Rangers on August 20, 2001 for Pavel Brendl, Jan Hlavac, Kim Johnsson and a third round pick in 2003. When healthy, Lindros was very good for the Rangers posting 73 points (37-36-73)  in 72 games in ’01-02. He went 19-34-53 in a career best 81 games in ’02-03. Injuries limited him to 39 games in Year 3 where he tallied 10 goals and 22 helpers. It’s a shame that he was never healthy. There’s no telling what he could’ve done.

Also working against Lindros is his postseason career. He’s over a point-per-game with 57 points (24-33-57) in 53 games. But didn’t play enough only playing in three full playoffs all with the Flyers. Everyone remembers his return from a concussion against the Devils in 2000 when he scored the Flyers’ only goal in a Game 6 loss and then got belted by Scott Stevens in Game 7 costing him the entire ’00-01 season. Given what medical staff now knows about head injuries, the Flyers mishandled his recovery. The unfair label of “soft” has been attached to Lindros by uneducated fans who have no clue what they’re talking about. There was nothing soft about his game. Hopefully, he’ll get recognized soon and join Cam Neely and the player (Peter Forsberg) he was traded for.

As for Recchi, his career totals are worthy of inclusion. He’s only been retired since 2011. A two-time Stanley Cup winner (Pittsburgh ’91, Carolina ’06), Recchi finished with 577 goals and 956 assists for 1,533 points with the Pens, Flyers, Canadiens, Canes, Thrashers, Lightning and Bruins. He spent a great portion of his career in Pennsylvania where he was a member of the Pens three different times and the Flyers twice. That included deep runs with Philly appearing in the Conference Finals in 2000 and 2004. At the beginning of his career, he had 34 points (10-24-34) in 1991 for the Cup champion Pens. He was traded for Rick Tocchet the following season in a deal that also netted Pittsburgh defenseman Kjell Samuelsson.

In another blockbuster, Recchi was dealt with a third round pick to the Canadiens in 1995 for John LeClair, Eric Desjardins and Gilbert Dionne. One of the best trades the Flyers ever made. LeClair teamed up with Lindros and Mikael Renberg to form the Legion Of Doom while Desjardins became a fixture as the anchor of the Flyers blueline. Ironically, Philadelphia reacquired Recchi in 1999 for Dainius Zubrus and a second round pick (Matt Carkner).

Recchi had a distinguished postseason career registering 61 goals and 86 assists for 147 points in 189 games. Fifteen years after winning with the Pens, he won a second Cup in Carolina tallying seven goals and nine assists after coming over from Pittsburgh in a deadline deal that helped the Canes win their only championship.

I hope Recchi and Lindros get inducted in the same year. Their careers intertwined with each playing together and then Recchi netting LeClair before returning. It would be fitting. The question is when will Lindros’ name get called.

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Devils post-draft and pre-FA musings

Posted on June 28, 2015 by hasan4978

Between the schedule coming out last week, the NHL Draft taking place on Friday and Saturday, impending Free Agency starting Wednesday this week and the Devils season ticket holder Q/A with GM Ray Shero and coach John Hynes today (more on that later) it feels like we just had the first week of the 2015-16 season, even if there will be another four months to go before actual games and a long, quiet lull after the initial FA flurry of July 1-2.  I never did post my thoughts on the Devils’ picks during the second day so I’ll just start there first:

Kyle Palmeri – RW, Anaheim NHL

Yes the trade did go through Saturday morning and we gave up our #41 and a 3rd rounder next year to get the 24-year old RW from the Ducks.  Ironically enough we got back a third rounder from Ottawa trading down a few spots from #36 to #42 so essentially we recouped part of the cost of this deal.  What’s hilarious to me is Ducks GM Bob Murray’s quote on Palmeri after trading him, I can’t find the exact quote at the moment but essentially he said, ‘we felt Kyle would score 20 goals this year and if he did we wouldn’t be able to afford him next offseason’.  That’s about as much a stamp of approval from a player that’s being given up by a GM I can imagine.  And there’s at least some truth to it, Palmeri had 15 goals and 15 assists in 59 games last year, playing limited role on a stacked Ducks team.  As a young RW we desperately needed, he’ll certainly get more icetime in key situations here.

#42 Mackenzie Blackwood – G, Barrie OHL

I admit I was initally taken aback…how can you take a depth goalie this soon?  The more I thought about it (rationalizing?), the more it makes sense to me though.  Really you’re taking goalies for 6-7 years down the road anyway since most aren’t starters until they’re 24-25 years old and this kid’s 18.  By the time he is 24, current starter Cory Schneider will be 35 and toward the end of a six-year contract he hasn’t played a game in yet.  Plus if you go by the BPA rationale in most cases, clearly from everything that was said afterward this guy was not only the top rated goalie on the Devils’ board but the top player rated at that point of the draft.  His athletic ability given his size, and his puckhandling skills make him an intriguing name for down the road.   Some fans think of goalies the way they do running backs in the NHL, apart from the top few guys they’re a dime a dozen.  Tell that to all the teams that were flipping 2nd, 3rd (and even first in the case of Buffalo) round picks just for lightly proven guys or short-term backups.  If this guy lives up to billing he could wind up being worth it one way or another down the road.

#67 Blake Speers – C, Sault St. Marie OHL

If the Devils got a NHL RW they needed with Palmeri, they got a prospect RW they needed in Speers, a 5’11, 181 pound forward who up up a 24-43-67 line in just 57 games this year.  Given the supposed depth of this draft Speers might have been a second-round pick in another year, but he was a high third-rounder for us and fit in with the speed and skill mandate that seems to have been the main focus of Shero and head scout David Conte.  What I like about Speers besides his tangibles are the fact he seems self-aware about what he needs to do to improve his game and willing to do it:

“I’ve gained 20 pounds since my rookie year in the Ontario Hockey League,” he said. “I still have a little ways to go in terms of strength and stuff like that, but once I get that in order I think my development will really hit a good curve….I’ve just go to work on my strength. Once my strength gets in order I think more and more things will come easier. Game-wise. I’ve got to take the puck to the net a little more, shoot the puck a little more. Once I start doing those things more, things will fall into place and I’ll get better.”

#97 Colton White – D, Sault St. Marie OHL

Clearly the Devils caught a lot of Sault St. Marie’s games this year, picking Speers’ teammate White with a high fourth rounder.  We needed another left-handed defenseman in the system and White fits that mold.  White is regarded as a good skater and passer with untapped offensive potential from the blueline.  If this guy ever makes the Devils though, seeing a C. White that can skate and create offensively won’t compute for me.  At least Shero won’t be able to give him #5 to make me die laughing, as long as Adam Larsson remains a Devil anyway.

#157 Brent Seney – LW, Merrimack College Hockey East

Without a fifth rounder and seventh-rounder thanks to trades in prior seasons, Seney was the last pick of this draft.  Clearly he’s a pocket skater, standing at 5’9, 156 pounds and is a 19-year old that was passed over in his first year of draft eligibility.  Seney put up 26 points in 34 games during his first season of college, and also fits into the speed and skill mold Shero was clearly aiming for this year.  Heck, he’d better be fast at that height and weight.

Overall I’d give Shero’s draft a solid thumbs up…grading at this point is a fool’s errand – especially with my limited knowledge of draft prospects outside the top ten or so – but combining need with value it seemed to me they did a good job and getting Palmeri was a nice, unexpected boost for the NHL forward core.  Zacha on Day One will be the guy counted on to make the most immediate impact, and judging by this weekend at least he seems like he truly wants to be here, citing Patrik Elias and Jaromir Jagr as great Czech players he admired and the fact he wanted to play for us precisely because of our history with Czech players.  Zacha even made a surprise appearance at a season ticket holder meet and greet this afternoon, joining GM Shero and coach Hynes and garnering a standing ovation upon his arrival.

Of course with the Devils being the Devils, this event couldn’t go off without a hitch.  It was supposed to start at 4 PM but wound up beginning at 4:50, with EJ Hradek asking questions of Shero, Hynes and eventually Zacha before the audience got its turn.  I do think EJ did a fine job with his part of the hour, among other things asking Shero for details about the Palmeri trade and what went into their first and second-round picks.  After he was finished, there was only time for several questions from the audience unfortunately, but one of the better ones was an older guy who wanted to know whether we would have a defense of just Andy Greene with five relatively inexperienced guys next season, which is what our defense will be barring any trades or FA signings.  Shero didn’t seem too worried about that prospect, and given his actions in the last few weeks in terms of leaving forward spots open for younger players I’m inclined to think he’s going to do the same with the defense, even with all the still relatively inexperienced guys already set in starting positions there.  At this point I could see us signing one RW to fill out our NHL roster (the Jets’ Michael Frolik has been mentioned as a possibility) and being done with FA after that.

In any case, it was still nice of Shero, Hynes and Zacha to fly straight up from Florida the day after the draft to be here, especially in Zacha’s case considering he’s got to go back to Florida to meet up with his family before going back home to the Czech Republic.  Zacha inadvertently provided the highlight of the afternoon when someone asked him if he felt he’d play in the NHL this year, on the fly he said laughingly – that’s a question for them (referring to Shero and Hynes).  Some of the other audience questions were a bit bizarre and not really worth recapping.  Made me wish I had asked one of mine, particularly of coach Hynes who wasn’t as much a subject of the questions as the other two.  At least the Devils offered up some light sandwich bites and cold pasta salad along with soft drink and a few snacks and to their credit almost a thousand season ticket holders showed up for this event on a Sunday afternoon (judging by the fact the entire center-ice section was filled up).

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Rangers acquire Raanta from Blackhawks

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Derek

Before Day 2 of the NHL Draft wrapped up, Rangers general manager Glen Sather stayed busy. After dealing Carl Hagelin and Cam Talbot, he was able to find Henrik Lundqvist’s new backup acquiring Antti Raanta from the Blackhawks in exchange for Ryan Haggerty.

The 26-year old Raanta fell to third on the depth chart in Chicago behind Corey Crawford and Scott Darling. Despite that, the Finnish goalie put up solid numbers going 7-4-1 in 14 games with a 1.89 goals-against-average, .936 save percentage and two shutouts. He also went 8-1-1 with a 2.39 GAA, .918 save percentage and two shutouts with Rockford in the AHL.

Originally, Raanta was signed by the Hawks in 2013 after spending his first five pro seasons back home in Finland for Lukko Rauma and Assat Por of SM-liiga. He’s signed for 2015-16 making $800,000 with a cap hit of $750,000. Raanta can become unrestricted next summer.

At the very least, he’ll be a stop gap for the Blueshirts allowing Mackenzie Skapski to spend a second pro year in Hartford after recovering from hip surgery. The Rangers also boast goalie prospects Brandon Halverson and Igor Shestyorkin in the system.

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Rangers trade Hagelin to Ducks, Talbot to Oilers

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Derek
Happy Hags: Overtime hero Carl Hagelin celebrates his series clinching goal that eliminated the Penguins in Game 5. The Rangers now await the winner between the Capitals and Islanders. AP Photo by Julie Jacobson/Getty Images

Good Luck Hags: Overtime hero Carl Hagelin celebrates his series clinching goal that eliminated the Penguins in Game 5. He’ll now play for the Ducks after being dealt for Emerson Etem and the number 41 pick. 
AP Photo by Julie Jacobson/Getty Images

After a quiet Day 1, the Rangers are very busy today in Day 2 of the Draft. They traded two players and also moved down to get more picks.

The first move came when GM Glen Sather dealt Carl Hagelin, the 59th pick and 179th to the Ducks for Emerson Etem and their 41st overall. In dealing away the speedy 26-year old Hagelin, the Rangers saved money. Hagelin was going to cost too much. Especially with limited room to significantly bump up Derek Stepan while re-signing Jesper Fast and J.T. Miller. Plus they’ll need to sign a backup goalie and seventh defenseman.

Hagelin probably would’ve cost $3.5 million. As good as he was in a checking role killing penalties, the popular Swede plateaued. He was never gonna be better than the 17 goals and 35 points he put up. We’ll always have that memorable overtime winner in Game 5 of the first round against the Pens. Unfortunately, his scoring dried up finishing with two goals and three assists in the postseason.

Like many Blueshirts, I’ll miss Hags. He plays with so much heart never taking a shift off. His speed was an asset. He got breakaways and drove possession. His penalty killing was superb. I’ll be rooting for him in Anaheim. Thanks for a great four years.

In acquiring the 23-year old Etem, the Rangers are banking on his upside. A former Ducks 2010 first round pick who was a big scorer in the WHL, he still hasn’t established himself as a consistent player. He’s played parts of three seasons with Anaheim totaling 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points in 112 games. After a stint with Norfolk in which he tallied 13 goals and 21 points, Etem went 5-5-10 in 45 games. However, he did match his 2013 playoff total with three goals in 12 games this Spring. He has size going 6-1, 206 pounds.

From what I’ve seen, he’s a good forechecker who takes the body. While he still hasn’t carved a niche, maybe the scenery change will work. Etem is a top nine forward but must gain Alain Vigneault’s trust. At 23, time is ticking. He’s restricted but comes much cheaper after earning $810,000 in the final year of his rookie contract.

With the 41st pick, the Rangers selected Canadian left wing Ryan Gropp. Listed at 6-2, 187 pounds, Gropp scored 30 goals with 28 assists for 58 points with 44 penalty minutes in his second year with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League. In six postseason games, he added a goal and seven helpers. I’ll have more later on him and other picks.

After failing to get a first round pick for Cam Talbot, Sather dealt him to the Oilers with number 209 for picks 57, 79 and 184. He then moved the 57th pick to the Capitals for number 62 and 113. The Rangers took potential Hagelin replacement Robin Kovacs. Another Swede, Kovacs played for AIK in Sweden’s second division pacing them with 17 goals, 28 points and 63 penalty minutes. His favorite player is Steven Stamkos and compares his style to former Blueshirt Marian Gaborik.

Talbot will finally get the chance to become a number one goalie. But he’ll have to do it for rebuilding Edmonton who landed future superstar Connor McDavid with the number one overall pick and took a chance on former Islander Griffin Reinhart to upgrade their blueline.

It’ll be trial by fire for the popular former Rangers backup who guided them to the President’s Trophy. He’ll turn 28 next month and is signed for 2014-15 making $1.45 million. Of course, the Oilers will have to extend him next January. Hope Cam becomes a star. He’ll be counted on with Ben Scrivens who also is signed for one year and is 28.

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NHL Draft Summary: Sabres and Islanders Hit Home Runs Early

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Derek
Future Watch: Top 3 picks Connor McDavid (middle), Jack Eichel (right) and Dylan Strome (left) pose for a photo op. AP Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images

Future Watch: Top 3 picks Connor McDavid (middle), Jack Eichel (right) and Dylan Strome (left) pose for a photo op.
AP Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images

The first round of the 2015 NHL Draft was fast moving. Following the Oilers selecting Connor McDavid and the Sabres grabbing Jack Eichel, the Coyotes opted to keep their pick and take Dylan Strome. The younger brother of current Islander Ryan. With Arizona going for Strome, highly touted Boston College defenseman Noah Hanifin fell to five where the Hurricanes grabbed him. Prior to Hanifin going to Carolina, the Leafs scored big with scoring forward Mitchell Marner.

With Marner and Hanifin off the board, the Devils went for big Czech center Pavel Zacha. Ironically, a player who idolizes Patrik Elias will get the chance to become a teammate of the all-time franchise scoring leader. He also plays with an edge which should please Devil fans. Zacha plays for the Sarnia Sting of the OHL and put up 34 points (16-18-34) in 37 games.

Rounding out the top 10, the Flyers landed big scoring Russian defenseman Ivan Provorov who TSN’s Bob McKenzie gushed over referring to him as “the best defenseman in the draft.” After failing to trade up for the Coyotes third overall pick, the Jackets also took a blueliner grabbing American Zachary Werenski. One of the Rangers’ trade targets for Cam Talbot, the Sharks instead kept the ninth pick and took forward Timo Meier. With the 10th pick, the Avalanche went for Finn Mikko Rantanen.

While the draft was running smoothly, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was busy announcing #WeHaveATrade to the Florida Panthers crowd. The biggest one was made by the Sabres who went big going for center Ryan O’Reilly. The much rumored two-way forward was dealt by Colorado with winger Jamie McGinn to Buffalo for a big package that included former first round pick Mikhail Grigorenko, J.T. Compher, defenseman Nikita Zadorov and the number 31st overall pick in Round 2.

Such a move was accurately predicted in this space. For the Sabres, it made plenty of sense to acquire someone with O’Reilly’s skill set. Still only 24, he’s been in the league for six years already making the Avs roster as an 18-year old second round pick in 2009. O’Reilly played all 82 games for Colorado tallying 17 goals and 38 assists for 55 points. He has totaled 246 points (90-156-246) in 427 career games.

Once the Avs dealt for former Bruin pivot Carl Soderberg, the writing was on the wall. O’Reilly is signed one more year and will earn $6.2 million. He can turn unrestricted next summer. Buffalo’s plan is to pair him with Eichel forming a dynamic 1-2 center duo. A significant upgrade from buyout candidate Cody Hodgson. Buffalo gave up a ton for O’Reilly. So, I doubt he’s going anywhere. What GM Tim Murray has masterfully done is buy time for 2014 first round pick Sam Reinhart who now won’t have to be rushed.

Don’t forget too that Murray used another first rounder, Brendan Lemieux and Tyler Myers to acquire Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian from Winnipeg. Former Sabre Drew Stafford was also in that deal and is unrestricted July 1. The Jets used the 25th overall pick on American prospect Jack Roslovic. The full deal included Joel Sarmia going to the Jets for goalie Jason Kasdorf.

McGinn isn’t chopped liver either. The 26-year old former Av is a top nine forward with some scoring touch. In 2013-14, he tallied a career high 19 goals with 19 assists for 38 points. However, injuries limited him to just 19 games and six points this past season. He’s due $3 million in 2015-16 and then becomes unrestricted.

With Buffalo now featuring O’Reilly, Kane, Eichel, Tyler Ennis, Zemgus Girgensons and Matt Moulson, there’s a lot to like. They also upgraded in net acquiring Robin Lehner who they hope will become the number one goalie they’ve lacked since dealing away Ryan Miller. They were willing to take on David Legwand’s salary with Lehner for the 21st pick which Ottawa spent on American center Colin White. No. Not the former Devil defenseman. 😉

While the Sabres were big winners, so too were the Islanders. Entering the draft, GM Garth Snow had no first round picks. By night’s conclusion, he wound up with a pair in two trades. The first one featured defenseman Griffin Reinhart who was dealt to the Oilers for picks 16 and 33. When Bettman went up to make the announcement, many Rangers fans thought it was about to be for Talbot.

Instead, Snow trolled us by using a chip to grab Canadian center Mathew Barzal who slipped thanks to the Bruins going off the board with two of their three picks. A player who idolizes Patrick Kane and whose favorite non-hockey player is LeBron James, Barzal put up 12 goals and 45 assists for 57 points in 44 games for the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. He overcame a knee injury and fell down which is why Snow traded up to get him. A move which was universally praised by TSN’s panel including McKenzie and Pierre McGuire.

In dealing away Reinhart, Snow had a position player the Oilers needed. Reinhart is 21 and was originally selected by the Isles fourth overall in 2012. So, he has a high ceiling. However, with other defensemen passing him in a deep Islanders system, Snow dealt from strength and got a player he wanted. That he also got the Oilers’ 33rd overall pick was a bonus which came in handy. He did extremely well.

For what it’s worth, Reinhart looked out of place in the eight games and one postseason game he got into. It doesn’t mean he can’t reach his potential. A former Edmonton Oil King is back home and will now be counted on by the Oilers on the back end. Reinhart tallied 22 points (7-15-22) in 59 games for Bridgeport in his first pro year. Maybe the scenery change will work.

Snow wasn’t done wheeling and dealing using the 33rd pick he got from Edmonton along with his 72nd to select pesky forward Anthony Beauvillier. A player compared to Pat Verbeek. Beauvillier is listed at 5-10 173 pounds. He led the Shawnigan Cataractes of the QMJHL in goals (42), assists (52) and points (94) with 72 penalty minutes over 67 games. He also added seven points (2-5-7) with 14 PIM in seven postseason games.

The irony was that the second trade also involved the Rangers’ first round pick which they originally included in the Ryan Callahan trade for Martin St. Louis with the Lightning. So, the 28th overall pick became the Isles. The second consecutive year Snow traded up to select someone at number 28. Last year, it was Josh Ho-Sang who originally was the Rangers 2014 other first rounder in the same St. Louis deal. In last year’s draft, the Bolts traded the rights to Ho-Sang for two second round picks (Dominik Masin and Johnathan MacLeod). Got all that?

In another move, the Devils acquired forward Kyle Palmieri from the Ducks for the 41st pick in the second round. It’ll be a homecoming of sorts with the 24-year old Smithtown, New York native getting the chance to play in Newark. A top nine forward, Palmieri posted 14 goals and 15 assists for 29 points in 57 contests for the Ducks while adding a goal and three helpers in the postseason. In 198 total games, he has 89 points (43-46-89). Set to earn $1.6 million, he’ll become restricted next summer.

Palmieri has never been a big scorer at the NHL level but did score a combined 61 for the Ducks’ AHL affiliate Syracuse. He also hasn’t always been healthy. We’ll see if the change of scenery works. For more on the Devils, please check out Hasan’s post on Pavel Zacha and Palmieri.

For the entire first round summary, please refer here. The rest of the Draft continues Saturday with Round 2 getting started at 10 AM. Rounds 2 thru 7 will be televised on NHL Network. At least it’ll be seen without interruption. With a flurry of activity pushing the first round over NBCSN’s 10 PM time slot due to Running, they eventually had to go live for the Women’s 100 Meters in Oregon prior to the Coyotes’ 30th overall selection of Nicholas Merkley which I believe they got wrong calling him Barkley. Oops. Arizona acquired the pick from the Blackhawks. 

All in all, NBCSN did a great job. They at least went back to tell us who the Coyotes picked even if they accidentally said Nick Barkley. I thought everything was top notch from Bettman’s #WeHaveATrade to Panthers fans going nuts when their pick of Lawson Crouse which was a steal at 11th overall. I also loved John Davidson congratulating the Blackhawks and actually acknowledging the Panthers for their hard work hosting. So many executives didn’t show any courtesy with Flyers GM Ron Hextall wasting no time.

When all is said and done, we’ll be following McDavid and Eichel closely. But this is a deep draft and there will be other good players who come out of it. Let’s not forget that. As for Talbot, I have no clue what Sather is thinking. But he doesn’t have to trade him if he doesn’t like what’s offered. If Cam doesn’t get moved later today, he’s probably staying which still gives the Rangers the best backup. Might not be a bad thing considering Mackenzie Skapski recovering from hip surgery and Cedric Desjardins unproven. Only time will tell.

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Devils draft Zacha, trade for Palmieri (apparently)

Posted on June 26, 2015 by hasan4978

If hiring John Hynes was Ray Shero’s first important move as Devils GM, the first night of the NHL draft showed us Shero’s first moves toward reshaping the roster and stocking the prospect cupboard.  With a #6 overall pick, I was obviously hoping the Devils would pick a high-end forward prospect, given how needy we are at forwards at every level.  Although the pipedream of Mitch Marner or Dylan Strome getting to us didn’t materialize, the Devils did just fine in my opinion with Pavel Zacha from the Czech Republic.  Zacha’s a big boy at 6’3, 210 despite being only 18 years old, who’s already played professionally in the Czech league before going to the OHL and playing with the Sarnia Sting this year.  Despite an injury and suspension, he had 18 goals and 34 points in 37 games this year, also showing a bit of an edge with 56 penalty minutes.

Zacha projects as either a big center or a power wing, and an added bonus is the fact Zacha truly seemed like he wanted to come here, even before the draft indicating he felt the interview with the Devils had been the best and that he wanted to come here given our recent history with Czech players like Patrik Elias, Petr Sykora and Marek Zidlicky along with Jaromir Jagr’s stopover.  Zacha also indicated he had a picture of him and Elias with the Stanley Cup when Elias brought the Cup home in 2003, and joked now he could get him to autograph the picture.

Despite not having another first-round pick, the Devils’ night wasn’t done.  Even though NBCSN inexcusably cut out before the final pick of the first round and thus I had to find out about the Devils’ surprising late-night trade from Twitter.  All throughout the offseason I figured the Devils would probably trade one of their high picks for an NHL forward and as it turned out, they apparently dealt their lower second-round pick (41) and a 2016 third-rounder (we had two) for the Ducks’ Kyle Palmieri.  Palmieri’s a 24-year old RW who’s a good role player, putting up 14 goals and 29 points in 57 games mostly on lower lines, and would some speed and ability at a controlled cost.  For an added bonus, he’s a Jersey kid which will make many fellow locals happy.  I say the deal’s apparently done cause in Tom Gulutti’s last tweet he indicated the deal wasn’t officially done yet though speculation is we were also trying to get Matt Beleskey’s rights in the trade.  I’d be fine with the trade even without Beleskey’s rights, I wouldn’t want to blow it on something like that when we could just sign him in a few days anyway.

UPDATE: More speculation from TG as to why the trade isn’t official:

3m3 minutes ago

Possible hold-up on trade becoming official is Palmieri is not in N. America and Ducks having trouble reaching him to tell him of trade.

Hopefully this trade goes through one way or another.  Assuming it does I’d say Mr. Shero had a pretty good first night.

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Draft Day Madness Continues: Lucic dealt to Kings

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Derek

With the Draft less than two hours away, the dominoes continue to fall in Boston. The Bruins made their third deal of the day sending Milan Lucic packing to the Kings in exchange for LA’s 13th overall pick, goalie Martin Jones and D prospect Colin Miller.

No surprise here as once Bruins GM Don Sweeney moved Dougie Hamilton to the Flames, he had to deal Lucic to recover assets. In acquiring the number 13 pick, Boston now has picks 13, 14 and 15 in tonight’s first round. With Boston still needing a young blueliner to replace Hamilton, figure Sweeney to be busy working the phones with the Coyotes for the third overall pick. If they are able to acquire the number three pick, look for them to select Boston College defenseman Noah Hanifin. He’s ranked third among North American skaters and put up 23 points (5-18-23) in his freshman year.

The Bruins were able to get a better return for Lucic than Hamilton. Jones was LA’s backup behind Jonathan Quick. The 25-year old could be moved again to a team that needs a starting goalie. The Stars, Sharks, Oilers and Panthers are all bidding on Rangers backup Cam Talbot. The Canucks also have Eddie Lack available assuming they keep Ryan Miller. Miller is a former 2012 fifth round pick of the Kings who tallied 19 goals and 52 points in his second pro year with Manchester in the AHL. He’s 22 and should compete for a spot on Boston’s blueline. Boston re-signed Adam McQuaid to a four-year deal worth a reported $11 million.

As for the Kings, it looks like they’re all in with Lucic and Anze Kopitar possibly available in 2016. With Mike Richards expected to be bought out, Los Angeles will take a big shot at winning their third Cup in five years after missing the playoffs. They are set to lose former Conn Smythe winner Justin Williams this July and controversial checking center Jarrett Stoll. However, the pieces are still in place with a core that features Norris runner-up Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin, Alex Martinez on the back end with Kopitar, Lucic, Marian Gaborik, Jeff Carter, captain Dustin Brown, Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson all up front plus Quick in net.

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NHL Draft Day: Flames acquire Dougie Hamilton from Bruins

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Derek

With the NHL Draft over three hours away, the movement continues. The Bruins unloaded their second player of the day sending defenseman Dougie Hamilton to the Flames for a first round pick and two seconds. Calgary sends Boston the 15th, 45th and 55th picks in this year’s draft. A similar payment had they signed him to a offer sheet.

Fearing they couldn’t re-sign the Group II free agent, Boston GM Don Sweeney unloaded the talented 22-year old Hamilton to Calgary who have plenty of room to fit him in. Hamilton set career highs in goals (10) assists (32), points (42), power play goals (5) and power play points (15) in 72 games for the Bruins. He finished his rookie deal making $1.49 million. Unlike Boston whose cap is tighter, Calgary has over 21 million to spend and should have no problem re-signing Hamilton to a extension.

The move is still perplexing because the Bruins defense isn’t good. With aging captain Zdeno Chara still with three years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $6.92 million and Dennis Seidenberg also signed through 2018, Boston weakened themselves dramatically on the blueline. Torey Krug is due $3.4 million in 2015-16 before turning restricted next summer. The rest of the D on the current roster are Adam McQuaid, Matt Bartkowski and Kevan Miller.

There probably is another trade coming. Milan Lucic’s name has been mentioned as trade bait with the bruising power forward open to a deal back home to Vancouver. He is entering his final year earning $6.5 million with a cap hit of $6 million. The 27-year old can test the market in 2016 and could command between $7.5 to $8 million per year. Considering that Brad Marchand is signed through 2017 and the Bruins are tied to top centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci through 2020, it makes plenty of sense to unload Lucic and retool.

As for the Flames, they now boast the league’s deepest defense featuring captain Mark Giordano, Dennis Wideman, T.J. Brodie, Kris Russell, newly acquired Hamilton and top heavyweight Deryk Engelland. Perhaps Ladislav Smid ($3.5 million) becomes expendable. He has two years left on his current deal worth $7.75 million. Even scarier, Calgary has all their top forwards signed but Jiri Hudler and David Jones are unrestricted next summer while Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau will be due big raises. Figure Brian Burke to turn his attention to that in due time.

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Sabres acquire Robin Lehner

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Derek

In a morning deal on Draft Day, the Sabres acquired Robin Lehner from the Senators. The full deal which was broken earlier on Twitter also netted them David Legwand in exchange for the 21st overall pick. They’ll pick up all of Legwand’s remaining contract. He’s owed $3.5 million this season.

For Buffalo, GM Tim Murray balked at Glen Sather’s asking price for Cam Talbot opting instead to trade for the younger Lehner. He doesn’t turn 24 until July 24. Originally drafted by Ottawa in the second round of the 2009 Draft, the Swedish netminder has spent parts of four seasons with the Senators totaling 30 wins with a 2.88 goals-against-average and .914 save percentage in 86 career games.

Lehner struggled this past season posting a 3.02 GAA and .905 save percentage in 25 games winning just nine of 24 starts. He has two years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $2.025 million and will earn $3.15 million in 2016-17 before becoming restricted next summer.

With the Sabres still selecting Jack Eichel second overall along with having two second round picks including 31 and 51 (NYI), they used the first round pick they got from the Islanders in the Thomas Vanek deal on a goalie. Due to the emergence of Andrew Hammond, Lehner became expendable. With Ottawa still having Craig Anderson and the Hamburglar, it made sense to trade him. Now Buffalo will hope Lehner can fulfill his potential and become their number one.

They still have tons of cap space. I wonder if Murray will make a play for Ryan O’Reilly. The Avalanche aren’t keeping him after dealing for Carl Soderberg who they foolishly overpaid giving the center five years worth $4.75 million per season with a full no-trade clause the first two years. They only parted with a sixth round pick to Boston who might actually deal Dougie Hamilton if they can pry away the Coyotes third overall pick. The Blue Jackets are said to be very interested. They have the number eight pick.

Full draft coverage later.

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