Some interesting draft day moves in the National Hockey League:
Mike Richards to LA: So, the guy who didn't like to talk to reporters in Philly is off to the City of Angels, where the Kings are mostly an afterthought, where reporters aren't as strong in their demands of players as in the hockey-mad city of Philadelphia. This will probably make Richie happy.
Having the former Flyers captain on the Kings team, perhaps as a second-line centre behind their established superstar Anze Kopitar instantly transforms this team into a competitor in the Western Conference. And that makes the Kings fan base happy. For mine, the Kings are as deep down the centre as anyone else out in the west, and perhaps this is the acquisition they needed to go from regular playoff appearances to the point where they’re vying for the Western Conference crown.
They gave up Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn and a draft pick. That’s pretty reasonable. Los Angeles fans should be happy with that.
Jeff Carter to Columbus: The second half of Philadelphia’s effort to clear house in order to sign their new favourite goalie. Jeff Carter is headed to C-Bus to join Rick Nash and the perennially under-achieving Blue Jackets, where he will probably be their top line centre, and perhaps, along with Canadian superstar Nash, the face of the team. Apparently they’re pretty happy in Ohio, and it’s fair to say that Carter’s trade may be the lifeblood that the franchise needed. After all, they get a guy who had 36 goals and 30 assists a year ago, along with a +27 rating. Not bad numbers.
Ilya Bryzgalov to Philadelphia: There was a reason why Carter and Richards were shipped out. The Flyers need a good goalie, not Leighton or Bobrovsky or Boucher, all of whom are mediocre at best, and they believe that former Coyotes net minder Ilya Bryzgalov is their guy. So out they went, signed a guy who really hasn’t shown much in the post-season to a nine-year deal, reportedly worth $51 million. This could be a killer, especially given that they’ve had to let go two great guys – Richards and Carter – to land this deal. I guess time will tell.
Brian Campbell to Florida: The Blackhawks have been looking to jettison their expensive veteran defenseman for some time. Last season, Campbell was the third most expensive player on the Hawks roster, behind Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith. I don't care what language you speak, that’s just crazy. Stan Bowman, Chicago GM, knew a move had to be made, and he made it. Done and done.
Campbell is working the third year of an eight-year deal that will pay more than $56 million. It seemed a crazy deal at the time, and still is. But he’ll be a good player for the Florida Panthers, who need a nice veteran guy patrolling the blue line, a Stanley Cup champion, a recognised star, and the sort of player you’d want to have guiding and counselling the young team that the Panthers are building down south.
Let’s be honest, the Blackhawks defensive corps is strong, with guys like Keith and Seabrook and Hjalmarsson on the team, Campbell won't be missed so much. His cap hit certainly will not be. Basically he was wasted money, at more than $7 million a season. Consider why: he didn't ever skate on the Power Play, didn't kill penalties and not one of the top 4 defensemen on the roster.
Troy Brouwer to Washington: Another interesting one from the Blackhawks, who were busy on Day One of the 2011 Entry Draft. Of course, Chicago traded away half their team after the 2010 Stanley Cup run – Byfuglien, Versteeg, Ladd, Niemi – and definitely felt the effects for much of last season. But a first round pick isn't easy to come by in this day and age, so getting the Caps’ 26th selection was a pretty good trade-off for someone of Brouwer’s skill. Now, with some space cleared, the Chicago Blackhawks are poised to be real players when free agency begins on July 1.
On the flip side, it’s definitely an interesting move for Washington, a smart franchise known for holding onto their first rounders, and getting solid players – Karl Alzner, anyone? – with them. Not that I’m going to doubt George McPhee, one of the most brilliant GMs in the business.
Brent Burns to San Jose: The San Jose Sharks apparently decided that it was another prime defender that had thus far kept them from winning a Western Conference title. To remedy that, they went out and got Minnesota’s All-Star Brent Burns, trading the recently re-signed Devin Setoguchi, a first rounder from last year, Charlie Coyle, the 28th pick in this year’s draft and a second round pick in next year’s draft.
Yeah, a pretty big price to pay, especially considering that Setoguchi hasn’t yet reached his prime, but San Jose badly need another blue-liner, and there are few better in the league than Burns. Whether or not they will suffer without Setoguchi and his offensive output – 22 goals and 19 assists in the 2010-11 regular season – remains to be seen. At least they get a high-scoring defenseman in Burns, who scored 17 goals and had 29 helpers. In a tough, even Western Conference, this might be a really shrewd trade. Of course, it might crash and burn, too.
Up north in Minnesota, the diehard fans will be disappointed to be losing another fan favourite. It was Derek Boogaard last year – RIP Boogey – and now their all-star defenseman, Burns, one of the most recognisable faces on the Wild roster has departed, and will leave something of a PR hole, aside from his obvious on-ice talent. That’s not to say that they won't come to love Setoguchi as the San Jose Sharks fans have.
All of this before the start of the always-interesting National Hockey League free agency period on 01 July.
Troy Brouwer to Washington: Another interesting one from the Blackhawks, who were busy on Day One of the 2011 Entry Draft. Of course, Chicago traded away half their team after the 2010 Stanley Cup run – Byfuglien, Versteeg, Ladd, Niemi – and definitely felt the effects for much of last season. But a first round pick isn't easy to come by in this day and age, so getting the Caps’ 26th selection was a pretty good trade-off for someone of Brouwer’s skill. Now, with some space cleared, the Chicago Blackhawks are poised to be real players when free agency begins on July 1.
On the flip side, it’s definitely an interesting move for Washington, a smart franchise known for holding onto their first rounders, and getting solid players – Karl Alzner, anyone? – with them. Not that I’m going to doubt George McPhee, one of the most brilliant GMs in the business.
Brent Burns to San Jose: The San Jose Sharks apparently decided that it was another prime defender that had thus far kept them from winning a Western Conference title. To remedy that, they went out and got Minnesota’s All-Star Brent Burns, trading the recently re-signed Devin Setoguchi, a first rounder from last year, Charlie Coyle, the 28th pick in this year’s draft and a second round pick in next year’s draft.
Yeah, a pretty big price to pay, especially considering that Setoguchi hasn’t yet reached his prime, but San Jose badly need another blue-liner, and there are few better in the league than Burns. Whether or not they will suffer without Setoguchi and his offensive output – 22 goals and 19 assists in the 2010-11 regular season – remains to be seen. At least they get a high-scoring defenseman in Burns, who scored 17 goals and had 29 helpers. In a tough, even Western Conference, this might be a really shrewd trade. Of course, it might crash and burn, too.
Up north in Minnesota, the diehard fans will be disappointed to be losing another fan favourite. It was Derek Boogaard last year – RIP Boogey – and now their all-star defenseman, Burns, one of the most recognisable faces on the Wild roster has departed, and will leave something of a PR hole, aside from his obvious on-ice talent. That’s not to say that they won't come to love Setoguchi as the San Jose Sharks fans have.
All of this before the start of the always-interesting National Hockey League free agency period on 01 July.
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