For three weeks this past winter the NHL went a little crazy. There was a player realignment, the likes of which haven't been seen since... well since right after the lockout ended.But still I digress that this was very unexpected and hard to really absorb everything that happened when it went down.
Since I have decided to sign into blogger for the first time in months as well as celebrating the fact that I have NHL Network on my TV provider again, let's run down what were, in my eyes, the more significant, strange, or potentially disastrous moves of the offseason.
San Jose steals Brett Burns from Minnesota:
Possibly the best move of the offseason. The Sharks get a top pair defenceman who can take some of the load off of Dan Boyle either by skating with Boyle or on another blueline pair. San Jose gives up Devin Setoguchi, Charlie Coyle, and their first round draft pick for Burns and a second round pick. Setoguchi will probably realize that he's not on a line with Joe Thornton anymore and go the way of Milan Michalek (66GP-18G-15A-33P- -12), the prospect and draft pick are crap shoots that may or may not become players for The Wild. So basically the Sharks got something they needed desperately for a player that was probably a product of his linemates and going to look for a raise. I hope Doug Wilson wore a mask when he made the trade call.
NYI signs Alexi Yashin:
Umm..... WAT? Yes its that Alexi Yashin. The same one the Isles have been paying to stay away from American ice. Yashin could always score, but he's the same guy that was such a locker room cancer that he's been paid to stay away. NYI might think that he could play a third line scoring role with maybe some power play time if he's behaving that week, but I'm shaking my head months later at the surpressed bad memories Islander fans (all 4000 of them) must have rushing back once they read "Yashin signs". If they wanted to take a flier on an eastern European NHL exile Yashin would have been my distant second choice.
The Flyers trades
Trading away they supposed foundations of the franchise was shocking to say the least and amazing in the way that Richards had FIFTEEN YEARS or so left on his deal. The Carter trade was semi-expected after nearly four years of trade rumors, his time had come after a bad playoff run. The haul for Carter shows that he is not as devalued as the Philly media would have you believe (Jakub Voracek, first round pick, and a third round pick). While that deal was largely praised for the need of a change in the Flyer locker room, the Richards deal was mid combination left hook to the liver for Flyer fans and media. There are still strong feelings that either Richards course in orange and black versus the opinion that the trade may well have been a huge over reaction. While I won't speculate on the various rumors I've heard that triggered the trade, I will say that the return may end up easily outweighing the loss of the captain. Brayden Schenn looks to make a Logan Couture like jump to the NHL, playing protected minutes on the lower lines and being a solid two way center. Wayne Simmonds is a good foil to Scott Hartnell adding some size and sand to the Flyer top nine. The Kings and Jackets each get in their respective returns, a mid-top tier center that adds scoring and penalty killing to their new teams.
Colorado signs JS Giguere
This move makes me think that the Avs are under the impression they aren't too far off from contending. After potentially stealing Erik Johnson from St Louis, the combination of these two moves along with Peter Meuller getting healthy, could mean that Colorado contends for a division title if not bigger shinier things. I know that I did say "if" an awful lot, but the Avs are potentially a darkhorse to come out of the west provided everything I said happens and Matt Duchene doesn't get Sidney Crosby'd.
Tampa signs Matt Gilroy
I like this move for TB. Its low risk at one year for $1 million and if Gilroy captures some of the flashes of good form he has shown with the Rangers he could very well fit on the second pair and maybe some power play time too. If not he's an expiring contract.
NY Rangers sign Brad Richards
Remains to be seen. On paper it looks brilliant, reunited with his coach from Tampa, centering a line with Marion Gaborik and maybe Vinny Prospal or Alex Frolov, and finally being the marque man in a marque market. It also takes pressure off of Derek Stepan and Brandon Dubinsky. But NYR has had a recent history of big name signees not working out and being a team more about the overachieving character guys that hustle (read: Callahan, Ryan) and not being good enough in front of Henrik Lundqvist. Hopefully it works out for my man from Prince Edward Island and he doesn't become another maligned free agent bust on Broadway.
Buffalo signs Ville Leino
Good move, he can fit in on a scoring line and-- wait they signed who for HOW MUCH? Six years, $27 million, and $4.5 million cap hit for... Ville. The same Ville Leino that scored two goals from February until the Flyers went out to Boston. Yeah. Okay. I guess you can still cash in on one good playoff run a full year later. Buffalo needed another 40 point guy on that roster that couldn't hit the net in the playoffs. Ville fits right in.
Dallas signs Sheldon Souray
Dallas lost they're best player on July 2. So what do they do? The Stars sign a powerplay quarterback at a bargain who can fit in the top four blueliners and provide a (hopefully) positive voice for the young guns in the locker room. Its gonna be a rough year for Dallas, best case scenario is that they sneak into the playoffs with the seventh or eighth seed. Souray provides a fourth NHL defenseman to go with Alex Goligoski, Stephane Robidas, and Trevor Daley if nothing else.
Those were just some of the moves that made me take notice this summer. With training camps set to open in the next few weeks it only seemed fitting to take a quick look at the summer that was. Hopefully it will be a good one since I can actually watch hockey on TV again. Which will hopefully lead to this blog having consistent content this season.
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