Let the moves begin.
The first shoe dropped - or, to put it into the hockey vernacular, the first skate fell in the Detroit Red Wings’ trade deadline housecleaning, as the club capitalized on the desperation of the Philadelphia Flyers to deal them goaltender Petr Mrazek.
Just within the week, after Philadelphia goalie Brian Elliott was sidelined by a lower-body injury, the Wings had offered Mrazek to the Flyers and were rebuffed by Philly general manager Ron Hextall. But when Michal Neuvirth, Philly’s only other goaltender with significant NHL experience, went down in Sunday’s game against the New York Rangers with a lower-body injury, suddenly, Mrazek was a much more attractive addition.
The Wings got a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2018 NHL entry draft and a conditional third-round pick in the 2019 draft for Mrazek, and also agreed to pay half of what remains on his $4.15 million salary for the remainder of the season.
The conditions run the gauntlet of possibilities. If the Flyers make the playoffs and Mrazek posts at least five regular-season victories for them, the fourth-round pick moves up to the third round. If the Flyers advance to the conference finals and Mrazek wins six games in the postseason, the picks jumps to the second round. If Mrazek opts to re-sign with the Flyers, the Red Wings receive Philadelphia’s third-round pick in 2019.
The Wings found themselves in a quandary regarding Mrazek. In the last year of his contract, the Wings would have been forced to make a qualifying offer of at least $4 million to him, otherwise Mrazek would become an unrestricted free agent.
Up until recently, Mrazek’s play certainly didn’t warrant that level of reinvestment. But he’d gone 5-2-2 since mid-January, posting two shutouts and allowing just one goal in four other appearances during that span.
“I think confidence is a huge thing for any player, certainly goalies it’s exacerbated,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill was saying of Mrazek prior to Sunday’s 3-2 loss to Toronto. “I think when he’s on his game, when you’re confident, you look bigger in the net for whatever reason, you play a little bit bigger.
“I think his depth management’s real good. He doesn’t get too far out, doesn’t get too far back. He’s not out of control, he’s in control, he doesn’t over-slide. When he’s on his game, pucks stick to him a little bit more. I would say those would be the big factors.”
Mrazek couldn’t stick in Detroit. He’s the first to go, but he won’t be the last. Count on it.
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