Kevin Allen Blogger •HHOF Writer's column on the NHL • RSS
• Archive
• CONTACT
Ek’s Notes: I am calling around and digging for the latest rumors this morning. My next post will be about the goalie carousel, which is complicated and very fluid right now. But first, here is Kevin’s take on some of the big trades that went down over the weekend.
Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher understands the definition of team sports insanity.
“We just can’t keep bringing the same players back year after year and expect different results,” Fletcher said. “We had to make changes this year. “
Fletcher addressed that in a major way over the past week, adding three major players (Ryan Ellis, Rasmus Ristolainen and Cam Atkinson) to upgrade his roster. Fletcher even shed Shayne Gostisbehere's contract. Fletcher did more to improve his team than most general managers. Overall, he’s been a major winner in the trade game. But he didn’t win every deal.
Here is a short-term analysis of trades that have been transacted in recent days.
Deal: Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic to the Detroit Red Wings for a third-round pick and goalie Jonathan Bernier’s negotiating rights.
Analysis: The Hurricanes decided they are an “all-in” team and wanted a more proven goalie. The Red Wings wanted a goalie ready to play now, but is young enough to be their goalie of the future. Nedeljkovic is only 25 and posted a 1.90 goals-against average last season as a Carolina Hurricanes.
Winner: Red Wings. They had no prize prospect goalie in their pipeline and now they have someone who could be their goalie for years to come.
Deal: Center Sam Reinhart to the Florida Panthers for a 2022 first-round draft pick and goalie prospect Devon Levi.
Analysis: Reinhart wanted out, and no one blames him. The Sabres are starting yet another rebuild. They want prospects and draft picks. Levi is a decent prospect, not a blue chipper. The Panthers’ pick is top 10 protected, meaning if Florida flops this season the draft pick becomes a 2023. More likely it will be a late 2022 first round pick. The Panthers are expected to be good, and Reinhart only makes them better. He is a consistent, effective scorer. He has averaged 22 goals per season for his first six NHL seasons.
Winner: Clean kill for the Panthers. Reinhart is worth more than the Sabres received for him.
Deal: Flyers receive right wing Cam Atkinson from Columbus Blue Jackets for Jakub Voracek
Analysis: We understand Voracek was a popular player in Columbus early in his career. But he’s not the same player he was then. Atkinson is 32 and Voracek is 31. Voracek has three seasons left on his contract at $8.25 million and Atkinson has four seasons at $5.8 million. Both players can still produce, although Atkinson might be the better player right now. “He's been one of the better five-on-five goal scorers in the league over seven, eight years,” Fletcher said. “He drives play. He's an elite penalty killer. I think he's second to Brad Marchand in shorthanded goals going back to 2014.”
Winner: Slight edge to the Flyers because Voracek was considered hard to move and Fletcher got a better player in return. Getting a player making less than Voracek is also a plus
Deal: Defenseman Seth Jones goes to the Blackhawks for defenseman Adam Boqvist a first-round pick (Cole Sillinger, son of former NHLer Mike Sillinger), a second-round pick, plus another first round pick in 2022 or 2023. The Blue Jackets used that second round pick to get Carolina puck-moving defenseman Jake Bean. The Blackhawks received Columbus No. 32 pick (defenseman Nolan Allan, Prince Albert) and a sixth round
Analysis: Jones could help the Blackhawks get back in the playoff picture, but they gave up a king’s ransom. They signed Jones to a contract paying him $9.5 million per season. Jones is a highly desirable player, but there is risk here.
Winner: Blue Jackets simply because they made the best of a bad situation. They had no leverage and managed to essentially get the equivalent of three first-round picks.
Deal: Flyers acquire defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen from Buffalo for Robert Hagg, a first-round pick (No. 14, Isak Rosen) in the 2021 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Analysis: The Flyers are deeper and more experienced on defense. Ristolainen will be a better player for Philadelphia than he was for Buffalo. He’s big, strong and boasts some offensive talent. Advanced stats experts are not high on Ristolainen.
Winner: Sabres. Ristolainen is a good fit in Philadelphia, but they gave up too much. Hagg is a valuable depth defenseman. He will be useful for the Sabres.
Deal: Flyers acquire defenseman Ryan Ellis for defenseman Philippe Myers and center Nolan Patrick
Analysis: Fletcher wanted to significantly bolster his defense and he did that by acquiring Ellis who is as effective offensively as he is defensively. Ellis is a significant acquisition. Myers is a quality defenseman who will move into Nashville’s lineup. GM David Poile trade Patrick to Vegas for Cody Glass. They are happy to have a young center to work into the lineup.
Winner: Everybody wins. The Flyers got the player they needed to play with Ivan Provorov and the Predators got rid of his lengthy salary cap hit of $6.25 million.The Predators are in the midst of rebuilding on the fly. Plus, they get a young defenseman who can play in Philippe Myers and an asset they turned into a promising young center.
Deal: Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland were traded to the Vancouver Canucks by the Arizona Coyotes for the No. 9 pick (Dylan Guenther) in the 2021 NHL Draft and forwards Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel. Arizona also received a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and a seventh-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Analysis: You can find a reason to hate this trade from both team's perspectives. If you are an Arizona fan, you wonder what the Coyotes' plan is. How could Garland not be part of it? If you are a Vancouver fan, you wonder if you are acquiring the worst years of Ekman-Larsson and you gave up a quality prospect at No. 9. Ekman-Larsson is 30 and has six seasons left on a deal paying him $8.25 million. But the Canucks are landing a quality young forward and Larsson is still effective. The problems come later and they are going to have to watch Guenther rise up as a top player.
Winner: Coyotes. Want to say nobody. But the Coyotes wanted out of Ekman's Larsson and they managed to do it The Coyotes did not have a 2021 first-round selection after they forfeited the No. 11 pick for violating the NHL Combine Testing Policy during the 2019-20 season. Then they end up with Guenther who has star potential.
Blogger •HHOF Writer's column on the NHL • 
Join the Discussion:
»