Jan Levine: My take on a busy trade deadline for the NYR and GM Chris Drury Team ended Monday as a much better team than when they started the day

Hey Jan
Hate to correct you but you have Mott coming from Chicago but did he not come from Vancouver?

Hmm may want to fix the Artturi Lehkonen deal. Seems like he was traded for Justin Braun but that doesn't make any sense

Thanks for the recap, Jan!

Exciting day, can’t wait for tomorrow’s game to see the new team in action.

Bottom 6 got major upgrades this deadline. Always a good sign for a playoff bound team with really high end talent already in place.

Seems like they got all analytical today. Possession numbers were a priority.

Great day. They checked every box they need to. Didn’t give up anything to painful.

Drury hit a HR today!

Possibly overlooked by some on deadline day, due to Drury in key, bolstering his bottom six depth for greater offensive zone puck possession & production, which also will relieve the over workload of Shesty & Georgiev in net; is who the Devils may start in net tonight against the visiting Rangers.

The Rangers may be facing in goal "The Hamburglar" in Andrew Hammond, who the Devils acquired Monday from Montreal, in exchange for forward Nathan Schnarr.

Hey Jan
Hate to correct you but you have Mott coming from Chicago but did he not come from Vancouver?
- bigrod79

Fixed, thanks. Had meant to correct originally and then got subsumed in the column.

Hmm may want to fix the Artturi Lehkonen deal. Seems like he was traded for Justin Braun but that doesn't make any sense
- MeltingPlastic

Dang auto correct, fixed, thank you

I voted to give Drury a B+.

I believe his main objectives were:

1) to acquire players without removing players from the current roster --- check

2) not go "all in" and give up multiple future 1st round picks or compromise next seasons cap --- check

3) keep his powder dry for more moves at the draft, i.e. none of our top prospects were moved --- check

The reason I didn't give Drury an "A" is because he failed to use more of our cap surplus for this season. We still have $25 mill in cap space that will disappear at the end of the season and I simply wish he had found a way to use it more efficiently.

Other notes:

I think Schneider is now the odd man out on the 3rd pairing. I don't think that it is any coincidence that Nils got 25 games before he was returned to Hartford and Schneider has now played 26 games too.

I think Copp was acquired to be our 2nd line center. I think he slots between Panarin and Strome moves to RW until Kakko returns. Chytil will remain 3C with Vatrano and Goodrow.

Solid job overall by Drury and hopefully calms the apprehension some had after being disappointed in the Buch trade.

Seems like they got all analytical today. Possession numbers were a priority.

Great day. They checked every box they need to. Didn’t give up anything to painful.

Drury hit a HR today!
- Slimtj100

Yes, the former Ct. Little League Champion & MVP in Chris Drury hit a HR Monday in making the Rangers a greater puck possession team with his acquisitions for the bottom six, along with their hard work & toughness for two other pluses. In addition, I wanted him for weeks to acquire Justin Braun as a better option than Nemeth, (had a Nick Holden reunion not been possible). That in contrast to acquiring DeHaan, or worse, trading top assets for a higher priced rental d'man like Giordano. A lower cost playoff experienced rental in Braun will still be of great benefit for Schneider on the backline's third pairing.

As for Chychrun, it could be the Coyotes never really intended to trade him, based on their steadily rising price they seemed to want for him as the deadline was closer approaching. They in effect wanted to hit their own HR in a trade, hoping a desperate buyer would pay excessively high. Further, his high cap hit would have created greater cap issues here starting next season, given their already tougher situation beginning then. That, unless some surprise Summer cap cutting moves are planned where they then may be able to talk, if the Coyotes are reasonable in their demand.

I hate to say it but if Chychrun is moved at the draft it will be LA I believe, thier asset pool is just as if not deeper than ours, they need a top dman way more than we do. They will not have the cap restraints we will have either. It makes way more sense for LA than us. As much I would love to have him solidify our D. We don't need him and we will have bigger holes to fill at that time.

I hate to say it but if Chychrun is moved at the draft it will be LA I believe, thier asset pool is just as if not deeper than ours, they need a top dman way more than we do. They will not have the cap restraints we will have either. It makes way more sense for LA than us. As much I would love to have him solidify our D. We don't need him and we will have bigger holes to fill at that time.
- bigrod79

Seeing that we got Copp I’m gonna move off him as long as they re-sign Copp. My whole thing was getting one more core guy and now that can/should be Copp imo. (Would’ve been the same with Rakell)

He stays over Strome imo if that is the decision they have to make. Much better all around player.

And I also was worried about Florida getting him, so that’s in the rearview mirror for now

I voted to give Drury a B+.

I believe his main objectives were:

1) to acquire players without removing players from the current roster --- check

2) not go "all in" and give up multiple future 1st round picks or compromise next seasons cap --- check

3) keep his powder dry for more moves at the draft, i.e. none of our top prospects were moved --- check

The reason I didn't give Drury an "A" is because he failed to use more of our cap surplus for this season. We still have $25 mill in cap space that will disappear at the end of the season and I simply wish he had found a way to use it more efficiently.

Other notes:

I think Schneider is now the odd man out on the 3rd pairing. I don't think that it is any coincidence that Nils got 25 games before he was returned to Hartford and Schneider has now played 26 games too.

I think Copp was acquired to be our 2nd line center. I think he slots between Panarin and Strome moves to RW until Kakko returns. Chytil will remain 3C with Vatrano and Goodrow.

Solid job overall by Drury and hopefully calms the apprehension some had after being disappointed in the Buch trade.
- TommyGTrain

Interesting. Didn’t think of Strome moving to RW. That may even work out better than anything. Could enable them to keep both potentially? Strome has to work with them with money. He’s made enough already.

Discount city

I hate to say it but if Chychrun is moved at the draft it will be LA I believe, thier asset pool is just as if not deeper than ours, they need a top dman way more than we do. They will not have the cap restraints we will have either. It makes way more sense for LA than us. As much I would love to have him solidify our D. We don't need him and we will have bigger holes to fill at that time.
- bigrod79

With all their backline injuries, & per the acquired d'men they could only afford cap wise thru trades to replace those injured, the Kings were one of 5 teams reportedly most interested since at least January in acquiring Chychrun. The 4 other heavily rumored dating back to at least then were the Rangers, Blues, Avs, & Panthers, with the Coyotes having reportedly refused a trade offer from the Panthers around late Dec./Jan. That offer featured Spencer Knight (G), Anton Lundell (C), & a 1st Rdr. going to Arizona; along with some other pieces in picks &/or low to mid level prospects expected to be heading both ways.

L.A. had just shy of $752K in available deadline cap space, which prorated from the March 21st deadline through season's end, would have yielded them about 5 times that amount in net available cap space (about $3.76M). But that still would have been about $840K less than Chychrun's annual $4.6M cap hit, necessitating the possible need for a third team to be involved in some means.

If what Saver is saying is true in that FL offered Lundell Knight and a 1st for Chychrun and it got turned down, AZ is insane for turning that down.

I give Drury a B-

Copp is a nice addition especially if we can resign him. The (2) 2nds is w.e bc I think we can get them back at the draft and Barron didn’t have a path to the NHL here but Copp is on pace to have a career year at 51 pts averaged over an 82 game season.

Motte is a 4th liner that can bring some energy but I think we could’ve done better here. (Maybe Carpenter who went for a 5th)

I felt like Braun is where we messed up a little. I would’ve preferred Lauzon (RFA at the end of the year and went for a 2nd) or Middleton (also a RFA and went for a goalie and 5th).

Vatrano for a 4th was a good move.

I voted B+

It reminds me a little of deadline ‘94 when they added grit to the bottom 6 in Mactavish, Noonan, Matteau, Anderson, although Anderson started out on top 6 with Messier and Graves but got moved around when he didn’t produce.

But to me these additions are about making the bottom 6 tougher to play against so it frees up the top 6 to have more breathing room 5 on 5.

There wasn’t anyway to get both Copp and Rakell and I’d prefer Copp anyway, mainly because of faceoffs.

I like what I see so far with Vatrano on the Panarin-Strome line.

This team needs those two guys to step it up.

A solid B+ for Drury. Considering how the day unfolded he did an excellent job of making the team deeper and better.

Only a goal scorer short of an A or A+. Just wondering, could Kessel have cost that much?

All in all, a much improved playoff team.

A solid B+ for Drury. Considering how the day unfolded he did an excellent job of making the team deeper and better.

Only a goal scorer short of an A or A+. Just wondering, could Kessel have cost that much?

All in all, a much improved playoff team.
- OLDSCHOOL#6

I think the belief around the league is the Kessel is just finished

also his wife just had a baby and he's focused mostly on that these days

KZL
Panarin, Copp, Strome
Goodrow, Chytil, Vatrano
Hunt, Brodzinski, Reaves

These are the lines Id like to see tonight. I know GG likes McKegg but I dont want to have any lines without someone that can win faceoffs, and so far Brod is doing it.

I think the belief around the league is the Kessel is just finished

also his wife just had a baby and he's focused mostly on that these days
- jimbro83

Makes sense.

The next thing to argue about…

I don’t understand why Copp would be put on the second line. That would just make us a two-line team still.

He’s here to lengthen the lineup. Put him on the third and let him build chemistry with those guys.

KZL
Panarin, Copp, Strome
Goodrow, Chytil, Vatrano
Hunt, Brodzinski, Reaves

These are the lines Id like to see tonight. I know GG likes McKegg but I dont want to have any lines without someone that can win faceoffs, and so far Brod is doing it.
- aecliptic

I like copp on the 3rd line center. Strome should center bread and vatrano until kakko returns I think it makes the lines more balanced

I like copp on the 3rd line center. Strome should center bread and vatrano until kakko returns I think it makes the lines more balanced
- NYR_J

Exactly

KZL
Panarin Strome Tank
Chytil Copp Goodrow
Motte Brodz Reaves/Hunt

Deeper lineup. Goodrow takes Hunt’s spot, Tank to the third when Kakko returns.

The next thing to argue about…

I don’t understand why Copp would be put on the second line. That would just make us a two-line team still.

He’s here to lengthen the lineup. Put him on the third and let him build chemistry with those guys.
- Bean_Dip

Reason being I dont think the organization wants to play Chytil at wing. Also, playing Vatrano on the second line wing doesnt help them 5v5 scoring, Copp does. When Kakko comes back, he slides into the 3RW role as hes eased back into the lineup and Vartrano slides down.