2017-18 Trade Deadline Thread

Brassard a Penguin.

Brassard traded to Penguins in three-team deal - Article - TSN

I got a headache reading this and dissecting the trade. NHL rejected it at first because it was essentially money laundering by the teams involved.

Heard rumors that Vegas an the Sharts are interested in Karlsson.......that would be too good to be true! get it done!

Kings4OT said:

Heard rumors that Vegas an the Sharts are interested in Karlsson.......that would be too good to be true! get it done!

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Would have been something, the WC could exploit him for the defensive fraud he is. Didn't happen obviously, and with the firesale going on in Ottawa he is gone this summer. My gut tells me he stays East.

Lots of moves yesterday, quick recap here:

NHL trade deadline winners and losers

The most surprising one to me was Stastny being traded, the Blues were only 1 point out. Not sure what to make of that one but it definitely improves the Jets' depth. I think they have one of the most balanced forward corps of any NHL team and it just got better for them. They are having a phenomenal season, should be interesting to see how they perform come April.

I also think Vegas severely overpaid for Tatar (a 1st/2nd/3rd for him? WTF???) and seeing Kane in SJ is something to keep an eye on. Big win for LA last night but they are battling for their PO lives and teams they are contending with improved. I wasn't expecting much with the Phaneuf trade being the big one for LA this time around.

And speaking of Phaneuf, easily his best game as a King last night. You can see the calming influence he has on a game, points not withstanding. I am liking this pick up more and more as I see him play in LA, he is a savvy veteran defender who is stabilizing the Kings T4. Not how I envisioned Carter getting his first of the season but it's a start, the Kings were badly outplayed last night but showed they can turn it up when they need to yet again. Not sure why they don't come out like that.

Lastly, for LoCal who seems interested in the transaction side of the game - I forgot to mention in the Waivers discussion that any players who are traded after the deadline (teams can still make deals) or Waived and claimed by another team after the deadline are NOT eligible for the POs.

Essentially the guys on rosters now, including new additions, are what you should expect o see the rest of the way.

Piece of useless information for the day: Kovalchuk could be headed back to the NHL this summer. His KHL contract expires and the Devils do not hold his rights so he will be a UFA should he opt to come back.

NY and Montreal really picked up a ton of picks - NY has 7 picks in the first three rounds including three 1st round picks and Montreal has 6 including four 2nd round picks. Detroit has 8 in the first four rounds, two in each round.


I think Gorton did a good job restocking the Rangers, curious to see how they spend those 1st rounders. They haven't really drafted well after 2012, and between 2013-2016 didn't have any 1st round picks, moving them to win now. I am always curious how teams do with multiple picks in the 1st.

I think San Jose did really well on the Kane trade, they really didn't give up much at all. The 1st rounder is conditional on him re-signing otherwise it becomes a 2nd.

And I agree, Vegas gave up way too much on Tatar. I guess it's since he is under contract at a good rate for a few more years, and they have a ton of picks already, but still.

Kane looked good in his SJ debut, but that could be adrenaline and what not. This will be his first PO appearance, interested to see how he does. The Sabres were disappointed they didn't get too many offers for him, and Butterball said he got one legitimate offer and jumped on it which was obviously SJ.

There could be a lot of reasons for that from his decline in production the last 2 months to his off ice issues to who knows what but SJ got a good deal and has the option to resign him this summer with a lot of money coming off the books, the big one being Thornton.

Tatar still baffles me, that is a big gamble to take. Yes they have the picks but that isn't a guy I would have spent a 1st on at all. Holland hasn't been lorded over for several years now, this makes him somewhat relevant again.

Not liking Reaves on the Vegas roster, he was running Kings all night both games this week. Especially that hit on Kopitar, while clean a response was required because of who it was. MacDermid would have been in his face but the Kings cannot use a roster spot on a guy simply because he will fight (no team can, or should anyway).

They are done for the regular season so the only chance at retribution will be in the POs should they meet. He is a GIII UFA this summer, so I don't expect him back next year. In the past a guy like Greene or Lucic would have cleaned that mess up, I think a proper response should be to destroy Karlsson or Neal and send that message back.

Not liking the lack of team toughness on the Kings' roster and hope Blake addresses that this summer somehow. Alec Martinez should not be a guy going after Reaves in a situation like that and going further back Pearson for an elbow to Doughty's face from Tkachuk.

And David Perron is a still a douche, he just doesn't wear a lame shaded visor anymore. Still up to his douchy tricks, after a save from another player and Quick covering up he skates in and brushes his skates on Quick's stick making him slide a little. Jeff Carter came right in and got in his face and as usual Perron skated away.

Bergevin didn’t make it easy. He aimed high and never wavered. It’s believed that, when Los Angeles inquired, Bergevin’s ask involved Tyler Toffoli, 2017 first-rounder Gabriel Vilardi and possibly more. The Kings quickly said no.



I'm not overly high on Toffoli this year because let's be honest, he has under performed after his 31 goal season in 2015-16 and a 3 year upward trajectory prior to that (12G/17A/29pts, 23G/26A/49pts and 31G/27A/58pts). Last year he gets somewhat of a pass because he was injured midseason (late December 2016) and missed about 20 games and when he came back in February the team was well on its way to checking out but before the injury between October and Dec 20 when he got hurt he still only had 8 goals.

This season he has hit some extended scoreless streaks and since Jan 1 has only 5 goals and on pace for 26 barring no more slumps, I expect way more from a talented player like that who is getting high quality T6 minutes and ample PP time. I don't think it's a coincidence however that since Carter returned and that line has been reunited that he is playing better. Carter has been back for 4 games and has made an immediate impact on the roster and in results - shows how important he is to this team and he makes that second line go.

That said, there is no way I give up Toffoli to get Pacioretty, let alone asking for the organization's top prospect as well for a multitude of reasons. If this is what Bergevin was poking around for with the league there is no question why Pacioretty wasn't moved.

Ya, that's stupid. TT has the talent and should get some more opportunities with Carter back......Carter, glad I was wrong he seems to be doing well

He looks good, I'm sure the timing and all that not to mention game legs aren't back yet but should be soon. Three goals in 4 games, including that SH, not a bad start at all.

I hope Carter jump starts Toffoli, the Kings really need his contributions and he needs to be hot down the stretch to help LA secure a PO spot. The way things are going, it could be a SJ LA match up yet again which to be honest I am sick and tired of seeing.

I'm also concerned with Toffoli's 50/50 battles, I mentioned this earlier this week that he loses them more than I have ever seen them and his turnovers leaving the zone are coming back to bite them in the ass. Happened again this week against Vegas, he needs to buckle down harder and really dedicate himself to that part of the game because it has slipped big time.

I didn't even see this until now - 8 days after the deadline - that Nick Shore was traded from Ottawa to the Flames. Two weeks in Ottawa and flipped for a 7th round pick.

Flames anxious for debut of deadline-day addition Nick Shore

Interesting Gulutzan mentioned he received a call from a "current NHL player who played with him" and mentioned his hockey IQ and how underrated he is. Those were exact words from a certain Drew Doughty earlier this year (2018), almost before he got traded in some article I read, I think LAT. I think it's good that NHL players help their fellow brothers like that when they are traded and Doughty's word obviously carries weight because of who he is.

Calgary traded for him because they had a bunch of LH centermen and Shore is a RH shot. It's a bummer he never developed much of an offensive game because he was good on FOs, defensive zone coverage and his work ethic is solid but his hands were painful to watch.

They get the Flames at home on 3/26, keep an eye on that game. It'll be feisty as usual and I'm sure Shore has something to prove.

Gaborik out the rest of the season with back injury, in LA seeing a specialist:

Gaborik done for season, seeing specialist - Article - TSN

Color me shocked, he hasn't played a game since 3/22. He did pick it up a bit offensively the last few games before the 22nd but will finish the season with 21 points (11G/10A). He got 2 points (1G/1A) in his first game as a Senator, then went pointless for 10 games, then got warm with 3G/2A in his last 5 games of the season, was day to day and then this news.

Should be interesting to see how this plays out, he was a buyout candidate but per CBA rules you cannot buyout a player that is injured. Ottawa may be stuck with him depending on this latest injury and what the diagnosis and treatment plan is. I don't wish the guy any harm but I am relieved he is not a Kings problem anymore financially.

The Buyout Period begins either 48 hours after the conclusion of the SCFs or June 15 through June 30 2pm PST.

Puck, how would it affect the Senators if Gaborik retired? Would they be exempt from the rest of his contract? If so, that really sucks for the Kings. They could have got out of that contract if they kept him. Obviously, there was no way to know that but still sucks. I do like the way Phaneuf is playing but I think I would rather be without Gaboriks contract then have Phanuef

LAKINGSFAN said:

Puck, how would it affect the Senators if Gaborik retired? Would they be exempt from the rest of his contract? If so, that really sucks for the Kings. They could have got out of that contract if they kept him. Obviously, there was no way to know that but still sucks. I do like the way Phaneuf is playing but I think I would rather be without Gaboriks contract then have Phanuef

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If Gaborik retired it would come off their books entirely, just like it would the Kings. Gaborik wasn't a 35+ contract either, so it wouldn't count against the cap anyway if he retired no matter what team he was last with, in this caase Ottawa. LA's financial obligation/liability was removed completely when he was traded to the Sens.

If you are referring to the Cap Recapture Penalty, it wouldn't affect LA since long term/front loaded contracts signed before the 2013 CBA are the ones under scrutiny (Weber, Suter, Keith, Luongo, Zetterberg, etc.). Dumbo didn't have the luxury of bogus 92 year/$110 million deals like other GMs did like the Parise and Suter deals for example, but did on Quick's and took advantage of it.

Guardrails were put in place for the 2013 CBA that eliminated the front loading of contracts, stretching out the term to some ridiculous amount knowing full well there was a good chance the player was not going to play the entire contract out, retiring and getting the balance of the contract completely off the books while benefiting from a reduced cap hit during the player's productive years. The Devils were actually penalized on this if you recall with the first Kovalchuk deal with draft pick losses and cash penalties although they got a draft pick back at some point.

The Kings dealt with the Cap recapture penalty on the Richards mess because that was signed in 2007. Of the current Kings' players, the two who would be eligible would be Quick (2012) and Carter (2010) if they chose to retire during their contracts.

The retirement option was always there with Gaborik when he was here but the questions are:
- why would he retire, leaving all that money on the table? I don't think he would although he should seriously consider it as he has had long term injuries the last 4-5 years straight resulting in major missed time during the season. His health should be a major concern to him at this point of his career, he has made money, won a Cup and really has nothing to prove.
- by keeping him here and knowing his injury history, if it got to the point where the Kings wanted to buy him out would he have been eligible for it? Probably not since he has had serious injuries the last 4-5 years straight resulting in major missed time which once again creates a financial headache for LA as it has the last 2 summers.

Considering he is once again looking at potential long term injury, they could not buy him out this summer yet again - he was injured last summer too during the Buyout Period, remember? Blake said he was never a buyout optioon but I think that was lip service, the whole "clean slate" thing. Really Blake, what other option did you have? He had none that made sense so he said the obvious.

I will never forget what he did for the Kings in 2014 but like I said, not LA's problem anymore finally. I think the Kings did the right thing flipping him and his liability on all fronts (money and injury) for a serviceable T4 defender who is an every night player even at a bit of a bump on the cap hit.

I totally love the deal now....but at this point with Gaborik always hurt before a buyout period you have to wonder if that's on purpose.

Surgery to repair a herniated disc:

Gaborik has surgery to repair herniated disc - Article - TSN

Recovery time is saying 8 weeks, which would put him at May 31, well before the buyout period.

Seems quite fishy to me, guys don't generally recover from herniated discs in 2 months - Spezza missed 4 months in 2013, Letang stopped playing in Jan 2017, missed the rest of the season and POs and returned in Oct (5 months). Gretzky missed 4 months back in 1992-93, returning in January 1993 and helping lead LA to the SCFs.

Ain't buying it - I think there is a gentleman's agreement in place between Gaborik and the Senators. He will be miraculously healed before June 15 and bought out by June 30.

I wouldn't mind seeing TT and Muffin moved this offseason, as long as its a smart move. Both are worth something decent and I definitely don't want to move them just to move them....well Muffin I would (not really because some GM's think he is awesome).

Muffo has had in my opinion the best season of his career. Not just points but overall play. That said it just elevates him to an every day defender, not a game changer or someone you build around. He's a good T4 defender and can play every situation and the Muzzin Turnovers have been reduced quite a bit this season.

Interesting article on the 31 unsung heroes on each team and Muzzin is mentioned here. I am not buying the article because a lot of big names are on that list, last I checked unsung heroes were guys who don't get the spotlight but quietly do their job. Kessel? Barrie? Stephan? Eberle? Ellis? The Sedins?

Come on, these are household names:

Unsung Heroes: The 31 players who haven’t gotten enough credit for great seasons | The Hockey News

Confirms his value is high around the league still, so he should net a decent return for LA. My vote would have gone to Folin for overall solid play most of the season or Iaffalo who did a lot of dirty work without the results.

I remember we were shocked at how much Vegas gave up to get Tatar, looking to be a pretty awful trade now. Tatar has been a healthy scratch the bulk of the postseason and has already fallen out of favor with Gallant. Vegas got fleeced on this one. Looks like he will be playing tonight, maybe he will get a couple of OT winners to turn this trade back around.

It's look to be an awful trade so far, and one that McPhee may pay a hefty price for - the Knights do not have a 1st or 3rd round pick this draft and they will be picking 30th most likely barring a miracle, Washington should close them out in 6 tops. They do not have a pick currently until 60th overall, then 99th (4th Round - Vancouver) and 115th (4th - Pittsburgh) so McPhee should be moving some picks and players around to get into the 1st (Tatar deal) and 2nd rounds.

This is a deep draft on defenders and they seem to be set there but there are some good forward prospects too, I'm extremely cruious to see how they handle Karlsson - an absurd 24 S% led to 43 goals AND it's a contract year AND he's got Arbitration Rights. That clip is nothing short of crazy and the one of the highest S% numbers of a random player ever (guys like Robitaille averaged about 23% but his career speaks for itself) that I can recall.

For kicks I went back and looked at 20+S% players the last few years who played in at least 80 games to get a full view:
2017-18 Karlsson 43G/184 S 23.4%
2016-17 Paul Byron 22G/96S 22.9%
2015-16 Zack Smith 25G/121S 20.7%
2014-15 Alex Tanguay 22G/104S 21.1%

Following seasons for the last 3:
2017-18 Paul Byron 20G/115S 17.4%
2016-17 Zack Smith 16G/137S 11.7%
2015-16 Alex Tanguay 8G/71S 11.3%

That's it, it's not an impressive list as is and then you see what happens the following year (Tanguay retired after 2015-16). Karlsson screams of one hit wonder who will not replicate 2017-18.

Watching the game last night, and seeing Tatar over the years, that isn't a guy I would send a 1st for. He has played in 327 of a possible 328 games with some decent ice time in Detroit the last 4 seasons and averaged about 45 points which isn't anything to scream about.

But they acquired him for the long haul since he is under contract for 3 more years and has a Full NTC until about the Trade Deadline in 2020 and after that a Modified NTC through the end of the deal, I expect some roster moves from Vegas which will bump him up into a T6 role and perhaps that's what they invested in.