Our Winnipeg Jets:
Chevy made his big move a few weeks before the trade deadline acquiring Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, Brendan Lemiuex, Joel Armia and a 1st round pick. This was one of the biggest deals in the salary cap era and should help both teams. In other deals the Jets acquired Jiri Tlusty and Lee Stempniak to fill holes within their forward group. Stempniak was a guy Chevy tried to deal for last year and can play anywhere in the lineup. He’s gritty, has some speed and is quite capable of playing on the top 2 lines if need be. Tlusty has been a nice addition and has shown some offensive skill playing with Mark Scheifele and Drew Stafford on the 2nd line.
The trade deadline was somewhat of a disappointment for TV and radio shows around North America. Some GMs bought early this year while others took a more conservative approach. Unlike in years past, it’s hard to say any of the deals were in the “What are you thinking?” category (an annual Garth Snow event), but there was still plenty to talk about. There were 24 trades and 43 players switching addresses.
Winners:
Anaheim Ducks – They picked up 3 quality defenceman who will all play in their top 6. Simon Despres is a former first round pick who has been slow to develop. He hits hard and is a very capable puck mover. James Wisniewski is a guy that no opposing forward enjoys playing against. The former captain of the Blue Jackets can log 20+ minutes a night which should in fit well with one of his former teams. The 3rd player the Ducks added on the back end is Korbinian Holzer. He’s a hardnosed, right shooting dman who will play in the 5-6 role and on the PK.
New York Rangers – Added the best defenseman available in a blockbuster deal with Phoenix. Even though it came at a cost, Keith Yandle will run the PP and enjoy passing to a much better group forwards than he had in the desert. He also has another year left on his deal, so this is not a rental. James Sheppard is former first round pick who Slats wants to give an opportunity to. He can play all 3 forward positions and has untapped offensive potential. He should fit in well on the 3rd line, but could play higher in the lineup if need be.
Arizona – GM Don Maloney has done very well since declaring his team is in rebuild mode. He has acquired World Junior standout Anthony Duclair, former first rounder John Moore, Klas Dahlbeck, 2015 2nd round pick Maxim Letunov from St Louis, two 1st round picks and a 2nd rounder. That’s a great way to start a rebuild. Let the tanking continue!
Philadelphia – Another team in a retool or rebuild mode. They shipped out Kimmo Timonen (who hasn’t played a game this year) and Braydon Coburn in separate deals, receiving hard hitting defenseman Radko Gudas, a 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th round picks over the next two years. Credit Hextall for ridding himself of some salary and looking ahead for the future.
Worth mentioning
Vancouver – getting Sven Baertschi for a 2nd round pick could prove to be a steal in a year or two. Baertschi had requested trade from Calgary and should be a top 6 forward in a few years. He’s a dynamic offensive player with world class skill.
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