There are four hours left before the NHL Trade Deadline. The thinking is that the New York Rangers are going to be active. The question is who is going and where.
Some New York Rangers news is imminent as the team has announced an 11am news conference by team president John Davidson. It’s curious that it is not Jeff Gorton making the appearance, but Davidson. No one has any idea what this is about and there have been no leaks.
As of 11am here is the action on NHL Trade Deadline Day action and how it affects the New York Rangers.
TRADE: Nate Thompson goes from the Montreal Canadiens to the Philadelphia Flyers for a 2021 fifth round draft pick.
Analysis: It’s a good pick up for the Flyers. Thompson is 35 years old and has a career 52% faceoff winning percentage. It’s useful depth for the rest of the season and the playoffs.
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TRADE: Vincent Trocheck has been traded from the Florida Panthers to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Panthers get pending UFA center Erik Haula, 24 year old center Lucas Wallmark and two prospects. The prospects are defenseman Chase Priskie and center Eetu Luostarinen, both playing this season in the AHL for Charlotte.
Analysis: Curious. The Panthers and the Hurricanes need blueline help and they trade centers. This could be a precursor to some other deals involving some of these players.
BEFORE 10AM
TRADE: Jean Gabriel Pageau is going from the Ottawa Senators to the New York Islanders for three draft picks. It’s a first and second round pick in 2020 and a third round pick in 2022. The first rounder is lottery protected. The third round triggers if the Isles win the Stanley Cup this season.
Analysis: Well, we aren’t going to see Chris Kreider in an Islanders uniform. For the rebuilding Senators, it is a nice haul of draft picks for the player many consider the second best pending UFA forward out there. The Islanders needed offense, especially with Derick Brassard out with a fractured cheek and Pageau will help them.
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TRADE: Ottawa has traded former Rangers Vladislav Namestnikov has been traded to the Colorado Avalanche for a fourth round 2021 pick.
Analysis: This is a depth acquisition for the Avalanche. Colorado has been mentioned as a top contender for Kreider and this probably doesn’ take them out of the mix as they are still in the market for a top scorer to replace injured players. It does set a potential bar for a player like Jesper Fast. The idea of a second round pick for someone like Fast is probably not in the realm of possibility.
The Rangers swapped Namestnikov to Ottawa for Nick Ebert and a 2021 fourth rounder. So, they did better than if they had held onto him and made this same trade (though Ottawa got 13 goals and 25 points out of him this season).
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TRADE: Defenseman Mike Green traded from Detroit to Edmonton for Kyle Brodziak and a conditional 2020 fourth round draft pick. The pick becomes a third round 2021 pick if Green plays 50% of Edmonton’s games this season and they reach the Western Conference Finals.
Analysis: Solid pick up for the Oilers looking for an offensive depth defenseman. Brodziak is a 35 year old forward who is a UFA after this season so it’s a roster/cap clearing move. For Detroit, it’s all about the draft pick.