Caps Trade Jaroslav Halak to the Isles
Dobber Sports
2014-05-01
*Update – Halak signs four-year, $18.5 million contract with the team (May 23)
Fantasy Impact: The Washington Capitals have traded goaltender Jaroslav Halak to the New York Islanders for a fourth-round draft pick.
The Capitals get: tons of intangibles here. They get stability, a clean slate under new management – and of course a draft pick for a goalie on an expiring contract. Now the new GM can decide whether to roll with Braden Holtby and Phillip Grubauer (that’s what I would do) or to bring in a veteran like Tim Thomas for a year and transition the kids in.
The Islanders get: a prime chance to sign a top starting goaltender for the next five or six years. I do believe that Halak is a top goalie, but only when he’s healthy. He gets hurt a lot, which – overall – makes him an average fantasy goalie own at best. But this team is on the cusp of making the playoffs with regularity and Halak is arriving there just in time to take full advantage. Assuming he signs. Which he should, because there really isn’t a better fit out there for him.
Fantasy Players impacted: Not that we didn’t know this already, but Evgeni Nabokov is done now. The big hit here is to Anders Nilsson, who was proving to be the most competent of the incompetent Islanders goalies last season. He may get on the team as a backup over Kevin Poulin. (Update: Anders Nilsson reportedly not returning to the Islanders as he was looking for a one-way deal that the Isles would not give. More in the comments below)
Mikko Koskinen, who is having a hell of a career over in the KHL, is still signed there for one more year. The slim chance that the Isles woo him over here just got slimmer – for those who were holding out any hope.
As for Halak – he couldn’t have asked for a better situation. As a Halak owner in one of my three keeper leagues – here’s hoping that he doesn’t blow it by exploring the FA market. A healthy Halak, a more mature roster, and a healthy John Tavares will see to it that the Islanders are back in the postseason. And as injury prone as Halak is, in the last four 82-game seasons he’s played at least 45 games. So that’s probably the downside – 45 games and 25 wins. But the upside of 60 games and 35+ wins is pretty great.
Fantasy Players this helps, in order:
1. Halak
2. Holtby
3. Grubauer
Fantasy Players this hurts, in order:
1. Nabokov
2. Nilsson
3. Poulin
Related Posts
UPCOMING GAMES
| Jan 22 - 19:01 |
 N.J
| vs |
 BOS | |
| Jan 22 - 19:01 |
 TOR
| vs |
 CBJ | |
| Jan 22 - 21:01 |
 COL
| vs |
 WPG | |
| Jan 22 - 22:01 |
 L.A
| vs |
 FLA
| |
Starting Goalies
Top Skater Views
| Players | Team | |
|---|---|---|
| DARREN RADDYSH |
 T.B | |
| LANE HUTSON |
 MTL | |
| MIKE LUNDIN |
 | |
| KAAPO KAKKO |
 SEA | |
| PAVEL DOROFEYEV |
 VGK
| |
Top Goalie Profile Views
DAL
WSH
OTT
NYR
LINE COMBOS
| Frequency |
CBJ Players
| |
|---|---|---|
| 23.1 | DMITRI VORONKOV KIRILL MARCHENKO ADAM FANTILLI | |
| 17.9 | JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK KENT JOHNSON LUCA DEL BEL BELLUZ | |
| 15.9 | MATHIEU OLIVIER JUSTIN DANFORTH ZACHARY ASTON-REESE | |
DobberHockey Podcasts
Keeping Karlsson: May the Schwartz Be With You
Elan and Brian see new sides of Jaden Schwartz and Kaapo Kakko, get hopeful for Filip Forsberg, Steven Stamkos, Tomas Hertl and Jason Robertson, and take a moment to sympathize with Eric Comrie.
Fantasy Hockey Life: Western Conference Buys and Sells
Victor and Jesse make the rounds of the Western Conference with an argument on opne buy and one sell for each team. We talk Jackson LaCombe, Mason McTavish, Martin Pospisil, Nazem Kadri, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Matthew Savoie, Drew Doughty, Kevin Fiala, William Eklund, Thomas Bordeleau, Shane Wright, Chandler Stephenson, Tom Willander, Jake DeBrusk, Victor Olofsson, Noah […]
Keeping Karlsson: Matchup Maximizer Week 16
Elan looks at the schedule for the upcoming week of NHL action and recommends some players with good schedules that you should consider streaming in to win your head to head matchups.
Keeping Karlsson Short Shifts – The Wilkes-Jarry Penguins
Elizabeth and Lewis are back to take listeners through a host of power play changes that are giving managers the opportunity to get exposure to great players off the waiver wire, including Philly, Jersey, and Tampa talk. They also cover Jarry’s AHL demotion, Cooley’s ascension to the top-line and powerplay, and injuries to Tavares and Hintz. The duo wrap up with some hot and cold streak deep dives, including discussion of the Red Wings crazy powerplay success in the last ten games, whether Erik Gustafsson is rosterable or an overperforming illusion, Fantilli’s continued success, Merilainen as Hamburglar 2.0, and whether Schenn’s success and Neighbours’ lack thereof are likely to continue.
Keeping Karlsson: Leaving Letang
Elan and Brian find a couple volume and potential starters showing up midseason, consider whether Jake Walman really is on the league’s longest hot streak, and encourage you to pause the pod for a Columbus 1C stepping onto one of the NHL’s best lines.