June 25, 2011
Jeff Angus
2011-06-25
Angus here again. Will have comprehensive analysis on the trades later today. My work PC doesn’t allow me to do much more aside from ramble! Some tidbits:
Like the Filatov trade for both sides. I have never been a fan of his, but pick 66 is a pretty low risk move to make for Ottawa, especially considering Colin Greening was on their top line to finish last season.
Grachev for a pick clears up space for the Rangers, who are absolutely loaded up front on the farm. Does having another Russian around help ease the Tarasenko transition next summer?
Regehr to Buffalo – great fit. Not as mobile as he used to be, but few NHL players are stronger. Not sure what Calgary is doing – one step forward one step back. Ditching Kotalik’s contract is nice, but they got absolutely nothing back.
Campbell is now “the man” in Florida. He is overpaid, but still very useful. At $5 million per season no one makes a peep. Olesz may have an even worse contract. Olesz has zero fantasy upside – he’ll likely slot in on the third or fourth line in Chicago.
The Blackhawks have to be after at least two defensemen. Paper thin even with Campbell on the roster.
My golden rules of trading… don’t forget them!
1) Best player usually wins the trade
2) Quality over quantity
3) Proven over unproven
4) Young players don’t always improve
Make sure to use these rules when evaluating NHL trades, as well as the ones you make in your respective pools.
Dobber – I love Filatov in Ottawa, regret trading him now. More insight in the Live Chat, join us! Angus will have full trade breakdowns early afternoon…
Angus here – will have the Brian Campbell trade breakdown up within a few hours. Same goes for the Regehr trade, the Filatov trade and the (still not official) Smyth trade.
Love the Burns trade for SJS. He is a bit inconsistent in his own zone, but he is also a legitimate top pairing defenseman with a dynamic physical and offensive side that San Jose has lacked since Rob Blake retired.
I don’t get the move for the Wild. Setoguchi has upside and is probably the best winger on the Wild (in terms of pure scoring), but this is a huge step back for a team that seems stuck between a rebuild and playoff contention. I guess this swings the scales to rebuild, but it isn’t exactly like Burns is old.
A great read on some potential draft gems.
JM Liles trade – like it for both sides.
Toronto had an obvious need for a puck moving defenseman, and Liles is a very good one. He is slightly overpaid, but only by a few hundred thousand. His defensive game isn't as bad as advertised, and he obviously had fallen out of favor with Colorado coach Joe Sacco (like a lot of his teammates).
Liles will likely man the top power play unit in Toronto with Phaneuf. He is a great skater and a fantastic puck moving defenseman. Toronto essentially replaced Kaberle (downgrade, perhaps) and picked up some other solid assets (Colborne, 1st round pick) in the process.
For the Avalanche – this frees up both cap space for a goalie and a roster spot for one of Tyson Barrie or Stefan Elliott. Both project as top four defensemen – Elliott is closer to being NHL ready, and he also possesses more upside. The Avs will probably need to add another veteran defenseman, but that will likely come later on in the summer.