CarterHud

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           The Ottawa Senators have signed D Ron Hainsey and F Tyler Ennis. Hainsey\’s AAV is $3.5 million, and both are one year deals. Both played for the Toronto Maple Leafs this past season.

           The Senators traded Ben Harpur to the Leafs, and switched Nikita Zaitsev and Cody Ceci this morning. Hainsey will take the roster spot that the Sens opened by trading Harpur. He is a veteran defenseman with tons of experience, and will mentor the Senators\’ young defense. The Senators also hired former Maple Leafs assistant and defensive coach DJ Smith as head coach last month. Ennis will be a depth forward for the Senators. In a depth role for the Leafs, Ennis scored his highest amount of goals since 2014-15.

            Hainsey, 38, scored five goals with 18 assists for 23 points in 81 games for the Leafs in 2018-19. In his NHL career for the Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes, Winnipeg Jets, Atlanta Thrashers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens, Hainsey has scored 58 goals with 241 assists for 299 points in 1068 games.

             Ennis, 29, scored 12 goals with six assists for 18 points in 51 games for the Leafs this year. In his NHL career for the Leafs, Buffalo Sabres and Minnesota Wild, Ennis has scored 117 goals with 159 assists for 276 points in 543 games.

            The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired D Cody Ceci, D Ben Harpur, F Aaron Luchuk and a 2020 3rd round pick from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for D Nikita Zaitsevm F Connor Brown and F Michael Carcone. The third round pick was originally from Columbus.

            The Leafs need to free cap space for Mitch Marner, who is an RFA. They currently have $11.4 million in cap space, though Nathan Horton and his $5.3 million cap hit can be put on LTIR. That lets the Maple Leafs go $5.3 million over the cap. Ceci is also an RFA, and could potentially get more than Zaitsev. On a terrible Senators team, Ceci has posted bad +/- numbers. Over the last three seasons, Ceci is a -60 defender. Harpur is a gritty 7th defenseman who also has a bad +/- in his career (-34). Luchuk is a young forward who played in the minors last year, his first pro season. They clear a lot of cap space, which is their priority right now.

             Ceci, 25, scored seven goals with 19 assists for 26 points in 74 games for the Senators this year. In his NHL career, all in Ottawa, the 15th overall pick in 2012 has scored 32 goals with 86 assists for 118 points in 440 games.

             Harpur, 24, scored one goal with four assists for five points in 51 games for the Senators this past season. In his NHL career, all in Ottawa, Harpur has scored one goal with six assists for seven points in 103 games.

             Luchuk, 22, scored scored four goals with five assists for nine points in 27 games for the AHL\’s Belleville Senators this past season. He also scored 10 goals with 12 assists for 22 points in 32 games for the ECHL\’s Brampton Beast.

             The Senators have loads of cap space, just over $27 million, in fact, and $9.5 million on LTIR between Clarke MacArthur and Marian Gaborik. They can afford to take on Zaitsev\’s contract, since they won\’t be contending for awhile. Zaitsev has five more years left at $4.5 million a season, and the Senators might not contend while Zaitsev is under contract. Unless they make a run for it in the last two seasons. Brown is a good third line scoring winger who scored 20 goals three seasons ago but struggled to score this year with the rise of Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen. Carcone is an RFA, though is likely just an AHL forward. He is better than Luchuk.

               Zaitsev, 27, scored three goals with 11 assists for 14 points in 81 games for the Leafs this past season. In his three year NHL career, all in Toronto, Zaitsev has scored 12 goals with 51 assists for 63 points in 223 games.

               Brown, 25, scored eight goals with 21 assists for 29 points in 82 games for the Leafs this past season. In his NHL career, all in Toronto, Brown has scored 43 goals with 56 assists for 99 points in 253 games.

               Carcone, 23, scored 14 goals with 13 assists for 27 points in 42 games for the AHL\’s Toronto Marlies this season. In his AHL career for the Marlies and Utica Comets, Carcone has scored 40 goals with 49 assists for 89 points in 191 games.

             The Chicago Blackhawks have acquired F Andrew Shaw and a 2021 7th round pick from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a 2020 2nd round pick, a 2021 3rd round and a 2020 7th round pick.

             The Blackhawks lack forwards, and they still do, after this trade. They now have eight forwards under contract, and Brendan Perlini is an RFA. Shaw is coming off a career high season in points. He was also drafted by the Blackhawks (5th round) in 2011. He played his first five seasons with the Blackhawks. He has three more years left at $3.9 million a season. This trade puts them at around $8 million in cap space, so it likely takes them out of the hunt for a big free agent like Anders Lee, who they were reportedly interested in. A second and a third is a little bit of a big ask, but Shaw does have three years left coming off a career season.

             Shaw, soon to be 28, scored 19 goals with 28 assists for 47 points in 63 games for the Canadiens this year. In his NHL career for the Canadiens and Blackhawks, Shaw has scored 111 goals with 122 assists for 233 points in 504 games.

             The Canadiens are looking to shed salary so they can go after a big name free agent like Matt Duchene or Lee. After this year and the trade of Nicolas Deslauriers, the Canadiens have about $13.5 million in cap space. They get really good value for Shaw. Shaw shouldn\’t net you a second and a third, but after scoring nearly 50 points in nearly 60 games, his value was up.

               The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired G James Reimer from the Florida Panthers in exchange for G Scott Darling and a 2020 6th round pick. The 6th round pick was originally Buffalo\’s.

               The Canes need a goalie. Darling struggled in Carolina, and struggled in 14 AHL games this past season. They were going to buy him out, but now they have the Panthers buy him out for them. In return, they get Reimer, as they need a goalie, with both Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney becoming free agents tomorrow. Reimer has good seasons before, though the last two haven\’t been pretty. They give up a sixth as well. Between the two goalies, they get the one with value. Reimer has a lower cap hit as well, though Darling will cost less once bought out.

               Reimer, 31, had a .900 SV% with a 3.09 GAA in 36 games for the Panthers this year. In his NHL career for the Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks, Reimer has a .914 SV% and a 2.81 GAA in 338 games.

               The Panthers were looking to buyout or trade Reimer, and if they didn\’t make this deal, Reimer likely would have been bought out. This trade leaves them with just one goalie, Sam Montembeault. They also have Chris Driedger, who has played in three NHL games, all of them have been in relief, last in 2017. They will likely sign Sergei Bobrovsky tomorrow when free agency starts. Bobrovsky will be the starter and Montembeault the backup. They haven\’t signed Bobrovsky yet and might not sign him, so there is a chance they go with a lesser goalie like Semyon Varlamov or Mrazek.

               Darling, 30, had a .884 SV% with a 3.34 GAA in eight games for the Hurricanes this year. He had a .882 SV% and a 3.40 GAA in 14 games for AHL Charlotte. In his NHL career for the Hurricanes and Chicago Blackhawks, Darling has a .908 SV% and a 2.72 GAA in 126 games.

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           The Arizona Coyotes have acquired F Phil Kessel, D Dane Birks and a 4th round pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for F Alex Galchenyuk and D Pierre-Oliver Joseph.

           Kessel is an elite scorer. He has averaged a point a game for two consecutive seasons, and has scored 20 goals in every year since 2008-09, when he scored 36 goals as a 21 year old. He won two Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh, but the team was looking to move on. An article from the Athletic stated that Kessel has issues with coach Mike Sullivan, and Evgeni Malkin didn\’t want Kessel on his line. Kessel reportedly blocked a trade to Minnesota earlier this offseason, but will take the opportunity to play under former Penguins assistant coach Rick Tocchet in Arizona. In return, the Penguins get Galchenyuk, who didn\’t adjust to well in Arizona, missing 20 goals for the third straight season, and putting up his lowest point total since he was 19 in 2013-14. Playing with better players (and being healthier) will get that goal total near 30, where it was in 2015-16. Galchenyuk is still young, but is a year away from unrestricted free agency. Joseph was drafted 23rd overall by the Coyotes in 2017. He is a defenseman, unlike his brother Mathieu, who plays on the Lightning. Not a terrible haul for Kessel. They also free cap space.

           Galchenyuk, 25, scored 19 goals with 22 assists for 41 points in 72 games for the Coyotes this past season, his only with the team. In his NHL career for the Coyotes and Montreal Canadiens, Galchenyuk has scored 127 goals with 169 assists for 296 points in 490 games.

            Joseph, who turns 20 in two days, scored two goals with 20 assists for 22 points in 35 games for the QMJHL\’s Drummondville Voltigeurs. In five QMJHL seasons for the Voltigeurs and Charlottetown Islanders, Joseph has scored 29 goals with 111 assists for 140 points in 235 games.

             The Coyotes could use some scoring, and Kessel instantly becomes their best forward. And their highest paid forward. He has a $6.8 million AAV, higher than Derek Stepan\’s $6.5 million. The Coyotes missed the playoffs last year, but have one of the tightest cap situations in the league. This trade brings them down to just over $1.8 million in cap space, second least in the league (Vegas). But, Kessel does have three more years left, and would get much more money if he was a free agent now. They get a 4th and Birks, an ECHL defenseman that was a 6th round pick in 2013.

              Kessel, 31, scored 27 goals with 55 assists for 82 points in 82 games for the Penguins in 2018-19. In his NHL career for the Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins, Kessel has scored 357 goals with 466 assists for 823 points in 996 games.

              Birks, 23, scored one goal with 13 assists for 14 points in 65 games for the ECHL\’s Wheeling Nailers. He also didn\’t score in one game for AHL Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.