CarterHud

          The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired LW Patrick Marleau, a 2020 1st round pick and a 2020 7th round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2020 6th round pick.

          The Leafs absolutely need to free up cap space. They now have a projected $14 million in cap space, and need to sign RFAs Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson. There is still a good chance that they will trade another contract as well to get everybody signed. Marleau had a cap hit of $6.25 million, and since he is older than 35, buying him out doesn\’t save any cap space. A first round pick is a tough ask, but you don\’t want to lose Marner.

           Marleau, 39, scored 16 goals with with 21 assists for 37 points in 82 games this season. In his NHL career for the Leafs and the San Jose Sharks, Marleau has scored 551 goals with 615 assists for 1166 points in 1657 games.

            The Canes just pay $6.25 million for a first round pick. They have a lot of cap space, and they will reportedly buy out Marleau. Getting a first round pick is a very good deal. It is top 10 lottery protected. They just give up a sixth, but get a seventh rounder as well. Marleau will want to go back to San Jose, where he played his first 19 years.

Photo from NBC

         The Philadelphia Flyers have acquired defenseman Justin Braun from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a 2019 2nd round pick (41st overall) and a 2020 3rd round pick.

          The Flyers lack defensemen on the right side, even after trading for Matt Niskanen (they gave up Radko Gudas in the process). Braun is a defensive defenseman that will play bottom six minutes. The main negative for the Flyers is his $3.8 million cap hit. They now have about $30 million in cap space, with RFAs Ivan Provorov, Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim, Ryan Hartman, Scott Laughton and Justin Bailey, plus UFA Kevin Hayes. Provorov, who hasn\’t missed a game since entering the league on Opening Night in 2016-17, will probably get more than the $4.5 million teammate Shayne Gostisbehere got two years ago. Speaking of Gostisbehere, he could be traded for more help on either offense or the right side, or just picks. If no trades are made, which is unlikely, Braun could play with Gostisbehere on the second pairing.

           Braun, 32, scored two goals with 14 assists for 16 points in 78 games last year, but was a -14. In his NHL career, all in San Jose, the former 7th round pick has scored 24 goals with 130 assists for 154 points in 607 games.

           The Sharks need to free up cap space, especially after signing Erik Karlsson to an eight year, $92 million deal ($11.5 million AAV). They obviously want to bring back captain Joe Pavelski and former captain Joe Thornton, who are both UFAs. Gustav Nyqvist, Joonas Donskoi and Tim Heed are also UFAs. Timo Meier, Kevin LaBanc and Joakim Ryan are RFAs, and the Sharks now have just over $16 million in cap space, so they probably won\’t be able to keep everybody, especially not Donskoi or Nyqvist. Getting a second and a third for Braun is a good deal.

           

Photo from Getty Images

            The New York Rangers have acquired defenseman Jacob Trouba from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for defenseman Neal Pionk and a 2019 1st round pick. The 1st round pick was originally the Jets\’ pick, but was traded to the Rangers this past trade deadline in a package for Kevin Hayes.

            Trouba signed just a one year deal with the Jets last offseason, instead of committing long term. He needed a contract then after a two year deal he signed after holding out until November. It has been clear that Trouba didn\’t want to be on the Jets, and with the Jets soon to be in a tight cap situation, needing to sign RFAs Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor, Andrew Copp, Joe Morrow, Nathan Beaulieu, plus the newly acquired Pionk, and including UFAs Tyler Myers, Brandon Tanev and Ben Chiarot, the Jets had a situation where either Myers or Trouba had to go. But since they traded Trouba, both could still leave, if Myers doesn\’t want to re-sign. The Jets have just over $25 million to spend on those players, plus potential other adds in free agency. This is a start to an interesting offseason for them, led by GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. In return, they get Pionk, another offensive right-handed shot defenseman, though not as good as Trouba, plus they get their first round pick back.

            Pionk, soon to be 24, has scored six goals with 20 assists in 26 points in 73 games. In his two year NHL career, Pionk has scored seven goals with 33 assists for 40 points in 101 games.

           Trouba is a major improvement over Pionk. Both are offensive minded, but Trouba scored nearly double the amount of points Pionk did last year, Trouba is also just a year older than Pionk. He is an RFA, but if he signs just a one year deal, he\’ll be a UFA next year. Though it is likely that the Rangers lock him up. Pionk was signed by the Rangers as a college free agent, which is a prominent market for the Rangers. They have former college free agents Jimmy Vesey and Adam Fox on their roster already. By acquiring another right handed defensemen, the Rangers have four righty shots in Kevin Shattenkirk, Trouba, Fox and Tony DeAngelo. But two left handed defensemen, Marc Staal and Brendan Smith, are both buyout candidates, so someone could move over. Currently, the Rangers have nine defensemen, though Fox and Libor Hajek could be sent down, and RFA Fredrik Claesson might not be qualified. The Rangers will also have a busy offseason, with $19 million in cap space, and RFAs Trouba, Pavel Buchnevich, Tony DeAngelo and Brendan Lemieux, plus Alex Georgiev and Ryan Strome are RFAs after next year, and Jesper Fast, Chris Kreider, Jimmy Vesey and Vladislav Namestnikov are UFAs after next year.

              Trouba, 25, scored eight goals with 42 assists for 50 points in 82 games last year. In his NHL career, all for the Jets, the 9th overall pick in 2012 has scored 42 goals with 137 assists for 179 points in 408 games.

From the New York Post

            In a surprising move, the New York Yankees have acquired 1B/DH Edwin Encarnacion and cash from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for RHP Juan Then.

             The Yankees don\’t really need Encarnacion, but he is leading the American League in home runs, and has hit at least 30 home runs in seven consecutive seasons, and this year will likely make that eight. He is a big time Yankee killer, with 26 home runs, 87 RBIs and a .271 average in 142 games against them. He also has good career numbers against the AL East, as he played in that division for the majority of his career. He has hit 60 home runs combined against the Yankees main two rivals this season, the Rays and Red Sox, and has hit well against other prominent AL teams, like the Astros and Twins, though a lot of his at bats against those two teams are from when they were really bad. It isn\’t starting pitching, which is what the Yankees need, but they\’ll take Encarnacion.

              Encarnacion, 36, has a .241 batting average with 21 home runs and 49 RBIs, plus a .888 OPS in 289 Plate Appearances for the Mariners this year. In his MLB career for the Mariners, Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds, Encarnacion has a .263 batting average, with 401 home runs, 1205 RBIs and a .851 OPS in 7748 Plate Appearances.

             The Mariners are in full tear-down mode. They acquired two expensive power hitters this offseason while dumping one of their stars. Both of those hitters, Encarnacion and Jay Bruce, were off to great home run seasons. But now, both have been traded, Encarnacion to the Yankees and Bruce to the Phillies. The Mariners are eating some of Encarnacion\’s contract, and in return, get a decent and young prospect in Then, who was originally a Mariners prospect, (Juan) then traded to the Yankees for Nick Rumbelow.

              Then, 19, has a 2.70 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 50 innings in rookie league. In two minor league seasons, Then has a 2.67 ERA with 98 strikeouts in 111.1 innings.

             The Chicago Blackhawks have acquired defenseman Olli Maatta from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for forward Dominik Kahun and a 5th round draft pick.

             Maatta is still fairly young, as he\’ll be 25 by the time 2019-20 starts. His cap hit of just over $4 million isn\’t ideal, especially after a down year that saw him as a healthy scratch for the last three games of the Penguins season, when they were swept in the first round. But because of that sweep, and the fact that Pittsburgh has been eliminated before the Conference Finals the past two years, has GM Jim Rutherford looking for changes. There had been trade rumors surrounding Maatta and his former teammate Phil Kessel since the conclusion of the season. Now, Maatta is sent out of town. In return, the Pens get a speedy, young forward who had a surprise rookie season. Sound familiar? That pretty much describes current Penguins Jake Guentzal and Dominik Simon, and former Penguins\’ forward Conor Sheary.

              Kahun, who\’ll soon be 24, scored 13 goals with 24 assists for 37 points in 82 games, his rookie year for the Blackhawks. The Czech Republic native has one more year left on the deal he signed as an undrafted free agent.
          
              Maatta brings youth to an aging Blackhawks\’ defense. Duncan Keith will be 36, and Brent Seabrook turned 34 two months ago. Erik Gustafsson had a breakout year, and Connor Murphy made decent strides. That would leave a spot open for one of Carl Dahlstrom, Slater Koekkoek and Gustav Forlsing (current RFA), or an incoming UFA. Former 1st rounders Adam Boqvist and Henri Jokiharju could also push for a roster spot.

              Maatta, who will be 25, scored one goal with 13 assists for 14 points in 60 games for the Penguins this year. In six years for the Penguins, the blueliner has scored 25 goals and 82 assists for 107 points in 362 games.