CarterHud

    

The Florida Panthers have acquired forward Thomas Vanek from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for defenseman Dylan McIlrath and a conditional 3rd round draft pick in the 2017 NHL draft. Let\’s get into details.
       The Cats are trying to make the playoffs. They sit one point out of the second wild card spot in the Eastern conference. They have 68 points (a record of 29-23-10). Acquiring a depth forward in Vanek can help them climb into a spot. \”Thomas is a proven scorer in this league who will add some offensive savvy and experience to our young group of forwards,\” Panthers president of hockey operations Dale Tallon said. \”We believe strongly in our group and we\’re confident that he will help our power play and supplement our core effectively.\” They had no use for McIlrath, a defenseman they acquired in November. A third round pick is an ok price to pay, especially if they make the playoffs. Vanek, 33, has 38 points (15 goals and 23 assists) in 48 games this season. He has 687 points (331 goals and 356 assists) in 865 career NHL games with the Wings, the Minnesota Wild, the New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres.
          The Wings are sellers this year. Forward Tomas Jurco was dealt to Chicago. Defenseman Brendan Smith went to the NY Rangers. Trading Vanek, an upcoming UFA, isn\’t a surprise. McIlrath won\’t be in their future plans, but can play a little this year as a replacement for Smith. The third rounder is currently the Cats third rounder, but if they make the playoffs, it turns into the Arizona Coyotes third round pick, which should be 62nd overall. McIlrath, 24, had 1 point (a goal) in 5 games for the Cats this season. He had 1 game with the Rangers, but didn\’t record a point. He has 5 points (3 goals and 2 assists) in 43 career NHL games with the Cats and the Rangers. He has 94 career NHL PIM. He also had 4 points (a goal and 3 assists) in 18 games for Springfield (AHL) this season. He also had 4 games without a point for Hartford (AHL) this season.

    
The San Jose Sharks have acquired winger Jannik Hansen from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward Nikolay Goldobin and a conditional 4th round pick in the 2017 NHL draft, which can turn into a first round pick if the Sharks win the Stanley Cup this year. Let\’s get into details.
        The Sharks are buyers this year. It is their first deadline trade this year, and GM Doug Wilson will probably make more. Getting a winger who can play on any line helps, especially after the Sharks traded winger Tommy Wingels to the Senators in January. \”Jannik is a versatile, gritty player who plays with speed and is talented on both sides of the puck,\” Wilson said. \”We think he is a perfect fit for the style of our team, which has earned the right for us to make this move and add to our NHL roster as we push toward the playoffs.\” Goldobin was a solid prospect, but trading him shows how desperate this Sharks team is. A 4th round pick isn\’t much, but the Sharks would be happy if it turns into a 1st, meaning they won the Cup. Hansen, 30, has 13 points (6 goals and 7 assists) in 28 games this season. He has 235 points (105 goals and 130 assists) in 565 career regular season NHL games, all with the Canucks. He has 18 points (7 goals and 11 assists) in 64 career playoff games.
         The Canucks, unlike the Sharks, are sellers this year. They\’ve already traded winger Alex Burrows to the Sens, and the fact that Hansen is gone too is not a surprise. I think GM Jim Benning did a good job with this trade, acquiring a solid prospect in Goldobin, who could play bottom six forward time for the Canucks for the rest of this season. Goldobin, 21, has 0 points in 2 NHL games for the Sharks this season. He has 41 points (15 goals and 26 assists) in 46 games for the San Jose Barracuda (AHL) this season. He has 2 points (1 goal and an assist) in 11 career NHL games, all with the Sharks.

   

The Edmonton Oilers have acquired center David Desharnais from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Brandon Davidson. Let\’s get into details.
      The Oilers have been rebuilding for about a decade. They had first overall picks many times but didn\’t win really big ever. But finally, the Oilers drafted center Connor McDavid with the first overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft, and McDavid is already a top player in the league. Now the Oilers are playoff contenders. They sit 3rd in the Pacific division with 74 points (a record of 33-22-8). Adding center depth in Desharnais can help them if they make the playoffs. They have defensive depth, and Davidson was probably going to be taken by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL expansion draft, so trading him rules that out. Desharnais, 30, has 10 points (4 goals and 6 assists) in 31 games this season. He has 250 points (79 goals and 171 assists) in 435 career NHL games, all with the Habs.
       The Habs are looking to beef up a weak defensive core. They have all-star Shea Weber, but the rest isn\’t that good. GM Marc Bergervin acquired defenseman Jordie Benn Monday, and is probably going to make more moves at the trade deadline. Getting Davidson gives them defensive depth, which is good. Davidson, 25, has 1 point (an assist) in 28 games this season, all in the NHL. He has 13 points (5 goals and 8 assists) in 91 career NHL games.

Oduya (above) with Stanley Cup as a member of the Hawks

   The Chicago Blackhawks have acquired defenseman Johnny Oduya from the Dallas Stars in exchange for center Mark McNeil and a conditional 4th round draft pick in the 2017 NHL draft. Let\’s get into details.
     The Blackhawks are in the middle of a current day dynasty. They have won 3 Stanley Cups in the last 7 years. For two of those Cup wins (2013 and 2015) Oduya was on the team. But Cap issues forced the Hawks to trade both Oduya and winger Patrick Sharp (who also could be dealt soon) to Dallas. To get back Oduya is key, and can help their defensive core. Oduya can play with Niklas Hjalmarsson, whom he played with on the Cup teams. The Hawks have shaky depth, but with the acquisition of forward Tomas Jurco recently, GM Stan Bowman could trade McNeil. A 4th round pick isn\’t much. Depending on the Hawks playoff success this year, the pick can turn into a third rounder, but it would be worth it. Oduya is an upcoming UFA, but might re-sign with the club. Oduya, 35, has 7 points (a goal and 6 assists) in 37 games this season. He has 180 points (36 goals and 144 assists) in 783 career NHL games for the Stars, the Hawks, the Winnipeg Jets/Atlanta Thrashers and the New Jersey Devils. In his time with the Blackhawks from 2011-12 to 2014-15, Oduya had 43 points (9 goals and 34 assists) in 219 games.
         The Stars are sellers this season. They traded winger Patrick Eaves to the Anaheim Ducks. Defenseman Jordie Benn was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens. It\’s not a surprise that the 35 year old Oduya, who is can also be a UFA on July 1, was traded. They received a solid center in McNeil. GM Jim Nill knows about the Hawks\’ playoff success, and could get a 3rd rounder out of it. McNeil, 24, has 1 career NHL game. He had an even rating that game, 0 PIM and no points. That game was also last year, so he hasn\’t played in the NHL this year. He has 28 points (6 goals and 22 assists) in 58 games for Rockford (AHL) this season.   

  

   The Ottawa Senators have acquired winger Viktor Stalberg from the Carolina Hurricanes for a third round draft pick in the 2017 NHL draft. Let\’s get into details.
       The Canes have been rebuilding for years now. They are not the same team that won the 2006 Stanley Cup. Goalie Cam Ward has dropped off and former star Eric Staal is now a member of the Minnesota Wild. A winger like Stalberg, who can be a UFA on July 1, was definitely trade bait. Getting a 3rd round pick was an ok return, and the Canes did not lose this trade.
        The Sens\’ forward depth has been haunting them this season. Prospect Curtis Lazar has been a major bust, and might be traded in the next day. They went out and acquired forward Tommy Wingels in January. A day before this trade broke, the Sens acquired winger Alex Burrows from the Canucks. Adding another depth guy (Another rental guy too) in Stalberg is good. A 3rd round pick isn\’t a humongous forfeit. I think GM Pierre Dorion did a great job with this deal. Stalberg, 31, has 12 points (9 goals and 3 assists) in 57 games this season. He has 164 points (80 goals and 84 assists) in 470 career NHL games for the Canes, the New York Rangers, the Nashville Predators, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs.