CarterHud

    

The New York Rangers have acquired defenseman Brendan Smith from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a 2017 second round draft pick and a 2018 3rd round pick. Let\’s get into details.
       The Rangers are looking to bolster their defensive core. New York native Kevin Shattenkirk was a target for the Rangers, but the Washington Capitals stepped in and got him. Getting a guy like Smith helps their core. Smith can be a UFA on July 1, but so is Shattenkirk, and the Rangers seem confident they can sign him. They are buyers, and buyers always give up picks at the trade deadline. A second round pick and a third rounder isn\’t a hefty price. I\’m not surprised they agreed to this trade. Smith, 28, has 5 points (2 goals and 3 assists) in 33 games this season. He has 67 points (15 goals and 52 assists) in 291 career NHL games, all with the Wings.
        The Wings have made the playoffs in the last 25 years, but that streak is coming to an end, it looks like. They have shopped center Riley Sheahan and were shopping Smith, a future UFA. It\’s not a surprise they traded him, because they are dead last in the Eastern conference with 58 points (a record of 24-26-10). Two picks, especially in the top 3 rounds is nice. They are starting a rebuild, and there\’s no doubt about it.

   

  The Washington Capitals have acquired defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and goalie Pheonix Copley from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forwards Brad Malone, Zach Sanford, a conditional 2019 second round pick and a first round draft pick in the 2017 NHL draft. Let\’s get into details.
       Ever since the Capitals drafted left winger Alex Ovechkin with the first overall pick in the 2004 draft, their team has been great. He\’s scored 50 or more goals in a season 7 times. He has won 4 consecutive Maurice \”Rocket\” Richard trophies (most goals in a season). The only thing that Ovechkin can\’t do is make it to the Eastern conference finals in the playoffs. It seems like every year they\’re out in the second round.
       Getting an amazing defenseman in Shattenkirk can really help their defensive core. The Caps don\’t even need Shattenkirk. They have last year\’s Vezina trophy winner (best goalie) in Braden Holtby. They also have all-star defenseman John Carlson. But getting Shattenkirk can still make them a way better team. \”We felt it was important to acquire another defenseman to strengthen and add depth to our blue line,\” Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said. \”Kevin is a skilled, puck moving defenseman who we think will help our team at even strength and on the power play.\”
       They gave up a first round pick that will probably be a late pick, because the Caps currently are the best team in the NHL with 89 points (a record of 41-13-7). Sanford is a solid prospect but nothing major. Malone is also a depth player.
       The other guy the Caps got, Copley, was in their organization until a trade with the Blues struck, sending winger T.J. Oshie to the Caps. \”We are also pleased to welcome Pheonix back to the organization. We feel his addition solidifies our goaltending tandem in [AHL] Hershey,\” MacLellan also said.  
        Shattenkirk, 28, has 42 points (11 goals and 31 assists) in 61 games for the Blues this season.
        Copley, 25, has 1 start for the Blues this season, with a 5.09 GAA and a SV% of 0.828. In 25 games for Chicago (AHL), Copley has a GAA of 2.31 and a SV% of 0.920.
        I personally don\’t like this trade for the Blues. Even though he could be a UFA on July 1, Shattenkirk was a big part for the Blues, who currently sit in the second wild card spot in Western conference with 67 points (a record of 31-25-5). They are in the playoff race, but the Los Angeles Kings trail just 2 points behind them with a great goalie tandem of Jonathan Quick and the newly acquired Ben Bishop. The Blues seem to want to tank now. They received a decent prospect in Sanford, a first round pick which is always good and a depth player in Malone.
        Sanford, 22, has 3 points (2 goals and 1 assist) in 26 games for the Caps this season. He has 16 points (11 goals and 5 assists) in 25 games for the Hershey Bears (AHL) this season.
         Malone, 27, hasn\’t played in the NHL this season. He has 20 points (7 goals and 13 assists) in 52 games for Hershey this season. He has 30 points (13 goals and 17 assists) in 176 career NHL games with the Carolina Hurricanes and the Colorado Avalanche.  

    

The Ottawa Senators have acquired winger Alex Burrows from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for winger Jonathan Dahlen. Let\’s get into details.
      The Sens are back in the playoff race after a disappointing 2015-16 season. They sit second in the Atlantic division with 72 points (a record of 33-21-6). They have 2 games in hand on the Montreal Canadiens (who are in first) and are just 2 points behind the Habs. The Habs are making moves, acquiring defenseman Jordie Benn. After that trade, GM Pierre Dorion was looking to beef up his roster. One hole in their team was depth forwards. Prospect Curtis Lazar is having an awful season, and the team already traded for Tommy Wingels from the San Jose Sharks. Acquiring Burrows can help their team in the playoffs if they make it. The worst part about it is that they gave up a top prospect in Dahlen, who\’s father, Ulf Dahlen played for the Minnesota North Stars when they existed. But trading Dahlen shows how desperate they are. Burrows, 35, has 20 points (9 goals and 11 assists) in 55 games this season. He\’s a scrapper, with over 1,000 career PIM in 822 career NHL games. He has 384 career points (193 goals and 191 assists). Burrows was supposed to be a UFA on July 1, but soon after being traded, the Sens signed Burrows to a 2 year $2.25 million deal.
         The Canucks are rebuilders. They\’ve had Burrows for 12 years now, but he was entering a UFA year, it was time for him to go. The Canucks were always going to be sellers, but a mumps outbreak almost changed it. GM Jim Benning was probably quick to accept this deal, because getting a top prospect for an old 4th line grinder. Dahlen, 19, is yet to play pro. He has 70 points (39 goals and 31 assists) in 99 games over 3 seasons in Sweden.

   

The Montreal Canadiens have acquired defenseman Jordie Benn from the Dallas Stars in exchange for defenseman Greg Pateryn and a 4th round draft pick in the 2017 NHL draft. Let\’s get into details.
       The Habs were the top team in the league at one point, but have dropped off since. They fired head coach Michel Therrien, replacing him with Claude Julien. They sit first in the Atlantic division with 72 points (a record of 33-21-8), but the Ottawa Senators, who have two games in hand on the Canadiens, trail by just 2 points. Making this move upgrades this defensive core. Benn is slightly better than Pateryn (in my opinion) and the 4th round pick isn\’t much. Benn, 29, has 15 points (2 goals and 13 assists) in 58 games with the Stars this season.
        The Stars are sellers. They sit 9 points out of a playoff spot with 58 points (a record of 24-28-10). They recently traded winger Patrick Eaves to the Ducks. It makes sense why they would trade Benn, but Jordie\’s brother, Jamie Benn, is the Stars captain and best player. It could affect Jamie\’s play without Jordie, but GM Jim Nill made a solid move. Pateryn will replace Jordie Benn for the rest of the season, and the 4th round pick is an extra selection. Jamie Benn was a 5th round pick, so a 4th can turn out to be a star. Pateryn, 26, has 6 points (1 goal and 5 assists) in just 24 games with the Habs this season.     

   

The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired center Brian Boyle from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a second round draft pick in the 2017 NHL draft and forward Byron Froese. Let\’s get into details.
     For the first time in what seems like forever, the Leafs are in the playoff chase. They currently sit in the second wild card spot in the Eastern conference with 69 points (a record of 28-20-13). They have many depth players in both the NHL and the AHL, but most of them are younger players/rookies. Getting a proven veteran who\’s been to the Cup finals twice in Boyle can really supercharge their lineup. The second rounder is a fair price for Boyle, and Froese isn\’t needed with Boyle on the roster. Boyle, 32, has 22 points (13 goals and 9 assists) in 54 games this season.
      The Lightning made the Stanley Cup finals in 2015 and the Eastern conference finals in 2016, but went WAY downhill in 2017. Superstar center Steven Stamkos has been injured practically the entire season, and winger Ryan Callahan is out for the rest of the season. With 62 points (a record of 27-25-8), the Bolts are 7 points out of a playoff spot. They already traded goalie Ben Bishop, and now that Boyle\’s gone, they are in a rebuild. A second round pick is a solid pick, and Froese is depth for this year. Boyle could be a UFA on July 1, so it\’s not a surprise he was dealt. Froese, 25, has no points in 2 games for the Leafs this season. He has 39 points (24 goals and 15 assists) in 48 games for Toronto (AHL) this season.