There has been much speculation as to what moves the tanking Arizona Coyotes would make with the approaching trade deadline, and they finally made several blockbuster trades in the final days of the deadline.
With an imploding team, and a playoff spot not even being an option, the Coyotes were obviously ready to make some big moves. When the new owner Andrew Barroway was instated, it was clear that he had plans to change the team and with the help of General Manager Don Maloney, they have done just that.
Vermette to Chicago
Anotine Vermette was arguably their biggest trade piece. The power forward has the capability to be a high goal scorer, and with the recent injury of Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane, Vermette makes sense. Whether or not Vermette will just be a rental or not will be decided this summer when he is available for free agency, but he is a great addition for the moment. According to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun Times Vermette centered a line with wingers Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad.
Vermette had 36 points (13 goals, 22 points) this season with the Coyotes and has the potential to do so much more with a powerful offensive line.
In return for the veteran forward, the Coyotes obtained Klas Dahlbeck a 23-year-old Swedish defenseman. He has played for the Blackhawks’ AHL team the Rockford IceHogs where he’s had four goals and seven assists in 48 AHL games, and one goal in four NHL games with the Blackhawks this season.
In addition to Dahlbeck, who will be a versatile addition to the Coyotes, Arizona got a first round pick from Chicago.
Yandle to New York
In a blockbuster trade with the New York Rangers, the Coyotes traded Keith Yandle and Chris Summers (along with a fourth round draft pick) for forward Anthony Duclair, defenseman John Moore, a first round draft choice in the 2016 Entry Draft and a second round draft choice in the 2015 Entry Draft.
Keith Yandle led the Coyotes with 41 points this season (4 goals, 37 assists) 63 games. Summers collected 0-3-3 in 17 games with the Coyotes in 2014-15.
“Keith Yandle was a terrific player and leader for us,” Maloney said. “We would like to thank him for all his contributions to the organization over the past nine seasons. We wish him and his family all the best in the future.”
At 19 years of age, Duclair has recorded 7 points this seasons with the New York Rangers in 18 games. His latest career highlight was playing alongside Coyotes prospect Max Domi in Team Canada’s gold medal win during the World Junior Championships.
“Anthony Duclair is a dynamic, skilled forward who has size, speed and offensive talent,” Maloney said about the acquisition. “He will be a valuable addition to our organization.”
John Moore was also added to the Coyotes roster in the trade with New York. An original Columbus Blue Jackets first round draft pick, the 24-year-old has collected 6 points and 19 penalty minutes in 38 games with the Rangers.
“John Moore is a young, strong skating, puck moving defenseman who will solidify our core group on the blue line,” Maloney said.
Michalek to St. Louis
Zbynek Michalek was one of the other Coyotes that’s been on the trade radar for some time now. Though he is currently suffering from post-concussion symptoms and hasn’t been on the ice since the incident, the Coyotes still got something for him. Michalek had 8 points (2 goals, 6 assists) and 12 penalty minutes in 53 games with the club this season
In the trade, the Coyotes let go of the defenseman and a conditional third round draft choice for St. Louis Blues prospect Maxim Letunov. Letunov is opting to play for Boston University before he begins his career in the NHL. This is a great addition to the Coyotes for the future. They wanted young players and they’ve got them.
“Maxim is a big, skilled center with excellent upside,” Maloney said. “He will play at Boston University next season who do a great job developing players. We are excited to have him join our organization.”
Miscellaneous transactions
In further efforts to revamp their team, the Coyotes went to waivers to find some new additions. After picking up Mark Arcobello off of waivers from the Penguins a few weeks ago, the Coyotes have seen luck in their addition from a waiver pick-up. Claiming Tye McGinn and Craig Cunningham will hopefully work in their favor.
Craig Cunningham, a forward who played in 32 games with the Boston Bruins this season has 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) and 2 penalty minutes. In 21 games with the Providence Bruins, he has 15 (5 goals, 2 assists) points and 8 penalty minutes.
Tye McGinn, another forward, was picked up off of waivers by the Arizona Coyotes from the San Jose Sharks. In 33 games, McGinn has 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists) and 11 penalty minutes. In 69 total career NHL games, McGinn has registered 15 points (5 goals, 10 assists).
The Coyotes made one more minor trade for the day moving minor-league defenseman Mark Louis to the New York Islanders for goaltender David Leggio. Leggio has not seen a game with the Islanders this year, but has a 7-13-0 record with a 3.93 goals against average and a .861 save percentage in 23 games with AHL team the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
All of the draft picks
Don Maloney and the Coyotes new way of building seems to be in youth. With strong young players like Max Domi already in their system, and a good amount of draft picks, their rebuild is on it’s way to being extremely successful in the long run. There are a number of quality players such as Boston University’s Jack Eichel and the Ontario Hockey League’s Connor McDavid. The draft pick accumulation is the way to go if you want to build from the young players.
In this years draft, the Coyotes have 2 first round picks, 2 second round picks and 2 third round picks. In 2016, the Coyotes already have 2 first round picks and 1 second round pick. Seems to be that the teams goal of ‘young players’ has really been taken seriously in this trade deadline.
All said and done
When it’s all said and done, the Coyotes took an interesting, but proactive stance on their trades. Players like Vermette are probably not going to stick around in free agency, and acquiring high draft picks and valuable prospects is better for the team in the long run. Though you hate to see a guy like Keith Yandle go, again the picks and players you can get gives them more options during the offseason. The Coyotes will retain 50% of Yandle and Michalek’s salaries.
The Flyers will get a second round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, and a conditional fourth round pick in the 2016 draft. If the Blackhawks win the second round of the playoffs, and Timonen plays in 50% of the games, then the Flyers will get the Blackhawks third round pick in the 2016 draft. If the Blackhawks win the third round of the playoffs, and Timonen plays in 50% of the games, then the Flyers will get the Blackhawks second round pick in 2016.
Timonen has yet to play a game this season, due to being diagnosed with blood clots in the summer. The defenseman has been skating for the past few weeks, and was thought to have been making his season debut on Saturday with the Flyers. In seven years with the Flyers, he has played in 519 games, registered 38 goals, 232 assists, and 270 points. He was also a plus 44, had 4 game winning goals and averaged 22:27 of ice time per game. Prior to being traded to the Flyers, along with Scott Hartnell, Timonen played eight seasons with the Nashville Predators. He played in 573 games, registered 79 goals, 222 assists, 301 points. The defenseman was a minus six, had 10 game winning goals, and averaged 22:29 of ice time per game. In his career, Timonen has played in 1,029 games, registering 117 goals, 454 assists, 571 points, is a plus 38, and has averaged 22:28 of ice time per game.
In his 15 seasons, Timonen has reached the playoffs nine times. He reached the playoffs in three separate seasons with the Predators. He was in the playoffs in every season except one, the 2012-13 season, and even reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2010. The Flyers lost to the Blackhawks in six games in the Stanley Cup Finals. Timonen is a four time All Star, and has competed in five Winter Olympics for Team Finland.
Timonen can log big minutes, and is durable. The defenseman is also mobile and can move the puck well. He can be the quarterback of the power play, and can also play on the penalty kill. He will also block shots, and shoots with accuracy.
The Blackhawks will be a good team for Timonen because he won’t have to log a ton of minutes because the Blackhawks have two defensemen, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, who will take care of logging the big minutes. Timonen will likely be a little rusty at first, and will need a couple of games to get back into the swing of things.
The trade worked out for everyone involved, but especially for Timonen because he is going to a team which is competing for a spot in the playoffs, and has a shot at the Stanley Cup, which Timonen has never won in his career.
The Canadian Women’s Hockey League has announced three hosts for its annual league awards gala on March 4: two-time Olympic gold medalists and television personalities Cassie Campbell-Pascall and Cheryl Pounder, and Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster Ron McLean.
The awards gala is held on the evening of the first day of the Clarkson Cup championship series, which will be in Markham, Ontario, on March 4-7.
The gala’s featured guest speaker will be Sochi 2014 gold-medal winning curling skip Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg.
The CWHL awards gala will recognize outstanding league performances from the 2014-2015 hockey season, including the regular season-winning team, coach of the year, most valuable player, goaltender of the year, rookie of the year and defenseman of the year.
The Clarkson Cup playoffs will take shape this year in a different format, with the first-place team hosting the fourth-place team, and the second place team hosting the third place team, each in a three-game series. The winners of each series will face off for the Clarkson Cup on March 7 at 2 p.m. EST. The championship game will air live in SportsNet in Canada, as well as two prior playoff games on March 5.
The CWHL is the premier, professionally-run women’s hockey league in the world. It enables elite female hockey players to pursue their dreams of competing at the highest level possible, while enhancing the lives of others through exceptional athleticism, entertainment and motivation. The league is centrally funded, with all participating teams in the CWHL receiving equal access to financial support and given the same opportunities to succeed.
Working in a hockey arena at times can be chilly. Working in an historic hockey arena, at times, can be even chillier. From my previous Press Level Perspective post I mentioned that I am currently completing my graduate school practicum with the Syracuse Crunch (AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning) in “Sponsorship Services.” The Syracuse Crunch Hockey Club plays home games, practices and has their front offices located in the historic War Memorial at Oncenter, in downtown Syracuse, New York. The building opened in 1951 and has had several sport teams as tenants through the years.
For those of you familiar with the 1977 hockey comedy film Slap Shot, starring Paul Newman and Michael Ontkean, the War Memorial at Oncenter was one of the various arenas used as shooting locations for in-game action. The Syracuse arena was used as “Hyannisport” where the Hanson Brothers charge into the stands to accost a fan and are subsequently arrested. The cult classic just celebrated its 38th birthday this past week.
Aside from the history lesson, my point is that sometimes historic buildings, especially those that house a sheet of ice, can be chilly. This ensemble is from the game on 01.23.15 vs. the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. I kept it business professional, because as an intern you have your game day responsibilities; however, in sports it’s best to “expect the unexpected.” You also never know who you may meet. This season I have met team owners, general managers, agents, scouts, and even celebrities making appearances. This outfit is a simple fitted, ribbed black knit Lauren, by Ralph Lauren dress. I paired it with opaque black tights and Coach black leather booties. For jewelry, I played up this simple dress with some “rocker” accessories. The black bead statement necklace is by Bauble Bar and I layered it with an art deco vintage necklace from the 1930s. The layering theme continues with my “arm party” – my gold watch from Nixon, gold stud bracelet by Alex and Ani, and black leather cord and gold bead bracelet from Emerson and Oliver. I completed the look with simple diamond stud earrings from a local jeweler and my purse for the night by Landau.
In a move that has Toronto fans celebrating and Columbus fans scratching their heads, the Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired right wing David Clarkson from the Toronto Maple Leafs, General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today.
Clarkson, whose 7-year, 5.25 million contract with the Maple Leafs was widely considered the worst in the league, scored just 15 goals and 11 assists in 118 games with the Leafs. Explaining the thought process behind bringing him to Columbus, Kekalainen said, “Clarkson has been a 30-goal scorer in the NHL who will bring added character and leadership to our group.”
So … grit. The Blue Jackets took on one of the worst contracts in the league for grit.
Then again, maybe not. The Blue Jackets seem to anticipate an uptick in play from Clarkson. The total buy-in locker room environment Columbus espouses will certainly be a change from Toronto, at any rate. Maybe the move will be a hard reset for Clarkson, and we’ll see his play return to the level he demonstrated in New Jersey.
Either way, he’s a body on the ice, which winger Nathan Horton has been unable to be due to a degenerative back injury.
“While we are excited to welcome David to the Blue Jackets, it is also difficult that Nathan’s time here has ended prematurely due to his injury situation,” Kekalainen said. “He is a tremendous person and we wish him and his family all the best in the future.”
At his signing, Horton was heralded as a sign of changing times in Columbus: the team was on an upswing, the future looked bright, and Horton attributed part of his reasons for signing to the culture and atmosphere of the club. He tallied 4-15-19 and 24 penalty minutes in 36 games with the Blue Jackets last season, and presumably won’t resume play in Toronto.
Even if Horton never suits up for the Maple Leafs, putting him on the long-term injured reserve gives them desperately needed cap relief as the struggling team moves forward with what we can only assume will be a rebuild. Though the salary cap is intended to keep big-money teams from poaching all the talent, in this particular case it so happens that the Leafs can afford to pay Horton not to play while Columbus cannot.
According to Forbes, the Blue Jackets are the second-least valuable team in the league, with an operating income of -$6.3 million (the fifth-worst in the NHL, just above the St. Louis Blues at -$6.5 million).
The Toronto Maple Leafs, on the other hand, produce operating revenue of $70.6 million. This season is the ninth consecutive year that the Leafs are the league’s most valuable team.
In other words, paying a player $26.1 million over five years not to play is a comparatively good deal for Toronto’s deep pockets.
“This is a very important financial decision for us,” Kekalainen said. “It gives us a player.”
The team announced Wednesday that Kane’s upper-body injury was a fractured clavicle, surgically repaired Northwestern Memorial Hospital by Hawks team physician Michael Terry and Bradley Merk.
“Patrick underwent successful surgery today to repair his left clavicle fracture,” Terry said in a statement. “The procedure went very well and we anticipate a full recovery in approximately 12 weeks.”
The winger, who sports pundits have called a Hart Trophy contender this year, fell awkwardly into the boards after a cross-check from behind to his lower back by Alex Petrovic as Kane rushed to the puck.
Petrovic served a two-minute penalty for the cross-check; and Kane, who seemed to fall into the boards trying to recover from the hit and continue on for the puck, needed assistance off the ice and didn’t return to the game.
“You just need guys to step up,” Kris Versteeg said after . “You can’t replace the guy. You’d be lying if you said you could. You look around the room and there are guys who have done some pretty good things in this league. It’s going to have to be by committee. Look at Kane, he’s 20, 30 points ahead of the next guy on the team (in scoring). It’s hard to replace that. This team always seems to find ways so we’re just going to have to do that now and dig deep.”
With an assist on Versteeg’s goal, Patrick Sharp gets his 500th point (233G, 267A) as a Blackhawk. #HandsomeMilestone — Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 25, 2015
Unfortunately, the team couldn’t hold on through regulation, with defense breaking down in the third period–allowing 16 shots on goaltender Scott Darling.
Neither team scored through the rest of regulation or during four-on-four overtime.
However, the Blackhawks, and Darling delivered in the shootout.
Even the shootout was a change without Kane, but the Blackhawks were able to manage.
“You get ticked off when the best player in the league gets hit like that,” Versteeg said. “People pay a lot of money to watch Patrick Kane play. It’s never good when he’s out of the lineup, not only for us but for the league.”
The NHL point leader (64, tied) was placed on the long-term injured reserve Wednesday. So, for the rest of the regular season and beyond, the Blackhawks will be missing this:
And this:
But, as Coach Joel Quenneville pointed out, they’ve fought through injuries before.
The Blackhawks recalled Teuvo Teravainen from the AHL Rockford, reigniting “Teuvo Time” for the team. Teravainen has six goals and 19 assists in 39 games for the IceHogs this season. He has two goals and two assists in 15 games for the Blackhawks this year, but would likely see more ice time with Kane out.
Tuesday’s game was the last of an eight-game homestand. The Blackhawks rematch against the Panthers at 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday at the BB&T Center before playing Tampa Bay Lightning at 6:30 p.m. CT Friday at the Amalie Arena.
With twenty million feet of snow in Boston, game night fashion takes a back seat to practicality and comfort. One of my favorite color combinations of late, bright yellow and blue. Bright colors combat the dreary outdoor weather forecast of snow upon snow, upon snow. Bright colors and layers are my favorite fashion choice from the first leaf falling through the melting snow.
Breakdown:
White Tank Top, Kohls, $19.99
Yellow Sweater, Anthropologie, clearance, $21.99
Black Blazer, Macys, $24.99
Royal Blue Dress Pants, Macys, $32.99
Statement Necklace, Thrift Store, $3.49
Black Wedges, TJMaxx, $25
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