Derek Roy is now a Vancouver Canucks (Bridgetds@Flickr)
Monday and Tuesday were very busy days in the NHL, as six trades of note have occurred. Teams are gearing up for the 2013 playoffs, making any moves that they can to help improve their roster.
These updates will be short, but make sure to tune in all day Wednesday from 9 pm CDT until the late afternoon to receive analysis on any major deals that occur. The next 18 hours will be full of speculation and player movement, so you won’t want to miss a moment.
Monday, April 1
Chicago Blackhawks acquire Michal Handzus from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2013 4th round pick
Let the fire-sale in San Jose continue! In what I still consider to be bizarre moves, it seems that no one is safe in San Jose. Currently sitting in sixth place in the West, the Sharks are currently playoff-bound but have now unloaded their third-line center as well as their big defenseman (Douglas Murray).
On the other hand, the Hawks are acquiring more depth for their playoff run. Handzus, who played with the Blackhawks in 2006-07, has only scored 1 goal and 1 assist in 28 games this season. With Jonathan Toews, Dave Bolland, Andrew Shaw and Marcus Kruger all manning the center of the ice, Handzus gives the Chicago team an alternative in case of poor play or injury.
Los Angeles Kings acquire Robyn Regehr from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 2013 second-round pick and a 2014 second-round pick
The Los Angeles Kings have made only two minor moves since winning the Stanley Cup in 2012 (Garnett Exelby brought in and Simon Gagne shipped out). The Kings have not needed any shakeups as they are currently in fifth place in the Western Conference, six points ahead of the ninth-seeded Edmonton Oilers.
The Kings’ system calls for an outstanding defensive game, which veteran Regehr can only improve. The Kings have their core of players locked up for a long time, allowing them to feel safe to move their draft picks. Regehr adds veteran know-how and fills a hole left by young defenseman David Drewiske, who departed for Montreal on Tuesday.
Bouwmeester has a $6.68M cap hit next season (Gosh@ - Flickr)
St. Louis Blues acquire Jay Bouwmeester from the Calgary Flames in exchange for a conditional 2013 first-round pick and prospects Marc Cundari and Reto Berra
I reported on this trade during last night’s St. Louis Blues – Minnesota Wild game. I also have a post on TheHockeyWriters.com about how this will affect the Blues’ salary cap situation.
Tuesday, April 2
Vancouver Canucks acquire Derek Roy from the Dallas Stars in exchange for prospect Kevin Connauton and a 2013 second-round pick
Derek Roy, acquired last summer from the Buffalo Sabres, had a short stint with the Stars and spent most of that time as their top line center. He leaves the team as their fourth highest point-scorer, accumulating 18 assists and 22 points in 30 games played. Roy will be 30 in May and will be an unrestricted free-agent this summer.
The Canucks are currently tied with the Minnesota Wild for the Northwest Division lead with 44 points. A little boost on the offensive side of the puck could not hurt a team that is constantly losing Ryan Kesler to injury.
Our friends at Defending Big D have a nice write-up on defenseman Kevin Connauton.
Jaromir Jagr signed with the Stars last summer (Bridgetds@Flickr)
Boston Bruins acquire Jaromir Jagr from the Dallas Stars in exchange for prospects Lane MacDermid, Cody Payne and a conditional second-round pick
Jagr will be back in black and yellow.
After spending his first season in the Western Conference in his 19-year NHL career, Jagr moves back to the East for another Stanley Cup run. Jagr, 41, was the highest point-scorer at the time of the trade, amassing 14 goals, 12 assists and 26 points in 34 games played.
The Bruins lost out on the Jarome Iginla sweepstakes, so they acquired arguably the second-best right-wing available at the trade deadline. Jagr can easily slide into the Bruins’ top two lines and adds another shooter on the power-play unit. His contract is up at the end of the year but with Jagr’s extreme conditioning, it is not out of question that he could continue his career past this season.
New York Rangers acquire Ryane Clowe from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2013 second-round pick, a 2013 third-round pick and a conditional 2014 second-round pick
Clowe has possibly been the most thrown-around name this season as a potential trade target. Going scoreless in 28 games, Clowe has frustrated his coaching staff and teammates countless times for his inability to find the back of the net. Some of his non-goals have even resulted in goals-scored for the opposing teams.
Clowe has no goals on the season (Bridgetds@Flickr)
The Rangers are taking a gamble on Clowe. Losing a large amount of draft picks (especially considering that this year’s draft is considered “deep”) is a reach for the Rangers, who are gearing up for a long playoff push. This is a win-now move for the Rangers, who currently find themselves in a tie for eighth in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Rangers are hoping that Clowe’s tenacity and grittiness in the corners will result in him finding the back of the net.
Tune in tomorrow all morning and afternoon long.
