Adam Proteau discusses the trade and waiver action in the NHL lately and which teams should join the action sooner than later, as well as what’s next for the Kings and Sharks.
Welcome once again to Screen Shots, an ongoing THN.com file in which we tackle some hockey topics and break them down into a few paragraphs. Let’s get straight to it:
Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports
Có rất nhiều hoạt động trong danh sách tuần này, bao gồm cả việc gia hạn hợp đồng lớn cho Filip Hronek với Vancouver Canucks, sau đó là một số động thái bắt mắt vào thứ Tư. Los Angeles Kings đã trao đổi Pierre-Luc Dubois với Thủ đô Washington để lấy Darcy Kuemper (sẽ nói thêm về điều đó sau), trong khi Flames trao đổi Jacob Markstrom cho Quỷ New Jersey.
With this surge of off-season activity, the question comes – which other teams could be joining the off-season trade frenzy next?
Từ quan điểm của người viết bài này, bạn có thể thêm ít nhất bốn đội vào nhóm đó: Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators, Buffalo Sabers và Pittsburgh Penguins.
Blue Jackets lọt vào danh sách đó vì GM mới Don Waddell có thể sẽ có động lực tấn công sớm và thực hiện một số động thái lớn với đội mới của mình. Columbus không đủ khả năng để đứng vững với nhóm hiện tại của mình – một đội đã gây thất vọng trong vài mùa giải vừa qua. Waddell cũng sẽ phải làm việc với Patrik Laine để có khởi đầu mới. Bất cứ động thái nào mà Waddell thực hiện đều có thể điều chỉnh hướng đi của Blue Jackets, cho dù đó là tìm một người ghi lưới khác hay tìm kiếm một trung phong.
Meanwhile, Predators GM Barry Trotz has shown last season he wasn’t afraid to make big moves. The Preds’ appearance in the playoffs this spring is all the motivation Trotz needs to take more steps to improve his team’s competitiveness with the $26.3 million in cap space he has.
Then in Buffalo, GM Kevyn Adams is feeling the heat to produce a playoff-caliber squad to improve in the very tough Atlantic Division. The Sabres have about $22.6 million in cap space to use to improve, and if the Sabres don’t make notable moves, their fan base may just revolt.
Cuối cùng, tại Pittsburgh, GM Kyle Dubas của Penguins có mức giới hạn 10,7 triệu USD sau khi tái ký hợp đồng với thủ môn Alex Nedeljkovic với thời hạn hai năm trị giá 2,5 triệu USD mỗi năm. Dubas phải sử dụng nó để bổ sung cho tài năng cốt lõi hiện tại của mình. Thêm một mùa giải nữa không được tham dự vòng playoff sẽ là một thảm họa đối với họ, nhưng sẽ không dễ dàng để họ vươn lên dẫn đầu Metropolitan Division. Chủ động trong mùa hè này thay vì phản ứng trong suốt mùa giải là giải pháp mà Dubas phải áp dụng để tạo ra sự thay đổi tích cực.
If these teams wait too long and the trade market dries up, they’re going to be left holding the bag and making excuses. It felt like the trade market kicked off this week, and it will only get more interesting from here.
The Kings made headlines with the shocking, unexpected trading of Dubois to the Capitals for veteran goalie Darcy Kuemper. That came one year after dealing forwards Alex Iafallo, Gabriel Vilardi and Rasmus Vilardi to the Winnipeg Jets last summer in exchange for Dubois.
Kings GM Rob Blake accepted responsibility for the moves in a media availability Wednesday, saying he didn’t think they did a good enough job integrating Dubois in the right roles. That said, he and the Kings are under pressure to improve their asset management and stay in the mix for a deep playoff run next year.
Certainly, Blake is hoping Kuemper and his $5.25-million cap hit will be a positive for the Kings next year. The likely upgrade in net is already one potentially good move.
The Dubois trade also increased Los Angeles’ cap space to more than $23.45 million, but Blake may now have to find a top-six forward to replace Dubois. Team aren’t freely and easily going to give up that kind of high-end talent.
Blake’s off-season to-do list could make him one of the most active GMs in the NHL. He has kept L.A. in the playoffs for each of the past three seasons, but the result has been a first-round exit every time. The Dubois trade signals the window in which the Kings have to improve has shrunk in a major way.
The San Jose Sharks were also an active team on Wednesday, picking up veteran forward Barclay Goodrow on waivers and trading for Dallas Stars winger Ty Dellandrea.
Sharks GM Mike Grier clearly intended to shore up his bottom six forwards with the two deals. While things are going to get significantly better in the next few weeks with the arrival of 2023 first-round draft pick Will Smith and projected No. 1-overall pick in 2024 Macklin Celebrini, San Jose’s rebuild has a ways to go.
Indeed, in the increasingly competitive Pacific Division, the Sharks are almost assuredly going to finish at or near the bottom of the standings again.
The Sharks have about $31.3 million in cap space, so they could buy out the remaining two years of defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s contract if they wanted to and not have the cap penalties affect them much at all in the next four years. They could keep him and eat the salary for the next two seasons without worrying about the salary cap and having his leadership presence. Still, they could also hand a generous contract to a UFA defenseman who could play more minutes for the Sharks and complement their younger players.
The new era is beginning in earnest in San Jose, and the additions of Goodrow and Dellandrea signal more change is coming in short order. Celebrini and Smith are the cornerstones of the Sharks’ rebuild, but many more moves have to be made before San Jose can truly be a playoff contender.
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