2014-2015 NHL Thread

Discuss the NHL, NFL, CIS, NCAA, Lacrosse, Soccer, Baseball, Basketball, Motorsports, Golf, Rugby, Amateur Sport, Curling, Wrestling ... Whatever Sport or Leisure activity you like!

Moderator: Team Captains

User avatar
sj-roc
Hall of Famer
Posts: 7539
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 2:39 pm
Location: Kerrisdale

Speaking of Kassian, he's been traded to Mtl with a 2016 5th round pick for Brandon Prust. Hodgson, for whom he was traded and who was subsequently bought out, signed a deal with Nashville today.

From TSN:
VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Canucks have traded Zack Kassian and a 2016 fifth-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Brandon Prust.

Kassian, 24, has a year left on his contract at a cap hit of US$1.75 million.

Prust, 31, has a year left at a cap hit of $2.5 million.

The six-foot-three Kassian has 35 goals and 31 assists in 198 games with the Canucks and Buffalo Sabres.

It's the second NHL trade for Kassian, who went from Buffalo to Vancouver for Cody Hodgson in 2012.

The Sabres bought out Hodgson after a disappointing season, and the forward signed with the Nashville Predators on Wednesday.

Prust had 15 goals and 30 assists in 172 games since signing with Montreal three summers ago.
Toronto has unloaded Phil Kessel. He's Pittsburgh's problem now but the move will probably suit him as Crosby will always command the most media focus. Leafs will continue paying about 15% of PK's salary on the balance of his current contract as part of the multi-player deal, according to a tweet from Bob McKenzie.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded Phil Kessel to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Leafs will receive forwards Nick Spaling and Kasperi Kapanen, defenceman Scott Harrington and a first and third-round draft picks (2016) in exchange for Kessel, forward Tyler Biggs, defenceman Tim Erixon and a second-round pick (2016).

The 27-year-old scored 25 goals and 61 points in 82 games last season.

Selected fifth overall in by the Boston Bruins in 2006, Kessel has split his nine-year career with the Bruins and Leafs.

Kessel is entering the second year of an eight-year, $64 million deal signed in 2013. He has scored 247 goals and 273 assists for 520 points in 668 regular-season contests.

He has appeared in all 82 games in five of his nine seasons and at least 70 in another three.

Selected 22nd overall in 2014 by the Penguins, the 18-year-old Kapanen spent most of the last three season with Kalpa in his native Finland before being sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. He scored one goal and added four assists in four regular-season games with the AHL's Penguins as well as three goals and two assists in seven post-season contests.

Spaling scored nine goals and 18 assists in 82 regular-season games with the Penguins last season, adding a goal and an assist in five playoff games. The 26-year-old Canadian was selected 58th overall by the Nashville Predators in 2007 and spent his first five NHL seasons there, scoring 40 goals and 44 assists for 84 points in 297 games.

Former junior standout Harrington played 10 games with Pittsburgh and 48 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2014-2015. In 124 career AHL games, the 22-year-old has registered seven goals and 29 assists for 36 points. He was selected 54th overall by the Penguins in 2011.
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
TheLionKing
Hall of Famer
Posts: 25103
Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Vancouver

Canucks added a lot of grit and character with the acquisition of Brandon Prust.
User avatar
cromartie
Hall of Famer
Posts: 5004
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2002 2:31 pm
Location: Cleveland, usually

Kudos to the Penguins, I guess, for getting Kessel. But while that first line is terrific, Kessel, Crosby, Malkin, Fleury and Letang now make up over half of their salary cap. Which means you, yes you can enter for a chance to be randomly drawn to suit up as a member of their third defensive paring. (Don't be nervous, Letang won't remember who you are anyway.)

In the meantime, Hambone and I are the toast of the day. Green is the righthanded defenseman the Red Wings have lacked since 2012 and Brad Richards comes in on a one year deal to be a veteran Center presence until Datsyuk gets back from injury, and both deals were reasonable, as these things go. Plus, we have assets to move for another defenseman if need be.
User avatar
Toppy Vann
Hall of Famer
Posts: 9789
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2005 12:56 pm

Hmmm Richards being dumped so hastily with the reasonable legal term "material breach of contract" suggests several potential explanations:
1. this will become a huge serious issue for the player.
2. Or, two, what a great way to dump a big cap hit as no one wants to play fair in a trade!

I suspect given the speed that it is likely to turn out to be no. 2.

It seems that trades are too hard these days in the NHL given the cap hits these guys have. In the old days it seemed easier as cap hits weren't in the equation - just a team's ability and willingness to trade and pay.
"Ability without character will lose." - Marv Levy
User avatar
Toppy Vann
Hall of Famer
Posts: 9789
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2005 12:56 pm

Massacre of execs at Rogers stadium - Gilman, Henning and Marc Crawford's bro - Eric.

Not a good sign as this sort of massacre in numbers smells like dysfunction.

Maybe some big disagreements over the trades led to this and maybe it gives Benning a chance to get voices in the room he wants to hear but in sports as in business this usually suggests serious dysfunction.

Kassian to me should have played more. I don't get it. 7 goals in 9 games and or something like got him nothing. Why they didn't let that ride is beyond belief.

What I liked about Linden was the sense of stability these firings suggest could have been a fraud. Stability is crucial in a team and fan base.

Usually exec moves are made in the first 6 months of a new regime - earlier the better. Then the new leadership group gets to work.
"Ability without character will lose." - Marv Levy
Post Reply