As we are now done with the deadline I am going to give you five things I am surprised didn’t get done at the deadline and where those stories go now.
#1 no high priced Canucks forwards were moved.
The Canucks had a lot of trade conversations before the deadline came and while they did make a couple of moves trading Motte and Hamonic and acquiring Dermott I believe that the Canucks probably should have traded a forward before the deadline was gone. The Canucks are still in the modst of a tight playoff race and their moves at the deadline actually in my opinion made them better getting younger on the blue line with Dermott in and Hamonic out but I do think they should have moved a high priced forward. Now I know that J.T Miller was in the conversation to be traded way earlier in the season but with the year he is having I think it was smart not to trade him and I think they should try to resign him in the offseason. But the other two who were considered being Boeser or Garland I thought would have been moved. Boeser has played better since the coaching change having 19 goals and 38 points in 61 games this year and while he is young and a good goal scorer the Canucks don’t have the money to pay him the $7.5 Million dollar qualifying offer so I thought they could have moved him, and Garland has done well in his first year with Vancouver getting 14 goals and 35 points in 62 games this year but the almost $5 Million dollar cap hit over the next four years will cause Vancouver problems. Now I know the Canucks are close to a playoff spot so they didn’t want to drastically subtract from their team but I think one of those two forwards will be moved in the offseason for a package that includes a young defensemen.
#2 Neither Chychrun nor Kessel were moved by the deadline.
The Coyotes were definitely not as activate as I thought before the trade deadline and two of the biggest trade piece not only on Arizona but in the league didn’t move. First the Coyotes didn’t move pending UFA and great veteran forward Phil Kessel. Now Kessel has been productive on a bad Arizona team putting up 7 goals and 39 points in 65 games but the problem as to why they didn’t move him was probably the cap. He makes $6.8 Million right now and after the Coyotes retained salary on Johan Larsson they had used all 3 retention slots for this year and a third team couldn’t retain salary due to Toronto already retaining salary on his contract so with no ability to retain salary a team would’ve had to take on $6.8 Million cap hit for a third line player so I can see why he didn’t move but if I was Arizona I would’ve not retained salary on Larsson because he was making under $2 Million and retained salary on Kessel but they didn’t and now he will leave as a UFA. And the other guy is Chychrun. Now after the injury sustained a week before the deadline made is seem like a trade wasn’t going to happen, with all the moves at defence I thought one team would step up and pay the price but now it will wait until the offseason. Chychrun will still be signed for 3 years at a affordable $4.6 Million dollar cap hit in the offseason and with recent reports saying that Chychrun wants to win now I do believe he will be moved in the offseason for probably a package with 4 pieces in my opinion.
#3 that both Kubalik and De Haan are still a member of Chicago.
The Blackhawks were a busy team and got a lot of picks and prospects for moving some good guys out, now I didn’t think Kane or Toews were going to be moved before the deadline but I did think that these two were going to be moved by the deadline. First Kubalik as I am not completely surprised that he has stayed in Chicago for the rest of this year but I am a little shocked as it sounded inevitable that he would be moved in the days leading up to the deadline as he has 12 goals and 23 points in 65 games this year and I think will not only draw attention in the trade market but also be traded at some point in the offseason. And for De Haan he was a pending UFA making just over 4.5 million dollars for the rest of this year and although he hasn’t been drastically productive scoring 5 points in 60 games I thought the Blackhawks would have found someone to take him on especially with how good the defensemen market was but he wound up staying in Chicago past the deadline which sort of shocked me but with recent reports saying he might want to sign a extension with Chicago I definitely didn’t see him staying before the deadline.
#4 Jake DeBrusk stayed in Boston AND signed a extension.
This is a move that surprised me as the Bruins signing the young forward who asked for trade was not something I was planing to see but it happened. DeBrusk started slowly this year but has definitely produced better as of late having 16 goals and 27 points in 60 games and most of that coming since he was placed on the top line. Now the extension was 2 years at $4 Million dollars and there was rumours that no team wanted to take DeBrusk with the qualifying offer of around $4.5 Million so that signing did get him cost controlled for the next two years and as some reports have said I think that DeBrusk will still get traded as the signing means it might be easier to trade in the offseason and with Boston looking like they will make the playoffs it makes sense to me why they kept DeBrusk instead of subtracting him from their team right now but after signing Hampus Lindholm and needing to try to keep Bergeron I fully believe that DeBrusk will be moved in the offseason.
#5 LA didn’t trade any top prospect Center.
The Kings didn’t do anything at the deadline except swap a couple of lower end prospects and get Stecher from Detroit but I thought that with them doing well this year that they would’ve moved some Center prospect to improve. The Kings are currently stockpiled with top Center prospects like Madden, Thomas, Turcotte or Vilardi and the worst thing is not all of these players are going to get a chance to play regular minutes in LA so some will have to be moved. Now I thought they would have maybe moved some of them before the deadline but with all their injuries and the tight playoff race they are in I can see why they didn’t do a drastic move but I think that they will make a significant move in the offseason involving a young Center and I still think Chychrun would be a great for there.
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