NHL TRADE UPDATES
2023-06-29 · -2 min read · NHL/Hockey
AP Photo/Chris O'Meara | Lucas Peltier/AP
With a handful of moves happening in the last few days it seemed we should take a look at the four most notable deals.
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Deal 1
- The Colorado Avalanche picked up Ryan Johansen from the Nashville Predators for Alex Galchenyuk on Saturday. Johansen had 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in 55 games this season, after scoring 63 points in 79 games the year prior. The 30-year-old centre missed the final 27 games of the season after he was cut by a skate blade against the Vancouver Canucks on Feb. 21. He has two seasons remaining on an eight-year, $64 million contract ($8 million average annual value) signed with the Preds on July 28, 2017. Johansen was the No. 4 pick in the 2010 NHL Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was traded to the Predators by the Blue Jackets for defenseman Seth Jones on Jan. 6, 2016. He has 555 points (189 goals, 366 assists) in 842 regular-season games with the Predators and Blue Jackets, plus 54 points (19 goals, 35 assists) in 67 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
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Galchenyuk, a forward, did not have a point in 11 games with the Avalanche this season and can be an unrestricted free agent July 1. The No. 3 pick in the 2012 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens, Galchenyuk has 354 points (146 goals, 208 assists) in 654 games with the Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Canadiens, and 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 38 playoff games. This is a good deal for the Avs who pick up a middle six centre with 70-point potential, for a journeyman who didn't fit in. The Preds meanwhile pickup and solid forward and get out from under Johansen’s 8 million cap hit.
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Deal 2
- The Chicago Blackhawks have acquired forwards Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno from the Boston Bruins in exchange for defensemen Alec Regula and Ian Mitchell. Hall, a 31-year-old winger and one-time Hart recipient, has two seasons remaining on a four-year, $24 million contract. He had 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 61 regular-season games this season and eight points (five goals, three assists) in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games. Foligno agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract with the Blackhawks on Tuesday. He could have become an unrestricted free agent July 1. The 35-year-old had 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) in 60 regular-season games and three points (one goal, two assists) in six playoff games.
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Going the other way Mitchell, 24, has 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in 82 NHL games, including eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 35 games this season. He played for Bruins coach Jim Montgomery at the University of Denver as a freshman in 2017-18. Regula, 22, has one goal in 22 NHL games. Each is a pending restricted free agent. This seems like a move to clear cap and build for the future in Boston. For Chicago they added talented vets and good locker room guys to a rebuilding squad; I wonder if Hall will play alongside Bedard?
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Deal 3
- My pick for the biggest deal sees Pierre-Luc Dubois head to sunny Los Angeles from snowy Winnipeg. In exchange the Jets get Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, and Rasmus Kupari, plus a 2024 second rounder. The 25-year-old forward, who would have become a restricted free agent on July 1, quickly signed an eight-year, $68 million contract with the Kings ($8.5 million average annual value). Dubois had NHL career highs in assists (36) and points (63) in 73 regular-season games this season, and four points (two goals, two assists) in five Stanley Cup Playoff games. Originally selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the No. 3 pick of the 2016 NHL Draft, Dubois has 302 points (129 goals, 173 assists) in 434 regular-season games for the Blue Jackets and Jets, and 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) in 38 playoff games.
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Vilardi, a 23-year-old forward, is coming off his best season in the NHL, getting 41 points (23 goals, 18 assists) in 63 regular-season games and four points (two goals, two assists) in five playoff games. Iafallo, a 29-year-old forward, had 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists) in 59 regular-season games and four points (three goals, one assist) in six playoff games. He has 204 points (85 goals, 119 assists) in 420 regular-season games and nine points (five goals, four assists) in 16 postseason games since signing with the Kings as an undrafted free agent on April 19, 2017. Kupari, a 23-year-old forward, had 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 66 regular-season games and no points in six playoff games. A first-round pick (No. 20) by the Kings in the 2018 NHL Draft, Kupari has 29 points (nine goals, 20 assists) in 130 regular-season games.
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Several of the Jets' core players can become unrestricted free agents at the end of next season, including goalie Connor Hellebuyck and long-time forwards Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele among others. This seems like a deal oriented around adding some young talent and draft capital while moving a talented player in need of a big deal who evidently wasn't worth it to them. The Kings meanwhile pick up a fairly young, talented, top six centre and have Anze Kopitar to mentor him.
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Deal 4
- Tyler Tofolli was being shipped to the garden state by the Calgary Flames on Tuesday. The New Jersey Devils will send back Yegor Sharangovich and a 2023 third round pick in exchange. Toffoli is coming off a career year setting new bests in goals (34), assists (39) and points (73) in 82 games for the Flames this season. The 31-year-old forward has one season remaining on a four-year, $17 million contract ($4.25 million average annual value) he signed with the Montreal Canadiens in 2020.
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Selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round (No. 47) of the 2010 NHL Draft, Toffoli has 466 points (227 goals, 239 assists) in 733 regular-season games for the Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Canadiens and Flames. He also has 44 points (18 goals, 26 assists) in 88 postseason games, including winning the Stanley Cup with Los Angeles in 2014. Toffoli said he was open to signing an extension with the Flames but talks never developed.
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Sharangovich had 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) in 75 regular-season games, and no points in three playoff games. He could have become a restricted free agent July 1, but signed a two-year, $6.2 million contract with the Flames on Wednesday. Selected by New Jersey in the fifth round (No. 141) of the 2018 NHL Draft, the 25-year-old forward has 106 points (53 goals, 53 assists) in 205 regular-season games. Overall this is a solid deal for both sides, with the retention of Meier it gives New Jersey a very deadly looking top nine. Calgary meanwhile gets solid value and future flexibility for a player not in their plans.
By: Chase Howard
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