Central Division Snapshots: Iginla, Blues, Weber
One of the few teams at this point in the season virtually assured of becoming a trade deadline seller is the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche currently have the league’s worst record and rumors have already begun to circulate that they could attempt to move major core pieces as soon as this month. Even if they stay the course with their core group, yet again, it’s likely the club will still look to deal players with expiring contracts and/or complementary veteran assets. One of those pieces is Jarome Iginla, and according to Adrian Dater, one potential suitor for the longtime NHL star could be the Chicago Blackhawks.
Chicago boasts a potent top line consisting of Artem Anisimov, Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane. That trio has combined for 42 goals and 63 assists this season. The Hawks also have Jonathan Toews, one of the league’s top all-around centers, and terrific two-way winger Marian Hossa but have struggled in recent years to find another winger to fill out the line.
In his tweet, Dater indicates Iginla could function as a “replacement” for Hossa, but since the Slovakian winger is expected to be back in the lineup tomorrow, it’s unclear how, or even if, that would impact Chicago’s rumored interest in Iginla. It’s quite possible the Hawks would view the former Flames sniper as a player in need of a change-of-scenery and one who could contribute some big goals down the stretch and into the playoffs for a team with aspirations of capturing their fourth Stanley Cup in the last eight seasons.
Iginla is in the final season of a three-year deal with an AAV of $5.33MM and would qualify as a pure rental for any team looking to deal for him. After back-to-back strong seasons of 29 and 22 goals, the 39-year-old right wing has slumped to just five through 37 games this season for Colorado. However, a move to a playoff race, particularly if allowed to play with gifted offensive players like Toews and Hossa, could help rejuvenate the 20-year veteran.
The Blackhawks would have to figure out how to fit Iginla in under the salary cap as according to Cap Friendly, the team is slated to have just under $2MM in space at the deadline. They could certainly open up more room by reassigning a young player to the minor leagues and also could try to convince Colorado to take back salary by swapping a more valuable asset to the Avalanche in a hypothetical move.
Elsewhere in the Central Division:
- The St. Louis Blues are pushing for a renovation of the Scottrade Center and a recent proposal submitted to the city’s Board of Alderman seeks $67.5MM in taxpayer funds to help pay for it, as Mike Faulk and Koran Addo of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch write. According to the proposal, the city’s contributions would come from sales tax already generated at the venue and with a 1% sales tax on Blues tickets. The team’s Chairman, Tom Stillman, argues the arena is outdated and the renovations are necessary not only to satisfy the Blues’ needs but to ensure other events, such as NCAA basketball tournament games, remain in St. Louis: “The Scottrade Center is no longer competitive,” said Blues Chairman Tom Stillman, adding that NCAA and concert promoters have warned that they will stop coming to St. Louis without upgrades to compete with facilities in Indianapolis, Kansas City, Nashville, Tenn., and elsewhere. The team and the city also plan to petition the state for money for the renovation but governor-elect Eric Greitens has previously opposed taxpayer funding for stadiums/arenas, calling it “welfare for millionaires.” Whether Greitens’ reluctance to allocate public funds for such a project could hinder or even halt renovation is unclear. Additionally, if renovations are not completed on the arena, it’s unknown if that would prompt ownership to pursue moving the team to another market.
- Nashville welcomed back Shea Weber for his first visit to the city as a member of the Montreal Canadiens last night. And while seeing the former team captain in a different sweater must have been bittersweet for many fans, particularly given Nashville’s struggles and P.K. Subban‘s health issues, Adam Vingan of The Tennessean writes that ultimately the trade sending Weber to Montreal is one that shouldn’t be viewed with regret. Vingan argues that the reasons the trade was made last June still apply today. Simply put, Subban is younger and swifter than his counterpart and in four years, when Weber is 35 and likely well on the down-slope of his career, Subban will be 31 and likely still in his prime.
Max Pacioretty Injured At Practice
Just hours ahead of Shea Weber‘s return to Nashville tonight, he may have significantly crippled his chances of pulling out a win in his homecoming. The Montreal Canadiens defenseman, known for his heavy shot, hit captain Max Pacioretty with a shot while the team was working on their power play at practice earlier today. The puck struck Pacioretty in the right foot and he went down immediately. Pacioretty was unable to put any weight on his right leg and had to be helped off the ice. Habs coach Michel Therrien reports that Pacioretty will be a game time decision tonight, but those in attendance at the morning skate say that it is very doubtful that he suits up.
Since the Canadiens lost top forwards Alex Galchenyuk and David Desharnais to injury early in December, it has been Pacioretty that has picked up the slack on offense. Many expected Montreal to fall off the torrid pace that they began the season with as a result of the injuries, but there had been only a marginal difference in their winning ability until very recently. A lot of credit is due to Pacioretty who, since then-leading scorer Galchenyuk went down, had 10 goals and 5 assists in just 14 December games. He now leads the team with 15 goals and 30 points.
However, Pacioretty is just one person. The Canadiens are thin up front, and their lack of scoring depth has shown through, as they have won just one of their last five games. With Pacioretty now likely out for at least tonight and possibly longer, the Habs have their work cut out for them. The likes of Daniel Carr, Michael McCarron, and Chris Terry have already been called upon from the minors to play major NHL minutes, and now Bobby Farnham, promoted yesterday, will likely enter the mix as well.
Weber would surely have liked to win in his return to Nashville, but the fate of just one game is nothing compared to the consequences of any long-term absence for Pacioretty. With Galchenyuk and Desharnais both not expected back for another month, the Canadiens will be very short on scorers. Hopefully, the captain is not out long, but there has been no official word on the extent of his injury yet. Stay tuned for more information.
Shea Weber To Play First Game Against Predators
“Shea meant everything to this franchise.”
– Predators GM David Poile
After 11 seasons in Smashville, Shea Weber will get take on the Predators as a visiting player for the first time
Weber played 763 games for the Predators, scoring 443 points and serving as captain for five seasons. He was unquestionably the face of the franchise for the majority of his time in Nashville, and his profound impact on the community will not soon be forgotten. In that respect, last June’s blockbuster is similar for both sides: P.K. Subban and Weber both were top pairing defensemen who donated much of their time and money to their adopted city before being traded in an actual hockey trade.
While Subban will not play for the Predators, he spoke with the media on Tuesday morning and said that he’s “seeing progress every day” on his injury, which he says is a new issue. The two superstar defensemen will face off for the first time on March 2 in Montreal, when a hopefully-healthy Subban makes his return to la belle province.
Weber’s return will be emotional for both players and fans. Pekka Rinne and Ryan Ellis both expressed respect and admiration for Weber and the way he helped welcome younger players into the NHL. Predators season-ticket holder Biff Collins also told Sportsnet’s Eric Engels that Weber’s return is “kind of heartbreaking, but he’s going to get a very warm response tomorrow. You might be surprised at how much we’re going to cheer, it’s going to be awesome.”
Weber is on pace for a career-high in goals and points, as the Canadiens are tops in the Atlantic Division. The Predators are still recovering from the trade, and are two points out of the Western Conference Wildcard.
- In other notes out of Nashville, the Predators recalled Harry Zolnierczyk and assigned Anthony Bitetto to the AHL for a conditioning stint.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Al Montoya To Two-Year Extension
Despite having arguably the best goaltender in the world, the Montreal Canadiens have always needed a quality backup. Well, now they have one for another two seasons. The team has announced today that Al Montoya has been extended for two years. Renaud Lavoie reports that the deal is worth $1.065MM per season. 
While Montoya does represent a solid backup netminder – a .909 save percentage that includes that awful 10-0 game against Columbus earlier this year – one of the biggest reasons the Canadiens needed to get this done is to have a goaltender to expose for the expansion draft. Prior to this extension, the only possible choice would have been Carey Price, since he’s the only one signed past this year. His no-movement clause conflicts with this however, as he also requires protection in the draft.
For Montoya, this represents the largest contract in his career (though not by very much) and will make him 34 at the expiration of the deal.
The Canadiens know what it means to have a solid backup, as they found out last year when Carey Price was injured for most of the season. The team did not perform well behind Mike Condon for the majority of the year, finishing with a 38-38-6 record despite starting 10-2. This year, the squad is 22-9-6 and is first place in the Atlantic Conference.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Atlantic Notes: Erne, Farnham, Mantha
The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Carolina Hurricanes yesterday, putting them just two points behind the Boston Bruins for the final divisional playoff spot with one game at hand. As they welcome in the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night, they’ll have a new face in the lineup. Adam Erne has been recalled by the team, and likely will make his NHL debut against the Jets. The 2nd round pick (33rd overall) has earned his stripes in the AHL this season and last with 47 points in 90 games. After scoring 86 in his final year of junior, the American-born Erne will look to make an impact at the NHL level.
The callup is likely to replace Bryan Boyle, who left last night’s game with a lower-body injury and did not return.
- The Montreal Canadiens have also made a roster move, bringing up tough-guy Bobby Farnham from the AHL for the second half of their current 7-game road trip. Farnham has played in 64 NHL games and has just ten points and 121 penalty minutes.
- Anthony Mantha is finally showing why he was picked 20th overall in 2013. The big winger has extended his current point streak to six games with a goal in the Centennial Classic in Toronto. That makes it seven points over that stretch, and 14 for the season in 22 games. If he can turn into the dominant power-forward he was projected to be for the Red Wings, perhaps it won’t be too long at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
- After Johan Larsson suffered a dislocated wrist in Thursday’s game against the Boston Bruins, he has remained in a local hospital nursing the injury. Jourdon LaBarber reports that it’s also an elbow injury for Larsson, who will be out “long term” for the Sabres. He’ll travel back to Buffalo with the team on Monday for further evaluation.
The Busiest Day Of The Summer: Six Months Later
Thursday, December 29 marks the six-month anniversary of the wildest 23 minutes in NHL history.
On June 29, the Oilers traded Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for Adam Larsson, the Canadiens traded P.K. Subban to the Nashville Predators for Shea Weber, and the Tampa Bay Lightning signed captain Steven Stamkos to an eight-year extension. All three of those moves came between 2:34pm and 2:57pm.
So far, the results have been mixed for the teams involved: the Devils are last in the Metropolitan Division, the Oilers are finally a playoff contender, the Canadiens are back to tops in their division, and Stamkos is likely to miss the last four-to-six months of the season.
Let’s take a closer look at the initial results for each team:
Edmonton Oilers — The decision to trade Hall was not popular in the Edmonton market. The former face of the Oilers rebuild had become one of the top left wingers in the world, behind only Alex Ovechkin and Jamie Benn on most rankings. Hall had 328 points in 381 games with the Oilers, despite the Oilers lack of NHL defensemen and centers for much of his tenure there. Ultimately, Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli felt comfortable replacing Hall with free agent Milan Lucic in order to secure a young, right-handed defenseman on a good contract. So far, Larsson has helped stabilize the Oilers defense with solid, if unspectacular play. Larsson has just six points in 36 games, but has developed chemistry with Oscar Klefbom on the Oilers future top pairing. The Oilers are currently second in the Pacific Division, and are showing real improvement over the last seven seasons. However, they are still a few pieces away from becoming a real contender, despite Connor McDavid‘s excellent play. While Larsson has been solid, the Oilers definitely gave up value on the trade, making this trade, at best, a passing grade for Chiarelli. Devils GM Ray Shero told Elliotte Friedman that “people want to decide winners and losers right away, but you have to build a team.” If the Oilers don’t manage to make the playoffs this season, then the pressure on Chiarelli will increase tenfold.
Montreal Canadiens — If the decision to trade Hall was considered unpopular in Edmonton, the Subban trade was even more so when the deal was announced. Subban had been a key fixture of the Montreal community in his six full seasons there. However, the final year of his tenure was full of controversy, beginning with Subban’s $10MM donation to the local children’s hospital. Many read into Max Pacioretty being named captain over Subban, and the conspicuous lack of a King Clancy nomination (for community leadership and humanitarian contributions) from his teammates. Then Carey Price got hurt and the Canadiens season went to hell. Whispers of trade rumors began. In particular, a February incident where Canadiens coach Michel Therrien singled out Subban for a give-away that led to a game-winning goal versus the Avalanche led to intensified rumors. Nothing seemed likely until the Predators offered Shea Weber just after the draft in June. The trade was much maligned for Weber’s age and the perception that his abilities were declining. That hasn’t proven to be the case just yet, as Weber has been the catalyst for the Canadiens resurgence. He has 20 points in 35 games so far, on pace for 25 goals and 57 points, both of which would represent career-highs. TSN’s Darren Dreger appeared on Montreal radio on Thursday morning and declared the Canadiens as the current winners of the trade. Weber’s presence and style of play is, by Dreger’s estimation, a better fit “for what the Montreal Canadiens needed.”
Nashville Predators — When news of the Subban-Weber trade came down, most in the hockey world couldn’t believe the news. No one could think of the last time two superstar captains and giants in their local community were traded for each other, one for one. The enormity of the deal was not lost on the two teams, with one front office member telling Friedman “I think both teams had moments where they couldn’t believe what they were considering.” Weber had been a pillar in Nashville since he first broke into the NHL, but the tough Western Conference was beginning to catch up with him. Defense partner Roman Josi was considered to be the better passer and skater, and some argued Josi was carrying the pair. With the Predators entering a new window of Cup contention, getting younger and more mobile became a priority, especially after trading Seth Jones in January. Subban’s style of play fits the Predators’ plans better. So far, Subban has 17 points in 29 games (a 58-point pace) but has been hurt since the middle of December. The Predators are barely above .500 and two points out of the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference. The trade definitely looks better for the Canadiens as of this writing, but the Predators are sure to figure things out soon. Considering Subban is four years younger than Weber, Nashville’s window should be open longer with Subban over Weber. That’s what GM David Poile wanted when he took the risk to move Weber, but he obviously feels the reward is worth it to add Subban to an already dynamic group of defensemen in Nashville. Let’s call this one a temporary win for Montreal with Nashville looking better long-term.
New Jersey Devils — After the trade went through, Shero told Friedman that he felt the Devils had the defensive depth to make the trade, referencing his time with the Penguins, where he traded Ryan Whitney and Alex Goligoski with with the knowledge that Kris Letang was up and coming. The Devils clearly believe that Damon Severson has the ability to become a top-pairing defenseman and replace Larsson. What New Jersey did not have was an up and coming offensive dynamo remotely close to Hall’s skill level. Shero told Friedman that teams had asked about Larsson’s availability and were told the only way that he would trade Larsson “is if it really makes sense.” Acquiring a franchise offensive player made sense. Hall has performed admirably for the Devils, and is currently on pace to score 54 points in 64 games while battling injuries. Unfortunately for the Devils, they remain in last place in their division and look unlikely to make the playoffs. The situation must be frustratingly familiar for Hall, who spent six seasons in Edmonton scoring at a high level with little defensive support. As mentioned above, the Devils clearly won the trade based on trade value, but as Shero said it’s all about building a team. Shero will need to build more support for franchise players Hall and Cory Schneider to work their way up the standings. If you ignore Edmonton being in contention for a playoff spot and New Jersey being in the lottery watch, New Jersey won the trade, hands down. Take team building into consideration, and the trade looks a little closer. It’s still a clear win for the Devils to acquire a legitimate superstar for less than full trade value.
Tampa Bay Lightning — Had it happened on any other day during the previous year, Stamkos re-signing in Tampa Bay would have dominated the news cycle for at least two or three days. But after the craziness of the half-hour preceding the announcement, it seemed to take something of a backseat to the pair of blockbuster trades. Stamkos took less than his perceived market value to stay in Tampa Bay where his heart is. He’s expressed his desire to retire as a member of the Lightning. Lightning GM Steve Yzerman told Friedman that he really didn’t know what would happen: “I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen. In the last week, we had no control.” But Stamkos ultimately chose to stay in Tampa Bay. With his blood clot and contract cleared up, Stamkos got off to a torrid start, scoring 20 points in 17 games. He was on pace for a 52-goal, 105-point season before a lateral meniscus tear put his season on hold until March at the earliest. There is some risk to having a player signed for eight years with three consecutive season-ending injuries (fractured tibia, blood clot, and meniscus tear). Injuries aside, signing a superstar scorer for $8.5MM per season long-term is a great deal for the Lightning, and leaves Yzerman room to do his best to keep the Lighting’s core together. Should Stamkos be able to stay healthy, then there’s no question that both sides will consider this contract a win.
Canadiens Recall Andrighetto
The Montreal Canadiens have recalled forward Sven Andrighetto from St. John’s of the AHL in advance of their game Wednesday night in Tampa Bay, according to Amanda Stein of TSN 690 via Twitter. Stein notes that the team returns to practice tomorrow and recalling the Swiss forward this evening permits him to skate with the club before the game.
Andrighetto has spent much of the season bouncing back-and-forth between Montreal and St. John’s. He’s appeared in eight NHL games this season and has recorded two assists. For his career the 23-year-old forward has registered nine goals and collected 13 assists in 64 contests.
The recall of Andrighetto suggests that Andrew Shaw, out since December 12th due to a concussion, is not ready to return to the Habs lineup quite yet. Andrighetto’s addition to the roster gives the Canadiens 13 healthy forwards, not counting Shaw of course.
The Canadiens are likely anxious to get Shaw back into the lineup. Montreal is 2 – 3 since Shaw went on IR and the team has also had to make do without their top center, Alex Galchenyuk, who has been out of action the last three weeks with a knee injury. Despite missing the last nine contest, Galchenyuk remains the team’s third leading scorer with 23 points on the season.
Poll: 2005 NHL Draft Take Two: Twenty-Sixth Overall Pick
Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
We’re looking back at the 2005 NHL Draft, which kicked off the salary cap era and ushered in many of the current NHL superstars. The question we’re looking to answer is knowing now what we didn’t know then, how different would this draft look now with the benefit of hindsight?
Here are the results of our redraft so far:
1st Overall: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
2nd Overall: Carey Price (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim)
3rd Overall: Anze Kopitar (Carolina Hurricanes)
4th Overall: Jonathan Quick (Minnesota Wild)
5th Overall: Kris Letang (Montreal Canadiens)
6th Overall: Tuukka Rask (Columbus Blue Jackets)
7th Overall: Bobby Ryan (Chicago Blackhawks)
8th Overall: Marc-Edouard Vlasic (San Jose Sharks)
9th Overall: Ben Bishop (Ottawa Senators)
10th Overall: James Neal (Vancouver Canucks)
11th Overall: T.J. Oshie (Los Angeles Kings)
12th Overall: Keith Yandle (New York Rangers)
13th Overall: Paul Stastny (Buffalo Sabres)
14th Overall: Marc Staal (Washington Capitals)
15th Overall: Patric Hornqvist (New York Islanders)
16th Overall: Niklas Hjalmarsson (Atlanta Thrashers)
17th Overall: Anton Stralman (Phoenix Coyotes)
18th Overall: Jack Johnson (Nashville Predators)
19th Overall: Matt Niskanen (Detroit Red Wings)
20th Overall: Justin Abdelkader (Florida Panthers)
21st Overall: Martin Hanzal (Toronto Maple Leafs)
22nd Overall: Andrew Cogliano (Boston Bruins)
23rd Overall: Kris Russell (New Jersey Devils)
24th Overall: Darren Helm (St. Louis Blues)
25th Overall: Cody Franson (Edmonton Oilers)
Now we move forward to the 26th pick, which was held by the Calgary Flames.
To recap how this works:
- We will go through the 2005 NHL Draft and have our readers select, through a voting process, who they think should have been taken with the selection.
- The entire first round will be redrafted, spanning picks one through thirty. The new selection is chosen by the majority of votes.
Back in 2005, the Flames took defenseman Matt Pelech from the Sarnia Sting. Since being drafted, Pelech played a total of 13 games in the NHL, tallying four points (1-3). Of those 13 games, Pelech spent five with the Flames and the other eight with San Jose. During the 2013-14 season, Pelech spent time in the ECHL with the Utah Grizzlies after playing for both San Jose and its AHL affiliate Worcester. A season later, Pelech recorded 39 games with the Rochester Americans. Last season, Pelech appeared in 49 games for the Schwenningen Wild Wings in the DEL (Germany) and has played the current season with Graz EC in the Austrian league.
With the 26th pick of the 2005 NHL Redraft, who should the Flames select? Cast your vote below! Mobile users, you can vote here!
With the 26th overall pick, the Calgary Flames select...
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Benoit Pouliot 28% (144)
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Devin Setoguchi 20% (103)
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Vladimir Sobotka 16% (80)
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Mason Raymond 9% (44)
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Steve Downie 8% (39)
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Sergei Kostitsyn 7% (34)
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Jakub Kindl 6% (30)
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Nathan Gerbe 3% (14)
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Jared Boll 2% (11)
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Jack Skille 2% (9)
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Gilbert Brule 1% (7)
Total votes: 515
Atlantic Division Notes: Danault, Kennedy, Stamkos
Injuries to Alex Galchenyuk and David Desharnais have forced the Montreal Canadiens to shuffle their forward lines around as they try to survive without two of their top offensive players. The loss of Galchenyuk was particularly difficult as the fifth-year pivot was averaging nearly a point-per game (23 points in 25 games) as the team’s top center but the play of Phillip Danault has helped offset Galchenyuk’s absence of late, writes Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette.
With a scoring line of 6 – 6 – 14 through 34 contests, Danault has already bested last season’s totals (4 – 6 – 10) in 17 fewer games. In his last eight games, the 23-year-old center has tallied one goal and five points. As Cowan notes, Danault posted solid offensive numbers during his junior career, potting 18 goals and 71 points in 62 contests in his final junior season with Victoriaville, suggesting his recent rate of production for Montreal is sustainable.
Danault was originally drafted in the first-round of the 2011 draft by Chicago when current Habs GM Marc Bergevin was a member of the Blackhawks front office. Bergevin was able to acquire Danault at last season’s trade deadline as part of the deal that sent rental players Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann to the Hawks. Known as a strong two-way player in juniors, Danault is taking advantage of increased ice time of late to show the Canadiens what he can do at the NHL level.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:
- Tim Kennedy hasn’t appeared in an NHL game in three years and despite a recent return to the organization with whom he made his NHL debut, it’s not likely that the veteran winger will make much of an impact for the Buffalo Sabres this year either. As John Vogl of The Buffalo News writes, Kennedy was signed by the club to add some offense and to serve as a mentor for the team’s prospects playing for the Rochester Americans in the AHL. Since suiting up for 37 games with the Coyotes during the 2013-14 campaign, Kennedy has made appearances for four different franchises in four different countries, including stops in the KHL, Swedish League and a 75-game stint with Hershey of the AHL in 2013-14. The piece provides an interesting insight into the life of a career minor-league player and his travels around the world in professional hockey.
- With the Tampa Bay Lightning struggling on the ice and in the standings, a return of franchise center Steven Stamkos could be just the spark the team needs to make a playoff push. Unfortunately, while Stamkos is progressing just fine after surgery to repair a torn meniscus, he is still looking at a mid-March return, as Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Stamkos is still on crutches and is a month or two away from even putting on skates. The 26-year-old pivot was off to a strong start, with nine goals and 20 points in 17 contests before the injury but if Tampa Bay is going to make a postseason run, it looks like it’s going to have to come without the assistance of Stamkos.
Previous Post-Roster Freeze Trades
As of 11:59pm last night (Eastern time), the NHL’s annual holiday roster freeze kicked in.
While there were some rumors kicking around prior to the freeze, there wasn’t anything that seemed imminent. However, we have seen trades made within days of the roster freeze ending. Here are the previous post-roster freeze trades of past few years.
2015-16: On December 28, 2015, the Edmonton Oilers traded former starter Ben Scrivens to the Montreal Canadiens for Zack Kassian. Both teams were looking for a comeback story: Scrivens had fallen to fourth on the Oilers depth chart, while Kassian had just cleared waivers after completing the NHL’s substance abuse program. Scrivens played 15 games in Montreal, winning just five times. While one of those was a 5-1 win for Scrivens over his former team, the Oilers have likely won this trade. Kassian has gotten his act together and is a solid bottom six energy forward/ penalty killer with 15 points in 67 games so far. Scrivens is now playing in the KHL.
2014-15: Just a day after the roster freeze ended, the Oilers acquired Derek Roy from Nashville for Mark Arcobello. Roy had just cleared waivers and had 10 points in 26 games with the Predators. He found immediate success with the Oilers, scoring 22 points in 46 games. He remains one of the few centers to ever get consistent results from Nail Yakupov, who scored 25 points in 35 games with Roy as his center. Arcobello had 12 points in 36 games for an Oilers team with almost no depth at the center position: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Boyd Gordon were the only legitimate NHL centers on the roster, with Leon Draisaitl just days away from being sent to the WHL. Arcobello played just four games in Nashville before bouncing around to Pittsburgh and Arizona before the end of the season.
2013-14: On December 30, 2013, the Calgary Flames traded former OHL scorer Greg Nemisz to the Carolina Hurricanes for tough guy Kevin Westgarth. Nemisz, a former first-round pick of the Flames and double Memorial Cup champion with the Windsor Spitfires, played parts of two seasons for the Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate. However, after suffering three season-ending injuries in as many seasons, Nemisz retired. He’s now an assistant coach for the OHL’s Oshawa Generals. Westgarth played 36 games for the Flames, which were his last in the NHL. He failed to stick with the Oilers on a PTO the following year, and ended up playing his last year of hockey for the Belfast Giants of the Elite Ice Hockey League in the U.K.
Interestingly enough, only one of the six players (Kassian) is still in the NHL. Scrivens and Roy are now in the KHL, Arcobello is playing in the Swiss League, and Westgarth and Nemisz are retired.
If you’re handicapping this year’s post-roster freeze movements, expect the Oilers to make a minor trade and for both players to be out of the NHL within two years.