Catching up on NHL trades
From the draft until the start of free agency
Recapping the trades that have taken place before the start of free agency.
The Blue Jackets C Max Domi
Domi, 25, is a playmaking forward who has started to generate more shots on goal in the past two seasons with Montreal, producing a career-high 28 goals and 72 points in 2018-2019.
His scoring dropped last season, especially down the stretch, as he finished with 12 points his last 29 games of the season. Nevertheless, he’s a viable second-line forward for a Columbus team that could use more offense down the middle of the ice and Domi does have experience playing centre.
No matter where he plays, Domi is a feisty competitor who likes to carry the puck through neutral ice and set up plays in the offensive zone. He represents a skill upgrade for the Blue Jackets, and Domi’s ability to create offense could make Alexander Wennberg expendable.
A restricted free agent with arbitration rights, Domi inked a two-year extension for $5.3 million per season and will be an unrestricted free agent when the deal expires.
The Canadiens Get: RW Josh Anderson and a third-round pick
Anderson is a 26-year-old winger who missed quite a bit of time last season, ultimately needing shoulder surgery. Even before he was sidelined, Anderson was enduring a miserable season, scoring one goal in 26 games, scoring on 1.6% of his shots.
However, the season before, Anderson had scored a career-high 27 goals and 47 points. He also recorded a career-high 214 hits that season and it’s a significant part of Anderson’s appeal.
Many teams, the Habs included, would like their version of Washington Capitals unicorn Tom Wilson, a rare player who can play an intimidating physical game and score and while Anderson doesn’t skate as well as Wilson, he does have some of those elements in his game.
When healthy, Anderson ought to fill a middle six role for Montreal and Montreal is making a massive bet that Anderson will be up to the job, signing him to a seven-year contract with a $5.5 million cap hit.
Verdict: The Canadiens have been trying to get bigger for a generation and Anderson is the kind of big, tough winger they have coveted. The acquisition made more sense than the contract that he received. Like how much more would the Habs have given Anderson is he wasn’t coming off surgery after a laughably unproductive season? The trade was probably a win for the Blue Jackets. Once the new contracts were signed, Columbus appears to be in a better place when it comes to the two players involved.
-------
The Wild Get: C Nick Bonino, a second-round pick (37) and third-round pick (70)
Bonino, 32, has been a solid two-way centre throughout his career, handling more defensive zone starts and scoring at least 15 goals five times.
In three seasons with the Predators, Bonino started 34.1 of his even-strength shifts in the offensive zone and the still Predators still outscored opponents 145-98.
The Wild are severely lacking depth down the middle of the ice so Bonino looks like he will play a significant role. He has typically been a third-line centre but it’s at least possible that he might slot in on Minnesota’s second line.
Bonino is going into the final year of his contract, with a cap hit of $4.1 million per season. The contract included a $1.7 million signing bonus for this season, so the actual cost to Minnesota will be $2.4 million, a real cash savings relative to the cap hit.
The Predators Get: C Luke Kunin and a fourth-round pick (101)
Kunin is a 22-year-old who was the 15th pick in the 2016 Draft. He’s a tenacious checker who can contribute offensively.
A restricted free agent coming out of his entry-level deal, Kunin will be due for a raise but, without arbitration rights, could get squeezed due to his lack of leverage this year.
In Nashville, he figures to take Bonino’s spot on the third line and he should be able to handle that role. The benefit to the Predators is that they get a younger player who will be able to contribute for several more years before reaching unrestricted free agency.
Verdict: The Predators make out better on this deal because they got a 22-year-old centre in exchange for a 32-year-old centre and both appear to be capable middle-six forwards. The draft picks are certainly a sweetener but, given the uncertainty with players taken in those spots, the 22-year-old centre is the best asset in the deal.
-----
Senators Get: G Matt Murray
Murray, 26, started his career as an integral member of two Penguins Stanley Cup championship teams but struggled in 2019-2020, finishing with a career-low .899 save percentage.
He will get an opportunity to rebound in Ottawa, where the Senators are rebuilding. Anders Nilsson and Marcus Hogberg are goaltenders under contract for the Senators right now but neither one has Murray’s track record and Nilsson is still dealing with concussion issues, so Murray should be the starter with Hogberg as the backup.
The bonus for the Senators is that they aren’t going to be expected to be contenders next season so if Murray can’t get his game back, the stakes aren’t that significant.
Murray is a restricted free agent though coming off his worst statistical season is not exactly the ideal leverage to use when negotiating a new contract.
Penguins Get: LW Jonathan Gruden and a second-round pick
Gruden is a 20-year-old winger who played for the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League last season, after playing for Miami-Ohio in the NCAA the season before.
A fourth-round pick in 2018, Gruden is a worthwhile prospect to follow and probably has a better chance to break through in the Penguins organization but is certainly not a sure thing when it comes to pro hockey.
The second-round pick, 52nd overall, was used by the Penguins to select Finnish goaltender Joel Blomqvist, an 18-year-old who has already appeared in a couple of games for Karpat in Liiga this season. Needless to say, it will take some time to evaluate Blomqvist’s long-term value as a prospect.
Pittsburgh has sufficient depth in net currently, even without Murray. Tristan Jarry can handle the starting job and the Penguins can bring Casey DeSmith back up from the AHL. DeSmith had been the Penguins’ backup, posting a .917 save percentage in 50 games, before losing the job to Jarry last season.
Verdict: The Senators paid a reasonable price to acquire a potential starting goaltender. The Penguins were dealing from a position of relative strength but the payoff looks like it could be better for Ottawa.
-----
Senators Get: D Erik Gudbranson
Gudbranson, 28, is an imposing physical defenseman who has not lived up to his draft status (third overall in 2010) yet he has also been more effective in the past couple of seasons.
Gudbranson’s size allows him to defend the blueline effectively, and that’s an important part of the job, but he also handles the puck like a grenade so he rarely exits the zone under control.
In Ottawa, Gudbranson figures to play a top-four role on defense. Next season will be the last year on his contract, a contract that comes with a $4 million cap hit and, believe it or not, costs $3 million in actual salary. Yes, the Senators are paying less than the cap hit.
Ducks Get: A fifth-round pick
A fifth-round pick comes with about a one-in-six chance of yielding an NHL player, a proverbial roll of the dice.
The value for Anaheim, apparently, is saving money as they get out from under Gudbranson’s contract.
Verdict: This isn’t a bad deal for Ottawa. Gudbranson has been okay since leaving Vancouver, with stops in Pittsburgh and Anaheim, and could very well be fine for the Senators. If he isn’t, though, he’s only signed for next season. The potential trouble spot is if the Senators decide that they need to have Gudbranson signed to a long-term extension before finding out if he can provide at least adequate results.
-----
Senators Get: D Josh Brown
Brown, 26, is a 6-foot-5 blueliner who has played a limited role for the Panthers, managing 10 points in 93 games while playing a little more than 13 minutes per game over the past two seasons.
With Gudbranson and Nikita Zaitsev on the right side in Ottawa, Brown can fit on the third pair. Certainly Brown and Gudbranson add significant size, if not necessarily puckhandling dexterity.
Ottawa signed Brown to a two-year contract with a $1.2 million cap hit per season. That’s an entirely reasonable price for a third-pair defenseman. The question is whether Brown is capable of handling that responsibility in a full-time role because he hasn’t yet done that in the NHL.
Panthers Get: A fourth-round pick
Florida used the fourth-round pick that they acquired from Ottawa on puck-moving defenseman Michael Benning, who is headed to the University of Denver.
Verdict: The Senators are making a bet that they can get what they need on the blueline, at least in the short-term, with mid-round draft picks. A fourth-round pick for Brown could be considered a little pricy but if he is a legitimate top-six defenseman it will turn out to be a bargain.
-------
Panthers Get: D Markus Nutivaara
Nutivaara, 26, is a decent puck mover on the blueline who can skate well and create some offense but also has a tendency to be a little soft defensively.
He has a couple of seasons left on a contract that has a $2.7 million cap hit and he arrives in Florida, where the Panthers have just traded Josh Brown to Ottawa and the new Panthers GM is Bill Zito, who was the Assistant GM in Columbus. Zito knows what he is getting in Nutivaara and that is a third-pair defenseman who can move up the depth chart in a pinch.
Blue Jackets Get: RW Cliff Pu
Pu is a 22-year-old winger who isn’t really a prospect. He has scored two goals in 63 career AHL games, and really just counts as a contract moving the other way as Columbus dumps Nutivaara’s salary.
Verdict: Taking on Nutivaara’s contract, given his relative contributions, is a little expensive but it’s also possible that the Panthers may consider a bigger role for Nutivaara, at which point the cost would be a bargain. Columbus has been clearing out their blueline, but it’s hard to give them a win for effectively giving a player away.
——
Devils Get: D Ryan Murray
Oft-injured 27-year-old defenseman Ryan Murray was the second pick in the 2012 Draft and he has missed at least 20 games in a season in each of the past four campaigns.
When healthy, though, Murray has shown that he is a legitimate top-four defender, capable of making good outlet passes and creating some offense as well as playing a sound defensive game. He was touted as a two-way defenseman when he was drafted and Murray legitimately has those skills. It’s just been a huge challenge trying to keep him in the lineup as he has played 127 games in the past three seasons.
Murray will be an unrestricted free agent after next season, and his contract comes with a $4.6 million cap hit.
In New Jersey, Murray will play a big role, possibly even on their first pairing (alongside P.K. Subban). His steady two-way play will be an upgrade for the Devils, but only if he’s actually in the lineup.
Blue Jackets Get: A fifth-round pick
Apparently the going rate for a veteran defenseman with one year remaining on a significant contract is a fifth-round pick and that’s what the Blue Jackets received. It’s not much but Columbus is clearing out money and a defenseman who couldn’t stay in the lineup was naturally expendable.
Verdict: There’s nothing wrong with the Devils acquiring Murray. The cost is low and if the team isn’t good next season, he could get flipped to a contender for an even better pick. The Blue Jackets appear to be cleaning house on their blueline and Murray is easy enough to replace because they’ve been doing it for most of his career.