The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
NHL Trade Deadline: Sens trade 2, Kreider stays with Rangers
The Ottawa Senators were sellers at the NHL trade deadline for the second straight year.
Forward Chris Kreider isn’t going anywhere after signing a seven-year $45 million contract to stay with the New York Rangers And Patrick Marleau finds himself back in the Eastern Conference after being dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday.
While teams have traditionally waited until the afternoon to start dealing, the Senators kicked off an unusually busy deadline day morning by sending Vladislav Namestnikov to the Colorado Avalanche and Jean-Gabriel Pageau to the New York Islanders.
Kreider, meantime, stayed with the Rangers, who have won 10 of 13 following the All-Star break. The surge has pushed New York into the thick of a tightly contested Metropolitan Division race.
With 24 goals in 60 games, Kreider has topped 20 goals for the seventh consecutive season.
The Pittsburgh Penguins joined their Metropolitan Division rivals in adding talent, acquiring Marleau for a conditional thirdround draft pick in a trade with the San Jose Sharks.
The 40-year-old Marleau has 10 goals and 20 points upon returning to San Jose this year, after spending the previous two seasons in Toronto.
Marleau leaves an injury depleted and aging Sharks team in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for just the second time in 15 years. He joins a Penguins team that is second in the Metropolitan,
two points behind Washington.
Minnesota defenseman Jonas Brodin and Buffalo forwards Jimmy Vesey and Evan Rodrigues were among the skaters still on the market. And the Chicago Blackhawks might be in position to trade either of their two goalies, Robin Lehner or Corey Crawford.
— The Carolina Panthers were another Metropolitan team to jump into the mix by acquiring center Vincent Trocheck from the Florida Panthers. Trocheck has 10 goals and 36 points in 55 games this year, two seasons after scoring a careerbest 31 goals.
“Vincent brings elements of skill and competitiveness that fit the mold of the style we want to play,” Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell said. “He’s a right-handed center who is excellent in the face-off circle. With two years left on his contract after this one, this fills a need for our roster for this year and moving forward.”
In return, the Panthers acquired forwards Erik Haula and Lucas Wallmark from the Hurricanes, as well as a pair of prospects in center Eetu Luostarinen and defenseman Chase Priskie.
— The New Jersey Devils also continued selling off talent by trading forward Wayne Simmonds to the Buffalo Sabres, who have won five of six to move into the fringes of the Atlantic Division race.
The Sabres gave up a conditional 2021 fifth-round pick to add grit and upgrade its secondary-line scoring.
— Namestnikov, who opened this season with the New York Rangers, has 13 goals and 25 points, and joins an injury depleted Avalanche team that is second in the Central Division. He’s a versatile forward who can fill several roles and leads the league with four shorthanded goals this season.
“He’s excited about the prospects of joining the Avalanche,” said Dan Milstein, Namestnikov’s agent. “He definitely feels this team has every ingredient to win the Cup.”
— Pageau has scored a career-best 24 goals and has 60 points, and has the potential of providing the the Islanders some muchneeded offensive punch. The Isles hold the East’s first wild-card spot, and in the midst of six Metropolitan Division teams separated by eight points.
Both players were in the final years of their contracts, and eligible to become unrestricted free agents this summer.