Jaroslav Halak and a third-round 2015 draft pick to the Capitals in exchange for goaltender Michal Neuvirth and Rostislav Klesla.

[Iron Crotch]

Neuvirth>halak and it took a pick and cap eating

 

Hard to tell, but I actually think Halak is the better goaltender. Hard to tell since one was on a strong defensive team and one on a weak defensive team.

[TrueBlueGED]

How in the world is Halak worth less than Neuvirth? Even considering contract term, you'd think that would be offset by, ya know, Halak being better.

[biodork]

My thought exactly. This is another one of those "give TM the benefit of the doubt" moves. Clearly he sees potential in Neuvirth.

 

He's a UFA after this season -- I'm guessing this was just a salary dump by the Capitals.

Klesla has a $2.975M cap hit and is an expiring UFA. I think that was the premium in order to get Nuevirth here for Halak. using Pegula's bucks and our cap room to grease the wheels a bit.

 

Makes sense -- thanks, guys.

[qwksndmonster]

I could see Halak having less value than Neuvirth, but Halak is definitely better now.

[IKnowPhysics]

My thought exactly. This is another one of those "give TM the benefit of the doubt" moves. Clearly he sees potential in Neuvirth.

 

That 3rd rounder elevates me from a "we'll wait and see" to a "we expect at least just a little performance."

[Johnny DangerFace]

 

 

What's the basis for this statement?

 

The fact two nhl gms swapped goalies and it was the sabres adding a 3rd rounder and taking a salary dump. That's my basis.

 

Not saying it's true, but it's obvious which one gms placed more value on

[qwksndmonster]

Klesla has a $2.975M cap hit and is an expiring UFA. I think that was the premium in order to get Nuevirth here for Halak. using Pegula's bucks and our cap room to grease the wheels a bit.

It's not using as many Pegula bucks as you think. They only have to pay him for the last 20 games or so. Washington already payed most of his 3 mil already this year.

[Eleven]

Rostislav Klesla? What in the blue hell is this?

Don't like that they gave up a 3rd.

 

Now I don't like the deal. I liked it a lot more when it was Halak for Neuvirth and a sixth. This is not a great deal.

[JJFIVEOH]

But if wins aren't important and you want them to lose, how are they supposed to accurately evaluate Enroth to see what he has?

 

This is probably my favorite deal they made, brings in someone with upside that can play now. Neuvirth has potential and at one time was viewed as being the #1 guy in Washington. He can atleast make a good tandem with Enroth for now

 

It is possible to evaluate a player regardless of W-L. Hell, even WGR is talking about Neuvirth being 'our guy' already. I don't want them to lose, but at this point they might just end up being one of the worst teams in NHL history so losing will be a given.

 

And let's be honest, Enroth won't be given the benefit of the doubt.

[biodork]

It's not using as many Pegula bucks as you think. They only have to pay him for the last 20 games or so. Washington already payed most of his 3 mil already this year.

 

You mean Phoenix?

[apuszczalowski]

As best as I can tell we're just eating salary for other teams. Rusty has a ~$3 million cap hit. So maybe the Caps are just trying to unload him? Since Terry's is the league's ATM we'll take his contract.

Didn't they just get him in the Erat deal with the Coyotes yesterday?

[Trettioåtta]

I'd argue this is the only part that's even slightly shocking.

 

Today Murray has made three trades. In the first one we gave away a young lower-pairing NHL ready defenceman, two seconds for a promising but very very risky prospect and a guy who appears to be unlikely to leave the AHL. McNabb was better than the AHLer, so we traded from a B-grade prospect to a C/D prospect, gave up two second round picks for a guy who 10 months ago was seen as a very mediocre player. Admittedly he is having a good season, but Chechoo also had one of those. The Sabres have the best scouting department in the league, and Murray is meant to be a good talent evaluator; neither of these units decided that 4th rounder was worth an upper fourth or even a low third.

 

We traded Moulson, and the ability to resign a guy who expressed interest in resigning (Hello Danius), Mccormick for Mitchell and something. In doing so we took on $2.5 million in salary from Mitchell next season. Mccormick is also better than Mitchell. So we gave them cap space, a 30-goal scorer and a better 4th liner for something. Realistically, even if that is a 1st rounder, that is a low return. Moulson should have gotten at least a first for himself, if not more.

 

We traded Halak and a third for UFA Klesla and Neuvirth. In other words, we traded a better goalie, a third round and over $3 million in cash for one year of a career backup goalie. Add in that Neuvirth had demanded a trade from the Caps multiple times. They were desperate to get rid of him.

 

We gave up a lot of picks and money for very little in return, in my mind

[biodork]

Didn't they just get him in the Erat deal with the Coyotes yesterday?

 

Yes.

Edited March 5, 2014 by biodork

[nfreeman]

That 3rd rounder elevates me from a "we'll wait and see" to a "we expect at least just a little performance."

 

I agree -- if Neuvirth washes out then it was officially a bad trade.

 

The fact two nhl gms swapped goalies and it was the sabres adding a 3rd rounder and taking a salary dump. That's my basis.

 

Not saying it's true, but it's obvious which one gms placed more value on

 

It's obvious which one TM valued more highly. We have no idea which one McPhee valued more highly -- we just know that he got more value for his guy.

[Johnny DangerFace]

For all we know TM really likes neuvirth (a firmer 2nd rounder who is only 25) and thinks there's a chance he could be the goalie of the future. It's not like he paid a steep price.

 

Enroth should be the only one worried. TM went and got a high potential goalie after saying he doesn't care for small goalies....neuvirth may be our guy going forward for a bit

[nfreeman]

Today Murray has made three trades. In the first one we gave away a young lower-pairing NHL ready defenceman, two seconds for a promising but very very risky prospect and a guy who appears to be unlikely to leave the AHL. McNabb was better than the AHLer, so we traded from a B-grade prospect to a C/D prospect, gave up two second round picks for a guy who 10 months ago was seen as a very mediocre player. Admittedly he is having a good season, but Chechoo also had one of those. The Sabres have the best scouting department in the league, and Murray is meant to be a good talent evaluator; neither of these units decided that 4th rounder was worth an upper fourth or even a low third.

 

We traded Moulson, and the ability to resign a guy who expressed interest in resigning (Hello Danius), Mccormick for Mitchell and something. In doing so we took on $2.5 million in salary from Mitchell next season. Mccormick is also better than Mitchell. So we gave them cap space, a 30-goal scorer and a better 4th liner for something. Realistically, even if that is a 1st rounder, that is a low return. Moulson should have gotten at least a first for himself, if not more.

 

We traded Halak and a third for UFA Klesla and Neuvirth. In other words, we traded a better goalie, a third round and over $3 million in cash for one year of a career backup goalie. Add in that Neuvirth had demanded a trade from the Caps multiple times. They were desperate to get rid of him.

 

We gave up a lot of picks and money for very little in return, in my mind

 

McNabb is not "NHL-ready." If he were, he would be in the NHL and playing over guys like Sulzer and McBain.

 

And McCormick is not better than Mitchell. (At least not on the ice. He might be a better asset because he doesn't come with Mitchell's contract.)

[Trettioåtta]

I don't quite get the blind faith in GMTM. The guy has no track record as GM and his Sens team are not the healthiest

[Iron Crotch]

Today Murray has made three trades. In the first one we gave away a young lower-pairing NHL ready defenceman, two seconds for a promising but very very risky prospect and a guy who appears to be unlikely to leave the AHL. McNabb was better than the AHLer, so we traded from a B-grade prospect to a C/D prospect, gave up two second round picks for a guy who 10 months ago was seen as a very mediocre player. Admittedly he is having a good season, but Chechoo also had one of those. The Sabres have the best scouting department in the league, and Murray is meant to be a good talent evaluator; neither of these units decided that 4th rounder was worth an upper fourth or even a low third.

 

We traded Moulson, and the ability to resign a guy who expressed interest in resigning (Hello Danius), Mccormick for Mitchell and something. In doing so we took on $2.5 million in salary from Mitchell next season. Mccormick is also better than Mitchell. So we gave them cap space, a 30-goal scorer and a better 4th liner for something. Realistically, even if that is a 1st rounder, that is a low return. Moulson should have gotten at least a first for himself, if not more.

 

We traded Halak and a third for UFA Klesla and Neuvirth. In other words, we traded a better goalie, a third round and over $3 million in cash for one year of a career backup goalie. Add in that Neuvirth had demanded a trade from the Caps multiple times. They were desperate to get rid of him.

 

We gave up a lot of picks and money for very little in return, in my mind

 

Reluctantly, I have to agree. I don't think we did particularly well today.

[Trettioåtta]

McNabb is not "NHL-ready." If he were, he would be in the NHL and playing over guys like Sulzer and McBain.

 

And McCormick is not better than Mitchell. (At least not on the ice. He might be a better asset because he doesn't come with Mitchell's contract.)

 

Is Pysyk NHL ready? Because Scott is getting ice time over him in the NHL. Disagree about Mitchell, but not mcuh else to say on the matter. Mccormick is a really good 4th liner and Mitchell is just meh (IMO)

[biodork]

Info on Klesla from a Phoenix fan (my mom):

 

"He used to be very good, but he has underperformed this year. We put him on waivers and sent him to the AHL twice. Hope he does better for you guys. He took a big hit from one of the LA Kings players (can't remember which one) in a preseason game and missed several games after the season started with a concussion. Really never got back to his old form after that."

Edited March 5, 2014 by biodork

[JJFIVEOH]

Reluctantly, I have to agree. I don't think we did particularly well today.

 

I have to agree as well.

[...]

I don't quite get the blind faith in GMTM. The guy has no track record as GM and his Sens team are not the healthiest

 

What are we supposed to do, run over there and lynch him? He's the man right now, you have to hope he has a plan and it will work.

[TrueBlueGED]

Today Murray has made three trades. In the first one we gave away a young lower-pairing NHL ready defenceman, two seconds for a promising but very very risky prospect and a guy who appears to be unlikely to leave the AHL. McNabb was better than the AHLer, so we traded from a B-grade prospect to a C/D prospect, gave up two second round picks for a guy who 10 months ago was seen as a very mediocre player. Admittedly he is having a good season, but Chechoo also had one of those. The Sabres have the best scouting department in the league, and Murray is meant to be a good talent evaluator; neither of these units decided that 4th rounder was worth an upper fourth or even a low third.

 

We traded Moulson, and the ability to resign a guy who expressed interest in resigning (Hello Danius), Mccormick for Mitchell and something. In doing so we took on $2.5 million in salary from Mitchell next season. Mccormick is also better than Mitchell. So we gave them cap space, a 30-goal scorer and a better 4th liner for something. Realistically, even if that is a 1st rounder, that is a low return. Moulson should have gotten at least a first for himself, if not more.

 

We traded Halak and a third for UFA Klesla and Neuvirth. In other words, we traded a better goalie, a third round and over $3 million in cash for one year of a career backup goalie. Add in that Neuvirth had demanded a trade from the Caps multiple times. They were desperate to get rid of him.

 

We gave up a lot of picks and money for very little in return, in my mind

 

If you rephrase your evaluation of McNabb to "Mike Weber with a better shot"...suddenly it changes things, no? Because that's my evaluation of him. McNabb is no less risky and arguably has a lower ceiling than what we got in return. FWIW, I still view it as accelerating the two second rounders to near-NHL players, and it cost McNabb (who is really in no-man's land here) to do it.

 

I dislike tossing in the 3rd in the Halak trade.

 

Moulson likely didn't fetch a ton...but none of the scorers did. Moulson in a vacuum is certainly worth a 1st...but I know you know this stuff doesn't work in a vacuum. It was a buyer's market this year, with numerous scoring forwards available. Timing sucks for the Sabres, but I hardly put that on Murray.

[LGR4GM]

Can someone fix the thread title to reflect the actual trade?

 

If you rephrase your evaluation of McNabb to "Mike Weber with a better shot"...suddenly it changes things, no? Because that's my evaluation of him. McNabb is no less risky and arguably has a lower ceiling than what we got in return. FWIW, I still view it as accelerating the two second rounders to near-NHL players, and it cost McNabb (who is really in no-man's land here) to do it.

 

I dislike tossing in the 3rd in the Halak trade.

 

Moulson likely didn't fetch a ton...but none of the scorers did. Moulson in a vacuum is certainly worth a 1st...but I know you know this stuff doesn't work in a vacuum. It was a buyer's market this year, with numerous scoring forwards available. Timing sucks for the Sabres, but I hardly put that on Murray.

This is almost exactly how I view it.

 

Moulson was worth a first but considering NO forward was traded for a first in the last 24 hours I can only assume the Market Value was not in fact a first. Having 2 2nd round picks IMPO is better than the Vanek to Montreal deal. On top of that we basically traded Thomas Vanek for 1st, 3 2nds which while not great is still a decent return. It is a very good return if you consider that the 1st and 2 of the 2nds should be in the top 1/3 of their respective rounds. It will take years to see how this shakes out but I am okay for now.

[matter2003]

Info on Klesla from a Phoenix fan (my mom):

 

"He used to be very good, but he has underperformed this year. We put him on waivers and sent him to the AHL twice. Hope he does better for you guys. He took a big hit from one of the LA Kings players (can't remember which one) in a preseason game and missed several games after the season started with a concussion. Really never got back to his old form after that."

 

Sounds like Trent Edwards