Preds; Leafs; Blues pull off major trades
Drew Doughty was whispering sweet nothings in buddy Jonathan Quick's ear after hearing he'd been dealt to the Predators. Ondrej Pavalec meanwhile is expected to bring his 'win-at-all-costs' attitude to Toronto.
It might have appeared like it was going to be a boring trade deadline, and until the final ten minutes, it was.
But out of nowhere, things heated up in a big fashion, especially for the Nashville Predators.
It wasn't a surprise the Predators would be actively looking to make a deal, having suffered through yet another long, hard season. But the moves that came were not expected.
The first deal seen the Predators finally land Drew Doughty from the Maple Leafs. We say finally, because this was a deal rumoured to have been all but done months ago, only to see the two clubs fall off and eventually go their own seperate ways.
The ground work that came from those earlier talks paid off huge yesterday though, as a call from Leafs General Manager Tony Bezdeck saying that Doughty might be in play fueled the discussions once more.
"When a guy of this caliber is available, you have to be willing to make the move and go for it," said Predators General manager Trent Allen. "We did and we are pleased to have Drew in the fold. It's tough to pay the price we did, but these guys don't come up very often."
Pay the price the Predators did. Going the other way is netminder Ondrej Pavalec, defenseman Dennis Wideman, forwards Rich Peverley and Nick Spaling, along with a 4th round pick. The Predators also received a 3rd in the trade.
Toronto could also receive a 2nd round draft pick, if they are unable to resign Wideman after next season.
Dennis Wideman was a major piece of the deal for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who wish to keep the blueliner around long-term.
But the Predators weren't done there. A second deal came through the pipes quickly, with the St. Louis Blues being on the other side of the deal.
Heading to St. Louis is forward Mikkel Boedker and defenseman Alexei Yemelin, with the Predators receiving Viktor Stalberg, Martin Jones, Gabriel Bourque and a 3rd and a 6th in return.
Mikkel Boedker (above) and Viktor Stalberg figure to be the two key pieces of a five player swap between Nashville and St. Louis.
While the Predators did receive a solid return, it could be the Blues who walk away with the two best players in the deal if Boedker and Yemelin continue their recent progress.
The deals were two of six completed within 24 hours of the trade deadline, with the Predators being involved in four of the six swaps.
Now focus will switch to the WCHL Entry Draft, with the first pick expected to take place by the middle of the month. The San Jose Sharks, who own the Winnipeg Jets draft pick, currently stand to have the first overall pick, barring a last minute change in the standing and the outcome of the waiver draft.
Drew Doughty was whispering sweet nothings in buddy Jonathan Quick's ear after hearing he'd been dealt to the Predators. Ondrej Pavalec meanwhile is expected to bring his 'win-at-all-costs' attitude to Toronto.
It might have appeared like it was going to be a boring trade deadline, and until the final ten minutes, it was.
But out of nowhere, things heated up in a big fashion, especially for the Nashville Predators.
It wasn't a surprise the Predators would be actively looking to make a deal, having suffered through yet another long, hard season. But the moves that came were not expected.
The first deal seen the Predators finally land Drew Doughty from the Maple Leafs. We say finally, because this was a deal rumoured to have been all but done months ago, only to see the two clubs fall off and eventually go their own seperate ways.
The ground work that came from those earlier talks paid off huge yesterday though, as a call from Leafs General Manager Tony Bezdeck saying that Doughty might be in play fueled the discussions once more.
"When a guy of this caliber is available, you have to be willing to make the move and go for it," said Predators General manager Trent Allen. "We did and we are pleased to have Drew in the fold. It's tough to pay the price we did, but these guys don't come up very often."
Pay the price the Predators did. Going the other way is netminder Ondrej Pavalec, defenseman Dennis Wideman, forwards Rich Peverley and Nick Spaling, along with a 4th round pick. The Predators also received a 3rd in the trade.
Toronto could also receive a 2nd round draft pick, if they are unable to resign Wideman after next season.
Dennis Wideman was a major piece of the deal for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who wish to keep the blueliner around long-term.
But the Predators weren't done there. A second deal came through the pipes quickly, with the St. Louis Blues being on the other side of the deal.
Heading to St. Louis is forward Mikkel Boedker and defenseman Alexei Yemelin, with the Predators receiving Viktor Stalberg, Martin Jones, Gabriel Bourque and a 3rd and a 6th in return.
Mikkel Boedker (above) and Viktor Stalberg figure to be the two key pieces of a five player swap between Nashville and St. Louis.
While the Predators did receive a solid return, it could be the Blues who walk away with the two best players in the deal if Boedker and Yemelin continue their recent progress.
The deals were two of six completed within 24 hours of the trade deadline, with the Predators being involved in four of the six swaps.
Now focus will switch to the WCHL Entry Draft, with the first pick expected to take place by the middle of the month. The San Jose Sharks, who own the Winnipeg Jets draft pick, currently stand to have the first overall pick, barring a last minute change in the standing and the outcome of the waiver draft.
