yave1964 Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 WOW a huge deal today: The depleted forward group of the Anaheim Decuks got a major shot in the arm today as they added Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi from the Devils in exchange for solid defenseman Sami Vatanen and a conditional pick. The Devils dealt from strength as their forward depth is strong, Henrique is a solid 45 point a year forward who plays in all situations. This may be a sign that Kesler and or Getzlaf may be further away than hoped. The Ducks dealt Vatanen, a solid NHL blueliner who has been pushed down a very deep depth chart by Montour among others and Vatanen will be a shot in the arm for a thin defensive corp in New Jersey. Great deal for both teams as both dealt from strength to fill glaring weaknesses, if I were to say who 'won' the deal it would be both although if you put a gun to my head and said pick one it would probably be the Devils as their skill level on the back end has been horrible for years and years. This along with Butcher is a shot in the arm and a step in the right direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podein25 Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 Wow. I guess the Ducks figured out, while Vatanen was out with injury, that they could get by fine without him. Interesting trade... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 I'm gonna go ahead and guess that the Devils got a long enough look at Nico to decide he's a legit top 6 guy moving forward. Plus, their defensive zone coverage was lacking...along with Butcher being the only real offensive depth on the blue line, not exactly a perfect scenario when your top pp dman is a rook straight out of the NCAA and knowing that regression will probably be coming. Vatanen will help the transition game also, which will tell the real tale of the Devs this year, they have to help out Schneider...and a big part of that is getting the puck out of your end and in the other end with the less trouble possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 Nice moves for both clubs. Don't know the cap implications and all but it looks good for both from where i sit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadDevil Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 I'm gonna miss Rico, but Vatanen definitely fills a need, and he's probably a better fit for the Devils style of play than Rico is. And it allows them to drop Santini to the third pairing, since the top pairing with him and Greene has been getting destroyed in possession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted November 30, 2017 Author Share Posted November 30, 2017 21 minutes ago, MadDevil said: I'm gonna miss Rico, but Vatanen definitely fills a need, and he's probably a better fit for the Devils style of play than Rico is. And it allows them to drop Santini to the third pairing, since the top pairing with him and Greene has been getting destroyed in possession. Hockey Central is projecting Vatanen paired with Greene on the top pair and playing on the top power play with Butcher slipping to the second pair and second power play to take the pressure off which makes uber sense. Zajac coming back and looking good is what sealed the deal, Henrique became expendable plus they haven't given up on Zacha and now he should get his minutes in a safe role. As for the Ducks with Getzlaf and Kesler out they are decimated at center, Vermette is a faceoff God with nothing else and Wagner is a hard checker with limited offense. If/When Kesler and Getzlaf come back it allows them to move Henrique to the third line where Nate Thompson excelled when healthy and makes them deadly down the middle. Love the deal for both teams. Blandisi is a body, all I really remember from him was he started hot with the Devils a few years ago and then his blatant diving made him fall out of favor. Getzlaf and Perry are big crybabies so he might fit right in.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadDevil Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 Yeah, Blandisi is hard to figure out. He's a good skater, he's got some creativity, and has a little of that Marchand **** disturber side to him. He could still be a decent bottom six forward, but with the Devils forward depth he wasn't likely to get that chance with them. It's funny, I was one of those who wanted Shattenkirk this summer, but now they have Vatanen + Butcher for less than Shattenkirk is making. Sometimes missing out on a player ends up working out better for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 Seems both clubs filled needs here, although from the New Jersey side of things, I'd say they took on more of the risk....if there is one.... in this trade. Why? Well, because quantity-wise, they gave up more than Anaheim did for starters. And that pick they are getting, they may NOT if Henrique doesn't stay on with the Ducks after his contract expires. That won't be known till summer of 2019 though. Secondly, while I think Sami Vatenen is a fine defensive addition to ANY team (Yzerman was looking at him for the Lightning a couple seasons back and I wouldn't have minded having him on the Bolts), he DOES come with injury risk, as he has been known to require stints on IR here and there. He also does not seem to be the most complete defenseman, although his puck moving abilities and offensive awareness may more than make up for any deficiencies in coverage...and he isn't "terrible" there either, don't get me wrong. I can see why the Devils would do this though. They are in a playoff spot, would like to stay there, and heck, with the way the Metro is shaping up, they might even have a shot at the division. Vatanen, if he can avoid going down with injury at a crucial time, does improve their blue line and gives them a better chance at staying in the divisional/playoff race. Unfortunately, as much as I like Henrique as a player, he simply wasn't giving the Devils enough and had been surpassed on the depth chart by a few players, lessening his ice time and role with the team. Over in Anaheim, Ducks are in desperate mode. Looking for anything and everything that can keep them afloat till they get bodies back. Henrique, for them, could be more than just a body though. He will likely get top six center time, and as usually the case with good players (and I DO think Henrique is still a good player), he may thrive with the change in scenery, new teammates and basically a second chance to be the top six guy the Devils drafted some years ago. If fully healthy, a team with Getzlaf and Kesler down the middle and guys like Perry, Rakell, Henrique and Silfverberg on the wings is pretty formidable up front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadDevil Posted December 1, 2017 Share Posted December 1, 2017 Henrique could look really good playing with Getzlaf when he comes back. He needs a center who can get him the puck since he's not very good at driving play. He's a streaky, opportunistic scorer who is going to frustrate you when he goes cold, but usually ends up with 20 or more goals at the end of the year. In both players cases they kind of became expendable by other players stepping up. In Anaheim they have Manson and Montour on the right side. In New Jersey the trade for Johansson plus the kids sticking knocked Rico down the depth chart. It makes a lot of sense for both teams, and I think the value is pretty fair. If Vatanen gets back to form it probably favors the Devils. If not, it's still worth the risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadDevil Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Henrique has 2 points in his last 10 games, and they both came in one game against the Devils. It seems he's predictably cooled off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 2 hours ago, MadDevil said: Henrique has 2 points in his last 10 games, and they both came in one game against the Devils. It seems he's predictably cooled off. He's also on the third line, so it's only going to get worse (the cool off was well underway before Kesler came back. That just makes it worse). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J0e Th0rnton Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Meanwhile Vatanen is riding a 4 game point streak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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