Weise to Canadiens for Schlemko

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Not really worthy of its own thread, but it looks like it sorta might go along with the Habs acquiring Weise and Folin.

From NHL.com
https://www.nhl.com/news/canadiens-acquire-nate-thompson-in-trade-with-kings/c-304725052

 

Habs add yet another 4th liner, this time Nate Thompson from the Kings along with LA's 2019 5th round selection, in exchange for their own 2019 4th round selection.

So, again, not a huge deal here....on the surface anyways... Thompson + 5th for a 4th rounder....but, put Thompson alongside Weise, and alongside a big body they already have on the 4th line, Nicolas Deslauriers, and the Habs could possibly have a solid bashing line along the lines of the Islanders' Martin, Clutterbuck, and Cizikas.

 

34 yr old soon to be UFA Nate Thompson will likely NOT add any sort of offensive punch (unless the 4th line can work together enough to disrupt and come up with some really ugly goals), but he definitely can still hit, check, and generally play a rough game with some of the game's best.
And as a center, Thompson is almost ALWAYS north of 50% on his draws (he is 53% this season...right around his career average), so that means the 4th line will provide some extra possession time right off the face off.

 

Montreal aims to make the post season and cause some problems for teams with the addition of big physical bodies to replace the mostly small guys they had before on their last line.

When Nate Thompson is on, he can be a real hitting beast.

[yave1964]

@TropicalFruitGirl26

 

  Saw that too, a couple of Kings fans were laughing over past trades with Montreal where Montreal traded with the Kings for losers such as Dwight King and David Drewiske as well as a few others, Bergevin has a soft spot for lower rung Kings apaprerently.

 

  But playing Habitant advocate on this one, lets look at it.

 The fourth the Kings are getting is likely the 20th or so in the draft, maybe as high as 24 with a hot streak. The fifth the Habs are getting back could/should be at the top of the round as the Kings are in the 'lose for Hughes; phase. So in all likelihood the pick is only moving up ten spots. 

  Thompson is a solid P/K guy, he is a 4th liner but can score the occasional sneaky goal and is an UFA at years end. He has 62 playoff games under his belt, has been to the conference finals a few times so he knows how to play playoff hockey. Oh and he is a great, not good but GREAT faceoff guy, that is his bread and butter and what keeps him in the league. 

 So the Habs traded down 10 spots in the middle of the draft for a 4th line center who kills penalties, wins faceoffs and has a lot of playoff experience. Solid move for Montreal. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

@yave1964

 

Well, you know, this thing with lower rung Kings players....LA has a reputation of putting out big physical players, and because of that, team GMs have a tendency to look their way when it comes to acquiring big checkers.

The trick, of course, is to pick the RIGHT ones.
You know as well as I, that just because a guy is big, it doesn't necessarily mean he is NHL viable.

 

So yea, the Habs swung and missed before on taking on bottom tier Kings players, but getting Nate Thompson, IF he stays healthy (Nate does have a history of injuries, likely due to the animalistic style he likes to employ), looks like a good bet.....and his track record, as you mentioned, speaks for itself.

 

Acquiring Weise, Thompson, and even Folin by themselves is not really a big deal...but when put together, seems the Habs suddenly have added a nice dose of size with NHL (and playoff) experience and these deals could possibly be more than the sum of their parts.

[hf101]

Canadiens call up Weise.