Not even two years ago, Jarmo Kekalainen traded his best defender, Seth Jones, to the Chicago Blackhawks in a clear desire to rebuild.
Jones, a tall 6-foot-4 right-handed defenseman capable of about 50 points per season and game control, brought Blue Jackets GM a young defenseman, Adam Boqvist, a 2022 first-round pick, a second-round pick round in 2021 and a first-round pick reversal in 2021.
But still in the midst of rebuilding – as Columbus just finished 31st overall – Kekalainen just offered a 2023 first-round pick, 22nd overall, and a 2024 second-round pick for another defender, Ivan Provorov.
By trying to read Kekalainen’s mind, he probably intends to replace Vladislav Gavrikov with Provorov. Gavrikov, a left-handed defenseman like Provorov, was traded for the 22nd-round first-round pick at the trade deadline. He will be eligible for full free agency on July 1 if he does not sign a contract with the Kings by then.
But one wonders how a 27-year-old defender with two years of full free will help the Blue Jackets in the current environment. Provorov not only stagnated in Philadelphia, he regressed. He had 27 points this winter, his lowest total since 2019. He was on the ice for 76 goals for the opposition, against 56 goals for the Flyers, the worst result for a defenseman on his team.
Perhaps Provorov was affected by the constant changes of partners. How did he react to Coach Tortorella’s authority. In short, he can always revive his career in Columbus.
But the Blue Jackets are still a far cry from a Stanley Cup-winning team with such a young core. Why not take advantage of this nice choice obtained in return from Gavrikov to continue the reconstruction?
Probably to take advantage of the good years of Johnny Gaudreau, 30 years old in two months, hired for seven years for 68 million last summer. However, his contracting is another decision that contradicts Kekalainen’s announced plan.
Perhaps the Blue Jackets GM is now looking to emulate the model of the Vegas Golden Knights, never afraid to give up picks or youngsters for established players in their prime. But Vegas, on the other hand, has no players under the age of 25 in its roster, apart from 24-year-old Nicolas Hague.
To do this, and also, above all, to be in harmony with his recent decisions, Kekalainen will probably have to sacrifice other elements, because his core is still too young to hope for the success of the Knights or the Panthers.
The imminent arrival in Columbus of coach Mike Babcock, driven out of Toronto for his authoritarian and sometimes even cruel methods, heralds a club looking for immediate results and not a training in reconstruction.
The new general manager of the Flyers, Daniel Brière, is turning resolutely towards reconstruction. Philadelphia has little chance of success next season and probably the next either. Why waste the last two years of Provorov’s contract before his free reign on a losing roster?
To his seventh choice in total in 2023 is therefore added this 22nd. Philadelphia also holds the Florida Panthers’ 2024 first-round pick for Claude Giroux.
The 2022 first-round pick, fifth overall, power forward Cutter Gauthier, shows a lot of promise after a season of 37 points in 32 games at Boston College and his 10 points in 7 games at the World Championship in which many participated NHL players. Gauthier will play a second season in the NCAA next year and is expected to join the Flyers in 2024.
Brière, whose contrast is sharp with his predecessor Chuck Fletcher, allergic to reconstructions, has probably not finished his work. He would listen to offers for his 24-year-old goalkeeper Carter Hart, disappointing after a spectacular start to his career.
Forward Kevin Hayes will be more difficult to trade, but he still just amassed 54 points and who knows if a club won’t be tempted, provided they see Philadelphia, or another third party, pay a fraction of their annual salary of 7.1 million for another three years?
At 26, Travis Konecny, 61 points in 60 games, would arguably be the perfect bait. Let’s see if Brière will be tempted or if he wants to make it one of the engines of his rejuvenation phase as a young leader.
The Devils paid top dollar for San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier at the trade deadline: A 2023 first-round pick (26th overall), a 2024 second-round pick, and one of their good defense prospects, Shakir Mukhamadullin, a 2020 first-round pick (he had 10 points in 12 American League games when he arrived in North America this spring).
But Meier had great value. He’s just 26, had scored 31 goals in just 57 games this winter in San Jose and had 76 points the previous season.
The transaction did not pay off in the short term. Meier had 14 points in 21 regular season games and just four points, including two goals, in eleven playoff games.
However, DG Tom Fitzgerald intends to do everything possible to put his new striker under a long-term contract. He acquired it with this in mind and anticipated a more difficult start to its acquisition. “It’s hard to acclimate quickly to a new system of play,” Fitzgerald told Mike Zeisberger of the NHL website. com, this week. I experienced it twice as a player. Our system is difficult to pin down, especially defensively. Coaches say it takes at least 20 games to adjust to a game system. And it took that long. »
Meier’s contract has just expired. He has restricted free agent status. Another team may make a hostile offer, but the Devils can match that offer. If he refuses to make a long-term commitment, Meier will be able to enjoy full autonomy in a year.
