What else could be the hottest topic of conversation right now than Friday’s transfer deadline and the player deals that have already been made?
The snowballs started already earlier in the winter, when hot names Elias Lindholm traded from Calgary to Vancouver and Sean Monahan Montreal to Winnipeg. After a quieter period, on Wednesday evening, it finally started to rumble bigger.
We went through Wednesday’s trades and focused only on the players, not the booking shifts that moved in the trades.
Vladimir Tarasenko Ottawa to Florida.
– Tarasenko is coming Nick Cousins place in the second chain or then Alexander Barkov and by Sam Reinhart right next to the first chain. I think it’s an excellent search from Florida, and Tarasenko doesn’t need to be the Rainmaker there, because the big responsibility is on the shoulders of others, Ismo Lehkonen says.
Casey Mittelstadt Buffalo to Colorado.
Bowen Byram Colorado to Buffalo.
Sean Walker Philadelphia to Colorado.
Ryan Johansen Colorado to Philadelphia.
– The guy from Meikä really liked Byram. A young, smart guy who is still a guy in the sandpaper department, whose mouth bangs all the time. They are giving up a pretty good player. It really came out of nowhere for me, because I thought that Byram would not be traded under any circumstances. This is what this business is, and what Colorado needed was a center when things didn’t work out with Ryan Johansen. The more you chew on this, the more clever the solution seems. Mittelstadt now has access to hard culture, so all you have to do is learn there and turn on the screen.
Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick Anaheim to Edmonton.
– Edmonton got annoyingly good guys in the bottom chains. They are grown men who have seen a lot. These dudes were credit dudes in Anaheim who didn’t submit to taking a piss. You are still hard enough players. If we think about the playoffs, then Edmonton got two really good additions there, and these boys don’t give a damn about the fact that there are guys from the profit unit separately, Lehkonen praises.
Alex Wennberg From Seattle to the New York Rangers.
Anthony Mantha Washington to Vegas.
by Noah Hanif Calgary to Vegas.
Who surprised?
Toronto has literally surprised the last few weeks. Back in February, it looked like the eternal underperformer of the series would have to seriously struggle even for a place in the playoffs. However, February 10 turned the team’s direction.
Defender Morgan Rielly a shocking attack on Ottawa Ridley Greig’s on and the five-game ban that followed seemed to give the whole team a strong electric shock, and since then the team’s winning record is a handsome 10-2-0.
– The fact that a guy like Rielly announces with such a story that it’s enough, turned the tide for them. I want to believe that the booth there even freaked out a little about that incident. A hell of a lot more aggressiveness has come into their game, says Lehkonen.
It is easy to agree with Lehkonen’s view. During the period, Toronto has been tackled clearly more than any other team in the NHL. Suddenly, the whole team seems to be present in a different way in every match and the Leafs of the last few weeks have not been ready to surrender or take a step back.
There has also started to be width in scoring. For example Tyler Bertuzzi has scored half of his season’s 12 goals during the period.
Now the question is: is it a momentary drug in Toronto, or has an undeniably structurally deficient team become among the championship contenders?
– The positive thing is that at least they now go to the playoffs by throwing. However, everyone knows that stress levels go up tenfold when the playoffs begin. One goal conceded at a bad time can lead to a state of panic. It’s about the rumblings of the past in Toronto. Success requires the right kind of insanity and the mentality to go through a concrete wall. Time will tell.
Who cheated?
Reigning champion Vegas has collapsed in recent weeks. Few people are ready to touch the panic button at this stage, but just shrugging your shoulders can’t offset the sluggishness of the past weeks.
The team has collected exactly two wins in the previous month, so that the balance of the previous ten matches is recorded as 2-7-1. Sure by Jack Eichel and by Mark Stone injuries to key players like
For example, last week Vegas lost to Buffalo by five goals and to Columbus (!) by three goals.
– Such losses will not go through at this stage of the season. And it doesn’t look good for them to play. Some of the group can play and some look like they are running out of bangs. They have had a clear identity for a long time, but now it is quite lost. The timing is worrisome as we enter the last quarter. And now Anthony Mantha is coming from Washington, who I don’t see as an energy player at all, sighs Lehkonen.
Vegas still wouldn’t be Vegas if it wasn’t once again on top of the gamer market. The signing of power forward Mantha and defender Noah Hanifin brings more quality, depth and options to the group. When Jack Eichelkin returned to real action this past week, the course should be expected to correct.
– It is certain that at this moment the head coach Bruce Cassidy is quite a heavy guy because he is so particular about certain things. And there must be a reason, because this game is not going to be good. If the playoffs started now and they had to face something like Edmonton, it would be cold on that ride, laughs Lehkonen.
Goal of the week
Juuse Saros hasn’t played in Nashville’s goal all his life, but in recent weeks the goalkeeper from Hämeenlinna has shown once again what his men are. When Nashville’s playoff spot appeared to be slipping away in mid-February, Saros flipped the switch.
Six wins, one loss after overtime, a save percentage of 94.1 and a goals against average of 1.72. Montreal’s Equalizing goal on Tuesday was a clear indication of almost the only way Saros has been able to pass in recent weeks.
What next?
The NHL is busy. The physical game will never disappear from hockey, but the last few weeks have been quite a commotion in the buck bowls. It seems that the teams are constantly moving on the boundaries and looking for a limit, how hard and what kind of tackles the referees and the disciplinary line allow.
The aggressive approach has increased the intensity and entertainment value of the matches, but also heated up emotions both on and off the rink. Tackles to the back and head have caused beards to rustle and intense discussion about, among other things, the responsibilities of the tackler and the tackled.
Are we moving with a hard game already at the risk limits?
– With the hard game, strong steps forward have now been taken again. This is an element that will never disappear from hockey. Now if we look at what has been going on here and how the settings have been searched for there, I’m very afraid that when the right pairs hit the right spot in the playoffs, it will become more and more intense.
The NHL is not going to intervene in tough situations, neither in terms of referees nor in terms of discipline, so Lehkonen stirs up the discussion about the responsibility of the tackler, no matter how many times. The abilities of young players in particular to receive hits in the NHL game are undoubtedly often lacking.
– I will sign everything that the coach of Philadelphia John Tortorella a couple of months ago said. He stated that he is very concerned that receiving a tackle does not seem to be an important skill to know these days. In my opinion, many play too carelessly, considering that the physical element will never disappear from the NHL. We’ve seen quite a lot of people there now and I think that the guys are really starting to take better care of themselves now, Lehkonen states.
Ultimately, however, the increase in the physical element and emotional level is only a good thing for the game and its entertainment value.
– Really great!