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Moulson Was Golden In Buffalo |
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For the brief time that I got to be around Matt Moulson in Buffalo, I really got to like the guy. I can see why his former teammates, coaches and executive rave about the guy. He’s a worker. A pro’s pro. He’s a very humble person. He’s supremely gift as a hockey player, however, he’s even more gifted as a communicator and as a helpful teammate.
My takeaway from Moulson’s time in Buffalo was that he never complained about his situation. He praised Ted Nolan for his coaching, motivational, and listening skills. He accepted the trade to Buffalo (for Thomas Vanek) and he made the most of it. He also spoke highly of his teammates, the training staff, management, and ownership. He never appeared to me to be bitter or upset about all of the losing that was happening in Buffalo. He’s got a great sense of humor and he doesn’t take himself too seriously. In no time at all, he found instant karma with Tyler Ennis and Zemgus Girgensons.
Its no wonder that there were so many contending teams lined up to take a healthy run at the pending UFA on trade deadline day.
Minnesota won the short-term fishing derby by landing Moulson from Buffalo.
Will Moulson stick and stay in The State of Hockey after this season ends, or, will he seek greener pastures elsewhere via free agency? That’s all to be determined. Right now, Moulson is excited to report to his third team this season, and to start a new hockey chapter with the Wild.
Buffalo will miss Moulson on the ice and in the room.
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The boys at @2IT_B have created this chart that shows how dominant Tim Murray will be at the NHL entry draft in the next three seasons.
Murray will get more face-time at the draft than Duthie, McKenzie, and Dreger. COMBINED!
Maybe Tim get click a selfie of himself and all the celeb young talent in the house and then tweet it like Ellen did at the Oscars.
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Thanks, Sabres.com
Tim Murray is now four for four in achieving maximum trade value for pending UFAs Ryan Miller, Steve Ott, Matt Moulson, and Jaro Halak.
The Aftermath of the Miller-Ott, Moulson (McCormick), Halak, McNabb (Parker) trades:
• Cory Conacher, Chris Stewart, Torrey Mitchell, Michal Neuvirth, Rusty Klesla
• Prospects Hudson Fasching, Nicolas Delauriers, and William Carrier
• Buffalo gets 2, 2014
• 1, 2015 2nd rounder
• Buffalo gets a 1st rounder in 2014 and 2015
• A conditional pick that will turn into a 2014 1st rounder (if Miller re-signs in STL or if STL makes WCF).
Look at the Ott-Miller-Vanek trade compensation:
1st rounder ('14/'15, '15)
2nd rounder ('14, '14, '16)
Conditional 1st rounder ('14)/3rd ('16)
Neuvirth, Stewart, Mitchell, Carrier, Klesla
Not a bad haul for a rookie GM, just a month a half on the job.
Miller and Ott were shipped to St. Louis last Friday for a handsome package of players and picks that included veteran goalie Jaro Halak, power forward Chris Stewart, a 2015 first round draft choice and a 2014 conditional draft choice that will automatically become a 2014 first round draft choice if Miller re-signs with the Blues or guides the Blues to the Western Conference Finals this season.
The Blues are 2-0 with Miller and Ott in the their lineup.
At the 3pm trade deadline, Murray worked a deal with his good friend Chuck Fletcher of the Minnesota Wild for Matt Moulson. Murray has traded the 30-goal scorer and veteran tough guy Cody McCormick to the Minnesota Wild for undisclosed draft picks and Torrey Mitchell, according to the Buffalo News.
Mitchell (5’11”, 189 lbs., 1/30/85), who was in his second season in Minnesota, has played in 58 games for the Wild in 2013-14, recording nine points (1+8). Originally drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the fourth round (126th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Mitchell is playing in his sixth NHL season. After playing four seasons in San Jose, Mitchell signed with Minnesota as a free agent in July 2012. Through 383 career games with the Sharks and Wild, he has recorded 90 points (35+55) and 194 penalty minutes.
The Wild get an instant infusion of goal scoring and play making with Moulson in their top six forward group. Moulson may opt to re-sign with Minny. The Wild will no dooubt be shopping for Thomas Vanek in July.
Murray traded Halak to the Washington Capitals in exchange for goalie Michal Neuvirth, who will be challenging Jhonas Enroth for the starting job in Buffalo. George McPhee lost out on the Ryan Miller sweepstakes so he kept Tim Murray’s cell phone number for future reference regarding Halak, who will be able to bail out Braden Holtby if things get weirder in the Washington crease.
Neuvirth (6’1”, 209 lbs., 3/23/88), who was selected by the Capitals in the second round (34th overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, joins the Sabres after appearing in 13 games in 2013-14, posting a 4-6-2 record, a .914 save percentage and a 2.82 goals against average.
A native of Ústí Nad Labem, Czech Republic, Neuvirth spent the first six seasons of his NHL career in Washington. In that time, he has appeared in 134 NHL games, compiling a 59-41-13 record with seven shutouts, a .910 save percentage and a 2.67 goals against average. He backstopped the Capitals to a 4-5-1 record in the 2011 NHL Playoffs, posting a .912 save percentage and a 2.34 goals against average.
Klesla (6’3”, 215 lbs., 3/21/82) was acquired by the Capitals earlier today from the Phoenix Coyotes. In his 13th NHL season, the defenseman from Novy Jicin, Czech Republic has appeared in 25 games for the Coyotes, recording four points (1+3) and 24 penalty minutes. In 659 career games with the Coyotes and Blue Jackets, Klesla has totaled 159 points (48+111) and 620 penalty minutes.
Neuvirth will report to Sabres, and Klesla will go to Rochester, per Tim Murray.
Lets not forget that Murray also traded highly regarded prospect D Brayden McNabb, and minor leaguer Jonathan Parker and two second-round draft picks to the Los Angeles Kings for University of Minnesota D-man prospect Hudson Fasching and D-turned-winger Nicolas Deslauriers, who is the second leading scorer at AHL Manchester this season. Murray re-gifted the two second round picks in this deal that his predecessor Darcy Regier took back from Dean Lombardi in last season’s Robyn Regehr trade.
Deslauriers (6’1”, 230 lbs., 2/22/91) has led the Manchester Monarchs (AHL) in goals (18) and shots (217) this season, totaling 39 points (18+21) through 60 games in his first professional season as a forward. Despite spending the season at left wing, the LaSalle, Quebec native played his first two AHL seasons with the Monarchs as a defenseman, tallying 37 points (5+32) in 128 games and leading Monarchs defensemen with 80 penalty minutes in 2012-13. Before his selection in the third round (84th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Deslauriers posted prolific numbers as a defenseman with Rouyn-Noranda and Gatineau (QMJHL), recording 127 points (35+92) in 223 games on the blue line.
Fasching (6’2”, 213 lbs., 7/28/95), was originally drafted by Los Angeles in the fourth round (118th overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Currently playing for the University of Minnesota (Big Ten), Fasching ranks third on the team and seventh in the conference with 27 points (12+15) through 31 games in his freshman campaign. Prior to his career with the Golden Gophers, Fasching spent two seasons with the U.S. National Development Team (USHL), where he played in 62 games and tallied 32 points (11+21).
Delauriers will report to Rochester, per Murray.
Full marks to Murray for maximizing his assets and hauling in some valuable building blocks and draft picks with first four NHL trades.
Grabbing former Canisius College star Cory Conacher off waivers from Ottawa was a nice move, too.
Let the record reflect that Murray is as aggressive and shrewd as he says he is.
Brayden McNabb, a two-time AHL All Star, Jonathan Parker and two second-round picks have been sent to Los Angeles for prospects Hudson Fasching and Nicolas Deslauriers. The picks originally belonged to L.A. and came to Buffalo in the Robyn Regehr trade.
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More to come…
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