That isn't true at all. I spent three years ripping every move Don Maloney made. John Chayka just happens to make good trades.
- james_tanner1

He does make good trades. Give us back Chychrun and Datsyuk for Vitale, Cholowski and Hronek. Although. They are both looking like like very good 2-3 dman potential.

You can argue that the Stepan Raanta trades is so so right now. 7th overall is a step price to pay if you dont make the playoffs by getting older and more expensive. have to wait for Andersson to play in the NHL to see if thats a "steal" of a trade.

I like the Hammer deal as long as he stays healthy this season

the Darcy Kuemper deal is odd considering how Raanta resigned.

He just makes so many small volume trades feels like he burns through late draft picks like they are meaningless

Anthony DeAngelo for a 2nd round pick just to send him off with the 7th overall in the Stepan deal.
Holland for a 6th
Crouse for a 3rd
Giving up any value for Kruger
Wedgewood for a 5th
Cousins for a 5th

Like I said its so so, some straight dingers, some that are scratching your head wondering are they just making a trade for the sake of making a trade while not getting any better
- DDM-Coga

Hey I don't really disagree with what you're saying but a few notes:

The Stepan / Raanta trade was great. You lose the 7thh overall pick, but at the same time, you got a pick in the first anyways. In return you get a goalie who for 40 games was the best in the NHL. He's re signed and if he's half of what he was last year then that trade is a steal.

Acquiring DeAngleo was a Maloney trade, I believe. The Cruse trade was a perfect risk reward situation. Cousins turned out to be effective. Keumper is a pretty great backup to have and it was smart in case they couldn't sign Raanta.


IMO the Domi, Hanzal, Raanta and Chychrun trade are all grand slams. The worst anyone can say about the rest is that they were smart value plays at the time.

let's see how much you love him once he starts giving away the puck a thousand time a game.
- BoutchBouchard

The kid had no support. Look at his past linemates. MTL is butchering this team with horrible trade after horrible trade. As an impartial observer of these two teams, Arizona come out way ahead.

As nice as it was to grab Chychrun, adding a 2nd rounder I thought was insane. Already eating Datsyuks contract should have been enough to move up 4 spots.

Hey I don't really disagree with what you're saying but a few notes:

The Stepan / Raanta trade was great. You lose the 7thh overall pick, but at the same time, you got a pick in the first anyways. In return you get a goalie who for 40 games was the best in the NHL. He's re signed and if he's half of what he was last year then that trade is a steal.

Acquiring DeAngleo was a Maloney trade, I believe. The Cruse trade was a perfect risk reward situation. Cousins turned out to be effective. Keumper is a pretty great backup to have and it was smart in case they couldn't sign Raanta.


IMO the Domi, Hanzal, Raanta and Chychrun trade are all grand slams. The worst anyone can say about the rest is that they were smart value plays at the time.
- james_tanner1

Chayka has done great for the team. Now if they can all actually fall into place, you guys could start competing.

Buddy, everything I write is my opinion. Its not a fact that the Coyotes just demoed the Habs, but it seems like one to me! This blog is an editorial!

I agree that results matter. If the Coyotes don't become a perennial contender from now to the next four or five years, it will turn out that Chayka isn't who I thought he is. But for now, based on HOW I THINK the future will turn out, I think he's done great. You are right though, only time will tell.
- james_tanner1

U just seem to make sound like it is fact is all.

Also cousins for a 5th is a good trade. Not many 5th rd picks make it. Cousins is a legit Nhl player imo

Hey I don't really disagree with what you're saying but a few notes:

The Stepan / Raanta trade was great. You lose the 7thh overall pick, but at the same time, you got a pick in the first anyways. In return you get a goalie who for 40 games was the best in the NHL. He's re signed and if he's half of what he was last year then that trade is a steal.

Acquiring DeAngleo was a Maloney trade, I believe. The Cruse trade was a perfect risk reward situation. Cousins turned out to be effective. Keumper is a pretty great backup to have and it was smart in case they couldn't sign Raanta.


IMO the Domi, Hanzal, Raanta and Chychrun trade are all grand slams. The worst anyone can say about the rest is that they were smart value plays at the time.
- james_tanner1

Those 4 trades are can't lose moves right now, its true. But now the Yotes have to produce and look like they are on the rise. Cant waste Kellers ELC, need to get Strome to figure out how to be an effective Top 6 NHler, cant waste Hammers last years left until he hits market or bolts as a UFA.

If its just spinning the wheels season again, gotta think that more drastic moves need to be done to shape the direction of the roster

Of course I do. What's your point? That I'm supposed to have undying love for a hockey player who was an extreme bust?

I currently think Clayton Keller is going to be superstar. But in four years, maybe he gets traded for Alex Nylander (who I currently think might bust out) and I love the trade.

Would you rather read the safe down-the-middle non-rantings of someone concerned with looking measured and never being wrong? If so, sportsnet has an article up right now that says its too early to judge a winner here.

It isn't.

The Coyotes won. (Makes D Generation X crotch chop!!) (in the direction of safe and measured writers, not the commenter).
- james_tanner1

I'm mostly just teasing hahaha I didn't read the comments so I didn't know people had already ripped on you for it. I actually think this was a good trade for the yotes

Here's a summary of those trades

Still.Finished.In.The.Bottom.Of.The.NHL.Standings

How long before a real team steals the gm from Arizona???

Hopefully Galchenyuk can get guys like OEL and Keller/Chychrun on the cocaine train. Imagine how much better they can be if they;re high as fvck all the time!

What GM has been better since 2016 than Chayka? How about Mr Jim Rutherford? Gets Kessel for next to nothing. Gets Brassard for Cole and Reaves and gets LV to retain part of Brassards salary. Hires Mike Sullivan. Gets Sheahan for Scotty Wilson. Gets Oleksiak for Archibald. Wins 2 Stanley cups and the team has the best odds of any(11-1) to win it all next year. Gets LV to take MAF and his giant salary in the expansion draft. Gets Daley for Rob f’ing Scuderi. Gets Haglen for Perron. I’m not saying Rutherford hasn’t made some serious blunders he definitely has but you can’t argue with his results.

Listening to NHL radio. They made an interesting take on it: Subban, Sergachev, and Galchenyuk for Weber, Drouin and Domi. The one for ones. Ouch. MB has supplanted Chia as pooptiest GM in the league.
- RafiDRW

For now...but I get the feeling it’s only a couple weeks away from Chia regaining the title in spectacular form.

What GM has been better since 2016 than Chayka? How about Mr Jim Rutherford? Gets Kessel for next to nothing. Gets Brassard for Cole and Reaves and gets LV to retain part of Brassards salary. Hires Mike Sullivan. Gets Sheahan for Scotty Wilson. Gets Oleksiak for Archibald. Wins 2 Stanley cups and the team has the best odds of any(11-1) to win it all next year. Gets LV to take MAF and his giant salary in the expansion draft. Gets Daley for Rob f’ing Scuderi. Gets Haglen for Perron. I’m not saying Rutherford hasn’t made some serious blunders he definitely has but you can’t argue with his results.
- dcoms77

They got lucky.

What GM has been better since 2016 than Chayka? How about Mr Jim Rutherford? Gets Kessel for next to nothing. Gets Brassard for Cole and Reaves and gets LV to retain part of Brassards salary. Hires Mike Sullivan. Gets Sheahan for Scotty Wilson. Gets Oleksiak for Archibald. Wins 2 Stanley cups and the team has the best odds of any(11-1) to win it all next year. Gets LV to take MAF and his giant salary in the expansion draft. Gets Daley for Rob f’ing Scuderi. Gets Haglen for Perron. I’m not saying Rutherford hasn’t made some serious blunders he definitely has but you can’t argue with his results.
- dcoms77

He gave up a 1st round pick for Reaves and a 2nd, then gave up another 1st round pick and Gustavsson (former 2nd round pick) for brassard. Gave up a 2nd round pick for the Knights to take MAF, gave up a 2nd round pick for Hainsey

Hes lucky the Penguins won those cups to make the costs all worth it bc he over spends on almost every trade

What GM has been better since 2016 than Chayka? How about Mr Jim Rutherford? Gets Kessel for next to nothing. Gets Brassard for Cole and Reaves and gets LV to retain part of Brassards salary. Hires Mike Sullivan. Gets Sheahan for Scotty Wilson. Gets Oleksiak for Archibald. Wins 2 Stanley cups and the team has the best odds of any(11-1) to win it all next year. Gets LV to take MAF and his giant salary in the expansion draft. Gets Daley for Rob f’ing Scuderi. Gets Haglen for Perron. I’m not saying Rutherford hasn’t made some serious blunders he definitely has but you can’t argue with his results.
- dcoms77

I agree Rutherford has been great for the Penguins. I even agree that paying LVK to take Fleury was a good move since there was about a one in a million chance he'd go on to have one of the all-time best seasons in NHL history.

Hard to compare him with Chayka though - one guy took over a team with three or four of the best players in the world while the other guy had to clean up after Don Maloney.

In 16/17 he scored 17 goals down from
30 the year before, but he also only played 61 games. You could argue he may have not only come close to 30 again, but at a total of 44 points in 61 games, may have had a career year.

This last season was just a weird one. He got off to a terrible start and eventually got back on track.

Galchenyuk >>> Domi

What makes this trade look worse for Bergevin, is his possible intent for Domi...2C.

He trades a player who’s arguably a high-level 3C/lower-tier 2C for a winger who has played C in the PAST.

For now...but I get the feeling it’s only a couple weeks away from Chia regaining the title in spectacular form.
- Iggysbff

He’s gotta trade RNH for a mid level dman and he’ll be right back on track.

You or any team can get DuClaire, as he'll be on waivers in a few weeks. I don't think the Hawks can release him until his injury is healed, but they aren't going to resign him and he'll end up in Europe, where with less contact and a bigger surface he'll be your superstar.

You or any team can get DuClaire, as he'll be on waivers in a few weeks. I don't think the Hawks can release him until his injury is healed, but they aren't going to resign him and he'll end up in Europe, where with less contact and a bigger surface he'll be your superstar.
- weakglovehand

He’ll fit right in over there with guys like Omark and Lander. Hot doggers that can’t play real hockey.

He gave up a 1st round pick for Reaves and a 2nd, then gave up another 1st round pick and Gustavsson (former 2nd round pick) for brassard. Gave up a 2nd round pick for the Knights to take MAF, gave up a 2nd round pick for Hainsey

Hes lucky the Penguins won those cups to make the costs all worth it bc he over spends on almost every trade
- DDM-Coga

I did say he made some blunders did I not? Signing Niemi and Hunwick and trading a first to Edmonton for Perron come to mind. His hits far outweigh his misses.

I agree Rutherford has been great for the Penguins. I even agree that paying LVK to take Fleury was a good move since there was about a one in a million chance he'd go on to have one of the all-time best seasons in NHL history.

Hard to compare him with Chayka though - one guy took over a team with three or four of the best players in the world while the other guy had to clean up after Don Maloney.
- james_tanner1

Yeah it is hard to compare. One guy took over a team that has underachieved for a decade at won 2 cups, the other, despite all his efforts, finished in the bottom 5 just like to the person he replaced.

You or any team can get DuClaire, as he'll be on waivers in a few weeks. I don't think the Hawks can release him until his injury is healed, but they aren't going to resign him and he'll end up in Europe, where with less contact and a bigger surface he'll be your superstar.
- weakglovehand

I think every now and then there are players who have all the tools, but never get to the next level because of the teams they're on instead of themselves. Clearly the argument for DuClaire is if he doesn't do anything on any of the teams he was on, then it's him, but I really think he's just fallen victim to teams that haven't figured out how to deploy him properly.

I did say he made some blunders did I not? Signing Niemi and Hunwick and trading a first to Edmonton for Perron come to mind. His hits far outweigh his misses.
- dcoms77

sorry I skimmed over that. My bad

I'm not sure what MB was thinking, but then again, I guess this is par for the course as far as recent Habs trades are concerned.

This seems like a definite win for Arizona.