In this edition of the hotstove, we share our thoughts on the big trade that saw New Jersey send Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi to Anaheim in exchange for Sami Vatanen.
Todd Cordell
I think this is a pretty fair trade and makes sense for both sides.
The Anaheim Ducks are loaded on defense so they could afford to part with a guy like Sami Vatanen to address their needs up front. Henrique can be a stop-gap as a top-6 center and, when Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler return, the Ducks will have the flexibility to use Henrique in the top-6 as a winger or move him down to the 3rd line to give them a very strong 1-2-3 punch. Joseph Blandisi probably should be in the NHL so getting him is a nice bonus for the Ducks, especially given all their injuries.
From New Jersey's perspective, they've been looking for a mobile, top-4 defenseman since the beginning of time so Vatanen seems well worth the price. He's not a true top-pairing guy, but he can handle himself at evens and is very good on special teams – particularly on the power play.
Vatanen ranks 15th among 78 eligible defensemen (300+ minutes) with 4.65 power play points/60 since the beginning of 2014-15. That's more than notables like Karlsson, Hamilton, and Doughty.
— Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell) November 30, 2017
He has two years of control beyond this season, too, so the Devils don't have to worry about paying up or losing him anytime soon.
Jared Crozier
It is tough to compare when you trade a forward for a defenseman, but I am not sure what the Ducks' reasoning is for making this deal. They did a lot of work to keep a vaunted blueline intact heading into the expansion draft, and then dealt a key piece of that core for a forward who, while serviceable, is basically a stop-gap measure to make up for the losses of the two Ryans, Getzlaf and Kesler, down the middle.
From the Devils' standpoint, they add a bona fide top 4 defenseman in his prime who can play big minutes and play them well.
Henrique is a solid player but I think overall the Devils get substantially better in this trade, while I am not sure the Ducks do in either the short or long term.
Peter Tessier I love this deal for so many reasons. First, if you want you can look at it is a cliche 'hockey deal'. Second, you can see it as part of Shero's grand vision for changing the Devils into something different. Third, it can be seen as a desperate grasp at not losing a season as the core of the Ducks is injured and getting older and their window closes.
In fact, the deal might be a bit of all three of those aspects but I think the deal comes out better for the Devils. Basically, Shero has taken Larsson and Henrique and turned them into Hall and Vatanen. That's an improvement given where the game in heading in the NHL. It aligns with speed, driving play and offence first mentality. There is also some cap stability with Vatanen too.
I do think that when the Ducks get healthy that Henrique starts putting up better numbers too and that will help the Ducks as he can move back to the wing once Kesler and Getzlaf get healthy. This could work well for both teams and that's what makes the deal so interesting.
James Tanner This is a crazy good deal for the Devils. Sure, Vatanen has some injury troubles, but he did play over 70 games the last two years. Fact is, he's a great puck moving dman and he's a right hander. He makes a fair salary and the Devils only had to pay Henrique who isn't that good, and a draft pick.
The Devils also desperately needed a good defenseman, and they got one who scores at about the same rate as the centre they traded.
I would say this is a huge win for the Devils and a huge loss for the Ducks.
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