Be sure to 'like' Hockeybuzz on Facebook!
From Milan Lucic to LA, to Dougie Hamilton to Calgary, to Phil Kessel to Pittsburgh and Brandon Saad to Columbus there have been no shortages of big names on the move this summer.
With that in mind the Hotstove members share their thoughts on the best off-season acquisition.
Todd Cordell: Dougie Hamilton For me it's Dougie Hamilton and I'm not sure it is close.
He is just 22 years old and is already performing at the level of a top-pairing defenseman. Factor in that the Flames have him locked up for the long haul and didn't have to part with a single player from their roster and it's hard not to love the move for them.
The Flames struggled mightily in possession last season and Hamilton will not only help in that aspect but he should put up his fair share of points.
T.J. Brodie and Mark Giordano won't be run into the ground now that Hamilton is in the picture so that's a big benefit, too.
Ryan Wilson: Dougie Hamilton Phil Kessel was a pretty great acquisition for Pittsburgh but Calgary pouncing on Boston while they foolishly failed to re-sign Dougie Hamilton was tremendous. Hamilton should be a top pairing guy and provides insurance for when Mark Giordano asks for the moon in his next contract. At 22 years of age he has many good years in front of him. The next six years he is under contract with Calgary for only 5.75M. Young skilled defenseman that have a proven track record in the NHL don't grow on trees and Calgary took advantage of Boston's latest faux pas involving a 5.75M young player (Seguin the other).
John Jaeckel: Phil Kessel The pieces are in place in Pittsburgh for Phil the Thrill to have a huge season, and seasons after that.
However, the Saad for Anisimov/Dano deal is one to watch down the line. And there are more than a few NHL executives outside Chicago, I’ve heard, who feel that the Blackhawks might have gotten the better of the deal.
On the surface, the conventional wisdom is Hawk GM Stan Bowman was backed into a corner and had to take what he could get. But I’ve heard Bowman was semi-prepared for the eventuality of an offer sheet—and also had a good trade offer from at least one other team, Saad’s hometown Penguins.
He went with the Blue Jacket deal because Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen was willing to include Dano. Anisimov is a nice, serviceable center who may flourish surrounded by better talent in Chicago. But Dano has some significant upside. Saad was often (and I think inaccurately) called a young Marian Hossa in Chicago. Dano may be closer to that mark. Setting aside his Slovakian heritage and the fact that he hails from Hossa’s hometown, their games are very similar: physically strong, two-way, natural right wings, great on-ice awareness, speed, hands, finish.
Conversely, Saad’s production in Chicago was often dependent on who he played with—and in Columbus, it won’t be Hossa and Jonathan Toews. Saad has all kinds of physical talent and some upside himself, and the Jackets look to be a team on the rise. So time will tell on this trade.
Matt Henderson: Dougie Hamilton As much as it PAINS me to say this, Dougie Hamilton to the Flames has been the best acquisition this offseason. Ugh. There, I said it. To say the Flames got him for pennies on the dollar is an understatement. The Bruins must have really been feeling the pressure, presumably from the Oilers, of an offersheet. And the Bruins showed their colours as the rag-tag group of managers that sad wretch of a team has left after they banished Chiarelli buckled under the pressure. They GAVE him away. It is SUPPOSED to be impossible to acquire a massive, young, top pairing defenseman for less than a king's ransom. And yet, the Flames got one for a middling 1st round pick and a couple 2nd rounders. They didnt even have to give up a prospect! That's insane value. If Hamilton would have been a UFA he would have been the best player on the market. I cant think of a better player, period, that moved this summer and he was picked up for nothing of significance at all. It's hard to give credit to the Flames so much as we should be blame the Bruins for doing something unthinkably dumb.
Recent posts: Which free agent is most surprisingly still available?