I theorized that the deadline could be quiet for the Kings and Dean Lombardi. But with about an hour and a half left before the deadline the Kings and Jackets took center stage for another deadline deal that ultimately proved me wrong.
This one I still can't quite wrap my head around but I'm willing to own it, and here it is:
Matt Frattin, a 2nd-round pick, and a conditional third for Marion Gaborik. Also, Columbus is retaining salary on the deal as well, $3.75 mil to be exact.
My first thoughts: Stupid good. Just ridiculous.
Not only has Lombardi kept Linden Vey, Tanner Pearson, Alec Martinez, Tyler Toffoli, and Jake Muzzin...he has essentially flipped Jonathan Bernier for Marian Gaborik at a reduction and has a draft pick from Toronto still.
The biggest question mark now is can Gaborik stay healthy in a very physical and nasty Pacific division? Also, will he resign with the Kings? He is a rental now doubt, but if he likes what he sees (and so do the Kings) it's possible the Kings retain him.
Then there is the minor deal that happened prior to the Gaborik trade.
The Kings dealt 4th round selection and UND forward prospect Hudson Fasching, and AHL defenseman turned forward Nic Deslauriers, to the Buffalo Sabres for Brayden McNabb and two 2nd round picks.
While there was a lot of hype around Fasching and Desluariers is having a great year, McNabb projects to be a decent 4-6 defenseman who could replace Matt Greene or Willie Mitchell after this season. How does this tie in with Gaborik? The Kings now save money by opting for McNabb to play in the NHL in the future and can use the Greene or Mitchell money to resign the winger IF they chose to do so.
For those that don't know about McNabb, he has been playing primarily in Rochester of the AHL.
As you can see, he has had a fairly successful career thus far and at 23-years old has plenty left to offer.
Fasching is obviously the key piece for Buffalo. He is having stellar freshman year at UND, was awesome in the world juniors for USA, and has looked like a steal as a 4th rounder.
Desluariers is a bit of a wild card pickup, as he still struggles with the defensive side of the game but has reinvented himself as a left winger. He currently leads the Monarchs in goals and is second in points.
All things considered, it's a minor deal but one that works out well for both teams. The Kings get a defensive prospect who is NHL ready right now as well as some draft picks. Buffalo gets more long term prospects they are willing to sit on during the rebuild. The late round drafting of Dean Lombardi has once again paid off. Fine asset management indeed.
Back to the Gaborik deal though. He is a proven goal scorer no doubt. Three 40-plus goal seasons speak to that. However with 14 years experience in the league Gaborik has only played over 70 games in five seasons. His health has always been at the forefront of his career. He has played sparingly this season due to a shoulder injury, appearing in just 22 games. However, in those 22 games he has 14 points which isn't a bad pace all things considered.
Frattin has looked completely of place for the Kings since he arrived. He has rarely seen the ice for any consistent stretch of games and it was a disappointing overall tenure for the former Leaf. He was advertised as a solid 2nd-3rd line tweener who can hit, play a high-tempo, and chip in offensively. Frattin never found his stride and has ultimately been beat out of his lineupe spots by younger players in Pearson, Toffoli, Vey, and Jordan Nolan.
He immediately fills the need for the Kings of a scoring winger. Who else is salivating at a top-six including Carter, Gaborik, Kopitar, Richards, Toffoli and Dustin Brown? Appetizing prospects no doubt.
I will update the blog if any other deals are made involving the Kings, but whew it's already been a big day.
As the deals trickle in I will try to update them if anything else happens, but for now how is everyone feeling? Take a deep breath and let me know in the comment section. Are the Kings a better team with Gaborik? Was it a good deal to make? How about the McNabb deal?
Also, I'd like to give a shout out to my friend Andy Tonge on twitter. Andy is the Manchester Monarchs reporter for the Mayor's Manor and we had a bit of a wager going on before the deadline.
Does anyone know a good tattoo artist?
@AndyTonge1 and I bet he stays put. Wager?
— Jason Lewis (@SirJDL) March 4, 2014@AndyTonge1 alright, and if he stays you get "property of Jason Lewis" on your forehead.
— Jason Lewis (@SirJDL) March 4, 2014Follow me on twitter for news and notes about the Kings and the NHL
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