Blackhawks Blockbuster: Byfuglien Dealt to Thrashers
Reports on Wednesday afternoon are that the Chicago Blackhawks and Atlanta Thrashers have agreed to a blockbuster trade that will send forwards Dustin Byfuglien and Ben Eager and defenseman Brent Sopel to Atlanta for veteran forward Marty Reasoner, prospect Jeremy Morin and the two draft picks the Thrashers received from New Jersey in the Ilya Kovalchuk trade. The Blackhawks are also sending prospect Akim Aliu to Atlanta.
The picks are New Jersey’s first (#24) and second (#54) in the 2010 draft. The Blackhawks now have five of the top 60 picks in this weekend’s draft.
This move saves the Blackhawks $4.183M towards the 2010-11 salary cap as well.
We know what the Hawks are giving up. But what are they receiving?
Marty Reasoner
Reasoner is a 33-year-old center who had four goals and 13 assists in 80 games last year. He has spent time with Atlanta, Edmonton, Boston and St. Louis in a 12-year career. His career high is 14 goals, scored in 2008-09 in Atlanta.
Jeremy Morin
Morin is the third-ranked prospect in the Atlanta organization, and could be the steal of this trade. The 19-year-old played in the OHL last year, and had 47 goals and 36 assists (83 points) in 58 games. Listed at 6’1 and 190 pounds, he also racked up 76 penalty minutes last year. In 20 playoff games in the OHL, Morin added 12 goals and nine more assists. He was also a key member of the USA’s 2009 U18 World Championship gold medal team, scoring six goals and four assists in seven games. He’s a left wing with a right-handed shot.
I am shocked. I got home and got a call from my bro. He asks, “are you in mourning, and I said..what are you talking about?”, it was obvious I didn’t hear of this trade. We went player by player, and the biggest piece last. I said well if we got a first and a third round pick he has to be a quality player. I said either Sharp, Versteeg or Buff and in my mind I wanted it to be Versteeg bad……… but then I knew but didn’t want to admit that Steeger can’t command those type of draft pics. It was Buff, I said man. Our size just went out the window.
Great call Tab. You are closer to the team than most, did you hear a whiff of this? I didn’t even get a chance to break out my excel spreadsheet to see how we play with Buff next year. Guess we will not.
Tab, do you think we would have won the cup this year w/o Buff? Honest question.
So far the script has been according to plan. 4th line is gonna be super cheap, as will our last D pair. I really thought Buff would be on this team next year, I still have to process this. Wow.
My brain is already asking, What Would Tallon Do?
Yeah, it’s a tough pill to swallow having big buff gone. If he had produced like he did in the playoffs during the regular season, it might be a different story. Hard to argue who is more valuable to the hawks looking at Buff or Versteeg, both have had their ups and downs… Figured Sharp was not going anywhere. I wonder if this move is designed to keep Ladd on the squad? I mean I know they have to shed a lot of salary anyway… This move makes me even more mad they got rid of Tallon for the paperwork snafu that caused them to overpay for Versteeg etc… The guy who was responsible for that blunder (Bowman) now has to clean it up by trading fan favorite. Truth be told, I don’t think Buff would have developed into an elite type of player, but he was still a load of fun to watch in the playoffs… Curious to see what the final roster looks like after all the dust settles.
WOW
Well we gave up spare parts and Buff.
We lost a LOT of physical play. All the non physical teams in the west, and they are legion, are happy tonight.
I think Bowman got a lot back but we loose a dimension we could have had this year. For the playoff track record 3M is a bargain. Steal. Larceny. Is that redundant?
Anyway, Troy Brouwer better channel is inner Big Buff. He will play with Toews my guess and they will bank stuff in off him. Kane/Toews need that size. It shows when TB was going well and buff in the playoffs.
I would rather have gotten less back and have then take Steeger. He is a dime a dozen. Buff’s don’t grow on trees.
I guess now I have to think of all the big goals Versteeg scored in the playoffs and be happy we have a 3rd line guy who can score.
We are still REAL good, but we lost a dimension not a good player.
We need more size and grit now. Burish I think is back. Ladd is back and Huet has to be gone or more core muscle is gone.
Bickell needs a mean streak with his size.
hopefully in the long run the picks we make from this trade turn into anything. We would not have had those picks if anyone would have taken Versteeg as posted above.
I hate this trade but love the team below. We need some more size. I would have given up Versteeg in a heart beat. Thanks to Sopel for playing his way into a trade.
Can Reasoner play a solid 3rd C? Or is he Fraser on steroids on the 4th line. Does he make our team? This prospect sounds like Skille but he can play C.
Tab, did you WANT to trade Buff or just out your GM hat on and say we can get a lot. yes we can get a lot but loose way more than any other player you would consider. Oh for it to have been Versteeg. But we have 32 next year so I hope he continues to improve. Sharp’s ability to score and play C means no way was he going to be moved.
I have our team at
M. Hossa 5,230,000
Patrick Sharp 3,900,000
Patrick Kane RW 6,300,000
Dustin Byfuglien
Jonathan Toews 6,300,000
Versteeg LW 3,083,000
Andrew Ladd 1,800,000
Jack Skille 900,000
Dave Bolland C 3,375,000
Adam Burish RW 800,000
B. Kopecky 1,200,000
Troy Brouwer 1,025,000
Reasoner 1,200,000
Defense
Brian Campbell 7,100,000
Brent Seabrook 3,500,000
Duncan Keith D 5,540,000
Boyton 1,000,000
Hjarmalsson 2,500,000
Jordan Henry 700,000
Goalies
Niemi 2,500,000
Cristobal Huet
Cheap (Crawford) 827,000
Total $58,780,000
Man we gave away something rare, our biggest forward, and kept something we have a LOT of, smallish skilled F’s.
Even if we got back a bunch of pucks I would have traded Versteeg and gotten say a 3rd and still had Buff. The delta between Versteeg and Buff is WAY MORE than the difference in those picks.
Tab, if you could have, don’t you move something more easily replaceable, albeit you get less in return, even if WAY less in return, you don’t loose as much.
What is you take on the trade. I think it’s unforced. We had Buff at 3M for one more year. If he rocks you can’t keep him, if he stinks (stays the same) oh well he will be the same in the playoffs.
Anyway, frustrating to give a rare piece to keep a common piece. Versteeg is our least skilled skilled forward. Why not ditch it, same salary.
Oh well.
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