Predators Acquire Michael Del Zotto
On Wednesday, the Nashville Predators acquired defenseman Michael Del Zotto from the New York Rangers for defenseman Kevin Klein.
Del Zotto, 23, in in the final year of his contract with a $2.9M cap hit; he will be a restricted free agent this summer. Klein, 29, is in the first year of a five-year, $14.5 million deal.
I think the Preds got the better end of this deal from a player standpoint, but maybe it was just just due to cap circumstances, and that Rangers knew they would have pay up to keep Del Zotto.
I just posted my thoughts on TSN as this broke. Good move for both clubs. I heard the AV’s are shopping Ryan O Rielly, he would be a awesome addition to the Hawks as a 2nd line center and I would think for anyone except TT and Clendening that would be a nice move. He is a legit 2nd line center. It would have to be a 3 team swap since is highly unlikely the AVs would trade him to the Hawks. Dale? Tim? Marc Bergevin? I know he is a pipe dream but he is really the perfect piece for this team,…too bad!
SSHM O’Reilly is the player we all talked about at the deadline last year…he is a great 2 way centre…I would love to have him, but I doubt the Avs would deal him to the Hawks.
Sr.Brad I remember the in depth discussions about him last year. The reason I was bringing him up is he has a quirky contract that has an out clause that the Avs might enforce. They are rumors about him floating around again.
fwiw – O’Reilly is a RFA after this season and is coming off a 2-year, $10M deal that pays him $6.5M in 2013-14.
Also, I don’t follow the logic in making the best team in the division better by trading them a good center who turns 23 in February. If he goes, the Avs will be sure the deal will be out of the division.
This according to Pierre LeBrun, http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/28795/rumblings-market-for-goalies-countdown-to-ryan-oreilly-decision
Circle Feb. 28 on your calendar. It’s as of that date that the trade freeze lifts on Ryan O’Reilly and the Colorado Avalanche can move the star player if they wish to do so. The Avalanche weren’t allowed to trade him for 12 months after matching Calgary’s offer sheet last Feb. 28.
There are several teams we’ve spoken to over the past week that are eagerly anticipating Colorado’s decision on O’Reilly. Does the team move him or keep him?
He’s a restricted free agent July 1 whose qualifying offer costs $6.5 million. No small potatoes. Of course the Avalanche can also sign him to an extension for less money if O’Reilly is up for that.
After seeing his contract it would be nearly impossible to add him. Sorry for the ignorance on my end,…pipe dream indeed!
He makes more money then Toews and Kane LOL
Gotta go with Tab, no way Col moves him inside the division, especially to US! That would be certifiably insane
Klein:
Is that noise I hear a giant sigh of relief from Dallas’ Roussel? Maybe he and Klein only had a brief one time affair, and would never dance again whether intra div rivals or not but I enjoyed seeing Klein land 20+ right hands to ARs head the other night!!! Klein fan for life now !!