Alumni in the Pros - February 2008

[CUontheslopes]

Murray gets his first one in a 3-1 win over the Flyers.

http://sharks.nhl.com/team/app?gameNumber=918&gameType=2&page=Recap&season=20072008&service=page

[CowbellGuy]

I'm not starting a new thread for this, but as I sit here reading Jay Onrait's Trade Deadline blog in this hockey coverage-starved country, I found this amusing:

Duthie asks the panel for their Top 5 Stanley Cup picks.

...

Mad Mike [Milbury]: 1. Red Wings; 2. Stars; 3. Ducks; 4. Devils; 5. Canadiens/Penguins.

Milbury defends his use of six teams by saying: "Colgate is not an Ivy League school. I can't count."

[jkahn]

The Sharks picked up Brian Campbell from Buffalo today, which may impact the playing time of Doug Murray.
Full Trade:  Campbell and a 7th round draft choice for Steve Bernier and a 1st round pick.

[cbuckser]

TSN is reporting that the Coyotes traded David LeNeveu and others to the Rangers for Al Montoya and Marcel Hossa.

[Ronald '09]

David Leneveu traded to the rags as part of a deal including Marcel Hossa and Al Montoya per TSN, so I won't be able to root for him anymore.  I would assume he'll be playing for the Wolfpack, although maybe he's better than Steve Valiquette.

If I'm not mistaken he signed a one year deal before the season right?  Is he a UFA or RFA at the end of the year or am I mistaken?

Damn someone beat me to it.

[calgARI '07]

In a five player deal that has Montoya going the other way.  The other Hossa was moved to Phoenix with Josh Gratton and Freddie Sjostrom headed to New York.

[redhair34]

IIRC he had one of his better games in net last year against the Rangers.

[redhair34]

Am I missing something or did the Rangers get fleeced in that deal?  Or has Montoya's stock fallen that much this season?

[calgARI '07]

Fleeced badly.

[Josh '99]

[quote calgARI '07]Fleeced badly.[/quote]I'm kinda thinking the same thing, I'm having a hard time figuring this one out.

[CowbellGuy]

Yes and no. Montoya was already pretty much #2 in Hartford. I think his stock has dropped precipitously in the last couple months. I don't personally see the need for Gratton, but I guess Sjostrom has at least more potential to do something at the NHL level than Montoya (or Hossa) ever would with the Rangers. I don't think it's a great trade (for either team, really) but I don't think anyone got fleeced.

[Jacob '06]

Montoya has chronic injury problems and has yet to prove himself capable of playing in the NHL, so I think his stock is down to pretty much nothing.

[calgARI '07]

Pretty lateral in terms of Sjostrom for Hossa.  Both pretty ineffective players with scoring touch.  Interestingly, 3 former first round picks and one former 2nd go in this deal - all four have been busts to this point.  Gratton is a Holweg type with a little bit ability to get around the ice.  Not sure what the point in bringing him in is either.

[redhair34]

Rough day for Moulson as it looks like the Kings kept all of their forwards

[CowbellGuy]

Sjostrom has 10 goals this year and, even though paltry, at least has improved his goal production year-to-year. He's 2 years younger and Hossa has all of one goal this year. So at the NHL level, I think the Rangers are a bit better off after the trade. Whether they got good value for Montoya is obviously widely debatable.