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This week in the NHL has been a complete and utter whirlwind. With just days until the start of the season, two of the league’s biggest stars changed teams.
Erik Karlsson to the San Jose Sharks
You read that correctly. Two-time James Morris Memorial Trophy winner, Erik Karlsson, is on his way out of Ottawa. Despite being captain of the team, a five-time All-Star and the franchise defence-man, the Senators have elected to trade their star in exchange for young prospects and some picks in future drafts.
The deal may come as a surprise to many, however, in return for trading away Karlsson and forward Francis Perron, the Senators will receive a lot of potential talent from the Sharks. That includes; Chris Tierney, Rudolfs Balcers, Dylan DaMelo, Josh Norris and a plethora of conditional draft picks. Speaking of which, they’ll receive San Jose’s first-round draft pick in 2020, their second-round draft pick in 2019 and a conditional second-round pick in 2021.
This move speaks volumes for the Sharks, who appear to be solely focused on reaching the Stanley Cup finals once more. Evidently, the 2016 NHL Finals left a bad taste, and for that they’re going all in on the 2018 season.
Karlsson will join a star-studded roster with the likes of defence-men, Brent Burns, and an explosive front-line of Joe Thornton, Evander Kane and Joe Pavelski.
It is Karlsson’s partnership with fellow five-time All-Star Burns that is igniting eager anticipation, mostly because they are two of the top defence-men in the league.
Max Pacioretty joins the Vegas Golden Knights
In another moment of chaos, the hockey world was shaken to its core, again. This time, captain and franchise centre Max Pacioretty has been traded away from Montreal. Despite being a fan favourite in the capital of Quebec, Pacioretty must now rejuvenate his career in Las Vegas. The trade will see Czechoslovakian Tomáš Tatar and prospect Nick Suzuki join the Habs. The organisation will also acquire a 2019 second-round draft selection.
Many have stated that the trade has been a long time coming for Pacioretty and the Canadiens, with the forward’s playing career nearing a close. Whilst his former team begin a rebuild, Pacioretty will look to help the Golden Knights to another playoff appearance, considering their success in their first year in the league which saw them reach the NHL Finals.
