Lindholm/Curran Traded To Boston; Deslauriers To Minnesota

Photo: AP

By Michael Walters

Hampus Lindholm was traded to the Boston Bruins. Kevin Weekes of ESPN announced the trade. According to the Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, the return is a 2022 1st round pick, a 2023 2nd round pick, a 2024 2nd round pick, Urho Vaakanainen and John Moore. The Ducks are retaining 50% of Lindholm’s salary as part of the deal according to Frank Seravalli. Additionally, the Ducks announced they sent Kodie Curran to Boston as part of the deal.

Nicolas Deslauriers was traded to the Minnesota Wild. TSN’s Darren Dreger announced the trade. The return for Anaheim is a 2023 3rd round pick per the Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.

The Anaheim Ducks later confirmed both trades.

Analysis:

General Manager Pat Verbeek said he didn’t want his UFAs to walk for nothing. He either wanted to re-sign them or trade them and so far he is two-for-two with the big three(Josh Manson, Rickard Rakell, and Hampus Lindholm). He was able to also trade Deslauriers who was also a UFA at the end of this season.

Deslauriers was nearly traded last season to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 3rd round pick and the deal fell through at the last minute. This time around he was traded to Minnesota for a 3rd round pick. Per multiple reports several teams were interested in the past week, which included Boston, Carolina, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Toronto, and Washington. Carolina and Minnesota appeared to be the two frontrunners with obviously Minnesota completing the deal.

Pat Verbeek tried to re-sign Lindholm and according to TSN’s Elliotte Friedman talks didn’t work out by the end of this week. At least 10 teams inquired on him in the past 24 hours. Among some of the teams reportedly interested in him were Boston, Florida, Edmonton NY Rangers, Tampa Bay, and Toronto. Verbeek brought in an absolute haul of a return for Lindholm. He was able to get three top draft picks over the course of the next three drafts.

The Ducks also got defensemen John Moore and Urho Vaakanainen as part of the Lindholm/Curran deal. Moore has played seven games with the Boston Bruins this season and has recorded one assist. He has been in the league since 2010-11 and played on several teams. He has a total of 118 points (38 G + 80 A). He is 31-year-old, who is 6’2″, 210 pounds and shoots left handed. He is veteran player and it will be interesting to see what he has left in the tank.

Vakkanainen is 23 year old prospect, who has played in 15 games with Boston this season and has four assists on the season. He is also a left handed shooting defenseman, who is 6’1″ tall, weighing 185 pounds. He is a solid skater and can change direction quickly. He can pass the puck well and is a good two-defensemen. The knock on him is he doesn’t appear to have much offensive upside.

Verbeek continues to deliver with a few days still to go before the trade deadline. He may have been able to re-sign Deslauriers in the offseason, but instead traded him for the same return he would have got last year when he had an extra year left on his deal.

In terms of the Lindholm deal, Verbeek was able to get three top picks and he only had to retain 50% of Lindholm’s salary for the rest of the season. He did give up Kodie Curran, who I would have liked to have seen more of in Anaheim, but the Ducks got Vakkanainen in return. Anaheim also had to take on aging defenseman John Moore, who is signed through next season at $2.75 million. Overall still a great return to the Ducks for Lindholm and Verbeek has more options as he could even use some of the picks for another future trade.

Rakell is the last big UFA remaining for the Ducks. TSN’s Jason Gregor estimated a possible return could be a 2nd round pick and a 4th/5th rounder. Another scenario could be maybe a 2nd round pick and a B level prospect. Max Comtois’ name has still been out there floating in the trade talks as well. Verbeek may not be done yet as the trade deadline rapidly approaches.

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March 19th, 2022