Eastside's Hockey Elite Collide

To Calgary:
Vladimir Mihalak (70)
Phil Kessel (70)
Alexander Khokhlachev (57)
BOS 2nd 2013

To Boston:
Alex Tanguay (70)
Denis Grebeshkov (68)
Max Gardiner (64)
LAK 4th 2013

Reasoning:

On first glance this move seems nuts and in real-life it's a non-starter. In the sim, it works well for both parties.

Phil Kessel is a good player who I would have liked to have kept. Unfortunately, Phil Kessel's skill-set is limited in this league. He's a sniper and faceoff stud who also is a defensive liability and fragile. He fits my needs, but with the moves made over the past 12 months to get Sheahan and Colborne on-board, he's replaceable. Tanguay gives me a player who can play first-line minutes, special teams and who isn't a defensive liability like Kessel was.

Vladimir Mihalak has a terrible contract, and was the price to pay to land Voinov, the player I really wanted. Grebeshkov is less of an offensive liability than Mihalak, slightly less money than Mihalak, has one less season on his contract and is good enough on the PK for my needs.

Max Gardiner fits my needs to compete in this league (ie. a 3rd/4th line center than can win faceoffs and play pissed off) moreso than Khokhlachev, who also is a defensive liability with iffy consistency and only 1-2 good skills. The pick swap made up for the difference between Gardiner and Khoko as-is.

It's not necessarily something I want to do, but something I need to do to get over the hump in the East and get back after that President's trophy.

Acquired:
Top line sniper that wins 70% of his faceoffs.
Overpaid, 6'7", russian, physical defenseman that is good at taking the puck away.
A guy whose nickname is Koko.
Anoter 2nd round pick.

Given:
Well-rounded veteran top 6 kinda winger who just was not the guy that Krejci needed in order to produce.
Overpaid russian defenseman who had a limited role on my team.
What might turn out to be one of the very best 4th line centerman in a couple of years in Max Gardiner.
A 4th round pick.


Kessel's skillset is limited compared to Tanguay's but need-wise this player swap makes sense to me.

Mihalik's offensive is not comparable to Grebeshkov's but as a no.6 guy, I'm okay with a guy that hits and takes the puck away... something Vlasic isn't doing much on that bottom pairing either.

Koko looks like a child compared to Max Gardiner. On a team loaded with big guys upfront, Koko, a sniper, is a gamble I'm willing to take given the fact that those snipers aren't running the streets.

I get the better pick in this deal simply because Boston is landing the better players. Fair and square.

Always a pleasure, Jason.
Good luck.

Will review trade tomorrow.

Approved and entered.

Kessel is the biggest name and talent to be moved in this deal. That said, Tanguay, despite his age, is a more well-rounded player suiting Boston's wishes. Khokhlachev is the stereotypical Russian forward, offensively skilled with maddening consistency. From conversations I have had with Jason, Mihalik and his nearly $3M contract (four years remaining) was also a deal he wanted off the books.

Kessel and Gardiner CON drops fixed.