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One Trade The Capitals Would Like To Have Back

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While we await the return of the NHL, let’s take this opportunity to look back at some of the influential transactions in NHL history. For no particular reason, let’s jump to the trade deadline of the lockout-shortened 2012-2013 season.

On the date in question (April 3, 2013), the Washington Capitals were two points out of a playoff spot, looking to boost their chances of returning to the postseason for the sixth consecutive season. The Caps had been banged up to start the year, but at the deadline, they were on the rise and rounding into form. To get that little bit of extra oomph, the Caps traded top prospect Filip Forsberg to Nashville for LW Martin Erat and prospect Michael Latta.

The deal made a certain amount of sense at the time, as the Caps were trying to get over the hump and capture their first Stanley Cup. Led by all-world 27-year-old winger Alex Ovechkin, the pieces to make a run were in place, even if they hadn’t lived up to those lofty expectations as of yet. Forsberg, the 11th overall selection of the draft in the year prior, had a bright future, but he wasn’t anticipated to add value to the Caps for some time. Erat led the Predators with 21 points and 17 assists at the time of the deal.

Caps General Manager at the time George McPhee said this of the deal (from Katie Carrera of the Washington Post): “You’re here to win. We’ve been in that mode for a while. This is six years of trying to win a Cup. We had our rebuild phase, we sort of rebuilt things on the fly here, but we’d like to continue to make the playoffs while we’re doing it.”

Sure enough, adding a top-six winger like Erat to a line with Matthieu Perreault and Joel Ward could very well have made the difference for Washington. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, but Erat did not end up making the difference. He manages just two goals in 62 games with the Caps before requesting a trade the following season, which the Caps granted. They did manage to get back to the playoffs in 2012-2013, but they were bounced by the Rangers in the first round.

Latta lasted with the Caps for longer, though he never made much of an impact on the ice. He scored four total goals for Washington in parts of three seasons from 2013 to 2016.

As for the Predators, they are happy with their end of this deal. So much so that five years later, they took a victory lap with a gloat tweet.

Forsberg has made good on his prospect status in developing into a capable top-liner for Nashville. Still just 25-years-old, he’s averaged 0.36 goals per game and 0.41 assists per game over his NHL career. He’s a big piece of the Predators success over the years, and a player the Caps would certainly love to have back.

Minor Transactions: 7/18/18

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The past few days have been a busy stretch for fringe NHL free agents deciding whether to hold out for a big league deal or look elsewhere. Significant names such as Torrey Mitchell and Teemu Pulkkinen have signed overseas, while other players have settled for minor league employment. Similar deals have continued throughout the day:

  • Count Michael Latta as a player making the jump across the Atlantic. Or would it be the Pacific? Latta has signed with the Kunlun Red Star, the sole Chinese member of the KHL. He announced the deal himself today, while European insider Aivis Kalnins adds that it is a one-year contract. Latta, who is most well known for his days as a serviceable bottom-six regular with the Washington Capitals, has actually not played in an NHL game since 2015-16 in D.C. Latta has landed NHL contracts in each of the past two off-seasons with the Los Angeles Kings and Arizona Coyotes respectively and has even been a sought-after trade acquisition in both years, but nevertheless has played only in the AHL. Latta’s numbers in the minors are not all that impressive either, so perhaps his move to the KHL presents an opportunity for his two-way game to be better appreciated.
  • Veteran forward Mike Blunden is making a similar move but to a lesser-known team and league. The long-time depth forward has made an NHL appearance in all but one season since turning pro in 2006, including multiple seasons where more than half of his time was spent at the top level, but saw only three games with the Ottawa Senators over the course of his recently-expired two-year contract. A proven scorer in the AHL, Blunden is likely in pursuit of a new opportunity and higher compensation outside of North America. Per a team release, Blunden has signed a contract with HC Bolzano of the Austria-based EBEL. However, the “Foxes” are actually located in Italy and are the premiere pro team of the country. Bolzano is the reigning EBEL champion and has been loading up this off-season to defend their title, adding Blunden and fellow AHLers Leland Irving, Brett Findlay, and Matt MacKenzie. Blunden could turn out to be a top scorer for the team this season.
  • Experienced goaltender Tom McCollum is not quite ready to leave North America or even the Great Lakes region. The Buffalo-area native has spent all but one season of his nine-year pro career in the Detroit Red Wings system, appearing in over 250 games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. However, without an offer from the Red Wings or presumably an AHL offer from the Griffins this summer, McCollum has decided to take his talents to their arch rival. The Milwaukee Admirals have announced that they have signed the veteran netminder to a one-year minor league deal. The team’s release calls McCollum a “proverbial thorn in the Admirals’ side” for years, but he has now joined them in their pursuit of a Calder Cup. Milwaukee’s parent club, the Nashville Predators, could also come calling if injuries strike; the team has just three goalies signed who have pro experience in North America.
  • Forward Tyler Randell is sticking around in the AHL as well. The 27-year-old enforcer has been unable to land a two-way NHL contract, but will settle for a minor league deal. The Rochester Americans have announced that they have signed Randell to a one-year AHL contract. Randell, a 2009 sixth-round draft pick of the Boston Bruins, is an impressive physical force and a smart defensive player. He even earned himself 27 NHL games with the Bruins in 2015-16 and a nice $700K free agent contract from the Ottawa Senators last summer. However, his offensive game is severely limited at all levels and it’s no surprise that his NHL market was lacking this off-season after an eight-point campaign with the Belleville Senators last season. Randell brings energy and grit to Rochester, but if his scoring doesn’t improve in consistency and frequency, he’s unlikely to end up back in the NHL.

Free Agent Focus: New Jersey Devils

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Free agency is now less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Here is a breakdown of New Jersey’s free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents: D Steven Santini – The New Jersey Devils went out and acquired Sami Vatanen this season to help a defensive unit that was struggling to keep up with their forward group. While Taylor Hall was putting up an MVP season and Nico Hischier was proving why he was selected first overall, the team didn’t believe they had enough depth on defense and sacrificed Adam Henrique to improve. This summer, further improvement could come from within. Santini, 23, ended up playing 36 games for the Devils in 2017-18, and amazingly logged more than 20 minutes in those games. Though his possession numbers were atrocious, that can largely (but not completely) be explained by the incredibly poor zone starts he was given.

More than 72% of the faceoffs taken while Santini was on the ice were in the defensive zone, one of the most heavily-skewed numbers in the entire NHL. The New Jersey coaching staff heavily sheltered Will Butcher this season to allow him to use his offensive talents, a trade that came at the expense of Santini who is considered more defensively responsible. Now he’ll head into RFA negotiations as a possible full-time option on the blue line going forward, especially if the team lets John Moore walk in free agency. He’s not arbitration eligible, and will likely come to an agreement fairly quickly.

F Miles Wood – Part of the Devils incredible turnaround falls at the feet of Hall and Hischier, but it was the team’s depth up front that had everyone talking. After being a fairly weak offensive team over the last few years they started to come in waves of speed, headlined by Wood’s impressive season. The 22-year old scored 19 goals and was a very effective player for the team at even strength. If he’s given more powerplay opportunities in the future that number could potentially grow even higher, as it wasn’t the result of an outrageous shooting percentage or any other easy to spot outlier.

Other RFAs: F Stefan Noesen, F Blake Coleman, F Nick Lappin, F Kevin Rooney, F Mario Lucia, D Michael Kapla, G Ken Appleby

Key Unrestricted Free Agent: F Michael Grabner – After putting up such a good first half the Devils went out at the trade deadline and acquired some more depth players up front, and even spent a second-round pick (and prospect) on Grabner. That didn’t seem to pay off for the team, as the counter-punch artist added just two goals and five points in 21 games down the stretch for New Jersey before going scoreless in just two playoff contests.

Still, Grabner is coming off back-to-back 27-goal seasons and will be a sought after commodity on the free agent market. The 30-year old speedster is an excellent penalty killer and can stretch defenses better than almost anyone in the league. Though he can struggle at times to finish his chances, and doesn’t create many opportunities for his linemates, many teams would be lucky to have him suit up in their bottom-six. Grabner is coming off just a two-year $3.3MM contract and will likely be looking for a big raise on a multi-year contract. The Devils may believe that’s too rich for them as they instead look to their young players for continued development.

F Patrick Maroon – The other deadline addition for New Jersey was Maroon, who was also coming off a 27-goal season in 2016-17. This year he had just 17, but found his playmaking stride for the Devils and recorded 13 points in 17 games. Struggling with the rest of the team in their first-round playoff exit, he still could represent a perfect fit for the Devils who don’t have many other players in the power forward mold. Maroon is an excellent puck protector, and has shown that when given the chance to play with skilled players is quick enough to still keep up.

It’s hard to gauge Maroon’s market after he struggled with the Edmonton Oilers early on. He fetched them just a 2019 third round pick and the rights to college forward J.D. Dudek at the deadline, and may not have a ton of teams knocking down his door in the summer. That would be just fine with the Devils if they’re looking to bring him back, though nothing has been reported between the two so far.

Other UFAs: F Jimmy Hayes, F Brian Gibbons, F Drew Stafford, D John Moore, F Michael Latta, F Bracken Kearns, F Ben Thomson

Projected Cap Space: Last season the Devils were seen as a dark horse candidate for nearly every free agent because of their huge amount of cap space and this year should be no different. With nearly $25MM in cap room depending on where the upper limit lands, the team could go after any player they want, including John Tavares or John Carlson. Though there are some restricted free agents to get under contract, GM Ray Shero should have just about all the resources he should need to help the Devils make it back to the playoffs once again.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Revisiting The January Trade Market

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As front offices around the league call and text trying to find the right fit for their rosters, fans are waiting with bated breath wondering who could be pulling on their favorite sweater in the next few weeks. Will a superstar change hands and take over as the new face of a franchise? Will a veteran finally find his way to the Stanley Cup promised land? The deadline is now less than six weeks away.

We may not have to wait until the very end to answer these questions though, as January has been a busy month for trade action in the past. We’ve already had two moves this year, and several more could be finalized before the calendar turns over. For now, let’s take a look back at the last few years to see what kind of moves are made in the dawn of the new year.

2018:

January 4th: Edmonton acquires Al Montoya from Montreal in exchange for a 2018 conditional fourth-round pick.

January 10th: Chicago acquires Anthony Duclair and Adam Clendening from Arizona for Richard Panik and Laurent Dauphin.

2017:

January 1st: Arizona acquires Mitchell Moroz from Edmonton in exchange for Henrik Samuelsson.

January 11th: Anaheim acquires Jhonas Enroth from Toronto for a 2018 seventh-round pick.

January 13th: Nashville acquires Cody McLeod from Colorado in exchange for Felix Girard.

January 19th: Nashville acquires Andrew O’Brien from Anaheim for Max Gortz.

January 21st: Los Angeles acquires Cameron Schilling from Chicago for Michael Latta.

January 24th: Ottawa acquires Tommy Wingels in exchange for Zack Stortini, Buddy Robinson and a 2017 seventh-round pick.

January 26th: Montreal acquires Nikita Nesterov from Tampa Bay in exchange for Jonathan Racine and a 2017 sixth-round pick.

Obviously 2017 wasn’t filled with the most blockbuster trades in the month of January, but several teams did add small pieces for potential playoff runs. Nesterov didn’t really work out in Montreal, and Wingels couldn’t find his scoring touch in Ottawa.

2016:

January 3rd: Chicago acquires Richard Panik from Toronto in exchange for Jeremy Morin.

January 6th: Los Angeles acquires Vincent Lecavalier and Luke Schenn from Philadelphia in exchange for Jordan Weal and a 2016 third-round pick.

January 6th: Nashville acquires Ryan Johansen from Columbus in exchange for Seth Jones.

January 7th: Montreal acquires Max Friberg from Anaheim in exchange for Dustin Tokarski.

January 8th: Vancouver acquires Emerson Etem from New York in exchange for Nicklas Jensen and a 2017 sixth-round pick.

January 14th: Ottawa acquires Conor Allen from Nashville in exchange for Patrick Mullen.

January 15th: Montreal acquires Victor Bartley and John Scott from Arizona in exchange for Jarred Tinordi and Stefan Fournier.

January 15th: Arizona acquires Victor Bartley from Nashville in exchange for Stefan Elliott.

January 16th: Anaheim acquires David Perron and Adam Clendening from Pittsburgh in exchange for Carl Hagelin.

January 21st: Anaheim acquires Ryan Garbutt from Chicago in exchange for Jiri Sekac.

2016 was a much more active January, with big names like Lecavalier, Johansen and Jones all dealt. While the Nashville-Columbus trade might have had the biggest impact long-term, Pittsburgh’s acquisition of Hagelin was a big part of their Stanley Cup run, as he scored 27 points down the stretch and added another 16 in the playoffs.

There is certainly value to be had in January trades, and it’s clear that teams like Nashville and Anaheim aren’t scared of making an early move. While those two might not be the most watched teams on the trade market this year, don’t rule them out of making tweaks once again.

Eighteen Players Placed On Waivers

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With training camp cuts coming fast and furious, many names were placed on waivers today as teams begin to try and slip players through to their minor league affiliates. Below is a complete list of players on waivers today, thanks to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports:

Michael Latta (ARI)
Tyler Gaudet (ARI)
Dustin Tokarski (ANA)
Jordan Szwarz (BOS)
Tommy Cross (BOS)
Andrew Agozzino (COL)
Rocco Grimaldi (COL)
Trent Vogelhuber (COL)
Felix Girard (COL)
Joe Cannata (COL)
Jesse Graham (COL)
Reece Scarlett (FLA)
Alexandre Grenier (FLA)
Cody Bass (NSH)
Tye McGinn (TB)
Reid Boucher (VAN)
T.J. Tynan (VGK)
Paul Thompson (VGK)

Options For Coyotes At Lacking Right Wing

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By all accounts, the Arizona Coyotes are still a re-building club without much for expectations in 2017-18. However, at some point this team needs to take the next step and to do so the club needs to develop their many talented, young players as best as possible. For that reason, the incredulous lack of right-shots and experienced right wingers on the Arizona roster presents a substantial problem. In an article on the biggest issues facing each of Arizona’s sports teams, Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports opines that the Coyotes’ right wing depth is a major obstacle. With so few options, the team would be forced to move young players out of position or field unbalanced lines for the purposes of making the right wing position make sense. Instead, Morgan suggests that the roster still needs “tinkering”, with an outside addition going a long way to balancing out the team.

Morgan certainly is not exaggerating the problem that the Coyotes have on the right side. The only right-handed shot guaranteed to make the roster is newly-acquired top center Derek Stepan. Beyond him, Arizona could end up fielding an entire forward corps of lefties. Morgan mentions 20-year-old Christian Fischer as a near lock for one of the right-wing spots, given that he is likely the only natural right winger with the NHL ability in the organization right now. Fischer skated in seven games with the Coyotes last year, scoring three goals, and put up big numbers in the AHL as well. He looks primed for a full NHL campaign and the team’s lack of right wing options only helps to solidify his chances of making the roster. Young forwards Jens Looke and Nick Merkley are also righties with right wing experience, but what they lack is North American pro experience and seem better suited for a season in Tuscon, at least early on. So who fills the final three spots? Although he is a lefty, Tobias Rieder has fared well on the right side for much of the past few seasons in Arizona and will likely resume his role on the off wing in 2017-18. Brad Richardson and Anthony Duclair have routinely played on the off side in their careers as well, but with Richardson’s health still in question and Duclair coming off a disappointing season and has yet to re-sign, so relying on either, nevertheless both, is a risk for the ’Yotes. That leaves Arizona with the option of moving young lefties like Brendan Perlinin, Lawson Crouse, or Nick Cousins to the left side or giving veteran wash-ups like Emerson Etem, Michael Latta, or Mike Sislo a regular job. Neither of those avenues seem to be the best fit for the Coyotes.

Instead, GM John Chayka may be looking to fill the void with a new addition. A couple obvious names pop up as right side options still available on the free agent market, as Arizona could simply fill the hole left by veteran scorer Radim Vrbata with another veteran scorer like Thomas Vanek or Jaromir Jagr. The team said goodbye to the face of the organization, Shane Doan, this summer, so it is fair to be skeptical of them bringing in another aging player. However, Vanek and Jagr offer a scoring touch that Doan hasn’t had of late and that others like Jarome Iginla or Brian Gionta may not bring. If the Coyotes are going to take a roster spot away from a young player, even if it is to fill a notable absence, it will need to be someone ready to contribute. Younger veterans with more gas in the tank like Alex Chiasson or P-A Parenteau would make some sense as well. A trade, even at this point in the off-season, is always a possibility for Chayka as well. The Coyotes young GM has showed a willingness to take on bad contracts and a propensity for winning those trades as well. The cap-strapped Toronto Maple Leafs may be willing to give up a pick or prospect alongside Joffrey Lupul to remove that contract, especially when Lupul appears to be moving closer to playing health, while the Detroit Red Wings also need to move some salary at some point soon.

There are options aplenty for the Coyotes on the right side, but the question remains whether they see 2017-18 as yet another stepping stone campaign or a season where they can actually compete. It if it’s the former, then the team may hesitate to add another contract with so many young forwards eager for play time (even on their off side), but the latter would require another body at right wing. The decision belongs to Chayka an his staff, but there appears to benefits all around to adding another body to compete at right wing.

Early Notes: Tolvanen, Peca, Latta

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Eeli Tolvanen, the Nashville Predators’ first-round pick from the recent draft, has signed on with Jokerit of the KHL for the 2017-18 season. The deal also includes an option for 2018-19, and will provide a landing spot for Tolvanen after his earlier issues. The Finnish winger was planning on staying in North America and joining Boston College, but failed to meet their admissions standards and was rejected.

Instead, Tolvanen will play in the KHL for at least a year before deciding where next to spend his professional career. The undersized winger spent two years in the USHL, where he put up 54 points in 52 games last season for the Sioux City Musketeers. Nashville selected him with the 30th-overall pick.

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed Matthew Peca to a one-year, two-way contract worth $650K at the NHL level. Peca made his NHL debut last season and spent ten games with the Lightning, scoring two points. The undersized forward had another big season with the Syracuse Crunch, and should be expected to spend the majority of 2017-18 in the AHL once again.
  • The Arizona Coyotes signed Michael Latta yesterday to a similar one-year, two-way contract. Latta split last year between the Ontario Reign and Rockford IceHogs, scoring 22 points. Traded mid-season for Cameron Schilling, Latta will now try a new organization for the time being. Never able to quite duplicate the offensive prowess he showed for the Guelph Storm before being selected in the third round, Latta is now AHL depth for the Coyotes.
  • Montreal has announced several front office changes, hiring Franvis Bouillon as a development coach, and moving Rob Ramage to Director of Player Development. Ramage will be replacing Martin Lapointe, who has been promoted to Director of Player Personnel, while Vincent Riendeau has moved from Assistant General Manager of the AHL team to Director of Goalie Development and pro scout.

Blackhawks Announce Qualifying Offers

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With tomorrow’s 5:00 PM ET deadline fast approaching for teams to submit qualifying offers to their impending free agents, names are about to flood in over the next 24 hours. Most RFA’s of any value are usually qualified and their teams retain sole control over their rights, while all others become unrestricted free agents. Each year, there are always some surprises though. Some names, like the New York Rangers’ Brandon Pirri, Adam Clendening, and Mackenzie Skapski, have already been leaked over the past few weeks as not being qualified. On the other hand, all RFA’s who were protected in the Expansion Draft had to first be extended a qualifying offer. That still leaves a long list of players to be determined tomorrow.

Count the Chicago Blackhawks as one team that won’t be scrambling tomorrow. Chicago has already made public which of their restricted free agents were and were not qualified. Among those whose negotiation rights the Blackhawks will retain are forwards Dennis Rasmussen and Tomas Jurco and defensemen Ville Pokka and Erik Gustafsson. Who is headed for unrestricted free agency? Forwards Michael Latta and Kenton Helgesen and defenseman Nolan Valleau. There is no official word, but it is overwhelmingly likely that the Blackhawks will qualify recently-acquired goalie Anton Forsberg, who GM Stan Bowman called the team’s 2017-18 backup at the draft this weekend.

There isn’t much surprise to Bowman’s decisions regarding his RFA’s. The 26-year-old Rasmussen has been a key bottom-six forward for the Blackhawks, skating in 112 games and recording 17 points while serving an important role as a defensive forward and penalty kill contributor. His qualifying offer was just $650K, the 2017-18 league minimum and well worth the services of a good, young two-way forward. Jurco, still just 24, made his NHL debut with the Red Wings back in 2013 and was an “up-and-coming prospect” in Detroit for a long time. It cost the Blackhawks a third-round pick to pry him from the Red Wings and they’ll look to make up for that loss by developing a player with undeniable talent who hasn’t been able to put it all together. Even though he’ll likely cost the cap-strapped ’Hawks $1MM or more per year, expect a deal to get done. Pokka, while he has not yet made his NHL debut, has been the top blue liner for the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs for two years now and will certainly get his shot in the coming season for a weakened Chicago defense. One of the main pieces in the Nick Leddy trade, the Blackhawks have plans for the Finnish defender.  Gustafsson played 41 games for the Blackhawks just two years ago and posted 14 points while playing to a +11 rating and seeing significant ice time. He may not have appeared in 2016-17, he seemed to be a viable candidate for a role this season as well. Valleau not so much. The 24-year-old out of Bowling Green University has struggled to produce in two AHL seasons and his -19 rating compared to just eight points this past season was likely his ticket out of town. Laatta, perhaps the most recognizable name on this list, is still not much of a surprise. As a young player with the Washington Capitals, Laatta showed promise as a career checking line player, but even in that role there were holes in his game. After signing with the Los Angeles Kings last summer, Laatta was dealt to the Blackhawks mid-season for another Capitals cast-off, Cameron Schilling. In neither L.A. nor Chicago did Laatta make an NHL appearance and may be a career minor leaguer moving forward. Helgesen is surely a career minor league player; he has spent the entirety of the past two seasons in the ECHL with nearly no production.

While Chicago’s qualifying moves are fairly straightforward, they don’t always go that way. Stay tuned for more qualifying offer announcements over the next 24 hours.

Snapshots: Harpur, Branch, Krejci

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According to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, Ben Harpur will be in the lineup for the Ottawa Senators tonight after playing a few games down the stretch for the team. He’ll be making his NHL playoff debut just a year after spending time in the ECHL, proving how far he has come during that time. With 27 points in 63 AHL games this year, the 6’6″ Harpur has shown he can do more than just defend, but will be relied upon to replace Mark Borowiecki’s physical presence against the Boston Bruins.

Harpur will be an option for the Senators next season as a seventh defenseman, especially if the team does lose one of Borowiecki or Chris Wideman in the expansion draft. With Dion Phanuef still holding his no-movement clause, the Senators are actually at risk of losing a more important defender like Marc Methot or Cody Ceci, but will likely ask the former Maple Leaf to waive it prior to the deadline.

  • The Flint Firebirds have had a roller-coaster few seasons, but will now install Barclay Branch as their GM according to Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News. The team had to have the OHL step in and install George Burnett at the end of last year after a tumultuous season that saw the league ban the Firebirds’ owner Rolf Nilsen from any hockey operations decisions. Burnett will move into a position with the OHL after stabilizing the franchise—Flint finished 32-28-8 and made it to the playoffs in just their second season.
  • The AHL handed out two suspensions today, banning Darren Kramer of the Manitoba Moose for three games and Michael Latta of the Rockford IceHogs for one. Both players will have to serve the suspensions next year, as their seasons have finished without a postseason berth.
  • David Krejci will take the warm up for the Boston Bruins tonight according to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE. The center hasn’t played in the first two games of the playoffs, but “feels much better” and will try to go tonight. The Bruins could use him, as they won just 46% of the faceoffs in their game two loss.

Blackhawks Trade Schilling To Kings For Latta

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A pair of Western Conference contenders have swung a deal to help each other out with their depth. The Chicago Blackhawks are reporting that they have acquired forward Michael Latta from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for defenseman Cameron Schilling. The Blackhawks have confirmed that Latta will remain in the AHL for now and will report to the Rockford Ice Hogs, while there has been no word yet from the Kings on Schilling, as they struck the deal just prior to their game against the New York Islanders tonight.

While the trade is somewhat of a minor one, it is interesting in a couple different ways. The first, is that it is an exchange of former teammates. Both Latta and Schilling made their NHL debuts with the Washington Capitals and played for the team for three years, including playing together in 2013-14 and 2014-15. Schilling signed with Washington as a college free agent out of Miami University in 2012, while Latta was acquired by the Caps alongside Martin Erat in a trade with the Nashville Predators for Filip Forsberg (a trade they would rather forget). The second interesting detail is that both players left Washington via free agency, only to land with teams who had yet to give them a shot at NHL play time. Schilling had only played in six games with the Capitals over three seasons and had zero points to show for it, but halfway through his second year with the Chicago Blackhawks, the blue liner had yet to even be promoted to, nevertheless actually play for, the team. Latta, on the other hand, skated in 113 games for Washington in his three seasons, mostly playing an energy line role and contributing just 17 points, but was a starter nonetheless and a fan favorite. In his first season with the L.A. Kings, Latta too had yet to earn a call-up despite having a regular NHL role in his previous location.

Both players are now heading to new teams with new possibilities for NHL ice time. While Latta is not quite what the Blackhawks are looking for in their search for an impact top-six forward, he is a reliable bottom-six player and the team can bring out the best in just about every forward who plays there. Already, Chicago fans have expressed their delight with the deal, excited to see how an experienced center with some physicality and grit can help out a lineup that is littered with young, streaky players. Latta has just six points with the AHL’s Ontario Reign so far this year, but has continued to play a smart, two-way game in the minor leagues. While he’ll remain in the AHL for now, expect Latta to step in and play well for the Blackhawks when he gets the chance. Meanwhile, Schilling is likely itching to get into a game with the Kings as soon as possible. The 28-year-old has just six NHL contests on his resume, despite an ability to move the puck and contribute in all three zones at the AHL level. Schilling has scored at least 16 points in each of his five AHL seasons, but has 17 points already in 2016-17, on pace for his best AHL season to date. However, he hopes to instead contribute at the top level, and Los Angeles may need him too. Though the Kings have a strong defensive core of Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin, Alec Martinez, and breakout blue liner Derek Forbort, there are questions behind them. Brayden McNabb has been limited to just 17 games this season due to injury, while veterans Matt Greene and Tom Gilbert have played little and contributed even less. Rookie Kevin Gravel has played 30 games, but is very limited in his offensive ability. If the Kings need another puck-mover in the lineup, Schilling appears to be the next man up. While the trade is a win-win for Chicago and Los Angeles, it appears to be so for Latta and Schilling as well.

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