Although this summer has been marked with many free agency signings and talk of injuries, a few blockbuster trades have also taken place.
Burns for Setoguchi and Coyle
The Minnesota Wild traded Brent Burns and a second-round draft pick in 2012 to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Devin Setoguchi, Charlie Coyle, and a first-round draft pick in 2011 (which effectively translates to Zack Phillips of QMJHL’s Saint John’s).
Burns, 26, scored 17 goals in 2010 and had 29 assists. He was drafted 23rd overall in 2003 by the Minnesota Wild, but battled through concussions early in his career. With a year left on his contract with the Wild, Burns signed a five-year extension to his contract, worth $28.8 million.
Setoguchi has roughly the same level of skill as Brent Burns, and Setoguchi is two years younger. Setoguchi has 84 points in 267 career NHL games. He was traded to the Wild one day after signing a three-year, $9-million contract with the San Jose Sharks.
The other player involved in the deal, Charlie Coyle, is a 2010 first-round draft pick who played last season with Boston University.
Carter to Jackets for Voracek and picks; Richards to Kings
On June 23, the Philadelphia Flyers traded 26-year-old forward Jeff Carter to the Columbus Blue Jackets in return for Jakub Voracek, a first-round draft pick, and third-round draft picks in 2011. Earlier that same day, the Flyers dealt Mike Richards and Rob Bordson to the Los Angeles Kings for prospect Brayden Schenn and forward Wayne Simmonds.
Jeff Carter was drafted 11th overall in the 2003 Entry Draft. He scored 36 goals this past season. He has 11 years and $58 million left on his 14-year contract.
Mike Richards of Kenora, Ontario was drafted 24th overall in the 2003 draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. The 26-year-old centre was captain of the Flyers from 2008–2011.
Brayden Schenn, 20, became a household name after the last IIHF World Juniors, where he stole the show by racking up 18 points over the course of the tournament and was named MVP. Schenn last played for the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL. He was drafted fifth overall in 2009 by the Kings.
Wayne Simmonds, a native of Scarborough, was drafted 61st overall in the 2007 Entry Draft by the Kings. The 23-year-old scored 14 goals last season with the Kings.
Colorado acquires Varlamov from Capitals
On July 1, the Colorado Avalanche traded a first-round draft pick in 2012 and a conditional second-round draft pick in either 2012 or 2013 in exchange for 23-year-old goaltender Semyon Varlamov. The Avalanche later signed Jean-Sebastien Giguère, 34, to a two-year deal. The Avalanche have taken a risk by trading for Varlamov; he was limited to 27 games last season due to injuries.
Heatley traded to Wild for Martin Havlat
Dany Heatley, 30, was traded to the Minnesota Wild on July 3 in exchange for Martin Havlat in a move that garnered a lot of attention. Havlat will play for the San Jose Sharks this coming season.
Heatley, drafted second overall in the 2000 Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers (now the Winnipeg Jets), struggled through some injuries last season. He went from scoring at least 39 goals per season to all-time low of 26 goals last season. His contract is worth $7.5 million for the next three seasons. There was a no-movement clause in his contract, where he was required to give a list with 10 teams that he would not want to be traded to. Evidently, the Wild were not on that list.
Havlat, a Czech forward, was drafted 26th overall in 1999 by the Ottawa Senators. The 30-year-old had 22 goals and 40 assists last season. The San Jose Sharks take on a $5-million cap hit for the next four years with this deal.
Ducks acquire Cogliano from Edmonton
The Anaheim Ducks have traded Edmonton a second-round draft pick in 2013 in exchange for Andrew Cogliano. The 24-year-old from Woodbridge, Ontario has netted 57 goals and earned 89 assists in 328 NHL games. He had 11 goals and 24 assists last season. He was drafted 25th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2005. Cogliano signed a three-year, $7.17-million contract with the Ducks.
Flames trade Daymond Langkow to the Coyotes for Lee Stempniak
On August 29, Langkow was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Lee Stempniak. Flames GM Jay Feaster asked Langkow to waive his no-trade clause in order to free up cap space. The deal is conditional on Langkow passing a physical.
Langkow was hit in the base of the neck by a slapshot in March 2010 and missed more than a year of hockey while he recovered. He played the last four games of the season in 2011. In the 1,017 NHL games the 34-year-old has played, he’s scored 259 goals and assisted in 283 goals. Langkow has played for the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Philadelphia Flyers, the Phoenix Coyotes, and the Calgary Flames.
Langkow, a native of Edmonton, was drafted fifth overall in 1995 by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Lee Stempniak, a 28-year-old forward, was drafted in the fifth round of the 2003 Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues. He has 115 goals and 132 assists in 456 career games with the St. Louis Blues, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Phoenix Coyotes.
