The Boston Bruins have dealt 5 prospects for a young dman they feel is emerging as one of the most well rounded in the game. The team sent Nokelainen, Dawes, Bergenheim, Zubarev, Weinhandl to the Islanders in exchange for Zybnek Michalek.
We gave up alot of youth, and moving Petteri was hard, but Michalek will help this season, and he should rerate nicely next season giving us a fantastic top 7 next season of Pronger-Pitkanen-Michalek-Tallinder-Hill-Kronwall-Greene
The Islanders get a bonafide A-list prospect in Noke but injuries and effort problems have many questioning the Isles prospect's status as less than bluechip. Berge is also an Isles prospect with attitude problems, left for Europe in a huff after he didn't make the team out of training camp, and the hope is that fences are mended and he returns to North America. Zub is a highly touted defensman who plays for his national team too but the young prospect has taken a step back in development riding the bench all season in the Russian top league. Weiny is an ex-Isles third liner who has had lots of success at the AHL level this season but limited when called up. Dawes is awesome but at 5'8 is feared to be an AHL star, NHL marginal player, but there's hope.
No other g.m. was willing to part with anywhere near this level of potential in my organization's opinion. Five teams contacted NYI offices about ZM even though at no point was he at all actively being considered in trades. NYI made offers to each of the other four g.m.'s but the counteroffers were not even ballpark, though one deal almost was finalized, involving a 1st round pick that was withdrawn at the last moment.
I gave up alot of quantity, but I'm not sold on the quality.
Nokelainen is nice, but upside is a second line center IMO, and thats best case scenario. Bergenheim has teh upside of a Niklas Hagman type player, but wont be active next BRHL season and they grow on trees. Dawes is a guy who is overhyped because he was a good junior player who made Team canada and people overrate him, theres a reason he still hasn't cracked the Rangers lineup. Zubarov, is very hit or miss, struggled this year. Weinhandl is an AHLer he was hand fed opportunities in NYI with Yahsin and couldnt stick.
Michalek is playing well for the COyotes, gets PK and PP minutes and is still very young. This deal was more for the future from the Bruins perspective than anything, as Zed will be our 5-6 dman this season, but longterm think he has top 2 potential.
Ultimately we thought the young emerging dman was worth the risk/reward guys we gave. But I can easily see why it would be perceived I gave up too much, hell I probably did.
My Isles get one player in the game, Weinhandl on FIRST BASE. Nokelainen is on the bench and might hit a double or triple but he might not get the pitches he needs and has an outside chance at perhaps getting a home run. Dawes is on the bench and might get a single, then could steal second base. Probably will bunt. Bergenheim and Zubarev might not get in the game and neither are expected to be a threat for the long ball into the outfield.
My Isles get one player in the game, Weinhandl on FIRST BASE. Nokelainen is on the bench and might hit a double or triple but he might not get the pitches he needs and has an outside chance at perhaps getting a home run. Dawes is on the bench and might get a single, then could steal second base. Probably will bunt. Bergenheim and Zubarev might not get in the game and neither are expected to be a threat for the long ball into the outfield.
Thats a dumb analogy..and if it's not dumb, its not correct. You leave out the fact that the majority of those prospects have the chance to run into one themselves...They're prospects...they havent had many at bats yet...
