Kopitar Returns Home

[MJK]

It's funny how things work out sometimes. Kopitar was a Jacket earlier this season but after the jackets struggled scoring goals, he was traded for Rick Nash. Now things have come full circle and Kopitar will join Nash in Columbus.

The fans are cheering in the streets: He's Back!

In a blockbuster deal, the Jackets and Canadiens hooked up in a deal early Tuesday morning that saw 6 players moved.

To Montreal:
Rene Bourque
Dennis Wideman
Jiri Hudler

To Columbus:
Anze Kopitar
Ruslan Salei
Matt Bradley

Penney was very happy to have Kopitar back:

Any time you can acquire a top end talent like Kopes without sending one back is a good thing. We will miss Bourque and all his points (2nd in LW league scoring) but we are confident Kopitar will play well with Nash and hope they find some chemistry working together.

After about a week of back and forth via PM, a deal was finally struck. Rumor has it that the Habs GM wanted Oshie but Penney was just not willing to give him up in this kind of deal.

Oshie is a special young player and we like what he gives us. With him you get 100% all the time. There has been interest in the kid but we are reluctant to move him right now.

The Jackets are looking for a 2nd line C to compliment Kopitar and Nash but for the time being don't be surprised to see Kopitar switched to C with Oshie getting more icetime on the 2nd line.

[fleuryisgod]

Although moving one of the top players is always hard the Habs felt the upgrade on the point was worth it here. We have been struggling with shots against all season and even though goaltending has been stealing games for us that can't last forever. Wideman is a player that should make the Habs defense one of the tops in the league. Giving up the 6.5mil that Salei will make next doesn't hurt either. I have continued my trend of trading forwards for defense but I am hoping that the current 6 will stay for the rest of the year.

Bourque and Hudler should fit in very nicely with my group and I will try out a few different line options with them added to my mix.

[Da_Chief]

Like this deal for Jackets. Penney does it again.

[SweetDoc]

Yeah really like this deal for the Jackets.

[Goffie]

I like this deal for the Jackets as I see Kopitar as by far the best player getting exchanged here. Sim wise though this could pay off for the Habs if Wideman can get it going.

[Swayze11]

I like this deal a lot for Columbus, almost to the point where I am surprised it got approved because MTL is a new GM.

[MJK]

Originally Posted by Swayze11

I like this deal a lot for Columbus, almost to the point where I am surprised it got approved because MTL is a new GM.

He aint a new GM. After 2 weeks noobs are fair game, but nice try.

Also, in the CPHL this deal is a slam dunk for the Habs IMO for a team trying to win. They get the better performing winger (Bourque), the better CPHL and NHL dman in Wideman (who is the #1 dman in Florida and having a wicked season), and Hudler who the sim seems to love. His team will be better off after this deal if he wants to make a push for the cup. I get one guy with a lot of value but give up two with good value and two guys who can perform.

Salei and Bradley have little to no value at all IMO but if you guys have interest in these wicked awesome players they are available!

[I wanna be like Miikka]

Win for Columbus imo, kopitar is a stud and shouldn't be moved for career second liners that are older in age. The sim excuse can be used but Montreal was one of the best teams in the league over the last bit. Classic mjk

[OILFAN #81]

Unreal trade for Columbus. Nice move Penney. You made your team a lot better with this move. Steal for Columbus.

[CMPunk]

How the Habs couldn't have gotten Oshie out of this is beyond me

[fleuryisgod]

To add a little more from my side...

In the last 10-15 games my team has been on fire. During that time Kopitar was actually a very small part. Since I switched Gaborik to the top line Kopitars production has slowed quite a bit. To add to that my teams problem all year has been giving up way too many shots. Even during my latest streak I have been giving up 35-40 shots a game.

By bringing in Wideman it gives me one of if not the best top 6 d-core. Any situation I have pretty much any one of my dmen can play. Wideman is having a great year in the NHL and is a player I plan on signing next year. Salei is a player who is not playing all that well in the NHL and is under contract for another 6.5 mil next year and I had plans on dumping him.

Although with Bourque and Hulder I am taking a decent size hit in ratings with my forwards they seem to be guys who just produce points in the sim. I am hoping that my scoring doesn't drop off too much and that the increase in defense will lower my goals against.

[Knut]

It will be a good trade if this move helps you have a long playoff run.

[Swayze11]

Originally Posted by MJK

He aint a new GM. After 2 weeks noobs are fair game, but nice try.

Also, in the CPHL this deal is a slam dunk for the Habs IMO for a team trying to win. They get the better performing winger (Bourque), the better CPHL and NHL dman in Wideman (who is the #1 dman in Florida and having a wicked season), and Hudler who the sim seems to love. His team will be better off after this deal if he wants to make a push for the cup. I get one guy with a lot of value but give up two with good value and two guys who can perform.

Salei and Bradley have little to no value at all IMO but if you guys have interest in these wicked awesome players they are available!

Meh, say what you want.. look through this thread, not 1 GM likes this deal for MTL.

Getting an impact elite player without giving one up or a potential impact player is a complete steal.

[SweetDoc]

Further to the above by Pat, I'm pretty sure Dallas was a GM way longer than 2 weeks and we had a rejected deal. I'm thinking it was even more than a month after he got his team or very close to it. So I don't buy the 2 week thing.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by SweetDoc

Further to the above by Pat, I'm pretty sure Dallas was a GM way longer than 2 weeks and we had a rejected deal. I'm thinking it was even more than a month after he got his team or very close to it. So I don't buy the 2 week thing.

That must've been a truck load of lube ya used on him

[Swayze11]

I would also like to add: This is a lesson to you Kyle. When you are shopping a star player like Kopitar, please make a quick thread. I am 99.9% sure you could have got more from a different GM.

[SweetDoc]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

That must've been a truck load of lube ya used on him

Actually a couple days after I made virtually the exact same deal with a very established GM, so I figure it was a pretty fair deal.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by MJK

He aint a new GM. After 2 weeks noobs are fair game, but nice try.

Also, in the CPHL this deal is a slam dunk for the Habs IMO for a team trying to win. They get the better performing winger (Bourque), the better CPHL and NHL dman in Wideman (who is the #1 dman in Florida and having a wicked season), and Hudler who the sim seems to love. His team will be better off after this deal if he wants to make a push for the cup. I get one guy with a lot of value but give up two with good value and two guys who can perform.

Salei and Bradley have little to no value at all IMO but if you guys have interest in these wicked awesome players they are available!

You sound like BJ after his Schenn deal.

I think its a decent CPHL trade but a very bad NHL trade. Bourque sucks, he's a third liner or he should be in the NHL. Wideman is a number 1 dman on a team where Bryan freaking McCabe is a number 2, that says it all. Hudler still sucks.

In the end Penney, Pat yourself on the back for pulling of this steal and I agree as far as Mtl GM being fair game. He's had the team for awhile so he should know his stuff.

Good stuff boys (+ 1 girl, if she comments in this thread)

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by Swayze11

I would also like to add: This is a lesson to you Kyle. When you are shopping a star player like Kopitar, please make a quick thread. I am 99.9% sure you could have got more from a different GM.

There's no lesson here, shop or don't shop it's up to you. I traded Zetterberg the other day without shopping. If you like the deal plz go ahead and do it and don't waster the other GMs time by telling him you're going shopping.

[SweetDoc]

Meh, I've made Schenn available and have added him into many trade offers and nobody seems all that excited about him.