Jan 24, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Team Foligno forward Jiri Sekac (26) of the Montreal Canadiens competes in the fastest skater competition in the 2015 NHL All Star Game skills competition at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports
The trade deadline has come and gone, and the Anaheim Ducks were involved in six separate acquisitions over the course of seven days in an effort to further bolster the roster for a potential deep Stanley Cup Playoff run. The actual deadline passed at 3:00 ET on Monday (noon PT), but teams were free to make deals the moment the offseason began. In that time, the Ducks have made plenty of moves, both good (Ryan Kesler, Nate Thompson) and bad (Rene Bourque, Eric Brewer).
But for the trades done near the end of the deadline, the verdict is mostly preliminary. True grades and assessments cannot be handed out without hindsight, which for these deals, comes with game action and seeing players play. Playoff success (or lack thereof) impacts these grades, as do playoff performances, retaining the player acquired, and the development of a prospect or draft pick.
The first deal the Ducks made was on Tuesday, when the team made its second deal with the Montreal Canadiens this season (the first being when the Ducks acquired Bourque for Bryan Allen in November). In a swap of wingers, the Ducks acquired left winger Jiri Sekac from the Canadiens for right winger Devante Smith-Pelly.
Next: Anaheim: Sekac
Dec 29, 2014; Raleigh, NC, USA; Montreal Canadiens forward Jiri Sekac (26) skates against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. The Canadiens defeated the Hurricanes 3-1. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Anaheim Receives: Jiri Sekac
Sekac came over from the KHL in the offseason, coming off a season where he scored 11 goals and 28 points in 47 games for HC Lev Praha. The Czech was one of the more highly sought-after European wingers, and the Montreal Canadiens signed him for a two-year, $2.885 million entry-level contract on July 1st.
Sekac had seven goals and 16 points with a -2 rating in 50 games for the Canadiens. He started off the year with one goal in his first six games before being made a healthy scratch for seven consecutive games. However, the Canadiens would replace Sekac in the lineup with Bourque, who was then waived and later traded to the Ducks.
Sekac’s ice time was not great in Montreal. His season high for a regulation game was 18:35 on December 3rd against the Minnesota Wild, and his playing time varied. He seemed to not have the trust of head coach Michel Therrien and did not seem to fit the playing style the Canadiens’ head coach was looking for. He also hit a slump.
From January 6th until the end of his Canadiens tenure, Sekac registered one assist over 18 games, and that does not include the two games he was made a healthy scratch. He was a -7 over that stretch.
Sekac is seen as a skilled player, something the Ducks have lacked, especially on the wing. The left-wing crop for the Ducks before the trades was Bourque, Patrick Maroon, Andrew Cogliano, Matt Beleskey (who is injured), and Emerson Etem. Of the five, Etem is the most skilled, only because he is arguably the only “skill” player among them (though Beleskey may have an argument with his 2014-2015 season).
Anaheim Ducks /
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks have an identity as a bruising, physical team that likes to use their size and strength to wear down opponents. But look at the most recent Cup champions and perennial contenders. The Chicago Blackhawks are a team with skill. Yes, the Los Angeles Kings and Boston Bruins have physicality, but the foundation of their squads are players with skill. Physicality is an asset in the playoffs, but skill is still required.
The Ducks have that option as well: Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry offer size, but they are all-world players in terms of skill. Ryan Kesler is a gritty player, but he offers skills as well. The Ducks have begun a transition to a more skill and puck-moving oriented blue-line with Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm, and Sami Vatanen, along with players like Shea Theodore and Josh Manson in the system.
But if there is an area the Ducks could use more strength in, it is skill, especially on the wings. Perry, Jakob Silfverberg (who has arguably been deployed too often in a grinder role, rather than a skilled one), and Etem (who rarely plays because of the left-wing logjam) are the three skilled wingers on the roster.
Sekac needs time to adjust to the North American game, but that is not all. As evidenced by the success of Maroon and Beleskey, as well as the failures of Bourque and Dany Heatley, being slotted on the top-six on a line with Getzlaf or Kesler does not guarantee success. Sekac did have some issues as a “perimeter” player in Montreal (though they weren’t because of effort questions, like with Bourque, or with a complete drop-off in play, as was with Heatley). However, a change of scenery could benefit the Czech.
Unlike most trades done at this time, Sekac is not a rental. He’s only 22 and has a year left on his entry-level contract. Because of his age, the Ducks will have his rights for five more seasons before he hits unrestricted free-agency.
Sekac was sought after in free-agency for a reason. His skill is real, and if he adjusts well, his impact in the NHL could really help the Ducks. His upside as a top-six forward is real, and he brings a skill element to the team that it could use.
Next: Montreal: Smith-Pelly
Nov 9, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Devante Smith-Pelly (12) and Vancouver Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler (23) battle for the puck during the first period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Montreal Receives: Devante Smith-Pelly
Just as how the Ducks were looking to add more skill to their wing group, the Canadiens were looking to add some size and grit to their own. Montreal leads the Eastern Conference in points, but their 2.66 goals per game is tied for 18th in the NHL. A big factor has been the play of Carey Price, who should be both the Vezina Trophy and Hart Trophy favorites right now (that’s a whole other argument, but Price is the league MVP this year). The Canadiens have a 2.14 goals allowed per game stat, while the next-best team (Chicago) sits at a 2.33 GAA.
0.19 doesn’t seem like much, but that’s over 60+ games, which is about 12 goals. The Canadiens are not great at shot prevention either (25th in shots per game, 22nd in shots against per game, 23rd in Corsi For %, and 18th in FenClose %). Their +36 goal-differential is tied for 5th in the NHL, a testament to how big Price has been for them.
Head coach Michel Therrien likes physical players, which was a big reason why he could acquire Smith-Pelly from Anaheim. As highlighted on the previous page, the Ducks had a lack of skill players on the wing, but they had more than their share of gritty wingers, in Maroon, Beleskey, Cogliano, Tim Jackman, and Smith-Pelly.
The Canadiens also needed a right-wing. Brendan Gallagher has been his tenacious self, and he’s been productive with 17 goals and 38 points this season. But P.A. Parenteau has not been productive on the top-six, with just six goals and 15 points this season (less production than Sekac). The drop-off from Gallagher to the rest of the right-wings was massive: Dale Weise was on the top-six for a good bit, and he has nine goals and 24 points. However, Weise isn’t a skilled player.
Enter Smith-Pelly, who has both skill but physical ability. He totaled 147 hits for the Ducks, 39 more than what Weise had when the Canadiens acquired him. But Smith-Pelly is a capable offensive player. He’s a good forechecker and strong along the boards, and he crashes the net hard and gets greasy goals. However, he’s more than capable of netting goals with his shot.
The Canadiens had to address their right-wing situation at the deadline: it got to the point where they tried Alex Galchenyuk at the spot. Smith-Pelly fits what they need: a middle-six right-wing who can play on the right side, presumably next to Tomas Plekanec or Lars Eller. Smith-Pelly only has 17 points on the season, but that is equal to what Eller has and more than Parenteau.
As with Sekac, Smith-Pelly is not a rental. He is signed through next season, and the Canadiens own his restricted-free-agent rights until after the 2017-2018 season (three more seasons after this one). This is a move that, if it pans out for Montreal, will not impact the team for a couple of months, but for a couple of years.
Smith-Pelly’s upside is not as high as that of Sekac. But he shores up a shallow position for the Canadiens and adds physicality. The point on the previous page was more to showcase the importance of skill in the NHL, not discount the physical element. Smith-Pelly had a strong postseason last year as well, scoring a team-leading five goals for the Ducks (though be careful: Bourque led the Canadiens with eight, and he’s quickly flamed out).
Next: Final Grade
Feb 25, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Ottawa Senators center Mika Zibanejad (93) handles the puck defended by Anaheim Ducks left wing Jiri Sekac (46) during the third period at Honda Center. The Ottawa Senators won 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Final Grades:
Overall, this is a trade that probably will be tough to gauge. Both are young players in their first year of playing full-time in the NHL (with Sekac coming over from the KHL and Smith-Pelly using a strong postseason to earn playing time with the Ducks). A true, comprehensive grade cannot be given, but a preliminary grade can.
Sekac has two assists since joining the Ducks, while Smith-Pelly has yet to score with the Canadiens. Is the skill and upside better for the Ducks, or does the need and physicality swing the deal in favor of the Canadiens? Corey Pronman believes it’s a fairly even trade for both sides, though he prefers one player more.
I’m a fan of “hockey” trades, where both teams acquire a player with term: after all, rentals are cheaper, but if a player can be had beyond the current season, it should be explored. The deal fits different needs and gives both players a change of scenery (Sekac did not have the trust of Therrien, while Smith-Pelly was hard-pressed for playing time in a wing carousel with Bourque, Jackman, and Etem).
Therefore, I have to give both teams the same grade, which is a B. Their impact remains to be seen, but adding good young players to a team is ideal: under the salary cap, teams need contributions from players on cheaper deals. Both players are under team control. Neither acquisition puts a team over the top (so not an A), and neither acquisition is a head-scratcher (not a D or F). This has the potential to be a good trade both ways and is sensible, so the grade is what it is.
Of course, this is my judgment. Feel free to give each team a grade.
