Anaheim Ducks: 2020 Trade Deadline in Retrospect
By Ciara Durant
Derek Grant for Kyle Criscuolo and Thimo Nickl
Bob Murray capitalized on Derek Grant’s career season (14g and 6a in 49 games), trading him to the Philadelphia Flyers for assets. He made this trade with the knowledge that he had every intention of bringing Grant back in free agency. Kyle Criscuolo was more of an AHL move, but Murray was able to secure the Anaheim Ducks a 4th round pick, as he had traded theirs away earlier in the season for Nicolas Deslauriers.
In this trade, the Anaheim Ducks received the higher of Philadelphia’s two 4th round draft picks in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, either their pick they acquired from Nashville or their own. The Ducks would end up with the 104th overall selection in the 4th round, selecting Austrian defenseman, Thimo Nickl who played for the Drummondville Voltigeurs.
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In our draft grades following the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, our staff gave the Nickl pick an overall grade of B-. He is the first Austrian drafted in Anaheim Ducks history and looks to be a well-rounded two-way defenseman. He has adapted well to North American hockey since making the transition across the pond.
He is good at reading plays, smart on his feet, has a powerful shot, and is somewhat of a special teams expert. There are some deficiencies in his game and he does tend to overcomplicate things for himself which can lead to costly mistakes. However, with proper development and a confidence boost, he will add some much-needed depth to the Anaheim Ducks roster in the future.
And, just as was predicted, after his playoff campaign with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Anaheim Ducks resigned Derek Grant, inking him to a 3-year deal worth $4.5M (AAV $1.5M). Grant has posted 8 points for the Ducks in 31 games this season and his underlying stats have been dismal. Nevertheless, Dallas Eakins and the Anaheim Ducks love him.
Final Grade: B-
Next. Raise, Call, Fold: 2021 Trade Deadline. dark
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