The morning is buzzing right now around the NHL as a couple of tidbits have hit the newswire.
Philly Trades Hartnell To Columbus
The Philadelphia Flyers have traded forward Scott Hartnell to the Columbus Blue Jackets for R.J. Umberger and a 2015 Fourth Round pick.
This is a very surprising move by the Flyers as Hartnell's numbers have been far more impressive than Umbergers. A good comparison can be found at extraskater.com here which basically highlights just how much more effective Hartnell was this past season.
Umberger carries a cap hit of $4.6M for the next three seasons, while Hartnell has a cap hit of $4.75M until 2019. This move comes as a complete surprise, as Hartnell is the superior player in this deal. The length of contract though is significant and could be the reason for Philly moving Hartnell. Hartnell also struggled mightily down the stretch for Philadelphia, which may have made him expendable.
Canucks Officially Hire Willie Desjardins
The Vancouver Canucks made it official this morning announcing they have signed Willie Desjardins to become their new Head Coach. Desjardins was a highly sought after Coaching candidate, and reportedly shot down the Penguins Head Coaching gig in favor of Vancouver.
Desjardins has earned his right to become a Head Coach in the NHL, and is coming off a Calder Cup Championship with the Texas Stars of the AHL. He will bring a fresh perspective to the Canucks, and will likely be more player friendly than the departing John Tortorella. Desjardins excels in creating great relationships with his players, and strives to bring out the best in each individual.
This is a solid pickup by the Canucks who continue to retool their franchise.
Andrei Markov Re-Ups With Montreal
The Montreal Canadiens have reportedly resigned Andrei Markov to a three year extension. It is believed that the contract is in the $5.75M per year range. Markov is 35 years old, and is coming off a season where he played 81 games scoring 43 points while averaging 25:15 minutes per game.
Markov was going to be one of the more highly sought after costless-agent defenders on the market, and Montreal did a good job getting him under contract. Three years is a significant amount of time, and was the sticking point in negotiations. Markov got his term and the Canadiens will be hoping he can retain his high quality of paly and avoid injuries as the contract plays out.