Confirmed Trade: [SJS/MIN] Calen Addison for 2026 5th round pick and Adam Raska

[BagHead]

His decision making is pretty good on the PP. Not brilliant, but moves the puck well. Gets his point shot off quickly, though it's not a bomb.

This is all about a personality conflict between him and the coach. They have made a decision, in his second year, that he isn't worth developing. Seems odd to me, but I'm not there at practice.

Funny thing with Addison is that he looks very assured in the Ozone during the PP, with quick feet. Otherwise, his skating looks mediocre, or at least uninterested. It's not that he makes a lot of bonehead plays like Klingberg, and the young Dumba, it's that he doesn't seem to compete hard. I don't know if it's lack of confidence/being afraid to make a mistake, or he just doesn't care. He was the same in the AHL. One thing that hasn't shown in his game in the NHL that he had in the AHL was a bit of nastiness. Not in game physicality, but more of a willingness to drop the gloves. He's a light middleweight at best, but in the AHL he wasn't shy in scrums.

I think this is a great trade for SJS. It's rare that a 5th rounder will play any NHL games for you, but they've got one served up for them, and his cap hit is miniscule. Maybe a new coach can get through to him... all he needs it to be ok defensively to be an asset.

There's definitely a personality conflict, but I can't blame Guerin or Evason for it entirely. When Addison wasn't playing 5v5 responsibly, he was sat for a couple of games. When he was sat he sulked instead of taking the lesson to heart. If a player won't be coached, they won't improve, it's as simple as that. I've wanted them to cut bait on him since, in spite of his skill (which he doesn't have enough of to allow him to be a diva and get away with it). I'm really hoping that you're right, and a new voice will change that in him, for his own sake.

Plus, I've always had a soft spot for the Sharks, I'd like to see them get a win here.

 

[themelkman]

Sure why not, maybe we can flip him for a third later

 

[karltonian]

Sharks giving up a pick in a rebuild situations is interesting .. but taking a chance on Addison, who is under control, is a fine gamble. Potentially they could rehab some value giving him minutes and be dealt for a greater return around the deadline

the chances of getting a player that will score over 20 points in an NHL season in the 5th round is miniscule. Raska is probably the more important part of this trade, he may find a spot on some bottom 6.

 

[Petes2424]

San Jose is averaging 1.17 goals per game, Washington is next worse with 2.00. Even if Addison just turns out to be a flawed PP specialist who can't defend he should be a step up from what they have now.

He's 23 and had about a .50ppg rookie season last year, he's worth taking a flyer on, he may play for them for a few years if he's good enough or he may increase his value as a PP specialist with some gaudy offensive stats and get moved for a higher pick than what they paid today, it's a smart move for San Jose anyway you slice it.

Oh, don’t get me wrong. He’s worth the 5th round pick. They’re going to have a lot of deals like this, hoping they hit on a couple of guys. Just like Zadina, they’re gonna be looking for guys needing a second chance.

My major point I guess, is more with why the Wild are giving up on him at only 23? It’s at least a year early to do so. Probably 2. My guess is, because he just hasn’t progressed at all, and/or there’s an underlying issue. Like he’s un-coachable. There’s an issue. We just don’t know what it is. It’s not because they had too many young D… if that were the case, they’d have gotten more in return.

 

[karltonian]

Maybe the wild have an unrealistic expectation of what you can get with a 5th round pick ... lol

 

[57special]

There's definitely a personality conflict, but I can't blame Guerin or Evason for it entirely. When Addison wasn't playing 5v5 responsibly, he was sat for a couple of games. When he was sat he sulked instead of taking the lesson to heart. If a player won't be coached, they won't improve, it's as simple as that. I've wanted them to cut bait on him since, in spite of his skill (which he doesn't have enough of to allow him to be a diva and get away with it). I'm really hoping that you're right, and a new voice will change that in him, for his own sake.

Plus, I've always had a soft spot for the Sharks, I'd like to see them get a win here.

How do you know he sulked? Seems to be a narrative spread by the Management and press eager to ingratiate themselves with the regime, rather than a powerless rookie. They did the same with Haula, and of course, once they were bought out, Parise and Suter went from being local heroes to Bums of the Month.

I have never heard of Addison having any overt character flaws, and he made a point of staying in the Twin cities to train and work on his game during the summer. Doesn't sound like a pouter, to me. More like a guy willing to work hard, rather than take the summer off hanging out at the lake and golf course.

Maybe he's gone as far as he can go, but I am constantly amazed how Dean and BG kiss ass and reward aging, underperforming, and declining veterans, saving their harsh words for the youngsters, who might actually get better.

 

[BagHead]

How do you know he sulked? Seems to be a narrative spread by the Management and press eager to ingratiate themselves with the regime, rather than a powerless rookie. They did the same with Haula, and of course, once they were bought out, Parise and Suter went from being local heroes to Bums of the Month.

I have never heard of Addison having any overt character flaws, and he made a point of staying in the Twin cities to train and work on his game during the summer. Doesn't sound like a pouter, to me. More like a guy willing to work hard, rather than take the summer off hanging out at the lake and golf course.

Maybe he's gone as far as he can go, but I am constantly amazed how Dean and BG kiss ass and reward aging, underperforming, and declining veterans, saving their harsh words for the youngsters, who might actually get better.

Sulked was the wrong word, I apologize. I should be more careful with my words, because I don't want to paint a picture of him being a bad guy, and I don't think he is, I think he's just a highly flawed player.
So I'll clarify: Based on quotes and reports from when he was sat, he seemed to disagree with the coaches about what was wrong in his game (playing scared), and did not utilize his available resources in an effort to fix anything. So I maintain, I can't blame Guerin or Evason for being frustrated with that. As for the working hard this off-season, I think it's great that he did, but if the results were that his game didn't meaningfully improve then, again, that's not a good sign.

For the record, the reporting I'm referring to was from before he was traded, not after. The only reporting I've seen since his trade has been factual "he has been traded for a 5th..." and an opinion piece saying the team was holding him to an impossible standard. Far from character assassination.