- Feb 5, 2010
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Vats is a tremendous player when healthy. Bummed to see him go, but this was a must from our perspective. Hopefully we got something of value out of him.
Kuokkanen seems like an intriguing prospect. 21 years old with good numbers in the ahl. Let’s see what he can do with an opportunity in NJ.
Sweet deal for Carolina, really loading up on D
Janne Kuokkanen is pretty highly regarded and does seem steep to give up such an established prospect.
If Vatanen wasn't a rental I might feel differently, but yeah. It's a lot to pay.
eh...I’m not sold on Kuokkanen ever being more than a 3rd liner. That’s nothing to sneeze at, but he was wasn’t sniffing the NHL in CAR any time soon.
Vatanen does fill an immediate need, when he finally can skate again, and should fit right in. I think there may be an outside chance that the Canes actually try to extend him.
Janne Kuokkanen is one of the best kept secrets in the hockey world, he will surprise many
how good he is, that is.
Problem with Vats is he is made of glass, and got hurt at the absolute worst time to maximize a return.
Devils have too much money tied up on the right side with literally nothing on the left. Giving Vats a big contract with his injury history would have been extremely dumb.
get what you can and wipe your hands of it.
"Made of glass" is a gross exaggaration, "concussion history" would be a more accurate diagnosis. Vatanen plays feisty and bigger than his size which lands him in trouble occasionally. The Kucherov blindside got it started and Vatanen seemed to struggle through 2018-19 with the after effects, not to mention the Brassard hit.
Vats seems back to himself this year though and a freak bruise from blocking a shot hardly turns him into "glass" all of a sudden. His real injury history consists of a shoulder issue back when he was a Duck which may or may not have impacted his slapper at the time, however his weapon of choice is the threaded wrister, anyways.
Having said all that, I find it really hard to see how Canes would ever fit him in long term. Getting Skjei's contract on board spells it out all the more clearly. It's as clear a rental as they come, so up to Vats to enjoy the ride, prove his worth and earn his next contract. He will get something like 4x4.5M from some team somewhere.
5 for a 4thHas it been reported how many games Vats needs to play to make the 4th a 3rd?
kuokkanen getting snoozed on in this thread.
- Janne Kuokkanen has top 6 potential
Has it been reported how many games Vats needs to play to make the 4th a 3rd?
You dont want to sign Vatanen, he is injury prone and not a very good 5 on 5 defensmen.Kuokkanen has been really good in AHL for couple of years now, but for some reason never got a proper chance to play up. That being said I think Car won as I really think Vatanen signing for Carolina is very likely considering he is quiet guy from Jyväskylä which somehow reminds me of Carolina what comes to relative media hype. and he will have plenty of countrymen there which hasn't really had a chance to experience during his career this far (that I remember)
Already disappointed with a 2nd and B Prospect.Extremely disappointed with that return. Hurricanes made out very well here