Confirmed with Link: Kaapo Kahkonen to New Jersey for G Vitek Vanecek

[ChompChomp]

We also spent a 7th round pick to bring in a local goalie named Devin Cooley from Buffalo.

Looks like Cooley overlapped for one season at U of Denver with Chrona.

 

[The Nemesis]

Better be, he's nothing special.

With no indications that Blackwood is on the move I don't see what else it would be other than maybe sending Chrona down to start for the Cuda while Cooley is the backup in SJ.

 

[Bleedred]

Vanecek could be resurrected on a new team, but it wasn't going to work with the Devils after his complete blowup in the playoffs last year. Maybe if we hadn't come back to win the series with another goalie it would have been fine, but you usually can't come back from something like that with the same team. If the Devils didn't already have to exile Blackwood after last year, I'm sure they would have been fine with exiling Vanecek after last year.

I really grew to hate this player this year, because he's been very cowardice and refuses to talk to the media after games, despite the other goalies coming right out and talking to the media after losses sometimes.

But the other part of me thinks he has mental issues that just fried him.

He'll also be in the hands of better goalie coaches than he had in New Jersey,. who have the worst goalie coach in the NHL. I just hope he still gets fired after the year ends.

I've had Vanecek to the Sharks for a while now, but thought it would be a cap dump trade over the summer.

 

[Bleedred]

Oh, one more thing. Vanecek plays better when he has Blackwood breathing down his neck and threatening him for playing time.

Once Blackwood was relegated to third goalie last year after game 82 of the year, Vanecek played like absolute garbage in the playoffs and lost his starting job to Schmid.

Vanecek played great at the beginning of last year, while Blackwood didn't play all that well. Then Blackwood got injured and Vanecek started to struggle in December at one point. Blackwood then came back and once again Vanecek played his best goalie of maybe his career from Christmas through the all star break, when he had Blackwood breathing down his neck for starting time.

He also seemed to struggle a bit when Blackwood was once again injured during March of last year.

I'm not even kidding, the guy seems to play better when Blackwood is a threat to steal his job or take games away from him. That didn't happen last playoffs after Blackwood became the third goalie and it didn't happen this year because Blackwood was no longer on the team.

I suggested getting a Blackwood impersonator and dressing him to sit on the bench as the backup for Vanecek's games this year, to scare him into thinking Mac was coming for his starts.

 

[Jts4thgoal]

Trade a 7th for cooley, get one back for Kak. Pretty much a wash trade unless he turns into Hill 2.0.

 

[Shark Finn]

Trade a 7th for cooley, get one back for Kak. Pretty much a wash trade unless he turns into Hill 2.0.

Well, if he does, we get NJ's 1st rounder this year instead of the 2nd rounder. Unless you mean Vanecek

 

[Jts4thgoal]

Well, if he does, we get NJ's 1st rounder this year instead of the 2nd rounder. Unless you mean Vanecek

Grier playing 4d Chess, man's a genius.

 

[TheBigDrunkPanda]

Actually pretty fair trade Vanecek has played as 1A/1B level before

 

[StanleyCup2035]

Looks like we got a 7th rounder as part of this deal

 

[Munnyro]

I guess this hinges on whether or not our new goalie whisperer can do their magic. KK and Blackwood both had much better years.

On the other hand, why trade KK to begin with? He's younger and better.

 

[one2gamble]

This makes very little sense

 

[spintops]

This makes very little sense

My guess : Adding a viable goalie option next year, that can possibly be flipped at the deadline. Not having to give term to a UFA this offseason.

 

[TheBeard]

My guess : Adding a viable goalie option next year, that can possibly be flipped at the deadline. Not having to give term to a UFA this offseason.

No one is going to take Vita next year at the deadline at 3.4 and we have no more retention slots. This would ultimately have to be a three-team deal and that's providing he can show anything behind this debacle of a defense.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

Vanecek stats are almost identical to Blackwood's last season wtih NJ

 

[Munnyro]

Vanecek stats are almost identical to Blackwood's last season wtih NJ

Blackwood and KK have good analytic stats from what I've heard.

 

[Sandisfan]

We also spent a 7th round pick to bring in a local goalie named Devin Cooley from Buffalo.

If the Sharks sent their 7th, a high 7th (for what it's worth) for a late 7th moving back and Kaapo for two goalies one of which a poster noted fell apart in the playoffs. I can only see a failed goalie in the playoffs and an AHL goalie. Just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic but giving up Kaapo who at least one team sees as a possible upgrade for the playoffs. I could see Kaapo doing well like Hill but who knows.

 

[tahoesharksfan]

Craziness must be always!

 

[stator]

I think this maybe was a cut and run move because Kaapo wouldn't sign here. I certainly understand why as the Sharks are one of the worst offices in the NHL for goalies to work in.

 

[one2gamble]

I think this maybe was a cut and run move because Kaapo wouldn't sign here. I certainly understand why as the Sharks are one of the worst offices in the NHL for goalies to work in.

Flipping him for a 4th makes sense

Flipping him for a washed goalie at 3.5 when you still have basically nothing around him doesn't really do anything. Might as well let Chrona play.

 

[BaileyMacTavish]

Flipping him for a 4th makes sense

Flipping him for a washed goalie at 3.5 when you still have basically nothing around him doesn't really do anything. Might as well let Chrona play.

Guess it didn't matter anyway. Vanacek is basically too injured to finish the season

 

[Eggdoh]

I'm devastated to lose Hertl, but I think the return for Hertl was not bad. This one is the trade I just don't understand. Not only did we not get anything for Kahkonen, but took back a cap dump in Vanecek and also didn't get anything for that.

 

[Shark Finn]

I'm devastated to lose Hertl, but I think the return for Hertl was not bad. This one is the trade I just don't understand. Not only did we not get anything for Kahkonen, but took back a cap dump in Vanecek and also didn't get anything for that.

Vitek is signed for next year too. Essentially we have our tandem for next year without having to (over)pay someone through FA.

 

[Eggdoh]

Vitek is signed for next year too. Essentially we have our tandem for next year without having to (over)pay someone through FA.

No, I know he is signed for next year, but he is not a good goalie and is making 3.4 million. It's not so much that it hurts the Sharks to have him, since we won't be competing anyway, but it HELPS New Jersey without getting any asset from them.

 

[timorous me]

No, I know he is signed for next year, but he is not a good goalie and is making 3.4 million. It's not so much that it hurts the Sharks to have him, since we won't be competing anyway, but it HELPS New Jersey without getting any asset from them.

I don't know if it's entirely fair to call Vanecek "not a good goalie." Over the past 9-10 months? Yes. But before that he was a perfectly solid goalie, and two years ago netted a mid-2nd round pick in a trade.

I always remember thinking of him as decent--if nothing else from having him on a fantasy team multiple times--so I wanted to go back and see what people thought of him before his meltdown against the Rangers last year (and his subsequent bad '23-'24 year). This was a pretty thorough breakdown, right before that Rangers series: Scouting the Opposition: Vitek Vanecek style report - Blue Seat Blogs

The salary is only a concern as it relates to trading him a year from now, but if he's doing well enough that can be managed. I'm not going to bet on him finding better form next season, but there's enough negativity around the Devils' goalie coaching situation that it wouldn't surprise me if Thomas Speer could help him out. And as a player who has a track record of a sort, being traded for twice for 2nd round picks, he has a reputation that Kahkonen doesn't--which is the sort of thing that could help opposing teams give up a mid-round pick for him (and it's pretty clear to me that if anyone offered that for Kahkonen, it was extremely low).

 

[dmcccdmn]

Everyone over-analyzing this trade about values. This deal leaves the Sharks with no real starting goalie for the rest of the season. It's the most Grier has shown that he wants good drafting position and no other moves affect the Sharks' standing more than getting rid of their starting goalie.

The value differences between 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th picks are so much more than what this deal can garner. I'm just glad that Kahkonen is gone, because Chicago is no joke when it comes to tanking. What we get in return is immaterial.