Wednesday was fun. Who doesn't enjoy fireworks?
In a span of three hours, the Philadelphia Flyers traded Vincent Lecavalier and Luke Schenn to the Los Angeles Kings, Mike Richards signed with the first-place Washington Capitals, and - saving best for last - the Nashville Predators and Columbus Blue Jackets swapped Ryan Johansen and Seth Jones.
Johansen for Jones was a blockbuster, and a surprise despite continued whispers of a potential trade. Here's why the deal was a win for all parties involved.
Young talent for young talent
In an age when most everyone is compelled to react first and think later, the Johansen for Jones trade is one with no clear winner - not right now. That's because these are two ultra-talented young players, Jones only 21 and Johansen 23. The verdict on this deal won't drop for years, making Johansen and Jones' careers more fascinating to watch.
A one-for-one trade of this magnitude is extremely rare in today's salary-capped NHL. Bad contracts are typically included as teams seek cap relief, with money often retained. Most deals are problem-solving deals - my mistake for yours - or rentals.
As the draft has taken on more importance, teams are more reluctant to trade young talent. The Blue Jackets and Predators bucked the trend, and that's a win in itself.
Nashville finally goes in
"We have been looking for a No. 1 center forever," Predators general manager David Poile said Wednesday night.
Forever's a long time. Poile would know. He's been with the Predators since the club was born. And he tried, drafting center David Legwand second overall in 1998 (with the Predators' first-ever draft pick), Colin Wilson seventh overall in 2007, trading for Filip Forsberg, and selecting Kevin Fiala 11th overall in 2015.
Legwand leads the Predators in games played (956), goals (210), assists (356), and points (566). He wasn't a No. 1 center, but he was a soldier. Eventually, though, you need more than a soldier - you need a general. Poile finally pulled the trigger.
It's a gamble. Johansen's followed up a career year with six goals and 26 points in 38 games. Is he the guy who scored 59 goals and 134 points over the last two seasons? Can he get better?
Poile's going to find out instead of wondering "What if ..." - and Poile's going to have to commit, as Johansen's set for restricted free agency in July 2017. The Predators have cap space. They will sign Johansen long term, and will sink or swim with him.
And there's certainly no guarantee Johansen's the No. 1 center Poile's been looking for.
But Poile went in. The Predators have been almost exclusively a risk-averse, conservative franchise. That changed a little bit Wednesday.
Blue Jackets make the most of lost season
Columbus was supposed to be competing for a playoff spot - maybe even winning a round. Next thing you know, the Blue Jackets are 0-7, head coach Todd Richards is out, John Tortorella is in, and - almost immediately - Johansen's long-term future in town is in doubt.
It wasn't all Richards' fault. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky had a horrific start, and as a number of teams have proven over the years, one bad stretch - a 2-10 start - can cost you the season.
General manager Jarmo Kekalainen's a realist. He knows Columbus isn't making the playoffs - the club's 131 goals against and minus-26 goal differential are last in the league. So he went out and got what he needed: a top-pairing defenseman.
This is where Kekalainen deserves credit - he traded for a top-pairing blue-liner from a team where Shea Weber and Roman Josi blocked Jones from playing in the top two.
Nashville needed scoring, and Columbus needed help on the blue line. And by all accounts, Kekalainen wore Poile down. The Predators didn't want to trade Jones. In the end, they had to.
This trade can and should work out for both teams, with both carrying some risk; Jones needs a new contract, too.
But the big picture looks bright for Columbus, and that's especially important in a season gone wrong. Jones takes over as the man on defense, and Zach Werenski is on his way, along with Sonny Milano.
Then, of course, there are the ping-pong balls. The Blue Jackets traded their center of the future in Johansen, but there's one available come June - phenom Auston Matthews.
This season didn't go the way the Blue Jackets wanted, but they're hoping the lottery will. And if they miss out on Matthews, a few Finnish kids would look good in Columbus' red, white, and blue, too.
