The Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers have agreed on a swap of prospects and former 2nd round draft picks. The Canadiens trade their 2008 second round pick, Danny Kristo, to the New York Rangers, for their 2010 second round pick, Christian Thomas. What does this deal mean? How do we break down the two players? TSP is here for you.
For a quick analysis, from my perspective this looks like an incredibly even trade…. Its like trading a case of Coca-Cola for a case of Pepsi. The two players are essentially the same, with only slight differences. We have a pair of undersized right wing prospects, with top 6 offensive potential. Kristo is older, and slightly bigger, and he’s maybe a bit closer to being NHL ready. Thomas is younger, grittier, has more pro experience, and does not face the attitude and maturity questions that have plagued Kristo throughout his college career.
Christian Thomas, Right Wing
Born May 26 1992 — Toronto, ONT
Height 5.09 — Weight 170 — Shoots Right
Selected by the New York Rangers in round 2 #40 overall at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft
The son of long time NHLer Steve “Stumpy” Thomas, Christian Thomas is a natural goal scorers. This is seen through the 129 goals he scored over his last 3 years in the OHL. In 73 games with the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League, he had 19 goals and 16 assists. Thomas has an NHL level wrist shot and release, and has been a deadly sniper at the minor league level. He also has very soft hands and good puck control ability. The playmaking ability and vision are developping nicely.
Thomas’ skating stride is short and choppy, however it works very well for him as he has good top end speed and very good acceleration. His agility and edgework is top notch, and he uses quick precise cuts and changes in speed to beat defenders one on one. He has good balance and a solid low centre of gravity.
The knock on Thomas has always been, and always will be his lack of size. However despite being only 5’9″ he does not shy away from working the boards or the front of the net. A hard worker, Thomas tries to overcome this limitation, and plays a gritty game despite the size. You’d be surprised at the number of board battles he wins, and how he gets to the front of the net despite the size. The one area where size becomes a concern is is in the defensive end of the ice where bigger stronger forwards can quite simply overpower him.
Thomas needs time to add muscle and strength to his frame. Expect to see him in the AHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs next season, but be ready for callups to the big club in case of injuries.
Danny Kristo, Right Wing
Born Jun 18 1990 — Eden Prairie, MN
Height 5.11 — Weight 185 — Shoots Right
Selected by Montreal Canadiens round 2 #56 overall 2008 NHL Entry Draft
The 2008 second round draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens has had a stellar career for the former Fighting Sioux, with 68 goals and 161 points in 157 games over four years. He was part of the North Dakota teams that won a school record, three straight WCHA titles from 2010 to 2012. This season was Kristo’s best with 26 goals and 52 points in 40 games. After such a marvelous season, Kristo was named the College Hockey Player of the Year, and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Trophy.
Kristo has shown tremendous versatility during his time with North Dakota. In his junior season, playing with sniper Brock Nelson, Kristo was the set up man for the Islanders prospect, using his vision and passing skills to make plays and put Nelson in a position where he was able to be UND’s best goal scorer. Last summer, Nelson signed his ELC with the Isles, and this season Kristo has worked with Corban Knight and become the go to goal scorer on UND’s top line, tallying 26 goals. He drives the net hard, and uses his great hands to finish plays in close. He also utilizes a deadly accurate wrist shot, and tremendous release to terrorize NCAA goalies and find the back of the net with regularity this season.
Kristo is an excellent skater. He has great top end speed, excellent acceleration, and great agility, allowing him to weave through opposing defenders and create plays off both the cycle and the rush. He has great puck protection skills, and effectively uses his edges, and low centre of gravity, to be strong on the puck, difficult to knock off a play, and able win battles on the boards. He plays a gritty two-way game, willing to get involved along the boards in both the offensive and defensive zones.
It is Kristo’s advanced defensive game that gives many hope that he can make an impact in the NHL next season. He will look to make the Rangers in camp, but may end up in the AHL waiting for a callup. Kristo has excelled in all situations throughout his college career, been matched up against opposing team’s top lines, and tasked with killing penalties for UND. His on ice awareness has grown through his experience, and this will help him to be an effective pro.
It hasn’t all been good news for Kristo though, as there are some questions about his maturity. Kristo, an alternate captain for North Dakota, was suspended early this year for organizing a team party (with the other captains) and serving alcohol to underage members of the club. For Kristo, who had been disciplined for his own underage drinking as a freshman and lost games that year as a result, many stated that he should have known better. There was also a strange frostbite incident in Kristo’s sophomore season that cost him games, and what exactly happened that night has never been fully explained. It is these off-ice questions of maturity, that seem to be the biggest question marks surrounding Kristo at this point in time.
Thanks for reading, as always feel free to leave comments below and follow me on twitter @lastwordBKerr. Give the rest of the hockey department a follow while you’re at it – @BigMick99, @IswearGAA, and @LastWordOnNHL, and follow the site @lastwordonsport.
Interested in writing for LastWordOnSports? If so, check out our “Join Our Team” page to find out how.
