The New York Islanders have traded right wing Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens. The move was widely anticipated and many teams were rumored to be interested after Vanek turned down a reported 7-year $49 million extension offer from the Islanders last week. It appears that the Islanders will be getting a conditional 2nd round pick and prospect Sebastian Collberg. Montreal gets a conditional fifth round pick in the deal as well.
If the Habs make the playoffs the picks become firm. If the Habs miss the playoffs neither team gives up a draft pick.
Doug MacLean confirms Vanek to MTL #Sportsnet
— Damien Cox (@DamoSpin) March 5, 2014
The 30-year-old Vanek was acquired by the Islanders in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres earlier this season. While he has played well for New York, he was not the missing piece that would put the Isles in the playoff chase. Sitting well back of a spot in the playoffs, the Isles have decided to recoup some of the young assets that they traded to the Sabres for Vanek.
Vanek has 17 goals and 27 assists for 44 points in 47 games for the Islanders this season. Overall he has 21 goals and 32 assists for 51 points in 60 games in 2013-14.
Prior to the earlier trade, Vanek had spent his entire nine-year NHL career with the Buffalo Sabres, who drafted him in the first round, fifth overall, in the 2003 NHL entry draft. He has 271 goals and 270 assists for 541 points in 645 career NHL games.
Vanek, has always been a strong producer of even strength goals, and has had a positive GF% over the last three years (52.7%, 48.1%, 55.1%). This is despite the fact that his corsi and fenwick numbers over that same time period are slightly below 50%. Part of the lowered corsi and fenwicks are due to the team he plays on, the Sabres and Islanders have been non-playoff teams in the last three years and have been poor puck possession clubs. He still remains amongst the top players on those clubs.
Vanek also has a very high shooting percentage throughout his career, hovering at 10% or above in the last three years at even strength (10.2%, 9.8%, 11.0%). This isn’t outside the norm, and is due to the fact that Vanek is known to possess an outstanding shot, and the fact that he goes to the front of the net and takes a high percentage of his shots in close to the crease. A 10-12% range in his shooting has been maintained over a large enough sample size to this point in his career that it is fair to label Vanek as a sniper, and to believe he will be able to maintain strong GF% numbers. In addition, Vanek has 15 goals and 37 points at even strength this year. For a Habs team that is 20th overall in goals, and 27th in the NHL in 5 on 5 goals, his addition is a huge pickup.
It will be interesting to see where Vanek slots in the lineup, but the mostly likely spot is to the left of Tomas Plekanec. The Canadiens have tried a number of options at left wing on that line this season including Alex Galchenyuk, Rene Bourque, Daniel Briere, Travis Moen, and Lars Eller. This may be where Vanek ultimately ends up in the Montreal lineup. Another possibility would see him flip to right wing to take Brendan Gallagher’s spot on a line with Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais, though the Habs may not want to break up a line that has played so well for 40 or so games at this point, and move Vanek to an unfamiliar position. Vanek also has previously played with Daniel Briere in Buffalo, and putting the two back together is a third possibility, but with Briere’s lack of ice-time under Michel Therrien, this seems unlikely.
Oh and one more bonus for Habs fans, Vanek is particularly effective against the Boston Bruins, with 30 goals and 31 assists for 61 points in 50 career games against Boston.
For a full scouting report on Sebastian Collberg who is headed to the Islanders you can click here.
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