By J.D. Lagrange, Senior Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine
“Of course we are giving a good player. But in order to get something good, you have to give something good. We needed a player like (Devante) Smith-Pelly as much as the Ducks needed a players like Jiri (Sekac.)” ~ Marc Bergevin
PENTICTON, BC. – Reading the reaction from some Habs’ fans and even fans from other teams, I was wondering if we were watching the same players when trying to analyse the recent trade between the Anaheim Ducks and the Montreal Canadiens. They made it sound like the Ducks stole Jiri Sekac by giving up a minor leaguer in Devante Smith-Pelly. It was a one-for-one deal of two young and promising players and the similarities between the two players are simply amazing.
- Both were born in June 1992, just four days apart
- Both players represented their country at the World Junior Championship in 2012
- Both are in their first full season in the NHL
- Both had a good start to the season and have cooled off since January
- And both feel like they were moved around the line-up too much
While Sekac was telling the Ducks website that his role with the Canadiens wasn’t clear, Smith-Pelly had this to say about his former team: “The lines were always changing. I’ve been a right-winger my whole life and I’ve been playing left-wing and centre. Getting moved, it’s kind of hard to get traction.”
This is the kind of trade that we don’t see enough in today’s NHL: player for player, no rentals, with both teams trading from a position of strength to address a weakness. Montreal got a physical, right-shooting winger in Smith-Pelly in exchange for a quicker, flashier left-hand shot in Sekac.
In fact, this trade is, in some aspects, very similar to the moves that Bergevin made last summer when he traded left-handed Josh Gorges and signed UFA right-handed Tom Gilbert. The Canadiens’ GM wanted to have, at that time, a better balance between right-handed and left-handed defensemen and seeing the results this season, one would be hard-pressed to argue against his vision.
In Anaheim, the Ducks were stacked on the right side and Smith-Pelly was playing behind Corey Perry, Jakob Silfberberg and Kyle Palmieri. On the left however, it is pretty thin after Matt Beleskey and Patrick Maroon as the Rene Bourque experiment, with his two goals, has failed miserably. Anaheim is a team with plenty of grit, in need of some speed and offensive creativity and Sekac will hopefully address this need.
In Montreal, Sekac had a lot of competition on the left side while the Canadiens only had Brendan Gallagher and P-A Parenteau as natural right-handed wingers. Even Dale Weise played on the top line for a few games. While Mike McCarron is having a breakout year on the right side for the London Knights and the Oshawa Generals, the Canadiens have no prospect in Hamilton ready to step into that position.
On a team out-hit pretty much every night, the addition of Smith-Pelly, who led the Ducks with 147 hits in 54 games, will be more than welcomed. At 220 lbs., the rugged winger is automatically second on the team in hits behind Alexei Emelin (157 hits in 55 GP), ahead of Dale Weise (110 hits in 57 GP) and Brandon Prust (85 hits in 60 GP).
But fans should not be mistaken here. DSP is not just a grinder. We’re talking about a guy with decent speed and one who has good hands. Smith-Pelly will park himself in front of the net where he will score most of his goals, he will dig the puck in the corners and create room on the ice for his teammates. We’re also talking about a guy who was killing penalties in Anaheim, a guy who understands defensive responsibilities, and someone who plays a north-south game which should fit perfectly with the style of play Michel Therrien is asking from his players. He does have the potential to develop into a very good power-forward and teams don’t trade such players when they are established. You either have to draft them like the afore-mentioned McCarron or trade for them when they are raw in hope that they develop into a premier power-forward.
Nathan Beaulieu is a good friend of DSP as the played together on Team Canada in 2012. “He’s an awesome guy,” Beaulieu said. “I see him a lot in the summer and I know he’s going to help us.”
Some people are upset with Marc Bergevin for completing this trade, stating that he has given up too early on Sekac. Those people have it all wrong and don’t understand how trades work. You don’t get good players by trading away your garbage like you see on some fan forums. That’s simply not how it works. Both Bergevin and Murray, in their post-trade interviews, have called this deal a “hockey trade” and while the sport is hockey, this means that it’s a trade addressing needs for both teams but sacrificing some quality to get quality in return.
And when you think of it folks, Sekac has cost this organization absolutely nothing, as Bergevin signed him as a UFA last summer. It’s like Smith-Pelly fell from the sky to help address a team’s need. This is the kind of trade where both teams could come up as winners.
If you look at Marc Bergevin’s track record since taking over this team, it’s pretty impressive if you ask me. Yes, he has made a few mistakes (such as Daniel Briere) but he was quick to repair his mistakes. Ultimately, the team has been competing at the top level ever since he’s taken over. What does a guy need to do to convince people that he knows what he’s doing? Win a Cup? I would dare say that this team isn’t far from being serious contenders. Wouldn’t you agree?
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In the meantime, watch this video to have an idea of the type of player the Habs are getting…
Follow Devante Smith-Pelly on Twitter @smithpelly23
Go Habs Go!