Coyotes trade for Al Montoya and Marcel Hossa

[coyoteshockeyfan]

The New York Rangers acquired goalie David LeNeveu and forwards Fredrik Sjostrom and Josh Gratton from the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday for goalie Al Montoya and forward Marcel Hossa.


The Rangers also received a conditional draft pick from the Coyotes.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=230641&hubname=nhl

This is a trade that is leaving me scratching my head. Even though Montoya's shine has faded some, from a pure value standpoint the Coyotes did alright here. However, with Bryzgalov now locked in for three years, and the Coyotes already having a superb backup in Tellqvist, this just doesn't seem to make much sense. Either GM Don Maloney is still extremely high on Montoya (Maloney was the assistant GM of the Rangers when he was drafted in 2004), or he is thinking of flipping him for another asset in the offseason. Such a thing could potentially happen on draft day, as the Coyotes have several second and third rounders, so packaging a few of them up with Montoya could make the Coyotes able to move up significantly in the first round. Unless the Coyotes wind up trading Montoya in the offseason, I don't think this move is very beneficial.

Both Fredrik Sjostrom and David LeNeveu were players that always were strangely on the outside looking in. Sjostrom is a top notch defensive forward and penalty killer, and had very good chemistry with Hanzal and Vrbata. Yet for unknown reasons, he always seemed to get scratched over guys who in my opinion should not be above Sjostrom on the depth chart (Weller, York, Carcillo, Zigomanis, Thomas, etc etc). I think it is very disappointing to see him go, especially with our extremely weak depth at forward. Similarly, LeNeveu is a very talented goaltender who put up solid numbers in the AHL yet never got a fair chance with the big club even earlier in the year when the Coyotes were sending out Alex Auld and David Aebischer. However, with Bryz and Tellqvist, he became a spare part. Also, no word yet on what the conditional draft pick is, but from Maloney's statements it shouldn't be very high.

 

[Scott MS]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=230641&hubname=nhl

This is a trade that is leaving me scratching my head. Even though Montoya's shine has faded some, from a pure value standpoint the Coyotes did alright here. However, with Bryzgalov now locked in for three years, and the Coyotes already having a superb backup in Tellqvist, this just doesn't seem to make much sense. Either GM Don Maloney is still extremely high on Montoya (Maloney was the assistant GM of the Rangers when he was drafted in 2004), or he is thinking of flipping him for another asset in the offseason. Such a thing could potentially happen on draft day, as the Coyotes have several second and third rounders, so packaging a few of them up with Montoya could make the Coyotes able to move up significantly in the first round. Unless the Coyotes wind up trading Montoya in the offseason, I don't think this move is very beneficial.

Both Fredrik Sjostrom and David LeNeveu were players that always were strangely on the outside looking in. Sjostrom is a top notch defensive forward and penalty killer, and had very good chemistry with Hanzal and Vrbata. Yet for unknown reasons, he always seemed to get scratched over guys who in my opinion should not be above Sjostrom on the depth chart (Weller, York, Carcillo, Zigomanis, Thomas, etc etc). I think it is very disappointing to see him go, especially with our extremely weak depth at forward. Similarly, LeNeveu is a very talented goaltender who put up solid numbers in the AHL yet never got a fair chance with the big club even earlier in the year when the Coyotes were sending out Alex Auld and David Aebischer. However, with Bryz and Tellqvist, he became a spare part. Also, no word yet on what the conditional draft pick is, but from Maloney's statements it shouldn't be very high.

An interesting trade, but overall not much of an impact. Montoya is an improvement over LeNeveu who was never going to play with the Coyotes. Sjostrom might have been more valuable than Hossa.

In the end, the VHS line may become the VHH line with three Czechs.

 

[AsUdUdE]

Does this trade better equipt the coyotes for the playoffs?

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Does this trade better equipt the coyotes for the playoffs?

No. Montoya shouldn't see any time with the Coyotes this season and Marcel Hossa is just a depth forward.

 

[Scott MS]

Does this trade better equipt the coyotes for the playoffs?

Juggling Sjostrom, Zigomanis, and York between the healthy scratch list and the minors isn't going to get the Coyotes into the playoffs either.

I don't see losing LeNeveu and Gratton as a big deal. Both were not going to be on the Coyotes. I'm not sure Montoya will be either.

If you look at Sjostrom for Hossa, this favors the Rangers, but Sjostrom wasn't going to be wearing a Coyotes jersey next year when Wheeler, Porter, and others take his place.

 

[Chaplin]

I work with a die-hard Rangers fan and he was gushing about the potential of Montoya. Kinda caught me by surprise.

 

[Scott MS]

I work with a die-hard Rangers fan and he was gushing about the potential of Montoya. Kinda caught me by surprise.

There is a big article on Montoya in this week's The Hockey News.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Montoya gets his first win as a member of the Coyotes organization, as he saved 22 of 24 shots and San Antonio wins 3-2 in a shootout.