Michael Del Zotto to NSH for Kevin Klein

[Kovy27]

Per Bob McKenzie and Dregerface

Darren Dreger ‏@DarrenDreger 8m
Del Zotto to Nashville for Kevin Klein. Pending trade call. #TSN

[itissteeltime]

Why would NYR do that trade?

[meow]

What's....weird. Hmm

[Kovy27]

How come Nashville doesn't want to score goals?

[columbia]

Why would NYR do that trade?

Even a month (or longer) ago, the word was that Sather had given up trying to re-sign him and a trade was inevitable.

[MRandall25]

Del Zotto was also a healthy scratch at times this year (and was against the Pens January 3rd)

[meow]

I wonder if this will have any impact on Girardi.

[Gaucho]

Were they an item?

[columbia]

[darkstar57]

Meh Klein hasn't done much good since "A Fish Call Wanda"

[meow]

Were they an item?

[Kovy27]

Why would NYR do that trade?

Even a month (or longer) ago, the word was that Sather had given up trying to re-sign him and a trade was inevitable.

Klein is signed 4-5 years at 2.7ish per year. Not a bad deal.
Del Zotto is a RFA.

Nashville has a really good top 4 now. Of course, they can't score.

[Pitts]

Why would NYR do that trade?

Even a month (or longer) ago, the word was that Sather had given up trying to re-sign him and a trade was inevitable.

Del Zotto is RFA and wants too much money. Coach doesn't really use him much (healthy scratch quite often). Klein makes the same money as Del Zotto (currently) and is under contract until 2018 ($2.9 mil per).

EDIT -- WOW -- wikipedia and capgeek both updated already!

[brwi]

Rather blah trade. Nashville gets younger on D(which they don't need ) and Rangers get a 4-5 dman in Klein who has a reasonable contract for a few more years. woo-hoo! Not sure why Poile felt the need for this trade but Del Zotto has some upside. Still, until you get some forwards in Nashville, it's not going to be an easy slog at all.

[mikey287]

Del Zotto has always left people wanting more, he had very, very high praise coming into the OHL years ago...still trying to work out the kinks. He's a LHS offensive defenseman that has struggled with defensive coverage often, makes a lot of goofball mistakes and finally, the new coaching staff had had enough...he was scratched (as mentioned above) at times this year and just really struggled to find his game. Ryan McDonagh is basically getting the puck that MDZ can't handle. The Rangers are starved for a second pairing RHS d-man that doesn't **** up...Girardi heads up the top shutdown group, Stralman anchors the bottom pair, AV likes to have d-men play their strong side, so Klein is a fit while MDZ is not (must be a Bowman disciple...AV played in the NHL with St. Louis, coached by Red Berenson, who took guidance from Scotty Bowman in his formative years)...

Klein is no frills, no maintenance and signed cheap. He's just one of those quiet guys that goes about his job and does it well. Solid #4 d-man. He was a little bit iffy early in his career positionally, didn't know when to draw the line between offense and defense sometimes (at least according to notes I had on him from years ago, but I don't actually remember that being the case, but I guess it was...), but he's matured considerably it seems. Usually pretty tough to notice in a game...I don't want to say a better version of Mark Eaton, but I guess that's where I'm going with it...good fit for the Rangers right now, adds some insurance in case Girardi walks...the tough thing with Girardi is that he can't be paired with an offensive defenseman, he can't babysit, he has to be paired with a defensive-minded guy...I'm not sure that Klein has that limitation...

The Preds add another puck mover, which is a little odd...they have the hammer in Weber, they have the puck rusher in Jones, then they have some spare parts there that could be factors, like Victor Bartley...Del Zotto adds another carrier and outlet passer, but he adds a LHS that they needed...he has arbitration rights, but if he wants to take his 11 points with him there, it's his funeral...the Preds should be fine to try and buy and if it doesn't work out, his RFA rights are flip-able...they won't get back more than 75 cents on that dollar probably, but it would have to really really not work out for them to go that route anyway...the Predators are a defensemen factory, if they can't help Del Zotto, his last chance is in San Jose with Larry Robinson I'd think...if he can't help him, he better update his resume...

Del Zotto is much more known to us in the East, but Klein is a good player...Del Zotto has the bigger upside, but Klein is more consistent and reliable...

[Gaucho]

Klein used to kill for the CIA.

[KG]

Like the trade for Nashville. Think the Rangers sold low on MDZ. Klein is fine. He's also turning 30. Kind of is what he is at this point. MDZ can get better. Nashville needs as much skill as they can get...

[Digitalgypsy66]

Meh Klein hasn't done much good since "A Fish Call Wanda"

Phoebe Cates FTW.

[Idoit40fans]

Nashville is a worthless team. Until there is a way to get points without scoringgoals, theyre not going to be succesful.

[Kraftster]

Like the deal for the Rangers.

[npv708]

Nashville is a worthless team. Until there is a way to get points without scoringgoals, theyre not going to be succesful.

Don't blame the players, blame the GM.

You can't score goals season after season. Poile's 2013 offseason strategy must've looked like:

1) Sign Matt Cullen, Matt Hendricks, Viktor Stalberg, Eric Nystrom
2) ???
3) Score goals

In 30 years in the league as a GM, Poile has 1, count it 1 Conference finals playoff appearance.
1 conference finals appearance, in 30 years with 2 teams. Yes, the Predators are consistently a decent enough team to make the playoffs, while spending relatively little, but they've never really been a solid contender.

[pcm]

[KG]

Nashville is a worthless team. Until there is a way to get points without scoringgoals, theyre not going to be succesful.

Don't blame the players, blame the GM.

You can't score goals season after season. Poile's 2013 offseason strategy must've looked like:

1) Sign Matt Cullen, Matt Hendricks, Viktor Stalberg, Eric Nystrom
2) ???
3) Score goals

In 30 years in the league as a GM, Poile has 1, count it 1 Conference finals playoff appearance.
1 conference finals appearance, in 30 years with 2 teams. Yes, the Predators are consistently a decent enough team to make the playoffs, while spending relatively little, but they've never really been a solid contender.

Agreed npv. I've always found Poile to be overrated. Yes he ices competitive enough teams on a small budget in Nashville, but that only goes so far IMO. He has always been too conservative for my liking. Pretty sure the Forsberg trade he made a handful of year ago was the only time he went for it...it didn't end up well that year.

[Pitt87]

Meh Klein hasn't done much good since "A Fish Call Wanda"

Wild West was pretty good.

[columbia]

Meh Klein hasn't done much good since "A Fish Call Wanda"

Phoebe Cates FTW.

This