Confirmed Trade: [NSH/NJD] Erik Haula for Jeremy Hanzel and 2025 4th round pick

[Edmonton East]

They just signed random euro guy on a one way last week , and could use Glass at 4C . I’m guessing they wanted to free up room to sign a better 3c than Haula . I’m sure Fitz isn’t done yet and the end result will be a better bottom 6 than before . Haula was toast . Getting rid of him is a positive .

Hence the word "potentially". And you can't be "sure" he isn't done yet, although i agree. That's exactly what I heard last early July. No way the Devs would roll into the season with that trash forward depth and....welp.

The point is you can wait to make this move until after UFA starts. Which you probably should when you have no center depth so you aren't negotiating with UFAs or GMs from an even weaker position. You don't make this deal now unless you have another deal in place already. It's stupid.

I've wanted him gone, but they needed a strong 3C before doing so. And I have no idea how Fitz can be so confident he can get one considering the circumstances.

 

[JD86]

This thread will be fun to revisit when either Haula returns a 2nd at the deadline, or Trotz holds onto him at the deadline despite being way out of the playoffs. Funny either way

 

[Barsky]

Yes I know Barry Trotz is an idiot

Legendary coach for all the right reasons and legendary GM for all the wrong ones

 

[My3Sons]

This thread will be fun to revisit when either Haula returns a 2nd at the deadline, or Trotz holds onto him at the deadline despite being way out of the playoffs. Funny either way

Haula did have a significant injury which hampered him most of the season so he may very well bounce back.

 

[Soundgarden]

This thread will be fun to revisit when either Haula returns a 2nd at the deadline, or Trotz holds onto him at the deadline despite being way out of the playoffs. Funny either way

If we hold on to him and trade someone else for a 2nd it still helps the tank.

 

[Eggtimer]

Haula did have a significant injury which hampered him most of the season so he may very well bounce back.

He went 3 months without a single point . Injury hampered or not , he is toast

 

[TotalHomer]

Did Trotz take up drinking after he became a GM? His moves make no sense.

 

[My3Sons]

He went 3 months without a single point . Injury hampered or not , he is toast

I'm not sure it's that straight of a line. If he was playing that hurt, he probably should not have been playing. I'm not saying he's going to be great but maybe he's better than he was and at least is a playable NHLer again. In his last five regular season games he had 4 points and he played reasonable minutes in the playoffs. I wish him well.

 

[TBF1972]

Take the L and own it. Really, it's part of the fun at this point.

he really represents his team's identy to a point

 

[biturbo19]

Cool story Hanzel.

Nashville basically doing the Devils a solid, freeing up a little cap space to play with come Free Agency. Seems like Haula's age and injuries have started to really catch up with him, so getting out of that contract and being able to spin the wheel again on somebody else seems like a positive for New Jersey. Not really sure what Trotz thinks he's getting out of this deal...but i guess Haula is a player and a guy who can at least potentially play some Center, in a market that's going to be totally starved for those guys. If he can stay healthy, you can probably flip Haula for an alright pick/prospect at the deadline...so i guess it's kind of an investment in that.

 

[My3Sons]

Cool story Hanzel.

Nashville basically doing the Devils a solid, freeing up a little cap space to play with come Free Agency. Seems like Haula's age and injuries have started to really catch up with him, so getting out of that contract and being able to spin the wheel again on somebody else seems like a positive for New Jersey. Not really sure what Trotz thinks he's getting out of this deal...but i guess Haula is a player and a guy who can at least potentially play some Center, in a market that's going to be totally starved for those guys. If he can stay healthy, you can probably flip Haula for an alright pick/prospect at the deadline...so i guess it's kind of an investment in that.

If Haula stays healthy and plays decent and Nashville retains and gets a third and a seventh at the deadline that’s a solid outcome for them.

 

[devsfan8]

Wow. Haula as a cap dump got as much as Marchment as a cap dump.

 

[JD86]

Wow. Haula as a cap dump got as much as Marchment as a cap dump.

Yeah, A 3rd and 4th round pick is the same as a 4th and a ECHLer. Wow

 

[biturbo19]

If Haula stays healthy and plays decent and Nashville retains and gets a third and a seventh at the deadline that’s a solid outcome for them.

Yeah. It's a bit of a gamble on Haula staying healthy, but i guess if the Preds realize they're in a rebuilding mode...parking a little bit of salary until the deadline if you can upgrade that 4th round pick to a 3rd+ at the deadline is a win. Playing in the margins, but i guess there's not much downside to it either. Even if it doesn't pan out that way.

 

[mj2sexay]

Haula was injured all year so that could have been a factor in why he looked completely cooked. He can still win in the circle at a high clip.

Guy turned me off when he got real petulant with a reporter for the guys high crime of reporting on his goal drought. Dude, just own it. And normally I find its the writers who are in the wrong in these situations.

Fitz W on this one, getting the 3.1 back will be helpful in terms of trying to find that elusive third center. Now if only he could get rid of Palat and/or that absurd MacDermid deal.

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

If he has a bounce back year and the Preds aren't great then maybe he can be flipped for a 3rd or so at the deadline. I'm still kind of shocked that we got a 4th round pick and a prospect for him.