Johan Kallum looks back at trading Ovechkin and Datsyuk to the Killers...

This entry appeared on the CCHL Transaction page on November 7, 2013....

(11/07/13) WIS trades P.Datsyuk & A.Ovechkin & M.Michalek to KRL for N.Yakupov & J.Bailey & E.Etem & Elias Lindholm-p & Oscar Klefbom-p & Griffin Reinhart-p & KRL 1st (Kasperi Kapanen)... 

The blockbuster trade made a splash in the league, it was truly some big pieces that moved. It is soon 2 years since the trade and let us look in the trade and see how it looks today.

Motives for the trade: WIS

Wisborg had during the summer gotten hold of both Datsyuk and Ovechkin. The team relied heavily on the first line to produce, the other lines where not bad but not either even close to the first line. The prospect pool was shallow. The season started out not quite as good as WIS management hoped for. A top 8 club for sure at that time early in the season. Would the team turn it on later on the season or was this the potencial? Ovechkin came with uncertainties, he had just finished a sub par season for him with just 32 goals. His third straight year with goals in the 30´s. Face it, that was part of the reasons WIS could get him in the first place. Was the gas starting to run out from
Alexander the G8? KHL was moving up and russians started turning home, the russian factor. So for a team that leaned heavily on two pieces and those two players value could fast turn into dust with a low scoring Ovie and a Datsyuk that was a bit older and it all could change with moves back to Russia. Ovie was off to a great start that season pointing toward once again reaching 50 goals, but would that hold?

Motives for the trade: KRL

Johan E was owner of the Karlstad Killers and the team is today Sanibel Islanders, so this part is all speculation. Since Johan choose to leave CCHL after the season it could be seen as a last push in the league, all or nothing. His team at the time was also a top 8 club with lots of talent but missed a top line that could be relied upon. In addition the team was good at collection prospects and Johan was always very keen on getting the Swedes.

Mechaniques of the trade

KRL mailed out to the league that he wanted to get first line players. I told him my interest in letting go off Ovechkin and Datsyuk but it wouldn't come cheap. So we started to put pieces into the trade. Ovechkin was on a four year contract so there was a chance for me to flip Michalek for Bailey (4 year contract) which evened out nicely for me. I aimed for 3 pieces each for Ovie and Dats and I really would like to get rid of Michaleks salary. In my opinion I got the good pieces I could find in KRLs prospect pool. After this trade WIS was a seller and KRL made some moves to strengthen his push chasing after Copenhagen. He had his centerpieces and WIS sold them.

Two years after, the verdict was in. On KRLs side it worked out pretty well, player wise. Datsyuk had kept going and had a stellar year last season, but maybe age is starting to work against him with a present injury and age of 37. Ovechkin did find his old form and have had 50+ goal seasons since and also started to find some kind of defensive play. None of the players have even been rumored to go back to Russia so it must be considered that KRL got full value for their side of the trade.

As for the push KRL just nipped the second place, a point in front of Fort Eire. In the playoffs however Fort Eire took revenge by winning the semi final against KRL by a 1 goal win in game 7. That must have been disappointing to Johan. Copenhagen went on to eventually beat out Fort Erie in the final series.

As for the players that WIS received it has been a mix of success and disappointments so far. Yakupov was a centerpiece and has yet to put it all together, but hope remains. Etem has likewise not really moved forward as expected but the recent trade to NYR could be a new beginning for him. Griffin Reinhart has been slow to get into NHL and might not be the top pairing as expected but should be a top 4 in Edmonton eventually. Lindholm is more on track as expected while the high hopes for Klefbom was realized and is now a teammate with Griffin. Kasperi Kapanen looks like it was good value for the 21 st pick and since WIS once hade father Sami on the payroll it will be a great father/son story. Bailey who was flipped for Michalek in the deal, has been decent value but not the top player either, he could have been.

While KRL got full value for the players and even better than expected on Ovies part, WIS has some of the players not really living up to what was expected of them. But the players are young and things can still happen. KRLs disappointment must instead be in the derailed cup run.

So for the 2 year anniversary of the blockbuster trade I would say KRL got the better deal so far. But they lost out on the cup and it can be argued that WIS didn't have enough to make the push anyway. It would not have been easy to find another trade partner with enough talent in the prospect pool to pull the deal off then. In hindsight it would probably have been better to trade Ovie later on at a higher value, but that was unknown at the time.

So a good trade back them for both teams with a disappointing short term goal for KRL while WIS players still have some way to go to realize their potential. I would however put KRL ahead in the deal since the involved players provided full value.

/Johan
GM WIS