Overview of my Off-Season Moves Thus Far – Part 2

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Overview of my Off-Season Moves Thus Far – Part 2

 

This article will continue to look at some of the off-season moves I have made as the GM of the Malmo Nighthawks.  This article will involve one trade and a few different contract extensions that will help build the foundation for years to come.

 

MALMO RECEIVES:

S67 Malmo 1st Round Pick (3rd Overall)

S67 New York 3rd Round Pick (25th Overall)

S67 Riga 3rd Round Pick (29th Overall)

 

RIGA RECEIVES:

S67 Moscow 1st Round Pick (1st Overall)

 

So yeah, I traded back for my first round pick.  Obviously I didn't get the same quality that Moscow did as I held less leverage this time and there was no bidding war.  That being said, I wasn't going to turn down this as I still felt it was a solid offer as I already know the talent available at those third round selections, and it is really quite solid.  I also feel I can get the guy I am targeting with the third round selection and have another option I like as well just in case.  

 

While this trade certainly doesn't make up for the previous one, it did help calm me down that I was able to get a few assets to try and get quality actives like I have been able to draft in the past through the mid-rounds (Laughton and Morpheus for example).  If I can hit with those two picks, I think the overall landscape of the trades may not look so dim and I can recover the team as we look forward to our next season.

 

For Riga, I believe I know who they have in mind and I assume they felt Seattle was pretty much a lock to take this player.  Ultimately, the price for them to get their number one option was not too bad whatsoever.  

 

SIGNINGS

Matthew Materazo signed a 3 year, 10.5 million dollar deal

Jack Lynch signed a 2 year, 5 million dollar deal

Teagan Glover signed a 3 year, 6 million dollar deal

Brian Strong signed a 3 year, 5.25 million dollar deal

Lucas Nygren signed a 3 year, 3.75 million dollar deal

 

Let me just talk quik about the five players that we have signed this off-season.

 

 First, Matthew Materazo showed us last year his potential by scoring 30 goals and recording 58 points in 72 games.  He dramatically improved from his rookie campaign with New York and will continue to look to improve as a member of the Malmo Nighthawks.  Matt is a tremendous example on and off the ice, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to lock him up in long-term. 

 

Jack Lynch is a lot like Matt in terms of his example that he lives by both on and off the ice.  Jack had a tremendous rookie campaign with Malmo, recording 28 goals and 63 points.  Lynch will continue to try and improve as he will most likely receive first line minutes on the big club this upcoming season.

 

Teagan Glover had one of the best starts to a VHL career that we have ever seen.  While the young center did cool off, he still finished with a tremendous 71 points in 72 games, including 27 big-time goals from the forward.  Glover, who has spending time with his family recently, reached out to us to let us know how excited he was to be a member of the Nighthawks going forward into the future.

 

Brian Strong is a bit of an overlooked commodity, but the big power forward is a consummate professional off the ice and someone that can be counted on to be a role player on the ice.  Like a swiss army knife, Strong will be able to be thrusted into almost any situation and be adept at finding a way to be productive.  Strong will be making his VHL debut this season but recorded 74 points and 116 hits for the Saskatoon Wild this past season.

 

Finally, Lucas Nygren has been tied to the city of Malmo since he was a young child, and now he will get a chance to play with them.  Due to a rule stating that VHL GM’s can sign one specific player to be represented by that GM, Lucas Nygren will now join the Malmo franchise after signing a three year entry level deal, which will allow him to skip the VHL Entry Draft altogether.  The young center is reported to potentially be switching to the wing after finding minimal success on faceoffs this past season.  With that being said, Nygren was still an offensive catalyst with 30 goals, 66 points and 70 hits for the Wild.