The Anaheim Ducks have finally made their much-anticipated salary dump to free up payroll space for the return of Scott Niedermayer, and the move didn't involved a defenseman.
Instead Ducks general manager Brian Burke shipped center Andy McDonald to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for center Doug Weight. The Ducks also received Czech prospect Michal Birner and a seventh round pick in 2008.
McDonald's salary for this season is $3.33 million for this season and $3.33 million for next. Weight's salary for this season is slightly more expensive ($3.5 million) but he's an unrestricted agent next season thus freeing up the "tagging space" required for next season by the Ducks with Niedermayer's return.
It's obvious that Burke wouldn't have made this trade if not for payroll reasons. McDonald has been struggling this season, acutely feeling the absence of former linemate Teemu Selanne. After two seasons of 85 and 78 points respectively with "the Finnish Flash" on his wing, McDonald this season is on course for a paltry 10 goals and 40 points.
As bad as things have been for McDonald this season, Weight has not had it much better with the Blues. After posting up 59 points last season in 82 games for the rebuilding Blues, Weight has only 11 points and is on pace for only 31 points this season, his lowest total since his rookie debut with the New York Rangers back in 1991-92.
McDonald is only 30 and with new linemates in St. Louis might be able to regain his scoring touch. It remains to be seen however if the 36-year-old Weight can rediscover his on a struggling Ducks team.
This swap might not do much to bolster the Ducks offensive depth at center but it ensures Burke didn't have to break up his blueline corps, which was already deep with Chris Pronger, Mathieu Schneider, Francois Beauchemin and Sean O'Donnell. A returning Niedermayer makes this perhaps the best group of defensemen on one team in the NHL.
This deal doesn't sound so great for Anaheim. Mainly because Weight has a larger contract this season which will make adding Selanne more difficult. Also Weight has really been struggling and I don't know that a change of scenery is the answer this time. Its hard to believe that there weren't any other better deals out there. Burke must really see something in this Birner.
This seems like a great trade for the Blues at first glance.
Spector hope you are getting better since your hospital visit.
Last edited by quackerj on December 14th at 5:32 PM.
This caught me way off guard. St. Louis definitely got the better end of this one in my opinion because McDonald is younger and in his prime. Then again, since Selanne isn't there, he's really been struggling. But now that he can play with guys like Kariya and Tkachuk, I think he'll be back to his old self.
I think this trade is one of those few trades that may work out well for both parties. Weight is 36 (not 39) and has a great track record, while McDonald is one of those average centers that really blossoms with a good forward. He may be a good fit with a youngster like David Perron. Weight will add further experience and toughness to an already frighteningly good team, expect him to blossom with the Ducks and expect McDonald to return to form with the Blues.
With the return of Niedermayer, suddenly the Ducks look like a good bet to challenge for the cup again after a slow start to the season, but Detroit will have something to say about that......
Kariya-McDonald-Boyes is going to be as fast as f@#%. Scary.
Scotty is going to have to play forward to compensate. Weight is done. The Blues, already on the up, with Legace back are playoff bound and I wouldn't be surprised if we saw Anaheim out. Getzlaf can't do it all.
" A frighteningly good team?" Their 10th place position would beg to differ.
Here's to getting better, Spector!
Last edited by sopelhair on December 14th at 9:56 PM.
By the looks of it, I don't think the Ducks are finished dealing. This isn't the salary dump needed to make cap-room for Niedermayer. Someone else is going soon!
CupJunkie: This is the move Burke had to make. Weight's contract expires after this season, and the whole purpose of this move was to free up cap space for next season, not this season.
Could this be the best group of defensemen EVER? Really, Pronger and Niedermayer would be playing 25-28 minutes a game on any team in the league, and Schieder doesn't suck either. He'd be a first pairing defenseman on most teams. Even Beauchemin could be a #2 on some teams in the NHL these days.
If they bring back the Finnish flash, I'll pick the Ducks to win the cup!
Is this "future salary cap rule" part of the new CBA or has it always been around? (Regarding making cap room for Niedermayer's salary in the 2008-09 season(next season))
This awful rule should be looked at in the offseason. GMs' should not be handcuffed or worried about salary caps for future seasons as long as they aren't making crazy backloaded salaries that will be impossible/difficult to pay for or trade away in future seasons(EG GMs should be allowed to go 15-25% over the estimated salary cap for the following season, then be required to get back to the cap by future season start).
If you want to see more player movement you need to give GMs more flexibility
Last edited by quackerj on December 15th at 12:24 PM.
Glad to hear you're on the mend, Lyle. The McCallum's family's prayers are with you.
This could be one of those rare trades that works out for both teams. Hate to see the Ducks ship off McDonald, but Weight's a good man with a Cup under his belt, and knows what it'll take to win another. Conversely, St. Louis picks up their second line center seven months early, and don't have to risk coming up short in the free agent market frenzy. Yeah, both guys are struggling thus far, but it's been a season of adjustment for the pair and I have no doubt their games will come around. (Weight was sure showing some fire the other night against Edmonton.)
Birner has the look of a young Ales Hemsky: great skater, solid passer, lots of skill, but he needs to play in traffic more. Once Ales developed a hard nose, he became an NHL player. Let's hope Birner can develop the same way.
Given that the Ducks didn't free up any salary room on this exchange in the current season, that should put a rest to the "Teemu Selanne coming back soon" rumours until after Christmas (unless Mr. Selanne is planning to take the mother of hometown discounts and Mr. Burke has another swap up his sleeve).
At any rate, thank goodness for Brian Burke: his deals have been the water wheel driving the rumour mill this season!
This is not a move Burke had to make. His offense is porous in general outside of Getzlaf and Perry and he just removed the third best piece of said offense with this deal for an overpriced, old player.
I don't care if the pretenses of the deal make it short of market value.... this deal makes no sense for the ducks long-term. The addition of Scott should not deter the team for future years and that is exactly what it has done. The third best forward on the team has been traded to an underachieving player due to retire next season and the help of an extremely good player who is due to play all of one year.
I'm sorry, I"m giong to have to agree with the catch22. Macdonald is a good player, he's young, talented, plays well with others and can play under pressure as shown in last years playoffs. They also get him for next year too, and if he plays that well, likes it there or does well, they'll resign him. The ducks get Weight...he's a good character player....like Recchi who they could have gotten for a song! I guess you could look at it that the ducks get weight and Neidermier for a year and some players that might play in the nhl someday for a player who is good now and will play for a while more.
I honestly don't think this makes the 10th place ducks a contender. I'd expect a deal like this from the leafs. With the defensive corps they have already, which is impressive as hell, scott makes it better, but their offensive gets a hec of a lot worse. Trading Beauchamen or Snieder probably would have made a lot more sense, they could have gotten a good mix of roster player(s) picks and depth by only giving up one of their great Dmen.
St Louis won this trade in my books. McDonald playing with Boyes or Kariya.....wow
I don't think this trade was about one team winning over the other. this was a deal Burke had to make to get Neide's salary on the books in the clear for next year. So they lost Mcdonald, they were gonna have to lose someone. Weight is a rental. He will sign back with the Blues in the off season mark my words. He has been a playoff rental in the past and returned to the Blues.
People keep talking about how Burke had to make a move. How about you demote Todd Marchant who's making 2.4M (assuming you can't trade him) who's been playing near 4th line minutes and has been a healthy scratch at least once this year. Then ship off O'Donnell for whatever you can get and you cleared 3.9M in cap room for this year and next. McDonald is a very good player and he'll do well in St. Louis with Kariya and Boyes. Weight is a 'veteran' leader, not a 2nd line centre. Anaheim will be a good team with Niedermayer coming back, but not a contender. Maybe Teemu will go play in St. Louis with Kariya and Andy Mac...
I wasn't surprised by the McDonald trade. Burke was looking to dump salary AND get a player onto the roster to line with his boy, Bertuzzi. The call-up of past first-round pick Bobby Ryan rounds out that line.
Kunitz looks like the odd man out now. Selanne and McDonald are gone. Perry WILL get a fat contract. If Chris has put up good numbers by the end of the season, he'll be prime bait to trade up in next year's draft or acquire a promising young NHL'er.
I'm Lyle Richardson, also known as Spector, Foxsports.com 's "Prince of Pucks".,which is based on the fact I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada and I couldn't think of a better byline. I've been an NHL hockey commentator since 1998 on my website, Spector's Hockey, and I'm a contributing writer for Foxsports.com , The Hockey News and Eishockey News. I'm also a regular on The Faceoff Hockey Show and a frequent guest on "The Late Crew" on The Team 1200 Ottawa.
