I assume that since Boston send Backes to Anaheim earlier this week, they had a "perceived" weak hole in their bottom six for the playoffs for a big body that plays heavy...
Also, they save $1.3M in cap space which could've been a factor.
Really like this for the Ducks, Ritchie has reached his ceiling imo and Heinen still has room to grow
Adds some grit for BOS, not sure if Heinen grew out of favour in BOS but seems ok for both teams here
I'm giving the edge to ANA
Heinen just regressed a bit w/ Butch and was passed by A. Bjork in depth (some games they looked like twins out there).
Think BOS wanted to change the 'BODY-TYPE' with all the smallish fwd's they have and for "toughness" as ON3 mentions ^ ^. He could help w/ net-front etc. on PP #2.
I voted fair...
Heinen hasnt proven an ability to play up in the lineup, soft player, didnt fit with bjork/coyle. been HS lately. trade was inevitable. Absolute non-factor in the playoffs last year. not a shooter, not a hitter, good defensively responsible but this guy didnt take the next step like they thought he would. 2nd straight disappointing year. Dont mind the trade. they get a little grit, some cap savings. Could be a great depth deal.
I like this for the ducks, wonder if there was some component of this that was a follow through from the previous trade, but Boston at least manages to clear some additional space. Maybe this looks a little better if they do something else, but I feel like Ritchie for Heinen is a downgrade even with cap hits considered.
I think this is fair since heinen’s value has been regressing due to his poor play and lack of work effort out on the ice for the last yr and a half, meanwhile BOS gets a cheaper Kreider like player who could also use a change of scenery.
Nick Ritchie has good possession numbers and over 700 NHL hits. This is all about what STL did to them.
Heinen wasn't going to be in top 9 and he isn't a 4th line guy. - Even more so if they add another player.
They save a little money and gets some physicality. I am ok with this. although it feels little like Jimmy Hayes for Reily Smith although this time we already have the crappy brother.
If Heinen sat more games, his value goes down. Kuhlman surpassed him.
If Ritchie can stay out of the box then great. Over the last 2+ seasons he ranks 7th in PIM. That doesn't fly with Boston if he's going to be taking bad penalties.
Its to bad we couldn't merge the two BOS/ANH trade together.
To BOS: Kase & Ritchie
TO ANH: 2020 1st + Heinen + Andersson + Backes (25% retention)
Probably the most ridiculous comment I've seen today.
You're ignoring all context (like games played in each season + recent performance).
LAST 2 SEASONS:
Ritchie = 0.50 points per game (101 games) Heinen = 0.39 points per game (159 games)
Does it still like like "Heinen at his worst is as good as Ritchie at his best"
Not sure where you're getting 159 games. HF has him at 135 games since the start of the last season. But why stop at just last season? Why not look at the last 2 years + this year?
Ritchie = 0.43 points per game (177 games) Heinen = 0.48 points per game (212 games)
Ah, now I see. If you exclude his rookie year it puts the numbers in Ritchie's favor.