That is the genesis of the acquisition and long-term signing of Barclay Goodrow. I start filling my role, and I think its good so far.. Updated hourly, with analysis, commentary and features from hundreds writers worldwide, our articles are read over 5 million times every month. It was an objectively bad trade, and its tough to find a credible argument that the Rangers got fair value for him. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. And I like St. Louis. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano. Data in this story comes from Evolving-Hockey, All Three Zonesand HockeyViz. The fact he wasnt on the top power play last season made his scoring all the more impressive. Pavel Buchnevich, St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues have been one of the best offensive teams in the league this season and there have been two big developments to help drive them there. However, the Rangers are still fine, and will be fine for the foreseeable future. https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2022/03/01212019/Buch-PP-points.mp4, https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2022/03/01212045/Buch-Thomas-Tarasenko.mp4, https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2022/03/01212133/Buch-Thomas.mp4, https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2022/03/01212115/Buch-Tarasenko.mp4, https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2022/03/01212235/Buchnevich-OK.mp4. Financial terms were not disclosed. Both games . Is Pavel Buchnevich more valuable to the Rangers' future as a player or Last year, I got the opportunity to play PK, and I show up with good numbers, play good PK, Buchnevich said. Pavel Buchnevich LW STL . 8.68. The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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In 46 games with the Blues, Buchnevich is tied for second on the roster in goals (19), game-winning goals (three) and points (46). ", Was Blais and a pick the best deal the Rangers could get? Its tough to find a comparable, but Tomas Hertl is close enough to use here. "I think he brings a lot of size, a good physical edge. In the minutes he's played in the past, he's had good production. It wont be that way under this administration or under incoming head coach Gerard Gallant. Pavel Buchnevich Contract, Pavel Buchnevich Cap Hit, Salary and Stats It would be the equivalent of getting him, with at least one year guaranteed, for a 2nd round pick and Julien Gauthier. Five quick thoughts on a lost #NYR weekend, including trouble on the second line, via @TheAthletic https://t.co/xrrNs2ncHv, Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) February 28, 2022. Hes been more aggressive with the puck and has taken advantage of ample opportunity with the Blues offensive prowess. The New York Rangers began their offseason by trading Pavel Buchnevich to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Sammy . Inside the Pavel Buchnevich trade and a busy day for the NY Rangers 65 overall. Maybe this is the first domino to fall in a series of moves for the Rangers that brings in another key piece for the top-six that could effectively replace Buchnevich. I wonder, does Zdeno Chara still fit the profile? Thats not an optic. The Rangers' pick was followed by the selection of three straight centers Zachary Bolduc, Chaz Lucius and Fyodor Svechkov which is the thinnest position in their prospect pool. 4 penalty kill (1:33). Without any kind of nuance explained, it is an objectively bad trade. But Buchnevich is gone, swapped for Sammy Blais and a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL draft. The first comes at No. Enter Search Term. But the raise Buchnevich got in St. Louis has to be given its due consideration. Try a week on us. The Quebec native, who was drafted by St. Louis in the sixth round in 2014, will also bring playoff experience after winning the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019. Though the Rangers have taken a big step this season as a team, sitting third in the Metropolitan Division, they still could desperately use him. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Facing an. Blais tallied four assists in 14 games before the injury last season and he recorded more ice time than he ever did with the Blues on average. In St. Louis, I show that I can play PK, too, and teams and coaches believe me. Pavel Buchnevich has been one of the St. Louis Blues best players this season in his first stint with the club after being acquired by the New York Rangers on July 23, 2021. That was the overall goal of the Buchnevich trade. Hes a cerebral player who sees the ice well and creates passing lanes to set up linemates in quality areas. Pavel Buchnevich Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Salary, Title 8.80. As the 2022-23 season is about to begin for the St. Louis Blues, its time to look back on the Pavel Buchnevich trade that general manager Doug Armstrong pulled off prior to the 2021-22 season. Buchnevich traded to Blues by Rangers for Blais | NHL.com The Rangers may be firmly in a playoff spot, but theyve felt Buchnevichs absence. It seems that coach and GM were not on the same page here, given it took 42 games for Gerard Gallant to put Lafreniere in the top-six. Trade Impact. pic.twitter.com/8OfXkMzJx8, draglikepull (@draglikepull) February 20, 2022. The 25-year old Blais was drafted 176th overall in the 6th round of the 2014 . All Rights Reserved. At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Blais is a big-bodied competitor, the type of player with which the Rangers want to stock their roster. I feel really good about our depth at winger.. His value and versatility in both even strength and special teams situations were major factors for his success. Theyre doing good and theyre in a playoff spot, so probably good for them, too, he said. Buchnevich started his Blues career by playing on the teams top line with OReilly and David Perron. Don't miss out on the latest news. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. The 26-year-old is coming off a season in which he averaged nearly a point per game (0.89) while playing a strong two-way game and killing penalties. Obviously, I want to score, but if I see my partner have a better opportunity to score, I give it to him.. The Rangers have eight picks remaining for Saturday. That means they are blessed, correct? I like St. Louis. The 26-year old Buchnevich was drafted 75th overall in the 3rd round of the 2013 draft by the Rangers. Beyond this season, Chris Drury could have just traded him this offseason, or waited it out. But much of the analysis of this trade depends on what happens next. "You look at the minutes that he averaged last year (18:44), where he finished in scoring on the Rangers (fourth), I think he's just starting to come into his own.". "We talked to a lot of different teams, a lot of different possibilities, but I would say it was not that close," he said. Rangers trade Buchnevich to the Blues for Blais and a draft pick He scored a career-high 19 points on the man advantage. According to Andy Strickland, contract talks have already begun with Buchnevich and the Blues. Though, to be fair, the Blues third line would be a top-6 pairing on most other teams. I havent played a game there in a long time, so its going to be a fun game and Im excited actually. There are plenty of factors for that, but I believe it starts with his fast-growing chemistry with Robert Thomas and if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'thehockeywriters_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',823,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thehockeywriters_com-medrectangle-3-0');Vladimir Tarasenko. Jordan Eberle RW SEA . VS. Pavel Buchnevich Leader STAT RANK 26 Goals 74 41 Assists 71 67 Points 63 - Forecasted points - 8 Power play goals 57 1.06 Points per game 26 3.28 Points per 60min Sign up for our regular 'Rangers Newsletter' for all the latest. The 2021-22 season was a lost cause for Blais after he tore his ACL just 14 games into the season. But its too hard to talk about how my season is going.. But as a restricted free agent, the Rangers knew any new deal would come with an average annual value between $5 million and $6 million. But moving Buchnevich to avoid paying him feels a lot like squandering the type of player a team with playoff aspirations should not be doing. DeSimone was acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights with a fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft for forward Brett Howden. Obviously, the Blues are getting the best player in this trade. But as a restricted free agent, the Rangers. Rangers general manager Chris Drurys remodeling of the team continued Friday, when he dealt five-year lineup staple Pavel Buchnevich to the Blues in exchange for 25-year-old Sammy Blais and a 2022 second-round pick. 01:42 July 23, 2021. NHL Trade Analyzer. Has loads of skill and can beat defenders with his speed or with his dekes. So, yes, the trade looked like a misstep at the time and continues to, despite the teams record. Hes bound to play a valuable bottom-six role for the Rangers with his size and hitting ability. The Blues now have the 26 year old for four years and currently holds a cap hit of $5.8k per season. Blais comes with a cap hit of a mere $1.5 million, which is much cheaper than what Buchnevich will get, and will become an arbitration eligible RFA next summer. When Drury failed to find a deal for a center, he pivoted to his other top priority: Bottom-six grit. Tommer is a really underrated player, Buchnevich said of his center. The Second Round begins Tuesday, May 2, with a doubleheader featuring the Florida Panthers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 p.m. People dont really realize how good he is. NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen and correspondent Louie Korac contributed to this report. "Theres only so much cap space to go around and theres only so much ice time to go around," Drury said. The reasons for the Pavel Buchnevich trade The argument made is that the Rangers could not afford him, thus the Pavel Buchnevich trade went down. He's got good size at 6-3. But after five seasons with the Rangers, he has adapted quickly to his new surroundings. Pavel Buchnevich has been one of the St. Louis Blues' best players this season in his first stint with the club after being acquired by the New York Rangers on July 23, 2021. Giving them proper ice time is critical to their success. Among players with 70 or more games the last two years, Blais is fourth in hits per 60 minutes. We wont know until we know. Buchnevich, a restricted free agent at the time of his trade west, signed a four-year contract with an annual average value of $5.8 million with St. Louis. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. The Blues give their first and second units a much more even split than the Rangers, who lean heavily on their top unit (on which he wasnt a mainstay). The reality of the Pavel Buchnevich trade is that both sides are right. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. His shot is a legitimate weapon, and he can finish as well as put teammates in position to score. A very good penalty killer too, a very underrated penalty killer. (18) were close. Now Drury may find himself in the trade market looking for the type of top-nine skill he shipped out with Buchnevich. 'inactive' : 'active'}} players. None of those especially since management had already soured on Kravtsov was a given. ET and the Seattle Kraken vs. Dallas Stars at 9:30 p.m. Worth noting: If it were a 1st round pick and not a 2nd round pick, we may not be having this discussion. Buchnevich is a legitimate top-six performer, while Blais has never played more than 40 games or produced more than 15 points in a season. Drafted from Cherepovets (Rus Jr.) Acquired Acquired in a trade with NY Rangers in 2021. A flat salary cap pressured the Rangers especially since they had signed Chris Kreider to a hefty extension just before the 2019-20 season paused. The Rangers still must add Black-and-Blueshirts to the bottom-six mix. Buchnevich (upper body) won't play Saturday against the Predators, Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports . He is tied for second on the team in goals and third on the team in assists. Its clear Drury wanted Goodrow no matter what. There's no doubt that the trade on its own diminishes the quality of the lineup. When he was with the New York Rangers, the potential to score 30 goals and tally nearly a point per game was there, but it didnt come to fruition until he was in St. Louis. Hell be arbitration-eligible after next season. They also decided to keep Chris Kreider around long-term, which definitely put Buchnevich in an odd spot. They insisted on high-end young players the Rangers weren't willing to part with, such as Alexis Lafrenire and Kaapo Kakko, while simultaneously asking for oversized returns from other interested teams. I dont know (about the reception hell get). At least thats the plan. Revisiting the ill fated Pavel Buchnevich trade - The Rangers are still I think we're on our way to doing that.". So thank you (to Blues fans) for that. But perhaps equally important in the equation is that the Rangers were simply too unbalanced, too homogeneous, too top-heavy without the necessary bottom-six ingredients to win battles, to grind down the opposition, to emerge with two points when the top six was smothered. Long Range Potential: The Russian forward is blossoming into an offensive force as he moves through the prime of his career. Buchnevich, a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, was searching for a long-term deal, which the Rangers simply wouldnt have been able to afford. Start New Trade Modify Current Trade. Passing has always been the highlight of Buchnevichs game. Since then, he has been on the teams second and third line for most of the year. I think he's got some offensive upside. The Rangers now have $19.5 million in salary cap space (Blais is due to make a modest $1.5 million) with free agency set to open July 28. There was no real distinction between the second lines duties and the third lines responsibilities. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Not that that wasnt the case in New York, where he was well-liked in the locker room and adored by fans. 2 power play (2:20) and the No. "Captain Happy" has also played a decent role in elevating Zibanejad's play. Buchnevich filled a gap that was supposed to be left behind by Vladimir Tarasenko. He understands how to play a 200-foot game.". There is no question about that. St. Louis Blues Acquire Pavel Buchnevich - St. Louis Game Time Dynamic two-way winger. Whats even more impressive than his offensive numbers this season is his versatility in the lineup. Rangers general manager Chris Drury's remodeling of the team continued Friday, when he dealt five-year lineup staple Pavel Buchnevich to the Blues in exchange for 25-year-old Sammy Blais and a . July 26, 2021 by Brian Abate. He played with grit, was diligent without the puck, developed into a superior penalty killer and for the most part lost the not-at-all charming woe-is-me body language that had become a trademark his younger years. Hes third among forwards in average ice time per game (18 minutes), which includes time on the leagues No. As Buchnevich makes his first trip back to Madison Square Garden since the deal, lets analyze why it happened and how hes progressed since with the Blues. Buchnevich trade: What are the Rangers up to? - Elite Sports NY Instead, he held on to the pick and took Othmann. In New York, youre going to see Wednesday, its a crazy crowd there, too. The 26-year-old forward, who was drafted in 2013 and has played 301 games in five seasons with the New York Rangers, was acquired by Blues . We dont know what Blais would have brought to the lineup because he was injured so quickly. Buchnevich doesnt have an easy answer for that, either. He was brought in to be a valuable top-six forward; hes been all that and more through one season. July 23, 2021. Welcome to NHL.com, the official site of the National Hockey League, Bienvenue LNH.com , le site officiel de la Ligue nationale de hockey, Tervetuloa NHL:n viralliselle nettisivustolle NHL.comiin, Vlkommen till NHL.com, NHL:s officiella web-sida, Vtejte na NHL.com, oficilnch strnkch National Hockey League, Vitajte na NHL.com, oficilnych strnkach National Hockey League, Willkommen auf NHL.com, der offiziellen Seite der National Hockey League, Bienvenido a NHL.com, el sitio oficial de la National Hockey League, Blues acquire Pavel Buchnevich from Rangers for forward Sammy Blais and a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Some of that scoring stems from his power-play usage, where hes getting just below 50 percent of the available ice time, an increase of about 9 percent from last year. The Rangers were able to free up some much-needed salary-cap space with the deal, but should the club have figured out another way? Generate Trade Suggestions SIGN UP. Buchnevich is far and away the best player in this trade and its not close, but that doesnt make it a failure for the loser of the deal. But being this was Drurys first big move, it appears he rushed into the trade and took the first one available. Already, he has 14 points on the man advantage, primarily from the second unit. The New York Rangers traded winger Pavel Buchnevich to the St. Louis Blues on Friday for forward Sammy Blais and a 2022 second-round pick. The goal of getting these two top line minutes was bumpy for sure, and definitely frustrating, but they got there. From general manager Chris Drurys perspective, was this a mistake? Goodrow, a forward acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning for a seventh-round pick in the 2022 draft, agreed to terms on a six-year contract Thursday. When draft picks are involved in trades, its hard to decide as to who won the trade, but just like the Ryan OReilly trade, all signs point to another Doug Armstrong masterpiece. Thats part of the reason he clicks so well with Tarasenko, who thrives on driving to slot and shooting. Pavel Buchnevich, St. Louis Blues, LW - News, Stats, Bio Pavel Buchnevich Position: LW Shoots: Left 6-1 , 196lb (185cm, 88kg) Team: St. Louis Blues Born: April 17 , 1995 (Age: 28-011d) in Cherepovets, Russian Federation ru Draft: NY Rangers, 3rd round (75th overall), 2013 NHL Entry Current salary: $5,500,000 Current cap hit: $5,800,000 Pronunciation: \ PAH-vehl buhtch-NAY-vihch \ 89 89 Last season, without Buchnevich, the Rangers were led by elite goaltender Igor Shesterkin to a 110-point season and trip to the Eastern Conference Final. Sammy Blais is a slightly below average player without much upside on either end of the ice pic.twitter.com/sAteRDwRcP, Sammy Blais, acquired by NYR, went on a big shooting bender this season in small minutes but is otherwise an unremarkable defensive-minded bottom six winger. So I was right about Kyrou, Buchnevich and . Multiple people familiar with the situation told the USA TODAY Network that the Buffalo Sabres weren't satisfied with a package built around Buchnevich, the 15th pick and other assets in exchange for center Jack Eichel. The line works because of the players complementary skills. Its abundantly obvious this is Gallants vision. Beyond this season, Chris Drury could have just traded him this offseason, or waited it out. They will be tougher to play against. 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Rangers ship Buchnevich to Blues for Blais, pick, Keys to the offseason: Free agency, draft plans for Rangers, other eliminated teams, New Jersey Devils brutally troll New York Rangers on Twitter with "Taken" edit, Devils blank Rangers for 1st series win since 2012, Snoop Dogg joins Sparks' bid to buy Senators, Wild's Eriksson Ek tried to play with broken leg, Fleury wants to return to Wild, even as a backup, Flames fire coach Sutter after three seasons, Panthers limit ticket sales to block Leafs fans, Kraken win 1st playoff series, oust champion Avs, Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, scores, highlights, Wait, the Bruins lost? Even with an early suspension early in the year after a headbutt, Buchnevich has played in 46 games for the Blues and ranks second on the team in points behind fellow youngster Jordan Kyrou. He hadnt played much on that side in the past, but playing with Tarasenko who Buchnevich said is easy to talk to and read off ofhas helped the adjustment. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Bold predictions for the Blues, revisited: Readers went out on a limb When the Blues acquired Buchnevich, the expectations werent for him to have the enormous season he did in 2021-22. The bottom line is that Blais will be much cheaper on the books than Buchnevich will be. Buchnevich has spent the majority of his time with the Blues alongside Vladimir Tarasenko at five-on-five. Blais, 25, has one year left on his deal at $1.5 million against the cap before he reaches restricted free agency, also with arbitration rights. Pavel Buchnevich scores 40 goals. He should feel even more comfortable in his second season with the Blues, its going to be fun to watch. Buchnevich to STL for Blais and a 2nd in 2022 Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 23, 2021. The return may seem light, but this was a targeted acquisition. You laugh, but its close. Blueshirt Banter is owned and operated by Joe Fortunato, LLC. When Kakko returns, hes on the second line with Strome and Panarin. He's scored in the League recently. This is where Im going to be. Its like they give me big money, and its like the team believes in me and Ive got to show up. Still, there now is Stanley Cup pedigree in the room that had been missing. All rights reserved. It is fair to say that Buchnevich last season became the player the Rangers had been waiting for since he first arrived in New York in September 2016. "I want to thank Sammy Blais for his contributions to our organization over the last number of years," Armstrong said. Its a fun exercise to see how this all plays out. The previous regime collected a collection of talents. The Rangers decision to trade Buchnevich was never about getting an equal player in return. Buchnevichs feisty play and surly personality are now beloved by Blues fans, and on top of that, hes even more motivated. The winger has 19 goals and 27 assists on the year. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Beat the horse to death? Its not like I dont want to shoot, Buchnevich said. Privacy Policy An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. But during the game, youre like, Forget it. Sometimes he goes on the left. The move came a day after the Blueshirts locked up bottom-six grinder Barclay Goodrow with a six-year, $21.85 million contract, and a week after trading Brett Howden to the Golden Knights. He mismanaged an asset and got a poor return. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. About 67 percent of his scoring came at five-on-five. Either way, Buchnevich has turned into a star with the Blues and there are multiple reasons for that without any of them being a knock on the Rangers. That is going to change. After being drafted in the third round (75th overall) by the Rangers in 2013, Buchnevich posted 79 goals and 116 assists in 301 games over five seasons, and had a career-high 48 points (20 goals, 28 assists) in 54 games last season. Why not! If they fell out of the playoff picture, they could always flip him at the deadline. Thats been disproven many times, given how much cap space the Rangers have this season. Drury was open about his willingness to trade the No. Born Apr 17, 1995 (27 yrs) Cherepovets, Russia Drafted Drafted by NY Rangers in 2013 (3/75). He has 35 points (17 goals, 18 assists) over 119 career NHL games. The third line would likely be Lafreniere-Chytil-Goodrow; which didnt really have much success this year. What started it all was a little tongue-in-cheek comment about the Pavel Buchnevich trade. That duo spent time with Ivan Barbashev earlier this season and now are being centered by Robert Thomas. The Russian winger hit career highs last season with 48 points in 56 games. NEW YORK When Pavel Buchnevich was traded to St. Louis from New York in July, his former coach with the Rangers, David Quinn, said the Blues got him right in the sweet spot.. Pavel Buchnevich of the New York Rangers is now a member of the St. Louis Blues. This is worse than Hall for Larsson. As for Buchnevich, he has three years left on the extension he signed with the Blues before last season. 'Active' : 'Inactive'}} players, Search {{searchActivePlayers ? While the Blues are reaping the benefits of this deal, it certainly hasnt hurt the Rangers. Sometimes I go on the left. I did like his game, and I still think he would have been an upgrade on Gauthier as the 3RW. Blais has competed in the playoffs in three of his four NHL seasons, posting a combined three goals and five assists in 27 postseason games. Rangers trade Pavel Buchnevich to Blues for Sammy Blais, pick Buchnevich's contract situation may have reduced what other teams were willing to offer in return, particularly those feeling the squeeze of the flat salary cap. Jordan Eberle for Pavel Buchnevich Trade values and analysis involving Jordan Eberle & Pavel Buchnevich. So, whats deal here? That's been disproven many times, given how much cap space the Rangers have this season. The second-round pick became defenseman Elias Salomonsson after the pick. Beyond cap space, the other argument was that the Rangers needed top-six space for Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko. Selected by the Blues in the sixth round (No. Rotowire Apr 1, 2023. Pavel Buchnevich was traded to the St. Louis Blues by the New York Rangers for forward Sammy Blais on Friday. In theory, his departure was going to open up ice time for young forwards Kaapo Kakko, Vitali Kravtsov and Alexis Lafrenire. Blais scored 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 36 regular-season games this season and one goal in four playoff games. "I'm excited to have Pavel join our group," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. St. Louis Blues veteran winger Pavel Buchnevich, in his first season with the club after an offseason trade from the New York Rangers, has been suspended two games for headbutting Arizona Coyotes . The minutes hes played in the past, hes had good production.. Buchnevich is putting up this production in a Blues sweater after being groomed by the Rangers for five seasons to be the all-around player he is today.