The Rangers may have an abundance of cap space this offseason, but it is expected to dissipate quickly. My hunch is that Drury plans to bring in another player or two, probably a center and a defenseman. And Buchnevich wasnt the only rising cost to consider. So everything were seeing here says Buchnevich has been a big plus for the Blues, which has come, in part, because of the comfort with his new club. It became even more likely that he would be. Privacy Policy Give what we know now, with or without Buchnevich, the Vitali Kravtsov debacle would have happened, so thats irrelevant now. 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. But even if the Rangers had a full lineup, Buchnevichs abilities would clearly have been missed. I did like his game, and I still think he would have been an upgrade on Gauthier as the 3RW. 176) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Blais has scored 35 points (17 goals, 18 assists) in 119 regular-season games and eight points (three goals, five assists) in 27 playoff games. Dealing a restricted free agent (RFA) with arbitration rights who is set to reach unrestricted status next summer is a tough sell for a general manager under any conditions, let alone in a flat-salary cap world. What we do know is that Buchnevich had a hell of a career in New York. Arbitration eligible and one year away from unrestricted free agency, Buchnevich was (and is) likely to command between $5.5 million and $6.5 million per on his next multiyear deal. The previous regime collected a collection of talents. I think [Blais] brings a lot of size, a good physical edge, I think he has some offensive upside, Drury said. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. New York previously acquired Goodrow and defenseman Nick DeSimone in separate trades July 17. Buchnevich is a restricted free agent. "We were excited he was there. New York also received a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. The . Hes bound to play a valuable bottom-six role for the Rangers with his size and hitting ability. This contract is already looking like a steal for St. Louis. None of those especially since management had already soured on Kravtsov was a given. 01:42 July 23, 2021. 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. That's been disproven many times, given how much cap space the Rangers have this season. July 26, 2021 by Brian Abate. Buchnevich has the largest influence of any player on the teams shot quantity generation and is third in quality. If no results appear, use Enter to do a full site search. As well as Buchnevich has meshed with Tarasenko, the pairing with Thomas has been beneficial as well. There were other options on the table, and all of them would have made the Rangers better this year and would have avoided this top-six RW need they have today. Signs were pointing to Buchnevich being dealt for weeks, but it wasn't for the star center the Rangers were thought to be seeking. 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. He will not be easy to replace. Buchnevich, who can become a restricted free agent July 28, scored an NHL career-high 48 points (20 goals, 28 assists) in 54 games this season. Jordan Eberle for Pavel Buchnevich Trade values and analysis involving Jordan Eberle & Pavel Buchnevich. Originally a third-round pick (75th overall) in the 2013 Draft, Buchnevich has established himself as a standout top-six winger over the past few years. The fact he wasnt on the top power play last season made his scoring all the more impressive. From general manager Chris Drurys perspective, was this a mistake? The team likes me, and the people in St. Louis are really, really welcoming. "I'm excited to have Pavel join our group," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. It makes it easier for me, like Vladi, we have a good connection right now.. He's scored in the League recently. But it appears the return of a 2022 second-rounder and Blais, a north-south physical winger, is what Drury was looking for. Pavel Buchnevich of the New York Rangers is now a member of the St. Louis Blues. The deal came with a four-year contract extension at $5.8 million average annual value in St. Louis for the 6-foot-3, 196-pound forward, which hes made look like a bargain. Sign up for our regular 'Rangers Newsletter' for all the latest. Trade Impact. Whether or not he zeroed in on Blais, we dont know, but it does appear that way. That was an important step for Tampa Bay to take on their way to becoming champion, although no one is confusing the Rangers with the Lightning quite yet. Blues' Pavel Buchnevich: Unavailable Saturday. And I like St. Louis. I dont know. Blais scored 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 36 regular-season games this season and one goal in four playoff games. The current trio has an expected-goals ratio of 64 percent and is producing at an even higher rate than that, at an 84 percent goals share. "[I] wish him nothing but the best of luck and success with the Rangers.". Hes playing slightly less ice time and has more on-the-fly shifts than in the past, but that usage can be fitting for more-offensive players. 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. Steven B. . ST LOUIS, MO - NOVEMBER 14: Pavel Buchnevich #89 of the St. Louis Blues skates against the Edmonton Oilers at Enterprise Center on November 14, 2021 in St Louis, Missouri. Buchnevich had 79 goals and 116 assists in those games, including 20 goals in 54 games last season. Its just not, regardless of the mitigating factors surrounding it. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano. As for Buchnevich, he has three years left on the extension he signed with the Blues before last season. Sports Forecaster is a product of XML Team Solutions, LLC 2023 All Rights Reserved. Drafted from Cherepovets (Rus Jr.) Acquired Acquired in a trade with NY Rangers in 2021. 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. Born Apr 17, 1995 (27 yrs) Cherepovets, Russia Drafted Drafted by NY Rangers in 2013 (3/75). 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In theory, his departure was going to open up ice time for young forwards Kaapo Kakko, Vitali Kravtsov and Alexis Lafrenire. Start New Trade Modify Current Trade. Aside from the Rangers current roster, there was also the potential increase in costs had they made an upgrade down the middle. Its tough to argue otherwise. There is ample cap space with which to address those areas with the free-agent market opening Wednesday. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Buchnevich (upper body) will miss Tuesday's clash with Philadelphia, Lou Korac of NHL.com reports. 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. The deal sent. He recorded 28 points (14-14) in 76 games over the past two seasons while getting an average of 12:20 of ice time a night playing a fair amount on a line with Ryan OReilly. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2023. The Rangers helped develop the winger into one of their best two-way players, who had a stellar 2020-21 season in all situations, and now have nothing like him. Multiple people close to the situation indicated he had been trying to shop Buchnevich for one all summer to no avail. The Rangers will have enough firepower up front and on the power play, but they will also present a formidable bottom six who strap on their hardhats, go to work and provide a different dimension. The reality of the Pavel Buchnevich trade is that both sides are right. Pavel Buchnevich Age 27 Apr 17, 1995 Cherepovets RUS Right Wing shoots left 6'3" 191 cm 197 lbs 89 kg ELC Signing Age 21 Waivers Signing Age 21 UFA Year 2022 Agent Mark Gandler & Todd Diamond Draft Year 2013 Drafted Overall 75 Draft Round 3 Draft Team Cap Hit: $5,800,000 7.0% of team cap space Accumulated Cap Hit: $5,674,595 Continue with Recommended Cookies. But during the game, youre like, Forget it. Sometimes he goes on the left. Buchnevich signed a four-year extension with his new team four days after the trade. The Pavel Puchnevich trade is going to be one that is discussed ad nauseum for a while. Hes building on that with a role on the Blues short-handed units this season. 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. Injuries, etc. The trade ends multiple seasons of trade speculation surrounding Buchnevich, despite the Rangers forward being one of their most productive. The 25-year-old has one season remaining on the two-year, $3 million contract ($1.5 million average annual value) he signed with St. Louis on April 15, 2020. 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. 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.