After 24 hours of unknown circumstances and wild speculation, the Calgary Flames and New York Rangers have finally completed a major trade that will send Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust to the Rangers for Ales Kotalik and Chris Higgins.
One of the most bizarre trades I have ever covered. Jokinen+Prust for Higgins and Kotalik. Good night.
Bizarre is right. Most of the hockey world is simply relieved to have this deal over and done with. So ultimately, what was the hold up?
It appears that the Flames simply wanted to keep Jokinen in the lineup to face the Philadelphia Flyers at home on Monday night. He was largely invisible in that contest and the Flames lost 3-0. But the decision to keep Jokinen (and therefore Prust) in Calgary red for just one more game had interesting implications on Flames practice Monday morning.
Eric Duhatschek of The Globe and Mail:
As of noon today, Jokinen and Prust were still on the team and were on the ice earlier in the morning, preparing to play in Monday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Still, the tension in the air was palpable whenever you turned. Neither Jokinen nor Prust spoke in the dressing room following the morning skate; and when Jokinen came off the ice, he looked decidedly unhappy.
It has to be awkward lacing up the skates for a team that you know is actively shopping your services. In this case, in fact, it seems Jokinen was all but gone. Dreger's 'bizarre' description is really the only word that describes this whole thing.
In Calgary, fans are just downright upset with the deal. Cue Kent Wilson from SBN's Matchsticks and Gasoline:
Kotalik is terrible. His contract is terrible. If Sutter doesn’t flip him for something else (be it another player or basket of fruit) it’s an absolutely brutal acquisition.
Higgins was once a good player who may or may not be recoverable. He’s probably a step up from Nystrom et al.
Rangers fans at SBN's Blueshirt Banter likely echo those same thoughts, which means they're obviously happy the deal is now done. Some fan comments:
PARTY AT MY PLACE
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
dear god! the apocalypse!!! it’s happening!!