Well the red jersey still works...
It's not a big surprise, but after the three seasons of putting up 39, 52 and 54 points in the AHL Minnesota has traded two-time AHL all-star defenseman Maxim Noreau to New Jersey for forward David McIntyre. Noreau was ranked the 11th-best prospect by Hockey's Future but was getting passed by a few prospects in Houston's depth chart. A poor man's Marc-Andre Bergeron (booming slapshot included), Noreau was able to run the power play in Houston but looked out of place and a defensive liability during an end of the year stint with the Wild. It doesn't help that between Burns and Zidlicky there isn't a big use for a PP specialist and his ability to make the NHL was capped in Minnesota.
This deal works for the Devils as New Jersey is in need of a defenseman or two in Albany and there is a lot more opportunity to use Noreau in Newark than in Minnesota. At the same time, Minnesota is in need of more forward depth and McIntyre fits the bill for a player who can fight for a bottom-line job in St. Paul yet help out the Aeros.
So who is David McIntyre?
Minnesota needs more tennis ever since the departure of Stephane Veilleux
David McIntyre is a forward (he can play left wing or center) out of Pefferlaw, Ontario who was drafted by Dallas in the fifth round of the 2006 NHL Draft (129 spots after James Sheppard). He played at Colgate University for four seasons without a NCAA appearance for the Raiders and has had his rights traded twice before (Dallas to Anaheim and then Anaheim to New Jersey for Sheldon Brookbank). McIntyre spent last season in Albany putting up thirty points (12G-18A) in 78 games and has been described by Devils fans as "a speedy two way forward (who is) nothing flashy." Many were expecting him to compete for a job on New Jersey's 4th line but given the Devils' plethora of forwards (McIntyre was New Jersey's seventh-best forward prospect according to Hockey's Future) that wasn't a guarantee. With a new start in Minnesota, McIntyre has the same opportunity.
Personally, it's not the best deal for Minnesota. Noreau had clearly fallen out of favor with the current regime but at the same time the Wild have plenty of grinders to fight for a bottom-six job. I don't see too much of a difference between McIntyre and players like Casey Wellman or Cody Almond. However, given the prospect pool and Houston needs more forwards who can compete day in and day out this is helpful for the organization. With signings like Chay Genoway and a plethora of defensive prospects, Minnesota is set with mid-tier defensemen, but I would have just liked to see Maxim Noreau fetch more. The team needs more skill.
No comments:
Post a Comment