Canadiens Acquire Sopel, Dawes from Thrashers for Maxwell, Draft Pick

The Montreal Canadiens announced today that they have acquired defenseman Brent Sopel and left wing Nigel Dawes from the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for center Ben Maxwell and a fourth round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft. Sopel will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, while Dawes and Maxwell will be eligible for restricted free agency. In 59 games this season, Sopel has two goals and five assists for seven points, while Dawes has one assist in nine games. He has spent the majority of the season with Chicago of the AHL and will now report to Hamilton of the AHL. Maxwell has 11 goals and 29 assists for 40 points in 47 games with Hamilton and will now report to the Chicago Wolves. Not a bad depth move for the Canadiens, as Sopel will bring some much-needed depth to their injury-ravaged blueline. He can play lots of minutes and brings lots of shot blocking skill to the team. Dawes does bring some goal-scoring skill to Montreal, but is very inconsistent in his scoring. He will look to salavage his NHL career with the Canadiens, but if he cannot, this will likely be his last stop in the NHL. Maxwell brings some two-way skill to the Thrashers, but likely won't make much of an impact this season. With the emergence of rookie center David Desharnais this season, Maxwell became expendable to Montreal.

Thrashers Sign Nigel Dawes to One-Year Deal

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Atlanta Thrashers have signed left wing Nigel Dawes to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay him $600,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 at the AHL level. In 66 games last season with the Calgary Flames, he had 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points. Not a bad signing for the Thrashers, as Dawes will bring some offensive skill to the team. He works hard on the ice and has some goal-scoring skill, but can be inconsistent in his play from time to time and was never given much of an opportunity in Calgary to prove himself. Perhaps if he is given a little more ice time in Atlanta, he can better his offensive numbers.

Preissing, Dawes, Pandolfo Among NHL Players on Waivers

On Wednesday, the following NHL players were placed on unconditional waivers, meaning they will be eligible to have their contracts bought out if they clear and become unrestricted free agents. The players will have until noon tomorrow to be claimed by other teams.


Nigel Dawes, LW - Calgary Flames
Petteri Nokelainen, C - Phoenix Coyotes
Jay Pandolfo, LW - New Jersey Devils
Andrew Peters, LW - New Jersey Devils
Tom Preissing, D - Colorado Avalanche


There's really no surprise that most of these players are potentially going to be bought out by their teams. They've really fallen down the depth chart of their respected teams and were either frequent scratches or shipped off to the minors last season. The Flames placing Dawes on waivers is an interesting move, as he didn't have a terrible 2009-10 season for his talent level and is scheduled to make a very affordable $850,000 next season. It's possible the Flames could be planning on making a big trade or free agent signing and this could be the precursor to such a move, but it remains to be seen if that is actually the case.

Flames Claim Dawes Off Waivers; Sign Him to Two-Year Deal

The Calgary Flames added some offensive depth to their team by claiming left wing Nigel Dawes off waivers from the Phoenix Coyotes. Then just days later, the Flames signed him to a two-year contract worth $1.7 million. The deal averages out to $850,000 per season. By signing him, the Flames avoid arbitration with the young forward, which he elected to while still with the Coyotes. Dawes appeared in 64 games last season with the New York Rangers and Phoenix Coyotes after being traded to the Coyotes at the 2009 trade deadline with Petr Prucha and Dmitri Kalinin in exchange for Derek Morris. Dawes scored 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points. In 133 career games with the Rangers and Coyotes, he has 25 goals and 26 assists for 51 points. These are great moves by the Flames in claiming Dawes off waivers and then signing him. He has good goal scoring potential and could become a top-six forward if he can increase his production. This is also a very affordable singing for the Flames, who are currently very close to the salary cap ceiling.

Rangers Acquire Defenseman Morris from Coyotes

The New York Rangers made a second big splash at the trade deadline by acquiring defenseman Derek Morris from the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for defenseman Dmitri Kalinin, left wing Nigel Dawes, and left wing Petr Prucha. Morris requested a trade over the weekend and pulled himself from the Coyotes' lineup to avoid suffering an injury. Morris, who had a no-trade clause, agreed to waive to go to an Eastern Conference team. In 57 games this season, Morris has five goals and seven assists for 12 points and 24 penalty minutes. Kalinin has one goal and 12 assists for 13 points in 58 games. In 28 games this season, Prucha has four goals and five assists for nine points, while Dawes has 10 goals and nine assists for 19 points in 52 games. Morris brings lots of toughness and veteran experience to the Rangers' defense as they attempt to hang onto a playoff spot. Kalinin brings plenty of veteran depth and offensive skill to the Coyotes' blueline despite his struggles this season. Dawes gives the Coyotes a young goal scorer with lots of potential, while Prucha gives them offensive depth on the wing. However, Prucha has struggled since his rookie season and it remains to be seen if he will fit into their future.