BREAKING: Blues deal SÃ¶derberg to Bruins for goaltender Toivonen

by Tomorrows Blues on Jul 23, 2007 4:52 PM CDT

By Brian Weidler, "Game Time" Prospect Columnist

ST. LOUIS, July 23, 2007 -- Blues' President John Davidson today announced that the Blues have acquired goaltender Hannu Toivonen from the Boston Bruins, in exchange for prospect Carl SÃ¶derberg.

Toivonen, a 23-year old, 6'2, 200-pound native of Kalvola, Finland, was Boston's first-round choice (29th overall) in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. He has been solid in three seasons with Providence of the AHL (117 GP, 57-47-8 record, 11 SO, 2.21 GAA and .923 save percentage), and has appeared in 38 NHL games in the last two years. In that span, Toivonen is 12-14-5 with one shutout, a 3.32 GAA, and .896 save percentage.

The big Finn missed the last half of the 2005-06 season after suffering an ankle injury in January 2006, but has been injury-free since then. He split the 2006-07 season between Boston and Providence, appearing in 10 NHL games before the first of the year, and eight contests in the latter half of the season after essentially losing the battle for the Bruins' starting job to veteran Tim Thomas. The Bruins' recent trade for Manny Fernandez, and the development of Toivonen's countryman Tuukka Rask, made Toivonen expendable in Beantown.

SÃ¶derberg, a 21-year-old, 6'2, 200-pound center from MalmÃ¶, Sweden, was the Blues' second-round pick (49th overall) in the 2004 Entry Draft. He has been projected as a potential first- or second-line playmaking center since the day the Blues drafted him, but there have been some issues first with getting him to North America, and then with keeping him here. SÃ¶derberg was in the Blues' Development Camp and regular Training Camp last season, and was ticketed to start the season in Peoria to continue his development before balking at the assignment and invoking a clause in his contract that allowed him to return to Sweden.

The decision to return home turned out to be a fateful one for the young Swede, as he suffered a season-ending eye injury in early February, putting the brakes on what was looking like a breakout season in MalmÃ¶'s first year at the Elitserien level.

==========

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Hannu Toivonen
Goaltender, catches left. 6-02, 200 pounds.
Born May 18, 1984 in Kalvola, Finland.
Boston's 1st choice, 29th overall, in 2002 Entry Draft

Regular Season...... GP W. L. T. Mins Shts GA. GAA. Sv % ==================== == == == == ==== ==== === ==== ==== 06-07 Boston NHL.... 18 .3 .9 .1 .894 .502 .63 4.23 .875 06-07 Providence AHL 27 13 13 .1 1618 .702 .64 2.37 .909 05-06 Boston NHL.... 20 .9 .5 .4 1163 .590 .51 2.63 .914 04-05 Providence AHL 54 29 18 .3 3017 1507 103 2.05 .932 03-04 Providence AHL 36 15 16 .4 2162 1055 .83 2.30 .921 02-03 HPK Finland... 24 16 .2 .4 1432 .... .54 2.26 .... 01-02 HPK Jr Finland 31 15 12 .4 1877 1062 103 3.29 .903

Playoffs............ GP W. L. T. Mins Shts GA. GAA. Sv % ==================== == == == == ==== ==== === ==== ==== 06-07 Boston NHL.... .. .. .. .. .... .... ... .... .... 06-07 Providence AHL 13 .6 .7 .. .742 .349 .36 2.91 .897 05-06 Boston NHL.... .. .. .. .. .... .... ... .... .... 04-05 Providence AHL 17 10 .7 .. 1038 .547 .42 2.42 .923 03-04 Providence AHL .. .. .. .. .... .... ... .... .... 02-03 HPK Finland... .2 .1 .1 .. .118 .... ..3 1.52 .... 01-02 HPK Jr Finland .7 .3 .4 .. .440 .... .31 4.22 ....

==========

As always, remember... "If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

Tweet Comment 11 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Soderberg was being billed as a potential first or second-line talent, but you have to wonder what his play is going to be like after such a serious injury. And as the Prospect Department mentioned, he hasn’t exactly showed a comittment to playing in North America.

I think this might be a case of the organ-eye-zation getting the most for a prospect who might be high reward but is definitely high risk.

Or the Rev. Biondi at SLU is more powerful than we thought and engineered this trade to make sure there are no more Soderbergs in St. Louis.

by Brad Lee on Jul 23, 2007 5:29 PM CDT reply actions

except this forces another trade.

we ALREADY have two goalies competeing for 1 back up job. already re-upped our starter, are already paing a nhl size and guarenteed money to our peoria starter. have two solid goaltender prospects that will need ice time that do NOT include big ben, whom will need in a year (two at the most) a starting job in peoria at minimum.

we have enough real talent (supposedly) to giver 3 over qualified goalies to alaska next year, 3 goalies to peoria, and have 3 goalies here.

by Childhood Trauma on Jul 23, 2007 6:54 PM CDT reply actions

Maybe the team isn’t too excited about the Bacashihua negotiations and don’t want to overpay an unproven young backup.

My guess is that it’s this order:
1. Kid keeps saying “homesick”.
2. For a team that hasn’t had a dominant goalie in decades, having too many young goalies with promise gives flexibility.
3. A wicked eye injury kept Al MacInnis from ever playing the same.

by gallagher on Jul 23, 2007 9:15 PM CDT reply actions

no one is sold on cash, he passed waivers last season, he’ll pass waiver this season. however they addressed that with signing a euro to push cash in camp and replace him if cash fails, and marek they seem intent to pay 1 million to be a riverman, he could backup, now they traded for a young first round goalie who had seemed to regress last season. (but gave up only a project type/injury concerned prospect to get him)

it isnt about the number, per se. but the ice time. cash can be ruined by sitting him on the bench all year. no one cares. when big ben comes out of college though, the blues will have at least three PROSPECTS that need a starting ice time to continue their paths.

unless the blues plan to trade, or simple have already decided a time scale for scwartz (or one of the other legit goalie prospects) that included rookie starting for the blues after this current season, someone is going to be lost…

by Childhood Trauma on Jul 23, 2007 9:56 PM CDT reply actions

this would pretty much even out a trade that I always thought was lopsided: Boyes for Wideman. Now it’s Boyes and the rights to an RFA for Wideman and Soderberg. Now it’s a little more even to me.

you see, Boston is over there on the coastline, lots closer to Sweden than America’s heartland. Plus that hole that Boyes left can now be plugged, that is, if Soderberg is able to play. I’m sure he would be capable of making the NHL squad and not worry about being demoted to second tier (AHL), so all the more tempting for him.

now our end of the deal… we let go of the Sandman and the Hyphenator. the signing of Riksman covers Sanford; keep Bishop in college this year; and Toivenen can cover B-T, IF we sign him. remember, we only acquired his RIGHTS. he’s still a free agent. Soderberg wasn’t going to come back to us, so we dumped him off on another team for a player that they weren’t going to resign anyway. we don’t really even need him. he’s restricted, so we get something if someone else signs him. if no one else does and we DO sign him, he’ll definitely be playing in Alaska. I mean, he’s so bad, Boston had to obtain Sauve AND MacDonald last season to cover for him.

by Dooks on Jul 24, 2007 2:27 AM CDT reply actions

What? That was a very strange comment, Dooks. Toivonen is not a RFA. He has a nother year to play for 532 000 USD. THEN he’ll be a RFA. Or are you talking about next season already? Am I the dense one?

by Marcus on Jul 24, 2007 3:51 AM CDT reply actions

Dooks,

What the **** ???

by Brian Weidler on Jul 24, 2007 9:36 AM CDT reply actions

oh sorry. I was going by this free agent list: http://www.thefourthperiod.com/freeagents.html

I saw that his name was listed under Boston’s RFA’s, but I failed to notice that it says he resigned to a one-year contract. my bad.
good luck and have fun in Alaska, Hannu.

and I stand by what I said about Soderberg having much greater chances of making the Boston squad than the Blues. if he realizes that and shows up to camp, we’ll see him in the NHL yet

by Dooks on Jul 25, 2007 1:58 AM CDT reply actions

Hannu has nice hair, which may have an impact on ticket sales to broads ages 18-24.

I’d like to see him back up Manny (who should play around 70 games)… if he flops after a few starts, Schwarz is always in the wings.

Plus, I’m amazed that they were able to get ANYTHING for Soderberg, considering the severity of that eye injury. This has a high probability of being a good long-term deal for the team.

by Adam on Jul 29, 2007 11:32 AM CDT reply actions