Rumor: 2022-2023 Trade Rumors and Free Agency: Let’s Run it Back!

[MarkT]

It’s Vegas, they’re going to chase a shiny new toy and then dump players without care until they resemble the late 90s and early 00s Rangers that was just a bunch of mercenaries that cared about themselves

I love that they're probably our main rivals for years to come in the West. They make it so easy to hate them and we're a team of genuinely great people.

 

[TheShape]

I guess you missed my post above. He's just repeating what Darren Ferris tells him. Yes, he's reporting an inflated price, but blame the agent for that, not Dreger.

All these "insiders" have connections to agents around the league but they aren't shamelessly shilling themselves like Dreger. He lost all credibility and embarrassed himself during the Marner saga reporting the 14m offer sheet Marner was going to receive plus his RFA tour which was laughable.

Reporting is one thing, but Dreger inserting himself into this stuff at the forefront as if he's going to receive a % from Ferris is another.

He's literally doing it right now with Jack Campbell, different agent, same Dreger.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

All these "insiders" have connections to agents around the league but they aren't shamelessly shilling themselves like Dreger. He lost all credibility and embarrassed himself during the Marner saga reporting the 14m offer sheet Marner was going to receive plus his RFA tour which was laughable.

Reporting is one thing, but Dreger inserting himself into this stuff at the forefront as if he's going to receive a % from Ferris is another.

He's literally doing it right now with Jack Campbell, different agent, same Dreger.

Yea, Dreger has gone from reporting insider information to trying to directly insert himself in negotiations

 

[MarkT]

All these "insiders" have connections to agents around the league but they aren't shamelessly shilling themselves like Dreger. He lost all credibility and embarrassed himself during the Marner saga reporting the 14m offer sheet Marner was going to receive plus his RFA tour which was laughable.

Reporting is one thing, but Dreger inserting himself into this stuff at the forefront as if he's going to receive a % from Ferris is another.

He's literally doing it right now with Jack Campbell, different agent, same Dreger.

I get the dislike for him, but what you seem to dislike is that instead of filtering and adding his own opinion to what agents tell him, he's just directly reporting what he's told. On a personal moral level I would also prefer if he said "His agents is talking about him receiving X, but I think that's unlikely".
But what you have to remember is that Dreger is not a reporter - his job is to generate clicks and views, and he does a good job of that.

 

[Peter Peckerwood]

I think they were already close friends before the trade.

But yeah I agree with Nuke possibly looking for more Russians...the way he embraced Vasi and Kucherov during the handshake was very telling.

Nuke to TB on the cheap, E5.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Nuke to TB on the cheap, E5.

That would be a nightmare

 

[Azrael89]

I seem to remember Dregs inserting himself into the Duchene trade saga early on in that process.

 

[Peter Peckerwood]

That would be a nightmare

Indeed. When I thought about that, my stomach turned. I don't know if having a teammate of the same nationality is a thing to most players, but there seemed to be something there with Nuke and those 2. I'm not sure if there is a political element with the Russian players right now, but it did cross my mind.

I hope Nuke stays and has the loyalty people mentioned and takes the discount.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

I seem to remember Dregs inserting himself into the Duchene trade saga early on in that process.

Wasn’t he the one visibly getting upset that Sakic didn’t trade him quicker?

 

[TheShape]

Nuke to TB on the cheap, E5.

Not going to lie if Nichushkin leaves I think it will be for Tampa, there's the Palat replacement. He would fit well in Florida too but the Panthers won't have the cap space.

 

[Azrael89]

Wasn’t he the one visibly getting upset that Sakic didn’t trade him quicker?

That’s how I remember it. There was a couple apologists for him here at the time too. It was embarrassing to watch.

 

[MarkT]

Slight change of topic, but what do people think about Nick Schmaltz as our potential 2C if Kadri leaves?
I'm basing this on the assumption that everyone on the Coyotes is for sale and I assume it would cost at least Newhook+ to do it.
Schmaltz has put up good numbers on a terrible Coyotes team (0.73 points per game over the past three seasons and a respectable 23 goals and 36 assists last season - although that was with a 19% shooting percentage). He's 26, 6'0, and shoots right, and he's signed for four more years at 5.85m.

 

[Azrael89]

Slight change of topic, but what do people think about Nick Schmaltz as our potential 2C if Kadri leaves?
I'm basing this on the assumption that everyone on the Coyotes is for sale and I assume it would cost at least Newhook+ to do it.
Schmaltz has put up good numbers on a terrible Coyotes team (0.73 points per game over the past three seasons and a respectable 23 goals and 36 assists last season - although that was with a 19% shooting percentage). He's 26, 6'0, and shoots right, and he's signed for four more years at 5.85m.

Seems like a high risk player to me, but who can say how he’d fit with the Avs.

 

[Richard88]

Slight change of topic, but what do people think about Nick Schmaltz as our potential 2C if Kadri leaves?
I'm basing this on the assumption that everyone on the Coyotes is for sale and I assume it would cost at least Newhook+ to do it.
Schmaltz has put up good numbers on a terrible Coyotes team (0.73 points per game over the past three seasons and a respectable 23 goals and 36 assists last season - although that was with a 19% shooting percentage). He's 26, 6'0, and shoots right, and he's signed for four more years at 5.85m.

Didn't he score like 20% of his points in one freak game?

 

[MarkT]

Didn't he score like 20% of his points in one freak game?

It's why I posted his 3 year average. Last year was probably a bit of an aberration.

 

[Richard88]

How about Christian Dvorak for 2C?

Elliott Friedman said last season that a team in the West were looking at Dvorak, which very well could have been the Avs given that they had interest a couple of years ago. That being the case I said at the TDL that I had a sneaky suspicion that Sakic was working on a Lehkonen + Dvorak trade (my proposal was 1st + Barron + JTC for those two), and half of that trade turned into reality. I wonder if we see the other half happen as well this off-season. Not sure what piece(s) Montreal would want for Dvorak though.

 

[Avs_19]

I don't trust Dreger and he definitely gets used by this particular agent but I'd still rather speculate about his speculation than hear another word about Andy freakin Strickland and his reports. It's that time of year but I'm already done with it.

 

[MarkT]

How about Christian Dvorak for 2C?

Elliott Friedman said last season that a team in the West were looking at Dvorak, which very well could have been the Avs given that they had interest a couple of years ago. That being the case I said at the TDL that I had a sneaky suspicion that Sakic was working on a Lehkonen + Dvorak trade (my proposal was 1st + Barron + JTC for those two), and half of that trade turned into reality. I wonder if we see the other half happen as well this off-season. Not sure what piece(s) Montreal would want for Dvorak though.

If we want to try to create a shut-down line with our 2C then he would be an option, but I wasn't hugely impressed with his time with the Habs so far. He might be a bit slow for our system too.

 

[Hasbro]

It’s very easy to keep lehkonen and Nichushkin. At worst you shop Compher.

Lehkonen isn’t going anywhere mark my words.

Hell this is kind of a worst case.

 

[Richard88]

If we want to try to create a shut-down line with our 2C then he would be an option, but I wasn't hugely impressed with his time with the Habs so far. He might be a bit slow for our system too.

I agree, he's a bit slow and isn't that good offensively. He's showed multiple times though that he can out up points while acting as a low-key 'facilitator' on a line, like when he was with Marner in juniors. His metrics have usually been pretty good.

Maybe a line like Lehkonen-Dvorak-Rantanen would find some success. Or just roll out Lehkonen-Dvorak-Nichuskin as a true shutdown line as you suggested.

Edit: the problem with Dvorak is also that it'll likely cost the 2023 1st to get him given how few assets the Avs have, which doesn't feel all too appealing.

Hell this is kind of a worst case.

View attachment 563908

Worst case involves Nichuskin leaving...

 

[MarkT]

I agree, he's a bit slow and isn't that good offensively. He's showed multiple times though that he can out up points while acting as a low-key 'facilitator' on a line, like when he was with Marner in juniors. His metrics have usually been pretty good.

Maybe a line like Lehkonen-Dvorak-Rantanen would find some success. Or just roll out Lehkonen-Dvorak-Nichuskin as a true shutdown line as you suggested.

What I like most about him is his age and contract, and the Avs don't really need the 2C to be a major play driver - they just need someone who can be solid.
I wouldn't put too much stock into his junior play though. You or I probably could have put up a bunch of points playing with Marner in juniors.

 

[MacKaRant]

That's a ridiculously discounted deal. Wow.

Gotta feel for Paul. He got traded out of Ottawa on the cusp of their multiple years of unparalleled success. And now just signed a very long extension on a team on the decline.

 

[Richard88]

What I like most about him is his age and contract, and the Avs don't really need the 2C to be a major play driver - they just need someone who can be solid.
I wouldn't put too much stock into his junior play though. You or I probably could have put up a bunch of points playing with Marner in juniors.

Yeah, $4.45m x 3 is basically the Kadri contract/caphit and is a cheap enough caphit for the 2C spot that you maintain cap flexibility in other parts of the roster.

Hughes showed at the deadline that he won't trade players cheap. Would you part with the 2023 1st for him? Or how would a trade package get put together?

 

[MarkT]

Yeah, $4.45m x 3 is basically the Kadri contract/caphit and is a cheap enough caphit for the 2C spot that you maintain cap flexibility in other parts of the roster.

Hughes showed at the deadline that he won't trade players cheap. Would you part with the 2023 1st for him? Or how would a trade package get put together?

How about Girard?

 

[Ceremony]

What am I missing about Paul?

Doesn't seem to be more than a decent role player, why do folks think that contract is a discount?

Generational(ly terrible eyebrows)