Kovacevic isn't actually a completely come out of nowhere guy. He was good in Montreal in increasingly tougher minutes. He's just taken on a larger role in NJ. I wouldn't be too concerned with getting him, especially in the price range you're talking about.
Realistically you're probably right, and realistically he probably wouldn't waive... but it's fun to think about.
Agreed. Still pretty fast, has always been defensively solid I think?, and can score goals. He would fit well with Smith as Will shifts back to center after the TDL (basically what Warso wanted from Goodrow, which did not work out to say the least).
Any halfway decent forward that we can sign is gonna want term. Getting a decent top 9 guy for only one more additional year is perfect. By the end of next year I imagine more premium free agents would be more interested in playing on this team.
I can see them wanting the veteran experience but I don't know if they want to invest the extra year. I also wouldn't move Zetterlund down for Saad when Zetterlund is producing much more than Saad is this season. If you're going to claim Saad, put him on the 3rd line with Wennberg and Kovalenko and make him earn his way up. Pushes Kunin back down to the 4th and you scratch either White or Duehr since they don't have the will to scratch Goodrow.
Either or with Zetts or Saad, it would be nice to have options for a change. The extra year is nice because that's one less roster spot Grier would have to fill in free agency. If not him then it would be someone like him for at least two years regardless.
Until 26-27 we're not gonna have a ton of options in free agency in terms of premium guys and i don't know how much Grier is ready to fasttrack things by trading a Musty or someone for some more immediate help. We could do a lot worse than a Saad, Wennberg, Kovy third line.
Part of that is the Blues put Holloway/Neighbors in his spot and pushed Saad to a Gambrell caliber 3C. Think Saad could be a solid running mate with a one of the kids as he knows how to play and would lengthen the scoring a bit.
He was playing 16:30 a night on a bad MTL team at 26 years old last year and dealt for a 4th rounder. Not exactly the profile of a known commodity.
I think we can afford to be a bit more picky with who we want for next season when we will have some wingers turning pro and guys like Graf who have potential and versatility if he fills out a little more.
Saad could be a decent tradable asset next year when his contract is in its final year if the sharks are done with him.
Because of that, I'd imagine that Chicago is going to look to put in a claim to reunite him with the original team and do something similar after trading away Hall. Not sure if points percentage or just points is used to determine waiver order. Would determine if we have 1st priority or 2nd priority behind Chicago.
Probably most of them. Ehlers is the only guy that I'd consider giving any sort of money/term to from this UFA group (assuming Rantanen isn't happening - which I'd suspect to be the case). And even Ehlers doesn't really fit as a slighter framed guy given our top 2 centers are also on the slighter build spectrum and our best winger isn't exactly a big body (Eklund).
Extremely ironically, Saad has long been a Musty comparison.
He could be but a lot of guys that end up on waivers don't rebound into a tradeable asset. It'll be harder for the Sharks when they'll have one retention slot to use and any of Ferraro, Liljegren, Walman, and Wennberg to use it on.
Even if they all want term, it would be okay to pass on it. I think Graf is close enough to keep a top-9 winger spot open for him to compete for while giving something to dangle in front of all the rookie pro wingers we'll have.
I agree. Last year he put up nearly 30. With time and opportunity, I don't see why he couldn't do so again next year if he's playing on the second line (big if).
