2025 26 Roster…too Soon

[Giovi]

I was thinking about Pasta as well. Depends entirely on him and Boston, but the team has traded away vets and could be going full rebuild vs just a retool (this is still more likely though unfortunately).

If he's available, he would be a fantastic target to cash in our assets for.

Id trade a lot for him. Top prospects like Korchinski, Moore, Lardis, Kantserov, top picks like the 26 1st, 27 1st, any of the 26/27 late 1sts, any of the lesser prospects like Reichel, Allan etc, any roster player like Bertuzzi, TT etc if needed.

For example a package of Bertuzzi, Korchinski, Moore, 26 1st, 25 Tor 1st would surely be enticing for both sides.

I hope he becomes available.

I've said it before, giving up the pick that could become Gavin McKenna is a fireable offense.

 

[u2wojo]

Tavares would be a great addition. I think acquiring him is more realistic than Marner, but I would love it if KD got serious and offer sheeted Knies (it wouldn't make him the most popular GM but it might be a sneaky way to make Tavares available .... a la what Doug Wilson pulled on Stan).

The problem is Knies at 5 million (2nd round pick compensation) is instantly matched and Knies simply is not worth a 1st, 2nd and 3rd when the first is the Hawk's likely top 5 in a deep draft. Leafs can resign Marner at a decent raise, Tavares at a slight haircut and easily pay Knies 5-6. Worst case they jettison Domi for nothing to free up money if they need cap which they simply won't with the cap increase.

Offersheets rarely work and have only worked when teams are absolutlely cap strapped like Wilson did with the Hawks or St Louis with Edmonton last Summer. No one is strapped this Summer with the big bump in cap. The only possible team you could succeed with an offershheet it Dallas with Bourque as they are real tight. Just not sure Borque is the right target. In a vaccum picking up Borque for the '26 2nd is probably a decent move, but not sure Borque actually fills a long term need.

 

[TLEH]

Marner is not coming here. They'll have to try and get someone like Boeser.

 

[u2wojo]

Marner is not coming here. They'll have to try and get someone like Boeser.

I like Boeser as a fit, but I suspect he ends up going home to the Wild who are suddenly flush with cash with the worst of the Suter/Parise buyouts coming off the books (freeing up 13 million) plus the cap increase.

 

[TLEH]

I like Boeser as a fit, but I suspect he ends up going home to the Wild who are suddenly flush with cash with the worst of the Suter/Parise buyouts coming off the books (freeing up 13 million) plus the cap increase.

Yeah I think he ends up in Minnesota too if I had to guess. But thats the sandbox we are going to have to play in.

 

[giza]

You toss a 5 year, 10MM per year contract at Sam Bennett and a 2 year 10MM per year contract at Brock Nelson and I think you can land them both. Please note that this doesn't suggest value, but just guys who play the game right and could help Bedard till the prospect cavalry arrives.

 

[Hattrick Kane]

Nelson and Boeser are both going to Minnesota. Bennett is going back to Florida. Just a brutal free agent class.

 

[BobbyJet]

You toss a 5 year, 10MM per year contract at Sam Bennett and a 2 year 10MM per year contract at Brock Nelson and I think you can land them both. Please note that this doesn't suggest value, but just guys who play the game right and could help Bedard till the prospect cavalry arrives.

I don't trust Sam Bennett as a consistent performer going forward, especially for that much. And at 28 (29 in June) does he fit the rebuild? I think not. He would be more of a band aid to help Bedard. If Hawks were anywhere close to a playoff team, my thought process would be different

 

[clydesdale line]

The problem is Knies at 5 million (2nd round pick compensation) is instantly matched and Knies simply is not worth a 1st, 2nd and 3rd when the first is the Hawk's likely top 5 in a deep draft. Leafs can resign Marner at a decent raise, Tavares at a slight haircut and easily pay Knies 5-6. Worst case they jettison Domi for nothing to free up money if they need cap which they simply won't with the cap increase.

I'll be honest. I'd offer sheet Knies 7+ million and feel good about it. Assuming the Hawks win the lottery.

 

[u2wojo]

I'll be honest. I'd offer sheet Knies 7+ million and feel good about it. Assuming the Hawks win the lottery.

I would not. I like Knies (a lot), but in Chicago he will not be on a line with Mathews and Marner nor likely to ever repeat a shooting percentage of his current 20.5%. Knies is a very good player, but a top 5 pick in what looks like a really good draft at the moment is a chance at an elite star player. No guarantee you turn a top 5 pick into one even as good as the current version of Knies, but I don't see Knies as a superstar elite top 4 or 5 handful of guys in the league that a vast majority come from the top 10 in the draft. The '26 draft is way more than just McKenna at the top. Roobroeck or Belechetz would be excellent adds that give you star upside and fit the Hawk prospect pool exceptionally well.

 

[Kevin Musto]

Now ain't the time for offer sheets.

Once the 2026 draft passes, maybe then Chicago can start looking at trading away their own 1sts.

 

[statswatcher]

Now ain't the time for offer sheets.

like seriously, have you ever actually used the words "ain't", "y'all", etc. in spoken conversation once in your entire life?

 

[Kevin Musto]

like seriously, have you ever actually used the words "ain't", "y'all", etc. in spoken conversation once in your entire life?

?

all the time

 

[statswatcher]

?

all the time

i have my doubts, but if you say so.

 

[Muffinalt]

I've said it before, giving up the pick that could become Gavin McKenna is a fireable offense.

Cool that you've said it, I simply don't agree it's off the table for anyone. How much better is McKenna going to be than someone like Pasta anyway who himself is a top 10 player in the league?

That is, if we actually end up with Gavin in the first place, which depends on so many factors and chances.

I'm not championing to trade it, but fireable offense I think is too much.

 

[Giovi]

Cool that you've said it, I simply don't agree it's off the table for anyone. How much better is McKenna going to be than someone like Pasta anyway who himself is a top 10 player in the league?

That is, if we actually end up with Gavin in the first place, which depends on so many factors and chances.

I'm not championing to trade it, but fireable offense I think is too much.

Agree to disagree. I'd far rather have a shot at a potential elite player who's 18 than give up a ton, including that shot, for a 30 year old star. And I hope like crazy KD sees it the same way.

 

[BobbyJet]

I would not. I like Knies (a lot), but in Chicago he will not be on a line with Mathews and Marner nor likely to ever repeat a shooting percentage of his current 20.5%. Knies is a very good player, but a top 5 pick in what looks like a really good draft at the moment is a chance at an elite star player. No guarantee you turn a top 5 pick into one even as good as the current version of Knies, but I don't see Knies as a superstar elite top 4 or 5 handful of guys in the league that a vast majority come from the top 10 in the draft. The '26 draft is way more than just McKenna at the top. Roobroeck or Belechetz would be excellent adds that give you star upside and fit the Hawk prospect pool exceptionally well.

Knies is much better than you give him credit for. Not elite offensively but pretty dam good... He is one of the leaders already in TO.

 

[Muffinalt]

Agree to disagree. I'd far rather have a shot at a potential elite player who's 18 than give up a ton, including that shot, for a 30 year old star. And I hope like crazy KD sees it the same way.

Of course hes going to see it the same way. GMs are much more risk averse than us message boards fans because they're actually responsible for things, and not in a position to pull trades like this left and right, unless your Trotz I guess.

But to say you can't even consider the move and and should be fired immediately is unnecessary hyperbole I will never understand.

I bet my ass they discuss these type of possible moves heavily.

 

[u2wojo]

Knies is much better than you give him credit for. Not elite offensively but pretty dam good... He is one of the leaders already in TO.

Again....I like Knies a lot. I am not trading a likely top 5 (even if it cant be #1OA) pick for him. Top 5 picks give you a punchers chance at getting a top 20-30 in the league elite talent.

 

[Giovi]

Of course hes going to see it the same way. GMs are much more risk averse than us message boards fans because they're actually responsible for things, and not in a position to pull trades like this left and right, unless your Trotz I guess.

But to say you can't even consider the move and and should be fired immediately is unnecessary hyperbole I will never understand.

I bet my ass they discuss these type of possible moves heavily.

It's not hyperbole. I'm saying if I was his boss and he made that trade, I'd have him walked out the door. I'm certain McKenna will be as good or better than Pasta, and you get him at 18, not 30. He fits the teams timeline. To me, you don't give up a chance at a talent like that.

 

[HeisenBaez]

I've said it before, giving up the pick that could become Gavin McKenna is a fireable offense.

Who says that pick will end up being McKenna, if the Hawks keep the pick? What if the Hawks keep the pick and it ends up becoming #4 or 5 in the draft. So unless you can tell me with 100% certainty (which you can not) that particular pick will become McKenna, that pick needs to be made available in the right trade.

 

[Giovi]

Who says that pick will end up being McKenna, if the Hawks keep the pick? What if the Hawks keep the pick and it ends up becoming #4 or 5 in the draft. So unless you can tell me with 100% certainty (which you can not) that particular pick will become McKenna, that pick needs to be made available in the right trade.

You might have missed the word "could" in the post you quoted. It's a synonym for "may" and clearly indicates that I'm saying it's not a certainty.

But I would, without hesitation, keep the pick that *could* become McKenna over making the deal that is the topic of this debate.

 

[Hattrick Kane]

Of course hes going to see it the same way. GMs are much more risk averse than us message boards fans because they're actually responsible for things, and not in a position to pull trades like this left and right, unless your Trotz I guess.

But to say you can't even consider the move and and should be fired immediately is unnecessary hyperbole I will never understand.

I bet my ass they discuss these type of possible moves heavily.

Vegas doesn’t seem to care, and it’s worked out great for them. And Buffalo was very risk adverse and look where it got them.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Vegas doesn’t seem to care, and it’s worked out great for them. And Buffalo was very risk adverse and look where it got them.

Easier to not care when you aren't a bottom dwelling team and only give up the 20th overall pick, and not the 2nd overall pick.

 

[u2wojo]

Are we comparing Eichel and Knies and the risk reward of a trade that involved a top 10 protected pick to an offersheet that involves an unprotected pick for a team that has been the worst or 2nd worst team in the league for 3 years running (and little rational reason to think that improves even marginally next season)?