Prospect Info: 2025 Draft discussion

[SEALBound]

The idea of trading up into the top 5 of the Draft just because you have two first round picks is a pipe dream, not a realistic outcome. I'd put better odds on the Pens getting into the top 5 via the lottery.

I would tend to agree, especially if you're possibly taking Schaefer, Hagens, Misa, or Martone. Realistically, I don't think I'd do it for McQueen, Frondell, or anyone in that top 8 category. If the Rags pick is 14ov, I could be influenced to trade it for 18 + 45ov for example.

 

[Freeptop]

I would tend to agree, especially if you're possibly taking Schaefer, Hagens, Misa, or Martone. Realistically, I don't think I'd do it for McQueen, Frondell, or anyone in that top 8 category. If the Rags pick is 14ov, I could be influenced to trade it for 18 + 45ov for example.

I mean, if you're one of the teams picking in the top 5, is there any reason you would trade down in this draft? If none of the teams are willing to trade down out of the top 5, then by definition, you can't trade up into the top 5.

Once you get outside the top 5? Yeah, it might be worth taking a flyer on moving down and getting more kicks at the can. Particularly since it sounds like most teams' draft boards are all going to be very different outside the top 5. Moving down from 8th overall to 14th, for instance, you could very well still be able to pick the kid you would have taken at 8th, and now you get to pick someone else you think highly of as well.

From that standpoint, I'd say that if the Pens don't end up with a top 5 pick, it might be worthwhile to try trading down themselves, really. If there aren't any prospects that really excite you at, say, 8th overall, might as well see if you can move down a few spots and at least get a second round pick out of the deal.

 

[Ulf5]

No team has traded down out of a top 5 pick in the Salary Cap era. The last time it happened was at the 2004 draft, right before the lockout that resulted in the Cap.
Top 5 picks have become way too valuable under the Salary Cap.

The only top 5 picks that have moved in the last 20 years were ones where the team that gave up a top 5 pick did not know they were giving up a top 5 pick at the time they made the trade (the trade was made prior to the season that resulted in the pick being a top 5 pick). And they all involved a star NHL player getting moved in return (Karlsson, Duchene, Kessel).

Teams only trade down if the player they want is one they think they can still select with a later pick, and that's not going to be the case for anyone picking in the top 5 this year, given the drop-off in talent.

The idea of trading up into the top 5 of the Draft just because you have two first round picks is a pipe dream, not a realistic outcome. I'd put better odds on the Pens getting into the top 5 via the lottery.

There's zero chance I would do this. Well almost zero. Unless you're guaranteed Schaefer which is about as close to a sure thing as you can get in this draft. Otherwise, with the draft being such a crap shoot I think I'd pass.
But if they get into the top 5 and The Rangers pick is in the teens, I'd definitely look to move their pick up higher.

 

[Jacob]

6th worst record is within a point or two and most “ahead” of us have games in hand; so McQueen or Desnoyers is a nice consolation if we don’t get into the top 4.

 

[Andy99]

6th worst record is within a point or two and most “ahead” of us have games in hand; so McQueen or Desnoyers is a nice consolation if we don’t get into the top 4.

Well…we just need to lose more lol

 

[OtherThingsILike]

true, but once we have it, we can trade it, no?

We could also trade our own pick. If it's something like #9, I wouldn't be surprised if we move it for an older, but still young player like Peterka.
(Yes, I know that Buffalo doesn't want futures, but a 3-way trade where the 3rd team wants futures, Buffalo gets a player from that team, and we get the Buffalo player is possible.)