Speculation: Armchair GM Thread - Looking to the offseason

[nine_inch_fang]

I actually saw him with possession like 4 times last night. He does exist!

Yeah, he did actually touch the puck a few times last night.

 

[Viqsi]

wait now hes a trade chip??

He’s 25 for Godssakes… he has at least 5 years of production left

Novak has earned being the number 1 center with parsinnen as number 2 and glass as 3rd line center- which is probably his ceiling

This is jumping to conclusions and assuming what is right now will last for another half decade. For all we know this could be a fluke by Novak (I sure as heck hope not, tho!). For all we know Parssinen could be doing even better by the time he's the same age as Novak is now.

I'm not in any rush to trade Novak either, but I'm not going to entirely rule it out depending on what's available. (Admittedly, I doubt anything compelling enough to make trading Novak worth it is likely to show up.)

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Just as an illustration of my Sign Two Decent Wingers proposal... from the list, cherry-picking a couple of my favorites... we could budget 2 Nino Niederreiter specials on LW... I like Barbashev and Killorn, say, but maybe they are among the ones that are a little more "premium", maybe they'd cost more or (especially Barbashev) be able to get more term. (Both have SC rings btw). But for example.

I want to point out too, I list Johansen on LTIR... but I'm also counting his whole Cap hit here in the total. This is INCLUDING him, without yet taking the step of using LTIR to exceed the Cap. (I do not expect the Preds to do that and go over the Cap - it just doesn't seem like a thing the team would do, especially during this "renovation" program. Maybe one day if Johansen really can't come back and has to LTIRetire then it could become an option, but not before that, so I'm not going to start spending that money yet!)

2023-24

Forsberg ($8.5M) - Parssinen ($0.850833M) - Tomasino ($0.863333M)
Ivan Barbashev (UFA - $4M) - Glass (?RFA - $2.5M?) - Duchene ($8M)
Alex Killorn (UFA - $4M) - Novak ($0.800M) - Evangelista ($0.7975)
Trenin ($1.7M) - Sissons ($2.857M) - Smith ($0.775M)
Jankowski ($0.775M) + Sherwood (?UFA - $0.775M?)

LTIR: Johansen ($8M)

Josi ($9.059M) - Fabbro ($2.5M)
McDonagh ($6.75M) - Barrie ($4.5M)
Lauzon ($2M) - Carrier (?RFA - $2.5M?)
Foote (?RFA - $1M?)

Saros ($5M)
Lankinen ($2M)

Buyouts: Turris ($2M)
Retained: Ekholm ($0.250M)

Total: $82.752663M

If we assume the cap is $83.5M like capfriendly does then:
Remaining Cap Space: $0.747337M

And I mean, go ahead and swap around any of Foote/Jankowski/Sherwood with Gross/Stastney/Livingstone/whoever... anybody from the farm fits in place of those guys if that's your preference... I just think they'll still try with Foote, and start with Stastney and Livingstone in Milwaukee, but who knows. Budget-wise, any of it would still work.

I think ideally one of the UFA contracts should be just 1-year term... Parssinen, Tomasino, and Novak will hopefully keep it up and need extensions in Summer 2024, and even though there is some expectation of the Cap going up more significantly, and even though we may trade Barrie at the Deadline, we do want to make sure we're going to have room to lock those guys up if they earn it. But as we saw with Niederreiter, if you have to do 2-3 years on the UFAs, there are ways to work around that, so long as you get the player.

 

[hido]

Just as an illustration of my Sign Two Decent Wingers proposal... from the list, cherry-picking a couple of my favorites... we could budget 2 Nino Niederreiter specials on LW... I like Barbashev and Killorn, say, but maybe they are among the ones that are a little more "premium", maybe they'd cost more or (especially Barbashev) be able to get more term. (Both have SC rings btw). But for example.

I want to point out too, I list Johansen on LTIR... but I'm also counting his whole Cap hit here in the total. This is INCLUDING him, without yet taking the step of using LTIR to exceed the Cap. (I do not expect the Preds to do that and go over the Cap - it just doesn't seem like a thing the team would do, especially during this "renovation" program. Maybe one day if Johansen really can't come back and has to LTIRetire then it could become an option, but not before that, so I'm not going to start spending that money yet!)

2023-24

Forsberg ($8.5M) - Parssinen ($0.850833M) - Tomasino ($0.863333M)
Ivan Barbashev (UFA - $4M) - Glass (?RFA - $2.5M?) - Duchene ($8M)
Alex Killorn (UFA - $4M) - Novak ($0.800M) - Evangelista ($0.7975)
Trenin ($1.7M) - Sissons ($2.857M) - Smith ($0.775M)
Jankowski ($0.775M) + Sherwood (?UFA - $0.775M?)

LTIR: Johansen ($8M)

Josi ($9.059M) - Fabbro ($2.5M)
McDonagh ($6.75M) - Barrie ($4.5M)
Lauzon ($2M) - Carrier (?RFA - $2.5M?)
Foote (?RFA - $1M?)

Saros ($5M)
Lankinen ($2M)

Buyouts: Turris ($2M)
Retained: Ekholm ($0.250M)

Total: $82.752663M

If we assume the cap is $83.5M like capfriendly does then:
Remaining Cap Space: $0.747337M

And I mean, go ahead and swap around any of Foote/Jankowski/Sherwood with Gross/Stastney/Livingstone/whoever... anybody from the farm fits in place of those guys if that's your preference... I just think they'll still try with Foote, and start with Stastney and Livingstone in Milwaukee, but who knows. Budget-wise, any of it would still work.

I think ideally one of the UFA contracts should be just 1-year term... Parssinen, Tomasino, and Novak will hopefully keep it up and need extensions in Summer 2024, and even though there is some expectation of the Cap going up more significantly, and even though we may trade Barrie at the Deadline, we do want to make sure we're going to have room to lock those guys up if they earn it. But as we saw with Niederreiter, if you have to do 2-3 years on the UFAs, there are ways to work around that, so long as you get the player.

Why’d you have to go and remind me about Turris? Yuck!

 

[AintLifeGrand]

Just as an illustration of my Sign Two Decent Wingers proposal... from the list, cherry-picking a couple of my favorites... we could budget 2 Nino Niederreiter specials on LW... I like Barbashev and Killorn, say, but maybe they are among the ones that are a little more "premium", maybe they'd cost more or (especially Barbashev) be able to get more term. (Both have SC rings btw). But for example.

I want to point out too, I list Johansen on LTIR... but I'm also counting his whole Cap hit here in the total. This is INCLUDING him, without yet taking the step of using LTIR to exceed the Cap. (I do not expect the Preds to do that and go over the Cap - it just doesn't seem like a thing the team would do, especially during this "renovation" program. Maybe one day if Johansen really can't come back and has to LTIRetire then it could become an option, but not before that, so I'm not going to start spending that money yet!)

2023-24

Forsberg ($8.5M) - Parssinen ($0.850833M) - Tomasino ($0.863333M)
Ivan Barbashev (UFA - $4M) - Glass (?RFA - $2.5M?) - Duchene ($8M)
Alex Killorn (UFA - $4M) - Novak ($0.800M) - Evangelista ($0.7975)
Trenin ($1.7M) - Sissons ($2.857M) - Smith ($0.775M)
Jankowski ($0.775M) + Sherwood (?UFA - $0.775M?)

LTIR: Johansen ($8M)

Josi ($9.059M) - Fabbro ($2.5M)
McDonagh ($6.75M) - Barrie ($4.5M)
Lauzon ($2M) - Carrier (?RFA - $2.5M?)
Foote (?RFA - $1M?)

Saros ($5M)
Lankinen ($2M)

Buyouts: Turris ($2M)
Retained: Ekholm ($0.250M)

Total: $82.752663M

If we assume the cap is $83.5M like capfriendly does then:
Remaining Cap Space: $0.747337M

And I mean, go ahead and swap around any of Foote/Jankowski/Sherwood with Gross/Stastney/Livingstone/whoever... anybody from the farm fits in place of those guys if that's your preference... I just think they'll still try with Foote, and start with Stastney and Livingstone in Milwaukee, but who knows. Budget-wise, any of it would still work.

I think ideally one of the UFA contracts should be just 1-year term... Parssinen, Tomasino, and Novak will hopefully keep it up and need extensions in Summer 2024, and even though there is some expectation of the Cap going up more significantly, and even though we may trade Barrie at the Deadline, we do want to make sure we're going to have room to lock those guys up if they earn it. But as we saw with Niederreiter, if you have to do 2-3 years on the UFAs, there are ways to work around that, so long as you get the player.

Again why is Novak buried below Glass on the third line when Glass still isn't scoring at .5ppg

Novak is producing at the same rate as Forsberg- He is our 1st line center

Forsberg-Novak-Evangelista
Duchene-Parsinnen-Tomasino
UFA-Glass-Johansen (or UFA)
Trenin-Sissons-Jankowski

 

[Scoresberg]

I'd like to see an experienced winger signing or two for next year. Afanasyev should spent the year in the AHL and Smith/Jankowski/Sherwood can rotate as 12/13/14.

Evangelista looks ready and should play with Novak. Tomasino should be in the top-six as well perhaps on a line with Duchene and Glass.

But it looks pretty thin up front overall. Porter listed some names in his post and maybe one of those could be a key addition as a one-or-two year deal we can get rid of easily.

 

[glenngineer]

If you don't have elite talent up top, you can't afford to keep an offensive black hole like Smith in your lineup, even if he's your 12th forward. If he was an exceptional PK'er, you could justify it. He's not.

 

[Scoresberg]

I'm kinda in for a 4th line of Trenin-Johansen-Sissons.

Sissons played as a wing with Pärssinen and Forsberg so it has happened before. That line could be trouble for the opposition, even how overpaid it may ultimately be.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

One thing we'd need for sure with that lineup up front is for Forsberg and Duchene to play like $8M+ players. Healthy ones. Along with the younger guys keeping up their impressive early showings.

But again, I think you have to look past classifying who plays where and how good the lineup is relative to "what you need to win a Cup". We aren't there. We might never be. We don't need Smith to be one of the better 4th liners in the game. We just need to be a tiny tiny bit better than we were this season and actually make the playoffs as a first stepping stone. While continuing to watch for opportunities, draft well, and develop well.

If all went well, I think this lineup should be good enough for that first step.

 

[herzausstein]

I'm kinda in for a 4th line of Trenin-Johansen-Sissons.

Sissons played as a wing with Pärssinen and Forsberg so it has happened before. That line could be trouble for the opposition, how overpaid it may ultimately be.

Ive thought about that too. It would make a solid line but if people think Joeys contract is bad just wait till a season on the 4th line.

 

[Predsanddead24]

Ive thought about that too. It would make a solid line but if people think Joeys contract is bad just wait till a season on the 4th line.

At this point I don't think Johansen contract even matters all that much though. He'll be overpaid but we're not going to be up against the cap this offseason so it doesn't matter and then next offseason we can decide whether to buy him out for a not too bad hit or let it ride. That's not to say people won't complain about his contract though.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Ive thought about that too. It would make a solid line but if people think Joeys contract is bad just wait till a season on the 4th line.

I think it's different when we know in advance we can't do anything about it and we have no Cap issues to contend with. He's not going to be healthy in time for a buyout this summer, and we already cleared tons of Cap for this season, so it just doesn't matter. If he gets healthy, we can buy him out next summer. If he doesn't get healthy, he's on LTIR and it doesn't matter. I think this ought to insulate his situation. It's not even something we can realistically complain about.

Unless you think just talking about a buyout in 2024 is a complaint. I don't think of it that way, just as a practical/logical contingency step. If you don't need to pay a 4th line player $8M, then don't.

I would have been promoting a buyout on him from today until June 28th, every day, ad nauseum here. If he wasn't injured. But the Hockey Godz have intervened. So be it.

 

[Viqsi]

Again why is Novak buried below Glass on the third line when Glass still isn't scoring at .5ppg

Novak is producing at the same rate as Forsberg- He is our 1st line center

Forsberg-Novak-Evangelista
Duchene-Parsinnen-Tomasino
UFA-Glass-Johansen (or UFA)
Trenin-Sissons-Jankowski

Because a quality #1C has to do more than produce points, and Novak still needs significant improvement on that part of his game. If all you're looking for in a top-6 C is to get hot and put up points without regard to everything else, Jack Roslovic's available for trade.
(I mean, c'mon. The team's already done well with one Central Ohioan in Sherwood; why not try for another?

)

 

[wmupreds]

I'm glad Novak is producing above what everyone thought but his defensive game is bad enough that I don't really want him on 1st line minutes. Shelter him as much as practical at 5v5 and let him cook on the PP.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

I honestly think Novak makes the most sense to move to winger of the centers we are discussing. He's not really good defensively or at FO's.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I'm glad Novak is producing above what everyone thought but his defensive game is bad enough that I don't really want him on 1st line minutes. Shelter him as much as practical at 5v5 and let him cook on the PP.

Would definitely like it if they signed a solid experienced winger like Killorn for that line. Novak-Evangelista have done some nice things together, but would be nice to have somebody like that with them.

 

[PredsV82]

It's tough to truly know what the best plan of action for this team is since we haven't really seen our current roster in action due to all the injuries. I pretty much have no expectations for next year except wanting to continue to get the young guys NHL action. If we do that and miss the playoffs so be it, but I'll be incredibly disappointed if Parsinnen, Tomasino, and/or Evangelista get relegated to 10-12 minutes a night or the AHL.

And thts another reason it's going to be tough to keep Hynes. He will be in the last year of his contract and will be desperate to win games even if it comes at the expense of kids who need to develop.

 

[Kat Predator]

If you don't have elite talent up top, you can't afford to keep an offensive black hole like Smith in your lineup, even if he's your 12th forward. If he was an exceptional PK'er, you could justify it. He's not.

Well, if you put Sissons and Trenin out there with an offensive blackhole, you can't turn right around and complain and want to trade the two of them. Jeannot made that line very effective two seasons ago because he finished and scored (albeit with an insanely high percentage that was unsustainable). You put those two with a guy who has some semblance of an NHL offensive game, and they probably have a "remarkable turnaround" as a pair.

And the defect of this year's squad was offense. We just couldn't score enough to win games and needed Saros to pitch no hitters (tips hat to Willy) every game.

 

[hido]

I can't remember when they finally discuss everyone's actual injuries. Over the weekend or Monday?

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

I'd like to see an experienced winger signing or two for next year. Afanasyev should spent the year in the AHL and Smith/Jankowski/Sherwood can rotate as 12/13/14.

Evangelista looks ready and should play with Novak. Tomasino should be in the top-six as well perhaps on a line with Duchene and Glass.

But it looks pretty thin up front overall. Porter listed some names in his post and maybe one of those could be a key addition as a one-or-two year deal we can get rid of easily.

Just as with the start of last year. Look at a reliable middle 6 winger, look for reliable defensive depth (and see if we can trade Lauzon), fill internally otherwise where possible.

Some Kings fans (myself not one of them) kept talking about Lauzon near the deadline. If they don't re-sign Gavrikov, maybe see if we can send Lauzon and take Iafallo off their hands, he's a little overpaid but would be exactly the type of bridge winger to look for.

 

[triggrman]

I’ll give it a shot

I’ll start with the top line
Forsberg - Jusso - Duchene
The the 4th line
Jankowski- Sissons -Trenin

Middle 6
Tomasino-Glass- Sherwood
???? - Novak - Evangelista

When Johansen gets back he fills one spot


If Johansen is healthy Navak moves to wing. Less defensively responsible

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

And thts another reason it's going to be tough to keep Hynes. He will be in the last year of his contract and will be desperate to win games even if it comes at the expense of kids who need to develop.

I don’t think Trotz cares about Hynes’ personal priorities. That’s a nice change.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Just as with the start of last year. Look at a reliable middle 6 winger, look for reliable defensive depth (and see if we can trade Lauzon), fill internally otherwise where possible.

Some Kings fans (myself not one of them) kept talking about Lauzon near the deadline. If they don't re-sign Gavrikov, maybe see if we can send Lauzon and take Iafallo off their hands, he's a little overpaid but would be exactly the type of bridge winger to look for.

Iafallo was on my list of potential Cap casualties. If he’s “free” yep. If not… lots of other free equivalents out there this summer.

 

[ShagDaddy]

New Jersey is pretty cap strapped. Both Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier are RFA’s and will both be looking for a pay raise. I wonder if it would be possible for Trotz to make a deal to get one of them.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

New Jersey is pretty cap strapped. Both Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier are RFA’s and will both be looking for a pay raise. I wonder if it would be possible for Trotz to make a deal to get one of them.

They should be fine, Haula, Wood, and Tatar all expiring and that basically offsets the increases for Bratt and Meier. Then have ~$18M for 6 slots.