Speculation: Armchair GM Thread

[Roman Yoshi]

0% chance Saros is on the table

0% chance he isn't. Everyone has to be at this juncture.

 

[Armourboy]

0% chance he isn't. Everyone has to be at this juncture.

While we might want him to be, he won't be. Now if we still had Askarov, it would be much more likely, but considering we have zilch in the prospect line that could step up or be a reasonable replacement I don't see it happening.

The only way I think it happens is if Saros tells him to get him the heck out of dodge in the off season.

 

[Top 6 Spaling]

0% chance he isn't. Everyone has to be at this juncture.

I want him to be on the table, but I don't think he is. There is a humility required to trade some you just locked in for 8 years, and Trotz doesn't have it.

 

[101st_fan]

Saros has value and no trade protection until July while about to start a very cost reasonable contract.If the team chooses to gut it all, he's on the table.

Nyquist is our true rental option for the TDL (only traditional UFA on the roster. Del Gaizo group 6). A team looking for "toughness" in a depth player might take McCarron or Smith if they need a 4th liner who can toss up a few goals or Lauzon if they cherish hits as much as our broadcast team and Tennessean reporters do. Schenn likely requires a retention slot to move out with his current contract. Forsberg, Stamkos, Josi have full NMC while Marchessault and Skjei have 15 team NTCs but with their term and AAV they are unlikely trade options.

 

[Predsanddead24]

I want him to be on the table, but I don't think he is. There is a humility required to trade some you just locked in for 8 years, and Trotz doesn't have it.

Yeah the things Trotz most need to consider are ones where he admits he made a bunch of bad decisions this offseason. With how reticent he’s been to admit that Brunette is a bad coach I have a hard time seeing him giving up on his signings.

 

[herzausstein]

This team desperately needs young top 6 centers. Stamkos isnt the solution there. RoR was a nice placeholder but Bruno seems determined to not help develop any of the younger players to potentially take over in a couple years. Now RoR is injured and we got noone.

I honestly think roster management is going to set this team back a couple years. Lost some valuable time and a couple useful assets because we refused to accept that we arent a cupbound team and work on development.

 

[Predsanddead24]

This team desperately needs young top 6 centers. Stamkos isnt the solution there. RoR was a nice placeholder but Bruno seems determined to not help develop any of the younger players to potentially take over in a couple years. Now RoR is injured and we got noone.

I honestly think roster management is going to set this team back a couple years. Lost some valuable time and a couple useful assets because we refused to accept that we arent a cupbound team and work on development.

Yep we started down the rebuild route at the 2023 deadline but then Trotz made the decisions to bring a bunch of vets in rather than build up from our prospect pool. So now we’re going to be two years behind where we should be and instead of having the top goalie prospect in the league we have to deal with working around an aging Saros on a big contract by the time we’re competitive again. But really my biggest concern is I have zero faith that Trotz is the GM to guide the rebuild given his tenure thus far.

 

[Roman Yoshi]

This team desperately needs young top 6 centers. Stamkos isnt the solution there. RoR was a nice placeholder but Bruno seems determined to not help develop any of the younger players to potentially take over in a couple years. Now RoR is injured and we got noone.

I honestly think roster management is going to set this team back a couple years. Lost some valuable time and a couple useful assets because we refused to accept that we arent a cupbound team and work on development.

Ottawa would actually be an interesting trade partner because they have a lot of young centers.

But I don't have faith in Trotz and Brunette to nurture them.

Sissons
NyQuil
Schenn
Lauzon
Novak
Saros
O'Reilly
Carrier

Are really our only trade chips at this point unless you move one of the young guys... Which defeats the purpose of a rebuild.

None of the pieces above is going to meet us anything significant outside of maybe Saros.

 

[herzausstein]

Ottawa would actually be an interesting trade partner because they have a lot of young centers.

But I don't have faith in Trotz and Brunette to nurture them.

Sissons
NyQuil
Schenn
Lauzon
Novak
Saros
O'Reilly
Carrier

Are really our only trade chips at this point unless you move one of the young guys... Which defeats the purpose of a rebuild.

None of the pieces above is going to meet us anything significant outside of maybe Saros.

I think Lauzon has a shot at pulling a 1st. Extra year, cheap contract, can play 2nd pairing, throws hits around which GMs love.

Nyquist might get us a 2nd especially if we retain.

RoR would likely get a 1st in the offseason especially if we retained. Hed be a high end 3C or 2C on a competitor.

Everyone else not named Saros pulls mid to late round picks. Carrier would do better if he wasnt playing so bad at the moment.

Ottawa is a young team though and they just traded for Ullmark. They really need good vet dman. I would personally be interested in a Skjei+ for Norris type switch. Sketch contract for sketchy contract. In the end, Norris is going to underperform his contract or possibly never fullfill it due to injuries but it is an area of need for us and would leave us free to flip RoR

 

[Armourboy]

This team desperately needs young top 6 centers. Stamkos isnt the solution there. RoR was a nice placeholder but Bruno seems determined to not help develop any of the younger players to potentially take over in a couple years. Now RoR is injured and we got noone.

I honestly think roster management is going to set this team back a couple years. Lost some valuable time and a couple useful assets because we refused to accept that we arent a cupbound team and work on development.

And that is where Trotz lost the script. ROR, Schenn, and Nyquist were signed to just be place holders. They would carry a larger load last season but back off as guys moved up. Instead Trotz and Brunette caught feelings and tried to turn placeholders into core players.

Brunette gets the blame for poorly using the players he has, Trotz gets the blame for creating this poor mix of players to start with.

 

[herzausstein]

And that is where Trotz lost the script. ROR, Schenn, and Nyquist were signed to just be place holders. They would carry a larger load last season but back off as guys moved up. Instead Trotz and Brunette caught feelings and tried to turn placeholders into core players.

Brunette gets the blame for poorly using the players he has, Trotz gets the blame for creating this poor mix of players to start with.

Worst thing that couldve happened was the post U2 run. Gave false hope to Trotz and set up Bruno for high expectations. If we continued being bad last season, i dont think anyone bats an eye. We sortof expected it. Trotz doesnt go and get these UFAs in the offseason and we continue towards rebuild this season.

 

[herzausstein]

Oh i forgot it looked like Carrier is probably gonna have a concussion after his hit last night. Any idea on who the next dman up is? Really sucks that we dont have an experienced 26 year dman capable of running 1st pairing minutes.

Stastney has been healthy for 1 game. Probably should get him back up here

Injuries piling up when this team is at its lowest

 

[nullednumbed]

And that is where Trotz lost the script. ROR, Schenn, and Nyquist were signed to just be place holders. They would carry a larger load last season but back off as guys moved up. Instead Trotz and Brunette caught feelings and tried to turn placeholders into core players.

Brunette gets the blame for poorly using the players he has, Trotz gets the blame for creating this poor mix of players to start with.

Comment I read that summed it up for me : The Preds season is what happens when your offseason moves prioritize big-game hunting over good roster fits.

 

[Armourboy]

Oh i forgot it looked like Carrier is probably gonna have a concussion after his hit last night. Any idea on who the next dman up is? Really sucks that we dont have an experienced 26 year dman capable of running 1st pairing minutes.

Stastney has been healthy for 1 game. Probably should get him back up here

Injuries piling up when this team is at its lowest

The waiving of Fabbro was stupid in the first place, but now it looks even more stupid with all of the injuries.

 

[Kat Predator]

Yep we started down the rebuild route at the 2023 deadline but then Trotz made the decisions to bring a bunch of vets in rather than build up from our prospect pool. So now we’re going to be two years behind where we should be and instead of having the top goalie prospect in the league we have to deal with working around an aging Saros on a big contract by the time we’re competitive again. But really my biggest concern is I have zero faith that Trotz is the GM to guide the rebuild given his tenure thus far.

Let's say we hit on all of our picks in this year's weak draft somehow. Let's say we even have the winning ping pong ball and get 1OA. Let's pretend that turns out to be 90% Bedard. Let's say we wave a magic wand and get out from under all the steep contracts to declining veteran skaters.

Trotz has still gutted the near-term future of this team at this point. Our top pick will not be carrying the team from day one, and he and Svech/Parssinen/ZLH will all be trying to figure out how to win as a group themselves. The cereal winners approach blew up in Trotz's face. It'll likely be 3-4 seasons for the rest of the immaculate draft to overcook and be ready.

By the time any of this develop from within roadmap in an optimistic but objective sense would be ready, Saros will be in the tail end of his contract and in his mid to late 30s. And we don't really have anything in the goalie pipeline at this point (as far as we know), and that's a slower development curve.

The variables here are how we get rid of the veterans that came here to retire on Trotz contracts and if we can replace them somehow with other veterans that compliment the development of our 90% Bedard, etc. [It's hard to imagine how Trotz will be able to fast talk top free agents to join this hitshow for some time to come.] Or maybe some of the cereal winners can actually do what they were brought here to do? A lot of these variables depend heavily on whether Trotz or the next GM can and will course correct and hire the coaches suited to the job and assemble an NHL roster instead of a fantasy hockey list of names.

 

[beardawg]

Saros could end up being our equivalent of John Gibson for the next handful of years- solid goalie on a bad team. At least it gives us time to draft and develop another successor. I still have faith in our ability to be a playoff team next season

 

[Armourboy]

Saros could end up being our equivalent of John Gibson for the next handful of years- solid goalie on a bad team. At least it gives us time to draft and develop another successor. I still have faith in our ability to be a playoff team next season

I'm not even concerned about the playoffs at this point, I just want to see a team that has a chance to win night in and night out. We don't even have that right now.

 

[beardawg]

I'm not even concerned about the playoffs at this point, I just want to see a team that has a chance to win night in and night out. We don't even have that right now.

They are unwatchable right now. Very bad

 

[originalpredfan]

They are unwatchable right now. Very bad

Totally agree, at least the guy in the Hallmark movie scores every show. Generally more exciting than watching the Preds right now.

 

[Scoresberg]

It seems that Dylan Cozens may be on his way out from Buffalo. Probably sick of all the losing as were Eichel, Reinhart and O'Reilly. I think Cozens would be a fantastic trade target for us but he would cost a lot, I think. Buffalo could use some veteran presence in their lineup (Sissons, Nyquist), obviously some futures (VGK/TBL 1sts) as well as some higher-end prospects (Edström/Kemell/Schaefer). Does that package get Buffalo to pick up?

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

It seems that Dylan Cozens may be on his way out from Buffalo. Probably sick of all the losing as were Eichel, Reinhart and O'Reilly. I think Cozens would be a fantastic trade target for us but he would cost a lot, I think. Buffalo could use some veteran presence in their lineup (Sissons, Nyquist), obviously some futures (VGK/TBL 1sts) as well as some higher-end prospects (Edström/Kemell/Schaefer). Does that package get Buffalo to pick up?

More likely he's had one good season and is a declining asset since and is drastically overpaid. I wouldn't offer even that much.

Ditto for Norris in Ottawa.

 

[herzausstein]

Hey cozens - i know you are tired of losing in Buffalo but what do you think about losing in Nashville?

Him and Norris would be interesting targets but they both make alot due to having 1 good season. If we can swap a skjei or Stamkos for one of them and not have to add much due to the age differences, then im game

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

While we might want him to be, he won't be. Now if we still had Askarov, it would be much more likely, but considering we have zilch in the prospect line that could step up or be a reasonable replacement I don't see it happening.

The only way I think it happens is if Saros tells him to get him the heck out of dodge in the off season.

Which he won't do, because he always wanted to stay here, regardless. (Also why we could have signed him for less, but I digress... )

 

[ShagDaddy]

I’d be all in on Cozens and Norris. My only concern with Norris is is shoulder issues and not being able to play a whole season.

 

[glenngineer]

Which he won't do, because he always wanted to stay here, regardless. (Also why we could have signed him for less, but I digress... )

You're gonna have to let this one go....haha. I don't want to argue this one with you any more.