Proposal: Could a McDavid Lindros type of trade help the Oilers?

[Boxscore]

TO PHI
- McDavid
- Talbot

TO EDM
- Voracek
- Patrick
- Frost
- Gostisbehere
- Sanheim
- Sandstrom
- Neuvirth
- 1st
- 1st

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

If you recall, Lindros was one of the best players in the league, and he got traded for Steve Duchesne, Peter Forsberg, Ron Hextall, Kerry Huffman, Mike Ricci, Chris Simon, two draft picks, and $15 million. Colorado soon won the cup after that trade.
What would be an equivalent trade for McDavid that would be tempting for both the Oilers and the team acquiring him?

Colorado soon won a cup. Philly missed the PO's the first 2 years with Lindros. They eventually made the SCF once with him but never won a cup.

 

[DarthProbert]

I haven't read any of this...Flames fan here who sees a ton of McDavid. Yes, Oilers management is an abomination to this sport. However, even PC could not possibly be stupid enough to ever contemplate trading McDavid (unless he wants out).

Just look at his percentage of team offensive output, compare that to the next closest guy in the league. You might be shocked. Outside of the Crosby argument (better 200ft player), McDavid is far and away the best player in the world (if not now, he will be). I would even argue, he's the greatest hockey player of all time. If you don't like comparing generations, I get that, but players evolve over time and only continue to get better. This guy is the peak of hockey evolution.

What McDavid is able to do with a bunch of Pylons around him is simply astounding. If he was on almost any other team in the league, you could plan the cup parade. He's that good.

In my life, I have never seen a player who can do the things this guy can at the speed he does them. It's almost scary in a way

Well when your team's best uninjured winger has 3 goals, it isn't hard.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Because McDavid is a franchise. The Flyers "gutted" their team to get Lindros because they decided their team was going to be Lindros. As a Penguins fan, you'd know this better than anyone. Was there anyone on the 2003-04 Penguins you would have held onto if it meant not getting Crosby? Seriously? He saved your team in every imaginable way, increased its national profile, restored the city's infatuation, and won you 3 Cups. Of course other players helped, but that doesn't happen without having the best player in the world, period.

In the years just before Crosby came along, the Penguins were bankrupt: they had over $100 million in debt, which was more than their team value. By 2007, they were worth about $165 million with that debt down to about $65 million. Today they are worth $650 million.

The Penguins got lucky and drafted Crosby, but McDavid is one of the few players who is THAT good and can have that impact on a franchise. You'd trade anything in the world to have that outcome.

And Karlsson wasn't that with the Senators? That just seems like an odd argument to make. The only reason Karlsson isn't a franchise anymore is because he was traded to a stacked team. He was the Ottawa Senators before that trade.

I don't disagree with your post in principle, but the problem is that people in this thread are expecting this kind of return from every team. If we're talking about Carolina or Arizona, I'd buy it to an extent. But Tampa Bay? Toronto? Colorado? There's not a chance in hell they'd do that. It's why I said there would only be about 8-10 teams heavily interested in McDavid, other teams are already good without him (and wouldn't want to pay what he'd cost) or they can't acquire him.

To find a team that would actually gut themselves for McDavid, you'd have to find a team that is already moving towards blowing themselves up. I definitely think you can argue teams like Carolina and Arizona should be doing this, hence they should be willing to gut themselves for McDavid. But Nashville or Columbus, 2 teams I think would definitely be heavily in on McDavid? Why would they gut themselves for him when they're already elite teams?

 

[DingDongCharlie]

And that's all that McDavid is going to bring back. The expectations in here are downright laughable, teams aren't going to gut themselves for 1 player, especially not contending teams.

I think you're seriously overestimating the bidding war that would occur if McDavid became available. If you're a team with an elite 1C already, you won't go hard after McDavid. If you're a contending team, you won't gut yourself to get McDavid. The teams that will go the hardest after McDavid are teams without great 1Cs or teams trying to become contenders.

If McDavid is going to be traded, there will be like 8-10 teams that are heavily in on him. If I had to make a list, I'd say Columbus, Nashville, Vegas, Carolina, Minnesota, Montreal, Arizona and St. Louis would be the teams most heavily in on McDavid.

The value of adding McDavid in a huge market like New York, Montreal, Toronto , Boston, etc would be too enticing for owners let alone the GM not to pay a substantial amount.

A lot of the deals posted don’t even include offering teams top asset or 2. The NHL is about money and on most clubs McDavid even after the trade would be joining a better supporting cast.

If an onwer sees an opportunity to make money on McDavid they wouldn’t be as concerned about the Cup. Sad for fans but we seen this a many a times.

Add the fact a team could build around McDavid, he’s only 22. Ovie won with Washington in his 30’s.

 

[DarthProbert]

McDavid

for

Stone (resigned)
Chabot
Tkachuk
1st 2020
2nd 2020

Probably enough to get it done.

This legitmately makes the Oilers a better overall team, and salvages Melnyk's reputation instantly.

 

[ErrantShepherd]

Mcdavid would be saddled to Lucic then traded for a package like:

Mackinnon + Rantanen
Matthews + Marner
Eichel + Dahlin
Petterson + Hughes (in the NHL making an impact on his way to being a #1dman)

...all of those proposed trades put the teams involved exactly where Edmonton is right now. With a Bonafide superstar, without the quality depth to actually support them.

No thanks. One A++ player and a boat anchor isn't actually worth two A+ to A players unless you are playing NHL19.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The value of adding McDavid in a huge market like New York, Montreal, Toronto , Boston, etc would be too enticing for owners let alone the GM not to pay a substantial amount.

A lot of the deals posted don’t even include offering teams top asset or 2. The NHL is about money and on most clubs McDavid even after the trade would be joining a better supporting cast.

If an onwer sees an opportunity to make money on McDavid they wouldn’t be as concerned about the Cup. Sad for fans but we seen this a many a times.

Add the fact a team could build around McDavid, he’s only 22. Ovie won with Washington in his 30’s.

The problem is that a lot of those big market teams aren't in a position where they can acquire McDavid or wouldn't go heavily after him. The teams that would be most willing to blow themselves up for McDavid are teams in small markets, because McDavid instantly turned a small market into a big one.

Toronto already makes a **** load of money and they already have Matthews and Tavares, they wouldn't go hard after McDavid. Boston and Chicago probably can't afford him, as in other teams would easily outbid what they would reasonably offer. Montreal and the Rangers probably fall in that category too, although I still think they'd try as hard as they can to get him.

 

[Jets]

Scheifele, Laine, Trouba and a first or two.

 

[Gargyn]

It would have to be the East. To a tram with young talent and cap space. Flyers?

Patrick, Voracek, Provorov, Farabee, unprotected 1st 19, 1st 20.

 

[DingDongCharlie]

The problem is that a lot of those big market teams aren't in a position where they can acquire McDavid or wouldn't go heavily after him. The teams that would be most willing to blow themselves up for McDavid are teams in small markets, because McDavid instantly turned a small market into a big one.

I disagree. The marketing behind McDavid in a huge market would be an absolute cash cow. McDavid in a Habs jersey for instance. The corporate money and jersey sales alone would be worth it.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I disagree. The marketing behind McDavid in a huge market would be an absolute cash cow. McDavid in a Habs jersey for instance. The corporate money and jersey sales alone would be worth it.

In the case of the Habs, I think the thing hurting them is that they don't have the assets to acquire him. I agree with you that I could definitely see the Rangers and Habs going super hard after McDavid, but the things that hurt them aren't their willingness to go after McDavid. It's that they can be outbid by other teams pretty easily, teams like Nashville, Arizona, Carolina and Columbus can out-bid those teams and they almost definitely would be interested in McDavid.

You have Toronto that basically wouldn't be very interested in him, and then the rest of the big market teams have problems where they likely couldn't acquire McDavid. I'm confident the Habs would try as hard as they can, but I think it comes down to a lack of assets with them. Same with the Rangers.

 

[tapi]

To Car:
McDavid

To Edmonton:

Aho
Svechnikov
Necas

 

[Frank Drebin]

Nylander, Liljegren, Sandin, 1st 2019, 1st 2020, and 1st 2021 for McDavid. That's 3 picked first rounders and 3 1st round picks. That also would free up your cap problem now and future. Leafs would then trade Matthews to Arizona.

So the best player coming back is will Nye?

Geez let's see if Montreal can throw an attractive package together based around Drouin.

 

[Boxscore]

In all honesty, the Bruins could make an offer the Oilers would probably take - headlined by Pastrnak.

TO BOS
- McDavid
- Talbot

TO EDM
- Pastrnak
- DeBrusk
- Senyshyn
- Krug
- Rask
- 1st
- 1st

This is as close to the "Lindros deal" as you'll find.

 

[La Bamba]

There are too many off-ice benefits that McDavid brings to the Oilers (increased publicity for the franchise, having the best player of the generation on your team, merchandise sales, etc.) that it wouldn't ever be worth it even if it slightly improved the on-ice product

 

[flamesforcup]

If theres any team id love to see Mcdavid on it would be the Habs.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Why? Because you say so? After all of the times that we've seen superstar talent bring back underwhelming returns, why do you think that would somehow be different in this case? We literally just saw Karlsson get traded for scraps. Yes, Karlsson was a UFA after next year, but he was still traded for scraps. Why is McDavid going to bring back a return that would gut a franchise while Karlsson brought back Chris Tierney as the best asset in the trade?

Speaking of Carolina, I do think they're a team that would pay a ton for McDavid. Pesce and Terevainen as the start is completely reasonable as a suggestion. But why are they also adding whatever prospects Edmonton would like, taking whatever cap dumps Edmonton wanted to send their way and adding the #2 pick in the draft from last year? Why would they gut themselves like that? Just saying "it's Connor McDavid" isn't a justification for that.

I would buy that a desperate team would go as high as something like Pesce, Terevainen, their 2 best prospect and multiple high draft picks for McDavid and Lucic. The problem is that only the most desperate teams would do that, not every team.

One year of Karlsson and seven years of McDavid are very different animals. Ottawa got a mediocre return specifically because Karlsson didn’t sign an extension and can go anywhere he damn well pleases in six months. Seven guaranteed years of Connor McDavid being added to a team that’s capable of filling in the pieces around him? You should be able to get engraving quotes for two Stanley Cups at least. For teams like the Blues, the Sabres, the Leafs, the Canes, the Flyers... I could go on, but if I ran any of those teams and I could get McDavid and still ice a decent team around him, you’d be stupid to NOT pull the trigger.

OP references the Lindros trade and I think a Lindros esque return would be exactly what he would fetch - positional downgrade + a metric f*** ton of other assets.

Yes, because I say so. Kind of like ‘because you say so’ McDavid would fetch an underwhelming return. Again, you’re biased because your team has been blessed with elite talent so you have no real vantage point for what the cost to acquire a prime aged elite talent.

As for ‘buh why does Carolina keep adding?’ Because a middle pairing defenceman with no offense and a 60 point forward that’s only productive with Aho is not a viable starting point for Connor McDavid, that’s why. You would be absolutely floored what real GMs would offer if McDavid got anywhere near the open market.

 

[Adam Warlock]

Ironically, the Flyers would probably be the team in the best position to pull this trade off. They will have a ton of cap space and assets going into the off season...which may include a top 5 pick. I can't really think of another team that could take on McDavids contract and have the assets to get Edm to want to do it.

 

[SabresSharks]

This GM stuff is easy. Here's my recipe for McD's Stanley Cup Stew ...

Start with a couple of your team's best players, add a dash of valued prospects, and season with some top picks to taste.

Bake for 2 seasons, and voila! Savor that Stanley Cup stew!

 

[Mike Dukarm]

Even Chiarelli isn't that dumb

Never know... Fire him before he thinks about that

 

[The Moose is Loose]

McDavid would never be traded unless he demanded to be. He's the franchise now. I don't see how the fans could tolerate, after all crap the Oilers have already put them through over the last decade, moving McDavid, especially not with Chiarelli engineering the trade.

That said, imagining him in Buffalo makes me giddy --- sets up a potential Crosby + Malkin 2.0.

Mittelstadt
Nylander
Guhle
All 4 1st Buffalo has over the next 2 drafts
Scandella (cap)
Okposo (cap)

Did you really try to get McDavid without offering Dahlin or Eichel? Thats embarrassing

 

[Patagonia]

Ironically, the Flyers would probably be the team in the best position to pull this trade off. They will have a ton of cap space and assets going into the off season...which may include a top 5 pick. I can't really think of another team that could take on McDavids contract and have the assets to get Edm to want to do it.

I believe the Flyers & AVs are the only teams that have the cap space and assets to make such a deal.

Flyers would be my guess.

AVs are not moving Mackinnon, unless they want their other pieces. With an expected Top 5 Sens pick, they can continue their rebuild without gutting their team.

 

[The Moose is Loose]

The only trades I'd do would be something like:

Mack ++
Matthews+++
Eichel+++

with those + being very nice pieces

 

[Rich Nixon]

And Karlsson wasn't that with the Senators? That just seems like an odd argument to make. The only reason Karlsson isn't a franchise anymore is because he was traded to a stacked team. He was the Ottawa Senators before that trade.

That isn't even close to comparable...factors like contract/age/position aside, Karlsson's impact on a team isn't in the same stratosphere as McDavid's. Again, for examples to consider: 30 year old Chara or 21 year old Crosby, take your pick.

I don't disagree with your post in principle, but the problem is that people in this thread are expecting this kind of return from every team. If we're talking about Carolina or Arizona, I'd buy it to an extent. But Tampa Bay? Toronto? Colorado? There's not a chance in hell they'd do that. It's why I said there would only be about 8-10 teams heavily interested in McDavid, other teams are already good without him (and wouldn't want to pay what he'd cost) or they can't acquire him.

To find a team that would actually gut themselves for McDavid, you'd have to find a team that is already moving towards blowing themselves up. I definitely think you can argue teams like Carolina and Arizona should be doing this, hence they should be willing to gut themselves for McDavid. But Nashville or Columbus, 2 teams I think would definitely be heavily in on McDavid? Why would they gut themselves for him when they're already elite teams?

I still think you're off here. Yes, teams like Toronto, Tampa, and Colorado might not jump at the opportunity...but those are literally the only exceptions. Even other good or "good" teams aren't set up like those 3, who all have multiple young superstars signed (or soon to be) at decent value. I think the other 28 teams, including those already with (lesser) centerpiece players like Buffalo and those with older superstars like the Penguins and Capitals, would absolutely be in.

Why would Columbus gut itself? Because they are not, and never have been, a serious contender, and their franchise is an identityless pile of mediocrity that literally no one cares about and no one wants to play for. The greatest player in the world changes that. Why would Nashville? Because they're tired of being a close-but-no-cigar team and they have already built strong momentum and regional popularity that would only explode further if they brought in the world's best player, who would instantly and likely forever be the greatest to ever wear their uniform.