Proposal: Free agency edition Trade Rumours/Proposals - 2025/26 Part II

[Hale The Villain]

He has 5 years left on his deal. The passage of a few months should have no bearing on his value. Change in GM would, though.

Logically it'd absolutely make a difference in value.

If Montreal could trade Knies for the same value they offered at the deadline, they'd get to rent a 60-70P PWF for free for the playoffs, which obviously would be one heck of a coup.

Knies still has a ton of value, but not quite as much value as he had at the deadline.

Bet the Habs would still be willing to give up Zharovsky, a 1st and a prospect, but probably not the extra 1st.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Knies would be too expensive.

Rather get a PF like Mctavish and keep Yak

Sens need to make smart moves. Depressed assets that can come here and thrive

I'd prefer that too.

Greig/Zetterlund + Hensler + 3rd is what I'd be willing to offer for McTavish if I were Staios.

Have a hard time going beyond that, given McTavish's struggles.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Logically it'd absolutely make a difference in value.

If Montreal could trade Knies for the same value they offered at the deadline, they'd get to rent a 60-70P PWF for free for the playoffs, which obviously would be one heck of a coup.

Knies still has a ton of value, but not quite as much value as he had at the deadline.

Bet the Habs would still be willing to give up Zharovsky, a 1st and a prospect, but probably not the extra 1st.

There is also a limited availability of players at the deadline compared to the offseason.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

Logically it'd absolutely make a difference in value.

If Montreal could trade Knies for the same value they offered at the deadline, they'd get to rent a 60-70P PWF for free for the playoffs, which obviously would be one heck of a coup.

Knies still has a ton of value, but not quite as much value as he had at the deadline.

Bet the Habs would still be willing to give up Zharovsky, a 1st and a prospect, but probably not the extra 1st.

Well, apparently, the deal is off the table from Toronto's perspective, not Montréal's.

Logically, yes, 5.25>5. We can all see that.

That's not how it works in real life, though. The rules are not so rigid or absolute. Philosophies change and develop. Market dynamics shift.

For all we know, Montréal management saw them play a further 40 games of hockey and grew even stronger in their conviction that they needed more size at the top of their lineup. That quickly trumps the equation '5.25>5'.

There is also a limited availability of players at the deadline compared to the offseason.

There are also a limited number of bidders who can add to their team at the deadline without subtracting a roster piece compared to the offseason.

 

[bicboi64]

Knies would be too expensive.

Rather get a PF like Mctavish and keep Yak

Sens need to make smart moves. Depressed assets that can come here and thrive

Agreed, he'd be much cheaper to acquire and wouldn't deplete our depth.

Ducks can't wait too long to move him, they have tons of contracts to give out this off season on the Blueline alone, they still need to decided on extending Trouba, Gudas, Minty, Zellweger.

Before my of em, Gauthier and Carlsson are going to eat a large part of their capspace

 

[Hale The Villain]

Well, apparently, the deal is off the table from Toronto's perspective, not Montréal's.

Logically, yes, 5.25>5. We can all see that.

That's not how it works in real life, though. The rules are not so rigid or absolute. Philosophies change and develop.

For all we know, Montréal management saw them play a further 40 games of hockey and grew even stronger in their conviction that they needed more size at the top of their lineup. That quickly trumps the equation '5.25>5'.

There are also a limited number of bidders who can add to their team at the deadline without subtracting a roster piece compared to the offseason.

What you mentioned plays a role no doubt, but you can't discount Knies' rental value.

36YR old Carlson returned a mid-1st
Stanley + Schenn returned Rosen + 2nd
McCarron and Murphy returned 2nds

Weren't a lot of top quality rentals traded at the deadline this year (mostly old dudes with term) and obviously Knies is far better than any of those guys.

If he were a rental I'd suspect he'd garner the Leafs about as much as Nelson did last year (1st + good prospect).

Philosophies/opinions would need to change pretty massively to outweigh his rental value.

 

[Boud]

That Toronto-Philly trade is an odd one for Toronto. It could work out well for them and they may value Andrae more than Benoit to the point where they were willing to move Woll in part for him but I thought they’d be able to get more.

To me Benoit and Andrae are not that far off. They’re different players but they’re not that far off in terms of value.

There’s a pretty big gap between Ersson and Woll. 3M for 2 more years is good value nowadays for a good backup. Philly did well here. They’ve quickly rebuilt their goaltending and they look very solid now with Vladar and Woll.

And to think that Edmonton hasn’t been able to make a move for a goaltender in years.

 

[Boud]

Also I know there were rumours of us inquiring and having discussions about Ristolainen but I don’t think it’ll be an option for us.

Briere was talking about the Andrae trade on Overdrive and specifically mentionned that with York and Drysdale they were too small/soft on defense for what they wanted. That’s why they decided to go for Benoit who adds a bit of a presence and physicality from the backend. “Snarl” is the exact word he used.

That leads me to believe that Briere will want to keep Ristolainen given he plays a hard nosed game and he has size (plus he had a great season).

 

[Masked]

Also I know there were rumours of us inquiring and having discussions about Ristolainen but I don’t think it’ll be an option for us.

Briere was talking about the Andrae trade on Overdrive and specifically mentionned that with York and Drysdale they were too small/soft on defense for what they wanted. That’s why they decided to go for Benoit who adds a bit of a presence and physicality from the backend. “Snarl” is the exact word he used.

That leads me to believe that Briere will want to keep Ristolainen given he plays a hard nosed game and he has size (plus he had a great season).

Briere is obviously one of those dinosaurs who hates small players.

 

[Senator Stanley]

I'd prefer that too.

Greig/Zetterlund + Hensler + 3rd is what I'd be willing to offer for McTavish if I were Staios.

Have a hard time going beyond that, given McTavish's struggles.

These are very different assets, to me, not interchangeable. If Grieg is involved, I’m not including Hensler.

 

[BigRig4]

Also I know there were rumours of us inquiring and having discussions about Ristolainen but I don’t think it’ll be an option for us.

Briere was talking about the Andrae trade on Overdrive and specifically mentionned that with York and Drysdale they were too small/soft on defense for what they wanted. That’s why they decided to go for Benoit who adds a bit of a presence and physicality from the backend. “Snarl” is the exact word he used.

That leads me to believe that Briere will want to keep Ristolainen given he plays a hard nosed game and he has size (plus he had a great season).

Also I'm pretty sure Philly was a late-riser who really started slow and racked up points later in the year. I think at the deadline they were on the outside looking in, and after their late season run and playoffs it makes more sense to keep the vets around if they feel their timeline has moved up.

 

[GoodinOsgoode]

Also I'm pretty sure Philly was a late-riser who really started slow and racked up points later in the year. I think at the deadline they were on the outside looking in, and after their late season run and playoffs it makes more sense to keep the vets around if they feel their timeline has moved up.

Yeah, you have to think that there is a good chance that Philly would now want to hold on to Risto unless they got a really good trade offer that helps them now. Couple that with Briere's comments about needing more 'snarl' on D and I think that they will hold on to him.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

These are very different assets, to me, not interchangeable. If Grieg is involved, I’m not including Hensler.

Currently, Greig is a much better player than McTavish. Only half a year older.

 

[Senator Stanley]

Currently, Greig is a much better player than McTavish. Only half a year older.

I’m not advocating for trading Greig. I’d hate to lose him.

If I were Verbeek, I would be very happy turning McTavish into Greig, who is in some ways a cheaper, cost controlled, lower upside version of the player they’re trading. For a young team ready to compete but needing to plan for an expensive future, Greig would be awesome.

For Ottawa, I think you only do it if you believe in McTavish’s upside. That’s what you’re paying for.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

I’m not advocating for trading Greig. I’d hate to lose him.

If I were Verbeek, I would be very happy turning McTavish into Greig, who is in some ways a cheaper, cost controlled, lower upside version of the player they’re trading. For a young team ready to compete but needing to plan for an expensive future, Greig would be awesome.

For Ottawa, I think you only do it if you believe in McTavish’s upside. That’s what you’re paying for.

Yeah, I know you weren't advocating trading him. I was just chiming in.

I'm basically on the same page as you here. I am a huge fan of Greig's, and assume we would only make the swap if we feel McTavish can be a 25-35 goal scorer who reaches a level of defensive competency.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

My mainboard proposal to bring Whitecloud to town:

Proposal: Thread 'Whitecloud (CGY) to Ottawa'

Yesterday at 11:18 AM

I have two proposals to bring Whitecloud to Ottawa.

Proposal 1:
To Ottawa:
- Zach Whitecloud (2 x $2.75m)

To Calgary:
- Logan Hensler (23 OV, 2025, unsigned)
- Niklas Matinpalo (1 x $0.875m)

Proposal 2:
To Ottawa:
- Zach Whitecloud (2 x $2.75m)
- CGY 3rd 2026 OR CGY 3rd 2027

To Calgary:
- OTT 1st 2027 (top 15 protected)
- Niklas Matinpalo (1 x $0.875m)


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In both deals, Calgary gets Matinpalo, a pretty good #6 RHD. Matinpalo is big, strong, and a very good skater with a big shot. I would...

• The Devilish Buffoon
• Replies: 15
• Forum: Trade Rumors & Free Agent Talk

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

My mainboard proposal to bring Whitecloud to town:

Proposal: Thread 'Whitecloud (CGY) to Ottawa'

Yesterday at 11:18 AM

I have two proposals to bring Whitecloud to Ottawa.

Proposal 1:
To Ottawa:
- Zach Whitecloud (2 x $2.75m)

To Calgary:
- Logan Hensler (23 OV, 2025, unsigned)
- Niklas Matinpalo (1 x $0.875m)

Proposal 2:
To Ottawa:
- Zach Whitecloud (2 x $2.75m)
- CGY 3rd 2026 OR CGY 3rd 2027

To Calgary:
- OTT 1st 2027 (top 15 protected)
- Niklas Matinpalo (1 x $0.875m)


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In both deals, Calgary gets Matinpalo, a pretty good #6 RHD. Matinpalo is big, strong, and a very good skater with a big shot. I would...

• The Devilish Buffoon
• Replies: 15
• Forum: Trade Rumors & Free Agent Talk

My issue is his term left. Its that weird territory where you cant negotiate yet, but its already a storyline. Trading a 1st for a guy with 2 years left is not my favourite.

 

[OttawaSenators11]

I don’t like the idea of gambling on McTavish the cost for this 40-50 point player to date will be way too much for my liking personally.

We shouldn’t have to pay a premium on what we think the player will become - The price should reflect what he is right now and that player shouldn’t command a massive package that we keep reading about IMO.

If we are hell bent on acquiring underwhelming top 6 guys go get DeBrusk at least he won’t cost much and we keep our better assets for a larger move down the road.

 

[MiscBrah]

I would be desperately trying to reacquire those 1sts, especially the Philly one, and building for the future. McKenna, imo, is not a piece to rebuild around and many of their guys will be rapidly declining in value - like Matthews, McCabe, Carlo, and OEL. Time to rebuild is now. Sure, it would suck giving up a 1st for Laughton and then reacquiring it with another asset for Nylander or Knies, but that's where they're at.

Doubling down to scrape their way into the playoffs when basically their entire roster is over 29 is just a desperate attempt to deny the inevitable, imo. It seems like a great way to get to 2027-2028 with a 20-year-old McKenna, 25-year-old Knies, and 32-year-old Nylander as your only very good pieces, all on the wing, no futures, and a bunch of cap tied up in UFA signings who settle in alright but never quite fulfill their promise.

As I said, I'd love to see it.

Carlson, Raddysh, or other top FAs aren't signing without substantial NTCs, at least not at a reasonable cap hit. Carlson especially won't sign a clauseless, affordable deal in Toronto.

It really depends how much they want to spend as well. It will be interesting seeing what the leafs do this summer. A lot of people are expecting some big splashes, but I'm not sure that will be the case. Rogers can be cheap sometimes. I would love to see it as well, but we have no clue what Pelley and Chayka are going to do here.

 

[Alf Silfversson]

Nothing to lose really since they’re rich anyway. They don’t have a first for two years and Matthews and Nylander will either be gone or slowing down soon. Might as well go all in and see what happens. There will be time to rebuild around McKenna later.

Tough to start a rebuild now for them but it might need to be done. They have pretty much zero young D prospects. If teams like the Oilers and, well, the Leafs from 2016-present have shown us anything, it's that getting high end young forwards with no D in their window is not a recipe for success.

If I were Chayka I'd look at moving Matthews this year for a package that includes a top end D prospect and a 1st round as the centrepieces.

The optics of tanking this year would be horrible though, as a division rival would get a top 5 pick.

 

[Hale The Villain]

My mainboard proposal to bring Whitecloud to town:

Proposal: Thread 'Whitecloud (CGY) to Ottawa'

Yesterday at 11:18 AM

I have two proposals to bring Whitecloud to Ottawa.

Proposal 1:
To Ottawa:
- Zach Whitecloud (2 x $2.75m)

To Calgary:
- Logan Hensler (23 OV, 2025, unsigned)
- Niklas Matinpalo (1 x $0.875m)

Proposal 2:
To Ottawa:
- Zach Whitecloud (2 x $2.75m)
- CGY 3rd 2026 OR CGY 3rd 2027

To Calgary:
- OTT 1st 2027 (top 15 protected)
- Niklas Matinpalo (1 x $0.875m)


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In both deals, Calgary gets Matinpalo, a pretty good #6 RHD. Matinpalo is big, strong, and a very good skater with a big shot. I would...

• The Devilish Buffoon
• Replies: 15
• Forum: Trade Rumors & Free Agent Talk

I love Whitecloud but I hate the idea of giving up a premium asset on top of Matinpalo, who's a legit NHL RD in his own right.

I'm not sure why it'd be such an issue to have Matinpalo and Yakemchuk fight it out to play beside Chabot and continue to allow Kleven-Spence to dominate on the 3rd pairing.

Matinpalo has proven to be a solid defenseman who can handle defensive responsibilities without making many mistakes, and obviously you'd hope Yakemchuk is capable of playing a regular shift without issue being a 7th OVR pick in his 21YR old season.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

I love Whitecloud but I hate the idea of giving up a premium asset on top of Matinpalo, who's a legit NHL RD in his own right.

I'm not sure why it'd be such an issue to have Matinpalo and Yakemchuk fight it out to play beside Chabot and continue to allow Kleven-Spence to dominate on the 3rd pairing.

Matinpalo has proven to be a solid defenseman who can handle defensive responsibilities without making many mistakes, and obviously you'd hope Yakemchuk is capable of playing a regular shift without issue being a 7th OVR pick in his 21YR old season.

I dont think its nevessarily an issue, but a trade like this would make our D incredibly strong and allow us to continue to ease Yakemchuk in slowly. Injuries will happen, they always do.

I really think this team can have an incredibly strong season next year. If we get to the deadline and have an extra DMan, thats a good problem to have and should be able to be easily parlayed into a top 6 forward.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Also I know there were rumours of us inquiring and having discussions about Ristolainen but I don’t think it’ll be an option for us.

Briere was talking about the Andrae trade on Overdrive and specifically mentionned that with York and Drysdale they were too small/soft on defense for what they wanted. That’s why they decided to go for Benoit who adds a bit of a presence and physicality from the backend. “Snarl” is the exact word he used.

That leads me to believe that Briere will want to keep Ristolainen given he plays a hard nosed game and he has size (plus he had a great season).

It will probably depend on whether Ristolainen will extend with the Flyers or not.

For all this talk about McTavish coming to Ottawa, there's an obvious framework for a deal based around Ristolainen+ to ANA for McTavish, or perhaps something around Parayko for McTavish.

Both the Flyers and Blues need a center badly and have a big top 4 RD to trade, and apparently that's what the Ducks would want in return:



I wonder if a McTavish/Zub swap could be an option if Zub doesn't want to extend this summer.

 

[Wallet Inspector]

I wonder if a McTavish/Zub swap could be an option if Zub doesn't want to extend this summer.

I would do Spence for McTavish, although maybe Anaheim doesn't want another small defenceman since they already have Zellweger.

 

[Hale The Villain]

I dont think its nevessarily an issue, but a trade like this would make our D incredibly strong and allow us to continue to ease Yakemchuk in slowly. Injuries will happen, they always do.

I really think this team can have an incredibly strong season next year. If we get to the deadline and have an extra DMan, thats a good problem to have and should be able to be easily parlayed into a top 6 forward.

I think we just need another good depth option in case Yakemchuk does his best Jiricek impression and
doesn't improve his skating or defense this summer.

Zub, Spence and Matinpalo + Yakemchuk is a perfectly fine right-side.

You have a top pairing shutdown guy, a 2nd pairing two-way guy, a 3rd pairing defensive guy + a potential top 4 OFD that could surprise.

It's a complete non-issue.