Lucas Raymond

[FriendlyGhost92]

This doesn't change much. It's like choosing between Zetterberg and Datsyuk. Which type of poison do you prefer?

I'll take the center rather easily over the winger considering the center scored 42 more goals in 4 less games over the last four seasons.

... Now if you factor in contract it shifts a little.

 

[Henkka]

Actually, Pastrnak is a HUGE problem for Boston. With him they are a playoff team that looses in the first round. Without him, they need to rebuild. You can't trade the best goal scorer in the NHL but you also cannot hold on him for long.

Boston did a big mistake not trading him last season. He could have get them 2 1sts + excellent prospect.

I wouldn't trade 113p and 110p season player for any cost, if he likes to stay.

 

[DamonDRW]

I wouldn't trade 113p and 110p season player for any cost, if he likes to stay.

And this will drive you to 10+ years rebuild. Something we have now.

 

[DamonDRW]

I'll take the center rather easily over the winger considering the center scored 42 more goals in 4 less games over the last four seasons.

... Now if you factor in contract it shifts a little.

The most important thing you need to factor in is commitment. With this factored in there are 20+ players I would choose before Matthews.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

And this will drive you to 10+ years rebuild. Something we have now.

Wait...what?

Let me get this straight...

Boston is doomed to a 10+ year rebuild because they didn't trade Pastrnak, one of the very best players in the league, for 2 1st round picks?

This board is peak summer right now.

 

[raymond23]

Superstar

Gonna be our best player since Datsyuk/Zetterberg

I feel like our fanbase underrates him to be honest... maybe we just don't want to be let down

 

[lilidk]

Superstar

Gonna be our best player since Datsyuk/Zetterberg

I feel like our fanbase underrates him to be honest... maybe we just don't want to be let down

He was always compared to Marner .

 

[Pavels Dog]

Superstar

Gonna be our best player since Datsyuk/Zetterberg

I feel like our fanbase underrates him to be honest... maybe we just don't want to be let down

Missing the playoffs means the whole team gets a ”not a good enough” stamp by some.

 

[Henkka]

And this will drive you to 10+ years rebuild. Something we have now.

Boston still has young core. I don't get this. Their ELITE players are in prime.

28y - Pastrnak
29y - E.Lindholm
27y - Zacha
20y - Poitras

26y - McAvoy
30y - H.Lindholm
27y - Carlo

25y - Swayman

After this core gets old, they will probably have a longer rebuild, but the time is definitely not now. It's when Pastrnak/McAvoy/Swayman are 32 or older.

And why not trading Pastrnak after 5-6 years, when the real rebuild will start...

 

[DamonDRW]

Wait...what?

Let me get this straight...

Boston is doomed to a 10+ year rebuild because they didn't trade Pastrnak, one of the very best players in the league, for 2 1st round picks?

This board is peak summer right now.

It depends what are their goals. If the idea is to make the playoffs, they will need to keep him.

 

[Konnan511]

Actually, Pastrnak is a HUGE problem for Boston. With him they are a playoff team that looses in the first round. Without him, they need to rebuild. You can't trade the best goal scorer in the NHL but you also cannot hold on him for long.

Boston did a big mistake not trading him last season. He could have get them 2 1sts + excellent prospect.

Why would they have traded him? For the majority of the season Boston was the best team in the league. They missed the President's Trophy by 5 points. They were going for another cup and had a great chance at it.

 

[19 for president]

Why would they have traded him? For the majority of the season Boston was the best team in the league. They missed the President's Trophy by 5 points. They were going for another cup and had a great chance at it.

They are a little paper tiger right now. Maybe that improves with Lindholm but they really have two elite players in Pasta and McAvoy.

They are a bit in that limbo stage that the Wings were post Lidstrom. I think they have some better young players than we did at that point though and its easier to stay in the playoffs with defensive depth/goaltending than it is when your strength is forward.

I think Boston has 2 seasons where they can play around and see if they can find the youth/free agents to build a real contender around Pasta/McAvoy but if they can't do it and hold out longer then that you probably end up with the Wings style rebuild. In 2 years at 29 (Mc) and 30 (Pasta) you still have highly tradeable assets that will be worth a ton and really give you a jump on a rebuild. I don't think you lose a ton of assets by hanging onto them for a couple of years and seeing if you can retool.

*******

As for Ray I would lean towards just locking him up for 8 now. That takes him to 30 and gives us his prime years. His game isn't reliant on any one physical skill so his potential for regressing is less. The Wings have no other star contracts that they have to manage around except Seiders. Like I could advocate around Ed maybe getting a bridge deal in a few years if Ray and Seider already have large contracts. I don't hate a bridge deal for him, but I feel like the only way to justify it is if the Wings had used that extra cap space to improve other areas already this off season. If the Wings enter the season as is, there is no reason to not lock him into a longer term deal.

 

[Redwing66]

Raymond needs to be locked up for the straight 8 - there's a time for bridge deals and this isn't one of them. He's proven himself a rising star that shines when it matters most.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

They are a little paper tiger right now. Maybe that improves with Lindholm but they really have two elite players in Pasta and McAvoy.

They are a bit in that limbo stage that the Wings were post Lidstrom. I think they have some better young players than we did at that point though and its easier to stay in the playoffs with defensive depth/goaltending than it is when your strength is forward.

I think Boston has 2 seasons where they can play around and see if they can find the youth/free agents to build a real contender around Pasta/McAvoy but if they can't do it and hold out longer then that you probably end up with the Wings style rebuild. In 2 years at 29 (Mc) and 30 (Pasta) you still have highly tradeable assets that will be worth a ton and really give you a jump on a rebuild. I don't think you lose a ton of assets by hanging onto them for a couple of years and seeing if you can retool.

*******

As for Ray I would lean towards just locking him up for 8 now. That takes him to 30 and gives us his prime years. His game isn't reliant on any one physical skill so his potential for regressing is less. The Wings have no other star contracts that they have to manage around except Seiders. Like I could advocate around Ed maybe getting a bridge deal in a few years if Ray and Seider already have large contracts. I don't hate a bridge deal for him, but I feel like the only way to justify it is if the Wings had used that extra cap space to improve other areas already this off season. If the Wings enter the season as is, there is no reason to not lock him into a longer term deal.

This isn’t a Ricky Bobby if you’re first your last league. Just because Boston didn’t win the cup does not mean they’re unsuccessful and need to blow it up.

 

[Winger98]

This isn’t a Ricky Bobby if you’re first your last league. Just because Boston didn’t win the cup does not mean they’re unsuccessful and need to blow it up.

I don't think they are being called unsuccessful, but I think the term "paper tiger" is a good one, and I don't think they are a Cup contender without some significant help. They do make me think a lot of other top teams as they fall to the backside of their contending window.

While I'm not really on the Trade Pasta Train, I'd float Marchand to see what I could get.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

I don't think they are being called unsuccessful, but I think the term "paper tiger" is a good one, and I don't think they are a Cup contender without some significant help. They do make me think a lot of other top teams as they fall to the backside of their contending window.

While I'm not really on the Trade Pasta Train, I'd float Marchand to see what I could get.

They’re a legit top 6 team in the league. That’s a contender in just about every post-expansion era. And if it wasn’t for the shit playoff format I’d bet they get to the conference finals a lot more.

 

[Winger98]

They’re a legit top 6 team in the league. That’s a contender in just about every post-expansion era. And if it wasn’t for the shit playoff format I’d bet they get to the conference finals a lot more.

they haven't made it to the conference finals a lot more. They've done it just once in the past 8 years. Blame it on whatever you want but at some point the answer should probably be they just aren't good enough.

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

The most important thing you need to factor in is commitment. With this factored in there are 20+ players I would choose before Matthews.

Yeah, this doesn't really have anything to do with you claiming Pasta is a better goal scorer than Matthews, which simply isn't true.

Please stop making me defend a Leaf.

 

[Pavels Dog]

Boston still has young core. I don't get this. Their ELITE players are in prime.

28y - Pastrnak
29y - E.Lindholm
27y - Zacha
20y - Poitras

26y - McAvoy
30y - H.Lindholm
27y - Carlo

25y - Swayman

After this core gets old, they will probably have a longer rebuild, but the time is definitely not now. It's when Pastrnak/McAvoy/Swayman are 32 or older.

And why not trading Pastrnak after 5-6 years, when the real rebuild will start...

Naming Elias Lindholm, Zacha, Poitras and Carlo as parts of an "ELITE" group is a reach imo.
It also remains to be seen if Swayman can be a legit star #1 with ~55+ starts, because they no longer have the luxury of the best 1A/1B tandem in the league.