Value of: Luke Kunin

[Scoresberg]

Have to think Kunin is on his way out from Nashville. He's an RFA, with QO only $2.3 mil this summer.

Acquired in 2020 for a 2nd and a 3rd, Kunin showed some promise in his 1st year in Nashville with 10 goals in 38 games. This year, however, has not been good for him, with only 13 goals in 82 games.

He's a physical (top-25 in hits), versatile (can play wing or center) forward but have to believe that trying to improve the depth scoring, Preds will be looking another direction. Ideally, you would deploy him as a 3rd line winger.

Preds could be looking for a similar forward or a defenseman, struggling in their current team and in need of change-of-scenery.

Click to read more...

 

[SEALBound]

Kunin for Kapanen?

 

[beardawg]

Kunin for Kapanen?

Gotta think Nashville would be all over that

 

[bsu]

Sam Steel package

 

[Stewie Griffin]

Kunin for Labanc +

 

[Scoresberg]

Kunin for Kapanen?

Kapanen's an interesting one for sure. Overall, better body of work than Kunin and seems like a decent middle-six winger.

That being said, I can't see him fitting in Coach Hynes' system. He's too much of a north-south player who uses his speed in transition, and that's exactly what drove Arvidsson out of Nashville. His contract situation is also a bit tricky one.

Kunin for Labanc +

Zero interest in that contract, unless the + is something too big to pass up on, which I doubt.

Sam Steel package

I'm not sure we have a need for Steel, who's an undersized winger without top-six potential.

 

[Nothingbutglass]

Have to think Kunin is on his way out from Nashville. He's an RFA, with QO only $2.3 mil this summer.

Acquired in 2020 for a 2nd and a 3rd, Kunin showed some promise in his 1st year in Nashville with 10 goals in 38 games. This year, however, has not been good for him, with only 13 goals in 82 games.

He's a physical (top-25 in hits), versatile (can play wing or center) forward but have to believe that trying to improve the depth scoring, Preds will be looking another direction. Ideally, you would deploy him as a 3rd line winger.

Preds could be looking for a similar forward or a defenseman, struggling in their current team and in need of change-of-scenery.

Can he play C full time? 3rd line winger seems like low bar. He seemed like a good prospect not too long ago. Can he not skate? Braindead?

 

[Scoresberg]

Can he play C full time? 3rd line winger seems like low bar. He seemed like a good prospect not too long ago. Can he not skate? Braindead?

For a team chasing the Cup, no. For a lower-end team, he could get by as a bottom-six center.

He's been forced into a top-six winger role in Nashville, but struggled especially this year. As a complimentary top-six winger, he could find some magic on a different team with a right fit.

He can skate (adequately), hit and shoot but I just think there isn't a fit for him in Nashville. We have the bangers in Jeannot and Trenin. We have the skill guys in Duchene and Forsberg. We have the younger, up-and-coming guys in Tomasino and Tolvanen. There just isn't a fit for him anymore in Nashville.

 

[SEALBound]

Kapanen's an interesting one for sure. Overall, better body of work than Kunin and seems like a decent middle-six winger.

That being said, I can't see him fitting in Coach Hynes' system. He's too much of a north-south player who uses his speed in transition, and that's exactly what drove Arvidsson out of Nashville. His contract situation is also a bit tricky one.

How is the contract "tricky"?

He's a RFA with a QO of like 800k....

 

[OVO16]

Kunin for Engvall

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

How is the contract "tricky"?

He's a RFA with a QO of like 800k....

AKA he's going to arbitration.

 

[SEALBound]

AKA he's going to arbitration.

You don't have to sign him at 800k, he'd likely come in at $2.5-$3mil for a year. That said, I don't think he has arbitration rights.

 

[biturbo19]

I could see him finding a better fit in Vancouver. Somewhere in the Top-9 they could probably find a use for some more size and grit like Kunin. Cap-wise though, a deal would probably have to include someone like Dickinson or Pearson, or some complete dead weight like Poolman that i'm sure Nashville would have little interest in (even if they do have the cap room to take that on).

Dickinson hasn't really worked out in Vancouver, but in Dallas, he was a pretty quality "Swiss Army Knife" utility player who might fit better with Nashville. Could also just end up swapping a bit of a flexible North-South "tweener" without a position, for another sort of of tweener who should also probably be a winger. But if it's "fit" and "role" you trying to tweak, you're probably only going to find out by trying it.


I could see trying to add quite a bit to Kunin to build some sort of package to get to Conor Garland if the Preds are looking for a more clear cut "skilled" guy to play in the Top-6. But it's hard to really piece together what the "add" would actually be out of Nashville's asset inventory. Nashville have never seemed like a team to be inclined to move their top draft picks, and the prospects that would move the needle on a Garland deal are probably guys the Preds would rather just hang onto.



Kunin would also probably be an intriguing option for a team like Toronto, who ought to be looking for some of that sort of element to better shape their Bottom-6. But don't necessarily have the money to do that sort of deal, depending on what Kunin's new deal rings in at.

 

[The don godfather]

Bruins can use a center

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I can't imagine Kunin playing center, really. But just to add some perspective on Kunin's progress in Nashville, I think he showed more promise in his first season than he did this season. There's a reason we pencilled him in for a 2nd line winger spot to start this year. Then he basically reproduces the same stats in double the games. Whups.

I think a large part of why he is being advertised here is that he became somewhat emblematic of an issue which took over the team late in the season, and turned a highly effective mid-season team into an absolute disaster by the time the playoffs rolled around. It wasn't just him, but he certainly became the poster boy for it.

And that problem was an overall team "brain-deadness" that seemed to lead to players chasing hits gratuitously, taking bad penalties at the worst possible time, and just eschewing the creation of any sustained offense at the expense of all that.

Last year, Kunin would go to the net, and he showed a sneaky good release on his shot at times. I thought he had potential as a complementary net-front style of winger, a guy who would muck it up and go into traffic to help his linemates score, and could still pop 20 or so goals himself in the process. This year... he just seemed to make a bee-line for the corners every time, taking himself out of the play. Yes, he got a lot of hits. But any 4th line energy guy could do that. We needed something different from him. He's not a very big or intimidating guy. Just finishing his checks doesn't do much for the team.

But the good news is he's young. And I dare to hope he can make the necessary tweaks to get his game back on track. But... that's a "hope". I'd trade him for a more established, proven scorer. We have plenty of grit and youth elsewhere, those parts of his game aren't huge selling points for us right now.

 

[Gecklund]

I would love to add Kunin to SJ. Maybe something around Dahlen?

 

[Scoresberg]

You don't have to sign him at 800k, he'd likely come in at $2.5-$3mil for a year. That said, I don't think he has arbitration rights.

According to CapFriendly, he does have arb. rights.

I would love to add Kunin to SJ. Maybe something around Dahlen?

To be honest, don't know a thing about Dahlen but looking at his profile, he does seem the type I would try swapping Kunin for. Any top-six upside with this kid?

 

[Gecklund]

According to CapFriendly, he does have arb. rights.

To be honest, don't know a thing about Dahlen but looking at his profile, he does seem the type I would try swapping Kunin for. Any top-six upside with this kid?

Likely more middle 6. Showed lots of promise with Timo and Couture early but then just got injured and covid.

 

[Oddbob]

May not even be qualified. Year before Pius Suter had 27 pts in 55 GP and Chicago didn't qualify him.

 

[biturbo19]

Bruins can use a center

Not one like Kunin though. He's definitely not the sort of piece Boston is looking for. He's more of a stopgap Center at best. Kind of like Coyle, but worse offensively.

May not even be qualified. Year before Pius Suter had 27 pts in 55 GP and Chicago didn't qualify him.

The whole Pius Suter thing with Chicago was a pretty clear case where his production was a bit of a Patty Kane driven Mirage. They couldn't justify signing him to what he would've asked there. And obviously without Kane padding his point totals, he's come right back down to earth.

Weird, atypical contract situation at a weird time...meant that Chicago couldn't keep him at a reasonable price, but Detroit probably got an okayish but not great deal on him as a UFA.

 

[SEALBound]

According to CapFriendly, he does have arb. rights.

By golly, you're right. I didn't think he did, so I stand corrected.

That said, I'm not sure Kapanen or his agent want to go to arbitration given the year he had. He needs a 1-2yr prove it deal, refind his game, then get the bigger contract if he succeeds beyond the current contract. $2.5-3.5 is about right for him. He has more to give than what we've seen in Pittsburgh and I imagine the same could be said for Kunin.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

Kunin for Haydn Fleury?

 

[Scoresberg]

May not even be qualified. Year before Pius Suter had 27 pts in 55 GP and Chicago didn't qualify him.

Can't see that happening. Unlike Suter, we actually paid a hefty price for Kunin less than two years ago, so he's either sticking around or getting traded.

By golly, you're right. I didn't think he did, so I stand corrected.

That said, I'm not sure Kapanen or his agent want to go to arbitration given the year he had. He needs a 1-2yr prove it deal, refind his game, then get the bigger contract if he succeeds beyond the current contract. $2.5-3.5 is about right for him. He has more to give than what we've seen in Pittsburgh and I imagine the same could be said for Kunin.

Kapanen for Kunin is starting to look like an interest base. Similar players in a similar positions.

Kunin for Haydn Fleury?

How do you see Fleury compared to Lauzon? I'm afraid they're too similar, and we don't need two of them.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

How do you see Fleury compared to Lauzon? I'm afraid they're too similar, and we don't need two of them.

I don't think they're similar at all.

Lauzon's a bruising, physical defenseman that shows some grit and loves to hit people.

Fleury's a smooth skating defenseman with a pretty good shot that just doesn't use it enough.

 

[Thechozen1]

Preds can have Vesalainen.