NHL trade deadline thread

  • Xenforo Cloud will be upgrading us to version 2.3.5 on March 3rd at 12 AM GMT. This version has increased stability and fixes several bugs. We expect downtime for the duration of the update. The admin team will continue to work on existing issues, templates and upgrade all necessary available addons to minimize impact of this new version. Click Here for Updates
Kyrou and Robert Thomas have identical contracts that pay $8.125 for 6 more years. Neither has trade protection until summer. I doubt the Blues have any interest in dealing Thomas. But he is the type of centre it would be nice to get if we were trading Power. Thomas and Kyrou for Cozens, Power, ++. The ++ would likely need to include another future centre option, like Kulich or Helenius. Again, not likely realistic.

Also, does anyone know if Villardi can actually play centre. He is an RFA but I think is playing wing in Winnipeg.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ValJamesDuex
Still don't see it happening. There are so few teams in playoff position who have their own first this year and most of the teams that have multiple picks aren't in playoff position. If the season ended today, the following teams have their 1st pick in 2025:

Capitals
Jets
Hurricanes
Kings
Canucks
Red Wings
Senators

I don't see any of those teams offering a first for Zucker. The other 9 picks are all held by non-playoff teams.

The Penguins and Flames don't own their own pick right now and aren't in playoff position.

One thought as well would be if Zucker’s value may outweigh any possible trade value available on the market.

To say he’s worth a late 1st isn’t exactly wrong regardless if he only gets a 2nd + more.

If Vegas had their 1st; Zucker would be likely sent there for it based on how Vegas throws 1sts around like candy. If we can’t lock him up prior to the deadline; there’s nothing preventing us from saying “Jason, we still like you and when July 1st comes around we’d still be interested in talking with you.”
 
I think Thompson-Kulich-McLeod is a perfectly fine center spine if an EP40 deal doesn't happen IF they are surrounded by sufficiently skilled wingers.

Is it ideal? No. But top-six Cs with no trade protection don't exactly grow on trees.
I think this is bad and you are making the same mistake as Adams.

McLeod is a great 3C, he can play top 6 for a while, but that means your top 6C is injured or fell off a cliff like Cozens. Tage is literally playing on the wing, plus he plays on a line with Kulich, and he also gets those little injuries sometimes. Kulich is still a kid, and if he has a slump or inconsistency we're going to be making the same mistakes Kevyn makes every season (don't give kids those kinds of impossible roles unless you have the insurance to do it).

Honestly I would rather add any potential or similar top 6 C player than just a good winger. Because we will have no one to replace Tage (if he is a center), Kulich (if he is a top 6 C). Kyrou won't replace any of them in the center.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ValJamesDuex
I think this is bad and you are making the same mistake as Adams.

McLeod is a great 3C, he can play top 6 for a while, but that means your top 6C is injured or fell off a cliff like Cozens. Tage is literally playing on the wing, plus he plays on a line with Kulich, and he also gets those little injuries sometimes. Kulich is still a kid, and if he has a slump or inconsistency we're going to be making the same mistakes Kevyn makes every season (don't give kids those kinds of impossible roles unless you have the insurance to do it).

Honestly I would rather add any potential or similar top 6 C player than just a good winger. Because we will have no one to replace Tage (if he is a center), Kulich (if he is a top 6 C). Kyrou won't replace any of them in the center.
I said it's far from ideal. But without EP40, please show me another attainable option that supplants Tage at center.
 
I said it's far from ideal. But without EP40, please show me another attainable option that supplants Tage at center.
Why would we want to supplants Tage out of the centre when he's not playing there anymore and looks great on the wing?

We need a top 6 C, it could be a proven veteran from UFA or a trade, which is not realistic, but there is always a chance. It could be someone like Rossi, if for some reason he is available, it could be someone like Zegras or Hayton for example, who is not exactly a top 6 C, but they have that potential. I think there are always options.
 
I said it's far from ideal. But without EP40, please show me another attainable option that supplants Tage at center.
To me Granlund at 2x6m seems to be a good option. You lose nothing in trades and although Granlund isn't an elite 1C he is still good enough to play 1C.

Just trying to keep things realistic. The only issue with Granlund is he is 33 next year so sooner or later his play will drop off but his last two seasons statistically have been very good
 
Pagnotta said Zucker could fetch a late first at the deadline. Not likely imo, but "someone" is trying to prop his value going to the deadline.
 
Sabres won’t be making the playoff this year
But they need to learn how to win

the moves that I want to see are ones that make the roster better for next year and beyond

Keep the players that are helping them win for now and forfeit the low value magic beans. 3 and above picks not worth the disruption on learning how to win

Don’t need the disarray when they are finally figuring out how to play. Not worth the 5th round gems. Just my opinion
 
  • Like
Reactions: jc17
Sabres won’t be making the playoff this year
But they need to learn how to win

the moves that I want to see are ones that make the roster better for next year and beyond

Keep the players that are helping them win for now and forfeit the low value magic beans. 3 and above picks not worth the disruption on learning how to win

Don’t need the disarray when they are finally figuring out how to play. Not worth the 5th round gems. Just my opinion
Picks are assets in the trade, and if Zucker and Greenway don't want to sign an extension right now, you trade them at TDL for picks, so that later you can flip those picks for a top 4 RD and replace Zucker and Greenway.
 
Picks are assets in the trade, and if Zucker and Greenway don't want to sign an extension right now, you trade them at TDL for picks, so that later you can flip those picks for a top 4 RD and replace Zucker and Greenway.
They are not going to be able to flip the picks that they get for Zucker and Greenway for a quality top 4 RHD in all likelihood.

Zucker went for a 6th round pick at last year's trade deadline. Just because he's having the second best season of his career doesn't mean that GMs will vastly change their valuation of him at the trade deadline. I think they will be lucky to get a 3rd round pick for each guy. And you aren't getting a quality top 4 RHD for 2 3rds.

Sabres won’t be making the playoff this year
But they need to learn how to win

the moves that I want to see are ones that make the roster better for next year and beyond

Keep the players that are helping them win for now and forfeit the low value magic beans. 3 and above picks not worth the disruption on learning how to win

Don’t need the disarray when they are finally figuring out how to play. Not worth the 5th round gems. Just my opinion
They need to learn how to win when there is pressure and not merely win when all the pressure is off because they have no real shot at making the playoffs.

We have seen this all before and it did not lead to lessons learned and built upon in following seasons.
 
They are not going to be able to flip the picks that they get for Zucker and Greenway for a quality top 4 RHD in all likelihood.

Zucker went for a 6th round pick at last year's trade deadline. Just because he's having the second best season of his career doesn't mean that GMs will vastly change their valuation of him at the trade deadline. I think they will be lucky to get a 3rd round pick for each guy. And you aren't getting a quality top 4 RHD for 2 3rds.
I think it's debatable and you're wrong. Sometimes you can get top 4 RD even for free (Fabbro) or for 4th (Kovacevic) or two 2nd (Marino). It doesn't matter anyway, they're still assets and Zucker is having a great season and someone could very well pay for him 2nd.
 
They are not going to be able to flip the picks that they get for Zucker and Greenway for a quality top 4 RHD in all likelihood.

Zucker went for a 6th round pick at last year's trade deadline. Just because he's having the second best season of his career doesn't mean that GMs will vastly change their valuation of him at the trade deadline. I think they will be lucky to get a 3rd round pick for each guy. And you aren't getting a quality top 4 RHD for 2 3rds.


They need to learn how to win when there is pressure and not merely win when all the pressure is off because they have no real shot at making the playoffs.

We have seen this all before and it did not lead to lessons learned and built upon in following seasons.
You are not wrong
I just think that it’s just not gambling and winning (which is what I believe they did in past). But a change to a defence first mindset. Zucker and greenway big part of that. They can get different players for those roles next year but not this year

Not worth the late round picks to spoil their play and wreck Rochester season. Imo
 
They need to learn how to win when there is pressure and not merely win when all the pressure is off because they have no real shot at making the playoffs.

We have seen this all before and it did not lead to lessons learned and built upon in following seasons.
It's debatable whether this matters. Having more assets for trades almost certainly does. So the safer bet is to collect as many assets as possible.

CBJ is in the final playoff spot playing at a 90pt pace. The Sabres would need to go 16-5-5 down the stretch to get to 90 pts. That is a 117 pt pace. I don't care how "loose" they are, that is extremely unlikely.

If Greenway, Joker, and Zucker aren't re-signing, you have to deal them. I'd also like to see Isak Rosen, Brett Murray and Zach Metsa get a look down the stretch.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad