WTFMAN99
Registered User
- Jun 17, 2009
- 34,087
- 12,196
Maybe I'm way off base with this deal, but is there a deal to be had around these 2 players?
Would Dallas take a pick for Nuke?
There may be no choice. I don't know how excited teams are to give up known NHL quality for Nichushkin.
IIRC, Nuke wanted a bigger role on the team didn't he?
I'd rather bring in Backman, Nemeth or even Martenet over Oleksiak. No reason to bring in a limited hockey sense player if you don't have to. The goal really should be to bring in a RHS d-man, but Honka and Johns are too "out of the way" to reasonable happen in this deal.
Nuke wanted more ice time, but he didn't play well enough to earn it. That's an attitude problem.
If you want a player that isn't a pure contract dump then you'll need to add equivalent value. Oleksiak is essentially a throw in. Those other players will cost you.
Dallas is loaded up front and he was a bit behind the 8-ball having missed time with a knee injury. Maybe the allure of playing with Malkin appeals to him?
It was hip surgery just fyi although the effect is basically the same either way. He got plenty of top 6 time last season. He just didn't do anything with it. He wasn't getting scratched in the playoffs because he was inexperienced and vets were taking his spot. He was scratched because he was playing genuinely awful. Which isn't to say that playing on a different team couldn't turn things around for him(I think it could) but the change has to start with him. He needs to buy in to the team mentality, accept that he's not going to be gifted PP time and big minutes and just do his job. If he earns them, the opportunities will come. If he demands them, they won't.
I guess I misremembered, this is a very true post though.
I think he'd get a chance in the Pens top 9 though, not sure on the PP time but maybe Malkin can help him? A Russian teammate who's won 2 cups...I'd be all ears if I was a young forward.
I know he's said before that not having any Russians on the team is hard for him. I don't think it's a team's job to make everyone comfortable but for Val specifically it might be something he needs and playing with someone like Malkin could make a big difference. But even beyond the shared nationality I think any player would love to play with Crosby and Malkin
I imagine the discussion would involve the details of where they are at with the contract details. If Nuke wants $5-6mil, well...bye. If he's in the $2-3mil range, it may be worth the time to look into it.
IIRC, Nuke wanted a bigger role on the team didn't he? Hell, send him to Pittsburgh where he can be Malkin's new best friend and help them keep the 3 scoring lines together.
Problem right now is that he's unsigned...so if he won't sign with the Stars and the deal they offer him, team won't want to give up much.