Proposal: Rakell for Byram

[Ledge And Dairy]

How does this help Buffalo? Rakell isn't going to get PP1 time with Crosby passing him the puck there. Also the Sabres don't need help scoring, they need help preventing the puck going in their own net.

 

[Djp]

Ignoring Rakell's 8 team NTC, would this be a fair deal straight up? Byram seems to be on the outs in Buffalo, with his projected contract of 7 years and $7.25 million being way too much for Buffalo to pay with Dahlin and Power also on LD. The Penguins desperately need both current LD help and long-term top-4 D options, so Byram fills a huge need for them. Rakell gives Buffalo another top-6 scorer that's on a pretty cheap deal (3 years left at $5 million).

Byram at hus age >> Rakell at end if his career.

 

[Chainshot]

Fair enough.
But then what you're suggesting here is that Rakell would have less value than Pettersson would.

Yes, I am. A premier play killing defenseman in his late 20's is going to command more value than a winger who has hit the 40+ point mark more regularly than the two 60+ point seasons. There is serious risk of regression there given his age and relative inconsistency in the last few years. He's a year off from a 37 pointer. So yeah, I don't think it's wild to assert that MP is more valuable nor that the Dubas ask is not viable.

 

[wetcoast]

Lol



Buffalo's problem is that they need more NHL proven talent, and I'm really skeptical they'll be getting offered a better player than Rakell for Byram. I think it's more likely that most Byram trade offers will be draft picks, which Buffalo is already flush with already.

I think they can likely get a more valuable return than Rakell straight up, but that return would likely just be draft picks and prospects that they already have a bunch of.

The easy way to answer this is to ask what is each player really worth and what do they bring to the table.

Bryam easily is more valuable and Buffalo would be stupid trading him straight up for Rakell.

Throw in a fist round pick then you might get some traction.

Buffalo doesn't need NHL players that badly to make such a poor trade.

 

[Jared Grayden]

I could see Adams being stupid enough to fall for it. I'd prefer futures as Byram will just be another chair on the deck of the Titanic, but he's at least young enough to be worth considering this deal.

 

[SirSamofHouseBennett]

This neutral fan opinion

Byram



Rakell
Quinn & 3rd


MPetey


Ya RR scored 35 goals but come on, someone had to score this year playing with Crosby on one of the worst teams in the league.

So meh, no thanks and certainly not at any premium unless.

If I am a contender and he can come in as a middle 6 guy, sure but still at a discount.

Regardless, Byram is a high value asset and while he may be the odd man out in BUF, he will return them a much more dynamic long term piece than a 32 year old with 1 year left and a career year.


I might even prefer Quinn & 3rd if I am in PIT stage of their cycle but I also understand they want to have players like RR to keep 87 happy.

 

[Beerz]

Summer trade often return more due increased cap flexibility.

Rakell will have just as much value in summer as the TDL, potentially more as there could very well be additional suitors that couldn't afford him at the TDL.

But since want to be like that on value:

Byram for Mittelstadt,
Mittlestadt+2nd for Coyle+5th,
Coyle is 33yo and producing significantly less than Rakell,
Thus, Byram+2nd+Quinn for Rakell+5th would be about right.

You should stretch before doing such gymnastics

 

[DesertPenguin]

Lol



Buffalo's problem is that they need more NHL proven talent, and I'm really skeptical they'll be getting offered a better player than Rakell for Byram. I think it's more likely that most Byram trade offers will be draft picks, which Buffalo is already flush with already.

I think they can likely get a more valuable return than Rakell straight up, but that return would likely just be draft picks and prospects that they already have a bunch of.

If leadership is what they want, I'd negotiate around Rust too, and his no trade clause expires July 1st.

I'd also offer Harrison Brunicke and either our 2026 2nd or Washington's 2025 2nd. Brunicke is nearly ready, is RD which Buffalo sorely needs, and will be cheap for many years to come vs Byram's soon to be massive contract.

Maybe I love Brunicke more than the general pop but the kid is coming on really strong.

 

[Empoleon8771]

This neutral fan opinion

Byram



Rakell
Quinn & 3rd


MPetey


Ya RR scored 35 goals but come on, someone had to score this year playing with Crosby on one of the worst teams in the league.

So meh, no thanks and certainly not at any premium unless.

If I am a contender and he can come in as a middle 6 guy, sure but still at a discount.

Regardless, Byram is a high value asset and while he may be the odd man out in BUF, he will return them a much more dynamic long term piece than a 32 year old with 1 year left and a career year.


I might even prefer Quinn & 3rd if I am in PIT stage of their cycle but I also understand they want to have players like RR to keep 87 happy.

The issue here is that Pettersson just went for a 1st rounder, while I'd pretty easily argue that Quinn and a 3rd is less valuable than a 1st rounder.

Maybe I'm underrating Quinn, but I don't see much that differentiates him and Tomasino. Tomasino went for a 4th so I don't feel like Quinn has that much value. I think a lot of Penguins fans would be extremely upset with that kind of return for Rakell because they were absolutely getting better offers than that at the deadline.

 

[Hennessy]

Rakell...tbe aging Ducks winger who barely found life on Crosby's wing for Byram, the young-ish top 4 pick who may not explode but still shows pretty good?
You're trading for picks now. Not Byrams.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I'm not sure that it's fair to say that Rakell is offense-first. I mean, yes, he's not a 2-way winger that you'd put on the PK, but his defense at 5-on-5 is better than many top-line wingers.

He’s kind of a beast on the boards. Physical too.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Nah. Rackell at his age seems like a young player and mid-high (non-first) pick in value. I don't see shifting that to Byram and trying to balance with a 2nd as really getting it done. *shrug*

I was initially thinking of just "Rackell for a 2nd" but stuffed Quinn in there instead.

Offering a 2nd for a guy making 5 mil per in a 104 mil cap league who's had 2 60+ point seasons in the last 3 years and coming off a 35 goal year is...interesting value assessment.

Dude is 3 years older than Tuch.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I mean I know Quinn's production which looks kinda similar to Rackell's in Pittsburgh outside of what looks like a surprise fluke year.

Looks to me like his down season in '22-'23 is the fluke year.

Are we to believe his 28 goal, 60 point season the year before last was a problem?

 

[tsujimoto74]

Absolutely not.

 

[KrakenSabresMike]

I could see Adams being stupid enough to fall for it. I'd prefer futures as Byram will just be another chair on the deck of the Titanic, but he's at least young enough to be worth considering this deal.

Since when? The guy is a bad gm bc he didn’t build a team and didn’t do enough. - but saying he’s dumb enough to get fleeced - that’s the one thing he has not had happen to him at all. Probably the worst trade he made was giving up a free second rounder for Beck malynstein.

Plus, is he even the GM next week? I give it like a 30% chance that he is and a 70% chance someone else is even if he’s still in the organization… The only reason it hasn’t happened yet is because pegula is paying attention to the bills and enjoying the draft.

 

[KrakenSabresMike]

Offering a 2nd for a guy making 5 mil per in a 104 mil cap league who's had 2 60+ point seasons in the last 3 years and coming off a 35 goal year is...interesting value assessment.

Dude is 3 years older than Tuch.

Tuch is much younger much better and a totally different player ( aka a real first line winger who is basically Mark Stone light and I’d subtract the light if he played for a good team and got the credit he deserved…) that’s not Rakell

 

[landy]

No Byrams age is still >>>>>

 

[CristianoRonaldo]

If Byram gets near 7M, the league is in big trouble.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Tuch is much younger much better and a totally different player ( aka a real first line winger who is basically Mark Stone light and I’d subtract the light if he played for a good team and got the credit he deserved…) that’s not Rakell

Nobody said Rakell should have Tuch's value, he was only used as a point of comparison.

Do you think a 35 goal scorer making 5 mil per for the next 3 years in a league where teans operate with a 104 mil cap is worth a 2nd rounder...ie what an impending UFA Nathan Beauvillier and Luke Schenn signed through next year just returned?

 

[OtherThingsILike]

The easy way to answer this is to ask what is each player really worth and what do they bring to the table.

Bryam easily is more valuable and Buffalo would be stupid trading him straight up for Rakell.

Throw in a fist round pick then you might get some traction.

Buffalo doesn't need NHL players that badly to make such a poor trade.

Here's what Byram brings to the table:

Thank you, @JackFr
Rakell himself is worth a 1st +.
Therefore, Byram is not worth the value of two 1sts.

 

[OtherThingsILike]

Nobody said Rakell should have Tuch's value, he was only used as a point of comparison.

Do you think a 35 goal scorer making 5 mil per for the next 3 years in a league where teans operate with a 104 mil cap is worth a 2nd rounder...ie what an impending UFA Nathan Beauvillier and Luke Schenn signed through next year just returned?

Luke Schenn also returned a 4th, so this would mean that Rakell is worth less than Luke Schenn.

 

[EXTRAS]

Highly doubt 32 year old rakell gets you 24 year old Byram. That being said Pittsburgh should absolutely be trying to sell high on rakell. They are an old team who didn't really come close to the playoffs.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I mean value aside am I off for not thinking this is a good fit for Buffalo?

I feel like Byram would be their best trade chip to balance out the D with an RHD rather than chase another forward, much less one in his 30s, no matter how good he is.

 

[Djp]

I mean value aside am I off for not thinking this is a good fit for Buffalo?

Yes. Rakell is poor if he's not playing with high end centers.

Buffalo does not need wingers like Rakell.

Buffalo has a bunch of young F coming up that rakell takes uo their potential place

I feel like Byram would be their best trade chip to balance out the D with an RHD rather than chase another forward, much less one in his 30s, no matter how good he is.

Yes byram or power woukd be a big trade chip. I don't think they do a LD for RD swap but instead trade a young F for a 23-25 RD then trade byram/ power to replace what they gave up

 

[Chainshot]

Summer trade often return more due increased cap flexibility.

Rakell will have just as much value in summer as the TDL, potentially more as there could very well be additional suitors that couldn't afford him at the TDL.

But since want to be like that on value:

Byram for Mittelstadt,
Mittlestadt+2nd for Coyle+5th,
Coyle is 33yo and producing significantly less than Rakell,
Thus, Byram+2nd+Quinn for Rakell+5th would be about right.

Mittelstadt going this year after a nearly year-long slump for another center - centers do tend to demand more value in trade, particularly when trying to find larger ones who can play up to their size.

The issue here is that Pettersson just went for a 1st rounder, while I'd pretty easily argue that Quinn and a 3rd is less valuable than a 1st rounder.

Maybe I'm underrating Quinn, but I don't see much that differentiates him and Tomasino. Tomasino went for a 4th so I don't feel like Quinn has that much value. I think a lot of Penguins fans would be extremely upset with that kind of return for Rakell because they were absolutely getting better offers than that at the deadline.

Right, MP went for a first. He's got more value than Rackell.

Tomasino's best NHL season is about the same as Quinn's worst.

Looks to me like his down season in '22-'23 is the fluke year.

Are we to believe his 28 goal, 60 point season the year before last was a problem?

And what about all of the seasons prior to that - 41 combined, 28, 42, 43... the outliers seem more like the 60 pointer and certainly a career high at 31.