Speculation: Roster Building Thread LXXXIX: Going 11-3 to close out this crazy year should do it!

[jay from jersey]

I think we all agree, we need to consolidate.

I just dont think Eichel is the guy. If it comes to it, I'd offer Florida a similar deal for Barkov. Barkov above all should be target #1. If he's not available or doesn't want to leave Miami, move on to the next.

I’m positive this route has been explored. He’s just not available at this time. If he doesn’t sign right away that could change

 

[DutchShamrock]

LA can take a couple of center prospects, highly valued in their pool, and trade them for Eichel. It helps both teams and Adams can say he got top pieces from the Kings.

We have a Domi/Galchenyek type forward to offer (will he or won't he pan out as a C) and we are making like 5 of our top young players untouchable. In division.

 

[Rangers in 7]

Listen I’d rather not give up kravtsov or nils at all

but some of you need to back off the ledge with eichel....he’s a stud and easily a top 5 center in the nhl

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

If Eichel dosen’t work out, I would assume Larkin is plan B

Larkin isn’t in the same universe as Eichel but they’re probably hoping it’s a Mika 2.0 situation where he blows up coming here

The seeds are already being planted about Larkin potentially getting moved. You have our insiders here mentioning it, Friedman alluded to it the last couple days.

Just gotta hope Yzerman dosen’t bend us over a barrel too bad

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Listen I’d rather not give up kravtsov or nils at all

but some of you need to back off the ledge with eichel....he’s a stud and easily a top 5 center in the nhl

It’s unreal the excuses being made about not wanting Eichel lol

 

[TheBloodyNine]

I also don't buy the "replacement" theory of trading. If the Rangers said "We'll give you Adam Fox" the Sabres would take it and run with it and then worry about getting their future center elsewhere. Buffalo needs EVERYTHING so it's not like trading them some of our D prospects wouldn't be intriguing to them.

 

[Rangers in 7]

It’s unreal the excuses being made about not wanting Eichel lol

I also don't buy the "replacement" theory of trading. If the Rangers said "We'll give you Adam Fox" the Sabres would take it and run with it and then worry about getting their future center elsewhere. Buffalo needs EVERYTHING so it's not like trading them some of our D prospects wouldn't be intriguing to them.

both are correct

the rangers could use their glut of d prospects and offer them to Buffalo. I don’t think we even have to touch any of our stud forward prospects

 

[Rangers in 7]

Buffalo just traded away Taylor f***ing hall for peanuts

obviously eichel is the better of the two but 2 first round picks, Robertson, strome, and another prospect could entice Buffalo. The guy doesn’t want to be there anymore

 

[Off Sides]

He’s been right there with Matthews up until this year with a lot less support. He’s also young than Mack was when he become a legitimate superstar and has done more in his early career. He certainly can be a franchise cornerstone. The neck surgery is a bit concerning, but there’s no doubt the team will be in on him. I think if they are in on Eichel, Zib is gone even if they hold him til the TDL next year (and even if they self rent him if they’re looking truly competitive, which I doubt). I also think if they made a move for Eichel they would have to have at least some idea that they could move Trouba/Kreider to somebody else. Mika will be 29 when it’s time to re-sign him (he turns 28 this weekend). 8M for 29 year old Zibanejad with some injury history or 10M for 24 year old Eichel favors Eichel to me. You can find a way to make up the 2M difference somewhere without losing any of the key kids. But I’m not bullish on Eichel, just looking at the options and angles n

Do you think the Leafs are going to win a Cup over the next couple years?

 

[I Eat Crow]

Listen I’d rather not give up kravtsov or nils at all

but some of you need to back off the ledge with eichel....he’s a stud and easily a top 5 center in the nhl

Respectfully disagree. Top 10 I'll give you, but McDavid, MacKinnon, Matthews, Bergeron, Barkov, Point are all better right now.

 

[Calad]

Buffalo just traded away Taylor f***ing hall for peanuts

obviously eichel is the better of the two but 2 first round picks, Robertson, strome, and another prospect could entice Buffalo. The guy doesn’t want to be there anymore

Taylor Hall had a full NMC. They had better offers on the table (I believe from St. Louis as per 31 thoughts podcast) but Hall wanted Boston.

 

[Off Sides]

The definitions of top center?

Like in the regular season or the playoffs?

I guess to me the point is to win the Cup. Even the best teams take years to win it sometimes, everything need to go right and some wrong for the opponents they face.

Every time a team places a big bet (Nash, Richards) they are basing that on those big money players coming through in those playoff games.

To me the question comes down to, does one want to bet on Eichel at 10M or do they want to bet on the return for him which is like 4 players who equate to that same 10M?

I'll take the deeper team any day going into the playoffs over Eichel, Panarin, Kreider, Trouba, Strome taking up ~1/2 the cap.

 

[LokiDog]

Do you think the Leafs are going to win a Cup over the next couple years?

That’s a sort of silly benchmark. What if Colorado doesn’t win one with this group? What if McDavid doesn’t win one? That’s on MacKinnon/McDavid? Toronto is getting pretty solid. We’ll see how they do. They certainly have a window.

 

[CLW]

Kreider, Strome and Trouba makes no sense on a team that has Eichel at 10m cap hit.

 

[Off Sides]

That’s a sort of silly benchmark. What if Colorado doesn’t win one with this group? What if McDavid doesn’t win one? That’s on MacKinnon/McDavid? Toronto is getting pretty solid. We’ll see how they do. They certainly have a window.

I guess to each their own, I don't see the Rangers winning a Cup by trading for Eichel.

While I think they'd have a chance to win it by doing so, I see a a greater chance to win it by not overspending by trade and/or in cap hit, mostly by just continuing to do what they are basically doing.

Does not mean they don't make trades, signings, extensions, more so they need to be smart/efficient about it. Entry level contracts and RFA contracts are usually efficient if they are attached to good players, they should keep those as much as they can.

 

[Richter35]

If Eichel dosen’t work out, I would assume Larkin is plan B

Larkin isn’t in the same universe as Eichel but they’re probably hoping it’s a Mika 2.0 situation where he blows up coming here

The seeds are already being planted about Larkin potentially getting moved. You have our insiders here mentioning it, Friedman alluded to it the last couple days.

Just gotta hope Yzerman dosen’t bend us over a barrel too bad

I NEVER want gorts to trade with Stevie Y again. he gets f***ed every single time. watch the eichel deal be cheaper than Larkin.

stay the course. There will be a spot for a 4th line forward or 6/7 D if smith is not re-signed. I am ok with a 1 year deal to bring back stepan and/or staal (if he doesn't go to Carolina, which frankly is ahead of us in their build)

if hank is healthy and wants to backup Igor next year bring him back for a proper farewell (yes, I am nostalgic). Georgiev fell off a cliff this year - get something for him, his confidence is shot. Kinkaid could be a long term backup, he is really in sync with allaire.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I NEVER want gorts to trade with Stevie Y again. he gets f***ed every single time. watch the eichel deal be cheaper than Larkin.

stay the course. There will be a spot for a 4th line forward or 6/7 D if smith is not re-signed. I am ok with a 1 year deal to bring back stepan and/or staal (if he doesn't go to Carolina, which frankly is ahead of us in their build)

if hank is healthy and wants to backup Igor next year bring him back for a proper farewell (yes, I am nostalgic). Georgiev fell off a cliff this year - get something for him, his confidence is shot. Kinkaid could be a long term backup, he is really in sync with allaire.

I'm not sure having Hank over his shoulder is the best thing for Igor right now.

 

[Fitzy]

Any trade with Los Angeles must include Alex Lafferiere, because that's just a can't lose scenario.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

He’s been right there with Matthews up until this year with a lot less support. He’s also young than Mack was when he become a legitimate superstar and has done more in his early career. He certainly can be a franchise cornerstone. The neck surgery is a bit concerning, but there’s no doubt the team will be in on him. I think if they are in on Eichel, Zib is gone even if they hold him til the TDL next year (and even if they self rent him if they’re looking truly competitive, which I doubt). I also think if they made a move for Eichel they would have to have at least some idea that they could move Trouba/Kreider to somebody else. Mika will be 29 when it’s time to re-sign him (he turns 28 this weekend). 8M for 29 year old Zibanejad with some injury history or 10M for 24 year old Eichel favors Eichel to me. You can find a way to make up the 2M difference somewhere without losing any of the key kids. But I’m not bullish on Eichel, just looking at the options and angles n

It should be very concerning. This is a player who has missed a ton of time in his career so if Mika's injury history scares you, Eichel's should too. He's had seasons where hes missed 21, 14, 15 and now 35 games in a season (for Mika its been 26, 13, 12 and 1o.)

The age difference is valid, but this is also a guy who has been hurt a lot more than Zibanejad was through his age 24 season.

 

[I Eat Crow]

It should be very concerning. This is a player who has missed a ton of time in his career so if Mika's injury history scares you, Eichel's should too. He's had seasons where hes missed 21, 14, 15 and now 35 games in a season (for Mika its been 26, 13, 12 and 1o.)

The age difference is valid, but this is also a guy who has been hurt a lot more than Zibanejad was through his age 24 season.

Yet another reason to give me Zibanejad at $8 or 8.5 million for nothing but that cash and cap space rather than Eichel at $10 million for two blue chip prospects, a roster player, and our 1st rounder this year that will likely end up between 10 and 16th overall or so.

 

[Off Sides]

LA is going to be awesome with Kopitar (age 34, for 4 more years), Doughty (32, for 6 more), Quick (36, 2 more) with Eichel, taking up~36M in cap space for those years

I kind of hope they make that trade.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Yet another reason to give me Zibanejad at $8 or 8.5 million for nothing but that cash and cap space rather than Eichel at $10 million for two blue chip prospects, a roster player, and our 1st rounder this year that will likely end up between 10 and 16th overall or so.

I wouldn't feel comfortable with either situation. I can't foresee a scenario where signing Zibanejad through age 37 ends well.

But in the short term, I'd be fine with rolling into next season with the same trio we have now down the middle, seeing if Kravtsov can play there and tweaking some other spots that need more immediate help. Like if we're looking at strict production, our Centers have been on par with the top of our division (better than the Isles.) If we want to talk about swapping Strome for a Center who brings a more rounded game I'm here for that, I just don't see it as an immediate need and just because Mika is a pending UFA after next year doesn't mean you need to make a move now. We don't know what options will be available to us 14 months from now.

 

[Off Sides]

I too agree, I am not wanting Zbad for 7 years or whatever.

There has to be another way where the Rangers find a center, but there is big difference between Eichel for big assets at 10M and someone taking up say 5 or 6M for less. And as much as I also fear any Strome extension he may be part of that.

Larkin I get too, yet again tough in trade value likely going back the other way. Yet I'd prefer that direction if the Rangers do not end up McD/Miller for ultimately a 1st kind of value.

Yet I am also willing to be somewhat patient and hope something comes up, maybe Ottawa/Arizona /etc does not want to pay someone, or some older guy becomes available on the cheap who does not have a long term deal that takes him til 37 years old, or Barkov does make UFA, I'm okay with the who knows there more so than the options that include trading ~half the rebuild for Eichel/etc.

 

[jay from jersey]

It’s unreal the excuses being made about not wanting Eichel lol

He’s only 25 putting up 80 pts on a shit team. Plays average to better then average D. Think about how Zibby took another step at 25. What if Eichel isn’t done developing either. A lot of crazy excuses in here. If you don’t want to pay the price to get him that’s one thing, but he’s a premier center at 25. Locked up until he’s 30. Right in the sweet spot

 

[MysticLeviathan]

Why do people keep putting Mika, Kreider, and Trouba in trades? They each have a NMC and there’s only a slightly less than 0% chance they leave New York.