You should just admit that you're in love with Kreider. It's not a bad thing mind you but most players move during their careers. Kreider has been a very good player for us for a long time but he's getting older and he's not had an HOF career.
One of the main reasons that you move Kreider before Zibanejad is he's going to be so much easier to move. Some teams might be concerned about his back issue but if he gets over that and gets his game back together he's a proven playoff goal scorer with potentially 3 playoff runs left in him on a pretty friendly cap hit again if he gets his game back together and I'd take the bet that he will.
If I were moving him I'd be looking for very good multiple pieces for him. A goal scorer with three playoff runs on an affordable contract IMO should be worth a lot.
You have to ask yourself Bern whether the team will be back to being a contender next year and the year after. Because if you think it's a no there's no real point hanging on to a 35 year old winger which is what Kreider will be at the end of his term. Now we do have control and we could move him next year instead....take more time thinking over if this season is just a blip and not a real sign of things to come. If you think we'll be a top team again next year then it makes more sense to keep Chris....if we need to reorganize it doesn't.
Mika's case is different in that playing the way he has this year his contract has become toxic. 5 more years after this at $8 mil and more signs of actual decline. Not saying he can't rebound or rebound somewhat but it looks much more likely to me that Kreider will and Mika won't and if most of the posters here can see this more or less the same as me----gm's around the league can see it too. He's not going to be an easy player to move IMO and it's not just because of his NMC. If you're taking on a 5 year contract for a player who can't perform near the value you're basically telling your fanbase we're not making the playoffs for the next few years. You want to bench Mika and think that will be enough for him to agree to a move. I'm a bit more skeptical about that working as a strategy but even so you still have to find another team willing to take him on that he's willing to go to.
Who knows what Drury is going to do. He might just keep both of them and hope that the team goes on a run and squeaks into the playoffs. He might be a buyer at the deadline and trade off younger assets and our 1st run draft pick for rentals.....even with a pretty damn good chance we don't make the playoffs.
My posture on each is not biased
It is based on current and projected performance
which is key catalyst to assessing trade return
Decisions on both zib and Krei should be independent of each other
wonder twins, properly are dead
no more joined at the hip
Mika is now a negative drain
Kreider can play well w/others throughout the lineup, Mika = exact opposite atm
Even eating half, removing Mika = addition by subtraction both as to roster and structural cap relief
Yes, Mika holds the cards except as to him playing
bench him indefinitely -- justified b'c obv pisspoor defense -- and he will get antsy
he will resist but then will not want to explain to his daughter why daddy is not playing
and will be open to a move on his terms
I think VAN will give him those terms: play here now, and if this is not a good match we will immediately post season try to relocate you, pref to your preferred choice.
That is more than reasonable and what he deserves
VAN will do that only if you eat max retain and take useful scraps in return while also accepting cap dump Desharnais
That is my vote, what I am advocating.
I also do not want Zib to win
Zib has to go, he has to be broken of the idea he controls this over and above the fans
He had a right to be respected based on his performance, but once his performance on ice CONTINUES to demonstrate he is MIA, we may w/clear conscience acknowledge he has abandoned us, and do not have to accommodate him.
PERIOD
Dealing Kreider now would not get best return even tho there would be a bit more term of balance of this season on top of next one.
That's b'c health issue would drive down price.
It IS
possible but
not a given, that the few days here and there have been sufficient enuf to have him back to old form up to incl the trade deadline. We can be open minded about that and see. But unless a team is desperate and wants to overpay, imo smart $$ holds off.
Kreider will be 35 at end of his deal.
He has kept himself extremely fit w/in and off season workout regimen.
His back issues, imo, are b'c we abuse him by having him be like THE ONLY guy who goes in front of the net. Of course he's gonna get beat up.
Hopefully that is remedied by giving others -- esp Rempe + Edstrom -- that specialized job.
If he is in decent condition, and will continue to give us a sweetheart deal 1 yr at a time, why wouldn't you want this valued contributor to fade into the sunset with us, esp if production is a good deal commensurate with his discount?
While we come to different conclusions I am not strongly opposed to much of what you say, I just prefer my counterpositions better. The exception is "One of the main reasons that you move Kreider before Zibanejad is he's going to be so much easier to move".
The merits of trading each needs be measured.
"easier" is not as important as long term results
Kreider is productive
zib is not
hopefully moving Kreider is a few extra steps forwards in the future after some steps backwards now.
But that equation is not clear cut b'c we don't know what Kreider will command now.
If it is not top top $$$$, logic says hold out for a better price later, and if that gamble was wrong, it will only have been so to a matter of degrees, and you still have a productive player.
Zib is a fuggin cancer to this club now
I think we should trade Fox, Tro, Panarin and Shesty anyway b'c max profit returned w/quality young pieces that minimize turnaround.
That should be in a vacuum anyway.
But I am esp keen on it if it breaks zib and sends a message
