Rumor: Rumors & Trade Proposals Thread | Post Mortem '23-24 Season: Who Should Stay, Who Should Go & Who Should We Bring In?

[ThePhoenixx]

I know we will eventually buy him out. I'm just wondering where did you see that?

He has tunnel vision concerning Canpbell. Right @Jimmi McJenkins .

 

[bucks_oil]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806381417867444424

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806381931376017472

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806382840889885005

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806383280914358466

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806384454358999537

I take this, especially the last one, as a huge positive: "if we don't get it done by a certain date, we will keep working on it".

There is NO replacing Draisaitl, so the obvious goal is to resign him.

But in any negotiation, you have a BATNA. And in this case it is:

Plan A: Sign Draisaitl to $13M

Plan B: Trade Draisaitl's rights next summer for a not-insignificant piece. All teams will want to have that extra 8th year. All teams on his trade-list will offer us something... we take the best something. I bet it will be far more than any pending UFA to date. A 1st would not surprise me. And then we turn around and spend that $13M (8.5M actually saved vs prior year) on two other useful pieces. I'm ok with a $7M forward + $6M D-man + a pick as a worst-case scenario. Or spend only $10M of the $13, and save $3M x 4.5 multiplier for the deadline... then you have space for FOUR $5M+ players to replace Drai in 2026. Plus we still get Drai as a "rental" for 2025 playoff.

Plan C: I think this has to be distant third, maybe we only do this if Draisaitl is upset and wants out now... but we trade him now for a HAUL.

My point is Plan B isn't doomsday guys... we get him one more year on the cheap, and after that we have plenty of cap space to spread around.

Honestly, if you really think about it... for years 2026 to 2028... ie the last of McD's prime, you will likely be MORE competitive without Drai than with him... why?

With Drai: your depth will suffer in 2026 to 2028 until the cap "catches up" with the luxury of having both McD and Drai under contract... this happened to Pittsburgh with Crosby and Malkin... for a couple years after their extensions, the depth suffered until cap opened up.

Without Drai: you can sign two solid players AND save cap multiples of dollars for the deadline... and be the biggest/baddest trade deadline player every year. You don't have to wait for the cap to catch up because you can easily have extra cap saved through the season. With Drai you won't have two-dimes to save for the deadline.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Seravalli just said 25% chance Nurse is traded if we retain some salary.

So more dead cap space.

It is certainly a theme with this bunch. They love their dead cap space.

 

[McDoused]

Wasn't Jackson hired months ago? Don't tell me he just started looking for a GM

He basically said he has a few guys in mind but can't talk to them yet as they are integral parts of other teams. I think this first part is super interesting because it means that its going to be someone already in the NHL and not a guy like Mark Hunter.

Another interesting point is that he said that he love working with Kenny but Kenny knew that he would want to bring in his own guys. So whoever we are hiring its going to be someone that Jackson is familiar with. Maybe another former agent or someone with a lot of clients he worked with?

He obviously has a timeline in his head but he's clearly waiting so that he can officially talk to these guys and make any official announcements. Honestly we don't need a GM yet. A new GM isn't going to help with the draft. A new GM isn't going to help sign guys short term. Draisaitl and Bouchard don't need to be signed right away.

The only thing a new GM might help with is a trade but it sounds like the current team and pro-scouts will take care of that.

I take this, especially the last one, as a huge positive: "if we don't get it done by a certain date, we will keep working on it".

There is NO replacing Draisaitl, so the obvious goal is to resign him.

But in any negotiation, you have a BATNA. And in this case it is:

Plan A: Sign Draisaitl to $13M

Plan B: Trade Draisaitl's rights next summer for a not-insignificant piece. All teams will want to have that extra 8th year. All teams on his trade-list will offer us something... we take the best something. I bet it will be far more than any pending UFA to date. A 1st would not surprise me. And then we turn around and spend that $13M (8.5M actually saved vs prior year) on two other useful pieces. I'm ok with a $7M forward + $6M D-man + a pick as a worst-case scenario. Or spend only $10M of the $13, and save $3M x 4.5 multiplier for the deadline... then you have space for FOUR $5M+ players to replace Drai in 2026. Plus we still get Drai as a "rental" for 2025 playoff.

Plan C: I think this has to be distant third, maybe we only do this if Draisaitl is upset and wants out now... but we trade him now for a HAUL.

My point is Plan B isn't doomsday guys... we get him one more year on the cheap, and after that we have plenty of cap space to spread around.

Honestly, if you really think about it... for years 2026 to 2028... ie the last of McD's prime, you will likely be MORE competitive without Drai than with him... why?

With Drai: your depth will suffer in 2026 to 2028 until the cap "catches up" with the luxury of having both McD and Drai under contract... this happened to Pittsburgh with Crosby and Malkin... for a couple years after their extensions, the depth suffered until cap opened up.

Without Drai: you can sign two solid players AND save cap multiples of dollars for the deadline... and be the biggest/baddest trade deadline player every year. You don't have to wait for the cap to catch up because you can easily have extra cap saved through the season. With Drai you won't have two-dimes to save for the deadline.

Honestly you walk him all the way to free agency in the hope he signs. Either way their is no replacing him if he walks or gets traded.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Yup...this is pretty much the only option and its the right move.
Good riddence to him.

Ya, the only option. Tunnel vision has always worked out for this team. "Really sad." lol

It's attitudes like these that leave the Oilers an also ran.

 

[bucks_oil]

I think VD is being underrated. What makes him worse than Ceci besides usage and reputation? Nothing. He is a 3rd pair that can moonlight at a top 4D like Ceci. But he’ll be cheaper than Ceci.

I’d much rather ship Ceci out, then let VD walk. If VD comes in around 2M or less, you have to consider. You’ll find nothing but question marks in the market for UFA 1M defenceman. Question marks don’t belong on a cup contending team.

100%

The goal for our D should be:
1) TRADE CECI
2) Four years under $3M for Broberg
3) Four years under $2M for Desharnais
4) Sign a vet journeyman for no more than $1M
5) Bring up a rookie for #8

RUN IT BACK

 

[Zguy370]

He’s horrific. I watched in detail his work in the Rags-Cars series. He’s worse than Nurse. Literally every single touch of the puck he makes turns into something bad. Couldn’t beleive my eyes how bad he was.

Pretty well, not to mention he'll never paly in another Cdn Market again, wanted out of Winnipeg so bad, like a little spoiled brat

 

[McDoused]

 

[bucks_oil]

Honestly you walk him all the way to free agency in the hope he signs. Either way their is no replacing him if he walks or gets traded.

I was so opposed to this for so long, but now I am 100% on board. We are so close... gotta made it happen.

And if he doesn't resign (and we've structured our team to fit that $13M) the alternative isn't terrible. We'll be able to sign two solid players, we'll get a solid pick or prospect for Drai's rights, and we can run into the season with a few million dollars (which multiplies by 4.5X) for the deadline... we become a very solid team every season that has the type of TDL cap space to add a couple great players each year.

 

[guymez]

I'd make the argument for a Klefbom contract.

Yeah Klefboms contract was very team freindly for sure.
Brobergs contract this summer is going to be interesting.

 

[TheNumber4]

100%

The goal for our D should be:
1) TRADE CECI
2) Four years under $3M for Broberg
3) Four years under $2M for Desharnais
4) Sign a vet journeyman for no more than $1M
5) Bring up a rookie for #8

RUN IT BACK

I’m surprised how down people are on Vinny, like sure he had one bad giveaway on Benn and while injury hampered found it hard to keep up on the last leg of our cup run.

BUT, the dude played a year straight plus 2 playofff series of completely rock solid hockey. Bringing more offense and puck moving than you’d ever expect with a defence man of a Vinnys physical profile. In our own end he’s one of the biggest bastards that forwards in these league can face, he makes their jobs hard.

 

[guymez]

Ya, the only option. Tunnel vision has always worked out for this team. "Really sad." lol

It's attitudes like these that leave the Oilers an also ran.

I have said this a few times now but it really is a mystery to me how Holland and company thought that Campbell was a worthwhile long term $5M risk.

 

[TheNumber4]

Pretty well, not to mention he'll never paly in another Cdn Market again, wanted out of Winnipeg so bad, like a little spoiled brat

He’s worse than Nurse.

And yet the media is acting like Trouba is a “luxury” NYR can’t afford. But will treat Nurse like he’s an 8M negative cap dump.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

He has tunnel vision concerning Canpbell. Right @Jimmi McJenkins .

Me? No I'm just not ignorant of reality

 

[oobga]

Does anyone know how much of Browns and Perry’s bonus ended up getting paid out? Capfriendly is not telling me much on that at all.

They put it on there now:

 

[TheNumber4]

People really gotta load up tape of Matt Benning if they think it’ll be easy to replace what Vinny does at 1M.

 

[CycloneSweep]

So more dead cap space.

It is certainly a theme with this bunch. They love their dead cap space.

what’s better Nurse and no cap saving or no Nurse, 7 mill of savings - a guy who can play those minutes for less?

 

[Heavy Dee]

People really gotta load up tape of Matt Benning if they think it’ll be easy to replace what Vinny does at 1M.

No but Stecher can.

 

[Broberg Speed]

I take this, especially the last one, as a huge positive: "if we don't get it done by a certain date, we will keep working on it".

There is NO replacing Draisaitl, so the obvious goal is to resign him.

But in any negotiation, you have a BATNA. And in this case it is:

Plan A: Sign Draisaitl to $13M

Plan B: Trade Draisaitl's rights next summer for a not-insignificant piece. All teams will want to have that extra 8th year. All teams on his trade-list will offer us something... we take the best something. I bet it will be far more than any pending UFA to date. A 1st would not surprise me. And then we turn around and spend that $13M (8.5M actually saved vs prior year) on two other useful pieces. I'm ok with a $7M forward + $6M D-man + a pick as a worst-case scenario. Or spend only $10M of the $13, and save $3M x 4.5 multiplier for the deadline... then you have space for FOUR $5M+ players to replace Drai in 2026. Plus we still get Drai as a "rental" for 2025 playoff.

Plan C: I think this has to be distant third, maybe we only do this if Draisaitl is upset and wants out now... but we trade him now for a HAUL.

My point is Plan B isn't doomsday guys... we get him one more year on the cheap, and after that we have plenty of cap space to spread around.

Honestly, if you really think about it... for years 2026 to 2028... ie the last of McD's prime, you will likely be MORE competitive without Drai than with him... why?

With Drai: your depth will suffer in 2026 to 2028 until the cap "catches up" with the luxury of having both McD and Drai under contract... this happened to Pittsburgh with Crosby and Malkin... for a couple years after their extensions, the depth suffered until cap opened up.

Without Drai: you can sign two solid players AND save cap multiples of dollars for the deadline... and be the biggest/baddest trade deadline player every year. You don't have to wait for the cap to catch up because you can easily have extra cap saved through the season. With Drai you won't have two-dimes to save for the deadline.

It is doomsday, decade of darkness 2.0. Make no mistake about it.

 

[oobga]

So more dead cap space.

It is certainly a theme with this bunch. They love their dead cap space.

Holland left the next guy with some extremely hard decisions to make.

Since Holland created a buyout proof deal, along with massive overpay and NMC for Nurse's contract, he probably left the biggest pile of garbage that any Oilers GM has left behind, plus Campbell.

The cost to replace is almost a no-brainer for both these guys. Broberg + a solid 4-5M RHD is probably better than Nurse + Broberg on his off side. a 5M D + Nurse's 2.3M retained is 2M cheaper than Nurse's contract. That's 2M to improve the team still.

Campbell, replacement is probably a league minimum backup goalie. You save 3.9M buying Campbell out. That's 3M extra to improve the team.

This needs to end with the current GM's decisions, but sadly, for now it has to continue because of the last GM's decisions. We could improve our cap situation by $5M with zero loss to performance if we could trade Nurse with 25% retained and buyout Campbell. Gotta find that RHD of course, so we better get a GM that can make moves like Zito did for Florida.

 

[Canovin]

I would definitely move Nurse and Campbell if possible. Kane can be LTIR and we need him for the playoffs

 

[Tarus]

Yeah Klefboms contract was very team freindly for sure.
Brobergs contract this summer is going to be interesting.

I'd be very surprised if he gets anything other than a short term bridge deal. Probably won't even be all that good of a contract considering 6 months ago he was demanding a trade after the rope-a-dope Woodcroft/Manson put him through, couple of rounds of playoff hockey might not have brought back all that much good will and trust into the relationship yet.

Oilers badly need him to pan out too, Ekholm is 34 and they will need a viable top pairing replacement if they want to remain competitive in the next two years. A short term bridge deal makes sense both now and in the future for Broberg if he intends to bet on himself.

 

[McDNicks17]

People really gotta load up tape of Matt Benning if they think it’ll be easy to replace what Vinny does at 1M.

We just saw former Oiler great, Alex Petrovic, play that role in the playoffs. Finding third pairing guys with no offensive value isn't all that tough.

Hopefully we're at a point where good veterans will take cheap one year deals here for a chance at the Cup too.

 

[Broberg Speed]

I would definitely move Nurse and Campbell if possible. Kane can be LTIR and we need him for the playoffs

Not placing Kane on LTIR this past season is more than enough reason to disqualify Holland as ever being in top management circles ever again.

The Nurse and Campbell contracts are another level of incompetence that cost us a championship.

 

[Canovin]

Not placing Kane on LTIR this past season is more than enough reason to disqualify Holland as ever being in top management circles ever again.

The Nurse and Campbell contracts are another level of incompetence that cost us a championship.

For me it was not paying 1st and 2nd for Buchnevich. He would have tilt the ice for us against Florida