Confirmed with Link: [TBL/SEA/DET] Oliver Bjorkstrand, Yanni Gourde (75% retained), Kyle Aucoin, 2026 5th for Mike Eyssimont, 2026 1st, 2027 1st, 2025 2nd, 2025 4th

[DaBolts]

That’s because it’s through the lens of simply scoring and not the other intangibles

Bingo. Bjork is a Cooper player. 2 way. Killer forecheck. Skates well. Scores. PP capable. Jesus, would some of you clowns rather run freaking Sheary out there again?

 

[AlwaysSunnyInTampa]

That's true for anyone we could have brought in.

I don't think it's really about winning the deal. We acquired two players, and we know one of them was coveted by a division rival. On paper we are not just better, but significantly so. There's always the risk that the players won't gel, but even that risk is lowered because we know Gourde understands what's expected under Cooper.

This was like screwing Boston out of Coleman again. The Leafs were linked to Gourde. I don’t know how anyone isn't over the moon right now.

 

[JTBF81]

Not sure what dmen are out there that JBB would realistically target at this point. Ferraro is likely out because of cap hit, but there's Dumoulin, Suter, maybe try and pry Kesselring out of Utah. I kind of doubt they add on the blueline now, but as a couple of others have suggested, bringing Maroon back could be feasible. Maybe if they can move Sheary somewhere with a small sweetener, they could then throw a 4th or 5th for Maroon.

 

[The Macho King]

We are a better team. All I can ask for.

 

[Rschmitz]

That's true for anyone we could have brought in.

I don't think it's really about winning the deal. We acquired two players, and we know one of them was coveted by a division rival. On paper we are not just better, but significantly so. There's always the risk that the players won't gel, but even that risk is lowered because we know Gourde understands what's expected under Cooper.

We are certainly better, the question is how much and we'll see that tomorrow, or maybe after a few games once players have time to adjust. Very interested to see what kind of lineup comes out of this, could be a major shakeup.

 

[DFC]

Bingo. Bjork is a Cooper player. 2 way. Killer forecheck. Skates well. Scores. PP capable. Jesus, would some of you clowns rather run freaking Sheary out there again?

Bjork sounds like a poor man's Hagel (which is pretty much what we needed).

 

[Flat Ronnie]

We are certainly better, the question is how much and we'll see that tomorrow, or maybe after a few games once players have time to adjust. Very interested to see what kind of lineup comes out of this, could be a major shakeup.

Tomorrow's game means nothing. Two guys new to the lineup. One completely new to the system. The games a month from now are what matters.

 

[aylib]

JBB paid 2 1sts for Hagel but he was RFA with a great contract not 5.5 million 30 years old

You can’t expect every trade to be a masterpiece and use that as a measuring stick.

 

[DFC]

We are certainly better, the question is how much and we'll see that tomorrow, or maybe after a few games once players have time to adjust. Very interested to see what kind of lineup comes out of this, could be a major shakeup.

Line ups will be interesting. Obvious option is Bjork on 2nd. But I'm wondering if Cooper keeps the Kraken together and looks for a tenacious 3rd line.

 

[NatoGhost]

JBB is spot on with what he had to say:

Nobody, including Soul, disputes this. But we're dumb if we don't try to get the best deal possibly. Can't argue with the value on some of FL's deals. Just isn't always possible. I'm happy with who we acquired but at the same time wish the cost was less or if the retention on Bjorkstrand was there. Yes the cap goes up but that doesnt make value contracts less valuable.

 

[DaBolts]

Okay, I found out about this trade during a SH**storm at work. So here's my 0.02:

Bjork is a 2 way player that Coop will love. High energy, great right hand but INTELLIGENT shot. Coach's son. Skates well. Great backcheck and forecheck. Can play on PP2. This guy will give us more breakaway potential and play special teams.

Yanni? You want my opinion on Yanni coming home? I can't wait to break out that sweater again! I feel so SORRY for Buffalo. They are going to get cooked with that man on the ice. He's going to go insane being home and the fans will go nuts. He will give us the BOOM.

And we get to use this again:

FWIW, Toronto fans are crying their ass off. And that's a bonus.

 

[Rschmitz]

Tomorrow's game means nothing. Two guys new to the lineup. One completely new to the system. The games a month from now are what matters.

The quicker players adjust the better, it certainly means something since it's his first game in a new system.

 

[DaBolts]

Bjork sounds like a poor man's Hagel (which is pretty much what we needed).

Bingo. Our 3rd line was lame. Seriously. Chaffee-Paul-Gourde is a dual threat. Hagel-Cirelli-Bjork? That's a real threat to the other team knowing that our team can score 3 lines deep. Gourde is going to effing kill it, despite the doubters. He was happy as hell here and he understood the expansion draft situation. Total pros pro and now he has a shot to finish his career here? Yeah, he'll kill it.

Oh, I forgot the mandatory JBB gif(How can I be the first??)

 

[creg]

We should be over the moon about this, we addressed two huge needs and still have some cap space/wiggle room to do more (assuming a 3LD replacement like a Dumonlin?). 2 picks is a bit of an overpay but it's not so significant of an overpay that I'm upset about it, after all the Kraken didn't need to trade Bjorkstrand.

This is the best roster we've iced since our cup runs and it's filled with good players who are even better in the playoffs.

Edit: If Laughton is getting a 1st + I'd much rather pay more for the package that we got.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Another thing that makes me ok with the price is I rather pay a 1st for Gourde than a little less for a different player. Not because I think Gourde is still the same player he was but because Cooper can't f*** him up like he has with others. So paying more for a known commodity works for me.

 

[gn2007]

This was like screwing Boston out of Coleman again. The Leafs were linked to Gourde. I don’t know how anyone isn't over the moon right now.

People were saying panthers were looking at gourde also. Lol

 

[Master P]

Give me my Gourde Hagle line JBB. I want to see it.

 

[DaBolts]

Give me my Gourde Hagle line JBB. I want to see it.

Chaffee-Paul-Gourde. Piss off the other team 2 minutes at a time.

 

[DFC]

I keep seeing mentioned how draft picks don’t win hockey games, that completely misses the point that they can still be used to bring in other pieces to help instead. So the simple question is how well these guys do once we start playing. I thought we would go for someone younger with more cost control, like a Foerester, the fact that we didn’t is a signal that most here have picked up on that we are certainly “all in”.

JBB is saying Bjorkstrand and Gourde are the best fit right now, this is far less of a short term gamble than bringing in a young guy like Jeannot or Hagel and hoping there is untapped upside.

I think it's very likely that these two are the best fits that were available to us (Buffalo is content to let the franchise crumble, apparently). So I have no problem with moving a lot of assets, especially considering Bjork isn't a rental, and his contract is going to look great next year.

We also still have a few reasonable prospects. Honestly, I still see those guys as trade capital in the right deal. But that deal is unlikely to present itself.

 

[FinnLightning26]

4D chess, Bjorkstrand on LTIR and we trade Geekie and Howard for Tuch. He comes back for the 1st round.

I like the way you think.

 

[Sky04]

Bjork sounds like a poor man's Hagel (which is pretty much what we needed).

He's more of a Palat/Killorn swiss knife type player.

 

[majormajor]

Bjork sounds like a poor man's Hagel (which is pretty much what we needed).

He's not well built like Hagel - very thin - but he's sneakily quick and a master at winning puck battles. Definitely a great puck retriever. He's got an elite shot too. Earlier in his career it was speculated that he'd be a goal scorer and not well suited for checking roles, checking ended up being a big part of his appeal. At the same time he's never been very good on rush play and will bungle passes on odd man rushes from time to time. I suppose Hagel is a bit like that too?

I think ideally you'd use him with Gourde and Paul on the third line and then slide him up with Cirelli when Cirelli needs to get out of a funk. Bjorkstrand has always played that "line doctor" role. For instance he was put with Shane Wright to get him going. Wright hadn't score much at that point in his career but with Bjorkstrand he immediately scored closer to a point per game pace. Then Chandler Stephenson needed to be resurrected so Bjorkstrand was put there.

 

[Felonious Python]

The Lightning website has Gourde with #37 and no number yet for Bjorkstrand

 

[DistantThunderRep]

Nobody, including Soul, disputes this. But we're dumb if we don't try to get the best deal possibly. Can't argue with the value on some of FL's deals. Just isn't always possible. I'm happy with who we acquired but at the same time wish the cost was less or if the retention on Bjorkstrand was there. Yes the cap goes up but that doesnt make value contracts less valuable.

Actually what makes a value contract changes with the cap going up. Its quite factually what inflation in the economy and salary cap is based around.

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

Bjorkstrand having another year on his contract and McDonagh and Gourde potentially signing team friendly deals in the offseason is a nice thing