Confirmed Trade: [TBL/SEA/DET] Y. Gourde (75% ret.), O. Bjorkstrand, K. Aucoin, 2026 5th to TBL; M. Eyssimont, 2026 1st, 2027 1st, 2025 2nd to SEA; 2025 4th to DET

[kerrabria]

I think you need to weight late round success a lot heavier. LA should not be outside the top 5 for their 3 year reign. Certainly not behind the cupless Rags, and SJ is also quite high for what little they actually accomplished.

It's already generously weighted for late round success. Looking just a given team's postseason results:
- 1 point for making the playoffs
- 2 points for winning a round
- 3 points for winning two rounds
- 5 points for winning three rounds
- 12 points for winning the cup

The Kings have just been a bad or mediocre team for most of the past 20 years. As opposed to say the Rangers, which have been a very, very good team that just never got the ultimate prize.

 

[CupsOverCash]

Getting Gourde back is awesome! I know a lot of Tampa fans were kinda hoping for both of these players a while ago until we turned our focus in Tuch which probably cost way more than this. I think we were looking for two depth players so this works great. First and second rounds for the playoffs will be lit!

 

[nbwingsfan]

Leafs tried this before “draft-schmaft” bullshit. It’s dumb and doesn’t work.

After this kind of robbery by Seattle other teas better not start overpaying like this

Tampa literally went to the finals three times in a row, winning two of them, using this “draft-schmaft” strategy

Just because the Leafs suck at it doesn’t mean other teams do

 

[The Macho King]

Leafs tried this before “draft-schmaft” bullshit. It’s dumb and doesn’t work.

After this kind of robbery by Seattle other teas better not start overpaying like this

*looks up at the rafters in Amalie*

Idk works sometimes.

 

[DFC]

I'd be curious to see someone make a list of everyone who was drafted with all the picks Tampa has been trading away over the last 5 years. My guess is they didn't really miss out on much.

This is a solid trade for Tampa overall. They only give up futures and Eyssimont, a solid 4th liner. They get exactly what they needed: a solid 2nd line RW, who's signed for another year at a decent contract. I'm not sure it was worth the extra assets to get a heavily retained Gourde, but they were lacking good depth forwards, and he's a great guy to have for a playoff run.

People always say Brisebois tends to overpay in trades, but I think it's mostly because he goes for better assets than most deadline shoppers: often guys with good contracts, and extra years (IMO fans really undervalue those aspects). Basically, players that teams don't like to trade away. Bjorkstrand isn't a rental, and while Gourde is, given his age/injuries/history with Tampa he can probably be retained for cheap in the offseason.

It's good for Seattle too, if they're blowing it up. Bjorkstrand is probably at the peak of his value, and Gourde won't do much for them if they're not planning to contend in the near future.

I mean, picks for us aren't really about drafting players. They've just been trade capital for about 5 or 7 years now. So the only risk in spending too many picks on one player is you won't have enough to spend on some other player, should he become available.

That's what made the jeannot trade so bad. Wasn't about losing prospects. In this trade, we get two assets, one of whom is proven in Seattle and one of whom is proven under Cooper. Expecting Gourde to have a McDonagh like return to prominence is probably expecting too much. But it feels like we spent the assets on the players we wanted here, and still have prospects to trade if the need arises next year, plus more picks. These players solidify weaknesses for us, and leave us with very few weaknesses remaining.

Did we overpay? Sure. Does it make sense in our situation? Absolutely.

 

[Reality Check]

Who cares, you could be Ottawa and have everyone leave your team before it does anything every couple years.

You can look forward to Tampa Bay eventually replacing Detroit with the "Tampa Bay DOWNFALL" threads on the main board.

I don't fault Tampa for going for it. It's not going to last forever.

 

[ismelofhockey]

We get a new 1st rounder every year.

rigged

 

[Dread Clawz]

The Cup will go through the state of Florida once again.

 

[aylib]

rigged

#BettmanHatesCanada

 

[featherhawk]

So who is bjorg going to skate with?

 

[DFC]

You can look forward to Tampa Bay eventually replacing Detroit with the "Tampa Bay DOWNFALL" threads on the main board.

I don't fault Tampa for going for it. It's not going to last forever.

Detroit was never going to compete post Lidstrom, and we aren't going to compete post Hedman. But nothing we do right now is gonna change that, so might as well try to win some cups.

 

[elmaco]

You can look forward to Tampa Bay eventually replacing Detroit with the "Tampa Bay DOWNFALL" threads on the main board.

I don't fault Tampa for going for it. It's not going to last forever.

Tampa actually understands what its all about, your core you drafted has a limited window to win cups before they eventually get old and you have to start again. Too many teams constantly just gear up for a new beginning.

 

[aylib]

So who is bjorg going to skate with?

Assuming Hagel and Cirelli, maybe Gourde + ?

 

[Nogatco Rd]

It's a damn shame that once again thanks to Bettman's brilliant playoff format we'll be robbed of having the best two teams face-off in a conference final. Feels like this has happened damn near every year since the format change

…who are the two best teams in this scenario?

 

[McShogun99]

The Cup will go through the state of Florida once again.

What’s the NHL record for the Cup finals going thru one state/province. Alberta has 8 years in a row from 83 to 90.

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

I mean, picks for us aren't really about drafting players. They've just been trade capital for about 5 or 7 years now. So the only risk in spending too many picks on one player is you won't have enough to spend on some other player, should he become available.

That's what made the jeannot trade so bad. Wasn't about losing prospects. In this trade, we get two assets, one of whom is proven in Seattle and one of whom is proven under Cooper. Expecting Gourde to have a McDonagh like return to prominence is probably expecting too much. But it feels like we spent the assets on the players we wanted here, and still have prospects to trade if the need arises next year, plus more picks. These players solidify weaknesses for us, and leave us with very few weaknesses remaining.

Did we overpay? Sure. Does it make sense in our situation? Absolutely.

Mons Venus accepts draft picks as currency

 

[JKG33]

…who are the two best teams in this scenario?

Florida/Tampa.

For the record i mean best two teams in the east

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Totally lame return for Detroit. Yay. A 4th to help a divisional rival get better when they’re clinging to playoff hopes by their fingernails.

 

[Sky04]

You can look forward to Tampa Bay eventually replacing Detroit with the "Tampa Bay DOWNFALL" threads on the main board.

I don't fault Tampa for going for it. It's not going to last forever.

I'm not sure why anyone thinks this is a bad thing. Do you enjoy your teams never doing anything?

Tampa has been competing since 2011 and won 3 cups in 17 years. I'm good for life dawg, some people's grandpa's haven't seen their teams win.

 

[DaBolts]

So who is bjorg going to skate with?

Hagel-Cirelli with occasional rotation to confuse opponents with Point-Kuch. Definitely will rotate into PP1/PP2

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

He’s back

 

[DaBolts]

Assuming Hagel and Cirelli, maybe Gourde + ?

Chaffee-Paul-Gourde.

Pest line x3 and man, is Toronto and Florida going to learn to hate that line.

 

[BHD]

I had to double check it wasn’t Keith Aucoin included in the trade.

 

[DaBolts]

Team will look even better after they add Issac Howard.

3rd line Howard-Paul-Gourde next year? Oh hell yeah.

 

[bov]

I almost pity people who think these are overpays and criticize trading picks for quality players. They don't even realize it's such a twisted, loser mentality to have. Maybe their own teams have failed them, or it's not what GM Mode would advise in a video game, but actual good organizations do what they can to remain perennial contenders. Tampa has been one of the best organizations in sports for a decade plus, pretty sure they have a clue.