Tkachuk traded to Florida

[BB88]

One huge bonus you have that Zito has created is Florida is a destination.

Top guys want to come play there, that will help a ton with the lack of high picks.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

First and main reaction is the sadness of losing my personal favorite all time Panther. We had a 2-3 year window of being a top 5 team and traded it for an 8 year window of being a top 10 team. Interesting gamble.

Huberdeau contract is going to age very, very poorly. And I expect it’s in MTL. But his next 2-3 years will continue to be elite

Losing Weegar is a disaster for this season. Most underrated guy on the team. Incredible transition defenseman and one of the best in the league at denying zone entries. Huge part of our team. That said, he’s somewhat replaceable next year when cap space opens

We’re a lot better from this deal starting as soon as the 23-24 season. Tkachuck and Weegar’s 7 million dollar replacement will be better, and for much longer, than Huberdeau and Weegar at ~$17M

But it’s still sad. Winning the cup in the next 5-10 years would make this worth it but Huberdeau not being center stage for it would feel wrong. Part of me would’ve been ok with signing the bad contract to have Huberdeau ride it out as a Panther and see 11 in the rafters and just live with the result

As usual, good take. I honestly feel sick for Huberdeau, he wanted to stay and was willing to stay. He was truly a Panther and I'd almost have rather tried with him in a smaller window. But longterm it is a good move. But it still stinks.

Ironically losing Weegar will be the bigger impact this year but he's Sens bound and had unacceptable gaffs in the playoffs so I don't think any of us are upset at that. Did anyone want him at 8 x 7? Because that's what he'll get.

 

[Dread Clawz]

How do we know Zito hasn’t had any talks with Klingbergs camp?

& it’s not as much as Klingberg picking Dallas but Dallas not being after him.

They signed Miller+ Marchment instead.

They have Robertson to sign now, Hintz next summer.
Those 2 can get around 18M combined

I don't know Zito hasn't had any talks with him, I never said that. I only said you don't base your plans around a UFA. He could go anywhere at anytime. New Jersey thought they had Gaudreau.

 

[BB88]

I don't know Zito hasn't had any talks with him, I never said that. I only said you don't base your plans around a UFA. He could go anywhere at anytime. New Jersey thought they had Gaudreau.

& I mean I believe he has had talks around the league.

It doesn’t mean it’s only Kling but he’d be the easiest

 

[Dread Clawz]

One huge bonus you have that Zito has created is Florida is a destination.

Top guys want to come play there, that will help a ton with the lack of high picks.

Yeah my hope is that we cash in on this factor in '24 when the cap is expected to jump sharply. We should also be moving Bob that summer, so we may be able to load up and become a superteam.

 

[Dread Clawz]

Assuming no trades:

Tkachuk - Barkov - Reinhart
Verhaeghe - Bennett - White
Balcers - Lundell - Hornqvist
Lomberg - Luostarinen - Cousins

Forsling - Ekblad
Gudas - Montour
Carlsson - Staal

Bobrovsky
Knight

Huberdeau is almost certainly better than Tkachuk next year but it's not a huge difference. I'm a Weegar is overrated guy but losing him is a big loss, that defense is not good. Top 6 forwards are great, top 3 defense too, bottom 6 and bottom 3 are bad. Goaltending is fine.

We SHOULD still take a divisional seed. But yeah, Forsling and Ek will need to eat their Wheaties this summer. The bottom 6 doesn't look terribly bad to me. It's just the top 6 isn't loaded anymore. March-Lundell-Reino is the best 3rd line in recent memory.

 

[BB88]

Yeah my hope is that we cash in on this factor in '24 when the cap is expected to jump sharply. We should also be moving Bob that summer, so we may be able to load up and become a superteam.

Yep, you have the core in place, no major flaws on the roster so you can focus on filling out the roster with quality depth

At C
Barkov
Lundell
Bennett

At W
Tkachuk
Reinhart
Verhaeghe

At D
Ekblad
Forsling

At G
Knight.

So just load up.
Players will sign to try win a Cup, players will sign to try to raise their valie

 

[Gentle Man]

Watch us end up with Subban.

I'll lol so hard

 

[Dread Clawz]

Yep, you have the core in place, no major flaws on the roster so you can focus on filling out the roster with quality depth

At C
Barkov
Lundell
Bennett

At W
Tkachuk
Reinhart
Verhaeghe

At D
Ekblad
Forsling

At G
Knight.

So just load up.
Players will sign to try win a Cup, players will sign to try to raise their valie

Knight should really be coming into his own that season too. Hopefully he can take us to the promised land.

Watch us end up with Subban.

I'll lol so hard

Why lol?

 

[StrangeVision]

So sounds like we also were bidding against the Devils

First they miss out on Gaudreau, then they miss out on Tkachuk. Damn

 

[Gentle Man]

BTW.

I'll acknowledge Huby is actually pissed if he fired Walsh

Knight should really be coming into his own that season too. Hopefully he can take us to the promised land.


Why lol?

Because Subban is very washed. But talk about a guy willing to sign for cheap....

 

[Dread Clawz]

Tkachuk has never been the best player on his line, stretching back to before his draft season. I’m not sure if he’s a top-50 player in the league, and has a history of disappearing acts in the playoffs. He needs to score nearly 100 points a season just to justify his contract; this trade is mind-blowing and I really hope it doesn’t destroy what the Panthers had going.

Zito is betting that Tkachuk finds his playoff game face within the next few years, and become that dominant pf that can be crucial in winning a Cup. He's 24. Barkov(26) still hasn't really found his and Huberdeau(29) only did once.

First they miss out on Gaudreau, then they miss out on Tkachuk. Damn

I'll always be a Jersey boy at heart, but yeah nobody wants to play in that shytehole.

 

[Dread Clawz]

BTW.

I'll acknowledge Huby is actually pissed if he fired Walsh


Because Subban is very washed. But talk about a guy willing to sign for cheap....

He actually wasn't bad last season. I mean he'd be 3rd pairing guy. As of right now he's still better than Kiersted, and maybe Carlsson.

 

[Gentle Man]

He actually wasn't bad last season. I mean he'd be 3rd pairing guy. As of right now he's still better than Kiersted, and maybe Carlsson.

Could go

Forsling Ekblad
Staal Montour
Gudas Subban

Rough lol

 

[Dread Clawz]

Could go

Forsling Ekblad
Staal Montour
Gudas Subban

Rough lol

Those are the pairings I was thinking as well.

 

[ManByng]

The only problem with the trade is that both Weeger and Huberdeau are UFA’s at the end of the season aren’t they? Still a great return but there’s a chance the both of them could bounce after next season!

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

The only problem with the trade is that both Weeger and Huberdeau are UFA’s at the end of the season aren’t they? Still a great return but there’s a chance the both of them could bounce after next season!

Who cares. We can still comeback and win this trade.

 

[ManByng]

Who cares. We can still comeback and win this trade.

Care to elaborate?

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

Care to elaborate?

Just a Huberdeau soundbite from the playoffs...

 

[Chaos2k7]

The only problem with the trade is that both Weeger and Huberdeau are UFA’s at the end of the season aren’t they? Still a great return but there’s a chance the both of them could bounce after next season!

Probable in fact

 

[Gentle Man]

Care to elaborate?

Huberdeau when asked about being down 3-0 in the playoffs

"Who cares. We can comeback."

 

[EmptyNetAssassin]

As a Lightning fan, I feel like this was managements reaction to getting swept and pushed around by the Bolts. I feel like the defense was the biggest issue and who was brought in to replace Chariot and Weeger? Weeger looked awful against us. I expect some more grit moves coming as well. See you guys next year on the ice and this trade will be either great or terrible in 5 years. Only time will tell.

 

[austropanther]

Thought my sleepswollen eyes tricked me this morning when I read this but they didn't!

We now have a true physical, fast and skilled power forward that we have never had before. Sad for Hubs and Weegs but this is business... the hole on the backend hurts though (that, not losing draft picks or AHLers). But Weegs too much started to remind me of Yandle, so fine by me.

Also love the fact that FINALLY Huby is gone on the left side of our PP! That was driving me crazy.

And shoutout to @kerrabria for the Caps lock abuse, the FINALLY above is in your honor

 

[batting1k]

Care to elaborate?

Check my profile pic. Huby said that when we were down 3-0. Although I’m not sure he intended it the way it reads lol.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

As a Lightning fan, I feel like this was managements reaction to getting swept and pushed around by the Bolts. I feel like the defense was the biggest issue and who was brought in to replace Chariot and Weeger? Weeger looked awful against us. I expect some more grit moves coming as well. See you guys next year on the ice and this trade will be either great or terrible in 5 years. Only time will tell.

It was a reaction to Weegar going to Ottawa and wanting a 24 year old player for 8 years over a 30 year old player for 8 years