Speculation: Trade and Free Agency - 2024-25

[AKL]

I did preface with the "if". I would consider something like that "bigger".

Yeah I'd rather just let the kids take over if we're not into something bigger.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Yeah I'd rather just let the kids take over if we're not into something bigger.

Which kids do you want playing 4th line center?

 

[AKL]

Which kids do you want playing 4th line center?

Khusnudtinov

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Khusnudtinov

Gross.

 

[AKL]

Gross.

Well I don't really know if the AHL is any better for him, would rather have him with the team

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Well I don't really know if the AHL is any better for him, would rather have him with the team

Same.

 

[AKL]

Same.

Then we should agree no? Centers aren't really an issue for us this season, at least not more than they always have been. Eriksson Ek and Rossi play the top six, Gaudreau and Khusnutdinov play the bottom six, Hartman slides over with any injuries.

Wingers are more of a problem at this point and as it stands we have Kaprizov-Boldy, Hartman-Zuccarello, Ohgren-Foligno, Lauko-Johansson. Heidt's going to get a chance to start the season too even though I don't expect him to make it full time. Get a guy who can push Zuccarello down or don't get a guy at all.

Just don't see the need to pay another bottom six player when we really have about 8 guys who probably should be bottom six.

 

[Wabit]

Hunt progressed during the year, but never got a chance to play later on due to the Goli/Merrill/ chisholm log jam at #3 LHD. He stood out as the best dman down in Iowa. HUnt is stronger and more physical than Chisholm, and should eventually be a better defender, though i am not sure that is saying much. He is a better puck handler and skater than Hunt, though Hunt improved over the course of last year, and ran the PP for Iowa.

Bringing up ROR over him would be GM'ing malpractice. He simply wasn't as good as Hunt last year. I don't know anyone who thinks that he was. Most average prospects need a couple/few callups from the AHL before they can finally make it. High first rounders like like Rossi and Boldy did, and lower picks usually need more. It's normal...there are freaks like Spurgeon, but they are the exception, not the rule.

The GM malpractice started with drafting way too many LD for any system to handle. It continued with completely punting on building an AHL team. None of the d-men (Mermis included) from the AHL team should have been near the NHL last year for anything more than a 2 game emergency callup.

Hunt being on the PP in Iowa is the only reason his stats stand out. 29p, 15 of them were from the PP.
He won't near the PP in the NHL so that is a moot point to me. He also didn't improve until he was paired with Butcher later in the season.

ROR was the one they had playing offhanded and trying to babysit Lambos throughout the season. He as also the one that was getting the heavy d-zone starts and playing on the PK.

 

[Jbcraig1883]

The GM malpractice started with drafting way too many LD for any system to handle. It continued with completely punting on building an AHL team. None of the d-men (Mermis included) from the AHL team should have been near the NHL last year for anything more than a 2 game emergency callup.

Hunt being on the PP in Iowa is the only reason his stats stand out. 29p, 15 of them were from the PP.
He won't near the PP in the NHL so that is a moot point to me. He also didn't improve until he was paired with Butcher later in the season.

ROR was the one they had playing offhanded and trying to babysit Lambos throughout the season. He as also the one that was getting the heavy d-zone starts and playing on the PK.

What about ROR's game do you think he does evenly or better than Hunt? Skating, gap coverage, physicality along the boards or in front of the net, outlet passes, etc.?

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Then we should agree no? Centers aren't really an issue for us this season, at least not more than they always have been. Eriksson Ek and Rossi play the top six, Gaudreau and Khusnutdinov play the bottom six, Hartman slides over with any injuries.

Wingers are more of a problem at this point and as it stands we have Kaprizov-Boldy, Hartman-Zuccarello, Ohgren-Foligno, Lauko-Johansson. Heidt's going to get a chance to start the season too even though I don't expect him to make it full time. Get a guy who can push Zuccarello down or don't get a guy at all.

Just don't see the need to pay another bottom six player when we really have about 8 guys who probably should be bottom six.

I'd prefer other routes. I called it "probably not the worst thing we could do". I'm not going to passionately defend my position on this.

If they can add a good PKing 4th liner, I don't think I'm going to mind it all that much. All I'm saying.

 

[AKL]

I'd prefer other routes. I called it "probably not the worst thing we could do". I'm not going to passionately defend my position on this.

If they can add a good PKing 4th liner, I don't think I'm going to mind it all that much. All I'm saying.

I'm not expecting you to passionately defend your position, just expressing my opinion in regards to the conversation you started

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I'm not expecting you to passionately defend your position, just expressing my opinion in regards to the conversation you started

Fair.

 

[Circulartheory]

Well I don't really know if the AHL is any better for him, would rather have him with the team

IMO as much as I like Khusnutdinov, I don't think he'll be more than a 3rd liner, a good one but 3rd liner nonetheless. So getting time on the Wild's 4th line isn't bad so he isn't projected much better than that. More NHL time, more PK time on the NHL level, more faceoffs.

It would be different if had Yurov-like offensive upside and we wasted him on the 4th line. Marat niche is going to be his speed, faceoffs, and energy. It should be a good making of a key PK/energy line with Lauko. Milne would be a nice add to that line as well eventually.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I'm not expecting you to passionately defend your position, just expressing my opinion in regards to the conversation you started

I see 4 options for what we can/should do with the ~$5M in cap space we have:

1. Sign a $4-$5M (probably) middle 6 forward.
2. Get paid in pick/prospect capital to take on a less-than-optimal 1 year $4-$5M contract.
3. Add a couple of (potentially) useful smaller pieces to the forward and defense corps.
4. Keep the space and accrue it until the trade deadline.

I have put these in order of my preference.

 

[AKL]

I see 4 options for what we can/should do with the ~$5M in cap space we have:

1. Sign a $4-$5M (probably) middle 6 forward.
2. Get paid in pick/prospect capital to take on a less-than-optimal 1 year $4-$5M contract.
3. Add a couple of (potentially) useful smaller pieces to the forward and defense corps.
4. Keep the space and accrue it until the trade deadline.

I have put these in order of my preference.

Anyone out there that could satisfy both 1 and 2? Reilly Smith maybe?

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Anyone out there that could satisfy both 1 and 2? Reilly Smith maybe?

Ryan Johansen?

 

[AKL]

Ryan Johansen?

I like that one too because it would allow us to keep Hartman at right wing and probably on the second line with Rossi.

 

[Webster]

Get a guy who can push Zuccarello down or don't get a guy at all.

I think it will be kind of hard to find a guy at $4M who can put up 60-70 points

 

[AKL]

I think it will be kind of hard to find a guy at $4M who can put up 60-70 points

Probably not as hard to find a guy who could put up more than 30 even strength with top six minutes though

I'd also take someone who puts up exactly 30 but can play defense and win a puck battle

 

[Sweetnut]

Zebulon Lindholm seems to be available.

 

[Wabit]

What about ROR's game do you think he does evenly or better than Hunt? Skating, gap coverage, physicality along the boards or in front of the net, outlet passes, etc.?

Better d-zone coverage/awareness and physicality. Pretty much the things I want from a 3rd pair d-man. Neither impress me much (unless I'm comparing them to Lambos), ROR just plays more of the style I want. I also want to see what ROR would look like with a competent partner (and team in general); which Iowa lacked almost all of last season.

It's more like a choice of do I want a Mikey Rielly or Nick Seeler on the 3rd pair. I'm picking Seeler.

Like I said, I don't know if ROR has NHL abilities. I want to at least get a chance to see. The same goes for Peart. I already saw Hunt and nothing about his NHL games made me want to see more.

I don't think there is much separation between any of the Iowa LD. They all have different strengths and weaknesses, but as a whole they are the same. Lambos might have the most raw skills of the bunch, but he just looks lost on the ice way too often.

 

[Jbcraig1883]

Better d-zone coverage/awareness and physicality. Pretty much the things I want from a 3rd pair d-man. Neither impress me much (unless I'm comparing them to Lambos), ROR just plays more of the style I want. I also want to see what ROR would look like with a competent partner (and team in general); which Iowa lacked almost all of last season.

It's more like a choice of do I want a Mikey Rielly or Nick Seeler on the 3rd pair. I'm picking Seeler.

Like I said, I don't know if ROR has NHL abilities. I want to at least get a chance to see. The same goes for Peart. I already saw Hunt and nothing about his NHL games made me want to see more.

I don't think there is much separation between any of the Iowa LD. They all have different strengths and weaknesses, but as a whole they are the same. Lambos might have the most raw skills of the bunch, but he just looks lost on the ice way too often.

Fair. I don't see the same thing between ROR and Hunt, nor do I think Hunt is a Reilly, but I get your point and respect your differing opinion.

In other news, if you guys already didn't bring it up, our boy Addison is a free agent!

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Kane off the board, not that it was actually any kind of possibility.

 

[AKL]

Kane off the board, not that it was actually any kind of possibility.

Unfortunate, that's one of the guys I would have given all our cap space to

 

[Prior]

ROR only has a path of playing on a third pair in the NHL. I don’t see that from him though.

I think you will ultimately be left wanting on that bottom pair if he can even make it to that spot. Either more ability to make an impact here and there or more size and toughness. The things that made him what he was in Junior do not lend themselves to what in can achieve against NHL level talent.

No count prospect going on year three now.