Speculation: Trade and Free Agency Talk - 2022-23 Edition - Postseason Success can't be a Myth!

[57special]

I think that OTT is on the verge of being ok, if not good.Adding Sanderson, Fiala and a healthy Pinto and Norris will upgrade their team.

 

[Spurgeon]

I think that OTT is on the verge of being ok, if not good.Adding Sanderson, Fiala and a healthy Pinto and Norris will upgrade their team.

It’s interesting that Ottawa, Buffalo, and New Jersey all seem to have similar trade targets (at least from the fan perspective). Specifically on the latter 2 it seems like they’d have interest in Fiala, Talbot, AND Dumba.

Almost no chance a package like that is ever moved, but it’d be cool to see the impact that those 3 could have on a team.

My preference will still be to keep Fiala & move those two instead, unless we can get someone like Holtz or Quinn.

Sign MAF @ $3M, Fiala @ $7.5-8M

Dumba for #16
Talbot for late 2nd/early 3rd

 

[keppel146]

If you had the choice of Ottawa's 2022 1st or their 2023 1st that was top 12 protected, which do you choose?

This is just a general comment, but top ‘X’ protected draft pick trades are a joke. Wish we saw more trades that involved unprotected picks, or only like top 3 protected.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

This is just a general comment, but top ‘X’ protected draft pick trades are a joke. Wish we saw more trades that involved unprotected picks, or only like top 3 protected.

OTT got burned pretty badly not protecting a pick.

 

[keppel146]

OTT got burned pretty badly not protecting a pick.

They did, but it makes it more exciting for the fans!

 

[Wabit]

They did, but it makes it more exciting for the fans!

Not for OTT fans...

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

It’s interesting that Ottawa, Buffalo, and New Jersey all seem to have similar trade targets (at least from the fan perspective). Specifically on the latter 2 it seems like they’d have interest in Fiala, Talbot, AND Dumba.

Almost no chance a package like that is ever moved, but it’d be cool to see the impact that those 3 could have on a team.

My preference will still be to keep Fiala & move those two instead, unless we can get someone like Holtz or Quinn.

Sign MAF @ $3M, Fiala @ $7.5-8M

Dumba for #16
Talbot for late 2nd/early 3rd

Same. The calculus should be pretty simple, but it gets unnecessarily complicated when you introduce "culture" and "the room". Which is probably going to result in us losing a 25/26 year old PPG winger to keep a 27/28 year old 30-35 point (supposed) offensive defenseman that the coaches didn't trust to even put on the 2nd PP unit in the playoffs. And I actually like Dumba, but it should be the play, especially if you can get any sort of 1st round pick for him, and 1st round pick wouldn't even be a deal breaker for me.

 

[Wabit]

I have Dumba as a Playoff 2nd + 2nd round prospect trade value right now. I don't see a 1st happening for him after his down/injured year, high AAV, he's a rental, and MN's cap issues. He's a just sell low candidate right now.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Fiala for another 6-8 years + 1 more year of Zucc + 2nd rounder for Dumba + 2nd rounder for Zucc next summer > Dumba for 7 more years + 2 more years of Zucc + what we get for Fiala (probably a lottery protected 1st at best).

 

[Wabit]

Fiala for another 6-8 years + 1 more year of Zucc + 2nd rounder for Dumba + 2nd rounder for Zucc next summer > Dumba for 7 more years + 2 more years of Zucc + what we get for Fiala (probably a lottery protected 1st at best).

Meh the team is still all wings and no centers. So either way it's:
-Yay we make the Playoffs.
-dang, bounced out in the 1st round.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Meh the team is still all wings and no centers. So either way it's:
-Yay we make the Playoffs.
-dang, bounced out in the 1st round.

Well, if that's the case, then I'll still sign up to watch this year's regular season for a few more.

 

[Wabit]

Well, if that's the case, then I'll still sign up to watch this year's regular season for a few more.

Until you realize that Brodin and Spurgeon will miss about 15-20 games combined. Not to mention any other injuries for the d-corps.

That's how we get to watch 1/3 to 2/3 of a season with next years Benn playing every night. That is must turn off tv, right there.

 

[Spurgeon]

Meh the team is still all wings and no centers. So either way it's:
-Yay we make the Playoffs.
-dang, bounced out in the 1st round.

The team will get out of the dead cap with two 1st line wingers still in their primes & a ton of cap space. Not to mention all of the internal growth from their Top 3 prospect pool. That should be the target for Guerin, what is the best team we can put together in the 25-26 season, while also recognizing that this team can't simply tank for 3 years.

Building around your wings makes sense when you don't have any centers ready to jump in and you have absolutely no cap space to remedy that situation. Let the wingers be the ones that grow guys like Rossi and Khusnutdinov.

Trade Dumba + Talbot for 2nds/3rds
Sign Fiala @ $7.5M-$8M, MAF @ $3M, Middleton @ $3M, Domingue (or literally any of the dime a dozen backups) @ $1.25M, and Dewar @ $1M:

Zucc - Hartman - Kap
Boldy - Rossi - Fiala
GREEF
Jost - Gaudreau - Dewar
Duhaime

Brodin - Addison
Middleton - Spurgeon
Goli - Kulikov
Merrill

MAF
Domingue

$82M total cap

Defense takes a step back, but that offensive group doesn't have a weak spot. I think trading Kulikov and targeting another Middleton in a trade wouldn't be a bad route to go either (e.g. Soucy).

 

[Bazeek]

The team will get out of the dead cap with two 1st line wingers still in their primes & a ton of cap space. Not to mention all of the internal growth from their Top 3 prospect pool. That should be the target for Guerin, what is the best team we can put together in the 25-26 season, while also recognizing that this team can't simply tank for 3 years.

Building around your wings makes sense when you don't have any centers ready to jump in and you have absolutely no cap space to remedy that situation. Let the wingers be the ones that grow guys like Rossi and Khusnutdinov.

Trade Dumba + Talbot for 2nds/3rds
Sign Fiala @ $7.5M-$8M, MAF @ $3M, Middleton @ $3M, Domingue (or literally any of the dime a dozen backups) @ $1.25M, and Dewar @ $1M:

Zucc - Hartman - Kap
Boldy - Rossi - Fiala
GREEF
Jost - Gaudreau - Dewar
Duhaime

Brodin - Addison
Middleton - Spurgeon
Goli - Kulikov
Merrill

MAF
Domingue

$82M total cap

Defense takes a step back, but that offensive group doesn't have a weak spot. I think trading Kulikov and targeting another Middleton in a trade wouldn't be a bad route to go either (e.g. Soucy).

I would say that that offensive group has the exact same weak spot it's had for 20+ years. And the defense will be less capable of picking up the slack than it has previously.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

Until you realize that Brodin and Spurgeon will miss about 15-20 games combined. Not to mention any other injuries for the d-corps.

That's how we get to watch 1/3 to 2/3 of a season with next years Benn playing every night. That is must turn off tv, right there.

with that in mind, next year having our LD prospects in Iowa would let injury call ups be enjoyable actually. seeing what Orourke or Hunt look like in their first taste of the NHL will be great.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Until you realize that Brodin and Spurgeon will miss about 15-20 games combined. Not to mention any other injuries for the d-corps.

That's how we get to watch 1/3 to 2/3 of a season with next years Benn playing every night. That is must turn off tv, right there.

If next year's Benn is Addison or O'Rourke, then I'm fine.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

I would say that that offensive group has the exact same weak spot it's had for 20+ years. And the defense will be less capable of picking up the slack than it has previously.

that may be a good thing heading into the 23 draft, giving us a higher chance at Bedard but we need Rossi to take that next step in the coming years if we dont draft a better 1C possibility.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I would say that that offensive group has the exact same weak spot it's had for 20+ years. And the defense will be less capable of picking up the slack than it has previously.

It's not a spot that's going to be remedied with $12 to $14 million in dead cap anyway.

 

[Spurgeon]

I would say that that offensive group has the exact same weak spot it's had for 20+ years. And the defense will be less capable of picking up the slack than it has previously.

I think that offense is a lot deeper than anything we've fielded. The 4th line would compete against a lot of the 3rd lines we iced. The center situation isn't going to be solved during this dead cap unless Rossi performs as a Top 6 center. He has a better chance of doing that when he's flanked by Boldy and Fiala, instead of Boldy and Gaudreau.

I also don't think the drop off from Dumba to Addison is going to be as significant as losing Fiala would be.

 

[Bazeek]

It's not a spot that's going to be remedied with $12 to $14 million in dead cap anyway.

I don't disagree there.

I think that offense is a lot deeper than anything we've fielded. The 4th line would compete against a lot of the 3rd lines we iced. The center situation isn't going to be solved during this dead cap unless Rossi performs as a Top 6 center. He has a better chance of doing that when he's flanked by Boldy and Fiala, instead of Boldy and Gaudreau.

I also don't think the drop off from Dumba to Addison is going to be as significant as losing Fiala would be.

I like Addison, but he has a long way to go until he's more than a powerplay specialist. Regardless of Dumba's presence or absence, if Addison makes the team out of camp he'd probably start on the bottom pairing until he shows he's ready for harder minutes.

As for the center situation, my personal take is that one of the things this year's first round exit emphasized is that a roster build around the wings does not work in the playoffs. At this point moving heaven and earth to keep Fiala seems like a secondary concern next to the state of our center pipeline. Rossi and Khusnutdinov are very good prospects, but right now they look like coin flips to play center instead of wing in the NHL.

Trading Fiala is happening pretty much regardless at this point, but if Guerin can use him to solve the team's biggest structural problem it won't be the worst thing in the world. Of course, I don't know if that option's even on the table right now.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

How far off would a Hischier for Ek trade be as a base? taking homer goggles off i would think wild add for value being that Hischier gets more points and seems to be the better player however i really dont watch devils much so i dont know, but how much do we add? i fully understand this means rebuilding the greef line and am willing to put Dewar there and let him try his hand at it. I only look at Hischier because the devils do have Hughes and possibly Mercer as replacements along with Ek coming in locked in long term.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

How far off would a Hischier for Ek trade be as a base? taking homer goggles off i would think wild add for value being that Hischier gets more points and seems to be the better player however i really dont watch devils much so i dont know, but how much do we add? i fully understand this means rebuilding the greef line and am willing to put Dewar there and let him try his hand at it. I only look at Hischier because the devils do have Hughes and possibly Mercer as replacements along with Ek coming in locked in long term.

I think that NJ would decline rather quickly.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

I think that NJ would decline rather quickly.

a 1 for 1 swap yes no doubt, thats why i was trying to think of what would entice them to think about it. Ek + 23 1st + prospect?

 

[Digitalbooya]

The team will get out of the dead cap with two 1st line wingers still in their primes & a ton of cap space. Not to mention all of the internal growth from their Top 3 prospect pool. That should be the target for Guerin, what is the best team we can put together in the 25-26 season, while also recognizing that this team can't simply tank for 3 years.

Building around your wings makes sense when you don't have any centers ready to jump in and you have absolutely no cap space to remedy that situation. Let the wingers be the ones that grow guys like Rossi and Khusnutdinov.

Trade Dumba + Talbot for 2nds/3rds
Sign Fiala @ $7.5M-$8M, MAF @ $3M, Middleton @ $3M, Domingue (or literally any of the dime a dozen backups) @ $1.25M, and Dewar @ $1M:

Zucc - Hartman - Kap
Boldy - Rossi - Fiala
GREEF
Jost - Gaudreau - Dewar
Duhaime

Brodin - Addison
Middleton - Spurgeon
Goli - Kulikov
Merrill

MAF
Domingue

$82M total cap

Defense takes a step back, but that offensive group doesn't have a weak spot. I think trading Kulikov and targeting another Middleton in a trade wouldn't be a bad route to go either (e.g. Soucy).

Addison on the 1st power play unit instead of Spurgeon would be amazing.

 

[AKL]

a 1 for 1 swap yes no doubt, thats why i was trying to think of what would entice them to think about it. Ek + 23 1st + prospect?

I don't think there is a deal we could make barring a drastic overpayment, which we can't afford to do. I think Mercer would be made available before Hischier, if they were worried about a log jam. But realistically they can just move Mercer to RW or 3C.