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

[TanSor]

I have doubts the Devils would be open to this but Mercer would be my target in a Fiala trade if I were Guerin. The Devils would have Bratt, Fiala, Holtz, and Sharangovich to ice in their future top 6 winger slots. You could argue Mercer should be slotted over Sharangovich, but either way one of them would be relegated to the 3rd line when they belong in the top 6. If they take Salfkovsky or Cooley 2nd overall, that would further complicate their situation. Might need additional pieces involved, but Fiala for Mercer as a base would be really interesting.

 

[AKL]

I have doubts the Devils would be open to this but Mercer would be my target in a Fiala trade if I were Guerin. The Devils would have Bratt, Fiala, Holtz, and Sharangovich to ice in their future top 6 winger slots. You could argue Mercer should be slotted over Sharangovich, but either way one of them would be relegated to the 3rd line when they belong in the top 6. If they take Salfkovsky or Cooley 2nd overall, that would further complicate their situation. Might need additional pieces involved, but Fiala for Mercer as a base would be really interesting.

Yeah, among any asset any of NJ, OTT, ANA could offer, Mercer would be my top choice. I'd rank them like:

Mercer
2 OA
Holtz
7 OA
Pinto
10 OA
NJ 2023 1st
OTT 2023 1st
ANA 2023 1st
BOS 1st (via ANA)

 

[Wabit]

So how much is GMBG going to give Letang if he leave PIT?

 

[TaLoN]

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

Losing Fiala is very significant for sure...

That said... I think you either really overrate Addison's play in his own end, or severely underrate Dumba's... or maybe a bit of both. Addison isn't ready for Dumba's minutes. He'll be heavily sheltered most like.

 

[Spurgeon]

Losing Fiala is very significant for sure...

That said... I think you either really overrate Addison's play in his own end, or severely underrate Dumba's... or maybe a bit of both. Addison isn't ready for Dumba's minutes. He'll be heavily sheltered most like.

I just think Brodin is much more capable of carrying a pairing than Boldy would be carrying a line. It’d be nice if management gave Addison more of a look on a pairing with Brodin to better gauge his readiness.

Overall I’m just unimpressed with Dumba’s game. He’s unfortunately become injury prone and I don’t think his defense is anything more than average. I believe a replacement for Dumba can be found in our prospect pool or FA over the next couple of years. I do not see that being the same for Fiala.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I didn't know that Holtz's contract is sliding, same as Rossi's. Interesting.

I don't disagree there.


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.

I don't think that we should be adverse to one of those at present.

 

[Southern Minny]

If it's between Dumba and Fiala, I'm taking Fiala hands down, IMO if we traded Dumba for peanuts and that meant we keep Fiala absolutely, we come out ahead just by being able to keep KF. I just don't see the justification to keep a 57 game and 27-point player over an 82 game 85-point player. And I'm a Dumba fan but what's the best move going forward? To me it's keeping #22.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

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.

How much of an overpayment is too much though? We hope Rossi becomes what hischier is and then some. I am more willing to overpay for him and deal with the rest of the roster after depending on how much of an overpay it is.

 

[Digitalbooya]

I just think Brodin is much more capable of carrying a pairing than Boldy would be carrying a line. It’d be nice if management gave Addison more of a look on a pairing with Brodin to better gauge his readiness.

Overall I’m just unimpressed with Dumba’s game. He’s unfortunately become injury prone and I don’t think his defense is anything more than average. I believe a replacement for Dumba can be found in our prospect pool or FA over the next couple of years. I do not see that being the same for Fiala.

I find it amusing that a poster named "Spurgeon" is pulling the injury prone card on Dumba.

 

[Spurgeon]

I find it amusing that a poster named "Spurgeon" is pulling the injury prone card on Dumba.

Still completely valid that Dumba has had an inability to stay healthy post-injury.

I’d trade both of them if they could.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Still completely valid that Dumba has had an inability to stay healthy post-injury.

I’d trade both of them if they could.

I wouldn't. That's 2/3 of our good defensemen. I'm more concerned that Kulikov, Goligoski and Merrill are collectively $5.45M worth of cap to be #6/7 dmen. Jost is our second highest paid center and he's at best a 3rd/4th liner.

 

[Wabit]

I wouldn't. That's 2/3 of our good defensemen. I'm more concerned that Kulikov, Goligoski and Merrill are collectively $5.45M worth of cap to be #6/7 dmen. Jost is our second highest paid center and he's at best a 3rd/4th liner.

$13.5m in cap space does open up a lot of options to replace them and have left over.

 

[Digitalbooya]

$13.5m in cap space does open up a lot of options to replace them and have left over.

Which RD are you going after? That decimates the team RHD depth and there is basically no one in the pipeline outside of Addison.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

Which RD are you going after? That decimates the team RHD depth and there is basically no one in the pipeline outside of Addison.

Brodin can play RD quite well

 

[Wabit]

Which RD are you going after? That decimates the team RHD depth and there is basically no one in the pipeline outside of Addison.

I know which RD GMBG would be after... Letang.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Brodin can play RD quite well

Gross.

I know which RD GMBG would be after... Letang.

Wouldn't be the end of the world I guess...

 

[Spurgeon]

I wouldn't. That's 2/3 of our good defensemen. I'm more concerned that Kulikov, Goligoski and Merrill are collectively $5.45M worth of cap to be #6/7 dmen. Jost is our second highest paid center and he's at best a 3rd/4th liner.

I’d blow up the entire defensive group if I could. Goli & Merill should’ve never been brought back on. All 3 of them and Kulikov should have been short-term stop gaps that were re-assessed at the end of this season. As things stand right now, I absolutely hate how our defense is setup. Really wish we had found a way to keep Soucy because he’s better than Middleton and is probably going to make less than him now too. We’re also paying $800K more for Goli than Suter now, which is great.

A big reason we lost that series is because our 3rd pairing got heavily exposed, so it’s great that we’ve got them locked in for 2 and 3 more seasons… I truly don’t know what the f*** this team should do. I just want to watch some entertaining high-scoring hockey over the next few years and form the best 25-26 roster we can.

How spoiled we were with:

Suter - Spurgeon
Brodin - Dumba
Soucy - Cole

 

[Digitalbooya]

Suter - Spurgeon
Brodin - Dumba
Soucy - Cole

Meh, this was better:

Suter-Brodin
Scandella-Spurgeon
Leopold-Dumba

 

[DeagleJenkins]

I’d blow up the entire defensive group if I could. Goli & Merill should’ve never been brought back on. All 3 of them and Kulikov should have been short-term stop gaps that were re-assessed at the end of this season. As things stand right now, I absolutely hate how our defense is setup. Really wish we had found a way to keep Soucy because he’s better than Middleton and is probably going to make less than him now too. We’re also paying $800K more for Goli than Suter now, which is great.

A big reason we lost that series is because our 3rd pairing got heavily exposed, so it’s great that we’ve got them locked in for 2 and 3 more seasons… I truly don’t know what the f*** this team should do. I just want to watch some entertaining high-scoring hockey over the next few years and form the best 25-26 roster we can.

How spoiled we were with:

Suter - Spurgeon
Brodin - Dumba
Soucy - Cole

i agree our 3rd pair was poop but more than being exposed, they got used far too much. i dont know how you can watch faulk and parayko play 30 mins a night and beat us and think hey, maybe we should play our 3rd pair more often.

 

[57special]

So, do we want Dumba + Holtz(+2nd?) + 1.5M cap space on the team, or Fiala + 2nd/Bahl?

Keep in mind that Dumba is only signed for one more year before he becomes a UFA, making him less valuable in any deal, and for us. I would bet that he will want at least 6M/yr. Fiala is also two years younger.

Personally, i don't think that Dumba is worth it;

Pros
- good guy
- decent defender(has improved), with good skating, shot and passing.


Cons
- never delivered on his pre 6M AAV contract offensive promise
- still makes careless defensive mistakes more than you want from a top 3 Dman
- shot has regressed(as has scoring)
- Has missed over 25% of his games in the past 4 years.

You can argue either way on Dumba. I agree that our D will look sketchy unless Addison can fill in, and one of ROR/Hunt/Lambos can be ready sooner(Jan 2023?) rather than later. However, i would bet dumba will want a long term contract at 6M minimum for 2023-24. At this point, i don't know that he's worth it, and i am also not married to him as an assistant captain.

 

[Bazeek]

So, do we want Dumba + Holtz(+2nd?) + 1.5M cap space on the team, or Fiala + 2nd/Bahl?

Keep in mind that Dumba is only signed for one more year before he becomes a UFA, making him less valuable in any deal, and for us. I would bet that he will want at least 6M/yr. Fiala is also two years younger.

Personally, i don't think that Dumba is worth it;

Pros
- good guy
- decent defender(has improved), with good skating, shot and passing.


Cons
- never delivered on his pre 6M AAV contract offensive promise
- still makes careless defensive mistakes more than you want from a top 3 Dman
- shot has regressed(as has scoring)
- Has missed over 25% of his games in the past 4 years.

You can argue either way on Dumba. I agree that our D will look sketchy unless Addison can fill in, and one of ROR/Hunt/Lambos can be ready sooner(Jan 2023?) rather than later. However, i would bet dumba will want a long term contract at 6M minimum for 2023-24. At this point, i don't know that he's worth it, and i am also not married to him as an assistant captain.

I pointed this out mostly out of snark on the trade board, but Ristolainen was in a similar situation to Dumba last summer and returned #14 + a 2nd + Hagg. I don't think trading Dumba is realistically on the table right now, and if it was it'd be mostly independent of what they do with Fiala. But even with the injuries he's substantially better than Risto.

I don't know what the market would be for him, but a 2nd or Bahl-tier prospect seems pretty low.

 

[57special]

I pointed this out mostly out of snark on the trade board, but Ristolainen was in a similar situation to Dumba last summer and returned #14 + a 2nd + Hagg. I don't think trading Dumba is realistically on the table right now, and if it was it'd be mostly independent of what they do with Fiala. But even with the injuries he's substantially better than Risto.

I don't know what the market would be for him, but a 2nd or Bahl-tier prospect seems pretty low.

Hope you are right, but asking a team to take on all, or most of Dumba's cap has value in itself. Matt misses games, and he doesn't score all that much now. Maybe we could get a late 1st for him, or 2 2nd's?

 

[Bazeek]

Hope you are right, but asking a team to take on all, or most of Dumba's cap has value in itself. Matt misses games, and he doesn't score all that much now. Maybe we could get a late 1st for him, or 2 2nd's?

If they really traded him I don't think they'd need to be taking zero cap back. That's a throw-in-the-towel sort of move anyway, and they probably have ~$6m allocated to Dumba's spot for the next couple of years.

 

[Spurgeon]

I pointed this out mostly out of snark on the trade board, but Ristolainen was in a similar situation to Dumba last summer and returned #14 + a 2nd + Hagg. I don't think trading Dumba is realistically on the table right now, and if it was it'd be mostly independent of what they do with Fiala. But even with the injuries he's substantially better than Risto.

I don't know what the market would be for him, but a 2nd or Bahl-tier prospect seems pretty low.

I really hope Guerin reached out to the Flyers before that Risto trade went through.

 

[Bazeek]

I really hope Guerin reached out to the Flyers before that Risto trade went through.

I get what you're saying, but we'd just lost like half the blueline. Trading Dumba wasn't really on the table (and probably still isn't).