Confirmed with Link: Trade deadline thread

[Andy99]

I will say that if this team keeps Rakell going forward, I don't think they're as far off from being good again as their record suggests. But the issues are that:

1. The coach is well past his expiration date.
2. I don't truly know how good Letang is at this point. He can be anything from "legit #2/3 D having a bad season" to completely washed and it wouldn't surprise me.
3. Beyond Letang, the team has such a bad defensive group that it's going to take years to fix.

A big part of this is dependent on whether you can rely on Novak in more 2-way/defensive usage, but I think you have an interesting base at forward with something like:

Rakell-Crosby-Rust
XXXX-Malkin-Koivunen
McGroarty-Novak-Tomasino

You need a top tier play driver to play with Malkin on L2, but the rest at least looks intriguing. If you can get Marner, that's absolutely perfect. The defense? I would replace every single defenseman on this team with no hesitation, unless Letang isn't completely washed. For me to think this team can do anything before Crosby retires, you basically need to acquire at least half of a legitimate top pair this off-season and a full top pair by the start of the 2027-2028 season.

This is not even mentioning the shitty goaltending…no way Dubas can do enough to compete next season…he should stick with trying to collect under 24 aged players and developing Murashov and Blom

 

[eXile3]

Except that his stockpiling of first to third round picks screams not looking for a quick rebuild.

Sounds like he plans on trading them in the next couple years to give the core one more run.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Sounds like he plans on trading them in the next couple years to give the core one more run.

How can you believe any sing song thing that he says?

Watch what he does. Has been doing. Ignore what he says.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

I don't think "we have options" is particularly a plan.

I disagree. I don't think you can be married to one path. If, for example, you pin everything on making a series of bold moves this summer and those players are suddenly no longer available to sign or acquire, you're cooked.

In fact, that's what tripped Dubas up his first year. He committed to one last push. He signed Graves and Jarry. He traded for Karlsson. It all backfired miserably, especially the Graves and Jarry deals, and now he's had to navigate around that. When all you have is some cap space and nontradeable assets, that's the risk you run into.

Now he has alternatives. He has cap space. He has a few prospects. And he has a boatload of picks.

He still needs to execute. Smart trades, identify the right players in free agency, draft well. He still needs a new coaching staff.

 

[Empoleon8771]

This is not even mentioning the shitty goaltending…no way Dubas can do enough to compete next season…he should stick with trying to collect under 24 aged players and developing Murashov and Blom

I'm not worried about the goaltending because I figure they'll have that sorted out by 2027. I'm just talking broadly about competing before Crosby retires, Murashov or Blomqvist should have it figured out by then.

I think Malkin is likely gone before this team is ready to be good again, but I think (or at least hope) that whoever you draft with your 1st this year will replace him on L2. Even if it's someone like Martone, you'll be sitting with a Koivunen-Martone winger duo for the 2nd line. But with being good before Crosby retires, I think the forward group isn't that far off and they have the young goalies that they should be able to figure it out.

The defense? Miles away. Now if they get Schaefer this year, that actually changes things a bit where I become a bit more concerned about L2 than the defense going forward.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

This team can pretend they can cut corners and try to rebuild on the fly all they want but they're just gonna turn what's hopefully a 5-7 year rebuild from the ground up into like a decade-plus long miseryfest.

You're gonna have to notably overpay top tier FAs to come here. Your best prospects are still relatively mediocre depth pieces. You have an idiotic coach who refuses to coach youth and refuses to change his gameplan to best suit his roster. You have no goalies until (hopefully) Murashov or Blomqvist pan out in a few more years. You need an entire blueline minus two, if Pickering and Brunicke somehow hit their absolute ceilings.

Like, this shit's gonna take a long time and it's gonna take a lotta luck to boot imo. If Dubas (or probably, more appropriately, FSG) thinks they're just gonna get a complimentary winger like Marner and a solid all around blueliner in Chychrun and they'll be off to the races, well, then we're in for it as a fanbase.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Except that his stockpiling of first to third round picks screams not looking for a quick rebuild.

Those picks can be traded for young players or used to sign RFAs to an offer sheet.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

We're really going to go from the last playoff round win in 2018, then a bunch of insane stupidity and the organization being petrified into inaction, to crawling back into the conversation of relevance in like 2032 huh.

Alright, I'll stop doomposting.

 

[Andy99]

Dubas needs to make a big move for top young talent. Until he drafts that or trades or offer sheets for that, there’s zero point to keeping anyone that he can move for a good return

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Those picks can be traded for young players or used to sign RFAs to an offer sheet.

But why would you do that?

I mean, is it possible if every maybe turns into a home run that they can legitimately have another run? Sure, if I squint enough, I can see it.

Is it likely, or even remotely possible?

Not really.

Most likely you give away the farm for just below mediocrity and set back any rebuild half a decade.

If I wanted to trade a cow for magic beans, I would do so. Maybe I am boring, but I would rather have my daily pitcher of milk instead. It is more likely real.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Watched the presser. Only 4 thoughts

1) pens local coverage is junk. These reporters STINK. Terrible at asking questions. Not one asks “would you trade more core players” or “what season are you targeting contending” etc

2) pretty clear we are rebuilding from everything he’s saying

3) just say it’s a rebuild

4) this is my gut sense but doesn’t seem like he believes in completely stripping it to the studs and we’re keeping Rakell for a good bit here. But I could be wrong, I’m straight going off gut feel.

 

[eXile3]

How can you believe any sing song thing that he says?

Watch what he does. Has been doing. Ignore what he says.

I guess the good part about that is I won’t have to hear him say program fifty times.

 

[Empoleon8771]

This team can pretend they can cut corners and try to rebuild on the fly all they want but they're just gonna turn what's hopefully a 5-7 year rebuild from the ground up into like a decade-plus long miseryfest.

A lot really depends on how the 2025 and 2026 drafts go. If you can hit on your 3 1sts in those draft, I actually think you won't need a long drawn out rebuild.

If you hit on say Schaefer (LD), Bear (C) and Roobroeck (LW) with your 3 1sts and get a top pair guy and 2/3 of a top-6 line, are you really all that far off? That said, as soon as Crosby's gone you're up shit creek.

 

[eXile3]

Watched the presser. Only 4 thoughts

1) pens local coverage is junk. These reporters STINK. Terrible at asking questions. Not one asks “would you trade more core players” or “what season are you targeting contending” etc

2) pretty clear we are rebuilding from everything he’s saying

3) just say it’s a rebuild

4) this is my gut sense but doesn’t seem like he believes in completely stripping it to the studs and we’re keeping Rakell for a good bit here. But I could be wrong, I’m straight going off gut feel.

If anyone in the local media asks a question out of his comfort zone he derides them in front of everyone.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Honestly this doesn't feel like all that much for Boston. If Florida loses to either Tampa or Toronto, which feels entirely possible, they just get a 2027 2nd for Marchand as a rental.

 

[Pens x]

Novak
Tomasino
Brunicke
Koivunen
Fernstrom
Ponomarev
Lucius
1st
2nd
2nd
2nd
3rd
3rd


but we really need that conditional 2nd for our best winger to really spark this rebuild

Quantity not quality

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

A lot really depends on how the 2025 and 2026 drafts go. If you can hit on your 3 1sts in those draft, I actually think you won't need a long drawn out rebuild.

If you hit on say Schaefer (LD), Bear (C) and Roobroeck (LW) with your 3 1sts and get a top pair guy and 2/3 of a top-6 line, are you really all that far off? That said, as soon as Crosby's gone you're up shit creek.

Yeah, I dunno. Like you said, it doesn't really matter once Sid retires. Even if they miraculously find themselves 4th overall this draft and Misa or Schaefer falls into their lap, then they somehow win the McKenna and Dupont lottos the next two years, you're still probably looking at a few years of building up around those guys. Hopefully you'll have *some* supporting cast in McG, Broz, Koivunen, Brunicke, Pickering, and Murashov/Blomqvist by then, but it's gonna take a lot more than that.

Maybe you take a huge swing at McDavid if he hits UFA in a couple years, but that's gonna take a franchise crippling contract imo.

 

[Empoleon8771]

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Honestly this doesn't feel like all that much for Boston. If Florida loses to either Tampa or Toronto, which feels entirely possible, they just get a 2027 2nd for Marchand as a rental.

Marchand has the biggest impact of any player traded today.

Florida immediately becomes the most hated team in the playoffs.

 

[Gurglesons]

Dubas totally quoted I Think You Should Leave Now in his presser….

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Watched the presser. Only 4 thoughts

1) pens local coverage is junk. These reporters STINK. Terrible at asking questions. Not one asks “would you trade more core players” or “what season are you targeting contending” etc

2) pretty clear we are rebuilding from everything he’s saying

3) just say it’s a rebuild

4) this is my gut sense but doesn’t seem like he believes in completely stripping it to the studs and we’re keeping Rakell for a good bit here. But I could be wrong, I’m straight going off gut feel.

It's not about what he believes in. He's not even allowed to do that. FSG reign supreme.

This is more of a re-tool than a rebuild, because we're gonna be spending a lot of our picks on NHL-ready players, instead of developing our own.
It's gonna be rushed and piecemeal.

Yeah, Rakell is staying. With Rust and him, they'll keep them because "they wanna be here".

 

[Andy99]

Ok…Dubas was saving his big move for after the deadline! Sweet lol..

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Ryan Shea, the new Chad Ruhwedel. heart-eyes.png

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Honestly this doesn't feel like all that much for Boston. If Florida loses to either Tampa or Toronto, which feels entirely possible, they just get a 2027 2nd for Marchand as a rental.

The fact that the ties with Boston have been cut now is great too. Maybe he would take a high AAV 2 year deal to play with Sid.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

It's not about what he believes in. He's not even allowed to do that. FSG reign supreme.

This is more of a re-tool than a rebuild, because we're gonna be spending a lot of our picks on NHL-ready players, instead of developing our own.
It's gonna be rushed and piecemeal.

Yeah, Rakell is staying. With Rust and him, they'll keep them because "they wanna be here".

What evidence is there that these picks are going to be packaged for players? Basically the reverse of what Dubas has been doing to this point.

And how does that make sense?

Get great value being sellers. Then overpay in picks as always happens as a buyer?

That is the supposed grand plan?