Trades and Free Agency - 2022 Off-season

[ULF_55]

Matthew Tkachuk on picking Panthers over hometown Blues: ‘Could I have pictured myself there? Yes' - The Athletic

But it appears that it never got that far because offers from St. Louis and Carolina didn’t measure up to what Calgary eventually received from Florida. One source said the Blues’ proposal included Vladimir Tarasenko, Marco Scandella and a high draft pick; the team officially declined comment.

The Flames’ interest in Tarasenko, or lack thereof, was an issue. He has just one season left on his contract, though they traded for two players, Huberdeau and Weegar, who are also entering the final year of their deals. One could also question whether Tarasenko would have waived his no-trade clause to play in Calgary; his agent, Paul Theofanous, did not immediately return a message.

As far as Carolina, a source said that the Hurricanes put together a package that included forward Martin Necas, 23.

So did it ever get close with St. Louis?

“I don’t really know the answer to that, if I’m being honest,” Tkachuk said. “I had a handful of teams that I was interested in, and after talking to Florida more and more, I realized that that was probably the best option for me.

“They were the team that probably made the biggest push at the end, and they ended up getting a deal. It happened really fast with Florida, so I don’t even know how close anybody else really got.”

The Blues’ efforts came with a sales pitch from Robert Thomas, Tkachuk’s close friend who recently signed an eight-year, $65 million extension. The two were recently together in Boston for a golf tournament.

“I don’t think he means to pitch it, but he talked about it a lot,” Tkachuk said. “He’s a great player, and it would be cool with him. He is going to have a great rest of his career. He is one of the big parts of the future in St. Louis, and I’m sure lots of guys are going to sign in St. Louis for the chance to play with him, but I’m really excited to go to Florida. The talent they have there is really special, as well.”

My guess is Tarasenko was the Cap Space creator more than anything.
It was always going to be a sign and trade, and Tarasenko wouldn't be nearly enough.
Tarasenko has wanted out for a while now.
Again, my guess a youngster with upside needing a new contract next year.

 

[LaPlante94]

Also the argument is the longer you baste them the cheaper they stay longer

2024/25 aint gonna be fun

What year is the cap going to skyrocket up 10+million? Is it the 25/26 season or 26/27 season? 24/25 won't be as bad as some think since the cap will increase by a lot helping us out a lot.

 

[Shooter2x]

Blues are jokes using Thomas to court Tkachuk. He's the guy they'd need to include as the main piece for him as well.

Thank you for your services now get the hell out of here

 

[andora]

What year is the cap going to skyrocket up 10+million? Is it the 25/26 season or 26/27 season? 24/25 won't be as bad as some think since the cap will increase by a lot helping us out a lot.

25/26 i think is when everything is paid back and it gets a bump - possibly 24/25 if the money is paid back early.. but as it stands if money isn't paid back by 24/25 it only goes up a million

24/25 is a horrible outlook financially if the cap is at 84.5

Blues are jokes using Thomas to court Tkachuk. He's the guy they'd need to include as the main piece for him as well.

Thank you for your services now get the hell out of here

perhaps 1 for 1 but Thomas has become their cornerstone forward for the next wave. it'd be pretty gutsy to move thomas for tkachuk let alone adding to that

 

[Mess]

Jesus Christ, imagine a blue line of:

Mikey Anderson/Justin Holl
Brett Kulak/Martin Fehervary
MacKenzie Weegar/Cody Ceci

Practically couldn't get into our zone.

Wonder if Mirtle realizes by praising Holl he is exposing Morgan Rielly on his chart (appearing in the open Door section) where our #1 plays 22:35 ATOI and Holl a bottom pairing plays 16:50 ATOI.

Wouldn't it be better if your #1 Dman wasn't lumped with Tyson Barrie in the open Door section and worst and Holl and him were flipped with your low minute #6/7?

Where was Holl on the chart while sitting in the pressbox for games #1 and #2?

 

[andora]

Wonder if Mirtle realizes by praising Holl he is exposing Morgan Rielly on his chart (appearing in the open Door section) where our #1 plays 22:35 ATOI and Holl a bottom pairing plays 16:50 ATOI.

Wouldn't it be better if your #1 Dman wasn't lumped with Tyson Barrie in the open Door section and Holl and him were flipped.

Where was Holl on the chart while sitting in the pressbox for games #1 and #2?

if these guys could actually do this shit with relevant information like using tiers for:

quality of competition
average ice time
and opposition forward tendencies (some lines rush some dump and chase)

stupid thing can't even read some of the f*#&ing names..

 

[Hoglund4MvP]

Wonder is Mirtle realizes by praising Holl he is exposing Morgan Rielly on his chart (appearing in the open Door section) where our #1 plays 22:35 ATOI and Holl a bottom pairing plays 16:50 ATOI.

Where was Holl on the chart while sitting in the pressbox for games #1 and #2?

It's common knowledge as well defencemen like Holl get to inflate that chart because teams will willingly dump it in if they know you're weak at in-zone.

I will stick to his coach benching him twice and his gm having him on the trade block all season long over that chart. He does more harm than he does good.

Rielly will reveal if people are objective or not. He is low on this chart but does stuff that makes you ignore it and it is NOT safe to let him go. Holl is high on the chart but does stuff that make you ignore it and you can convince yourself it's safe to let him go and we will be fine.

 

[LeafChief]

Wonder if Mirtle realizes by praising Holl he is exposing Morgan Rielly on his chart (appearing in the open Door section) where our #1 plays 22:35 ATOI and Holl a bottom pairing plays 16:50 ATOI.

Wouldn't it be better if your #1 Dman wasn't lumped with Tyson Barrie in the open Door section and Holl and him were flipped with your low minute #6/7.

Where was Holl on the chart while sitting in the pressbox for games #1 and #2?

It's almost as if looking at one defensive stat doesn't tell the entire story.

 

[Shooter2x]

Based on last year I do see Dubas getting emailed that chart, saying "idgaf" and walking off

if these guys could actually do this shit with relevant information like using tiers for:

quality of competition
average ice time
and opposition forward tendencies (some lines rush some dump and chase)

stupid thing can't even read some of the f*#&ing names..

pretty sure the one hidden leaf is marincin

 

[Mess]

if these guys could actually do this shit with relevant information like using tiers for:

quality of competition
average ice time
and opposition forward tendencies (some lines rush some dump and chase)

stupid thing can't even read some of the f*#&ing names..

Here is the first thing I noticed was Toronto vs Tampa Bay playoff matchup.

Leafs #1 Morgan Rielly with most TOI is among the worst as "OPEN DOOR" and #1 Victor Hedman almost off the chart as "BRICK WALL"

So when Matthews and Marner attempt to cross into TB Zone Hedman is a brick wall blocking entry and when Kucherov and Stamkos come charging into Leafs zone with Morgan Rielly defending its an open book.

Now picture that in terms of goalies eyes and what is happening in front of them defensively and potential scoring chances generation. Now one team has a goalie TB in net with a high goals saved above expected ratio in front a brick wall zone entry Hedman, and the other TOR has a low goals saved above expected ratio and its an open door with TB stars flooding into the Leafs zone at 5v5, while Mo Riells is defending.

So I guess that helps explain why Vasilevskiy and Hedman have Conn Smythe playoff MVP trophies in addion to Tampa Bay Stanley Cups.

 

[rimshot]

Or it's a bad defencemen with one good trait.

They may not be "stuck" with him but they can certainly use the money better elsewhere.

While this chart does inflate the value Holl brings to the team, to say that the two million dollars Holl costs can be used more wisely begs the question; who? I am unaware of a defenseman, that played top 4 on a 100 plus point team, that is available as a FA for less than 2 million. Perhaps I am missing someone?

 

[Hoglund4MvP]

Here is the first thing I noticed was Toronto vs Tampa Bay playoff matchup.

Leafs #1 Morgan Rielly with most TOI is among the worst as "OPEN DOOR" and #1 Victor Hedman almost off the chart as "BRICK WALL"

So when Matthews and Marner attempt to cross into TB Zone Hedman is a brick wall blocking entry and when Kucherov and Stamkos come charging into Leafs zone with Morgan Rielly defending its an open book.

Now picture that in terms of goalies eyes and what is happening in front of them defensively and potential scoring chances generation. Now one team has a goalie TB in net with a high goals saved above expected ratio in front a brick wall zone entry Hedman, and the other TOR as a low goals saved above expected ratio and its an open door with TB stars flooding into the Leafs zone at 5v5, while Mo Riells is defending.

So I guess that helps explain why Vasilevskiy and Hedman have Conn Smythe playoff MVP trophies in addion to Tampa Bay Stanley Cups.

That's the price you have to pay with Rielly as your no.1 I see most have accepted that going our way he's a 6/10 at best. Most days a 5. Going the opponent way he's 8/10 most days with the occasional 10/10.

 

[Jmo89]

While this chart does inflate the value Holl brings to the team, to say that the two million dollars Holl costs can be used more wisely begs the question; who? I am unaware of a defenseman, that played top 4 on a 100 plus point team, that is available as a FA for less than 2 million. Perhaps I am missing someone?

Most people who want to trade Holl want to upgrade the bottom 6 with one or two of the forwards still available in free agency. Or a small downgrade in defence along with one of those forwards.

I agree completely the chart inflates the value of Holl. At the very least it's as equally as ridiculous as saying the team is "stuck" with him.

 

[Fogelhund]

Most people who want to trade Holl want to upgrade the bottom 6 with one or two of the forwards still available in free agency. Or a small downgrade in defence along with one of those forwards.

I agree completely the chart inflates the value of Holl. At the very least it's as equally as ridiculous as saying the team is "stuck" with him.

In reality, if we want to sign Sandin, it's probable that Holl needs to be moved.. If they want forwards, Kerfoot needs to go. I don't think we can further downgrade our forwards, by moving Kerfoot to sign Sandin.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Donato to the Kraken for 1 year, $1.2 AAV

Wouldn’t have minded that. Should be the price tag for Heinen and Milano.

 

[Mickey Marner]

Klingberg fired his agent. He'd look pretty good running our powerplay for a year to setup a bigger payday.

 

[rimshot]

Most people who want to trade Holl want to upgrade the bottom 6 with one or two of the forwards still available in free agency. Or a small downgrade in defence along with one of those forwards.

I agree completely the chart inflates the value of Holl. At the very least it's as equally as ridiculous as saying the team is "stuck" with him.

Moving Holl for picks to create room for Sandin to sign is a reasonable idea. Trying to replace him by signing one of the available FAs is not. I am skeptical that trading him for a cheaper dman would be advisable even if it was possible.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Donato to the Kraken for 1 year, $1.2 AAV

Wouldn’t have minded that. Should be the price tag for Heinen and Milano.

Heinen and Milano are better fits anyways. Not sure Donato would be a great fit for 2LW (vs. Heinen especially), and Milano is a better offensive depth option. Same with Stastny, Kessel, and Rodrigues. He kind of just seemed like a "if he comes cheap enough and the others do not" option. That doesn't even cover the gritty shutdown guys like ZAR, Motte, Lammikko, etc. either.

Other than having a proven (albeit mediocre) NHL resume, I am not sure Donato has anything to offer over any of our prospects. Not a defensive weapon. Not overly large or gritty. Not overly skilled.

The best thing about this is it takes competition for Kerfoot off of the market from a team that probably is not interested in Kerfoot.

 

[Mess]

I feel like Tkachuk was late joining the Florida party and that the program has peaked.

The Panthers led the NHL with 122 points in the standings last season before checking out in the second round of the playoffs, having watched the best offense the NHL had seen since 1995-96 sputter in the postseason. That was despite a huge swing at the trade deadline that brought Philadelphia Flyers star Claude Giroux to South Florida.

GM Bill Zito's reaction to that season underscores his unique approach to this job. Another general manager is not trading away his team's leading scorer and second-most important defenseman after a season like that. Another general manager is taking the myopic approach to the roster, even if there was a risk that Huberdeau and Weegar might leave via free agency in summer 2023.

Bill Zito is not that general manager.

The acquisition of Matthew Tkachuk might not make the Panthers a better team next season. I think they take a step back from that 122-point campaign. But it positions them to be a potentially great team well beyond next season.

Zito called Tkachuk "a tenacious, physical competitor who possesses a tremendously unique skill set." He speaks the truth. Tkachuk is a physical playmaking winger who creates offense as effectively as he agitates opponents. His defense can be Selke Trophy-caliber, which is a glaring point of demarcation between himself and Huberdeau. The Panthers clearly feel that, stylistically, Tkachuk is what they need to break through in the playoffs: His physicality, tenacity, defense and the way he goes to the net.

Trade grades: Why the Flames aced the Tkachuk-Huberdeau swap

A trade of 100-point scorers is a rarity in the NHL. We assess the deal for both teams.

www.espn.com

 

[notDatsyuk]

First half, both Tavares and Nylander played extremely well. Easily worth their contracts. After the Covid break, both totally fell off. They did regain their form near the end of the year and were able to finish off the Tampa series well, but that middle portion of the year was not great.

The dynamic works great when Nylander and Tavares are both playing well. Nylander does well with the puck on his stick and thrives in space. Tavares does well with the puck off of his stick, thrives in tight, and creates a lot of space for Nylander. The problem is that Nylander can go for long stretches of inconsistency which limits what Tavares can do for him (doesn't really happen the other way around very often), and then Kerfoot is not really a perfect fit for helping either Nylander or Tavares with what they do.

I think three things need to happen, and two of them are ones I think the Leafs can solve fairly easily because they are somewhat interconnected.

i) Get Tavares away from going to the front of the net all of the time like he is a glorified grinder. He has too much skill for that. While he should look for garbage goals, he was getting far less goals than he normally does because he was constantly in a spot where the only way he could score would either be tips or rebounds (and we were not choosing to use tips nearly as often as we should have).

ii) Get a 3rd guy who can properly compliment both Nylander and Tavares. That is why I suggest Anderson, because he has a shot and enough skating ability to play off of the rush with Nylander, but he is also someone who can easily play off of Tavares on the cycle and let Tavares step away from the net sometimes.

iii) Find a way to make Nylander more consistent. Maybe solving the first two will help with this, but Nylander, as a core player, can't disappear as often as he does. Matthews, Marner, and Tavares rarely have days off or poor games where they do not positive impact the game in some way. Nylander does.

1. Over the last few years more and more of Tavares' scoring has come from the PP, and he is most effective going to the front of the net. Personally I'd like to see him try to screen the goalie more, instead of standing just to the side waiting for a pass or rebound. I think that would make shots from the point an option, and therefore improve the overall PP.

2. I don't think there is anyone that we have or can afford, who can make Tavares and Nylander work well together. (It's a credit to both that they can produce as well as they do under the circumstances.) I think a more viable option is to separate them, wirh more speed on Nylander's line and more grind on Tavares'. Call them 2A and 2B and let them compete for ice time.

3. Getting Willy away from Tavares should help, and I'd like to try him at C, wirh a couple of speedy wingers.

 

[Stephen]

The Panthers led the NHL with 122 points in the standings last season before checking out in the second round of the playoffs, having watched the best offense the NHL had seen since 1995-96 sputter in the postseason. That was despite a huge swing at the trade deadline that brought Philadelphia Flyers star Claude Giroux to South Florida.

GM Bill Zito's reaction to that season underscores his unique approach to this job. Another general manager is not trading away his team's leading scorer and second-most important defenseman after a season like that. Another general manager is taking the myopic approach to the roster, even if there was a risk that Huberdeau and Weegar might leave via free agency in summer 2023.

Bill Zito is not that general manager.

The acquisition of Matthew Tkachuk might not make the Panthers a better team next season. I think they take a step back from that 122-point campaign. But it positions them to be a potentially great team well beyond next season.

Zito called Tkachuk "a tenacious, physical competitor who possesses a tremendously unique skill set." He speaks the truth. Tkachuk is a physical playmaking winger who creates offense as effectively as he agitates opponents. His defense can be Selke Trophy-caliber, which is a glaring point of demarcation between himself and Huberdeau. The Panthers clearly feel that, stylistically, Tkachuk is what they need to break through in the playoffs: His physicality, tenacity, defense and the way he goes to the net.

Trade grades: Why the Flames aced the Tkachuk-Huberdeau swap

A trade of 100-point scorers is a rarity in the NHL. We assess the deal for both teams.

www.espn.com

I really liked the Florida Panthers program last year but from an armchair GM POV I hate what they’ve done since the deadline and into the summer. They made a ton of video game moves, none of it panned out and now they’ve made more video game moves with no cap space and draft picks till the middle of this decade. Don’t think it needs to be framed in a Florida vs Toronto. I just think they blew it. And we stand to gain from their Vegas East approach.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Those two could be solid additions.

Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Nylander - Tavares - Rodrigues
Engvall - Jarnkrok - Robertson
Aston-Reese - Kampf - Aube-Kubel

Rodrigues and Nylander are both righties, while Engvall and Robertson are both lefties.

Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Engvall - Jarnkrok - Nylander
Robertson - Tavares - Rodrigues

makes more sense.

 

[613Leafer]

My guess is Tarasenko was the Cap Space creator more than anything.
It was always going to be a sign and trade, and Tarasenko wouldn't be nearly enough.
Tarasenko has wanted out for a while now.
Again, my guess a youngster with upside needing a new contract next year.

If St. Louis didn't want to include Thomas or Kyrou, it's hard to picture a deal that could really match the Florida one.

If you're sticking to pending UFAs like Huberdeau/Weegar, you'd be looking at ROR/Tarasenko (at like 50% salary retained to get the value closer to Huberdeau at 5.9M) + Barbashev + 1st + other picks/prospects, and that's just to get a somewhat comparable offer. Even with that on the table, if I'm Calgary I probably prefer the Florida one given age of Huberdeau and the year he just had, the mix of a forward and a quality D, etc.

 

[Americanadian]

Rodrigues and Nylander are both righties, while Engvall and Robertson are both lefties.

Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Engvall - Jarnkrok - Nylander
Robertson - Tavares - Rodrigues

makes more sense.

Anything that gets Tavares away from Nylander is fine.
I’d personally put Rodrigues at 2C with Robertson LW and put Engvall/Jarnkrok around Tavares. ERod can do the dirty work for 88/89 while the Tavares line grinds down the opposition.

 

[andora]

Is there any team out there currently with the depth need and the financial ability to trade for a nylander

Team should be relatively competitive too. basically looking for young forwards for next wave

any ideas? teams?