Proposal: Utah and Canucks- Hronek + Podkolzin for Crouse, Kesserling and 2nd round pick

[UrbanImpact]

Utah gets a top pairing Dman that can get the puck up to the talented young forwards they have. The likes of Cooley, Geunther, Keller, Macelli etc will need a core piece Dman like Hronek to transition them the puck. Durzi is not enough. Hronek at 26 yrs old , fits the core's age range moving forward. He would also make a very good partner with Simashev and could be Utah's top pairing tandem for years to come.

Utah can easily pay Hronek, the long term contract he is seeking.

Podkolzin has shown flashes of potential, he is a bull in a china shop type of player with an endless motor. His puck skills are limited but his style is something that Utah can use to compliment their talented forwards.

Canucks get a top 6 power forward in Crouse to play with Pettersson. Crouse is the prototypical forward that Rutherford and Allvin crave. He would provide more time and space for Pettersson on the ice and would be a force to handle in a 7 game series.

Kesserling adds RD depth to a team that would currently only have Juulsen as their on RD on the roster. I likes the size and skating i saw from Kesslering last year and I think he can be a very serviceable 3rd pairing Dman with a potential to be more.

The saved cap space would also allow the Canucks to go after Tanev at free agency or perhaps re-sign Lindholm and replace Hronek with someone like Matt Roy to play with Q Hughes for a 1 season or 2 until Willander is ready.

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[PettersonHughes]

I'd do it.

________ - Miller - Boeser
Crouse - Petey - Hoglander
Joshua - _______ - Garland

 

[Gurglesons]

Why would Utah do this?

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

This is so bad for Utah....

 

[SnS]

This is terrible for Utah.

 

[lanceuppercut75]

Looks ideal for Vancouver but I'm not so sure that Utah values Hronek over Crouse. They could easily sign Pesce (and Skjei) in free agency and keep Crouse.

Assuming Utah is interested, I could see Hronek Podkolzin going for Crouse Kesselring, okay, but I'm not sure which team is adding and how much they're adding. Utah adding a 2nd isn't necessarily the way I see it playing out. Vancouver likely adds, the more I think about it.

 

[Gurglesons]

Looks ideal for Vancouver but I'm not so sure that Utah values Hronek over Crouse. They could easily sign Pesce (and Skjei) in free agency and keep Crouse.

Assuming Utah is interested, I could see Hronek Podkolzin going for Crouse Kesselring, okay, but I'm not sure which team is adding and how much they're adding. Utah adding a 2nd isn't necessarily the way I see it playing out. Vancouver likely adds, the more I think about it.

I don't really see the improvement of Hronek over Durzi or Kesselring being a 2nd and the downgrade of Crouse to Podkolzin.

 

[lanceuppercut75]

I don't really see the improvement of Hronek over Durzi or Kesselring being a 2nd and the downgrade of Crouse to Podkolzin.

Durzi isn't part of the trade. The comparison would be between Hronek and Kesselring.

Hronek is certainly an upgrade on Kesselring. Crouse is certainly an upgrade on Podkolzin.

I agree with you that the 2nd round pick is an issue here. Crouse is a rare type of player that's hard to acquire. No reason Utah is adding to him here just to upgrade Kesselring to Hronek. Don't think it makes sense.

 

[Gurglesons]

Durzi isn't part of the trade. The comparison would be between Hronek and Kesselring.

Hronek is certainly an upgrade on Kesselring. Crouse is certainly an upgrade on Podkolzin.

I agree with you that the 2nd round pick is an issue here. Crouse is a rare type of player that's hard to acquire. No reason Utah is adding to him here just to upgrade Kesselring to Hronek. Don't think it makes sense.

But, conceptually you'd be bringing in Hronek with the mindset that you are paying him to be your top pairing, all situational D.

I just don't see the improvement being significant enough.

 

[BCNate]

Take the noise out and start with Crouse and Hronek as the base.
Both are 26 and have 45ish point seasons as their career highs.
Power Winger vs RD

I'm pretty certain Utah adds to this based on Position demand alone. Not sure contract status is enough to balance that out.

 

[UrbanImpact]

But, conceptually you'd be bringing in Hronek with the mindset that you are paying him to be your top pairing, all situational D.

I just don't see the improvement being significant enough.

Hronek is soo much better than Durzi in every aspect of the game.

Its not a co-incidence that Hughes became a Norris calibre player this season.

Hronek's defensive game is actually super under-rated. He was the the stay at home, defensively conscious partner for Hughes but also had the skills and mind process to keep up with Hughes. Transitioning the puck out was very good for Hronek this season, same with puck retrieval.

What we didnt get to see, and what we were expecting was his offensive game. I thought he passed to Hughes more often than he should have. I wish he released his clapper more this season.

Definitely a 20+ min top pairing Dman.

 

[Gurglesons]

Hronek is soo much better than Durzi in every aspect of the game.

Its not a co-incidence that Hughes became a Norris calibre player this season.

Hronek's defensive game is actually super under-rated. He was the the stay at home, defensively conscious partner for Hughes but also had the skills and mind process to keep up with Hughes. Transitioning the puck out was very good for Hronek this season, same with puck retrieval.

What we didnt get to see, and what we were expecting was his offensive game. I thought he passed to Hughes more often than he should have. I wish he released his clapper more this season.

Definitely a 20+ min top pairing Dman.

Don't see the need in Utah for giving up Crouse for the player.

Crouse is a huge part of Utah's room and on ice play. Hronek may be attractive to Utah if they give up a future (picks) based package, but don't see the fit in terms of giving up roster pieces.

 

[EK392000]

Take the noise out and start with Crouse and Hronek as the base.
Both are 26 and have 45ish point seasons as their career highs.
Power Winger vs RD

I'm pretty certain Utah adds to this based on Position demand alone. Not sure contract status is enough to balance that out.

There’s a huge demand for power forwards as well.

 

[oceanchild]

Obviously seems counter to the overall opinion here but a 50 point RHD in his mid 20’s is by far the most valuable piece in this deal. Look at what Van paid for him, look at the OEL deal. I would want Utahs first and go from there.

 

[Schemp]

Obviously seems counter to the overall opinion here but a 50 point RHD in his mid 20’s is by far the most valuable piece in this deal. Look at what Van paid for him, look at the OEL deal. I would want Utahs first and go from there.

What Van paid for him? The 17th OA + a 2nd? And now they want to trade him? When a 50 point player is called a 50 point player he will actually get 50 points in at least 1 season. Have you paid attention to BA when it comes to contracts? AND the ELC of the 6th is worth more than the obvious headache of trying to get Hronek signed!

BA will want for the D to get bigger.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

While Hronek has made gains in reputation, he’s gone from a player with ~1.25 years left on his contract + RFA status on the backside to just an RFA that needs to get paid.

Contracts are important. It’s like Crouse will be a different asset 2 years from now than he is today.

 

[Heldig]

Obviously seems counter to the overall opinion here but a 50 point RHD in his mid 20’s is by far the most valuable piece in this deal. Look at what Van paid for him, look at the OEL deal. I would want Utahs first and go from there.

Utah's 1st? In what year? Certainly you cant think Hronek is worth 6th OA?

 

[oceanchild]

Utah's 1st? In what year? Certainly you cant think Hronek is worth 6th OA?

I think top 2 RHD men are extremely expensive. Ones with lots of points, are youngish and have a great plus minus are so rare many franchises go decades without having one. If you got a Hronek level player with that first round pick it would be a success.

 

[finkelsteinberg]

Obviously seems counter to the overall opinion here but a 50 point RHD in his mid 20’s is by far the most valuable piece in this deal. Look at what Van paid for him, look at the OEL deal. I would want Utahs first and go from there.

I don't think when the contractual obligations are considered, Hronek is by far the most valuable piece and probably not even the most valuable piece. And while I pretty much considered Kesselring's season as mehh, he is showing promise.

Put simply, the deal is awful for Utah.

 

[Heldig]

I think top 2 RHD men are extremely expensive. Ones with lots of points, are youngish and have a great plus minus are so rare many franchises go decades without having one. If you got a Hronek level player with that first round pick it would be a success.

Is he a top 2 RHD? He obviously had chemistry with Hughes (btw what a disaster by the Coyotes choosing Hayton over Hughes ).

Utah has nobody remotely close to Hughes. So how does that affect what Hronek is?

And if he is a legit top 2 RHD, why is Vancouver even interested in moving him? Any they are choosing Zadorov over him?

 

[oceanchild]

Is he a top 2 RHD? He obviously had chemistry with Hughes (btw what a disaster by the Coyotes choosing Hayton over Hughes ).

Utah has nobody remotely close to Hughes. So how does that affect what Hronek is?

And if he is a legit top 2 RHD, why is Vancouver even interested in moving him? Any they are choosing Zadorov over him?

Pure cap issues and a real issue with the OEL buy out jumping up and Pettersson contract moving up to $11.6M and the need for more scoring in the top 6.

I don't think when the contractual obligations are considered, Hronek is by far the most valuable piece and probably not even the most valuable piece. And while I pretty much considered Kesselring's season as mehh, he is showing promise.

Put simply, the deal is awful for Utah.

I disagree

 

[Empoleon8771]

Hronek is an arbitration eligible RFA that can force his way to UFA in 1 year by just going to arbitration. I don’t think Utah would trade Crouse for him for that reason alone.

The OP seems like notably more value than what Vancouver paid for Hronek when they got him from Detroit a year ago, which I flat out do not agree with due to his contract status.

 

[Dead Coyote]

If Hronek was on a deal like Crouse is than it would be more palatable, as I do think Hronek would be a valuable piece for Utah and a great option for getting a top pairing D. I don't think he's so much better than the potential that Simashev or Lamoreaux or Moser or Durzi have though, so I don't think this is a trade GMBA would make unless he's pressured by his owner to do so.

But with only 1 year left for a new contract, arbitration, and this kind of a deal plus having to pay significant signed assets on top of it, I don't think it works.

If Vancouver needs a 3C and wants to gamble on potential I'd be willing to trade Hayton+ for Hronek because he's an RFA and probably cheaply signed and cost controlled. I wouldn't give up #6, nor would I give up Crouse. Kesselring is also being underrated here. I don't think it's likely by any means but he could become something similar to Hronek by himself. Podkolzin is a great piece but unless he can play center I think Utah's wings are way too full for him, as they're Utah's deepest asset right now.

 

[Three On Zero]

And why does Utah do this? They aren’t Arizona anymore

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Why would they do that? Utah would be crazy to do that.

Crouse is a big, strong, good wheels power forward, who has become a 25-30 goal, 45-50 guy already,
he is only 26, is signed until 2027, with a crazy good contract (4 000 000 cap hit), i expect his stats go even higher next season.

Kesselring is huge two-way d-man, who is surprisingly fast skater and surprisingly skilled too, who likes to join the rushes,
sure he has things to learn but the tools and tool box are there, d-men develop much slower, look at Hedman, it took him 6 years
to be what he is now in the NHL since he was drafted, not saying Kesselring becomes Hedman but, just for a reference


Hronek, so far is a half a season wonder, disappeared after a super start, came somewhat back, but disappeared again.