Confirmed with Link: Will Smith signs ELC

[TheBeard]

I'd love to get Brady Tkachuk, but I don't see that happening unfortunately unless they will accept #14, Vegas 1st, and a few other not great assets, which I doubt happens

I'd dangle a top 5 protected pick in 2025 (not making that mistake again), but not sure if Ottawa loves that.

 

[Hodge]

It's crazy to me he's the same age as Zetterlund.

He's only 3 years older than Eklund.

 

[TheBeard]

I'm sure they would love to keep him if not for their cap problems.

If they did then they wouldn't have made the trade for McDonough.

 

[timorous me]

If they did then they wouldn't have made the trade for McDonough.

I don't really get that deal but I suppose it's an acknowledgement that they have several issues. We'll see if they have other moves up their sleeves, yet, though.

 

[DG93]

I'd dangle a top 5 protected pick in 2025 (not making that mistake again), but not sure if Ottawa loves that.

So #14, Vegas 1st, top-5 protected 2025 1st? That's pretty steep

 

[TheBeard]

So #14, Vegas 1st, top-5 protected 2025 1st? That's pretty steep

2 of the three, but not all three. Add in someone like Bordeleau or a mid prospect of that ilk and figure out the small details.

I'm sure Ottawa would take 14 this year, 6 next.

 

[OrrNumber4]

Tkachuk-Celebrini-Smith would be a nasty 1st line for the next decade. Definitely a player worth putting some premium assets like 14th overall and Eklund on the table for.

I think the Sharks are still at a stage where they need to keep their lottery tickets, hoping to hit on them. Later, they can trade those lottery tickets for more sure-fire assets.

 

[weastern bias]

I'm sure they would love to keep him if not for their cap problems.

I'm sure they would love to keep him if he wasn't about to sign a cap crippling contract that he won't live up to

 

[TheBeard]

I'm sure they would love to keep him if he wasn't about to sign a cap crippling contract that he won't live up to

It's always an odd thing to me that he's worth more to contenders but he'll get more money from non-contenders.

 

[Hodge]

I think the Sharks are still at a stage where they need to keep their lottery tickets, hoping to hit on them. Later, they can trade those lottery tickets for more sure-fire assets.

Fair but if you hold onto them for too long (and depending on the lottery ticket "too long" could be any time in the next 1-3 years) you risk their value dropping, potentially to nothing.

Whereas with someone like Brady you acquire a guy you're 100% certain is a rare type of 1st line forward who would probably be the perfect fit next to your two franchise cornerstones + you still have the insurance that if the Sharks still stink in 3 years you can trade him for a Meier+ level haul as a 27 year old pending UFA.

 

[weastern bias]

I'm not a huge fan of Brady Tkachuk, but he'd certainly be a huge boost to our team, I just wouldn't be willing to part with futures for him, we'll be drafting high enough that we should be developing prospects much better than him with our own picks

 

[DG93]

2 of the three, but not all three. Add in someone like Bordeleau or a mid prospect of that ilk and figure out the small details.

I'm sure Ottawa would take 14 this year, 6 next.

I wouldn't trade the Sharks' potential lottery picks. #14, Vegas 1st, Bystedt/Edstrom, and a few sweeteners (Bordeleau and a 2nd round pick, for example) is what I would offer.

 

[Sandisfan]

I was hoping everyone returned to College/Juniors and bring up both Bords and Guschin in slightly limited fashion to see what the Sharks have. Then pickup a couple of cap liabilities, Max two years of term, for something like a high 4th for a mid 2nd one this year one next year for value to move up or add to prospects. Then get two very high picks next year in the lottery.

 

[TheBeard]

I'm not a huge fan of Brady Tkachuk, but he'd certainly be a huge boost to our team, I just wouldn't be willing to part with futures for him, we'll be drafting high enough that we should be developing prospects much better than him with our own picks

Asking for any prospect to be a 35-40 goal scoring power forward and captain at 24 is asking a lot.

 

[weastern bias]

Asking for any prospect to be a 35-40 goal scoring power forward and captain at 24 is asking a lot.

Not when they are a top 3 draft pick, which is where we're likely still picking for another year or 2

My real problem is that Tkachuk doesn't drive play, he's a glorified net front guy who isn't actually particularly good at converting on the insane volume of shots he gets, if we're trading a top-5 draft pick it better be for legitimate play driver

 

[TheBeard]

Not when they are a top 3 draft pick, which is where we're likely still picking for another year or 2

My real problem is that Tkachuk doesn't drive play, he's a glorified net front guy who isn't actually particularly good at converting on the insane volume of shots he gets, if we're trading a top-5 draft pick it better be for legitimate play driver

That's why I threw out a proposal of #14 this year, a top 5 protected next and something else.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

With Smith and Celebrini playing next season, where do you expect we'll be drafting next year's draft assuming no one jumps in the lottery?

1st-3rd?
4th-6th?
7th-10th??
10th-15h??!

CHI still picks 2OA with Bedard, but infusion of Smith + Celebrini > Bedard

I don't see 2nd overall pick this year to sign with CHI.

Don't know. There's a lot that can be done that can change where they may end up in the standings next year. They have a lot of cap space too so if there's enough players out there to fill spots effectively, they can make a lot of ground up on being playoff competitive pretty quickly.

 

[WSS11]

Putting trade protection on our own 1st rounders doesn’t matter. We’ll be picking in the top 5 for the next two or maybe 3 years based on where we are in the rebuild. So deferring the pick one year just guarantees we give up a premium pick the following year. We’re young and our D room is in the gutter. Trading our own first is a non starter for probably the next 5 years.

 

[Alaskanice]

I think the Sharks are still at a stage where they need to keep their lottery tickets, hoping to hit on them. Later, they can trade those lottery tickets for more sure-fire assets.

When Brady Tkachuk comes up, all bets are off. That’s my take on it. He’s a unicorn.
A young unicorn at that.

 

[weastern bias]

That's why I threw out a proposal of #14 this year, a top 5 protected next and something else.

Putting trade protection on our own 1st rounders doesn’t matter. We’ll be picking in the top 5 for the next two or maybe 3 years based on where we are in the rebuild. So deferring the pick one year just guarantees we give up a premium pick the following year. We’re young and our D room is in the gutter. Trading our own first is a non starter for probably the next 5 years.

Nailed my exact response, our own 1sts should be completely off the table no matter the protections until we start making the playoffs

We're in the "build" part of the rebuild, and those picks are going to be the single most important part of building for the future

Unless you can trade it for a legit difference maker in their prime, which B Tkachuk is not, it's a non starter

When Brady Tkachuk comes up, all bets are off. That’s my take on it. He’s a unicorn.
A young unicorn at that.

He's really not that special

He's a 30 goal power forward who doesn't drive play, doesn't play defense and doesn't play center, there's dozens of Brady Tkachuks around the league and they aren't worth trading top draft picks to aquire

 

[Pinkfloyd]

If big name free agents didn't want to sign with the Sharks when they were perennial play off teams, why would they do so now?

They probably won't but we still need to make the attempt because it makes a lot of sense for the team and the players we're trying to build around.

I don't see LW as much of a need compared to RW, but if we were going there I'd go after Martinhook or William Carrier.

It's not about positional need because you're likely correct. I view it as a need for the development of the players we're building the team's future around. A veteran Cup winner that was a high pick with all the expectations that come with it is great for the young players we're trying to get to achieve similar success. I honestly don't have a problem going after Martinhook or Carrier on top of Stamkos. There's a lot of cap to use if we want and most ideas to make the team better are going to be good ideas at this stage because our team is bad but it should be flexible enough to make moves.

Signing Stamkos would be a mistake, if it wasn't Tampa would just keep him

Not necessarily. Our purposes with Stamkos won't be the same as what Tampa's going for. Tampa's still wanting to compete and may have reached the calculation that they can't do that with Stamkos at the figure he's asking for. We could pay Stamkos more on the cap because our goals aren't necessarily to compete but to develop our high end prospects. If Stamkos is only asking for three years, we can basically pay him whatever we want and it shouldn't be a mistake that forces our hands on anything meaningful.

 

[DG93]

He's really not that special

He's a 30 goal power forward who doesn't drive play, doesn't play defense and doesn't play center, there's dozens of Brady Tkachuks around the league and they aren't worth trading top draft picks to aquire

With that being said, he is 24 years old, so I would trade secondary assets (Vegas 1st, #14, Edstrom, Bystedt) for him to see if he can build off of that. A Tkachuk-Smith-Eklund 2nd line would be quite fun to watch.

 

[weastern bias]

With that being said, he is 24 years old, so I would trade secondary assets (Vegas 1st, #14, Edstrom, Bystedt) for him to see if he can build off of that. A Tkachuk-Smith-Eklund 2nd line would be quite fun to watch.

I'd definitely be on board with a deal like that, the problem is Ottawa wouldn't, lol

 

[DG93]

I'd definitely be on board with a deal like that, the problem is Ottawa wouldn't, lol

True lol

 

[TheBeard]

Nailed my exact response, our own 1sts should be completely off the table no matter the protections until we start making the playoffs

We're in the "build" part of the rebuild, and those picks are going to be the single most important part of building for the future

Eh. At this point we have exactly two young players that have shown they can be viable NHL pieces going forward - Eklund and Zetterlund. Everyone else is a crapshoot. Highly touted guys don't pan out as often as they do Kakko is practically a healthy scratch in NY. Kent Johnson is underwhelming, Drysdale, Dach, Turcotte etc. We have a lot of picks still even if we move 14 and a future first. I'd still put protections on it and frankly if we're still picking bottom 5 two years from now with Brady, Celebrini, Ek, Smith etc. then something has gone horribly wrong.

If I had the choice of 10 dollars and 10 dollars in lotto tickets, I'd take the 10 dollars every time.