2017 Off-season Trades/Signings Discussion

[herman]

With the Expansion Draft looming on the heels of the Finals, and the NHL prospect draft shortly after that, it's going to be make or break time for GMs and their staff.

Kicking things off are the Blackhawks with a soon to be confirmed shakeup to their core:
https://twitter.com/JayZawaski670/status/873385398315175936
www.twitter.com/JayZawaski670/status/873385398315175936

 

[AvroArrow]

Hossa?  I don't see it being Kane or Panarin.  Maybe on the backend?  Seabrook?

 

[Kin]

Seabrook is who my mind immediately went to. Hossa I suppose is a possibility but that seems like it would be a pretty small shake-up outside of the optics of it.

 

[herman]

Hjalmarsson? 2 years left at 4.1 is probably their most valuable move if they're reshelving rather than retooling. Anisimov is also a possibility but I don't know that he's this exciting a core member.

Seabrook would probably be their ideal move but that'll take a Phanuefian deal and I don't see Chicago having the cap space to absorb shorter dumpback whales in return. 

Old Kruger news is that he's part of a VGK move.

 

[Kin]

Seabrook would probably be their ideal move but that'll take a Phanuefian deal and I don't see Chicago having the cap space to absorb shorter dumpback whales in return.

I don't see Seabrook as someone who you'd need to take offsetting deals for. He's pretty valuable in his own right.

 

[Frank E]

I'd bet on it being Hossa...his actual salary is only $1m on a $5.275 cap hit, and with 4 more years to go at 38 years old.

 

[herman]

Seabrook would probably be their ideal move but that'll take a Phanuefian deal and I don't see Chicago having the cap space to absorb shorter dumpback whales in return.

I don't see Seabrook as someone who you'd need to take offsetting deals for. He's pretty valuable in his own right.

Yeah he has value (RHD shot generator, Cup champ); the 6.88AAV until he's 38 is off putting to me. And at 32, there is only gradual decline to look forward to.

 

[Frank E]

Seabrook would probably be their ideal move but that'll take a Phanuefian deal and I don't see Chicago having the cap space to absorb shorter dumpback whales in return.

I don't see Seabrook as someone who you'd need to take offsetting deals for. He's pretty valuable in his own right.

Yeah he has value (RHD shot generator, Cup champ); the 6.88AAV until he's 38 is off putting to me. And at 32, there is only gradual decline to look forward to.

Well, maybe off putting to you, but he's been really durable and reliable, is a big body, and his production is still strong.

I think he'd fetch a pretty decent return on his own.

 

[Kin]

Yeah he has value (RHD shot generator, Cup champ); the 6.88AAV until he's 38 is off putting to me. And at 32, there is only gradual decline to look forward to.

Sure, which is why he'd be a questionable pickup for a rebuilding team but a team in win now mode or at least looking to compete right away would probably see things differently. A team like Dallas or Buffalo would probably take a bad couple years at the end if it meant an immediate and substantial improvement to their defense now.

 

[bustaheims]

I don't see Seabrook as someone who you'd need to take offsetting deals for. He's pretty valuable in his own right.

Agreed, however, it's hard to make deals involving substantial cap hits that don't involve taking back some offsetting deals for. The Hawks wouldn't have to take the full hit back, but they'll probably need to absorb ~$4M from the other team - just because that's how things tend to go these days.

 

[Kin]

I don't see Seabrook as someone who you'd need to take offsetting deals for. He's pretty valuable in his own right.

Agreed, however, it's hard to make deals involving substantial cap hits that don't involve taking back some offsetting deals for. The Hawks wouldn't have to take the full hit back, but they'll probably need to absorb ~$4M from the other team - just because that's how things tend to go these days.

True. I guess what I meant is more that he's not someone you'd have to take on dead weight for the way the Leafs did with Phaneuf. I think he's valuable enough that you would take back some salary but it could be in the form of useful or at least semi-useful players.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Old Kruger news is that he's part of a VGK move.

I remember thinking that Kruger's contract was so bad, but it was only for $0.5mil more than Martin and came with 1 less year.

Still, another one for the "don't give term and money to 4th liners" camp.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/MarkLazerus/status/873709662977220609
www.twitter.com/MarkLazerus/status/873709662977220609

Per this whole thread: nothing concrete, but Anisimov and Seabrook don't appear to have been approached to waive their NMCs, while Hossa's and  Hjalmarsson's name have been mentioned.

 

[Kin]

Per this whole thread: nothing concrete, but Anisimov and Seabrook don't appear to have been approached to waive their NMCs, while Hossa's and  Hjalmarsson's name have been mentioned.

Not to get overly semantic-y or anything but to me that seems like it's stretching the definition of "core" slightly. Obviously Hossa has a lot of symbolic value but to me making a big deal about trading part of your "core" means you're looking to make a substantial difference to the make-up of your team. If you swapped out Hjalmarsson I don't really know if I'd consider that to a big shake-up.

Which isn't to say anyone's been wrong, just that the media reports may be being a bit sensationalized.

 

[herman]

From what I've seen of Chicago fan responses online (i.e. not representative of anything in particular), they'd be more sour about moving Hjalmarsson than Seabrook.

https://theleafsnation.com/2017/06/10/the-leafs-should-stay-away-from-chicagos-moving-core/

I'm trying to remember where I read this other article about how other teams tend to overpay for Chicago's cast offs (3/4 liners) a la Bolland.

 

[herman]

MLHS does a nice round up of silly season:
https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2017/06/12/leafs-links-niklas-hjalmarsson-move-think-going-get-bomb-two-offseason-says-friedman-takeaways-penguins-back-back-cup-wins/

Dreger and Friedman echo the Hjalmarsson rumours, and ixnay Seabrook chatter. I guess being one of the 6 that have won 3 with Chicago qualifies Hjalmarsson as core, but probably on the 5/6 end, vs Toews, Kane, Keith, Seabrook, Hossa.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/dstaples/status/874798297373843456
www.twitter.com/dstaples/status/874798297373843456

Not a trade. What a leaker!

Edit: the full article leads to this fun article:
http://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/analytics-expert-says-kris-russell-of-edmonton-oilers-is-underrated-and-one-of-nhls-top-defensive-d-men

Where Jim Hiller and the stat tracking company he co-founded is mentioned as Kris Russell boosters. And then it gets into this weird Corsi-is-a-false-god schtick which was a lark.

 

[slapshot]

Avs may leave Erik Johnson unprotected because of salary. Would you make a deal for him if Avs were willing to retain $1 million of his salary, leaving the Leafs with $5 million for the next 5 years locked in. He's 29, a former #1 overall , 6' 4" with a bit of a mean streak, excellent skater and great shot. Though he's never lived up to #1 ranking (his knock as been inconsistency), could he take his game to another level under Babcock as other guys like Jake Gardiner have done? He certainly would qualify for top 4 right-handed shot position. And, if a deal couldn't be worked out with the Avs, would you snag him if left unprotected at no asset costs, other than the money? Have him locked up and not too old.

 

[bustaheims]

Edit: the full article leads to this fun article:
http://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/analytics-expert-says-kris-russell-of-edmonton-oilers-is-underrated-and-one-of-nhls-top-defensive-d-men

Where Jim Hiller and the stat tracking company he co-founded is mentioned as Kris Russell boosters. And then it gets into this weird Corsi-is-a-false-god schtick which was a lark.

This was my favour part:

?I would pay him well,? Werenka says of Russell. ?He does make a high number of defensive mistakes, but it?s part of the nature of how he plays. I think he?s underrated. He?s drastically underrated.

 

[bustaheims]

Avs may leave Erik Johnson unprotected because of salary. Would you make a deal for him if Avs were willing to retain $1 million of his salary, leaving the Leafs with $5 million for the next 5 years locked in. He's 29, a former #1 overall , 6' 4" with a bit of a mean streak, excellent skater and great shot. Though he's never lived up to #1 ranking (his knock as been inconsistency), could he take his game to another level under Babcock as other guys like Jake Gardiner have done? He certainly would qualify for top 4 right-handed shot position. And, if a deal couldn't be worked out with the Avs, would you snag him if left unprotected at no asset costs, other than the money? Have him locked up and not too old.

Johnson's NMC requires him to be protected if he refuses to waive it, and there's no real indication the Avs even asked him to before this past Sunday's deadline.