I'm leery about trading McBain right now, unless we can get a top pairing D-man back.I'll post my original O'Reilly trade proposal here for discussion:
To Avs:
D Jamie McBain
LW Jussi Jokinen
C Jeremy Welsh (prospect)
2nd Round Pick 2013 (1st if bidding war)
To Canes:
D Ryan Wilson
C Ryan O'Reilly
If you haven't heard already, contract negotiations have broken down between O'Reilly and the Avs, and they're now exploring trade options. Basically the prime example of an asset-for-asset trade. Does two things for both teams:
1. Canes upgrade defense and third line center for the next three years, at least.
2. Gives the Avs players that can play and help now, as well as strong future assets.
A second extension of this trade could also help us get one of their excess defensemen, perhaps Shane O'Brien and his 2 years/$2M per left, for a decently cheap price. Perhaps LaRose for O'Brien would benefit both teams.
I don't hate that deal, but I don't love it. Primarily b/c we don't know how much $$ O'Reilly truly wants. If salary were a wash in that deal, I'd be alright with it.
I highly doubt ROR would want to come here and play third line center. If he were to come here, I figure that he would take over at 2C, and one of the Staals would become a wing. Most likely, as of now with how the first line is playing, we'd get Skinner-O'Reilly-Jordan.
If that happens, though...we're out a 3C unless we play Dwyer there.
Tlusty-Eric-Semin
Skinner-ROR-Jordan
Bowman-Dwyer/?-LaRose/Dwyer
Nodl-Brent-Wallace
But that completely ruins the depth of the bottom six while Ruutu's out. At that time, shift the lines for balance.
The other option in this hypothetical situation is to spread the talent around so that ROR has capable wingers to suit his more offensively-skilled role that he developed into last year.
But the whole point in acquiring O'Reilly is to upgrade the third line, to have depth across all three lines. A healthy Ruutu would help us have a third line of Ruutu - O'Reilly - Bowman/LaRose, exactly the kind of third line that helps teams become Cup contenders.
But the whole point in acquiring O'Reilly is to upgrade the third line, to have depth across all three lines. A healthy Ruutu would help us have a third line of Ruutu - O'Reilly - Bowman/LaRose, exactly the kind of third line that helps teams become Cup contenders.
The problem I see is how to afford paying guys $4-5M to play on the 3rd line? Next year, the Canes projected cap is $50.5M (which is very close to the actual $$ as well) with only 15 players signed. If you lose Jokinen and McBain in the trade proposal above, it drops to about $46M with 13 players signed.
Add O'Reilly at $5M and Semin at $6M and you are now at $57M with only 15 players. Still need 3 defensemen MINIMUM to replace Corvo (UFA), Sanguinetti (RFA) and McBain (traded). Still need to sign 3 forwards (since you are losing Jokinen-trade, LaRose-UFA, Brent - UFA, Wallace-UFA, Nodl-RFA) and a back-up goalie.
Can't see Carolina spending like that.
Buy out Ruutu and sign a true 3c.
Find a legitimate top 4 Defensive D.
I just don't think we need to be trading for another forward right now. If we're flipping any of our assets, it's simply got to be for a 20-minute-a-night d-man. I love Ryan O'Reilly's game, but we simply have bigger needs.
Of course, I think I made this same post in 2006 and we added two forwards (Recchi, Weight) and look how that turned out.
I'm on my phone right now so I won't be able to get the link but I'm pretty sure I remember PK saying recently that he is willing to spend to the cap if he feels it will make the difference.
I'll post my original O'Reilly trade proposal here for discussion:
To Avs:
D Jamie McBain
LW Jussi Jokinen
C Jeremy Welsh (prospect)
2nd Round Pick 2013 (1st if bidding war)
To Canes:
D Ryan Wilson
C Ryan O'Reilly
If you haven't heard already, contract negotiations have broken down between O'Reilly and the Avs, and they're now exploring trade options. Basically the prime example of an asset-for-asset trade. Does two things for both teams:
1. Canes upgrade defense and third line center for the next three years, at least.
2. Gives the Avs players that can play and help now, as well as strong future assets.
A second extension of this trade could also help us get one of their excess defensemen, perhaps Shane O'Brien and his 2 years/$2M per left, for a decently cheap price. Perhaps LaRose for O'Brien would benefit both teams.
I don't think the Avs are going to want all these thrown together pieces for a first line center. Kind of an NHL 12 deal, imho. Ultimately we're getting a first line center for not that much.