Speculation: Offseason Roster Building Thread - Trades, Signings, Rumors

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I think you're giving players too much credit with regards to compete and motivation levels. If that was the case, why are we seeing the effort we are from our players right now? Yeah, they're not trying to lose, but they're just running through the motions, similar to what those Avs guys have been doing for 75% of the season.

I get what you are saying, but there's a big difference between purposely trying to lose for a better draft pick (tanking), and not having quite the motivation because of being out of it. Players are human and may not get in front of that shot, or fight quite as hard for a puck when nothing is at stake, but I guarantee you, they all hate to lose and want to win every game. They wouldn't be at this level if that wasn't the case. And like I said, a lot of these guys are fighting for roster spots/contracts next year. They couldn't care less what draft pick the team is getting.

Tanking is something fans dream about, but players never do.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I am not sure Toronto did that last year from the start, because they were at playoff postion in early January I think? Or end of December. But after that they sucked hard and did give up, I think it was when they lost JVR

By December 31st of last season, the Leafs were 3rd worst in the East with 35 points. They were 3rd worst to start December as well.

Toronto traded Kessel before the season, traded Phaneuf after about 30 games, and went into the season with a top 6 of basically Kadri, JVR, Bozak, Paranteau, Komarov and Boyes. They left guys that could help the team (Marner, Nylander) out of the NHL to start the season. Every Leaf fan knew from day 1 that this was a rebuilding year and they were going to be bad. The players on the ice still tried, but management put a team on the ice that was going to stink.

 

[Lempo]

But the goalies though. Are the teams with an up and coming backup going to trade one or the other away before the expansion draft, or are they generally expected to make a one-on-one deal with Vegas to leave theirs alone? That road obviously won't be open for everyone because Vegas will need a pair.

 

[Roboturner913]

Would love Rask for Duchene but Colorado would never do it.

Sort of depends on to what extent they've burned their bridges with Duchene.

But even in a vacuum, Rask is a 45-50 point guy that you have locked down through 2022 at $4m a year. Duchene is a 65 point guy under contract for just two more years, but at $6m a year, and he's coming off a terrible season, and he's 2 years older. I don't think they're all that far apart.

If I were the Avs and really committed to a rebuild, that's exactly the kind of move I'd want to be making.

 

[RodTheBawd]

Sort of depends on to what extent they've burned their bridges with Duchene.

But even in a vacuum, Rask is a 45-50 point guy that you have locked down through 2022 at $4m a year. Duchene is a 65 point guy under contract for just two more years, but at $6m a year, and he's coming off a terrible season, and he's 2 years older. I don't think they're all that far apart.

If I were the Avs and really committed to a rebuild, that's exactly the kind of move I'd want to be making.

If by "really committed to a rebuild", you mean "make the team worse in the shortterm to hope for multiple straight top picks" then that is exactly the type of move to make.

 

[Anton Babchuk]

rask would be lucky to score 35 points on a duchene-less avs.

 

[cptjeff]

Justin Williams just scored another beautiful top shelf goal. Even without the bringing back a former Cane aspect, he really would be a great player to bring in this offseason. Veteran leadership who can help young players, and the guy is still really damn good at scoring.

 

[Roboturner913]

If by "really committed to a rebuild", you mean "make the team worse in the shortterm to hope for multiple straight top picks" then that is exactly the type of move to make.

Isn't that pretty much what rebuilding is? You get younger, you get cheaper, you get more assets under long-term control. That's exactly what they should be trying to do.

 

[Stickpucker]

Insert group think .gif

Even if people come here with a Facebook mentality have a discussion with them. It's at least interesting to see some unique thoughts.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

A couple more random thoughts…

- I wonder if GMRF explores paying Vegas to draft Lack. Lack’s buyout is affordable, but that still involves paying $2 mil total to a player not to play. Carolina would not only benefit from the cost savings, but also from being able to retain Stempniak. I don’t place great value on Stempniak’s presence in the lineup next year or anything; he’s replaceable. My thinking is that the Canes could trade him at the deadline next year and probably recoup much of the value they would lose in the Lack trade.

- An interesting name in free agency this year is Jiri Hudler. Much like this past offseason, I doubt there will be much of a market for his services, particularly now coming off of a short, injury-plagued season in Dallas. Giving him a cheap, 1-year deal in the hope that he returns to the 50+ point form he’s had going back to the latest lockout would be a reasonable gamble.

- Another guy coming off an injury-plagued season is Trevor Daley. I could see him getting a decent contract if he has another good performance in the playoffs. However, if Daley does not, he might be a guy that falls through the cracks and is forced to take a 1-year deal at a reasonable price, a la Kris Russell. Daley, a LHD that can play the right side effectively, could be a really nice fit for the 3rd pair; he could be the veteran puck mover for Fleury that Liles was for Pesce.

 

[FaulkYouAho]

A couple more random thoughts…

- I wonder if GMRF explores paying Vegas to draft Lack. Lack’s buyout is affordable, but that still involves paying $2 mil total to a player not to play. Carolina would not only benefit from the cost savings, but also from being able to retain Stempniak. I don’t place great value on Stempniak’s presence in the lineup next year or anything; he’s replaceable. My thinking is that the Canes could trade him at the deadline next year and probably recoup much of the value they would lose in the Lack trade.

- An interesting name in free agency this year is Jiri Hudler. Much like this past offseason, I doubt there will be much of a market for his services, particularly now coming off of a short, injury-plagued season in Dallas. Giving him a cheap, 1-year deal in the hope that he returns to the 50+ point form he’s had going back to the latest lockout would be a reasonable gamble.

- Another guy coming off an injury-plagued season is Trevor Daley. I could see him getting a decent contract if he has another good performance in the playoffs. However, if Daley does not, he might be a guy that falls through the cracks and is forced to take a 1-year deal at a reasonable price, a la Kris Russell. Daley, a LHD that can play the right side effectively, could be a really nice fit for the 3rd pair; he could be the veteran puck mover for Fleury that Liles was for Pesce.

we have flurey to fill in the #5 spot and already have 3 top 2 defencemen. just imagine putting one of those on our bottom pairing. He would start getting angry at his ice time. Hanifin has grown into a #4 defenseman but has Pesce/Faulk to pair with as a #2 D. Slavin a #1 Faulk sometimes considered #1 and others consider him a #2. Pesce is a defensive #2 that excels with everyone he is put in a line with. Hanifin/Faulk Both get the PP Time and Slavin/Pesce & Faulk/Hanifin both get it. It is normally Pesce/Hanifin Slavin/Faulk. The only thing we need is a 6th & 7th D. We got the serviceable 7th D but not the 6th. Trevor Daley could also be on our powerplay and a 3rd d. We just don't have the scoring. Add a 6th d instead of another top 4 D, add Scott Darling/Ben Bishop (one of the 2 prefer Bishop), Also Sam Gagner, Brian Boyle (one of the 2 you choose another staal type player or a playmaker) and both Williams and Oshie. Both were on a really good line in washington earlier this season but didn't have that 65 point man like skinner. Just imagine that line. We would now be a championship caliber team. I like Hainsey, and liles bring them back. Liles established a role on the boston bruins as a 6th d and hainsey is well Hainsey he has chemistry with the rest of the team and is playing top 4 mins while they are injured. Hainsey i see being their 6th/7th d man when they are healthy. i also like bringing back Stalberg for our 4th line.

 

[RodTheBawd]

we have flurey to fill in the #5 spot and already have 3 top 2 defencemen. just imagine putting one of those on our bottom pairing. He would start getting angry at his ice time. Hanifin has grown into a #4 defenseman but has Pesce/Faulk to pair with as a #2 D. Slavin a #1 Faulk sometimes considered #1 and others consider him a #2. Pesce is a defensive #2 that excels with everyone he is put in a line with. Hanifin/Faulk Both get the PP Time and Slavin/Pesce & Faulk/Hanifin both get it. It is normally Pesce/Hanifin Slavin/Faulk. The only thing we need is a 6th & 7th D. We got the serviceable 7th D but not the 6th. Trevor Daley could also be on our powerplay and a 3rd d. We just don't have the scoring. Add a 6th d instead of another top 4 D, add Scott Darling/Ben Bishop (one of the 2 prefer Bishop), Also Sam Gagner, Brian Boyle (one of the 2 you choose another staal type player or a playmaker) and both Williams and Oshie. Both were on a really good line in washington earlier this season but didn't have that 65 point man like skinner. Just imagine that line. We would now be a championship caliber team. I like Hainsey, and liles bring them back. Liles established a role on the boston bruins as a 6th d and hainsey is well Hainsey he has chemistry with the rest of the team and is playing top 4 mins while they are injured. Hainsey i see being their 6th/7th d man when they are healthy. i also like bringing back Stalberg for our 4th line.

*pops an Aleve*

I would not be surprised at all to see Hainsey back next year. He still has his house in Cary... (not that it means much, considering his contract status and having young kids, not like you'd rush to sell it).

 

[Roboturner913]

I'd be OK with Hainsey back as long he was cheap and willing to play 3rd pair minutes.

I'd rather have Seidenberg though, or Liles. Or some other steady vet that can either play left or right side effectively since we probably won't know whether it's Fleury/Carrick or McKeown taking that other spot on the 3rd pair.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Gauthier will make the team to replace Stempniak IMO (Vegas draft).

Trade Lack + 2nd for Fleury (1 m retained).

Tennyson 1 way 1 year 1.5.

Turbo and McGinn combined 3.5 RFA deals.

So far:

Skinner-Rask-Gauthier
Lindholm-Staal-Aho
TT-xx-xx
Nordy-xx-McGinn

Slavin-Faulk
Hanifin-Pesce
Fleury-Tennyson
Murphy

Fleury
Wardo

That puts them with about 8 million from where they spent last year. That forward group, ugh, mediocre to say the least. More of the same, that misquote by Albert Einstein.

I'm really kinda hoping against hope that Minnesota decides to expose E. Staal, he doesn't want to go to Vegas so they send him back to Carolina, humbled and cognizant of his new role as sidekick to a new leadership core of Slavin and the Faulkin' Friends, for a 3rd round draft pick. That's not Duchene, but that gives the 'Canes 3 solid scoring lines. Skinner, Aho, TT, Lindholm, Rask, Staal, Staal, Gauthier, PDG, if we have a 3rd year of career offensive production in a row, that might get us closer to playoffs.

Too many variables with the expansion draft, but IMO, the largest takeaway is trying to fix the forward group without doing anything about goaltending is pointless. The 'Canes finished top 5 in shots against and bottom 5 in goals against.

That's pathetic.

Fix the goaltending, then work our way from there.

 

[DougieSmash]

If Shalunov finally goes to Hawks, take advantage of all cap problems and trade something for Anisimov and Panik. More realistic at this point than any scenario with Hanifin for something. Hanifin is a keeper. Take Hagelin and Fleury. Bring back Stalberg. That's it. Some camp battle between Gauthier, Zykov, Roy and Wallmark.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Big yes to anisimov.

Big no to Panik.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

we have flurey to fill in the #5 spot and already have 3 top 2 defencemen. just imagine putting one of those on our bottom pairing. He would start getting angry at his ice time. Hanifin has grown into a #4 defenseman but has Pesce/Faulk to pair with as a #2 D. Slavin a #1 Faulk sometimes considered #1 and others consider him a #2. Pesce is a defensive #2 that excels with everyone he is put in a line with. Hanifin/Faulk Both get the PP Time and Slavin/Pesce & Faulk/Hanifin both get it. It is normally Pesce/Hanifin Slavin/Faulk. The only thing we need is a 6th & 7th D. We got the serviceable 7th D but not the 6th. Trevor Daley could also be on our powerplay and a 3rd d. We just don't have the scoring. Add a 6th d instead of another top 4 D, add Scott Darling/Ben Bishop (one of the 2 prefer Bishop), Also Sam Gagner, Brian Boyle (one of the 2 you choose another staal type player or a playmaker) and both Williams and Oshie. Both were on a really good line in washington earlier this season but didn't have that 65 point man like skinner. Just imagine that line. We would now be a championship caliber team. I like Hainsey, and liles bring them back. Liles established a role on the boston bruins as a 6th d and hainsey is well Hainsey he has chemistry with the rest of the team and is playing top 4 mins while they are injured. Hainsey i see being their 6th/7th d man when they are healthy. i also like bringing back Stalberg for our 4th line.

My point was that the market for Daley, depending on his playoff performance, might be such that he becomes an option for 1-year in the $2-$3 mil range. That would not be a budget-buster. Hainsey would cost a similar amount.

Gauthier will make the team to replace Stempniak IMO (Vegas draft).

Trade Lack + 2nd for Fleury (1 m retained).

Tennyson 1 way 1 year 1.5.

Turbo and McGinn combined 3.5 RFA deals.

So far:

Skinner-Rask-Gauthier
Lindholm-Staal-Aho
TT-xx-xx
Nordy-xx-McGinn

Slavin-Faulk
Hanifin-Pesce
Fleury-Tennyson
Murphy

Fleury
Wardo

That puts them with about 8 million from where they spent last year. That forward group, ugh, mediocre to say the least. More of the same, that misquote by Albert Einstein.

I'm really kinda hoping against hope that Minnesota decides to expose E. Staal, he doesn't want to go to Vegas so they send him back to Carolina, humbled and cognizant of his new role as sidekick to a new leadership core of Slavin and the Faulkin' Friends, for a 3rd round draft pick. That's not Duchene, but that gives the 'Canes 3 solid scoring lines. Skinner, Aho, TT, Lindholm, Rask, Staal, Staal, Gauthier, PDG, if we have a 3rd year of career offensive production in a row, that might get us closer to playoffs.

Too many variables with the expansion draft, but IMO, the largest takeaway is trying to fix the forward group without doing anything about goaltending is pointless. The 'Canes finished top 5 in shots against and bottom 5 in goals against.

That's pathetic.

Fix the goaltending, then work our way from there.

Tennyson didn’t play anywhere near well enough this season to get that kind of contract. If re-signed, I’d expect him to get closer to half of that amount.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

My only thought was for expansion draft purposes.

Though we can just qualify Dahlbeck lol

 

[RodTheBawd]

There is no way Eric will be a Hurricane again. Way too awkward for everyone involved.

 

[DaveG]

Just looking at the Expansion Draft, what are the chances we actually protect Stemper and instead expose Nordy and one of PDG/McGinn instead? All we need to do is qualify those later two basically.

Go in to next season with something like:

Skinner - XXXX - Stempniak
Aho - J Staal - Lindholm
McGinn - Rask - Teravainen
XXXX - XXXX - PDG/Nordy

go after Hanzal to fill out the center ranks, Wallmark takes the #4 C, go after Stalberg to finish the 4th line

 

[CandyCanes]

Just an FYI Eric Staal was Minnesota's leading goal scorer this year, and finished in the top 40 in points across the NHL. Let's not forget Eric Staal is on a sweetheart contract at $3.5M per season if he keeps putting up those two numbers. I think it's safe to say he won't be getting exposed.

 

[cptjeff]

Just looking at the Expansion Draft, what are the chances we actually protect Stemper and instead expose Nordy and one of PDG/McGinn instead? All we need to do is qualify those later two basically.

Protecting Stempy isn't a bad idea. I do think that both PDG and McGinn can still turn into decent players if they continue to develop and do the right things in the offseason, and if that happens they do have better long term benefits, but Stempy is already there.

Yeah, I think I'd expose Nordstrom and PDG.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Just looking at the Expansion Draft, what are the chances we actually protect Stemper and instead expose Nordy and one of PDG/McGinn instead? All we need to do is qualify those later two basically.

Go in to next season with something like:

Skinner - XXXX - Stempniak
Aho - J Staal - Lindholm
McGinn - Rask - Teravainen
XXXX - XXXX - PDG/Nordy

go after Hanzal to fill out the center ranks, Wallmark takes the #4 C, go after Stalberg to finish the 4th line

Hanzal is 30, is oft injured and has never broken 42 points.

I wouldn't mind him per se, but some team is going to throw stupid (relatively speaking) money at him.

I do like exposing Nordstrom and McGinn and protecting Stempniak and PDG (Skinner, Stemp, Staal, Lindholm, Rask, TT, PDG protection).

Lines....I truly hope someone blows the doors off and has a respectable rookie year to shove McGinn (presuming Vegas doesn't take him) to the 4th line. But even then, without another clear 1st liner (preferably a center), we're looking at a repeat of this year, minus the extreme start and extreme March. Unless whichever goalie they bring in plays his ass off.

 

[raynman]

Sucks that TT is more effective in the middle and on the right than he is at LW. Would like to see what he could do with Gauthier on a 3rd line. This is assuming Francis is able to acquire a 1C which would put Rask at his proper 2C/3C slot.

 

[NotOpie]

My only thought was for expansion draft purposes.

Though we can just qualify Dahlbeck lol

Given that Dahlbeck is arbitration-eligible, I don't think a simple qualifying offer would suffice. He'd actually have to accept it and sign a contract. Regular RFAs technically have to be under contract for the 17-18 season, so I don't know if a qualifying offer does it alone. It might be a distinction without a difference either way. But because arbitration eligible RFAs have that option, I don't know how the league would look at their contract status.

Just looking at the Expansion Draft, what are the chances we actually protect Stemper and instead expose Nordy and one of PDG/McGinn instead? All we need to do is qualify those later two basically.

Go in to next season with something like:

Skinner - XXXX - Stempniak
Aho - J Staal - Lindholm
McGinn - Rask - Teravainen
XXXX - XXXX - PDG/Nordy

go after Hanzal to fill out the center ranks, Wallmark takes the #4 C, go after Stalberg to finish the 4th line

I like the idea of bringing back Stalberg. I also think that Wallmark is the odds on favorite for the 4C role. Fleury likely floats up to the bottom pairing.

But I just don't know about protecting Stemper....there are times when I really liked him and if he was exposed and taken, we'd have to find another 40-45 point guy in addition to a top line scoring threat. I've said it before, I don't think Peters wants 4 rookies starting on next year's team. I doubt he even wants 3.

When you look at the line-up above, it brings into clarity our challenges. The free agent market is pretty weak and guys like Oshie are going to get paid.

In the end I don't want to depend on PDG/McGinn to take the next step scoring-wise (even though I think they can). Nor do I want to depend on a rookie coming in and potting 20 goals on his way to 50+ points. My guess is that Ronnie is equally uncomfortable with that scenario. If Stempniak goes he will need to bring in 80-90 points across a couple of guys. That's a tall order in this environment.

Protecting Stempy isn't a bad idea. I do think that both PDG and McGinn can still turn into decent players if they continue to develop and do the right things in the offseason, and if that happens they do have better long term benefits, but Stempy is already there.

Yeah, I think I'd expose Nordstrom and PDG.

I think Stempniak was brought in specifically to be expansion fodder (as well as secondary scoring). He's 34 and will be 35 next Feb. I protect the youth and bite the bullet hunting for that extra scoring.