Protection Lists are made public!!!!!!!

[BattleBorn]

also a nice trade chip, if they go that route

That too. I just don't like thinking that way.

I'm a fan, not a GM.

 

[HanSolo]

The team will be very deep in defense, so even though Dumba is young and has good potential, there will already be players like Vatanen, Johnson, MDZ, Alzner, etc in front of him.

Top end scoring is going to be a real issue. There is some upside in some of the exposed forwards, but most of them are unproven like Hudon, Bennett, Leipsic, Yakupov, Dano, etc.

Staal will fit right in as the top offensive player on the team, and assuming the 6th pick is someone like Glass, Vilardi, or Middelstadt, that takes pressure off of those guys to come in and produce in a year or two. When they do make the team, they can come in at wing, or as a 3C and adjust slowly.

Doesn't matter how deep we'll be defensively. You take the talented young defenseman over the past prime forward every time. By the time Vegas is even generously ready to contend for a cup (let's say three years from now at best) Staal will be bottom 6 quality.

Dumba every time.

 

[derriko]

For me it's Dumba and not even close, 22 year old defenseman putting up almost 40 points isn't easy to come by

While I agree that Dumba would be a great get, who the hell plays 2C for this team?

Players like Nelson and Eakin would either sink or swim, and probably sink.

Nelson may be the best 3C in the game, but relying on him to anchor a 2nd line? I dont know...

I guess he could do it as this team is going to have to score by committee, so I am fine either way.

But if we don't have a great player to slot into 2C, and Ship doesn't transition as well as we all hope, this team will be in serious trouble with the forward corps.

 

[HanSolo]

While I agree that Dumba would be a great get, who the hell plays 2C for this team?

Players like Nelson and Eakin would either sink or swim, and probably sink.

Nelson may be the best 3C in the game, but relying on him to anchor a 2nd line? I dont know...

I guess he could do it, so I am fine either way.

But if we don't have a great player to slot into 2C, and Ship doesn't transition as well as we all hope, this team will be in serious trouble with the forward corps.

Staal doesn't have a lot of good years left in him. He's not gonna be some savior of a 2c.

 

[Matias Maccete]

What about taking Dumba and using picks to acquire Stepan?

 

[NY2LV]

While I agree that Dumba would be a great get, who the hell plays 2C for this team?

Players like Nelson and Eakin would either sink or swim, and probably sink.

Nelson may be the best 3C in the game, but relying on him to anchor a 2nd line? I dont know...

I guess he could do it, so I am fine either way.

But if we don't have a great player to slot into 2C, and Ship doesn't transition as well as we all hope, this team will be in serious trouble with the forward corps.

As a Rangers/Knights fan i've seen Eric Staal play and i'll pass he was horrible in NY granted he has redeemed himself in Minnesota. He's older and generally needs good players around him to be good instead of making other players better.

 

[NY2LV]

What about taking Dumba and using picks to acquire Stepan?

Stepan is a solid 2C, i'd rather have Dumba

 

[derriko]

Staal doesn't have a lot of good years left in him. He's not gonna be some savior of a 2c.

I am fine with that though. At 6th overall, there are a plethora of young, talented centers.

A 6th overall pick is usually 1 year away from making the big team, 2 years if they are way behind in the strength category.

You don't think Staal at 34 years old, who doesn't rely on speed, will not be a top 6 center in that time?

 

[Matias Maccete]

Stepan is a solid 2C, i'd rather have Dumba

Oh I'm not saying trade Dumba for Stepan, I'm saying take Dumba, and then trade some of the crazy number of picks you guys get for Stepan. Personally I'd probably just accept that you're not going to have a 1C and keep the picks and still take Dumba. Build for the future.

 

[NY2LV]

Oh I'm not saying trade Dumba for Stepan, I'm saying take Dumba, and then trade some of the crazy number of picks you guys get for Stepan. Personally I'd probably just accept that you're not going to have a 1C and keep the picks and still take Dumba. Build for the future.

Yea i'm just not a big Stepan guy lol, He's a very smart two way player but his poor skating really holds him back.

 

[HanSolo]

I am fine with that though. At 6th overall, there are a plethora of young, talented centers.

A 6th overall pick is usually 1 year away from making the big team, 2 years if they are way behind in the strength category.

You don't think Staal at 34 years old, who doesn't rely on speed, will not be a top 6 center in that time?

Then you're banking on a 6th overall pick being 2c ready by the time Staal officially burns out and then what's the point? Why take Staal for two good years of hockey if we're lucky, when we could have (conceivably) an entire career worth of Dumba?

This is my issue with the "win now" mentality. You shouldn't take suboptimal assets over futures like Dumba just to fill roster holes on a team that in all likelihood isn't going to be competing for a cup anytime soon anyway. If this team already had an established pipeline of prospects and some years of experience and they were trying to go all in on a cup then I'd be fine with taking on the twilight years of Staal's career.

But between a guy that could be a staple on our defense for a whole generation of hockey or a guy who might pot 15 goals and 40 points for two years, you have to take the former and find a different way to fill the hole not filled by the latter.

 

[derriko]

Forgot to mention here, but look at Columbus.

Murray was protected. So that rumored deal with them for the 24th ovr + prospect + player that sounded too good to be true...well...was too good to be true.

Maybe the deal is off now? I would be fine with that and just take Jack Johnson or Josh Anderson.

Anderson providing the grit with some scoring ability to a Radulov-Ship-Anderson line would work well imo.

 

[malkinfan]

Grigorenko and Burmistrov would be excellent complimentary players to Shipachev. Both puck possession slick passing types, both young yet experienced. I would be shocked if at least 1 of these guys doesnt get selected..

 

[NY2LV]

Then you're banking on a 6th overall pick being 2c ready by the time Staal officially burns out and then what's the point? Why take Staal for two good years of hockey if we're lucky, when we could have (conceivably) an entire career worth of Dumba?

This is my issue with the "win now" mentality. You shouldn't take suboptimal assets over futures like Dumba just to fill roster holes on a team that in all likelihood isn't going to be competing for a cup anytime soon anyway. If this team already had an established pipeline of prospects and some years of experience and they were trying to go all in on a cup then I'd be fine with taking on the twilight years of Staal's career.

But between a guy that could be a staple on our defense for a whole generation of hockey or a guy who might pot 15 goals and 40 points for two years, you have to take the former and find a different way to fill the hole not filled by the latter.

Exactly! Taking Staal would be a huge mistake. The best way to go is acquire all the good young defenseman available (McNabb, Dumba, Vatanen, etc.), then make deals with other teams to acquire picks and build our forward corps through the draft.

 

[Ginormousthumbs]

Totally forgot. With that said, I think Pickard is ready for a starter role, and Subban as a full time backup.

This is going to be a solid 3 pairing defensive team. Pickard won't be thrown into the fire like he was with Colorado's mess of a D corps.

If you don't believe in Pickard yet, theres decent mid range starters out there in UFA like Elliott, Bernier, Mason, and even Miller.

Miller would be a good tutor for Pickard / Subban if he would sign a 1-2 year contract.

Subban isn't that good. He's an AHLer for life.

 

[Ginormousthumbs]

It's too bad Oshie is an UFA.

 

[NY2LV]

Anybody else now interested in Taking Rust instead of MAF?

 

[derriko]

Then you're banking on a 6th overall pick being 2c ready by the time Staal officially burns out and then what's the point? Why take Staal for two good years of hockey if we're lucky, when we could have (conceivably) an entire career worth of Dumba?

This is my issue with the "win now" mentality. You shouldn't take suboptimal assets over futures like Dumba just to fill roster holes on a team that in all likelihood isn't going to be competing for a cup anytime soon anyway. If this team already had an established pipeline of prospects and some years of experience and they were trying to go all in on a cup then I'd be fine with taking on the twilight years of Staal's career.

But between a guy that could be a staple on our defense for a whole generation of hockey or a guy who might pot 15 goals and 40 points for two years, you have to take the former and find a different way to fill the hole not filled by the latter.

Good argument, I'll buy that. Its true this team isn't competing in the foreseeable future, so just squeaking in as an 8th seed isn't worth losing the long term value of Dumba vs. Staal.

And I was one of the one's hoping McPhee builds this team for the future instead of short term haha!

At worst you just trade Dumba for a center prospect / young established Center with top 6 upside and call it a day.

 

[Nalens Oga]

For the love of God, don't draft Ryan/Moulson/Brown/Bogosian/Plekanec even if those names are tempting.

Ryan has a huge cap hit, his goals are replacable by cheaper options like Smith/Masscherault/Perron. Same with Moulson and his $5 M cap hit to a lesser extent. Brown's contract is lunacy and the team will have no problem getting to the cap floor...the most we'd get for to take him would be a 1st round pick and not worth it considering his term. Plekanec's cap hit is higher than what our #1C would be making and Plekanec shouldn't even be in the top-six. Bogosian's got a $5 M cap hit and is worse than some cheaper options available or the same....they can draft four dmen with a cheaper cap hit than Bogosian and I think Methot would be the only one older in age to Bogosian.

edit: I forgot about Neal too, can't just draft a bunch of aging wingers with expensive cap hits.

Anybody else now interested in Taking Rust instead of MAF?

Agreed, draft Mrazek who's $1.5 M cheaper along with Raanta and a young guy like Korpisalo or Ullmark and avoid the Fleury contract/cap hit and use that money wisely in the future. Getting Rust might be an actual bargain unlike some of the other cap hit.

 

[derriko]

Subban isn't that good. He's an AHLer for life.

I don't follow Boston, and don't know much about Subban so I will take your word for it. I just remember reading a lot of hype about Subban as a potential starter and went with it.

It's too bad Oshie is an UFA.

I agree. I would just take Alzner.

Alzner - Vatanen would be an absolutely perfect compliment and a very, very good top pairing.

I would pass on negotiating with Oshie during the 72 hour window, and if he makes it to the main UFA period after the drafts, then go after him.

That would be a dream scenario. Walking away with a top line winger and a 2-3D from the same team!

Anybody else now interested in Taking Rust instead of MAF?

Hopefully i'm not the only one lol. I believe in Pickard more than most as I saw him multiple times stand on his head on terrible Seattle T-Bird teams. I think he will at least be a middling starter, which is all a contender needs nowadays.

 

[HanSolo]

Good argument, I'll buy that. Its true this team isn't competing in the foreseeable future, so just squeaking in as an 8th seed isn't worth losing the long term value of Dumba vs. Staal.

And I was one of the one's hoping McPhee builds this team for the future instead of short term haha!

At worst you just trade Dumba for a center prospect / young established Center with top 6 upside and call it a day.

Exactly. Dumba far more trade value.

 

[Nalens Oga]

God no Pickard is awful as a starter. He's good as a backup but he gives up a soft goal in almost every game and it gets worse when he's starting multiple games in a row (I'm an Avs fan). They should draft Barbeiro from the Avs, the guy has good mobility and can play top four minutes plus you need at least some bargain dmen.

 

[Lindys Lazy Eye]

Taking MAF would be such a mistake for you guys at this point. Especially when they are making Rust available and you have goalie options like Mrazek for far cheaper and who is younger.

 

[Nalens Oga]

Exactly. Dumba far more trade value.

Dumba++ (like a couple firsts excluding the 6th) for Matt Duchene and there's the 1-2 centre punch. Though tbh the Avs fan in me would be really disappointed if the main piece we got back for Duchene was friggin Dumba lol, we already have a porous dumb mobile dman in Barrie.

 

[Ginormousthumbs]

I would definitely take Ryan over Neal though.