Speculation: Tavares Tells Toronto, "I'm YOUR Huckleberry Now". Fans leaguewide mourn.

[Robb_K]

I almost agree. Mikkola could be easily next season 3rd line pair. Stay-at-home D who has skill offensively, he would work well with Schmaltz. I bet summer camp will be interesting for us where forward and dmen prospects are currently.

Haven't we forgot Musil, Blais and what about Poganski?

None of those 3 are likely to beat out the players on that proposed roster NEXT season.

 

[Dbrownss]

Interesting Article today in the Athletic about JT and a sign and trade. Per CBA rules, only the team holding his rights at the TDL can offer an 8yr deal. So if the 8th year is important, NY can still get some value for JT. We're still only talking about a pick or decent player.

If that contract is on the table prior to the draft for Stl, I'd easily move the Jets 1st to guarentee JT coming to Stl

 

[OSA]

Koulias talking about offering Fabbri and the Wpg 1st to NYI for an 8 year sign and trade.

Ehhhh if he needs that 8th year in order to sign with the Blues and that’s what is needed, then so be it I guess. I’d love to see JT play with Fabbri, so I would definitely have mixed feelings.

 

[MissouriMook]

Koulias talking about offering Fabbri and the Wpg 1st to NYI for an 8 year sign and trade.

Ehhhh if he needs that 8th year in order to sign with the Blues and that’s what is needed, then so be it I guess. I’d love to see JT play with Fabbri, so I would definitely have mixed feelings.

I can't see Tavares being cool with weakening the team he's willing (or wants) to go to that much. He controls his destiny completely if he is approached about a sign and trade. I can see him being willing to see his new team lose a late 1st rounder as a "parting gift" to his old club, but the idea that he would be OK with his new team giving up a potential 50-60 point line mate just so he can get the 8th year seems far fetched.

 

[OSA]

I can't see Tavares being cool with weakening the team he's willing (or wants) to go to that much. He controls his destiny completely if he is approached about a sign and trade. I can see him being willing to see his new team lose a late 1st rounder as a "parting gift" to his old club, but the idea that he would be OK with his new team giving up a potential 50-60 point line mate just so he can get the 8th year seems far fetched.

I would hope that he wouldn’t, but if that’s what was needed for him to secure another say $12M in guaranteed salary....

 

[Dbrownss]

Koulias talking about offering Fabbri and the Wpg 1st to NYI for an 8 year sign and trade.

Ehhhh if he needs that 8th year in order to sign with the Blues and that’s what is needed, then so be it I guess. I’d love to see JT play with Fabbri, so I would definitely have mixed feelings.

Guess I should have been listening today. That deal just wouldn't happen unless he's willing to sign with another team

 

[OSA]

Haha now they’re talking fantasy draft and they’re dropping Tarasenko down to a 2nd round pick

 

[OSA]

I would hope DA would offer up no more than the Wpg 1st and 1 of TT, KK or Schmaltz

 

[PiggySmalls]

If Islanders allow other teams to talk to JT and Tavares says that having that extra year is a major factor in selecting his next team then sacrifices would need to be made. But I’d much rather try to add a prospect or player not named Fabbri, even if I have to had some conditional picks for 2019 or 2020. If JT says it’s not the most important part, then I would hold steady. I tell JT we will talk more the week prior to July 1st and that I don’t want to take away the players you will be playing with and hurt the competitiveness of the team.

 

[Dbrownss]

If Islanders allow other teams to talk to JT and Tavares says that having that extra year is a major factor in selecting his next team then sacrifices would need to be made. But I’d much rather try to add a prospect or player not named Fabbri, even if I have to had some conditional picks for 2019 or 2020. If JT says it’s not the most important part, then I would hold steady. I tell JT we will talk more the week prior to July 1st and that I don’t want to take away the players you will be playing with and hurt the competitiveness of the team.

Agree'd. I think that would he an easy sell. If he picks a team, then the Islanders dont have a lot of leverage in the asking price to basically facilitate a trade. I mean I guess they could pull a fast one and trade him else where, but I highly doubt that would go down. If a sign and trade actually happens, I think a 1st is max value and given the circumstances.....That's a heck of a return.

 

[Instant]

One question, as an outsider, but if you guys landed Tavares this season, would he play on the first or the second line in your opinion?

 

[Linkens Mastery]

One question, as an outsider, but if you guys landed Tavares this season, would he play on the first or the second line in your opinion?

First line in name value due to playing with Tarasenko and most likely Fabbri.

 

[The Note in MI]

Not sure you could call it a first or second line if we had him.

Schwartz Schenn X
Fabbri Tavares Tarasenko

Would be our top 6. If we have a dynamic RW with Schwartz and Schenn thwn you could argue that’s the top line.

In terms of zone starts the Tavares line would be predominately offensive

 

[Alklha]

I talked about this pages ago, but the problem is that we don't have a point of reference for a similar deal.

The argument that Tavares won't want to weaken his new team is valid, but so is the desire to get that 8th year. $84m over 8 years is only $10.5m, it would take $12m over 7 to get that same amount of security.

Ultimately, Tavares isn't going to be agreeing terms with 3 or 4 teams and letting the Islanders play them off against each other. In this scenario, he'll pick a team and it will be on the Islanders to do the best they can. WPG 1st & Blais/Sanford? Maybe include Gunnarsson just to move some salary? It's a lot for a player who is days away from UFA, but you pull the trigger on it because it takes away all risk and massively improves the roster.

 

[Tryblot]

Has a trade like that ever returned more than a mid round pick?

Also someone mentioned this in the GDT but what about Soshnikov with Schwartz and Schenn? I feel like he would compliment them well. He has a nice shot and is a grinder similar to them. Some speed to him as well.

 

[67Blues]

Yea he is, but he is more objective then your average blues fan. This isnt just isolated to him though. Blues are accepted as a logical landing spot of JT on NHL network

Exactly. You can't rule the Blues out merely from a need standpoint and cap availability. This goes for probably about 20 other teams too.

 

[Alklha]

Has a trade like that ever returned more than a mid round pick?

Also someone mentioned this in the GDT but what about Soshnikov with Schwartz and Schenn? I feel like he would compliment them well. He has a nice shot and is a grinder similar to them. Some speed to him as well.

A trade like that hasn't happened before. There is a big difference between giving up a mid-round pick for Goligoski or Bishop and then signing him yourself. These are players that the other teams are moving on from and they aren't coming with a contract.

With Tavares, you are getting the 8 year term. On June 1 we have no idea where we stand if Tavares goes to UFA, even if he was willing to do a sign and trade here... if we wait to UFA then he has a week to talk to 29 other teams.

It's probably not going to happen, but if we have the opportunity to do a sign and trade then we absolutely should. The other benefit is that we'd have more certainty going into the draft, which is the best time to be trading.

 

[PiggySmalls]

Here is Arthur Staple's lastest article on JT. One thing I have noticed is the tone of Staple's writings around JT re-signing has become more and more subdued. It is almost like he is bracing his Islander followers for JT leaving. Which of course for us we hope is true if he comes to STL. These next 3 months are going to be long.

John Tavares on looming offseason decision: 'There's a time...

 

[tfriede2]

A trade like that hasn't happened before. There is a big difference between giving up a mid-round pick for Goligoski or Bishop and then signing him yourself. These are players that the other teams are moving on from and they aren't coming with a contract.

With Tavares, you are getting the 8 year term. On June 1 we have no idea where we stand if Tavares goes to UFA, even if he was willing to do a sign and trade here... if we wait to UFA then he has a week to talk to 29 other teams.

It's probably not going to happen, but if we have the opportunity to do a sign and trade then we absolutely should. The other benefit is that we'd have more certainty going into the draft, which is the best time to be trading.

What would you be willing to trade in a sign and trade? This is where our prospect depth could really come in handy. The Winnipeg first would be an obvious inclusion, but who else would you be comfortable adding? The certainty of getting Tavares in a sign and trade would definitely make Thomas expendable.

 

[ManyIdeas]

Wpg 1st, tage or below in value prospect

Not sure what else would be needed or offered, but if we can keep thomas/kyrou/kostin and fabbri AND pick up tavares, that would be ridiculous

 

[Tryblot]

A trade like that hasn't happened before. There is a big difference between giving up a mid-round pick for Goligoski or Bishop and then signing him yourself. These are players that the other teams are moving on from and they aren't coming with a contract.

With Tavares, you are getting the 8 year term. On June 1 we have no idea where we stand if Tavares goes to UFA, even if he was willing to do a sign and trade here... if we wait to UFA then he has a week to talk to 29 other teams.

It's probably not going to happen, but if we have the opportunity to do a sign and trade then we absolutely should. The other benefit is that we'd have more certainty going into the draft, which is the best time to be trading.

I mean you'd be giving up a first + Fabbri (as mentioned in this thread) for the possibility of talking to Tavares a week before he signs. What if he doesn't want to sign here and then you're giving up two very good assets for absolutely nothing. Unless the Islanders talked to Tavares and guaranteed he would sign with the Blues before the trade was done I don't know if I would feel comfortable with that risk.

 

[PiggySmalls]

I wouldn't bat an eye having Winnipeg's 1st to be included in a JT sign and trade. If I was given the option of giving up the 1st for one year of Hoffman, or a comparable player with one year left on their contract or a guarantee that John Tavares will be wearing a Blues Jersey for the next 8 years. That is a really easy decision for me.

 

[tfriede2]

Ah, I think we need to be very specific as to the scenario we're talking about: 1) trading assets for the right to talk to Tavares prior to him hitting UFA; vs. 2) a sign and trade whereby we would certainly be getting a signed Tavares in the trade.

In the first scenario, I would be comfortable trading the Winnipeg first and a lower-tiered prospect like Sanford/Blais/Walman. In the second scenario, I would be comfortable trading the Winnipeg first, Fabbri, and a cap dump like Berglund or Sobotka or Gunnarsson. I would also be comfortable trading one of our "big 4" (Thomas/Kyrou/Kostin/Thompson) instead of Fabbri in the second scenario.

 

[KirkOut]

That’s wayyyy too much in each scenario

 

[Brian39]

I mean you'd be giving up a first + Fabbri (as mentioned in this thread) for the possibility of talking to Tavares a week before he signs. What if he doesn't want to sign here and then you're giving up two very good assets for absolutely nothing. Unless the Islanders talked to Tavares and guaranteed he would sign with the Blues before the trade was done I don't know if I would feel comfortable with that risk.

No one is advocating trading a 1st and Fabbri for the rights to Tavares. That would be the package for an already-signed Tavares.

The only team who can offer an 8 year contract to Tavares is the Islanders. If the Islanders trade him prior to July 1, the receiving team can still only offer him a 7 year deal. The idea behind a sign + trade is that Tavares would want an 8th year from another team and would discuss this with the Islanders. The Isles would give the team(s) Tavares wants to go to permission to talk contract terms between now and the draft. If the other team and Tavares agree to terms on an 8 year deal, that team would then work out a trade with the Isles where the Isles sign Tavares to that contract and then immediately trade him to the other team. For example:

Tavarres tells the Isles that he isn't going to re-sign and wants to sign with the Blues. He wants the 8th year and the Isles want to recover some value for him. The Isles let us talk to Tavares and we come to an agreement for an 8 year, $90 mil contract. We tell the Isles that we'll give up a 1st and Fabbri for Tavares if he has signed hat contract. The Isles sign him to that contract and then immediately trade him to us for Fabbri and a 1st.

There is no risk of trading assets and then losing him in this scenario. By the time we trade the assets, he is under contract for 8 more years.