Trade & Free Agency Talk XXX

[Digitalbooya]

I think it would make sense to try and get long term deals done for Greenway and Fiala. Don't see why Donato would be interested in that kind of deal right now. Kunin makes me hesitant, and Ek shouldn't even be considered.

It makes sense to sign Greenway long term?

 

[2Pair]

It makes sense to sign Greenway long term?

yes

 

[JP Flow]

Longtime lurker, first-time poster.

Anyone envision Spurgeon being traded this summer for a center or right winger, and one of the young forwards with value—perhaps one with ties to Fletch? Ek? Greenway? Kunin?—being flipped for a similarly aged RD who can play second pair?

Edit: Autocorrect.

 

[Bazeek]

Longtime lurker, first-time poster.

Anyone envision Spurgeon being traded this summer for a center or right winger, and one of the young forwards with value—perhaps one with ties to Fletch? Ek? Greenway? Lining?—being flipped for a similarly aged RD who can play second pair?

I'm 50/50 on Spurgeon getting moved. I think it really depends on him and what he's looking for; I wouldn't blame him at all for looking to cash out on this contract, but I don't think we should necessarily be looking to pay UFA rates to extend him. If he wants to play hardball (which honestly, he probably should) I think it makes sense to trade him, ideally for (like you say) a center or RW. Possibly a draft pick from a team like Philadelphia or Edmonton.

But if he takes the settled-down, family-man route and is more interested in staying put in the Twin Cities? I think an extension gets worked out. If the blueline ends up costing too much in the long run maybe they look at trading Brodin. He's on a decent contract, but will be coming up for an extension in a few years and isn't irreplaceable.

The x-factor is if a team like Toronto or Philadelphia really targets Spurgeon and offers something compelling. At that point, if the offer is something Fenton feels is crucial to the long-term success of the team, I think he gets moved. I wouldn't call Spurgeon replaceable, but given a good enough offer we can make due.

 

[Bazeek]

Longtime lurker, first-time poster.

Anyone envision Spurgeon being traded this summer for a center or right winger, and one of the young forwards with value—perhaps one with ties to Fletch? Ek? Greenway? Lining?—being flipped for a similarly aged RD who can play second pair?

And I can 100% see Eriksson-Ek getting flipped this summer, possibly as a add-on in a Zucker or Spurgeon deal that returns a center. I like Ek but irrationally so, and I don't think Fenton suffers from the same attachment.

 

[AKL]

I don't think Spurgeon gets traded, and I think Greenway and Kunin are here to stay, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Ek gone.

Ultimately it depends on Spurgeon's desire to talk extension. I think he likes it here, so it would be dependent on if the direction Fenton is taking the team has turned Spurgeon off. But if Spurgeon wants to be here, he'll get a contract.

 

[57special]

I don't see moving Ek, mainly because he plays a position that we have NO depth at. Koivu and Staal are on their last leg(s), and Rask is a buyout candidate. While Ek may never be a top 6 C, he will at least be a good 3rd line C. Moving him is insanity, as far as I'm concerned. A guy like him allows us to play a talented airhead like Fiala, or pairing him with Greenway for a strong, physical line.

 

[Bazeek]

I don't see moving Ek, mainly because he plays a position that we have NO depth at. Koivu and Staal are on their last leg(s), and Rask is a buyout candidate. While Ek may never be a top 6 C, he will at least be a good 3rd line C. Moving him is insanity, as far as I'm concerned. A guy like him allows us to play a talented airhead like Fiala, or pairing him with Greenway for a strong, physical line.

I'm not eager to be rid of him, but this is a pretty good summary of why moving him isn't insanity at all.

 

[Digitalbooya]

yes

Dude has less than 100 career games and a grand total of 25 points. Why should he be signed long term?

 

[AKL]

I don't see moving Ek, mainly because he plays a position that we have NO depth at. Koivu and Staal are on their last leg(s), and Rask is a buyout candidate. While Ek may never be a top 6 C, he will at least be a good 3rd line C. Moving him is insanity, as far as I'm concerned. A guy like him allows us to play a talented airhead like Fiala, or pairing him with Greenway for a strong, physical line.

We have plenty of depth in the bottom 6 C position now. Moving Ek is far from insanity.

 

[SupremeNachos]

Dude has less than 100 career games and a grand total of 25 points. Why should he be signed long term?

6yrs at under 4m almost like a Coyle type deal.

 

[Jesus comma Brodin]

Anyone have interest in Kevin Hayes? And at what $$$?

 

[nickschultzfan]

Longtime lurker, first-time poster.

Anyone envision Spurgeon being traded this summer for a center or right winger, and one of the young forwards with value—perhaps one with ties to Fletch? Ek? Greenway? Lining?—being flipped for a similarly aged RD who can play second pair?

2nd pairing RD would be more expensive than a young forward.

I see it more likely that Zucker and/or JEE are added to a Spurgeon deal to bring in a forward or two and a younger RD.

Maybe Spurgeon, Zucker, and JEE for Nylander, Kadri, and Liljegren.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

Anyone have interest in Kevin Hayes? And at what $$$?

I think it would be a mistake to throw money at guys IN UFA who are coming off career years.

 

[JP Flow]

2nd pairing RD would be more expensive than a young forward.

I see it more likely that Zucker and/or JEE are added to a Spurgeon deal to bring in a forward or two and a younger RD.

Maybe Spurgeon, Zucker, and JEE for Nylander, Kadri, and Liljegren.

Yeah, I should clarify: a similarly aged RD with the potential to play second pair. Realistically, I think you’d be looking at a kid who’s had limited opportunities in his career and has primarily played third-pair minutes so far. Donato, but a right-handed defenseman.

 

[Bazeek]

Yeah, I should clarify: a similarly aged RD with the potential to play second pair. Realistically, I think you’d be looking at a kid who’s had limited opportunities in his career and has primarily played third-pair minutes so far. Donato, but a right-handed defenseman.

I think I'd look to Iowa before trading for a young RD. I think Belpedio's got a future ahead of him, and Menell's actually a little younger and had a very good season. Both seem like good candidates for Fenton to try out this crazy "promote from within" idea he's got.

I think Justin Faulk would be a good option as well. Maybe we wait a year to see if he hits free agency and pursue him then, or maybe we see if we can work out a trade around Zucker. Of course there's the risk that he ends up costing about as much as Spurgeon would have...

 

[Bazeek]

Also, running with the idea that Eriksson-Ek could get moved, there seem to be a variety of RW's out there that are in a similar position: holdover prospects from a previous regime, and either haven't made their way into the NHL yet or have struggled while there.

Do any of these guys seem like appealing targets?

Jesse Puljujarvi - The Oilers liked Eriksson-Ek in his draft year, though with the changes coming in Edmonton I'm not sure that matters much. Puljujarvi's got all kinds of red flags at this point, but I don't think he's a totally lost cause either. A change of scenery and a move to a team with a Finnish captain might go a long way for him.

Alex Nylander - He's struggled to break onto a team that seems like it needs wingers, but he's actually looked pretty good in the few NHL games of his I've seen. Again I wonder if a change of scenery and a fresh start wouldn't see him break out. And the Sabres could use some center help with Mittelstadt still working things out; not that Ek doesn't have his warts, but they're kind of the inverse of Mittelstadt's.

Jeremy Bracco - I think he's probably someone that Toronto keeps to fill in after they make whatever moves they have to to keep Marner. Still, they're pretty flush with RW's and if they move Kadri they may find a young, inexpensive center attractive. I have some real concerns about how Bracco's game, especially his skating, will translate in the NHL though.

Josh Ho-Sang - I don't really like the idea, but who knows? It'd keep things interesting

 

[DeagleJenkins]

Also, running with the idea that Eriksson-Ek could get moved, there seem to be a variety of RW's out there that are in a similar position: holdover prospects from a previous regime, and either haven't made their way into the NHL yet or have struggled while there.

Do any of these guys seem like appealing targets?

Jesse Puljujarvi - The Oilers liked Eriksson-Ek in his draft year, though with the changes coming in Edmonton I'm not sure that matters much. Puljujarvi's got all kinds of red flags at this point, but I don't think he's a totally lost cause either. A change of scenery and a move to a team with a Finnish captain might go a long way for him.

Alex Nylander - He's struggled to break onto a team that seems like it needs wingers, but he's actually looked pretty good in the few NHL games of his I've seen. Again I wonder if a change of scenery and a fresh start wouldn't see him break out. And the Sabres could use some center help with Mittelstadt still working things out; not that Ek doesn't have his warts, but they're kind of the inverse of Mittelstadt's.

Jeremy Bracco - I think he's probably someone that Toronto keeps to fill in after they make whatever moves they have to to keep Marner. Still, they're pretty flush with RW's and if they move Kadri they may find a young, inexpensive center attractive. I have some real concerns about how Bracco's game, especially his skating, will translate in the NHL though.

Josh Ho-Sang - I don't really like the idea, but who knows? It'd keep things interesting

i like the idea the JP figures it out with a new team and that being us would be great. where oilers value him currently will be interesting with his surgery

 

[AKL]

Anyone have interest in Kevin Hayes? And at what $$$?

I wouldn’t mind him at 5.5 or less, but he’s still just a middle six center and he’s going to get like 6.5m.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Moving Eriksson Ek is going to be the end result of us botching his development, and it's going to suck.

 

[Bazeek]

Moving Eriksson Ek is going to be the end result of us botching his development, and it's going to suck.

Spending a year in Iowa probably would've been the right move, but I'm not convinced it would've made much of difference. He seemed to have the AHL pretty figured out every time he was down there, so it may have been a nice confidence boost but I dunno that it would have improved his game any. He probably would've faced the same challenges transitioning to the NHL, just a year later.

It reminds me of Brodin: would a year in the AHL have helped him develop his offensive instincts? I'm still conflicted on that one, but I don't think either player was set up to fail either. Dumba was in a similar position but he's steadily grown his game since hitting the NHL.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Spending a year in Iowa probably would've been the right move, but I'm not convinced it would've made much of difference. He seemed to have the AHL pretty figured out every time he was down there, so it may have been a nice confidence boost but I dunno that it would have improved his game any. He probably would've faced the same challenges transitioning to the NHL, just a year later.

It reminds me of Brodin: would a year in the AHL have helped him develop his offensive instincts? I'm still conflicted on that one, but I don't think either player was set up to fail either. Dumba was in a similar position but he's steadily grown his game since hitting the NHL.

He put up points. I'm not sure if he had it figured out.

Developing offensive skills and instincts when the game is a step slower can go a long way towards transitioning upward.

 

[Bazeek]

He put up points. I'm not sure if he had it figured out.

Developing offensive skills and instincts when the game is a step slower can go a long way towards transitioning upward.

Yeah, which is why I'm conflicted. I do think extra seasoning in the AHL would've helped, but I don't want to absolve the players either.

 

[AKL]

I’m not convinced that teams/coaches/etc have as much of an impact as we think. If Ek was good enough to be a 50p 2c in the NHL he’d get there. I don’t really think an extra year in the AHL would have made a difference. He’s playing with the best players in the world, has the benefit of some of the best coaching and training available to a hockey player, if he can’t figure it out then he wouldn’t have figured it out in the AHL. I get the confidence thing to an extent, but if a players confidence can be completely shot from not doing well, then perhaps that player didn’t have the right mindset to succeed from the get go.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I just don't see a whole lot of teams requiring their 1st rounders to play themselves up from the NHL 4th line. They seem to let them develop elsewhere until they're confident that they can put them in an elevated NHL role and succeed. Having Staal playing well and Koivu entrenched was a great excuse to go a little slower with Eriksson Ek.