Speculation: Trade Ideas and Free Agency V [Mod Warning Post #1]

[Bookman]

I'm not sure we need to go after a top 4 defensemen. Who is out there that you would bump Spurgeon or Scandella out of the top 4?

2014 UFA Blueliners

Agree. Scandella has made huge strides this year. With more experience, I hope his mean streak from juniors will re-emerge. He has the size and mobility you want in your top 4.

 

[Sharppi]

Matt Greene and Mark Fayne are names that are worth chasing.

 

[grN1g]

^ Fayne was a guy i hoped chuck would target if Girardi didn't make Free agency. At this point, i would not be surprised if he got a nice hefty over priced contract.

 

[BigT2002]

Matt Greene and Mark Fayne are names that are worth chasing.

Greene is going to want too much money I think. I honestly think they have a better shot at getting an older Dman who wants another 1-2 year contract. Isn't the whole point to have Dumba cracking the squad around the 2016 season?

 

[grN1g]

^Dan Boyle.

 

[Minnesota]

Danny Boyle has really disappeared off the radar these past couple years... He used to be a premier offensive defenseman. Haven't heard much about him lately, which probably isn't good. He's getting up there in years.

Regarding acquiring another defenseman, I don't see where an additional player would fit... Suter/Brodin won't be broken up, Scandella/Spurgeon won't be broken up... So we would essentially be looking for a 3rd pairing guy. Our 3rd pairing isn't bad with Ballard/Prosser/Stoner rotating. Acquiring a top-4 guy to play 3rd pairing minutes wouldn't make sense economically.

 

[grN1g]

Boyle was doing ok before his scoreless horrible 10+ game stretch (he had a broken hand.) since the Olympics hes def been better.

He can still play 20-22mins a night and be a right handed scoring threat on the blue line.

 

[TaLoN]

Danny Boyle has really disappeared off the radar these past couple years... He used to be a premier offensive defenseman. Haven't heard much about him lately, which probably isn't good. He's getting up there in years.

Regarding acquiring another defenseman, I don't see where an additional player would fit... Suter/Brodin won't be broken up, Scandella/Spurgeon won't be broken up... So we would essentially be looking for a 3rd pairing guy. Our 3rd pairing isn't bad with Ballard/Prosser/Stoner rotating. Acquiring a top-4 guy to play 3rd pairing minutes wouldn't make sense economically.

Suter/Brodin have already been broken up. Spurgeon has been Suter's partner primarily since the break, with Brodin skating with Scandella. Of course they both take extra shifts so they did see some time together still, but they haven't been so primary pairing in recent games.

 

[BigT2002]

Danny Boyle has really disappeared off the radar these past couple years... He used to be a premier offensive defenseman. Haven't heard much about him lately, which probably isn't good. He's getting up there in years.

Regarding acquiring another defenseman, I don't see where an additional player would fit... Suter/Brodin won't be broken up, Scandella/Spurgeon won't be broken up... So we would essentially be looking for a 3rd pairing guy. Our 3rd pairing isn't bad with Ballard/Prosser/Stoner rotating. Acquiring a top-4 guy to play 3rd pairing minutes wouldn't make sense economically.

They need to regardless. Both are left handed shots. It makes for awkward lateral passes.

 

[Dee Oh Cee]

Danny Boyle has really disappeared off the radar these past couple years... He used to be a premier offensive defenseman. Haven't heard much about him lately, which probably isn't good. He's getting up there in years.

Regarding acquiring another defenseman, I don't see where an additional player would fit... Suter/Brodin won't be broken up, Scandella/Spurgeon won't be broken up... So we would essentially be looking for a 3rd pairing guy. Our 3rd pairing isn't bad with Ballard/Prosser/Stoner rotating. Acquiring a top-4 guy to play 3rd pairing minutes wouldn't make sense economically.

Is that you Pierre?

 

[nickschultzfan]

I think we just let Brodin, Scandella, and Spurgeon run while this playoffs, and see where we are at. I can't say that any of the free agents get me that excited.

 

[MuckOG]

I think we just let Brodin, Scandella, and Spurgeon run while this playoffs, and see where we are at. I can't say that any of the free agents get me that excited.

I'm with you. Unless they show me something different between now and the end of the season, I'm fine going into next year with this group.

 

[rynryn]

i think they're quality (enough) skillwise and with Scandella taking a step this year at least someone in the top four should be able to clear the crease every once in a while.

 

[Minnesota]

Is that you Pierre?

 

[MuckOG]

Nothing really new here, but Russo does a pretty good job laying out why it stupid for the Islanders to trade for Vanek in the first place.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/249142241.html?page=1&c=y

 

[thestonedkoala]

Nothing really new here, but Russo does a pretty good job laying out why it stupid for the Islanders to trade for Vanek in the first place.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/249142241.html?page=1&c=y

You only need to say Garth Snow and trade and you know it's going to be dumb.

 

[AJ Thelen]

You only need to say Garth Snow and trade and you know it's going to be dumb.

Hahaha.

 

[Jarick]

Is that you Pierre?

Nice reference

Boyle is 37. Obviously he's going to fall off. Great player a few years ago and still a steal by the Sharks though.

 

[Keke]

Re-sign Kuemper, Moulson, Niederreiter, Fontaine and McCormick
Sign Niskanen and Elliott
Trade Zucker for Petrovic

Parise - Granlund - Pominville
Moulson - Koivu - Coyle
Niederreiter - Haula - Fontaine
Cooke - Brodziak - McCormick

Suter - Niskanen
Brodin - Petrovic
Scandella - Spurgeon

Kuemper
Elliott

 

[ThatGuy22]

Re-sign Kuemper, Moulson, Niederreiter, Fontaine and McCormick
Sign Niskanen and Elliott
Trade Zucker for Petrovic

Parise - Granlund - Pominville
Moulson - Koivu - Coyle
Niederreiter - Haula - Fontaine
Cooke - Brodziak - McCormick

Suter - Niskanen
Brodin - Petrovic
Scandella - Spurgeon

Kuemper
Elliott

Petrovic, who can't stick with Florida, is going to immiediatly step into our top 4...

 

[57special]

Sign a guy like Orpik who's been there, done that. He'd steady the third pair, or could play on the second. Think he'd be pretty reasonable dollar wise, at this point. Ballard is horrible, and has to go. Prosser has improved, and is worth keeping. Stoner is fine in limited minutes. He has improved his decision making this year, and his toughness is needed on this team. Hope he spends the off season working on his skating though, not hanging out with Heatley drinking beer on a boat (OK, maybe one or two).

Hoping that Dumba is ready by the halfway point of the year, but admit that it is a longshot.

 

[nickschultzfan]

I would also like to re-sign Stoner and Prosser. Both do their jobs well, should be affordable, and add a little bit of grit to a soft blueline.

I bounce back and forth on Orpik. Pens fans have said that he's been horrible this season and his body is starting to slow down due to the years of being physical. What we need is an Orpik from 6 years ago.

 

[BigT2002]

I would also like to re-sign Stoner and Prosser. Both do their jobs well, should be affordable, and add a little bit of grit to a soft blueline.

I bounce back and forth on Orpik. Pens fans have said that he's been horrible this season and his body is starting to slow down due to the years of being physical. What we need is an Orpik from 6 years ago.

Here is the problem with that: we are dealing with too many fringe defensive players. Are Stoner, Prosser, and Ballard decent on most occasions? yes. Are they making mistakes which have been known to cost us points? Oh yes.

You can't keep rotating out players like that. It doesn't help the chemistry and it doesn't help confidence at all. Ballard is signed for one more year. Stoner and Prosser are UFAs. You try to get someone (or even 2 for that matter) in who can play 15-20 minutes on a consistent basis and are more defensively (with some offensive upside) viable.

Know what makes this blueline so easy to predict? Scouting reports from other teams have easily got to mention that players like Ballard, Stoner, and hell even Prosser and Scandella are not going to shoot from the perimeter or pinch deep in the zone unless it is 100% clear cut that it won't affect the defensive transition (e.g. odd-man rush). Scandella has gotten drastically better. But the whole reason Cole got that giveaway from Ballard was Dallas knew they wouldn't shoot it. Out defense is severely lacking in the offensive category when it isn't Spurgeon/Suter shooting.

 

[ThatGuy22]

I would also like to re-sign Stoner and Prosser. Both do their jobs well, should be affordable, and add a little bit of grit to a soft blueline.

I bounce back and forth on Orpik. Pens fans have said that he's been horrible this season and his body is starting to slow down due to the years of being physical. What we need is an Orpik from 6 years ago.

Its probably mostly role related. He looks bad playing 22 minutes a night on the penguins top pairing with Letang out, because he is no longer a top pairing defender(if he ever was).

He would be great in a 16 minute a night 3rd pairing role, but the problem is someone will likely pay him to be a top 4. And at this point, he likely wouldn't be a top 4 defender here.

 

[Jarick]

I'm with BigT on this one. I would want a defenseman to swap out with Stoner who can bring the offense from the point. Wild need more point shooters period, even if it's a bottom pairing PP specialist.

One issue I have with the defense right now is that Yeo seems to want to rotate through Ballard, Stoner, and Prosser. Ballard can't play the right side, so it makes a lot more sense to just keep Prosser in the lineup and swap out Stoner for Ballard when they need better puck movement.

If we hadn't signed Ballard, I could see the Wild keeping Stoner in the lineup for 82 games and then swapping between Prosser and Dumba when they need more jump in the game.