Armchair GM: Offseason Roster Moves and Rumors

[AndBoomGoesTheCannon]

How does the player assistance program affect salary cap? Seems like Laine’s decision could have big implications for trades/free agency.

 

[EspenK]

How does the player assistance program affect salary cap? Seems like Laine’s decision could have big implications for trades/free agency.

From what I have found it counts against cap but if you can move it to LTIR then you get relief. Don't know if that is a real option or how you make it work when the guy comes back.

 

[EspenK]

You are going to need 1-2 more goalies for depth anyway. if Jet is the backup in Columus next season we'll need guys on NHL contracts to play in Cleveland. I'm sure one of those could be a vet with NHL experience but it would also be nice to have another guy on the roster as a prospect. Pavel Cajan was on an AHL only deal so I don't think it's him. Maybe they bring back Subban for next year as part of that process.

I agree. I kind of had a mid-post thought correction so ideally I'd like Tarasov & Brosssoit in the NHL and Greaves developoing in Cleveland and available for recall when needed with another goalie to back him up down there.

 

[Cheddarcheese]

Arent you the same guy basically calling Jiricek a bust?

im not the only one LOL. just the word around the league
words from a former first round bust.

 

[cbjthrowaway]

im not the only one LOL. just the word around the league
words from a former first round bust.

jiricek has some things he still needs to work on, but he now gets to join cleveland for playoff run and then will have a full offseason of training (should help with his strength + skating). his offensive traits are NHL level (some of his tools there are NHL-plus) and his stick defending didn't bother me this year. he's just a bit slow on his reads/pivots and needs to get better in battles.

with that in mind, calling him a bust is insanely premature. he'll be 20 on opening night next season and only has 47 games under his belt at the NHL level. it's often said that defensemen need 200 games of NHL experience to fully adjust to that level. jiricek has a lot of runway. and i say that as someone who didn't love him in his draft year as much as everyone else.

this fan base spent all of last year complaining about sillinger and saying he was a bust, and then this year saying the same stuff about jiricek and johnson. everyone wants to bail on laine – a likeable guy and extremely entertaining/productive player when healthy – because he had a mental health crisis + major concussion this season.

i understand the irony of saying this on a message board, but the internet has poisoned sports fandom discourse. everything's a critique now. what happened to actually cheering for the players on the team?

 

[MoeBartoli]

Before speculating on what moves will be made, i’ll wait to see how the new GM sees this club. Does he/she deem the team:
- On the cusp of contending?
- As a rebuild?
- On the rise needing time and a some shaping while it matures?

If INTs the first, I’ll check out now left to wonder what they see that I sure don’t. If their view is one of the latter two, the choices will be different. Even the third option (which is where I would be) could play a couple of different ways.

The only sure bets I see is that Elvis will be gone and replaced by a low cost vet, Provorov will be gone by the TDL next year, and the D will have a different look.

 

[stevo61]

im not the only one LOL. just the word around the league
words from a former first round bust.

do you not see the irony in your words or is that just me?

 

[Monstershockey]

everything's a critique now. what happened to actually cheering for the players on the team?

People are busy tearing apart coaches instead of cheering for teams.

 

[VT]

 

[KJ Dangler]

Severson played like a 4/5 D for a month or two when he just started here, after that he was good. I don't like the contract but I have no problem with him as a player.

Sillinger is an iffy 3C, we have a surfeit of players that age who have higher upside than him.

You left out IMO….

 

[Cowumbus]

 

[majormajor]

I didn't realize that Blanks qualified for that.

It makes sense though, this is why group VI exists, to make sure that mid-twenties players don't get buried in a deep lineup and have a chance to break in somewhere else.

No one in this thread has listed Blanks in their lineups for next year.

I would still sign him if he wants to come back, but it's his call.

 

[Cowumbus]

I didn't realize that Blanks qualified for that.

It makes sense though, this is why group VI exists, to make sure that mid-twenties players don't get buried in a deep lineup and have a chance to break in somewhere else.

No one in this thread has listed Blanks in their lineups for next year.

I would still sign him if he wants to come back, but it's his call.

If I’m him, I’d want more of an opportunity.

Love to have him around though.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

If I’m him, I’d want more of an opportunity.

Love to have him around though.

He'd get his opportunities if he could stay healthy.

 

[majormajor]

This is from a comment of mine on the mains, that I think is worth thinking about with our very young team.

the better teams usually don't have many players under 24. The Bruins have none. The Lightning have some guy named Lilleberg, the Panthers only Lundell, the Canucks only Hoglander, or maybe you can add Podkolzin if he sticks. The Oilers have Broberg and Holloway which have yet to establish themselves.

Leaving aside team success, and just looking at individual production - have a look at the top 20 scorers in the league, Robert Thomas and Quinn Hughes are 24, everyone else is 25 or older. No one 23 or under.

So yes rookie goal scoring isn't what it used to be, and young player scoring in general isn't what it used to be.

We framed it the other day as needing to leave spots for good pro scouting finds, so we can improve with ready to go mid-twenties players. What that means is that we need fewer young players. But if we did cut back on roster spots for under 24 players, who would we be moving out?

 

[Aaaarrgghh]

This is from a comment of mine on the mains, that I think is worth thinking about with our very young team.



We framed it the other day as needing to leave spots for good pro scouting finds, so we can improve with ready to go mid-twenties players. What that means is that we need fewer young players. But if we did cut back on roster spots for under 24 players, who would we be moving out?

Depending on what player comes back, I could see Columbus moving out the following sub-25 skaters, from most likely to least likely:
1. Bean
2. Boqvist
3. Texier
4. Chinakhov
5. Marchenko
6. Sillinger/Voronkov
8. Johnson/Mateychuk

Jiricek and Fantilli are probably still untouchable. Johnson and Mateychuk are pretty damn close to it. Jiricek I'd only move out for a Wyatt Johnston or a Robert Thomas and if the Blue Jackets drafted someone like Levshunov. Fantilli is here to stay.

For instance, though I love them both as players, I'd be intrigued to see what a package centred around Texier + Marchenko could return. Texier is a player that I don't think will be around long-term.

 

[majormajor]

Depending on what player comes back, I could see Columbus moving out the following sub-25 skaters, from most likely to least likely:
1. Bean
2. Boqvist
3. Texier
4. Chinakhov
5. Marchenko
6. Sillinger/Voronkov
8. Johnson/Mateychuk

Jiricek and Fantilli are probably still untouchable. Johnson and Mateychuk are pretty damn close to it. Jiricek I'd only move out for a Wyatt Johnston or a Robert Thomas and if the Blue Jackets drafted someone like Levshunov. Fantilli is here to stay.

For instance, though I love them both as players, I'd be intrigued to see what a package centred around Texier + Marchenko could return. Texier is a player that I don't think will be around long-term.

I can see four categories here (not including Texier, who is 24 and a reliable cheap checker):

1. Boqvist and Bean - lightweight defenders that are often injured anyways, no one is going to care too much if they go.

2. Chinakhov, Marchenko, Voronkov - I think these guys are already reliable contributors, they can score (maybe a lot more scoring soon) and they have good defensive results.

3. Jiricek, Johnson, Mateychuk, Fantilli - Fantilli is untouchable, the other three aren't but the upside is too high to move unless you're getting an elite piece back. Top of the lineup upside for all four of them.

4. Cole Sillinger

 

[Xoggz22]

I don't have much to offer beyond the new GM needs to set the course moving forward. I would think (hope?) that the new GM candidates would come in with a plan that shows they truly looked at the roster and the prospect pool and present a plan of action that involves them all (that plan can certainly be trading players that don't fit the plan).

The biggest challenge I see (in my opinion), is that I personally feel the prospects and young players are actually going to be solid to higher end impact NHL players, so moving them will be tricky. What is Kent Johnson? Did Chinakhov show enough growth to be considered a core player? Does Marchenko have more in him? Is Voronkov interested in Columbus long term?

I like to think I see where players fit and, for example, feel we could be very very good down the middle, however, not next year. I love the idea of Fantilli, Voronkov and Sillinger down the middle, but there is not enough experience yet.

So does the new GM really shake it up to push the process or do they come in with a development plan and push the young players? It's going to be interesting. There are a lot of contracts and clearly some players that are not in the 2-3 year plan. Personally, I would move them sooner than later.

 

[Cowumbus]

But if we did cut back on roster spots for under 24 players, who would we be moving out?

The problem is that the Bostons/Tampas/Canucks/Oilers of the world have elite players aged 24-30. Where are ours? We just drafted them. We need to let the young guys develop.

Dallas has had plenty of young guys on their roster for many years.

 

[thebus88]

I didn't realize that Blanks qualified for that.

It makes sense though, this is why group VI exists, to make sure that mid-twenties players don't get buried in a deep lineup and have a chance to break in somewhere else.

No one in this thread has listed Blanks in their lineups for next year.

I would still sign him if he wants to come back, but it's his call.

He just plays a bit erratic at times for my liking, that the majority of other players admittedly don’t help with, and IS undersized and lacks strength around the net. I think he’s a good #7 who can play on the 3rd pair regularly.

While I still think Bean has more “untapped” offensive ability, I probably like Blankenburg’s defensive ability and overall STYLE of play more than Bean at this point. I think Blankenburg-Gudbranson could work as a decent 3rd pairing. Give Gudbranson the responsibilities around the net and Blankenburg can be the puck attacker.

Boqvist is another defender who’s value comes from his offensive ability, even more so than Bean. When you say the Werenski-Boqvist pairing “works”, what do you mean by that? Werenski-Severson “works” too, but, we’re not winning any playoff series’ with any combo of those 3 as our top pair, as good lines/teams eat that pairing up.

And this is without mentioning ANOTHER guy who’s value comes mostly from his “offense”, Provorov.

Whether people like everything they bring to the ice, Werenski and Severson are our best PPQB’s we have and are good on the PP. Mateychuk is not Jiricek, and he very well may actually DESERVE a PPQB spot as soon as the start of next season, imo.

The defense isn’t going to be fixed by making Blankenburg a regular in the top 6. And room would still need to be made for that anyway. AT LEAST 2 of these offensive guys need to be swapped out of the defense BEFORE even thinking about Mateychuk or Jiricek, IMO.

Trades need to be looked into especially for Boqvist and Provorov. IMO. I’ve obviously been vocal, but, I dangle Jiricek to the league at this point. Him added to Laine could probably get us a worthwhile player. A center or top pairing RD.

 

[Cowumbus]

Kent Johnson remains untouchable. A 40 point season at age 20! For CBJ rookies that point total only falls behind Werenski and Dubois all time. We asked him to put on weight (he did) and it changed the way he played. He just needs to adjust. 23/24 KJ in his “down year” still paced for 31 points. Cole Sillinger in a “good season” finishes with 32 points. Voronkov is a “stud” and finishes the year with 34 points.

Jenner was 22 when he got above 40 points, Bjorkstrand 22, Foligno 23. KJ ain’t going anywhere.

 

[majormajor]

The problem is that the Bostons/Tampas/Canucks/Oilers of the world have elite players aged 24-30. Where are ours? We just drafted them. We need to let the young guys develop.

Dallas has had plenty of young guys on their roster for many years.

I agree that we shouldn't move out any of our guys with elite upside, it's those that don't have that upside that we should be looking at.

 

[majormajor]

Kent Johnson remains untouchable. A 40 point season at age 20! For CBJ rookies that point total only falls behind Werenski and Dubois all time. We asked him to put on weight (he did) and it changed the way he played. He just needs to adjust. 23/24 KJ in his “down year” still paced for 31 points. Cole Sillinger in a “good season” finishes with 32 points. Voronkov is a “stud” and finishes the year with 34 points.

Jenner was 22 when he got above 40 points, Bjorkstrand 22, Foligno 23. KJ ain’t going anywhere.

Untouchable is of course a relative term. Fantilli would not be untouchable if Bedard was on the table. And KJ and the rest of them would not be untouchable if Brady Tkachuk was on the table.

 

[koteka]

KJ and our 2024 1st (if we are not #1) as a basis for Tkachuk is where I am at. My top 5 in the draft is probably Celebrini, Demidov, Levshunov, Lindstrom, Buium. I think I’d rather bring in Tkachuk. Even if we get the 2nd pick.

 

[EspenK]

I agree that we shouldn't move out any of o

ur guys with elite upside, it's those that don't have that upside that we should be looking at.

And who would want them? SJ? Chi? Ducks? I think we have a bunch of guys with good upside but once the new GM shows up some may have to go to bring in necessary upgrades.
Potentially damned if you do, potentially damned if you don't.

\