Proposal: (CHI/CBJ/NAS) Laine, Seth Jones, 7 players 3 way

[lanceuppercut75]

to Chicago Blackhawks
- Elvis Merzlikins (3y @ $5.4000m)
- Patrick Laine (2y @ $8.7000m)
CAP RESULT = lose $0.35m cap space

to Columbus Blue Jackets
- Petr Mrazek (2y @ $4.2500m)
- Dante Fabbro (1y @ $2.5000m)
- Colton Sissons (2y @ $2.8572m)
- draft pick from CHI (y'all decide what fair value is)
CAP RESULT = gain $6.3928m cap space

to Nashville Predators
- Seth Jones (6y @ $9.5000m)
- Justin Danforth (1y @ $1.1000m)
- draft pick from CHI (y'all decide what fair value is)
CAP RESULT = lose $5.2428m cap space

IMPORTANT NOTES

1
picks could be anything from 1st to 7th, y'all decide what value is reasonable
pick(s) could be conditional on games played by Laine (NHLPA player assistance program)

2
after this trade, CBJ trades Fabbro for assets to a 4th team
my suggestion: Fabbro + Kuraly for Mikheyev dump + multiple assets or 1st rounder

3
after this, CHI may pursue a top 4 D on July 1st (DeMelo? Walker?)

4
this trade could be re-worked without Merzikins and Mrazek if needed to make it work

Click to read more...

 

[BHawk21]

Edit

 

[Mrfenn92]

No thanks from Chicago

 

[TS Quint]

Seth wont move to go back to a place he wanted to leave.

Why did he want to leave?

 

[BHawk21]

Why did he want to leave?

My mistake had Columbus in my head.

 

[Castle8130]

So the Hawks are trading the best player and in return we get a couple cap dumps? On top of that, you want us to trade draft picks?

 

[TS Quint]

My mistake had Columbus in my head.

It was a legit question. I was thinking it was possible he was Looking at Josi/Weber and not seeing a path to being a 1D and the financial benefits that come with it. Things are different now is what I was thinking.

 

[TLEH]

No Thanks

 

[lanceuppercut75]

So the Hawks are trading the best player and in return we get a couple cap dumps? On top of that, you want us to trade draft picks?

PATRIK LAINE
23/34 - 41 point pace (struggling with insomnia)
22/23 - 78 point pace
21/22 - 82 point pace

Not a cap dump. A big shooter with elite talent to play with Bedard. Could win Rocket Richard trophy and/or score 100+ points in Chicago. Or not. The potential to do so is certainly there. 2 year commitment (versus 6 year commitment with Seth Jones) and 3.5 years younger than Jones, if it works out really well in Chicago and Laine plays there longer term beyond 2 years.

EDIT - and the picks could be 6th rounders or 7th rounders.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

Seems like Columbus comes out way ahead but I think Laine and Merzlikins both are negative valued deals.

 

[hawksrule]

I’d do this if we didn’t have to throw in picks. We have no forward depth, and essentially save three years on the Jones contract.

 

[Viqsi]

I've kind of gone back and forth on this as I'm kind of uncertain as to whether or not it'd work. It'd depend a lot on whether or not Jones is willing to go back to Nashville; he was pretty adamant about the options being only Chicago or Dallas the last time he was moved, but maybe he'd reconsider if he gets to have regular minutes next to Josi.

It'd also be (despite the attempt with the Sissons/Danforth swap) incredibly rough on the Preds cap-wise, considering that the truly ugly years of the Duchene buyout are coming up and there's still quite a few RFAs to extend. That might be solvable by sending McDonagh to Columbus, but that complicates it even more.

Incidentally, if this went through I'm pretty sure the Jackes would actually keep Fabbro.

* * *​

So the Hawks are trading the best player and in return we get a couple cap dumps?

Don't be absurd. To the extent that it applies to either (read: not much at all), Jones has far more claim to "cap dump" status than Laine has ever had.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

I’d do this if we didn’t have to throw in picks. We have no forward depth, and essentially save three years on the Jones contract.

I'd be worried about trying to fit Laine's game into the type of team you're trying to build around Bedard. Jones is overpaid but can do the things you want from an NHL dman. Laine is a barely mobile howitzer and would need tons of PP time for you to hope to ever trade him in the last year of his deal for assets. I'm not sure it makes sense even from a "set the clock forward getting out of Jones's deal" perspective.

 

[hawksrule]

I'd be worried about trying to fit Laine's game into the type of team you're trying to build around Bedard. Jones is overpaid but can do the things you want from an NHL dman. Laine is a barely mobile howitzer and would need tons of PP time for you to hope to ever trade him in the last year of his deal for assets. I'm not sure it makes sense even from a "set the clock forward getting out of Jones's deal" perspective.

You may be right, but you would’ve had to watch this year’s Chicago Blackhawks to fully understand the lack of firepower. And it’s only two years. Although I hated the trade, I was a Jones defender for a long time, but he’s very replaceable. Stinks on the pp, lost a step, and isn’t a top-pairing on a good team.

 

[lanceuppercut75]

It'd also be (despite the attempt with the Sissons/Danforth swap) incredibly rough on the Preds cap-wise, considering that the truly ugly years of the Duchene buyout are coming up and there's still quite a few RFAs to extend. That might be solvable by sending McDonagh to Columbus, but that complicates it even more.

I would point out that in the next two off-seasons (while McDonagh and his cap hit are still part of the equation), the only Predators that will need a big-ish raises are Saros and Evangelista. I suppose also possibly but not necessarily Nyquist / his replacement, Fabbro / his replacement, Glass and Askarov.

Yes, it would create a far less flexible cap situation for 2 years, but the team would improve. Then McDonagh comes off the books in 2026, and Duchene payout goes down $5 million cap hit hat summer too. All of the other high end Predators prospects don't start getting pay raises until 2027.

 

[Viqsi]

I'd be worried about trying to fit Laine's game into the type of team you're trying to build around Bedard. Jones is overpaid but can do the things you want from an NHL dman. Laine is a barely mobile howitzer and would need tons of PP time for you to hope to ever trade him in the last year of his deal for assets. I'm not sure it makes sense even from a "set the clock forward getting out of Jones's deal" perspective.

Laine has put up the numbers he has here with shockingly little PP production; he's gotten much more consistent 5v5. And "barely mobile" is a gross exaggeration; he's not a super speed skater but he's much more mobile than he ever gets credit for because his height lends itself to a lazy-looking stride that nonetheless gets the job done. His biggest issue herr has been injury luck; he keeps getting targeted by headhunters.

 

[ViD]

I’m not sure I’m ready to give up Laine for basically cap space

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I don't think Seth Jones is the big contract I'd be looking to add in Nashville. Preds have a lot of holes and a lot of needs atm, but taking on that kind of contract would restrict our ability to look at some other options which might come up in the next couple of years, and he's just not the magnitude of player that I would want to close any of those potential doors over.

If Jones was coming with retention or something that brought his contract back down from the premium/overpay level, maybe, but even so he's got a lot of front-loaded signing bonus money and the NMC and it just doesn't seem like a contract many teams are likely to want to take on even if he was willing to leave Chicago?

 

[Viqsi]

I would point out that in the next two off-seasons (while McDonagh and his cap hit are still part of the equation), the only Predators that will need a big-ish raises are Saros and Evangelista. I suppose also possibly but not necessarily Nyquist / his replacement, Fabbro / his replacement, Glass and Askarov.

Yes, it would create a far less flexible cap situation for 2 years, but the team would improve. Then McDonagh comes off the books in 2026, and Duchene payout goes down $5 million cap hit hat summer too. All of the other high end Predators prospects don't start getting pay raises until 2027.

Parssinen, Tomasinio, and Afanasyev also need new contracts, so I'd still be concerned.

 

[Viqsi]

I’m not sure I’m ready to give up Laine for basically cap space

Fabbro would be very helpful for the blueline here IMO, and getting Elvis out has its own merits. Sissons-for-Danforth is almost a wash.

 

[Viqsi]

I don't think Seth Jones is the big contract I'd be looking to add in Nashville. Preds have a lot of holes and a lot of needs atm, but taking on that kind of contract would restrict our ability to look at some other options which might come up in the next couple of years, and he's just not the magnitude of player that I would want to close any of those potential doors over.

If Jones was coming with retention or something that brought his contract back down from the premium/overpay level, maybe, but even so he's got a lot of front-loaded signing bonus money and the NMC and it just doesn't seem like a contract many teams are likely to want to take on even if he was willing to leave Chicago?

I suppose a case could be made that we could just coast for the next two years and build up prospects, but frankly I want the available space too. Which is why my thoughts were kind of wandering towards "send McDonagh to Columbus for space as well". But McDonagh also has a very specific role and the Jackets don't exactly have someone who can fill that role to send back - there's no easy swap involving him like the Sissons-Danforth one. So I'm not sure how to make that work.

 

[Hawkaholic]

I dont see the point for Chicago. Downgrade in net, downgrade on D, just to add a marginal player like Laine? Nah.

 

[lanceuppercut75]

Parssinen, Tomasinio, and Afanasyev also need new contracts, so I'd still be concerned.

Those 3 get new contracts now, this summer, and haven't earned huge raises. Give them all 2 years (or more) of term and you've guaranteed no huge cap raise for them until McDonagh is off the books and Duchene buyout becomes way cheaper in 2026 offseason.

 

[Njfj]

No thanks from Chicago

Very polite

 

[Mrfenn92]

Very polite

Always