GDT: Free Agent Frenzy

[rt]

Sobotka and Berglund were throw ins and the Blues aren't at all torn up they are gone. Anyone that would trade a top center for a late 1st, a super distant 2nd, and the equivalent of Nick Merkely doesn't belong in management.

Wonder if we could get Sobotka on the cheap? I like the player.

 

[SR]

Anyone surprised that James Neal hasn't signed yet? I guess only Vegas wants him.

I am sure there are more than the Knights that want him. I think his problem is term. Wants 6, likely only being offered 5. I think he knows this may very well be his last contract.

I'd go 5x5 and match the vegas offer.

 

[XX]

Wonder if we could get Sobotka on the cheap? I like the player.

I don't see the point. He's not the player that left for Russia.

 

[Foggy1097]

All this Toronto talk is really going to get interesting soon, no doubt. Really hope we can capitalize somehow and get Nylander off them, because the general consensus seems to be that he’ll end up being the odd man out. If it’s D they want, I would give up POJ + a 1st rounder in a heartbeat...maybe a little something to sweeten the pot if that wasn’t enough.

 

[rt]

I don't see the point. He's not the player that left for Russia.

You’re right, but I loved that player so much. One of my favorites.

 

[Grimes]

Interesting day, but not many Western teams improved.

Blues absolutely killed it and will be a playoff team again.
Dallas didnt add much.
Wild and Chicago barely added anything.
Nashville got an enforcer.
Winnipeg lost Stantsy
I'd say St. Louis and Dallad are really the only teams that improved, and Dallas depends on Nischkunen.

Vancouver added a bunch of bottom 6 role players to help their kids adapt. Too bad they all were signed to ridiculous contracts.
Calgery made the big splash in the Hamilton trade, which may make them weaker right now but stronger in two more years.
EDM got Rieder back
L.A got significantly better with Kovi this offseason.
Sharks moved Boeds in hopes to bring in Taveres but couldnt win the pageant. Kanes production makes them a better team but not by much.
Vegas may be the biggest question mark of how their offseason ends.

We added a better PP threat in Galchenyuk, who has the potential to really explode and added Grabner to our forward corp, while keeping our strong defensive corp. I think we pretty clearly are better. The kids need to take the next step however.

 

[Grimes]

Whoops missed Colorado.
Solid small tweaks but nothing huge. Cole and Calvert are really nice pieces for a younger team however.

I also forgot Vegas got Stastny but they could be losing Neal and lost Perron. Right now they are at a negative gain in my mind.

 

[_Del_]

Neal and Nash still out there as long-shots. Yakupov if we want to be interesting.

Names I'd kick tires on for the bottom -six (either to squeeze Cousins adding scoring depth, or insurance against Kruger. We're also small):
Winnik- optionality! Speed, PK's, secondary scoring
Nick Shore-- Optionality, young
Letestu-- optionality, secondary scoring
Maroon--size, bite, pop from the bottom six. If he's looking for top-six money, have a nice day.
Chiasson -- more of same, faster
Stewart -- basically the same, only even more inconsistent, cheaper
BPouliot -- inconsistent, but optionality and defensively soundish
JNolan -- size and bite we are lacking.

 

[Neighborhood Coyote]

Neal and Nash still out there as long-shots. Yakupov if we want to be interesting.

Names I'd kick tires on for the bottom -six (either to squeeze Cousins adding scoring depth, or insurance against Kruger. We're also small):
Winnik- optionality! Speed, PK's, secondary scoring
Nick Shore-- Optionality, young
Letestu-- optionality, secondary scoring
Maroon--size, bite, pop from the bottom six. If he's looking for top-six money, have a nice day.
Chiasson -- more of same, faster
Stewart -- basically the same, only even more inconsistent, cheaper
BPouliot -- inconsistent, but optionality and defensively soundish
JNolan -- size and bite we are lacking.

Oh man Nolan I would rather just about sign anyone or anything else, personally speaking haha. I'd pay him to never play again in the NHL maybe??
Some of the other ones perhaps... Have their warts but like you said...bottom 6. For the right money I could see something maybe. They might just hope for in house solutions though.

 

[Muppet]

I'd vomit blood if I ever saw Nolan in a Coyotes jersey.

Maybe we should take a gamble on that Duclair fella

 

[Foggy1097]

Panik + Merkley + 3rd round pick for Simmonds...he’d bring some toughness and more goal scoring depth. Probably won’t happen but I would love it if it did.

 

[_Del_]

None of those guys are amazing NHL'ers. That's why they are still sitting on the pile. My thing is they would be cheapish to acquire, most can pop in 10-15 goals over a full season, and they help fill us out. I don't think we have much beyond what's already on the roster.

Winnik or Letestu are Kruger insurance, but can contribute on the PK and are good for 10'ish goals a year. Shore is a bit of a gamble in the same direction.
Maroon, Chiasson, or Stewart might look good next to Strome on the "4th line" and can slide up when there are injuries. Pouliot is what he is. All those guys are very hot-cold, but it isn't a stretch to see 10-15 goals from one.
If we survived Rinaldo, we could survive Nolan, who I'd see as an improvement.

 

[Mosby]

Hoping Neal may have missed the boat on bigger deals and we can get him on a reasonable contract.

 

[Jamieh]

Hoping Neal may have missed the boat on bigger deals and we can get him on a reasonable contract.

The Real Deal is off to Calgary for 5 years at $5.75 per year.

 

[rt]

Panik + Merkley + 3rd round pick for Simmonds...he’d bring some toughness and more goal scoring depth. Probably won’t happen but I would love it if it did.

At the very least you’d need to change the 3rd to a top 10 protected first, and add a conditional 2nd (if the 1st slides).

 

[SpaceCoyote]

Maybe give Merkley a chance to make a push in training camp, RT mentioned near the end of the year that he was a player they believed could make a jump. Then we flip Panik for a bottom pairing Dman.

 

[_Del_]

Or you keep Panik because he's perfect for Kruger and Grabner and can play up in the lineup when necessary. So we get Cousins out of a full time job.

 

[Foggy1097]

At the very least you’d need to change the 3rd to a top 10 protected first, and add a conditional 2nd (if the 1st slides).

If we had some assurance that we could extend Simmonds after the trade, then yeah you might be right. Way too steep for one year of him...

 

[Foggy1097]

Or you keep Panik because he's perfect for Kruger and Grabner and can play up in the lineup when necessary. So we get Cousins out of a full time job.

I don’t completely disagree, but Cousins did show some good promise and I think Toc likes him a lot more. Right now the contract that makes the most sense to move out if we want to add one more quality forward is Panik. I still think we should send him to DET with fellow Czech Zadina and get Nyquist...better player and adding another Swede would be even better for the room I’m guessing.

 

[Jakey53]

Horse ****. You can only pay so many guys. The offer sheet threat could just be the leverage prompting a deal. That could put them in position to pay two guys almost a third of the cap. Getting Matthews here will always be a long shot but it certainly isn't "silly" for the organization to look for ways to make that happen considering the $11 million they just paid for Tavaras and how many big contracts they have coming up.

You rarely see an offer sheet, and we are in no position to give one. Chicago and Pittsburgh made it work for them and I believe TO can make it work also.

 

[_Del_]

We're not in a position to potentially add a 60 pt forward for picks? Or in a position to pick up a franchise center for picks? They're in a jam. Help them out.

 

[ArizonaCoyotes19]

Or you keep Panik because he's perfect for Kruger and Grabner and can play up in the lineup when necessary. So we get Cousins out of a full time job.

Not sure about the hate of Cousins. I liked his game more and more as the season went on. He actually has some decent hands IMO and might just have been the hardest working guy on the team. If he can have another double digit goal season, he would definitely be worthy of an extension.

 

[_Del_]

I don't hate him. He is what he is. I don't think he is going to replicate his goal total, and he's not so good defensively that I'd give him an everyday slot in the lineup. He's great if we were rolling a traditional fourth line. But if we roll Kruger to take heavy minutes, Cousins shouldn't be out there. Neither Stepan, Dvorak/Galchenyuk, or Strome are guys I want to see Cousins get a lot of time with. I want those lines trying to push the play, not playing keep away.

 

[lanky]

I really want to see a Crouse Strome Merkley 4th line. They were a great trio last season. We would suddenly have more scoring depth than ever before.

 

[Jakey53]

Interesting day, but not many Western teams improved.

Blues absolutely killed it and will be a playoff team again.
Dallas didnt add much.
Wild and Chicago barely added anything.
Nashville got an enforcer.
Winnipeg lost Stantsy
I'd say St. Louis and Dallad are really the only teams that improved, and Dallas depends on Nischkunen.

Vancouver added a bunch of bottom 6 role players to help their kids adapt. Too bad they all were signed to ridiculous contracts.
Calgery made the big splash in the Hamilton trade, which may make them weaker right now but stronger in two more years.
EDM got Rieder back
L.A got significantly better with Kovi this offseason.
Sharks moved Boeds in hopes to bring in Taveres but couldnt win the pageant. Kanes production makes them a better team but not by much.
Vegas may be the biggest question mark of how their offseason ends.

We added a better PP threat in Galchenyuk, who has the potential to really explode and added Grabner to our forward corp, while keeping our strong defensive corp. I think we pretty clearly are better. The kids need to take the next step however.

Yup. I'm happy with how the weekend went for the Yotes. Happy that Chayka stuck to his guns on JVR, and I'm fine with the Grabner signing. The kids are maturing and I hope one or two have a break out year. We HAVE to make the playoffs this year, no if, and's or but's. Well, I guess there is one if. We have to stay healthy.