Confirmed with Link: Gusev traded to Devils for picks 2020 3rd; 2021 2nd

[theslatcher]

As much as it would suck to lose Gusev, keep Jack Dugan in mind. If he goes back to college for another year, he can join VGK for a playoff run when his season is over.

Dugan is an RW, and isn't really anywhere close to Gusev's level.

 

[CupInSIX]

Dugan is an RW, and isn't really anywhere close to Gusev's level.

He'll be a beast by the end of the year. A beast, I tell you.

And there's nobody on the team except for Glass that's on Gusev's playmaking level anyway.

 

[theslatcher]

He'll be a beast by the end of the year. A beast, I tell you.

And there's nobody on the team except for Glass that's on Gusev's playmaking level anyway.

Will he be better than one of Smith, Stone, & Tuch though? Otherwise he won't play unless one of them gets injured.

 

[CupInSIX]

Will he be better than one of Smith, Stone, & Tuch though? Otherwise he won't play unless one of them gets injured.

Gusev, Marchessault and Smith play their off-wing.

 

[theslatcher]

Gusev, Marchessault and Smith play their off-wing.

They do. Two of those are able to play both sides. Patches is another we have that can play both sides.

 

[CupInSIX]

They do. Two of those are able to play both sides. Patches is another we have that can play both sides.

Pacioretty has never played right wing in the NHL.

 

[willy702]

I was really bored and I didn't feel like listening to music on the crosstown drive so I figured why not. I was curious to hear their opinions. What's sad is that Ken isn't getting better at all at hockey analysis and he's the main writer. Jason knows hockey and he really rails into Ken about how dumb some of his opinions are. I was just surprised that he wasn't getting angry in the podcast even when being told that some of his thoughts were stupid. I know for sure he'd go off on twitter and his site in replies if the same thing was said to him. I was banned for awhile because I told him how stupid it was to overpay Reaves, Fleury, and Holden and he said what's wrong with overpaying a few fan favorites and I told him every dollar counts because you never know when you'll need that cap space and look where we are right now. Reaves and Holden won't be easy to trade and it will cost the team draft picks as a sweetener. And next years draft is deep so I really wouldn't want to give up the draft ammo that has been built up for next season. But if that means keeping Gusev to a deal where both sides are happy so be it. Gusev can help the team make a deep run. Draft picks won't impact the team for years and who knows what the window will be like by the time they are seasoned and called up. This team seems to overcook prospects so I feel that taking advantage of the current window is still more important if I have to choose between going for it now over long term future I'm choosing going for it. If Gusev is on the roster, I really like their chances to represent the west.

When I followed the Avs for two decades, I thought that Dater was one of the worst in the business, then we got a team and our local guys set a new standard for bad hockey hot takes. But I think Dater is intentionally trying to be the Stephen A Smith of hockey in Denver.

Dater doesn't even seem determined to learn much about hockey beyond what he needs to do his job. The Denver Post is/was full of guys that were kept around because they were so opinionated they could always get a rise out of the readers. That's pretty much Dater's approach and BSN just gives him an opportunity to double down on it. Reporters just report, give the facts, state what they know, report on what others who know more have said, etc. Dater doesn't do any of that.

Ken is just a rah rah guy, its his party and he doesn't care what you think or what the truth is. I just love his incredibly simplistic view, which is probably how a majority of Knights fans feel. Sharks beat us in 7, so we have to get better or else we lose again. Jason in the part of the podcast I listened to tried to at least talk him down from the tree, but had zero luck. So Ken ends up being wrong on so many levels, but whatever. It would be fun to hear him scream and get all frustrated if someone tried to introduce concepts like regression to the mean and expected scores, but fat chance of that. You can't expect much rational brilliance from a blogger with no past experience with the NHL or even the game.

 

[Brazen331]

Any chance Gusev will factor in the favor Vegas did him by not making him play for entry-level money this year?

 

[Vegan Knight]

Any chance Gusev will factor in the favor Vegas did him by not making him play for entry-level money this year?

I could see Vegas try a deal for this season and then try to sign another deal for long term. That might be the way to get the price closer to what they are aiming.

 

[LadyStanley]

Could the New York Islanders Pry Nikita Gusev from Vegas Golden Knights?

Former Isles executive and Golden Knights head George McPhee says he has heard from teams interested, and expects a decision — whether trade or contract arrangement — sooner than later. It’s also possible McPhee was publicly musing about the prospect of the trade with media in order to signal to Gusev’s camp to ease off demands if they truly want to be in Vegas.

Negotiating in the media? Hmmm. Article also mentions that Islanders recently signed Gusev's former national teammate.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Total nonsense. Take out the top four teams and their signings are guys that are barely AHL quality. Guys who are in the KHL and Europe because they couldn't get a good AHL contract. And your English must be bad or something because trying to prepare players for the NHL makes AHL WORSE than they could be. Just go check out some of the posts in our team's AHL thread, we have fans of the Chicago team that get mad when players get called up to the NHL. Chicago exists so the NHL team can be better. If the AHL was focused on just winning and not preparing players, they would have far more complex systems and players signed for those systems. Instead AHL teams sign a handful of guys just not quite NHL level and hope they do well enough to get bought out for a profit. Most of those guys would be stars in the KHL.

What can players get in the AHL at max? 500k/year with 40% tax? I mean, the poorest KHL team had a salary budget of $4M with 12% taxation. It's probably on par with your average AHL team. And average KHL team has a salary budget close to $15M (CSKA and SKA had $30M salary budget last season). With 12% tax. So you say, the best they can get for such money is average AHL team?

 

[Pirate Deadpool]

Trading Gusev and keeping overpaid scrubs would really piss me off if it happens.

 

[CupInSIX]

Any chance Gusev will factor in the favor Vegas did him by not making him play for entry-level money this year?

Zero.

But he knows what it's like to be here in the playoffs, he knows the area and the facilities. He also was supposedly in LV looking at houses last summer. There's a chance he comes back as a UFA (if we have the cap space).

 

[theslatcher]

Trading Gusev and keeping overpaid scrubs would really piss me off if it happens.

We really only have one guy you can call an overpaid scrub: Holden. And he's gone no matter what.

I guess you could also call Reaves a scrub because he's a 4th liner.

 

[Vegan Knight]

Zero.

But he knows what it's like to be here in the playoffs, he knows the area and the facilities. He also was supposedly in LV looking at houses last summer. There's a chance he comes back as a UFA (if we have the cap space).

I think a one year deal may work for both sides. If not, maybe Gusev for Patrick could be something to help both teams? With Giroux and Couturier and Hayes, the Flyers are going for it now. Patrick is probably a 3C this season and looks to have maybe a 2C ceiling, so maybe the Flyers would make the trade and look for a vet 3C.

The Knights would get pretty good young C depth.

 

[CupInSIX]

I think a one year deal may work for both sides. If not, maybe Gusev for Patrick could be something to help both teams? With Giroux and Couturier and Hayes, the Flyers are going for it now. Patrick is probably a 3C this season and looks to have maybe a 2C ceiling, so maybe the Flyers would make the trade and look for a vet 3C.

The Knights would get pretty good young C depth.

I can't see the Flyers moving a 20 year old top 2 pick to gamble on 2 years of Gusev.

 

[LadyStanley]

@Kshahdoo there is no salary cap in AHL. (Nor roster limits).

(Neither the AHL nor PHPA report $$s on AHL contracts. There is a lower limit, defined in the NHL CBA IIRC, and AHL-PHPA CBA.)

 

[LadyStanley]

Islanders, Canadiens, Blue Jacket pundits among those that have speculated about acquiring Gusev.

(I'm thinking that GMGM might require something like Gusev + Clarkson/Holden for picks and high prospects. Would help clear cap for future acquisitions.)

 

[Vegas Mac]

Trading Gusev and keeping overpaid scrubs would really piss me off if it happens.

I think the important consideration with Gusev is whether he is willing to do the work on defense. The Knights are a little different than some teams in the focus they put on that full game with their forwards, whereas some other teams might give him ice time and accept some lesser defensive effort and grind due to his playmaking skill.

There is really zero doubt in my mind that Gusev's playmaking ability will translate in the NHL. The question is fit, so if the Knights move him it isn't going to be 100% due to cap restrictions/money.

 

[Kshahdoo]

I think the important consideration with Gusev is whether he is willing to do the work on defense. The Knights are a little different than some teams in the focus they put on that full game with their forwards, whereas some other teams might give him ice time and accept some lesser defensive effort and grind due to his playmaking skill.

There is really zero doubt in my mind that Gusev's playmaking ability will translate in the NHL. The question is fit, so if the Knights move him it isn't going to be 100% due to cap restrictions/money.

Yeah, it didn't help them a lot vs SJ, though. Sometimes you need skill, not grinders, who can play defense.

 

[Kshahdoo]

@Kshahdoo there is no salary cap in AHL. (Nor roster limits).

(Neither the AHL nor PHPA report $$s on AHL contracts. There is a lower limit, defined in the NHL CBA IIRC, and AHL-PHPA CBA.)

That's what I've found in Internet:

"A player in the AHL can earn anywhere between $39,000 and $350,000 annually. Occasionally, an NHL player is sent back down to the AHL, but gets to keep his much bigger salary. Most AHL players are signed to two-way NHL deals. When they are called up to the NHL, they can make a lot more, between $500,000 and $10 million annually."

So without NHLers, AHL teams suck, and they don't send a lot of NHLers to AHL, save prospects. And those prospects aren't usually top ones.

 

[Rick Munro]

Paywall

Woah.

It would be a shame to have to trade him before we see his potential. His upside is a super star and if so his value to move him would be extraordinary! I luv Eakin but his $3.8M salary has to go to fit Glass and Gusev with Tuch on the best 3rd line in the NHL!
I think Gusev is worth $8M for 2 years. Will he take $3 & $5 so it fits under the cap? The Knights have an embarrassment of rich talent!

 

[IceNeophyte]

It would be a shame to have to trade him before we see his potential. His upside is a super star and if so his value to move him would be extraordinary! I luv Eakin but his $3.8M salary has to go to fit Glass and Gusev with Tuch on the best 3rd line in the NHL!
I think Gusev is worth $8M for 2 years. Will he take $3 & $5 so it fits under the cap? The Knights have an embarrassment of rich talent!

3 and 5 would still be 4 AAV. They average it.

 

[willy702]

Islanders, Canadiens, Blue Jacket pundits among those that have speculated about acquiring Gusev.

(I'm thinking that GMGM might require something like Gusev + Clarkson/Holden for picks and high prospects. Would help clear cap for future acquisitions.)

Would be a reasonable ask, but reality is if Holden is such a bad contract you have to attach something to him to move him then it's not really worth it since he's got a year left. Doesn't look like they have any cap issues next year so might as well keep him. Only reason to move him is to free up money to sign Gusev. Clarkson being moved is fine but once again it doesn't help with this short term issue they have.

These posts show why so few people have what it takes to be a GM. It's a job that is 50% strategy right now. NHL in a hard cap is a math problem to solve, not a talent problem. Drafting is where you need to be talent focused. Signing players is a math problem. Players aren't worth what their stats or even talent suggest. Their true value is how much they can exceed the money you pay them. To me the Knights are doing extremely well in this regard with most of the signed players. Sure there are a few that aren't good values, but every team has them. The excess value they get from their plethora of contracts between $4m to $6m allowed them to get Stone and Patches at probably fair value. If they get the nerve to play Glass this year and two rookie D, surely more excess value will come as these guys all appear to at least be better than minimum contract veterans.

So I trust that if Gusev is traded they actually are looking for more real signed assets, not just wishes on draft picks or far from ready prospects. If to make it work you send Holden or Clarkson great, but no need to give value away when those problems don't last past this year.

 

[theslatcher]

Would be a reasonable ask, but reality is if Holden is such a bad contract you have to attach something to him to move him then it's not really worth it since he's got a year left. Doesn't look like they have any cap issues next year so might as well keep him. Only reason to move him is to free up money to sign Gusev. Clarkson being moved is fine but once again it doesn't help with this short term issue they have.

These posts show why so few people have what it takes to be a GM. It's a job that is 50% strategy right now. NHL in a hard cap is a math problem to solve, not a talent problem. Drafting is where you need to be talent focused. Signing players is a math problem. Players aren't worth what their stats or even talent suggest. Their true value is how much they can exceed the money you pay them. To me the Knights are doing extremely well in this regard with most of the signed players. Sure there are a few that aren't good values, but every team has them. The excess value they get from their plethora of contracts between $4m to $6m allowed them to get Stone and Patches at probably fair value. If they get the nerve to play Glass this year and two rookie D, surely more excess value will come as these guys all appear to at least be better than minimum contract veterans.

So I trust that if Gusev is traded they actually are looking for more real signed assets, not just wishes on draft picks or far from ready prospects. If to make it work you send Holden or Clarkson great, but no need to give value away when those problems don't last past this year.

I mean what should we do with Holden? Send him down to the AHL and save at most 300k in cap, while having him take minutes from our prospects there?