If CBJ win the lottery...?

[Long Live Lyle]

Yes, I agree. A franchise center. His current Cap hit will force multiple moves the CBJ would not want to make to have a viable long term competitive team.

This is venturing a bit into the salary cap thread territory, but I don't think that's true. For example, Wennberg might have slight negative value but not much. We probably "need" him at the moment because we're so thin at center and we're not up against the cap and he does provide some bit of value (I think he's "fine" as a 3rd-line center, he's just overpaid by about $2 million), but he's easily expendable if you add Eichel. Trade him and a pick if you have to at no retention and save $5 million. Trade Anderson for picks, you don't have to factor in his re-signing. Shore and Nash make a combined $5 million, replace them with two ELC guys and save over $3 million. Trade Savard and/or Murray and/or Nuti for picks and/or prospects (prob only need to trade one, but could trade two if necessary and still be in pretty good shape defensively). Can dump Nyquist's contract at the start of 2022-23 if you need to when Z and Jones new deals go into effect.

You wouldn't even have to do all of those, those are just example of things you can do without gutting the core (I consider "the core" to be Jones, Z, PLD, Bjorkstrand, along with maybe Cam/Gavrikov/Tex). It can be reasonably done. There will need to be re-signings, but going the other way, things like Foligno's and Dubinsky's contract and the Tyutin and Hartnell buyouts are coming off, too, and we're not a cap team as it stands at the moment anyway. After all, we had no problem offering Panarin $12 million. We can afford Eichel at $10 million.

Hypothetically:

Nyquist - Eichel - Bjorkstrand
Foligno - PLD - Atkinson
Jenner - Texier - Bemstrom
Gerbe - Foudy - Robinson

Stenlund, Matteau, TFW, Sherwood

Z - Jones
Gavrikov - Savard
Kukan - Nuti

Peeke, Harrington, Carlsson (if you have to trade more than just Murray, then remove Savard or Nuti and put Peeke in there)

If Laf is the player we hope he is, then we'll have the same issues in three years anyway, when PLD, Bjork, Z, Jones, Cam, etc., will all be in long-term deals. But give me the guy we KNOW is that level. That above roster is a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

 

[cslebn]

If you're trading #1 for #3, you better be getting #5 coming back (or Ott's first next year or at the very least "the option to flip first round picks with Ottawa next year" a la the trade to get Rick Nash), not a mid-second round pick. Keep in mind in 2012, we turned down #2 for #4 and every other NYI pick (including #34 and all the rest of their picks they had in the entire draft).

Fwiw Ottawa fans voted 85% against 3+5 for 1

 

[Viqsi]

Fwiw Ottawa fans voted 85% against 3+5 for 1

Which makes sense; they're lacking at multiple positions and so need multiple high-quality players. Also, Brady Tkachuk.

 

[Fro]

I voted to take Laf but if we win #1 and Ottawa would trade 3 &5 for it I wonder. Stutzle or Byfield at 3 and then either Raymond or Rossi at 5 would make me consider it.

This is my stance as well...i don't think OTT does it, but hell, I'd throw in something to entice

 

[Xoggz22]

This is venturing a bit into the salary cap thread territory, but I don't think that's true. For example, Wennberg might have slight negative value but not much. We probably "need" him at the moment because we're so thin at center and we're not up against the cap and he does provide some bit of value (I think he's "fine" as a 3rd-line center, he's just overpaid by about $2 million), but he's easily expendable if you add Eichel. Trade him and a pick if you have to at no retention and save $5 million. Trade Anderson for picks, you don't have to factor in his re-signing. Shore and Nash make a combined $5 million, replace them with two ELC guys and save over $3 million. Trade Savard and/or Murray and/or Nuti for picks and/or prospects (prob only need to trade one, but could trade two if necessary and still be in pretty good shape defensively). Can dump Nyquist's contract at the start of 2022-23 if you need to when Z and Jones new deals go into effect.

You wouldn't even have to do all of those, those are just example of things you can do without gutting the core (I consider "the core" to be Jones, Z, PLD, Bjorkstrand, along with maybe Cam/Gavrikov/Tex). It can be reasonably done. There will need to be re-signings, but going the other way, things like Foligno's and Dubinsky's contract and the Tyutin and Hartnell buyouts are coming off, too, and we're not a cap team as it stands at the moment anyway. After all, we had no problem offering Panarin $12 million. We can afford Eichel at $10 million.

Hypothetically:

Nyquist - Eichel - Bjorkstrand
Foligno - PLD - Atkinson
Jenner - Texier - Bemstrom
Gerbe - Foudy - Robinson

Stenlund, Matteau, TFW, Sherwood

Z - Jones
Gavrikov - Savard
Kukan - Nuti

Peeke, Harrington, Carlsson (if you have to trade more than just Murray, then remove Savard or Nuti and put Peeke in there)

If Laf is the player we hope he is, then we'll have the same issues in three years anyway, when PLD, Bjork, Z, Jones, Cam, etc., will all be in long-term deals. But give me the guy we KNOW is that level. That above roster is a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

I don't disagree that we could make it work but the #1OA isn't getting you Eichel anyway. So expect to move other good assets AND still need to move players like Andy, Wennberg, Savard, Murray for starters. You're going to pay PLD $8M AAV, then you have Jenner, Tex and Bjorkstrand due, followed by Jones and Z along with Elvis and/or Korpi.

I think we could do it for a year and your proposal above is reasonable but I'll disagree that it's a Stanley Cup Contender. Too many question marks but the Center depth is oustanding.

To be clear, I'm not against getting Eichel. Would be amazing but getting him for the #1OA just isn't realistic. Just my opinion

 

[Nanabijou]

Honestly, I don't think you want to look the gift horse in the mouth and overthink it if the #1 pick falls into the CBJ lap (although I'd rather they beat Toronto). Take Laf and run.

 

[Crede777]

Sounds like there is a consensus top three of Lafreniere, Byfield, and Stutzle. So if the Jackets win the #1 pick, Jarmo would likely draft someone who critics have slotted around 10-15.

 

[majormajor]

Sounds like there is a consensus top three of Lafreniere, Byfield, and Stutzle. So if the Jackets win the #1 pick, Jarmo would likely draft someone who critics have slotted around 10-15.

Jarmo will take Jurmo #1, just to watch people's heads explode.

 

[Crede777]

Jarmo will take Jurmo #1, just to watch people's heads explode.

Yep and then a year from now it will come out that Lafreniere is actually a 35 year old fugitive living under an assumed alias and will be banned from the NHL. Jarmo would be the only one who knew before the draft but he won't ever admit it.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Yep and then a year from now it will come out that Lafreniere is actually a 35 year old fugitive living under an assumed alias and will be banned from the NHL. Jarmo would be the only one who knew before the draft but he won't ever admit it.

Danny Almonte all over again.

 

[Long Live Lyle]

I don't disagree that we could make it work but the #1OA isn't getting you Eichel anyway. So expect to move other good assets AND still need to move players like Andy, Wennberg, Savard, Murray for starters. You're going to pay PLD $8M AAV, then you have Jenner, Tex and Bjorkstrand due, followed by Jones and Z along with Elvis and/or Korpi.

I think we could do it for a year and your proposal above is reasonable but I'll disagree that it's a Stanley Cup Contender. Too many question marks but the Center depth is oustanding.

To be clear, I'm not against getting Eichel. Would be amazing but getting him for the #1OA just isn't realistic. Just my opinion

I agree that I don’t think it’d be enough and also agree I wouldn’t move any additional assets in a trade to get Eichel. But if for whatever reason, they would do it (like he demands a trade or something) I’d do it.

 

[LetsGOJackets!!]

I agree that I don’t think it’d be enough and also agree I wouldn’t move any additional assets in a trade to get Eichel. But if for whatever reason, they would do it (like he demands a trade or something) I’d do it.

Wait.. if Columbus loses to Tronta, and gets the #1 pick, you would decline trading the #1 pick and some assets to Buffalo for Jack Eichel? Say there is agreement on #1OA, a defensemen, a forward and a goalie, you wouldn't entertain that? I don't want to fill in the blanks because Buffalo likely says no anyway, but CBJ fans need to be realistic about the trade value of its players. Pretty much if you fill in the blanks and Seth Jones isn't involved it would be a good trade. Eichel is more valuable to us than Bread was, and most fans would have given the moon to keep him in Columbus.

If we get #1 and keep it and select Laf.. we just got considerably better, but still lack a first line center. I'm sure we can work around it, but the hole remains.

 

[Jive Pawnbroker]

If the Jackets were to somehow land the first overall pick, they should select Lafreniere and not look back. He has great vision, hands, plays with some grit and appears to be defensively responsible. He checks a lot of boxes that Panarin filled when he was here.

 

[Long Live Lyle]

Wait.. if Columbus loses to Tronta, and gets the #1 pick, you would decline trading the #1 pick and some assets to Buffalo for Jack Eichel? Say there is agreement on #1OA, a defensemen, a forward and a goalie, you wouldn't entertain that? I don't want to fill in the blanks because Buffalo likely says no anyway, but CBJ fans need to be realistic about the trade value of its players. Pretty much if you fill in the blanks and Seth Jones isn't involved it would be a good trade. Eichel is more valuable to us than Bread was, and most fans would have given the moon to keep him in Columbus.

If we get #1 and keep it and select Laf.. we just got considerably better, but still lack a first line center. I'm sure we can work around it, but the hole remains.

I've been one of the biggest proponents on here of trading for Eichel if it can be done reasonably both in this thread and in the other original Eichel thread. I think I'm pretty realistic about our players' trade values; I reached an agreement with Sabres fans on the mains on a trade about a week ago, which involved having to give up PLD, but he was it of the "big four" (Jones, Z, PLD, Bjorkstrand).

I didn't mean literally no assets, but if they want something like #1 and Texier or #1 and Bjorkstrand or something like that, I wouldn't do it. If they want something like #1 and Nuti and a 2nd-round pick or something, fine. I value Eichel more than Laf, but not "significantly" more.