GDT: NHL Trade Deadline Thread

[NMK11]

Mmm no it ain’t.

That's the joke...

 

[ColePens]

Caps are for sure a contender if they can play D like they did last year and Holtby plays well again...even before these moves, I’d say there are four real contenders in the East—Caps, TB, Tor and Bos...

Their transition game is AS good as last year. Their defensive game... far from it. They look worn out.

 

[Turin]

And still a bottom pairing guy. Sorry, not worth a 2nd round pick.

Sure. List off the number of second round picks better than Jensen taken by this team.

 

[Turin]

That's the joke...

Sorry

Also, on the flip side.. there’s no way the pick isn’t loterry protected so people saying the Pens might deal a loterry pick also probably wrong.

 

[Andy99]

Their transition game is AS good as last year. Their defensive game... far from it. They look worn out.

Agree...so far...tbd if they can turn it on like they did last year but they have all the pieces

 

[Gurglesons]

1st to Vancouver for Gudbranson or however you spell it.

 

[Zirakzigil]

Sure. List off the number of second round picks better than Jensen taken by this team.

Sure. List off the number of second round picks better than Jensen taken by this team.

Letang for one. Blueger for another.

Just because the Pens trade away a lot of picks and prospects, doesn’t mean they don’t have value. Trading a 2nd rounder for 20-30 games from a bottom pairing defensemen is poor asset management.

 

[Turin]

1st to Vancouver for Gudbranson or however you spell it.

Work in a hospital and I’m going to have to rip down every “stop elder abuse” sign I see.

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

You don't think that we have anyone on the roster who will improve beyond this season? I mean look at some of the young kids we have on the roster.

Reese - 24 - 1st full NHL season
Simon - 24 - 1st full NHL season
McCann - 22 - 4th NHL season (the age temps me the most)
Blueger - 24 - 1st NHL stint
Pettersson - 22 - 2nd pro NA season (will spend 3/4 in the NHL this year)
Riikola - 25 - 1st NA season
Guentzel - 24 - still coming into his own. I don't think he'll be more productive (although who knows), but I do think he'll continue to grow as a player and round out his game much like what we've seen with Crosby over the years.

I'm not saying that all of these guys will become stars - in fact it's unlikely that any (beyond JG) really take that step, but I think seeing some growth out of these player's is a pretty reasonable expectation. Seeing how all have contributed to us this season, getting all more out of them next season should only make us better.

I could see some doubt over McCann as this is his 4th season and how much room for growth is a reasonable question, but at 22/23 he's still pretty young, so who knows. I'll keep my expectation's low and see how things go, but the idea that we have nothing that will help this team going forward is false. We have our stars and important positions filled. What we need from those plays is cheap effective depth, and even if all we see is a small increase, that's still going to help us given how cheap almost every single one of those player's will be.

I think I tried to get a little more specific by saying something like "Players that would make you think 'Let's wait another year and then we'll really have something'". It's not that I expect no one to improve at all, but I don't see anyone who will take any sort of significant leap from this year to next. Pettersson will still be a serviceable but vanilla Dman, for example, even if he continues to improve. Other than Jake, who is great and could easily put up 30+ again next year, nothing there thrills me. If almost all of them take small steps, sure maybe we'll have something. Again, excluding Jake who is one of our best players, I don't see anyone there that's going to be a revelation from this year to next, so I fall back again on this year being pretty similar to next if I had to bet.

 

[OnMyOwn]

Letang for one. Blueger for another.

Just because the Pens trade away a lot of picks and prospects, doesn’t mean they don’t have value. Trading a 2nd rounder for 20-30 games from a bottom pairing defensemen is poor asset management.

Letang was a 3rd.

 

[SaucyCelly]

Sure. List off the number of second round picks better than Jensen taken by this team.

Muzzin was 141
Rust was 80
Murray was 83
Guentzl was 77

 

[xlm34]

I don’t have an issue with the first being in play if it isn’t for a rental.

 

[Riptide]

First off why are you so set on ES? PP is just as much part of the game, if you cant score on the PP you end up with a game like last night.

Minimal downgrade?

Since 2015 season:
Saad (2 of his biggest point totals were in 2015 season and 2016 season) has 178 total points
Kessel (his highest point total last season) has 283 points

Kessel is atrocious away from the puck (besides random back-checks) but that is a lot offensive downgrade.

ES accounts for 80%+ of the game. So for starter's having player's who can score at ES is important. There's also the fact that not all PP time/positions are equal from team to team or even within one team.

Where things get murky is when your swap players who are not similar players (Kessel vs Saad/Zucker/etc). The skill level and the skill set's are not remotely close to each other. BUT that doesn't automatically mean you're a worse team.

Pro's:
- Much better two way play
- Younger and cheaper
- More of a 'give a shit' attitude/effort on a consistent basis

Neutral:
- Minimal difference at ES (you're talking about a handful of points over several seasons that are easily accounted for by the quality of the team/teammates each player has)

Con's:
- Much less skilled, which probably translates into a lesser ability to pull coverage from their centers
- Less ability to help on the PP (although this can be neutralized if we have someone else internally who can replace PK's role)

For me, my whole stance all along with regards to Kessel wasn't his point totals, but the fact that his playmaking abilities make Crosby/Malkin's lives easier offensively. But I have to say with how he's been playing recently, even I'm starting to have concerns. I do not want to be less skilled, and going from Kessel to Zucker/Saad makes us less skilled. But with what we're currently seeing from Kessel, getting less skilled, but a more consistent effort and better 2 way game might be the way to go.

 

[TKalltheTime]

When will the majority of dolts here finally realize that this organization doesn’t give a shit about a 1st round pick. They care about MONEY. The playoffs = MONEY.

That is first and foremost the primary objective with the Pittsburgh Penguins. MONEY.

 

[Turin]

Muzzin was 141
Rust was 80
Murray was 83
Guentzl was 77

Those aren’t 2nd rounders. The chance league wide of a second rounder being a good player is still pretty low.

 

[Turin]

When will the majority of dolts here finally realize that this organization doesn’t give a **** about a 1st round pick. They care about MONEY. The playoffs = MONEY.

That is first and foremost the primary objective with the Pittsburgh Penguins. MONEY.

... yes that is the primary objective of everyone’s labour.

 

[SaucyCelly]

Those aren’t 2nd rounders. The chance league wide of a second rounder being a good player is still pretty low.

So your point is 2nd rounders are a worse pick than 3rd? All those are 3rd or higher and that are all better than Jensen.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

TIOPS saying the Pens' 1st is in play is worth less than nothing.

But I would have no problem if the Pens' 1st weren't in play. In fact, I hope it is...dependent on the return.

 

[Turin]

So your point is 2nd rounders are a worse pick than 3rd? All those are 3rd or higher and that are all better than Jensen.

Did the Caps lose their third?

 

[Riptide]

I think I tried to get a little more specific by saying something like "Players that would make you think 'Let's wait another year and then we'll really have something'". It's not that I expect no one to improve at all, but I don't see anyone who will take any sort of significant leap from this year to next. Pettersson will still be a serviceable but vanilla Dman, for example, even if he continues to improve. Other than Jake, who is great and could easily put up 30+ again next year, nothing there thrills me. If almost all of them take small steps, sure maybe we'll have something. Again, excluding Jake who is one of our best players, I don't see anyone there that's going to be a revelation from this year to next, so I fall back again on this year being pretty similar to next if I had to bet.

The thing is we do not need any of them to "take any sort of significant leap". We need them to grow a little and become a little better next season then they were/are this season, and if we can get that from several of them, then we're in a much better spot next season then we were this season.

At the end of the day, these are all depth player's and if we NEED them to take significant steps to be a good team, we're in deep trouble.

 

[66-30-33]

Maatta, 1st, Addison is still what I would give for Fowler who's signed long term.

 

[Turin]

Those Stadium Series helmets are... can we stop playing in these things

 

[Shrimper]

I'd only trade our 1st for a part of a deal involving someone signed beyond this season. We can always trade Maatta or someone to get some picks for the draft.

 

[Zirakzigil]

Did the Caps lose their third?

Yep. Traded that too.

For a middle pairing RHD rental? Maybe move the 2nd rounder. Bottom pairing guy? Nope.

 

[Turin]

Yep. Traded that too.

For a middle pairing RHD rental? Maybe move the 2nd rounder. Bottom pairing guy? Nope.

Right that’s what they gave up for Hagelin.

2nd rounder is what JR traded for Hainsey.