Value of: Nicklas Bäckström

[johnsic]

Let's say Caps win the Cup without injured Nicklas Bäckström. It could make him expandable. What would your team offer for him?

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[Vancouver Canucks]

No, that's not happening.

 

[txpd]

Nicklas Backstrom isn't going to be traded. He is not expendable. He has not been replaced by Kuznetsov as the team's top center much less by Lars Eller.

 

[hockeykicker]

That's like saying the pens won the cup without malkin, lets trade malkin. Pens won't do that

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

That's like saying the pens won the cup without malkin, lets trade malkin. Pens won't do that

Good analogy.

 

[StephenPeat]

I’m going to behave as if the first sentence of this thread was never drafted. I’m going to hope the rest never amounts to anything more than fantasy.

 

[Langway]

He can get a bit chubby at times so expandable for sure.

 

[Kolzilla]

Not available, bad logic...

 

[HeyMattyB]

Oh dear, just look at this thread.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Would actually like to see offers for Backstrom instead of everyone just saying he's not available. He's a top 15 center playing on one of the best contracts in the league. Let's see what people would offer.

 

[trick9]

Nicklas Backstrom isn't going to be traded. He is not expendable. He has not been replaced by Kuznetsov as the team's top center much less by Lars Eller.

I disagree.

He's been the top center of this team in 2 of the last 3 regular seasons, and now he's stepped his game up in the Playoffs to a level Backstrom has never done. He's certainly the top center in this team, even though Trotz propably prefers him as the match-up center. He's very good at shutting down great centers and most importantly he's better defensively and on face-offs.

That doesn't make him expendable though.

That's like saying the pens won the cup without malkin, lets trade malkin. Pens won't do that

Malkin is a bad example. He has Conn Smythe and a 36-point playoff run in his resume. Backstrom in his best run had 15 points. You are comparing a guy whose been propably the closest player in recent memory to actually carry his team to a Cup to a player who has never been able to put the team on his back and who most consider to be disappointing playoff performer.

 

[rent free]

A lot

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

You kill depth, if you trade him. This is NOT happening.

 

[txpd]

Sorry. Don't see it yet. Kuznetsov is matching Backstrom's offensive output. Point per game is about even, yes? But Backstrom gets shut down matchup. He runs the pp. He gets critical pk time.

 

[Kuz]

Backström isnt out for the rest of the playoffs according to rumours at least. So the Caps most likely loose or win with Backström.

Value is most likely more than anyone wants to pay. As the Caps is a contending team and wont trade Backström for future things like picks or prospects. So in reality you have to give the Caps players back that makes the team better now and while also not giving a lot of cap back as the Caps have little cap space to work with.

 

[johnsic]

Backström isnt out for the rest of the playoffs according to rumours at least. So the Caps most likely loose or win with Backström.

He has probably a broken hand. He can play if he really has to but as Caps are winning and playing so good he can choose not to.

 

[johnsic]

Would actually like to see offers for Backstrom instead of everyone just saying he's not available. He's a top 15 center playing on one of the best contracts in the league. Let's see what people would offer.

Yeah that is why I made this thread. Lars Eller has been amazing and he has grown to be a great second line center.

 

[txpd]

Yeah that is why I made this thread. Lars Eller has been amazing and he has grown to be a great second line center.

Yea...Eller has progressed from a 3c to a solid 2c. Backstrom remains a 1c. The Caps lose Beagle from 4 and move Eller up from 3 to replace Backstrom and they go from a really strong 4 deep at center to having 2 holes.

Sure...make an offer. It just makes no sense to trade him.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Depending on the 2018-19 Salary Cap may come down toa choice between Carlson and Backstrom.

 

[Revelation]

Caps keep him just because he's a big part of the team and still has a role.

We'd want a faster younger center back (like William Karlsson but obviously not William Karlsson) and potentially a high end LD (if Carlson leaves high end RD). Or high picks of course those are always good

 

[Revelation]

Depending on the 2018-19 Salary Cap may come down toa choice between Carlsson and Backstrom.

I'd imagine they'd rather shed some from their 10th-23rd most important players than 2 of their top 5 players.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Carlson is a 2018 UFA, so the choice is not equivalent to shedding from # 10-23.

 

[olli]

You kill depth, if you trade him. This is NOT happening.

You could create a lot more depth in the long run. But unless the caps decide to rebuild, they're not trading Backstrom.

 

[Hivemind]

Depending on the 2018-19 Salary Cap may come down toa choice between Carlsson and Backstrom.

"John Carlsson" is a 4th tier Finnish league player, so I think this is a pretty easy choice.

If you meant John Carlson, then you're still making a completely absurd statement, as the premise of your dilemma is false. There are much less painful ways for the Caps to clear cap space than trading Nicklas Backstrom (namely unloading the $5.5M 3rd pairing defenseman they have). Even supposing your premise was true, that's an easy choice for Washington to make. Backstrom ten times out of ten.

 

[Revelation]

Carlsson is a 2018 UFA, so the choice is not equivalent to shedding from # 10-23.

Any of

Orpik
Grubauer
Burakovsky
Beagle
Connolly

are much much easier to replace than Carlson. Getting rid of Orpik alone does it.