Speculation: Off-Season

[thecloser]

wanted to start a new thread to encompass everything from the fall out of the expansion draft to our needs for a #2C and a Wing to replace Neal, if we go that route.

Jordan Eberle was someone I thought we might look at and he has just been shipped off to the Islanders for Ryan Strome. Scratch him from the list.

Carry on...

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[JustaFinnishGuy]

Grabbing T.J Oshie when free agency starts would make everyone forget about Neal in an instant. He's coming off a year with 33 goals and 12 playoff points in 13 games.

 

[thecloser]

Grabbing T.J Oshie when free agency starts would make everyone forget about Neal in an instant. He's coming off a year with 33 goals and 12 playoff points in 13 games.

This is true but he'll probably be asking for more than Neal would have been at the present time.

 

[LCPreds]

This is true but he'll probably be asking for more than Neal would have been at the present time.

Which is ok considering it would be a longer term deal. Of course 'ok' depends on how much more we're talking.

 

[thecloser]

Which is ok considering it would be a longer term deal. Of course 'ok' depends on how much more we're talking.

So Oshie is 30 and this will probably be his last chance for term and big money.

What would he ask for 6x6? 5x5.5/6? I don't know if I do that.

What do y'all think about Marleau on a 1yr deal? i think he's lost most of what is in the tank but he's a veteran plug. Don't know exactly what he might cost on the open market though.

 

[JustaFinnishGuy]

Which is ok considering it would be a longer term deal. Of course 'ok' depends on how much more we're talking.

5-6 million range and I'm ok with Oshie landing to Nashville after July 1. If the 1st digit starts with a 7, I'm not so sure about the deal because that's approaching Kyle Okposo- like money for 50-60 points in a season.

What do y'all think about Marleau on a 1yr deal? i think he's lost most of what is in the tank but he's a veteran plug. Don't know exactly what he might cost on the open market though.

I'm all aboard if Marleau is cheaper than Neal was. 46 points is actually better what Neal had this season.

 

[Mortiest Morty]

Grabbing T.J Oshie when free agency starts would make everyone forget about Neal in an instant. He's coming off a year with 33 goals and 12 playoff points in 13 games.

Oshie is not a 33 goal scorer, he's a 20-goal scorer, unless we're trading for Ovi and Backstrom. Still a good player, more of a pass first guy, good defensively and pretty strong for his small stature. Was good in the postseason this year, but was always a disappointment in St. Louis. Also turns 31 in December. Like I said, definitely a good player, but there are things to consider before signing him up for 6 or so years.

 

[TheJungleHunter]

Poile adds Oshie and Duchene/Nugent-Hopkins, then I'll totally forget about the Neal expansion draft exposure.

 

[LCPreds]

5-6 million range and I'm ok with Oshie landing to Nashville after July 1. If the 1st digit starts with a 7, I'm not so sure about the deal because that's approaching Kyle Okposo- like money for 50-60 points in a season.

Yeah I'm good with 5-6. Term may be the issue. 5-6m @ 3-4y would be good but guessing he will want more. Could be flippable at the trade deadline when we inevitably have a down year over the next 5 years though.

 

[thecloser]

Poile adds Oshie and Duchene/Nugent-Hopkins, then I'll totally forget about the Neal expansion draft exposure.

Does adding Ryan Strome in the Eberle trade make RNH more expendable for EDM?

 

[JustaFinnishGuy]

Oshie is not a 33 goal scorer, he's a 20-goal scorer, unless we're trading for Ovi and Backstrom. Still a good player, more of a pass first guy, good defensively and pretty strong for his small stature. Was good in the postseason this year, but was always a disappointment in St. Louis. Also turns 31 in December. Like I said, definitely a good player, but there are things to consider before signing him up for 6 or so years.

Here's the 'facts'. Neal had 3 seasons with the Preds. 1 of those seasons featured 30+ goals. Oshie's last 30 goal season was this exact year. He's been otherwise the same player as Neal production wise. To me, he would be a replacement for Neal 1 for 1. Signing Neal for the same kind of deal would have been a risk also.

 

[deanwormer]

Poile adds Oshie and Duchene/Nugent-Hopkins, then I'll totally forget about the Neal expansion draft exposure.

I don't think it'll be 2, just gonna' be 1...... can't see us adding 2 contracts like that, not with the RFA contracts we've got to already deal with. Poile is not gonna' put us in that contract bind Chitaco has found itself in ever since they actually had to pay Toews and Kane market salaries.

 

[Top 6 Spaling]

My dream off-season is somehow signing both Thornton and Oshie. It'll never happen but it's my dream. More realistic, bring in one or the other and make a trade to fill #2C/#2W, whichever we don't sign.

As much as I would love Duchene/RNH/Galch/Tavares, I don't think we have the pieces to get any of them. I expect us to sign a winger (hopefully Oshie) and trade for a Bozak-level center as a stop-gap.

 

[Persona5]

Poile adds Oshie and Duchene/Nugent-Hopkins, then I'll totally forget about the Neal expansion draft exposure.

I do not want RNH at all. Oshie will be back with the caps. Duchene is being heavily rumored to be traded to the islanders. I'm not seeing anything rumored for the Preds. Losing Neal and then if Fisher retires Poile is going to have to find 41 goals at least from losing these two players. That is a tall task without paying up big time to do so.

I am really hoping a big push is being made to add Duchene but if there was you would think there would be some sort of rumor about it. I'm fearing the worst though and we will be counting on our young guys to pick up the slack...

 

[Mortiest Morty]

Here's the 'facts'. Neal had 3 seasons with the Preds. 1 of those seasons featured 30+ goals. Oshie's last 30 goal season was this exact year. He's been otherwise the same player as Neal production wise. To me, he would be a replacement for Neal 1 for 1. Signing Neal for the same kind of deal would have been a risk also.

Here are the "facts". Before playing with Backstrom and Ovechkin, Oshie scored 20 or more goals ONCE in his entire career, Neal had 9 straight seasons of 20 plus. Did he finally unlock some skills at age 29 and 30 or was he playing with a top 3 playmaking center in the league and thus has inflated numbers? He is a very different player than Neal, but a good one nonetheless. Don't expect more than 12-15 goals max if he's going to be centered by Jarnkrok or Sissons though.

 

[Top 6 Spaling]

I do not want RNH at all. Oshie will be back with the caps. Duchene is being heavily rumored to be traded to the islanders. I'm not seeing anything rumored for the Preds. Losing Neal and then if Fisher retires Poile is going to have to find 41 goals at least from losing these two players. That is a tall task without paying up big time to do so.

I am really hoping a big push is being made to add Duchene but if there was you would think there would be some sort of rumor about it. I'm fearing the worst though and we will be counting on our young guys to pick up the slack...

Generally the Preds aren't involved in as many rumors. Not sure if it's a small market thing, if we have less contact with the hockey media at large, or if Poile is just good at keeping his cards close to his chest. I wouldn't read too much into that.

I see everyone here suggesting Duchene, and I'd love him, but what do we trade for him? Let's assume he's worth as much as Johansen was when he got him, which I think is pretty fair. What do we have as our Seth Jones? Fabbro+1st won't get it done, Carolina will just offer Hanifin and Colorado will laugh at our offer. To have any chance, we'd have to break up our top four D. Are people comfortable with that?

 

[JustaFinnishGuy]

Here are the "facts". Before playing with Backstrom and Ovechkin, Oshie scored 20 or more goals ONCE in his entire career, Neal had 9 straight seasons of 20 plus. Did he finally unlock some skills at age 29 and 30 or was he playing with a top 3 playmaking center in the league and thus has inflated numbers? He is a very different player than Neal, but a good one nonetheless. Don't expect more than 12-15 goals max if he's going to be centered by Jarnkrok or Sissons though.

Might be true, but 3 seasons he has scored 19, 19 and 18 goal seasons, which pretty much are 20 goal seasons. We just have to see if a move for him is the right one. I'm still taking him to replace Neal, otherwise we have too many question marks floating around different positions.
Fiala won't be back for a while and Wilson and Smith are inconsistent as all hell, so why not at least add that 20-30 goals to your next year's roster?

 

[Top 6 Spaling]

I also think Sam Gagner is a guy worth a look. Not who I'd want as my permanent #2C but he had a solid year last year. Underrated player that we could get on a cheaper, shorter deal until Kamenev is ready or we find our guy via trade/FA.

Not sure how much stock you all put in HERO charts but here's Gagner vs. a "normal" 2C

And here's Gagner vs. Duchene. I'd obviously rather have Duchene but is the difference really a significantly worse contract and Fabbro+?

 

[King Weber]

Might be true, but 3 seasons he has scored 19, 19 and 18 goal seasons, which pretty much are 20 goal seasons. We just have to see if a move for him is the right one. I'm still taking him to replace Neal, otherwise we have too many question marks floating around different positions.
Fiala won't be back for a while and Wilson and Smith are inconsistent as all hell, so why not at least add that 20-30 goals to your next year's roster?

He's already way ahead of schedule when it comes to recovering, so should be good to go for training camp.

 

[JustaFinnishGuy]

He's already way ahead of schedule when it comes to recovering, so should be good to go for training camp.

That's a relief.
Hoping that nothing starts to linger from that horrific hit though

 

[drwpreds]

Might be true, but 3 seasons he has scored 19, 19 and 18 goal seasons, which pretty much are 20 goal seasons. We just have to see if a move for him is the right one. I'm still taking him to replace Neal, otherwise we have too many question marks floating around different positions.
Fiala won't be back for a while and Wilson and Smith are inconsistent as all hell, so why not at least add that 20-30 goals to your next year's roster?

I have seen several people saying this about Fiala- am I wrong in that he is ahead of schedule and expected back by training camp????

 

[Lateralous]

Does adding Ryan Strome in the Eberle trade make RNH more expendable for EDM?

I think the Oilers would still like to get out from under RNH's contract (4 more years at 6 million) given that he is essentially a 3C for them. The Preds lineup is getting awful small though.

 

[Preds Partisan]

I have seen several people saying this about Fiala- am I wrong in that he is ahead of schedule and expected back by training camp????

In the Poile presser to end the season he said that the doctors were impressed by Fiala's hard work and that he was way ahead of schedule. He said it's a four month recovery. Apparently both Fiala and RJ will be ready by the beginning of the season. I don't know if that means camp or the actual season, but the bottom line is no setbacks for now.

 

[tampa pred]

Any interest in E. Kane? He would replace Neal's toughness and goals and might not cost much in a trade. Only 1 year left on his deal, so it wouldn't be much of a risk if he becomes a complete headcase.

 

[Top 6 Spaling]

Any interest in E. Kane? He would replace Neal's toughness and goals and might not cost much in a trade. Only 1 year left on his deal, so it wouldn't be much of a risk if he becomes a complete headcase.

Assuming he's cheap enough, sure. But as much as he's bounced around, for as good a player as he is, I wouldn't give up much.