Official offseason trades, signings, proposals thread II

[Bringer of Jollity]

Ellis is better at actual defense and is comparable offensively (would have outproduced Ristolainen with even a mediocre power play this past season).

 

[GoldOnGold]

Saw this in an old article lol:

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Yikes. Nice to have missed out on that. Although with a bit of retention, Eriksson as a winger might be more effective than Turris in our revamped lineup, and that's the sort of contract dump scenario we might find ourselves entering into down the road, depending on just how bad Eriksson truly is now.

 

[jumb0]

Have to think Turris would have been going to Vancouver? Matching salaries but shorter term on Eriksson?

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Have to think Turris would have been going to Vancouver? Matching salaries but shorter term on Eriksson?

That was as a UFA 3 years ago. But in the future, it's one of the potential types of Turris trade scenarios. We're not there yet, fortunately. Hopefully it never gets there.

 

[jumb0]

That was as a UFA 3 years ago. But in the future, it's one of the potential types of Turris trade scenarios. We're not there yet, fortunately. Hopefully it never gets there.

Ah, didn't notice that was from 2016. Carry on.

 

[Predsanddead24]

Interesting quote from Poile regarding Turris in the Athletic today:

“I think he’s very happy here,” Poile said of Turris. “I don’t think he’s, and I hate speaking for him, but he’s not happy with either how we’re using him or how he’s played. And those are both tied in to each other. So we have to hope and believe after all the conversations and our knowledge of him over many years of success in the National Hockey League, that he’s going to come back and we’ll just chalk this up to a bad year. … That is the question. We want the Kyle Turris that we first traded for. And that’s both on him and on us.”

I fail to see how putting him on the wing or on the third line and reducing his powerplay role is going to improve his happiness with how we're using him though.

 

[Montross]

I fail to see how putting him on the wing or on the third line and reducing his powerplay role is going to improve his happiness with how we're using him though.

This is my big worry with keeping Turris - he is going to have to move over to wing or center the 3rd line. I am not convinced he will excel in either role.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

It's rare for Poile to say that much. Maybe he can come around to accepting that Turris is just no longer a fit.

Short of a major injury to Duchene or Johansen, I don't know what really salvages Turris next season with us. My odds would be something like:

25% he is just as useless as last season and truly does become a negative value albatross contract.

50% he is some kind of "meh" with a diminished role - like say scores 35-45 pts bouncing around the lineup, which still isn't worth $6M, and likely still doesn't leave him with any/much trade value.

25% he has enough of a bounce-back season or reinvents his game (e.g. > 50 pts) to actually contribute to the team and recoup some kind of trade value.

 

[ILikeItILoveIt]

Turris made his own bed. With Joey and Matt, his Top Six center role is history unless there's an injury. If the Preds aren't as interested in placing him in a $6MM role, they'll make him the 3rd center, with Sissons and either Yarny or Rocco. If they want to roll the dice he can be effective on the wing, they'll play him with Duchene and hope he can put up 50-60 points, which would get him back to something close to his money's worth. If they play him as 3rd line center, and he does reasonably well given the reduced ice time, it may be easier to trade him. Other team may be convinced he's back in form but underutilized given our depth at center. 50% chance he doesn't end the year with us. If he does, he's probably underperforming and we're stuck with him.

 

[Blitz]

Hi all,

Sabres fan here - just wondering, in your opinions if there would be a starting point for a deal between NSH/BUF involving Turris & Okposo?? Both have a $6M AAV cap hit, Okposo's deal ends 1yr sooner, which is nice - but he cant play centre.

Sabres need a #2C, Nashville has a potential opening at #3W correct? IIRC, I believe Scissons can also play #3C?

Cap and term pretty much a wash, both seemingly fill a need - thoughts?

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Hi all,

Sabres fan here - just wondering, in your opinions if there would be a starting point for a deal between NSH/BUF involving Turris & Okposo?? Both have a $6M AAV cap hit, Okposo's deal ends 1yr sooner, which is nice - but he cant play centre.

Sabres need a #2C, Nashville has a potential opening at #3W correct? IIRC, I believe Scissons can also play #3C?

Cap and term pretty much a wash, both seemingly fill a need - thoughts?

It sounds like an idea worth investigating a little further. I guess my main concern is just on where Okposo is at with his game. I haven't paid attention to him. I don't think we are looking for a sluggish/finished winger who needs to be gifted ice just to get 15 goals. It could be better to try to liquidate Turris "for nothing" than to just trade him for another boat anchor? But it really all hinges on the scouting report on Okposo --- does he have any spark left in his game? Does it look like there's any chance he could be a 20+ goal scorer again? I don't know. My mental picture of him basically comes from reading this board, and it's not a positive or hopeful picture.

Whereas Turris... I don't think he'll be a very good winger, mostly just because he's a little shy in traffic. But he has speed and a good release, and I don't see him being in any "decline" per se, aside from injury and utilization. Even as a poor fit on the wing, I don't think he's just going to fall off the map as a player. Whereas my readings on Okposo lead me to fear that he may already have fallen off.

So I'm not optimistic about this, though willing to listen. I liked the idea better of just swapping Turris out for Bogosian. Even injured Bogosian. Just because an RD might become a bigger need for us, and of course at least that way we get out of the contract MUCH sooner.

 

[PredsHead]

If Tolvanen looks ready for Top 6 minutes (which I understand is a HUGE if) would anyone have any interest in perhaps swapping Smith for Brenden Dillon? San Jose needs a RW and I think Dillon would be a great #5 for the Preds. Pair him with either Santini or Hamhuis and Lavy should be able to give that pairing enough tough minutes that it makes things easier on the other pairings. I doubt there would be a huge difference in production between Jarnkrok and Smith when playing on the third line, and there is Grimaldi to make some of the difference as well. If Poile could also get Boyle back on a cheap one year deal, that would even further offset Smith's loss and give them some more size to boot.

 

[Legionnaire11]

If I know Poile's M.O. it would be to go into the season with what he's put together and if someone hasn't stepped up to lock down the 6th D spot or the 2nd line wing, he will make a move in late Nov or early Dec.

If there's an earlier move to be made it would be waiving one or more of Gaudreau, Salomaki or Grimaldi.

 

[PredsV82]

Smith is in contract season. I would t move him. I suspect hes gonna have a big year

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I wouldn't move Smith either. Tolvanen stepping up is a bonus I'm not at all expecting... but if he does, then we definitely have room for both of them on our wings.

Our surplus is still at center... Turris/Bonino... they may not have as much trade value, but if we were ever going to trade from a position of strength I'd be looking at one of them first.

However precisely as Legionnaire says above, I do not at all believe that Poile will be thinking of trades. Nor will most teams - not who don't have cap-compliance issues motivating them anyway. Poile had all off-season to build the roster he wanted and here he is, just about ready to smash the champagne bottle on the prow of his creation... he's not looking to change anything now.

 

[PredsHead]

If I know Poile's M.O. it would be to go into the season with what he's put together and if someone hasn't stepped up to lock down the 6th D spot or the 2nd line wing, he will make a move in late Nov or early Dec.

If there's an earlier move to be made it would be waiving one or more of Gaudreau, Salomaki or Grimaldi.

Yeah I agree it would be more in Poile's history to wait until a few weeks into the season to make that move, if you did make it. The only issue that would raise for me would be if Boyle is still available.

Smith is in contract season. I would t move him. I suspect hes gonna have a big year

I thought about that too, but again in my scenario Tolvanen is in the Top 6 so if Smith is only getting 3rd line minutes and probably not much power play time I'm just not sure how big of a year he will have.

 

[GeauxPreds1]

Hi all,

Sabres fan here - just wondering, in your opinions if there would be a starting point for a deal between NSH/BUF involving Turris & Okposo?? Both have a $6M AAV cap hit, Okposo's deal ends 1yr sooner, which is nice - but he cant play centre.

Sabres need a #2C, Nashville has a potential opening at #3W correct? IIRC, I believe Scissons can also play #3C?

Cap and term pretty much a wash, both seemingly fill a need - thoughts?

No way! Turris had a bad season because of injuries. Okposo had a bad season because his game has fell off.

 

[GeauxPreds1]

Yeah I agree it would be more in Poile's history to wait until a few weeks into the season to make that move, if you did make it. The only issue that would raise for me would be if Boyle is still available.



I thought about that too, but again in my scenario Tolvanen is in the Top 6 so if Smith is only getting 3rd line minutes and probably not much power play time I'm just not sure how big of a year he will have.

But you would have 3 pretty good scoring lines with turris as your 3c and Smith as your 3rw

 

[PredsHead]

But you would have 3 pretty good scoring lines with turris as your 3c and Smith as your 3rw

Yes you would, but how much time will that third scoring line get? If you are playing Johansen's line 18-19 minutes a game and Duchene's line something similar, along with Bonino/Jarnkrok-Sissons-Watson as a shutdown line probably playing close to 15 minutes there is not much time left for Turris' line. Probably not much power play opportunity either, so even if he is playing really well there just may not be that many opportunities for him to show it.

 

[Blitz]

No way! Turris had a bad season because of injuries. Okposo had a bad season because his game has fell off.

Kyle Okposo opens up about the darkest days of his life (The Athletic)

Okposo's 'issues' are 100% related to almost dying in an Intensive Care Unit after a head injury, followed up by missing a huge amount of time... He didn't "fall off".

While his offense has decreased, He has reinvented himself as a solid bottom-6 winger (albeit an expensive one...) who is more than capable of shutting down opposition scoring lines & even playing some physical grinding hockey. He's had a minor issue w/ a concussion last year, but he's still easily a 40+pt NHL winger w/ PP upside in any system but Phil Housley's.

 

[PredsV82]

Kyle Okposo opens up about the darkest days of his life (The Athletic)

Okposo's 'issues' are 100% related to almost dying in an Intensive Care Unit after a head injury, followed up by missing a huge amount of time... He didn't "fall off".

While his offense has decreased, He has reinvented himself as a solid bottom-6 winger (albeit an expensive one...) who is more than capable of shutting down opposition scoring lines & even playing some physical grinding hockey. He's had a minor issue w/ a concussion last year, but he's still easily a 40+pt NHL winger w/ PP upside in any system but Phil Housley's.

Did you actually post that trying to convince us we should take him?

 

[Blitz]

Did you actually post that trying to convince us we should take him?

Nope, I don't care either way - just stopping disinformation. Forgive me if I'm out of line, however way too many people on HF like to offer their "expert" opinions on a player they've never actually seen on the ice.

Turris' return is going to be underwhelming IMO due to lowered production & his contract - maybe you'll do better than a straight swap for a player like Okposo, maybe Poile can pay a bottom-feeder team to eat his cap with a sweetener... I was just spitballing from the get-go.

 

[GeauxPreds1]

Nope, I don't care either way - just stopping disinformation. Forgive me if I'm out of line, however way too many people on HF like to offer their "expert" opinions on a player they've never actually seen on the ice.

Turris' return is going to be underwhelming IMO due to lowered production & his contract - maybe you'll do better than a straight swap for a player like Okposo, maybe Poile can pay a bottom-feeder team to eat his cap with a sweetener... I was just spitballing from the get-go.

On the contrary I have watched Okposo on the ice. I've watch quite a few of buffalos games last year having Eichel and Reinhart on my fantasy team and I'm sorry Okposo did not look like the same player he was in the past almost every game I watched. I'm sorry I just think turris has a better upside than okposo. And apparently you do too because you want him as your 2c and okposo is a 3rd line winger in your words. Why would nashville want a 31 year old 3rd liner when our roster is filled with bottom 6 players. Bottom 6 player is something nashville doesn't need more of. I'd rather hold on to turris there is no need to trade turris now so I very seriously doubt poile even thinks about it unless a great deal comes up. And what you proposed was not that at all.

 

[PredsV82]

Most likely we just keep our center depth and hope Turris rebounds.