GoldOnGold
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Taken from the most recent 31 thoughts podcast:
News & Notes plus Anton Forsberg’s Amazing Odyssey | Podcasts - Sportsnet.ca
(Starting at 10:15)
Jeff: What is happening with Nashville? We've talked about them being the kingmaker come trade deadline time, Elliotte; what do you hear, what do you know about the Preds?
Elliotte: Well we're taping this on Sunday early evening, still to go on Sunday night, the Nashville Predators are playing in Dallas to end their road trip and after the road trip they go back home and I think at that point in time the brain trust of the Predators, GM David Poile on down, is going to sit down and figure out where they're going to go here. They've been collecting information, it's been known for a while now that they're a seller, and they're willing to listen on just about everything and they're going to go and see what they're going to do. I think they're going to make their decisions. And one thing is is that I think we've all looked at Ekholm as the guy - he's got one more year under contract at 3.75 million, he's a heck of a player, and we knew he was out there. Well, the interesting thing to me is I had someone say to me on Sunday that they're beginning to wonder if the Predators are going to be making an Ellis-Ekholm decision.
Jeff: What does that mean, like one or the other?
Elliotte: Could it come down to one or the other? Now, initially I think that Nashville kind of looked at Ellis as they didn't want to do it, and I'm still not convinced they want to do it. But when we reported that it was Josi no, Rinne no, and Ellis no, and everyone else they'd think about, I had a couple of people ask me "Are you sure they wouldn't do Ellis?" and it wasn't like they were saying anything bad about Ellis, it's just I think there are teams out there that really like Ellis. And the danger about Ekholm is that he's only signed for 1 more year. Now Ellis is signed for 6 more years at 6.25 million and like Ekholm he's got a lot of respect. Both those players are really respected players and I just wonder if some teams have gone to the Predators about Ellis and I also wonder that because he's signed to a longer term would people feel more comfortable dealing for him. And I can't see Nashville trading both those guys, I am just wondering if there's any chance they look at it and say well, what if instead of Ekholm it's Ellis and we try to keep Ekholm long term. I think clearly Nashville has some big decisions to make and I think it's possible that teams have leaned in on them and said we're not sure about giving all this up for only 1 more year of Ekholm; how do we feel about giving all this up for 6 more years of Ellis? I think it's possible that's whats going on.
Jeff: It wasn't exactly a secret that there were a lot of Nashville scouts around Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia Flyers, etc. They were interested in who we believed what Mattias Ekholm - should we then assume that if they're interested in Ekholm they would also be interested in Ellis? Or is that a left-right thing?
Elliotte: Ekholm can play right side, he's done it before, I know there's a lot of teams out there who aren't crazy about the whole "off-wing" thing but he's done it, at least you know he can do it.
(Elided discussion about playing off-wing)
Elliotte: Here's the thing about Philly, ok, and I've reported this now and I do believe it, look at what a disastrous couple of weeks it's been for them. I think they really just think that it's not the time - not for 1.5 years of Ekholm. But let's just say for argument's sake that it's 6 years of Ellis - I could see them doing it. I think Philly's sitting there right now saying woah woah woah, let's not make any ridiculous decisions, let's just go into the summer and kinda figure this out. And, like what you said, if you have to give up what you have to give up to make this deal, are you doing it for 1 year of Ekholm or are you doing it for 6 years of Ellis, for argument's sake? I think you're much more comfortable with the latter.
News & Notes plus Anton Forsberg’s Amazing Odyssey | Podcasts - Sportsnet.ca
(Starting at 10:15)
Jeff: What is happening with Nashville? We've talked about them being the kingmaker come trade deadline time, Elliotte; what do you hear, what do you know about the Preds?
Elliotte: Well we're taping this on Sunday early evening, still to go on Sunday night, the Nashville Predators are playing in Dallas to end their road trip and after the road trip they go back home and I think at that point in time the brain trust of the Predators, GM David Poile on down, is going to sit down and figure out where they're going to go here. They've been collecting information, it's been known for a while now that they're a seller, and they're willing to listen on just about everything and they're going to go and see what they're going to do. I think they're going to make their decisions. And one thing is is that I think we've all looked at Ekholm as the guy - he's got one more year under contract at 3.75 million, he's a heck of a player, and we knew he was out there. Well, the interesting thing to me is I had someone say to me on Sunday that they're beginning to wonder if the Predators are going to be making an Ellis-Ekholm decision.
Jeff: What does that mean, like one or the other?
Elliotte: Could it come down to one or the other? Now, initially I think that Nashville kind of looked at Ellis as they didn't want to do it, and I'm still not convinced they want to do it. But when we reported that it was Josi no, Rinne no, and Ellis no, and everyone else they'd think about, I had a couple of people ask me "Are you sure they wouldn't do Ellis?" and it wasn't like they were saying anything bad about Ellis, it's just I think there are teams out there that really like Ellis. And the danger about Ekholm is that he's only signed for 1 more year. Now Ellis is signed for 6 more years at 6.25 million and like Ekholm he's got a lot of respect. Both those players are really respected players and I just wonder if some teams have gone to the Predators about Ellis and I also wonder that because he's signed to a longer term would people feel more comfortable dealing for him. And I can't see Nashville trading both those guys, I am just wondering if there's any chance they look at it and say well, what if instead of Ekholm it's Ellis and we try to keep Ekholm long term. I think clearly Nashville has some big decisions to make and I think it's possible that teams have leaned in on them and said we're not sure about giving all this up for only 1 more year of Ekholm; how do we feel about giving all this up for 6 more years of Ellis? I think it's possible that's whats going on.
Jeff: It wasn't exactly a secret that there were a lot of Nashville scouts around Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia Flyers, etc. They were interested in who we believed what Mattias Ekholm - should we then assume that if they're interested in Ekholm they would also be interested in Ellis? Or is that a left-right thing?
Elliotte: Ekholm can play right side, he's done it before, I know there's a lot of teams out there who aren't crazy about the whole "off-wing" thing but he's done it, at least you know he can do it.
(Elided discussion about playing off-wing)
Elliotte: Here's the thing about Philly, ok, and I've reported this now and I do believe it, look at what a disastrous couple of weeks it's been for them. I think they really just think that it's not the time - not for 1.5 years of Ekholm. But let's just say for argument's sake that it's 6 years of Ellis - I could see them doing it. I think Philly's sitting there right now saying woah woah woah, let's not make any ridiculous decisions, let's just go into the summer and kinda figure this out. And, like what you said, if you have to give up what you have to give up to make this deal, are you doing it for 1 year of Ekholm or are you doing it for 6 years of Ellis, for argument's sake? I think you're much more comfortable with the latter.
