Value of: Rakell

[Empoleon8771]

That would push Eller to 4C and Acciari to 4W which would be nice but what does Sissons really do for us that makes it worth losing Rakell? I mean, yeah we can resign Guentzel, but we can do that anyway without letting Rakell go.

It opens up more money for them to go bigger game hunting for forward help.

Their goal should be to end up with a forward group something like this:

Guentzel-Crosby-Rust
Bemstrom-Malkin-Reinhart
O'Connor-Sissons-Puustinen

They need to clear out as much money as possible to be able to afford to add another Guentzel caliber player to play with Malkin.

 

[Gurglesons]

It opens up more money for them to go bigger game hunting for forward help.

Their goal should be to end up with a forward group something like this:

Guentzel-Crosby-Rust
Bemstrom-Malkin-Reinhart
O'Connor-Sissons-Puustinen

They need to clear out as much money as possible to be able to afford to add another Guentzel caliber player to play with Malkin.

Doubt Reinhart walks and if he does he goes to a different team.

 

[SEALBound]

It opens up more money for them to go bigger game hunting for forward help.

Their goal should be to end up with a forward group something like this:

Guentzel-Crosby-Rust
Bemstrom-Malkin-Reinhart
O'Connor-Sissons-Puustinen

They need to clear out as much money as possible to be able to afford to add another Guentzel caliber player to play with Malkin.

I wouldn't balk at the top 9 one bit but what happens if you can't sign Reinhart? There aren't many big fish out there unfortunately. As I've said in the past, if that's the goal, we could ask Calgary for Huberdeau in exchange for Graves and Rakell.

 

[McJedi]

0% chance this deal happens (based) around picks or prospects.

I'd assume a guy with that much term making that AAV while having a down season and heading into his 30s would need to be moved for another risky contract.

Like Josh Andersons. Or others with similar situation/term/AAV. Very small number of players would fit this narrative.

This is a change of scenery of long term contracts deal.

Maybe try something around Johnny Gaudreau?

 

[Empoleon8771]

0% chance this deal happens (based) around picks or prospects.

I'd assume a guy with that much term making that AAV while having a down season and heading into his 30s would need to be moved for another risky contract.

Like Josh Andersons. Or others with similar situation/term/AAV. Very small number of players would fit this narrative.

This is a change of scenery of long term contracts deal.

Maybe try something around Johnny Gaudreau?

Rakell is having a normal season within a reasonable range around his ability (50 points +/- 10 points). Gaudreau is actually feasible but that would require retention on Columbus' end. Rakell is fairly paid for the player he is at this point, Gaudreau absolutely isn't.

Anderson is trash and the suggestion of that swap is laughable.

I wouldn't balk at the top 9 one bit but what happens if you can't sign Reinhart? There aren't many big fish out there unfortunately. As I've said in the past, if that's the goal, we could ask Calgary for Huberdeau in exchange for Graves and Rakell.

The only way this team could ever win again is if they get an elite winger for Malkin to help him drive play. They need to clear out Rakell's deal to do that.

 

[McJedi]

Rakell is having a normal season within a reasonable range around his ability (50 points +/- 10 points). Gaudreau is actually feasible but that would require retention on Columbus' end. Rakell is fairly paid for the player he is at this point, Gaudreau absolutely isn't.

Anderson is trash and the suggestion of that swap is laughable.



The only way this team could ever win again is if they get an elite winger for Malkin to help him drive play. They need to clear out Rakell's deal to do that.

Yeah. I liked my Gaudreau idea more than Anderson one I read above. Agree with you. Scratch the Josh Anderson idea. Lousy one for Pitt.

Not sure what that deal would look like, but worth a shot. Gets Johnny hockey pretty close to home and maybe that kick starts him. Because what a player he once was.

 

[SEALBound]

The only way this team could ever win again is if they get an elite winger for Malkin to help him drive play. They need to clear out Rakell's deal to do that.

Yeah, I don't disagree but I'm suggesting that we best have that winger identified and a trade/signing done in principle before pulling the trigger on a Rakell trade (with the assumption that Smith will also be headed out which I find to be VERY likely). Otherwise, we are looking at the 2012 Penguins top 6 when Shero missed on Parise and we ended up with Steve Sullivan and Tyler Kennedy flanking Malkin. We could end up with DOC-Malkin-Puustinen as the defacto 2nd line which may or may not end up being okay.

I'm just in the "don't make plans to not resign someone or to trade someone with the plan being a UFA in free agency" side of the argument.