Speculation: Roster Improvements: Who should we trade for?

[2020 Cup Champions]

Trade everyone

 

[DFC]

Connolly's recent physical play makes me a lot more squeamish on trading him. I wanted to deal him when he was just a scorer among scorers, but now he's going out of his way to actually fill a team need and I kind of want to see how it develops. Didn't see this coming with him. Up until about a month ago he actually seemed to avoid physical play and was easy to knock off the puck. I still think he's a little easy to knock off the puck. But we could definitely use a physical presence with the forwards. If Connolly wants to be that, then it adds a wrinkle to the question of dealing him. Suddenly he's making himself a bit unique to our lineup where for the longest time he was a complete redundancy.

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

Connolly's recent physical play makes me a lot more squeamish on trading him. I wanted to deal him when he was just a scorer among scorers, but now he's going out of his way to actually fill a team need and I kind of want to see how it develops. Didn't see this coming with him. Up until about a month ago he actually seemed to avoid physical play and was easy to knock off the puck. I still think he's a little easy to knock off the puck. But we could definitely use a physical presence with the forwards. If Connolly wants to be that, then it adds a wrinkle to the question of dealing him. Suddenly he's making himself a bit unique to our lineup where for the longest time he was a complete redundancy.

Agree. Maybe he beefs up in the offseason, too.

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

Connolly's recent physical play makes me a lot more squeamish on trading him. I wanted to deal him when he was just a scorer among scorers, but now he's going out of his way to actually fill a team need and I kind of want to see how it develops. Didn't see this coming with him. Up until about a month ago he actually seemed to avoid physical play and was easy to knock off the puck. I still think he's a little easy to knock off the puck. But we could definitely use a physical presence with the forwards. If Connolly wants to be that, then it adds a wrinkle to the question of dealing him. Suddenly he's making himself a bit unique to our lineup where for the longest time he was a complete redundancy.

is nice and ok but erne does it better and think oddonnell makes our fourth line complete so not sure where brett fits in long term even if ups his game.

ive been ike hose though all year in his corner. Hoping for him.

just look at next year say we run boyle oddonnell and paquette? That is a good fourth line lol.

third line could be filppula killorn connolly? Erne? Vladdy?
we know the second drouin moves up for killers spot on first.

if we do the 14 forwards it could work out and yes I know that leaves out morrow wont be resigned and brown who we seriously should move already.

I do keep killorn over connolly unless we got to shed that salary for some other player etc..

I know can keep erne in ahl and even oddonnell but if they are good and ready and superior bottom line guys as they seem to be? Well hard decisions.

 

[MattM92]

Trade everyone

This guy gets it

 

[Werewolf]

is nice and ok but erne does it better and think oddonnell makes our fourth line complete so not sure where brett fits in long term even if ups his game.

ive been ike hose though all year in his corner. Hoping for him.

just look at next year say we run boyle oddonnell and paquette? That is a good fourth line lol.

third line could be filppula killorn connolly? Erne? Vladdy?
we know the second drouin moves up for killers spot on first.

if we do the 14 forwards it could work out and yes I know that leaves out morrow wont be resigned and brown who we seriously should move already.

I do keep killorn over connolly unless we got to shed that salary for some other player etc..

I know can keep erne in ahl and even oddonnell but if they are good and ready and superior bottom line guys as they seem to be? Well hard decisions.

Don't understand your continous love for O'Donnell. I've seen him play four or five times this year for UND ... Erne and Paquette are on another level when it comes to physical play and skill. O'Donnell is more Blunden/Smith than Paquette/Erne. Probably somewhere in-between. His real test is next year when he comes over to play in Syracuse...if he even gets a contract now. Looks like right now he is playing third line on UND with soft production.

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

Don't understand your continous love for O'Donnell. I've seen him play four or five times this year for UND ... Erne and Paquette are on another level when it comes to physical play and skill. O'Donnell is more Blunden/Smith than Paquette/Erne. Probably somewhere in-between. His real test is next year when he comes over to play in Syracuse...if he even gets a contract now. Looks like right now he is playing third line on UND with soft production.

he has a great shot he is a fourth liner ive seen him at camp and he impressed me as a bottom guy with a shot who would be physical. havent watched at und this year. We will see how he shows up at camp.

Erne is second line guy probably true power forward so not a lot of compare.

Oddonnell to me plays like paquette and has a better shot and seems to play same style based on the camp stuff ive seen. We will see if am right I have a pretty good track record. He impressed me over everyone but drouin the first year this year his stats were good. Paquette think was better paquette had a crazy amount of shots if remember right.

also have to keep in mind paquette has played wayyyyyyyy better then I thought he would.

Oddonnell is upgrade if can play like I thought paquette would lol to morrow and brown etc..

I am not looking for number one 4th liner in game just someone who always make the smart plays and is decently physical and since will be with boyle and paquette want him to be a guy who rushes net and can score at times.

I think oddonnell can do all of that we will see

 

[HoseEmDown]

is nice and ok but erne does it better and think oddonnell makes our fourth line complete so not sure where brett fits in long term even if ups his game.

ive been ike hose though all year in his corner. Hoping for him.

just look at next year say we run boyle oddonnell and paquette? That is a good fourth line lol.

third line could be filppula killorn connolly? Erne? Vladdy?
we know the second drouin moves up for killers spot on first.

if we do the 14 forwards it could work out and yes I know that leaves out morrow wont be resigned and brown who we seriously should move already.

I do keep killorn over connolly unless we got to shed that salary for some other player etc..

I know can keep erne in ahl and even oddonnell but if they are good and ready and superior bottom line guys as they seem to be? Well hard decisions.

Seriously, O'Donnell might not even get a contract let alone jump into the lineup. He's not Hayes or Kreider who could make the jump easily.

With the cap not going up someone cheap and productive like Connolly is vital. Brown will be back too as he's a guy you can scratch most nights and plug in as needed. Callahan has been surprisingly injury free, knock on wood, so I wouldn't deplete our RW depth just yet. We can keep 14 forwards with Namestnikov taking Morrows spot if he's still around..

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

Seriously, O'Donnell might not even get a contract let alone jump into the lineup. He's not Hayes or Kreider who could make the jump easily.

With the cap not going up someone cheap and productive like Connolly is vital. Brown will be back too as he's a guy you can scratch most nights and plug in as needed. Callahan has been surprisingly injury free, knock on wood, so I wouldn't deplete our RW depth just yet. We can keep 14 forwards with Namestnikov taking Morrows spot if he's still around..

hayes and kreider are TOP 6 power forwards

oddonnell might be working man fourth linerr MIGHT BE

so watever some stuff just wow

connolly and brown are no longer CHEAP and thats something we have to evaluate not me not you steve.

I watched detroit go through that for years and those fringe players BROWN were sent packing for a cheaper version all the time.

Connolly think will stay a bit cause has other usage but als0 think connolly is DUE A NICE RAISE and looks like might be legit top six guy in long run. He is developing and 21 brown is another story. 855 goes up to like 935 this year to sit on bench if we are capped is not gonna happen for long.

Is why thompson is not here who is wayyyy better then brown.

We will have harder and harder decisions yearly is not a bad thing but it will begin this yean and I will bet anything will be some that a lot of people DO NOT LIKE and even more the year after.

Yet is salary cap era so is what it is.

 

[CarpeNoctem]

So there are two options.

1)Get a lower cost guy like Michalek, which isn't a massive upgrade but should make us solid enough after Carle returns. We probably wouldn't even need to give up a Connolly level guy to get him, so I like this one.

2)Go after a higher cost target, like Sekera. We'd have to part with more to get him but it's likely that his puck moving skills would help our PP and transition game. But I don't see this as being a lot better than just getting a better DFD, so I'd prefer option 1.

Thoughts?

 

[Coopers Gum]

So there are two options.

1)Get a lower cost guy like Michalek, which isn't a massive upgrade but should make us solid enough after Carle returns. We probably wouldn't even need to give up a Connolly level guy to get him, so I like this one.

2)Go after a higher cost target, like Sekera. We'd have to part with more to get him but it's likely that his puck moving skills would help our PP and transition game. But I don't see this as being a lot better than just getting a better DFD, so I'd prefer option 1.

Thoughts?

I'd prefer option 2. He's the best D on the market right now, we need help on D, let's go. Make a splash. If we re-sign him (I think he'll follow the money though), it would be great.

I think Zidlicky should be our next target if we can't get Sekera. Depends how slow Zidlicky is, he's quite old.

 

[DFC]

So there are two options.

1)Get a lower cost guy like Michalek, which isn't a massive upgrade but should make us solid enough after Carle returns. We probably wouldn't even need to give up a Connolly level guy to get him, so I like this one.

2)Go after a higher cost target, like Sekera. We'd have to part with more to get him but it's likely that his puck moving skills would help our PP and transition game. But I don't see this as being a lot better than just getting a better DFD, so I'd prefer option 1.

Thoughts?

We're probably not looking for a lefty. So Sekera's likely not an option. If it's not Petry or Michalek, it's probably going to be a hockey deal, which is more costly and could hurt us, cap-wise, in the future.

 

[The Macho King]

We're probably not looking for a lefty. So Sekera's likely not an option. If it's not Petry or Michalek, it's probably going to be a hockey deal, which is more costly and could hurt us, cap-wise, in the future.

I trust Yzerman on the trade market. He hasn't made a bad deal the entire time he's been here (short of Lindback - but it didn't look bad at the time). In fact, every deal he's made has looked REALLY good.

If a deal isn't made, then he just doesn't think the trade makes us a better team, and I'm willing to trust him on that.

 

[HoseEmDown]

hayes and kreider are TOP 6 power forwards

oddonnell might be working man fourth linerr MIGHT BE

so watever some stuff just wow

connolly and brown are no longer CHEAP and thats something we have to evaluate not me not you steve.

I watched detroit go through that for years and those fringe players BROWN were sent packing for a cheaper version all the time.

Connolly think will stay a bit cause has other usage but als0 think connolly is DUE A NICE RAISE and looks like might be legit top six guy in long run. He is developing and 21 brown is another story. 855 goes up to like 935 this year to sit on bench if we are capped is not gonna happen for long.

Is why thompson is not here who is wayyyy better then brown.

We will have harder and harder decisions yearly is not a bad thing but it will begin this yean and I will bet anything will be some that a lot of people DO NOT LIKE and even more the year after.

Yet is salary cap era so is what it is.

Browns slight raise is still cheaper then bringing in a FA who'll make over 1mil. Connolly's raise with Morrow leaving should be fine. Even if we replace either with someone from Syracuse it wouldn't save us that much.

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

Browns slight raise is still cheaper then bringing in a FA who'll make over 1mil. Connolly's raise with Morrow leaving should be fine. Even if we replace either with someone from Syracuse it wouldn't save us that much.

that is what im saying connolly is 1.5 imho after this season have faith in steve but the kid deserves a nice raise guys like brown we can fill with someone from ahl and move on.

I love brown worked azz off hes just obsolete at this point and going to be more so if we add something WHICH i believe we do add to this team by next season at latest.

connnolly think will be close to 20 goals on fourth line he deserves a nice jump just my opinion lets see what steve does and you replace with someone at 700 is a big difference we have to do that in next couple of years and some people are gonna be butt hurt but is what it is and why thompson is gone among others soon to leave

 

[chasespace]

What about Polak?

 

[The Macho King]

What about Polak?

I'd much rather target a guy that we could slot in as #4. Polak would be a good #6, but we're kinda full up on #6 types.

 

[DFC]

I'd much rather target a guy that we could slot in as #4. Polak would be a good #6, but we're kinda full up on #6 types.

He's still an improvement on Sustr. I wouldn't mind having him, and then next year him, Gudas, and Sustr can sort themselves out on the right side.

 

[The Macho King]

He's still an improvement on Sustr. I wouldn't mind having him, and then next year him, Gudas, and Sustr can sort themselves out on the right side.

Fair enough - tired of Sustr getting out muscled by everyone. I just don't think/expect Yzerman to make a move with the intention of replacing Sustr.

 

[DFC]

Fair enough - tired of Sustr getting out muscled by everyone. I just don't think/expect Yzerman to make a move with the intention of replacing Sustr.

I think Yzerman will try to land a bigger target the Polak, don't get me wrong. I just mean if that's the guy we wind up with, I think we're better team for it.

 

[HoseEmDown]

I'm tired of Nesterov and Barberio being garbage, Sustr is fine.

 

[DFC]

I'm tired of Nesterov and Barberio being garbage, Sustr is fine.

All three of them have had some ugly moments. But Nesterov isn't even supposed to be in the NHL and Barbs is our #7. Neither of them are likely to see much time in the playoffs, when Carle is back. Sustr's going to play. I think we'd be better off if that role is sheltered a little more than it has been.

Not sure what'll happen on our left side in the off-season.

 

[The Macho King]

All three of them have had some ugly moments. But Nesterov isn't even supposed to be in the NHL and Barbs is our #7. Neither of them are likely to see much time in the playoffs, when Carle is back. Sustr's going to play. I think we'd be better off if that role is sheltered a little more than it has been.

Not sure what'll happen on our left side in the off-season.

When healthy our left side is pretty locked - Hedman/Garrison/Carle (assuming Carle isn't moved).

 

[Cigar City]

Reading between the lines from that article last week it doesn't seem like Yzerman will move anything significant. Will wait out deadline day and see if he can get a defenseman close to the deadline when there is more supply than demand.

 

[CarpeNoctem]

Part of my thinking is that if we get a guy like Michalek, we can pair him with Hedman. I'm hoping that transforms him into last year's Hedman.