Speculation: Rumour, Trade, and Free Agent Speculation 2018-19 - Part II

[Mortimer Snerd]

The Jets won’t let him walk for nothing that would be bad asset management.

And NHL teams are never guilty of bad asset management.

I hope you are right but we can't count on that. Trouba should have been traded some time ago but is still with us.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

No lineup stays static. I'm sure they want to keep Trouba, but if they can't they'll use assets received for him to acquire young D talent. That's how rosters change.

We have to assume Chevy has contingency plans. It would be very interesting to know what are his plans A, B & C for the Trouba situation. We'll never know until something happens, of course. But it would be nice to have some inkling. Right now we are all just reading the tea leaves and then speculating.

 

[Whileee]

Moving a similar sized contract in Mason cost Armia + 4th + 7th - Bourque. That is a lot more than just 'a' pick.

A pick acquired for Perreault is no different than any other pick we have. Assets is assets. If you are going to start saying that these assets never cost anything then none of our own picks cost us anything either. We are given 7 of them every year for free.

That said, yes Kulikov can be moved if we pay someone to take him off our hands. Any bad contract can be moved for a price.

As it stands right now, he can't be traded without paying someone to take him. After he has a good season this year, he could be traded if we retain some salary. Since it would only be for the one year, that shouldn't he hard to swallow. We recover whatever salary we don't retain. And we even get an asset of some kind in exchange. Maybe not much, but something.

We'll need to see how it works out. Moving a $4 million back-up goalie is much harder to move than a $4 m D that can play in a #4-6 role. Mason was bought out and remains a UFA, suggesting teams are really worried about his health, even more than his previous cap hit.

I agree that Kulikov needs a good season if the Jets want to trade him without adding anything of value.

Worst case scenario, they can buy him out and spread his $1.44 million cap hit over two years, which would help considerably for next season.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Perhaps Laine is Florida's pipe dream.

For ****s & giggles Laine & Trouba for Huberdeau, Bjugstad & Ekblad?

(duck & run for cover)

Huberdeau Scheifele Wheeler
Connor Little Ehlers
Copp Lowry Tanev
Perreault Roslovic Bjugstad

Morrissey Ekblad
Niku Byfuglien
Kulikov Myers

If we are going to do it "for ****s & giggles", and Laine is included there better be a top 6 C coming back. Do we want not one but two 4.1 mil/yr wingers on the 4th line?

Gotta be Ekblad, Barkov and Tippett coming back.

Connor - Scheif - Wheeler
Ehlers - Barkov - Little
Copp - Lowry - Tanev
Perreault - Roslovic - Tippett

Morrissey - Ekblad
Morrow - Byfuglien
Kulikov - Myers

After a year Little and Tippett switch places.

 

[mondo3]

Since Morrissey is holding out, the trade will be a package deal of Trouba + Morrissey for a signed Karlsson

 

[Whileee]

Since Morrissey is holding out, the trade will be a package deal of Trouba + Morrissey for a signed Karlsson

Morrissey will be signed. Replacing two top-pairing D with one, even as good as Karlsson, is a terrible idea.

 

[surixon]

Morrissey will be signed. Replacing two top-pairing D with one, even as good as Karlsson, is a terrible idea.

Especially since Karlalsson doesn't want to be here and won't sign an extension.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

We'll need to see how it works out. Moving a $4 million back-up goalie is much harder to move than a $4 m D that can play in a #4-6 role. Mason was bought out and remains a UFA, suggesting teams are really worried about his health, even more than his previous cap hit.

I agree that Kulikov needs a good season if the Jets want to trade him without adding anything of value.

Worst case scenario, they can buy him out and spread his $1.44 million cap hit over two years, which would help considerably for next season.

Well, like I've been saying, we could trade him with retention - if he shows this year that he can play. If not, then the buyout is also an option.

Right now, I wish we had bought out Mason instead of paying so much to move him. Chevy was probably planning on paying Trouba more than 5.5 (long term). With bridge deals we could have handled the buyout OK this year and easily next year if Trouba is gone. Not so easily if Trouba is still here but it still could have fit.

The other option is to just keep him one more year. Even with Trouba on another arb contract there is enough room if Morrissey and Connor are bridged. The following year Morrissey's bridge expires, Niku and Rosie are bridged. Kuli is gone and we didn't need to pay anyone or carry buyout money another year. There is room to pay Trouba 7.5 if we can. If not, there is 7.5 in cap space to work with.

If Mason's health is that big an issue he couldn't have been bought out. Injured players can't be bought out. Not sure how that might work in this case where there is a worry of another concussion every time he plays.

 

[Whileee]

Well, like I've been saying, we could trade him with retention - if he shows this year that he can play. If not, then the buyout is also an option.

Right now, I wish we had bought out Mason instead of paying so much to move him. Chevy was probably planning on paying Trouba more than 5.5 (long term). With bridge deals we could have handled the buyout OK this year and easily next year if Trouba is gone. Not so easily if Trouba is still here but it still could have fit.

The other option is to just keep him one more year. Even with Trouba on another arb contract there is enough room if Morrissey and Connor are bridged. The following year Morrissey's bridge expires, Niku and Rosie are bridged. Kuli is gone and we didn't need to pay anyone or carry buyout money another year. There is room to pay Trouba 7.5 if we can. If not, there is 7.5 in cap space to work with.

If Mason's health is that big an issue he couldn't have been bought out. Injured players can't be bought out. Not sure how that might work in this case where there is a worry of another concussion every time he plays.

Montreal bought out Mason, so that would have been an option for the Jets. But it would have created big problems for their cap situation this season and next. Also, they would have still had to move Armia, though they would have received picks for him instead of giving up picks.

In the end, the Mason signing was a huge mistake in retrospect, reflecting the Jets' lack of confidence in Hellebuyck going into last year. Clearly, they didn't expect Hellebuyck to throw up a Vezina-level season and didn't forecast that they'd need to shell out $6M+ on a long-term deal.

 

[Board Bard]

We have to assume Chevy has contingency plans. It would be very interesting to know what are his plans A, B & C for the Trouba situation. We'll never know until something happens, of course. But it would be nice to have some inkling. Right now we are all just reading the tea leaves and then speculating.

Ask him to stay.
Beg him to stay.
Cry like a baby.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Ask him to stay.
Beg him to stay.
Cry like a baby.

I hope it is better than that. But who knows?

McKenzie speculated that he was asking for 8 mil. Now I hear the speculation is that Nylander is asking for 8. Do all the 6 mil players now think they are going to get 8?

If your ABC is Chevy's best plan he better just give him the 8. When you are over a barrel, you are forced to make less than optimum deals.

 

[Board Bard]

Do all the 6 mil players now think they are going to get 8?

As kids they all changed F's on their report cards to B's, so it's natural for them.

 

[Whileee]

I hope it is better than that. But who knows?

McKenzie speculated that he was asking for 8 mil. Now I hear the speculation is that Nylander is asking for 8. Do all the 6 mil players now think they are going to get 8?

If your ABC is Chevy's best plan he better just give him the 8. When you are over a barrel, you are forced to make less than optimum deals.

Chevy should offer him around 7.5M on a long-term deal. If he doesn't agree, look for the best trade possible. I would bet that Chevy already knows which teams are interested, and has chalked out a number of trade scenarios. He just isn't ready to pull the trigger until he gets one more good season out of Trouba while the Jets have one of the best and deepest rosters in the NHL.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Chevy should offer him around 7.5M on a long-term deal. If he doesn't agree, look for the best trade possible. I would bet that Chevy already knows which teams are interested, and has chalked out a number of trade scenarios. He just isn't ready to pull the trigger until he gets one more good season out of Trouba while the Jets have one of the best and deepest rosters in the NHL.

And those teams he knows are interested now may not be interested next year - or will pay less.

What you are describing is wanting to have his cake and eat it too. It may work out. I'm in no position to say it won't. But it also might not. He is playing with fire here, trying to win on both ends.

I spent all last summer arguing for offering him 7x8 to get him off the fence. Either he takes it or is traded. We needed to know what Trouba will do.

We don't know what Chevy has offered him so far. Maybe it really isn't enough. Although, in my personal opinion Trouba is a little overrated here and probably overrates himself even more. But regardless of that, Buff is aging and Myers has some severe warts. We have no RHD prospects to speak of. I don't see any indication that Chevy has a plan to deal with this. But then, we never see anything from Chevy until it is done.

 

[Whileee]

And those teams he knows are interested now may not be interested next year - or will pay less.

What you are describing is wanting to have his cake and eat it too. It may work out. I'm in no position to say it won't. But it also might not. He is playing with fire here, trying to win on both ends.

I spent all last summer arguing for offering him 7x8 to get him off the fence. Either he takes it or is traded. We needed to know what Trouba will do.

We don't know what Chevy has offered him so far. Maybe it really isn't enough. Although, in my personal opinion Trouba is a little overrated here and probably overrates himself even more. But regardless of that, Buff is aging and Myers has some severe warts. We have no RHD prospects to speak of. I don't see any indication that Chevy has a plan to deal with this. But then, we never see anything from Chevy until it is done.

I would be very surprised if Chevy doesn't have contingency plans and isn't looking ahead. Still, I think he clearly is balancing short term success against future assets.

I have a bit more confidence in Poolman than many. I'm thinking that a Morrissey-Poolman, or even a future Samberg-Poolman pairing could handle a lot of tough minutes. If Trouba is traded, I would anticipate that they'll either get a future RD prospect / player, or assets that can be traded for one. If both Trouba and Myers are gone next season, they'll have plenty of cap space to facilitate a trade, and maybe even hunt in free agency for a short term solution (Stralman?).

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

I would be very surprised if Chevy doesn't have contingency plans and isn't looking ahead. Still, I think he clearly is balancing short term success against future assets.

I have a bit more confidence in Poolman than many. I'm thinking that a Morrissey-Poolman, or even a future Samberg-Poolman pairing could handle a lot of tough minutes. If Trouba is traded, I would anticipate that they'll either get a future RD prospect / player, or assets that can be traded for one. If both Trouba and Myers are gone next season, they'll have plenty of cap space to facilitate a trade, and maybe even hunt in free agency for a short term solution (Stralman?).

I didn't see that kind of shutdown ability in Poolman last year. He was not bad on the 3rd pair, but not great either. He may be better this year. But 2nd pair opposition may be over his head.

I noticed that Maurice did not show a lot of confidence in him either.

At worst, Trouba should still return something substantial next off-season so there are possibilities - and of course, the cap recovered opens doors.

Stralman could be a great pickup but what kind of term will he get in FA? I expect it will extend beyond his sell by date.

 

[Whileee]

I didn't see that kind of shutdown ability in Poolman last year. He was not bad on the 3rd pair, but not great either. He may be better this year. But 2nd pair opposition may be over his head.

I noticed that Maurice did not show a lot of confidence in him either.

At worst, Trouba should still return something substantial next off-season so there are possibilities - and of course, the cap recovered opens doors.

Stralman could be a great pickup but what kind of term will he get in FA? I expect it will extend beyond his sell by date.

He played mostly with Chiarot, which made it a bit tough to show well.

Still, his CF% was 51.7 with Chiarot (and 54.7% without Chiarot).

For a rookie coming off double shoulder surgery, I think he performed very well. I liked his poise, and he seemed to gain confidence with the puck as the season progressed.

 

[Neuf]

Chevy: Enough of this BS, sign Morrissey already.
Morrisey: Enough of this BS; sign, Morrissey, already.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

He played mostly with Chiarot, which made it a bit tough to show well.

Still, his CF% was 51.7 with Chiarot (and 54.7% without Chiarot).

For a rookie coming off double shoulder surgery, I think he performed very well. I liked his poise, and he seemed to gain confidence with the puck as the season progressed.

Hope you're right - but right now I am just hoping he can be a good 3RD - or for that matter, a good 3LD. I'd be inclined to play him there before Myers at 2LD. We'll see.

 

[AWSAA]

At worst, Trouba should still return something substantial next off-season so there are possibilities - and of course, the cap recovered opens doors.

They won't get a surefire core piece in return. Best hope would be a 1st round pick turns out eventually.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

They won't get a surefire core piece in return. Best hope would be a 1st round pick turns out eventually.

The usual rental return, 1st + and maybe +. I just hope the 1st is from a team that finished out of the playoffs.

 

[Jets]

Womder if Duchene is available for cheap now to replace Stastny...

 

[Daximus]

Womder if Duchene is available for cheap now to replace Stastny...

I thought about that. I've heard conflicting reports on him though. At least on the Jets he would know he is second fiddle to Scheif.

 

[jgimp]

I thought about that. I've heard conflicting reports on him though. At least on the Jets he would know he is second fiddle to Scheif.

Second line of Ehlers/Duchene/Laine would be sexy. I hate one year rentals though. Don’t want two years in a row of no 1st round as well as losing an a/b prospect

 

[Whileee]

Womder if Duchene is available for cheap now to replace Stastny...

Jets' can't afford him, unless they can trade Myers for futures, or something like that.