THW column: Are Devils Looking To Trade Up In Draft?

[SeidoN]

9 and Larsson for MacKinnon? no dice!

 

[Devils1029]

I would be drooling if we could move up the #3 and draft Mackinnon and would be willing to give up quite a bit to get a franchise forward like Nate. Tampa needs D men now and perhaps some offensive depth. mackinnon/drouin could play 2014 or perhaps 2015 so they're not far off. Yes, at #9, Tampa could get a solid D man in NUrse, Ristolainen or Zadarov s one or perhaps two might be available or Nichushkin could also possibly fall.

Dropping back 6 spots from 3 to 9 would be costly and I think that a roster player like Fayne, (a young, cheap top 4 dman who can log some minutes) would be attractive along with another top prospect in either Josefson or, if we resign Clarkson, Matteau. I agree that dealing Henrique, even if for Mackinnon, would probably not go over well with the fan base but Josefson might be expendable with drafting another center or Matteau if Clarkson is coming back. So is #9, Fayne and Josefson/Mateau enought o move up 6 spots. Could be.

I think the move up with Edmonton is more likely but to do this, we'll need to have someone in mind that Edmonton or Buffalo might take themselves but I think it is perhaps more realistic to trade up with Carolina. Carolina also needs D both now and in their pipeline. They are perhaps more poised to make a deal for a NOW dman like a Fayne or Tallinder, plus perhaps Urbom which gives them a guy to play now and another already "developed" and on the cusp of breaking in. Only hesitancy is that Carolina will now be in our division with the realignment so Lou may be hesitant to deal with them.

As a Devils fan, I'd love for them to move up and ensure they draft a top forward and it is risky staying back at #9 but even there, we will get a talented played and might be better off maintaining our assets. Otherwise, as been mentioned, if those top 8 guys are all gone by number 9, there will be some good dmen available and perhaps someone willing to move up to grab one of them. Moving back a few spots will likely not mean a huge difference in the forward talent at that point but might add us another late first or second rounder to add to the prospect pool.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

Florida takes Drouin at 2 and MacKinnon is sitting there at 3. Lou calls Tampa and they want #9 + Larsson. Would you do it?

I keep going back and forth on this. Two top-10 prospects for a near-guaranteed sure-fire all star is a tough sell, but still tempting. That'd be putting some serious confidence in Merrill and Severson developing into top-pairing defensemen, but it's a luxury the Devils have that not many other teams would.

Also I'm surprised the Tampa board wouldn't do that. Hedman + Larsson + Risto/Nurse solidifies their blueline for years and years and years.

 

[devilsblood]

Florida takes Drouin at 2 and MacKinnon is sitting there at 3. Lou calls Tampa and they want #9 + Larsson. Would you do it?

No, too much.

 

[Unknown Caller]

Wait 9 and Larsson? No way. I probably wouldn't do Larsson for #3 straight up.

 

[devilsblood]

I keep going back and forth on this. Two top-10 prospects for a near-guaranteed sure-fire all star is a tough sell, but still tempting. That'd be putting some serious confidence in Merrill and Severson developing into top-pairing defensemen, but it's a luxury the Devils have that not many other teams would.

Also I'm surprised the Tampa board wouldn't do that. Hedman + Larsson + Risto/Nurse solidifies their blueline for years and years and years.

They are prob just looking at his stat line, games played etc, and not factoring in just how young he is.

 

[Ripshot 43]

I wouldn't trade Henrique. Even if we aquire Drouin, we still need Henrique to have a bounce back year and be a fixture in our offense.

For #3 overall I'd be willing to part with #9, one of our young D in Albany and Fayne (I'm a big fan). A move like this would automatically help restock Tampas D with possibly 3 younger D men. The problem for Tampa is that they just signed a few of their veteran D to deals last year and they won't be going anywhere. So do they have a spot for Fayne unless they trade away one of their underachieving veterans?

Mattias Ohlund is the only guy they will probably really consider buying out.

Also noteworthy... A few of Tampas columnists down here have written on how smitten the Bolts are with getting whoever is left over in the top 3, so it seems that it will really need to be an overpayment to get that #3 overall.

 

[Ripshot 43]

Florida takes Drouin at 2 and MacKinnon is sitting there at 3. Lou calls Tampa and they want #9 + Larsson. Would you do it?

Easy no for me. I watched our struggles last year to score and I still think most people have given up/are way too hard on Larsson.

 

[devilsblood]

Wait 9 and Larsson? No way. I probably wouldn't do Larsson for #3 straight up.

Would be hesitant as well. At the very least we know Larsson is an NHL player. Whomever at #3 this year could still bust.

 

[Saugus]

Florida takes Drouin at 2 and MacKinnon is sitting there at 3. Lou calls Tampa and they want #9 + Larsson. Would you do it?

Not a chance. Way too high a price.

 

[Devils Trap]

I probably wouldnt do Larsson for the 3rd straight up

 

[Devils Dominion]

If lindholm or Monahan are gone at 9, how about trading down with Columbus or Calgary for two of their first round picks?
Then take a combo of these players: Hartman, Zykov, Mantha, Morrissey.

Keep this name in mind for later rounds, Brett Pesce.

 

[battlingBard56]

We have a surplus of d prospects with top end potential. Plus we have NHL depth too, too add as a sweetener.

One (read ONE of) of Severson/Gelinas/Urbom/Helegson (sp?) plus one of Tallinder/Fayne/Volchenkov (if they'll have him anyway) and our 9th. Maybe add in one of our forward prospects, like Sislo or Pesonen, if they want a forward back.

Also I think Tallinders value is underestimated. He just gave a strong showing at the WCs. Yeah yeah I know it's only Worlds but it's still an indicator of what he can do.

Seriously. Just like the HF Parise/Weber trade discussions, this actually MAKES SENSE for both sides.

 

[Benedict Parisechuk]

I'm not trading Larsson unless a bonafide, top 6 forward is coming back this way. Vanek, Eberle, Kesler, Stastny... yea you get the point.

 

[Benedict Parisechuk]

By the way, since this draft is in front of the home crowd and we don't have a first next year, we better not bungle this. Keep it, trade up, I don't care. Just don't mess up because we really need to get someone significant here. Were not getting any younger and the prospect pool as far as forwards go is lame so I hope Lou and Conte are doing some serious homework with this.

 

[glenwo2]

Probably not. The Tampa board has also said they wouldn't do it.

Just because the Tampa Board said they wouldn't do it, doesn't mean that the Tampa FRONT-OFFICE wouldn't. They are the ones who make the decisions.


But I agree with the masses here....Larsson should NOT be given up. NO WAY!

 

[Saugus]

I'd be willing to trade Merrill in a package for the third overall, but I don't think Tampa would take that either. Larsson is out of the question. None of our other defensive prospects have that high a value.

 

[MartyOwns]

no more Elias'!!!! get a ****ing sniper for gods sake

 

[Devils Dominion]

We need to acquire a legit #1 playmaking center to set up Kovy and Reid Boucher in a few seasons.

 

[slammer]

We need to acquire a legit #1 playmaking center to set up Kovy and Reid Boucher in a few seasons.

http://www.mynhldraft.com/NHL-Mock-Draft/
i see us getting good chances on a C, there are abot 8FW available. No need to trade up
IMO

 

[BrodeursCups]

Just depends on who goes with a dman ahead of us...

We will walk away with a damn good forward though. That mock hammer posted has us getting Monahan, which would be awesome...

 

[glenwo2]

http://www.mynhldraft.com/NHL-Mock-Draft/
i see us getting good chances on a C, there are abot 8FW available. No need to trade up
IMO

The Devils need MORE SCORING. We all saw what happened when Kovy went down.

Anything other than a Scoring Forward this coming draft would be a mistake.

 

[Traitor Zach]

Florida takes Drouin at 2 and MacKinnon is sitting there at 3. Lou calls Tampa and they want #9 + Larsson. Would you do it?

Heavens no. That's such an incredibly bad trade.

 

[Traitor Zach]

I'd be willing to trade Merrill in a package for the third overall, but I don't think Tampa would take that either. Larsson is out of the question. None of our other defensive prospects have that high a value.

I would only deal Larsson if it was straight up for the 3rd pick. Larsson is already proven as an NHLer with a lot of ceiling left to scratch. We would then be able to take a Ristolainen or other defenseman if they were also available at 9 if they were BPA, or if another forward fell that we liked, so be it and take them.

 

[Unknown Caller]

I would only deal Larsson if it was straight up for the 3rd pick. Larsson is already proven as an NHLer with a lot of ceiling left to scratch. We would then be able to take a Ristolainen or other defenseman if they were also available at 9 if they were BPA, or if another forward fell that we liked, so be it and take them.

I wouldn't trade Larsson for the third overall pick straight up.