Speculation: Trade & Free Agency Talk XXXVIII

[Prior]

Leafs had (and liked) Justin Holl in their top 4 at the restart. That qualifies their complaints about Dumba’s defense void.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I don’t care for Poehling much but I would try to at least make one move similar to that in addition to trying to swing for a better center. Find a center/center-ish younger player that is having issues breaking through for whatever reason and try to give them a look. If it costs a player like Kunin or Greenway to do it, I think why not even if you do miss.

Monahan is not what this team needs and all underlying numbers for him tends to tell the story of what he truly is. Any combination of quality assets like the #9, Dumba, Brodin, top prospects will play out as a mistake.

I do think Nylander’s game fits in well here. He’s just as much a center option as Monahan in my view, as in neither are truly a center. So if you’re going to miscast one, may has well be the guy with the toolset to do it. I don’t love Dumba for him but I’d do it I think.

Would you like to expand on these statements?

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Yeah we don't really need Kerfoot next season if Nylander works out. But we also don't have anything planned for 2C after next season when Staal is gone, so we're going to be in the same position we are now, unless Khovanov can step into the 2C role immediately, which is a tall order.

I wish we could acquire both Nylander and Kerfoot, and run a more offensive top 9.

Kaprizov-Nylander-Zuccarello
Donato-Staal-Fiala
Sturm-Kerfoot-Kunin
Foligno-Ek-Hartman

Something like that. Greenway being the LW sent to Toronto.

Then at least you're insulated a little bit when Staal retires. I'm really not holding my breath for Khovanov until 2022-23.

I have a weird amount of faith in Khovanov's soon-to-be NHL career. Enough that I almost wouldn't mind if he was our 2C this year.

 

[AKL]

I love seeing the Leafs (fans) talk about how Dumba isn't what they need, but seem to think Brodie is a good target for them.

 

[AKL]

I have a weird amount of faith in Khovanov's soon-to-be NHL career. Enough that I almost wouldn't mind if he was our 2C this year.

Him making the top line for Ak Bars this season would go a long way towards building my confidence, but even still, it's a pretty big jump going from a bad KHL team to an NHL team with playoff aspirations.

 

[2Pair]

The deep dive on Kerfoot isn't very pretty. He spent a lot of time in the top 6 and quite a bit at wing. Wasn't very good when he was at center.

 

[Prior]

Would you like to expand on these statements?

On Monahan’s metrics? Most every metric site has him as a well below average player in his own end. Couple that with his skating, lack physicality, and his inability to drive a line, he’s not a player that I would want up the middle. Yes, he’s a player that is going to fill the net but given his overall game, it’s the type of player you would much prefer on the wing. If he wasn’t drafted where he was and as strong on the draw as he is, he would have already been moved. There is a reason he gets dominated in the playoffs. You can’t be as poor as he is in those areas when those things change series.

Nylander hasn’t played enough center in the NHL to quantify what he can do. We do know that he’s at least a top 6 winger that can carry the play. He’s gritty enough as a wing but what about in his own end at center? Not sure he can maintain and hold up at his frame. His skating and transition game plays well in theory up the middle but play in his own end and draws would determine if he can stick there. Have my doubts but given the obvious options, I would prefer to take a swing there all things being equal in what the Wild would ultimately have to part with.

 

[AKL]

I'm really apathetic when it comes to finding a top 6 center that can play defense. I don't need a Selke center, I want a center who can contribute to the offense with Fiala and Kaprizov. Staal isn't a good defensive player (he's passable), and he's done just fine here for five years.

If we want a Selke center for the top 6 we can draft Lundell this fall. Still need to find another center though.

 

[Prior]

I'm really apathetic when it comes to finding a top 6 center that can play defense. I don't want A Selke center, I want a center who can contribute to the offense with Fiala and Kaprizov. Staal isn't a good defensive player (he's passable), and he's done just fine here for five years.

If we want a Selke center for the top 6 we can draft Lundell this fall. Still need to find another center though.

I don’t think you need Selke caliber but you can’t have a center who’s going to get worked in their own end pretty consistently and end up having Fiala and Kaprizov be a shooter tutor from shots up top all game. Staal certainly isn’t very good in his own end, but he has the frame and enough grittiness to put a body on someone and clear them out.

Monahan is not that and I’m not certain Nylander is as well.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

I'm really apathetic when it comes to finding a top 6 center that can play defense. I don't want A Selke center, I want a center who can contribute to the offense with Fiala and Kaprizov. Staal isn't a good defensive player (he's passable), and he's done just fine here for five years.

If we want a Selke center for the top 6 we can draft Lundell this fall. Still need to find another center though.

We draft the stud play-driving center who can’t play defense this fall and then sign Barkov

 

[AKL]

I don’t think you need Selke caliber but you can’t have a center who’s going to get worked in their own end pretty consistently and end up having Fiala and Kaprizov be a shooter tutor from shots up top all game. Staal certainly isn’t very good in his own end, but he has the frame and enough grittiness to put a body on someone and clear them out.

Monahan is not that and I’m not certain Nylander is as well.

I'm certain Monahan isn't that, but then he's not my top choice.
Nylander is at the very least a good enough player to take pucks away from other players and make good passes.

We pay our defense 28M per year in order to get the puck out of the zone. I'm confident Nylander would be passable in that regard.

 

[HotDish]

Nylander is a winger, not a center. Russo has said this numerous times. I think he is a good player, but we need centers not wingers.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I understand picking nits in guys like Domi, Schmaltz, The Stromes, etc... but a 25 year old that has only played center in the NHL, and has shown to be a 66 point per 82 game player with a known upside of point-per-game being called "not what we need" is fairly perplexing.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Nylander is a winger, not a center. Russo has said this numerous times. I think he is a good player, but we need centers not wingers.

Nylander has been playing wing, not center. There's a difference.

Russo really isn't an authority on things like this.

 

[AKL]

Nylander is a winger, not a center. Russo has said this numerous times. I think he is a good player, but we need centers not wingers.

With respect to Russo, he's not a great hockey scout or executive. Great reporter though.

 

[HotDish]

Nylander has been playing wing, not center. There's a difference.

Russo really isn't an authority on things like this.

With respect to Russo, he's not a great hockey scout or executive. Great reporter though.

oh I don’t take Russo’s word as a scout. I take his word as a guy that talks with NHL scouts who have told him Nylander is a better wing than a center. Toronto tried nylander as a center in the playoffs and quickly killed that experiment. Everytime they try it, they move him back to wing.

 

[2Pair]

I'm really apathetic when it comes to finding a top 6 center that can play defense. I don't want A Selke center, I want a center who can contribute to the offense with Fiala and Kaprizov. Staal isn't a good defensive player (he's passable), and he's done just fine here for five years.

If we want a Selke center for the top 6 we can draft Lundell this fall. Still need to find another center though.

A Selke winner has won 8 of the last 12 Stanley cups. The 4 cup winners that didn't have a Selke winner had Crosby/Malkin and Backstrom/Kuznetsov as their top 6 centers.

 

[Webster]

@AKL you mentioned Kaprizov-Nylander-Zuccarello...Zucc can't have much better linemates than those two, he'll also be the veteran and will have a lot of responsibility, just what he wants. Even I will kick him out of this team if he can't produce with them, but this line should pick up 200 points.

 

[AKL]

A Selke winner has won 8 of the last 12 Stanley cups. The 4 cup winners that didn't have a Selke winner had Crosby/Malkin and Backstrom/Kuznetsov as their top 6 centers.

By all means, if you find me a Selke winning center that we can acquire this summer, I'm all in.

It's not a requirement at this point.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

I understand picking nits in guys like Domi, Schmaltz, The Stromes, etc... but a 25 year old that has only played center in the NHL, and has shown to be a 66 point per 82 game player with a known upside of point-per-game being called "not what we need" is fairly perplexing.

I assume you’re speaking of Monahan. I’ve never gotten the hate either; I think it comes from Calgary fans being so willing to move a guy who put up ~82 points last year

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

oh I don’t take Russo’s word as a scout. I take his word as a guy that talks with NHL scouts who have told him Nylander is a better wing than a center. Toronto tried nylander as a center in the playoffs and quickly killed that experiment. Everytime they try it, they move him back to wing.

If he reports it, then that's another thing. If I just have to assume it, I'm not going to.

They haven't had the need to try him at center since 2015-16. The only extended time he's gotten there was his first 22 NHL games at 19 years old and he put up 13 points. After that, he was on a team with Matthews and Kadri at center. When Kadri was traded, Tavares took his spot. Toronto, rightfully, never made him the 3rd line center because that would've been a waste.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I assume you’re speaking of Monahan. I’ve never gotten the hate either; I think it comes from Calgary fans being so willing to move a guy who put up ~82 points last year

Yeah, Monahan.

 

[HotDish]

Yeah that Calgary thread saying they would do a 1 for 1 with Dumba and Monahan. Would be an easy accept for me.

 

[Prior]

I understand picking nits in guys like Domi, Schmaltz, The Stromes, etc... but a 25 year old that has only played center in the NHL, and has shown to be a 66 point per 82 game player with a known upside of point-per-game being called "not what we need" is fairly perplexing.

Everything is relative.

If you are going to shoot your shot with the one asset you can likely legitimately acquire a top 6 center outside of drafting one, you had better be right.

Acquiring a 25yr old center from a team that has as big of a center need as this team for reasons other than the guy is demanding out should bring up their own questions. And for Monahan, it’s pretty clear why his name is being tossed around.

Beyond that, just do not see a fit with the two players we need to. He would never be in the play with Fiala. There is a fit with Kaprizov but honestly that would be a plodding line in the NHL (especially with Zuccarello). Kaprizov I think would work well off of him and find him in his spots but again, not sure how that line controls the puck at this level.

 

[AKL]

I understand picking nits in guys like Domi, Schmaltz, The Stromes, etc... but a 25 year old that has only played center in the NHL, and has shown to be a 66 point per 82 game player with a known upside of point-per-game being called "not what we need" is fairly perplexing.

I assume you’re speaking of Monahan. I’ve never gotten the hate either; I think it comes from Calgary fans being so willing to move a guy who put up ~82 points last year

You'd be surprised at how much of an impact Gaudreau has on Monahan's point totals. Gaudreau is definitely the play driver on that line, Monahan is the triggerman and cleanup crew. He doesn't have great speed or hands. I'm not saying he's a bad player, but playing with one of the best playmakers in the league for his entire career has definitely helped.