GDT: 'Twas the day after July 1st... Free Agent Frenzy

[gopreds19]

Coach Laviolette probably woke up this morning and thought, "what have I done".

 

[Roman Yoshi]

Florida's moves are that surprising. They want to make the playoffs this year. I really like the moves florida made except the Bolland contract. They have the pieces now to compete in a weak Eastern conference. EDM got a ton better, but at a price. New Jersey is really the only team that is a head scratcher to me.

Monday was the deadline for compliance buyouts right? If so, I am really depressed we didn't use one on Goose. I feel like a guy like Watson or a free agent could be brought in and do a similar job for less $$$. Yes, I know $$$ isn't a problem, but his term bothers me.

Biggest winners were Tampa, Dallas, St. Louis IMHO. Biggest losers were us and Calgary.

 

[NSH615]

Florida's moves are that surprising. They want to make the playoffs this year. I really like the moves florida made except the Bolland contract. They have the pieces now to compete in a weak Eastern conference. EDM got a ton better, but at a price. New Jersey is really the only team that is a head scratcher to me.

Monday was the deadline for compliance buyouts right? If so, I am really depressed we didn't use one on Goose. I feel like a guy like Watson or a free agent could be brought in and do a similar job for less $$$. Yes, I know $$$ isn't a problem, but his term bothers me.

Biggest winners were Tampa, Dallas, St. Louis IMHO. Biggest losers were us and Calgary.

Gotta throw the Jets in there.

 

[PredsV82]

I like the Moulson deal. It is still a bit overpriced but not by much. It readds hornqvist 20-30 goal play. Alas .... I think Poile wanted that one.

If I'm Poile, I go after a Staal or both of them, Evander Kane, Patrick Sharp, Krecj, Loui ericcson, marleau, Thornton, etc. Some would require a huge price. Others less.

Still - you suck it up and improve. You use your cap space to get back some of the talent you lost in the Ufa pool and you celebrate.

I think you can make a trade without sacrificing Josi, jones, weber, or Rinne. It may cost smith or Wilson or forsberg or a 1st or a combo of those ...

getting rid of Smith at this point would be idiotic. Get him a good center and in lavys system I think he could score 30+ (yes, i am eating my polished turd sandwich right now )

Wilson would be fine to trade for an upgrade at center, but his value is probably not very high after last season. Forsberg is expendable if the return is a more established scoring forward who is still young enough that we have them for 5 years or so.. but you dont give up Forsberg for someone in their mid 30s or who only has one or two years left on their deal.

 

[PredsV82]

Florida's moves are that surprising. They want to make the playoffs this year. I really like the moves florida made except the Bolland contract. They have the pieces now to compete in a weak Eastern conference. EDM got a ton better, but at a price. New Jersey is really the only team that is a head scratcher to me.

Monday was the deadline for compliance buyouts right? If so, I am really depressed we didn't use one on Goose. I feel like a guy like Watson or a free agent could be brought in and do a similar job for less $$$. Yes, I know $$$ isn't a problem, but his term bothers me.

Biggest winners were Tampa, Dallas, St. Louis IMHO. Biggest losers were us and Calgary.

I still dont get the Gaustad hate/worry

money/cap space are not needed. And our PK was suckoriffic last year... lose Goose and it gets even worse not better

 

[NSH615]

I still dont get the Gaustad hate/worry

money/cap space are not needed. And our PK was suckoriffic last year... lose Goose and it gets even worse not better

I think the hate is we have kids rotting in Milwaukee with no space for them in Nashville.

 

[Enoch]

V82, I don't think dealing Smith is idiotic if the return is Kane or Ericsson or Staal. He is the last one that I would move but if it kept is from dealing a Josi or Jones, I would still do it. You can find 20 goal scoters in free agency, rarely 30-40 goal scorers.

 

[Persona5]

If we do nothing inregaurd to adding a top 6 forward at this point they will liekly be counting on Forsberg to fill that role and I am just not sure he is ready for it at this point. With losing out on Spezza and Stastny I think our best option is to let well enough alone. Adding VLC could hurt us long term and while he would be solid this year and maybe next, it is not a sure thing. Filling that hole on RW is probably more important right now with what is available.

Vrbata can fill that hole and has the skating ability to fit PL's system. With adding him our lines could look something like this.

Cullen/Fisher/Smith
Neal/Wilson/Vrbata
Bourque/Jarnkrok/Stalberg
Nystrom/Gaustad/Clune

Why play Neal on the second pairing? In one word matchups. I think many people agree that Smith and Neal on the same line wouldn't be our best option because they both like to float through the crease for scoring chances. Fisher is our best center right now and can play against other teams top lines. I am not sure throwing Wilson into that role would be the best thing. Cullen worked really well with Fisher toward the end of last season on his left side and Smith would be a great fit there as well. Wilson on the second line with Neal and Vrbata would give Wilson the best chance to really take off and see what he can do.

The options next year for centers in free agency are not going to be good. Toews will sign with chicago period. Krejci could hit the market but it is more likely he stays in Boston. After that there isn't much available. Our only option at landing that top line center would be to trade for one and that will cost a ton. I say throw Wilson into the fire and we will either sink or swim with him. If things do not look good toward the trade deadline you start to move peices in order to plan for the future and add picks in hopes to land that top line center in next years draft.

This is how I would play it if I were Poile at this point. Trading for VLC isn't a good option as we would be eating a very big contract and who knows how long he has left in the league with his injury history.

 

[Predarat]

Its very clear to me one Joshua Cooper has a Derek Roy fetish.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

I think our best package that should be dangled can include any combo of Forsberg, 1st, Ellis, and Wilson. Since letting go of MDZ, I really don't want to move any of the D. Smith and Neal are the only untouchable forwards and it would take a lot for Jarnkruk to go.

 

[PredsV82]

V82, I don't think dealing Smith is idiotic if the return is Kane or Ericsson or Staal. He is the last one that I would move but if it kept is from dealing a Josi or Jones, I would do it and walk away smiling.

giving up 30 goals to get 35(or 25 to get 30) isnt what we need. Giving up Horns for Neal made sense because Hornqvist wasnt a good fit for Lavys system, but Smith is tailor made for it, and should prosper. Youre bordering on "do something for the sake of doing something" if you trade Smith now.

 

[alexmanu]

Its very clear to me one Joshua Cooper has a Derek Roy fetish.

He knows nothing about hockey.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

On Florida...everybody liked what they did a couple years ago too in UFA, and indeed they did make the playoffs that season, then turned around, dismantled it and had the #1 pick this last season. They're on their 4th or 5th roster turnover in about as many seasons. Tallon just goes out and buys whatever he can get, throws it against the wall and sees if it sticks or not. I'll be more impressed when they start drafting outside the top 10 in consecutive years.

On the whole, while I'd rather move to Nashville than anywhere else in the country, fact is that I'm also someone that took the time to find out what the city and area is about. I don't expect your average 20-something hockey player to do the same.

 

[Persona5]

I think our best package that should be dangled can include any combo of Forsberg, 1st, Ellis, and Wilson. Since letting go of MDZ, I really don't want to move any of the D. Smith and Neal are the only untouchable forwards and it would take a lot for Jarnkruk to go.

All this talk about giving up our first pick in 2015 is fail,. Next years draft is going to be amazing. With Cullen and Fisher more than likely retiring after this year we can not afford to give that pick up for anything. I personally wouldn't mind if we looked to load up on first rounders for next years draft if this season doesn't start out well and build the only way this team will be able to be built as a contender...through the draft. We can't seem to trade for anyone because they won't come here. We can't seem to sign high profile UFA's because they don't want to play here. The draft is our only/best option.

 

[101st_fan]

OK .. on the morning after we still don't have either of the TWO players who may have been realistically in play for us as significant upgrades, Moulson or Richards (Stasny and Vanek fulfilled the prophecies). There are still a few pieces on the FA market that might help the team bridge the gap for a season or two and provide some additional offensive punch if things work out ... Grabo, Ribs (high risk move), Vrbata (risky). Online sources beyond Eklund have the Preds in hard after VLC via trade, a doable move capwise but realistically one with diminishing returns over the term of his current deal. Ek has us chasing Jumbo Joe ... I just don't see that one happening. The Hawks are going to have to clear some space so maybe perennial Pred killer Sharp becomes available, but, again that's a hard sell within the division.

Or we go into the season with Fisher, Jarnkrok, Wilson, Cullen, and Gaustad down the middle. There's a huge question of how ready Forsberg is for NHL minutes come October ... how does the team replace Spaling on the PK and 3rd line for complimentary scoring ... who do we put opposite Neal on the top line ... and quite a few more that I just don't feel like typing out.

Luckily, games aren't played on paper.

 

[Enoch]

giving up 30 goals to get 35(or 25 to get 30) isnt what we need. Giving up Horns for Neal made sense because Hornqvist wasnt a good fit for Lavys system, but Smith is tailor made for it, and should prosper. Youre bordering on "do something for the sake of doing something" if you trade Smith now.

I agree with this, but this argument doesn't apply to certain players. Eric Staal - absolutely I would trade Craig smith in a package for him. That is what I am saying. As I said, he is the last player I want to move on the offense, but I would move him in the right deal.

All I am saying is Smith isn't an untouchable.

Time for a new thread anyone?!??

And to 101s point - adding MG and Vrbata would improve this team (or some similar package). I'm curious with the lavi connection to downie and leino and vlc. I'm not proposing we go after those players, but I wonder what Poile and lavy are looking at now.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Yep. Approaching the limit. Lets keep it going in the who are we giving up....thread.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1698807&page=7