Confirmed Trade: [VGK/NJD] Gusev to NJ for a 3rd round ('20) and 2nd round ('21)

nbwingsfan

Registered User
Dec 13, 2009
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Anyone saying Gusev wasn’t worth the risk has not watched him and it’s showing.

I don’t really think anyone has said that. I think a few of us are saying it’s foolish to already call an obvious winner in a trade with 3 complete unknowns.
 
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Eggtimer

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Jul 4, 2011
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Why would any team want to give any 27 year old $4.5 million?
Umm .. because it could be a bargain by about 2-3 mil per .
He would have to underachieve by quite a bit for that cap hit to be an overpayment.
The risk was worth the possible reward as Devils had/ have cap room .
Not a difficult concept to grasp.
He put up similar or even better numbers than Panarin did , Panarin is now making 10 mil.....
I’m very very doubtful he will be as good as Panarin but if he puts up 20g 30a (hopefully a conservative number ) I’d say that is not totally unrealistic and is a pretty damn good cap hit for that production.
 
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josiesque

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Oct 15, 2015
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From the 20min Highlights i've seen he sure does not have McDavids speed but he's not the slowest either. I think he should be fine in regards to speed.
What i was wondering about is, did he play Center in Russia from time to time? Because he seem to like to come through the middle quiete often?
 

Kshahdoo

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Mar 23, 2008
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Best case he's Panarin 2.0, worst case he's Dadonov 2.0. For a 2nd+3rd, no brainer.

I'd say, best case, he'd rather Johnny H, than Panarin, they are very similar, not the fastest players, but have elite edge work, IQ, hands and everything. Gusev is even bigger, than Gaudreau.

And I'm sure, if Vegas had 27 yo Gaudreau instead of Gusev, who'd never played a single NHL game, they'd have traded him without a lot of hesitation.
 

aufheben

#Norris4Fox
Jan 31, 2013
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Lemieux? Lemieux is an unsigned RFA and NYR are 4.5 million over the cap with 14 forwards under contract.
If Shattenkirk is bought out, who is priority for NYR? Lemieux or Deangelo?
Lemieux? May Shero gives Gorton a 4th rounder in 2022 for his rights.
Beleskey spent almost the entire season in the minors. Smith could go down again too. Or they could buyout Smith and trade Namestnikov, or buyout two players, or trade Kreider, or really any combination of the above. The Rangers issued their qualifying offers, neither player is arbitration eligible until next year.
 

Sergei DRW

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Nov 17, 2010
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Best case he's Panarin 2.0, worst case he's Dadonov 2.0. For a 2nd+3rd, no brainer.
Dadonov doesn't have the wheels. Gusev is much more dynamic. In no world is he comparable to Dadonov besides maybe because he is a Russian too.
 

TrufleShufle

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Aug 31, 2012
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You left out the part where this particular 27 year old has ZERO NHL experience
The Devils could literally pay him 10 mil a year for two years, it absolutely does not matter to them. Maybe this is why the Devils got him for a good price, because other teams might have talked and said they aren't willing to give him that much because they can't risk it.

If the owners are ok with shelling out the money for a gamble, then nothing else matters, there is no risk. If he doesn't score a single point his first year and rides the bench his second, it will be disappointing because of the hype, but again his cap hit will mean nothing.

This is a perk of having cap space and knowing you have a couple years to play with. Hence Simmonds for only one year, but much more than any other team was willing to pay him.
 
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Blackjack

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The Devils could literally pay him 10 mil a year for two years, it absolutely does not matter to them.

I disagree. They have to sign Hall, Hischier, and Bratt next season. They could pay him $10 million this year and it wouldn't matter. Next year it absolutely does. That's why the David Backes speculation never made any sense, the 2nd year is a non-starter for the devils.

Maybe this is why the Devils got him for a good price, because other teams might have talked and said they aren't willing to give him that much because they can't risk it.

If the owners are ok with shelling out the money for a gamble, then nothing else matters, there is no risk. If he doesn't score a single point his first year and rides the bench his second, it will be disappointing because of the hype, but again his cap hit will mean nothing.

The only other team that even made an offer was the Blue Jackets. Other teams were either capped out or in situations where a win-now player like Gusev didn't make sense. If you look at CapFriendly, Columbus is already missing its second rounders in 2020 and 2021, the only way for them to beat our offer would have been to give up a 1st rounder. To have only two picks in the first three rounds of the next two drafts might have been more than they could stomach.

If Gusev busts, which I really don't see happening, the Devils can simply buy out his remaining year with a $1.5 million cap hit for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons. Or he can retire and go to Russia and the Devils would be responsible for a tiny cap recapture penalty since his contract is $5 and then $4. The most painful loss would be the draft picks, but to me it's worth it for the potential upside Gusev offers.

This is a perk of having cap space and knowing you have a couple years to play with. Hence Simmonds for only one year, but much more than any other team was willing to pay him.

Absolutely. The Subban, Simmonds, and Gusev deals are all deals that the Devils were able to do because of their cap position. They're all short term commitments and unlikely to hamstring the team down the road. Shero has done a fantastic job.
 

TrufleShufle

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Aug 31, 2012
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I disagree. They have to sign Hall, Hischier, and Bratt next season. They could pay him $10 million this year and it wouldn't matter. Next year it absolutely does. That's why the David Backes speculation never made any sense, the 2nd year is a non-starter for the devils.



The only other team that even made an offer was the Blue Jackets. Other teams were either capped out or in situations where a win-now player like Gusev didn't make sense. If you look at CapFriendly, Columbus is already missing its second rounders in 2020 and 2021, the only way for them to beat our offer would have been to give up a 1st rounder. To have only two picks in the first three rounds of the next two drafts might have been more than they could stomach.

If Gusev busts, which I really don't see happening, the Devils can simply buy out his remaining year with a $1.5 million cap hit for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons. Or he can retire and go to Russia and the Devils would be responsible for a tiny cap recapture penalty since his contract is $5 and then $4. The most painful loss would be the draft picks, but to me it's worth it for the potential upside Gusev offers.



Absolutely. The Subban, Simmonds, and Gusev deals are all deals that the Devils were able to do because of their cap position. They're all short term commitments and unlikely to hamstring the team down the road. Shero has done a fantastic job.

My hyperbole aside, this was my exact point to people saying it was "too much" for him.
 

Panthaz89

Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Panthers fan
Dec 24, 2016
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I don't understand ho teams like Ottawa, Buffalo and Edmonton who are dying for offense art making offers and they can't be because this is dirt cheap, this is also a missed chance for a team like Detroit to potenally get a goo piece for cheap
We already have guys coming into the top 6 role we need bottom 6 players in Buffalo...and he wasn't cheap they traded a 2nd and 3rd and have to pay him like a top 6 forward before he even has a chance to prove himself that isn't cheap at all.
 

KIRK

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Aug 2, 2005
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Whether or not it's the right move in the abstract, I 100% get why Shero is doing this: This is all about Taylor Hall. Everything he's doing is designed to make the team as good as possible right now in order to help convince Hall to extend. If taking this gamble on Gusev makes Hall more inclined to stay, then mission accomplished. If Gusev doesn't pan out, then all he's given up is a 2nd and cap space he wasn't going to spend this year anyway. (cc: @Emperoreddy)
 

LEAFANFORLIFE23

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Jun 17, 2010
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We already have guys coming into the top 6 role we need bottom 6 players in Buffalo...and he wasn't cheap they traded a 2nd and 3rd and have to pay him like a top 6 forward before he even has a chance to prove himself that isn't cheap at all.

Asset wise it is especially when the picks aren't even in the same draft
 

TheUnseenHand

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Whether or not it's the right move in the abstract, I 100% get why Shero is doing this: This is all about Taylor Hall. Everything he's doing is designed to make the team as good as possible right now in order to help convince Hall to extend. If taking this gamble on Gusev makes Hall more inclined to stay, then mission accomplished. If Gusev doesn't pan out, then all he's given up is a 2nd and cap space he wasn't going to spend this year anyway. (cc: @Emperoreddy)

No doubt this is part of it, but he is in no way mortgaging the future too appease Hall. He has managed to put a lot of really nice pieces in place without giving up a 1st round pick, a real roster player, or handing out a boat anchor contract. Gusev is another example. His contract is manageable, trade-able, or easily ridden out. It's not going to impede him from resigning Hall, Nico, Bratt, etc. It's really quite incredible what he's done, right down to the timing of the expiration of the contracts.
 
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Cheddabombs

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Mar 13, 2012
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Whether or not it's the right move in the abstract, I 100% get why Shero is doing this: This is all about Taylor Hall. Everything he's doing is designed to make the team as good as possible right now in order to help convince Hall to extend. If taking this gamble on Gusev makes Hall more inclined to stay, then mission accomplished. If Gusev doesn't pan out, then all he's given up is a 2nd and cap space he wasn't going to spend this year anyway. (cc: @Emperoreddy)

Everything he's doing is designed to make the team good because that's his job, not to cater towards one player. Of course in turn, it'll help show the team's commitment to winning giving them a better chance at resigning Hall which, ya know, makes our team better.
 
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Jason MacIsaac

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Jan 13, 2004
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Dadonov doesn't have the wheels. Gusev is much more dynamic. In no world is he comparable to Dadonov besides maybe because he is a Russian too.
But but but North American fanboys said he has the worst skating of Dadonov and Panarin and thats why he is a 50 point player at best.
 

KIRK

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Aug 2, 2005
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No doubt this is part of it, but he is in no way mortgaging the future too appease Hall. He has managed to put a lot of really nice pieces in place without giving up a 1st round pick, a real roster player, or handing out a boat anchor contract. Gusev is another example. His contract is manageable, trade-able, or easily ridden out. It's not going to impede him from resigning Hall, Nico, Bratt, etc. It's really quite incredible what he's done, right down to the timing of the expiration of the contracts.

That was my point in saying he only gave up a 2nd and cap space he wasn't going to otherwise use.

Some people here questioned Shero taking the risk. But, it's not a risk when there's no real downside ans only potential upside . . . it's just smart management.
 

KIRK

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Aug 2, 2005
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Everything he's doing is designed to make the team good because that's his job, not to cater towards one player. Of course in turn, it'll help show the team's commitment to winning giving them a better chance at resigning Hall which, ya know, makes our team better.

They're not exclusive in this case, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Look, I'm not panning the move.

And, I don't see it as a bad thing when a GM makes a low risk moves to try to make a team better now in order to make resigning a more attractive proposition for a team star who will be a UFA at the end of the year.

I just don't know if Shero would've paid that kind of coin without the Hall factor. Give up the 2nd . . . sure. The contract? Not as sure.

Either way though, it doesn't matter, because I like the deal for the Devils regardless.
 

Zajacs Bowl Cut

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Whether or not it's the right move in the abstract, I 100% get why Shero is doing this: This is all about Taylor Hall. Everything he's doing is designed to make the team as good as possible right now in order to help convince Hall to extend. If taking this gamble on Gusev makes Hall more inclined to stay, then mission accomplished. If Gusev doesn't pan out, then all he's given up is a 2nd and cap space he wasn't going to spend this year anyway. (cc: @Emperoreddy)

This is about making the team better. It is not about making one guy happy.
 

Nocashstyle

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Whether or not it's the right move in the abstract, I 100% get why Shero is doing this: This is all about Taylor Hall. Everything he's doing is designed to make the team as good as possible right now in order to help convince Hall to extend. If taking this gamble on Gusev makes Hall more inclined to stay, then mission accomplished. If Gusev doesn't pan out, then all he's given up is a 2nd and cap space he wasn't going to spend this year anyway. (cc: @Emperoreddy)

Every move is to make the team better, not to appease Hall.
 

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