Speculation: What is the best use of our assets this offseason?

[Frenzy31]

So in reviewing the Trade thread - seems like there are a wide range of opinions out there on who we should trade for or target. I figured I would put up a poll.

IMO - ROR will cost the most assets and TJ, Kessel, and Hoffman will have a similar cost in assets. 2nd line center and 1st line wingers have similar value.

ROR signed through 2023 - 7.5 million
TJ signed through 2023 - 5 million
Kessel signed through 2022 - 5.8 million
Hoffman signed through 2020 - 5.18 million

Click to read more...

 

[The Note]

This is tough to answer because the guys you listed would all likely fluctuate in cost pretty significantly. Everything being equal I would rank them:
ROR
Kessel

TJ

Hoffman

I’d much prefer ROR or Kessel to the other two but they’d also cost more I’d imagine. Given asset cost, contract, age and position I would prefer Johnson out of this group.

 

[stl76]

ROR or Johnson would be the best use of assets IMO. Target a center first, ask about wingers later.

 

[Stealth JD]

of those choices, I'd personally prefer ROR the most...but the Sabres and Blues aren't good trade partners, so i think we'd be better off going after Johnson from Tampa who will almost assuredly be cheaper to acquire give the position of each franchise. Though I don't think Yzerman is going to be doing anybody any favors when he deals a forward for cap considerations. And don't sleep on his trading Kucherov who is gonna get paaaaaid after being strong-armed by GMSY with his RFA contract.

 

[67Blues]

I would speculate that we'll do none of the above and Army will make some off the radar trade on a high risk/high reward player or a player not being used effectively like Schenn was before he came to the Blues. Jets 1st and a non-top 4 prospect would probably do it. I'm more interested in the addition by subtraction angle that Army will do in the off-season to unload some passengers.

 

[Xerloris]

If we land Tavares we should absolutely go all in for Kessel. If we fail to get Tavares then we need assets to trade for a center instead of a right wing.

 

[Oberyn]

I like ROR the most but he'd also be the most expensive to acquire.

 

[Frenzy31]

I went with Kessel. We need production and if we go with him and then add a UFA like Bozak, then I think we are actually set.

Going with TJ/ROR - we still would have a hole at RWing and I just don't see anything out there that interest me at all.

But I totally understand going after TJ also. He would be a solid addition and allow us to shelter Thomas.

 

[Itsnotatrap]

I think Tampa is going to favor deals with right side dmen when and if they float Johnson around vs anything centered around futures. Schmaltz and we add, significantly. Parayko, and they add, significantly. I’m not sure that makes us the cleanest partner if that is the direction they take with Johnson, but it wouldn’t necessarily take us completely out of it either.

 

[stl76]

I went with Kessel. We need production and if we go with him and then add a UFA like Bozak, then I think we are actually set.

Going with TJ/ROR - we still would have a hole at RWing and I just don't see anything out there that interest me at all.

But I totally understand going after TJ also. He would be a solid addition and allow us to shelter Thomas.

The beauty of going after TJ is that he can play RW too. So if you trade for Johnson then sign a UFA like Bozak...then I think we are set. Plus we would have much better C depth and spend less than going after Kessel (tho Kessel would admittedly be a significant upgrade over Johnson at RW).

 

[BlueDream]

I'd be the most ecstatic with O'Reilly so I voted for him. Most well-rounded player, fills a big need for us, and is the youngest on the list.

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

ROR would be the best player to acquire, but I think the ask from Buffalo won't budge off of one of our D.

So I think TJ would be the next best as he'd provide speed, versatility, good faceoff ability, and a RHS to the team.

I think cost for Kessel will be way too high coming off the 92pt season to be worth acquiring him.

Ottawa would probably look for a similar return for Hoffman that Tampa would for TJ, so I'd most certainly go for TJ over Hoffman.

 

[67Blues]

ROR's ask will be Petro with them adding or Parayko. They'll want a really good RHD as they are heavy on the left side. Either way, that would be an expensive ask. You won't get him for Schmaltz+

 

[simon IC]

It's kind of ROR or bust for me, and the reason I say that is because I do not believe Kessel or Johnson will be significantly cheaper. Kessel is coming off a great year, and if Pittsburgh is in fact moving him, they will milk that for all its worth. Johnson will also command a hefty price. Yzerman isn't in a situation where he has to deal TJ. I could see a bidding war develop, and Yzerman is a shrewd GM that could cultivate a situation like that. Hoffman is my least favourite option, and as stated above, would likely be priced similarly to Johnson.

 

[mk80]

All of them are great options:

While I like the idea of having ROR, I don't think Buffalo will give him up. I think Kessel would be good, the problem for me is if the rumors are true and he isn't happy on a contending team like the Pens who were back to back champions with him and are certainly poised for another deep push next season I doubt he'd be happy here, I could honestly see Vegas picking him up giving I think he would mesh best with Gerard Gallant's coaching philosophy.

I think Hoffman or TJ are the best bets to go offer, given Tampa's upcoming cap space constrictions Johnson is sure to be a piece they'll look at moving ahead of time this summer. I think given the Ottawa ownership trying to operate the team on the cheap,Hoffman may be an "easier" I use that word lightly, target as well.

 

[Majorityof1]

It depends on acquisition cost and what other moves seem likely. If cost is the same, I value them:

Kessel > TJ >> RoR >>>>> Hoffman >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Pacioretty

Kessel and TJ are close. Cap hit, being a C and 2-way play narrow the gap, but I go with the elite scoring ability only Kessel brings. Johnson gets the nod over RoR because he is RHS and cheaper on cap. Plus as discussed in other threads, Tavares becomes less likely if we get RoR. Hoffman is last of the 4. I am not a fan of another LHS winger. While he puts up similar points to TJ and RoR, he is a far less well-rounded player. I can deal with poor defense if it comes with elite offense, but at 50 points, all else being equal, I want the defense too.

 

[Frenzy31]

I forgot to add Skinner. But he was the other player.

 

[Brian39]

If we land Tavares we should absolutely go all in for Kessel. If we fail to get Tavares then we need assets to trade for a center instead of a right wing.

What's all in mean?

I don't think Kessel is available unless the package starts with one of Thomas/Kyrou along with a significant plus. I'd imagine that they would want Ed or Dunn to bolster a pretty mediocre left side of the blue line and that's about the value I have in mind when I talk about a 'significant plus' in addition to one of our top 2 prospects. I'm not at all in favor of that.

 

[Daley Tarasenkshow]

I forgot to add Skinner. But he was the other player.

Skinner would probably be my choice in terms of his cost plus production. A potential 30 goal scorer with improving two-way play, plus I don't feel there's a huge need for a center with Schenn's play last year and Robert Thomas in the pipeline.

 

[Brian39]

ROR's ask will be Petro with them adding or Parayko. They'll want a really good RHD as they are heavy on the left side. Either way, that would be an expensive ask. You won't get him for Schmaltz+

While he is a LH shot, Dahlin has played RD for the last several years (if not his entire life). Ristolainen and Bogosian both play RD, so I think they would be seeking help for the left side if they were using RoR to bring in immediate help on the blue line. Their left side is Scandella, Beaulieu, and McCabe, which is significantly worse than the group on the right side. If they want to use RoR to bring in top 4 D help from us, I'd guess the ask would be Ed/Dunn plus a very good prospect.

 

[simon IC]

What's all in mean?

I don't think Kessel is available unless the package starts with one of Thomas/Kyrou along with a significant plus. I'd imagine that they would want Ed or Dunn to bolster a pretty mediocre left side of the blue line and that's about the value I have in mind when I talk about a 'significant plus' in addition to one of our top 2 prospects. I'm not at all in favor of that.

No interest in Kessel for that price!

 

[67Blues]

Skinner would probably be my choice in terms of his cost plus production. A potential 30 goal scorer with improving two-way play, plus I don't feel there's a huge need for a center with Schenn's play last year and Robert Thomas in the pipeline.

If Army is counting on Thomas at #2C from day 1, that could be a very risky gamble for a kid who will be 19 and hasn't stepped on ice higher than Juniors. Not saying it won't work, but odds are a bit on the scary side. I suspect they'll ease him in at RW.

 

[67Blues]

While he is a LH shot, Dahlin has played RD for the last several years (if not his entire life). Ristolainen and Bogosian both play RD, so I think they would be seeking help for the left side if they were using RoR to bring in immediate help on the blue line. Their left side is Scandella, Beaulieu, and McCabe, which is significantly worse than the group on the right side. If they want to use RoR to bring in top 4 D help from us, I'd guess the ask would be Ed/Dunn plus a very good prospect.

We are pretty weak on the left side too for the future. I can't see them stealing from Peter to pay Paul in this case. JBo is a question mark and we probably won't see Gunnar until December.

 

[Brian39]

Tyler Johnson. I'd prefer Kessel or RoR if the cost to acquire all the players is the same, but both of those guys will likely command a much higher cost. I don't see RoR or Kessel being moved for anything less than a top 4 D (or top 6 forward) plus a damn good prospect. If I were Buffalo/Pittsburgh, I wouldn't accept anything less than a combination of:

One of Ed/Dunn
and
One of Thomas/Kryou.

IMO, that is not worth it for our team, but neither of those teams needs to trade those guys. If they want to trade them, they can spend 2 years exploring the market and finding the best deal possible. They shouldn't be moved this summer unless it makes clear sense to do so. As a fan of both those organizations, I'd be upset if those players are moved for anything less than a top prospect and good roster player (unless it's to the Blues of course).

Johnson is not as good as either of those players, but can probably be acquired at a cost that won't create a massive hole elsewhere on the roster. He is a right hand shot, can effectively play RW or center, is a very safe bet to score at a 45-55 point pace and allows more cap flexibility than a RoR or Kessel. I think Tampa has way more incentive to move him than the Pens or Sabres have to move their guys and his impending full NTC (combined with the full NTCs for Palat and Killorn) means that the potential return will plummet if they try to wait until next summer to address their impending cap crunch.

 

[Brian39]

No interest in Kessel for that price!

Like I said in another post, I'd be livid as a Pens fan if Kessel is traded for anything less than that.

Kessel had 92 points this season and the postseason 'slump' he had saw him score 1 goal and 8 assists in 12 games. In the 2 postseasons before that, he had a combined 18 goals and 45 points in 49 games. He's had 70+ points in 4 of his last 6 full seasons and had 52 points in the lockout shortened season. Assuming he'd have managed 18 points in another 34 games, we're talking about 5 70+ point seasons in his last 7 years. And he hasn't missed a single game since 2010.

What type of return would satisfy you if we traded Tarasenko? I sure as hell would be furious if we traded Tarasenko for anything less than a package involving an Ed/Dunn value roster player plus a team's best prospect. Kessel has numbers right on par with Tarasenko, is coming off a significantly better year and his cap hit is $700k less than our Russian beauty. You aren't getting Kessel without sacrificing some major assets, no matter how much smoke there is about tension.