What would YOU do if you were the GM?

[Balthazar]

Avs:
3rd Overall
Myers

Sabres:
1st Overall
McLeod

would be something to really consider as an example.

Chances of McDavid being traded: 0%.

 

[Holyhell]

Send Nick Holden to the AHL while we can and send a message. If he has to go through waivers, do it anyways. He has a cheap contract, but it might have been premature.

Call up Duncan Siemens and let him play.

See what the deal is with Micheal Schumacher in Lake Erie. It looks like he doesn't have an NHL contract. Big forward, solid point production.

Re-sign: Sgarbossa, Elliott, Lauridsen, Pickard and Heard in the AHL.

Let Ryan Wilson wait out the rest of the season on LTIR, unless someone wants him.

If a deal can be made for Sekera that has prospects or picks going back, then do it. If that can happen, trade Jan Hejda (Love the guy actually, but could get something for him at the deadline to a contender).

Wait until the end of the season to try and deal Berra, and Stuart)

I honestly think with some line changes, Colorado can still make a playoff spot.
MacKinnon on the wing would let him use his speed more, he worked well there last year, and O'Reilly back at centre would make the Avs stronger in their own end beneath the hashmarks.

Go with new lines:

Tanguay - Duchene - Iginla
Landeskog - O'Reilly - MacKinnon
Everberg - Talbot (Mitchell) - Briere
McLeod - Carey(Talbot) - Rendulic

Johnson
Sekera(Hejda)
Barrie
Redmond
Guenin
Siemens
(Stuart)

Varlamov
Pickard (First send down)
Berra

 

[landy92mack29]

The real question comes this summer if the team does get into the McDavid or Eichel. Do you trade down to 3, take Hanifin, and pick up an NHL talent roster player and maybe another pick from Buffalo, Carolina, or Columbus?

Avs:
3rd Overall
Myers

Sabres:
1st Overall
McLeod

.

that is bad value. If we somehow got the 1st it wouldn't be traded. If we got the 2nd I'd trade it for the 3rd and future picks

 

[Gabe the Babe]

Hanifin won't be ready for top pairing duty next year (or middle pairing even). His upside is probably higher than Ekblad, but it will take him years to reach it. One thing Ekblad has always had going for him is that he has matured quickly... Ekblad had a NHL body and strength last year in juniors. He was always going to step in and do well. Not many expected what is happening, and it will be interesting to see how the NHL adjusts against him... but he was always going to step right into a top 4 role.

Hanifin is a big kid, man. I'd take him over Ekblad at any age to be honest. I honestly think whoever gets him has a guy who's worthy of the top pairing by the end of his first year.

 

[Hasbro]

Size Queen.

 

[henchman21]

Hanifin is a big kid, man. I'd take him over Ekblad at any age to be honest. I honestly think whoever gets him has a guy who's worthy of the top pairing by the end of his first year.

Hanifin is smaller than Ekblad, and isn't nearly as strong. Ekblad has always been a man child.

If I am choosing long-term between the two, I would choose Hanifin (I'm not super high on Ekblad). Hanifin's development is going to take a couple years to round out. His style won't directly translate to the NHL, and because of that, he has to make some changes to his game (he is getting a head start on that now). He also has to get a lot stronger... there are times where he has issues with NCAA forwards. That will only get worse with NHL forwards. He should be able to play in the NHL next year and be fine, but he isn't going to be able to handle top line defensive duties.

 

[FoppaForsberg*]

Sell off all the older assets, Hejda, Briere, Mccleod. Trade off holden/Guenin for late picks (5th to 7th rounders) . Start a ROR bidding war in the summer, go HARD after Ehrhoff/Sekera/Martin and if the price is right, Staal. Sign some more bottom 6 depth, also if a younger player becomes available for cheap, do it. ( Like Colbourne, Pirri, Morin, Hayes, Knight from previous seasons) Look into more european signings like Everberg.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Sell off all the older assets, Hejda, Briere, Mccleod. Trade off holden/Guenin for late picks (5th to 7th rounders) . Start a ROR bidding war in the summer, go HARD after Ehrhoff/Sekera/Martin and if the price is right, Staal. Sign some more bottom 6 depth, also if a younger player becomes available for cheap, do it. ( Like Colbourne, Pirri, Morin, Hayes, Knight from previous seasons) Look into more european signings like Everberg.

This made me laugh. McLeod and asset shouldn't be in same sentence. He's dead weight at this point, but OK as a fourth liner playing 5-8 min per game.

 

[Pokecheque]

This made me laugh. McLeod and asset shouldn't be in same sentence. He's dead weight at this point, but OK as a fourth liner playing 5-8 min per game.

In a league that still vastly overrates "grit" and "compete" I think it'd be relatively easy to move him. The return wouldn't be much at all, but still movable.

 

[S E P H]

Hanifin is smaller than Ekblad, and isn't nearly as strong. Ekblad has always been a man child.

If I am choosing long-term between the two, I would choose Hanifin (I'm not super high on Ekblad). Hanifin's development is going to take a couple years to round out. His style won't directly translate to the NHL, and because of that, he has to make some changes to his game (he is getting a head start on that now). He also has to get a lot stronger... there are times where he has issues with NCAA forwards. That will only get worse with NHL forwards. He should be able to play in the NHL next year and be fine, but he isn't going to be able to handle top line defensive duties.

I still think Ekblad is going to be like Phaneuf 2.0, physical abilities will lead him to a top 2-3 defenseman, but lacks the IQ to be around Keith's, Suter, or Pietrangelo's level. He will always get goals because his shot is damn amazing, but during the WJCs, I saw a ton of defensive errors and turnovers from him because of lapses in the brain.

Hanifin, Werenski, and Kylington (also including Seth Jones and Chychrun) all have expectational levels when reading the game. And in the long run, they will be better off when their bodies and timing are adjusted to NHL level.

I agree that he should probably stay in the NCAA for another season after he is drafted (Noah). But definitely disagree when he needs to get stronger, a kid playing against couple 22 and 23 year olds, and doesn't look out of place is pretty remarkable (since he is one of the youngest players in a very long time with Eichel as well). You can say that every 17 and 18 year old needs to get stronger for the NHL, even Charlie Coyle and he was man vs children, even in college.

 

[henchman21]

I'm not saying Hanifin looks out of place, but he does lose more battles than I would like. Not surprising because of his age, and it is a relative statement... the fact that he does so well now bodes for the future. Part of Ekblad's success this year is he can physically handle NHL forwards consistently. I have some questions on that with Hanifin to start. No doubt he will get there, and being in college is going to help more so than if he was in Quebec... but he won't be as physically dominate as Ekblad is this year, next year in the NHL. It will come in time, but not right off.

We completely agree on Ekblad. His physical tools are top notch, and that is the biggest reason he can slide right into the NHL and put up good numbers.