Speculation: Would you eat 50% to trade Couture and Burns?

[Hodge]

This is true but you’d have salary on the books for 8 years if you buyout next year when he has no more signing bonus. A buyout would have 5 years of a 2.3 cap hit, 2 years of 3.3 cap hit and 1 year of a 4.3 cap hit. I’d rather just eat 4 million for 5 years and get assests back. Plus you’d already be bad for 2-3 of those years so you’d have dead cap 4 million for 2-3 years compared to 5-6 years on a buyout.

We would need to get a significant return for Couture to make 5 years of a dead $4M cap hit worth it and I'm not sure why another team would be willing to give multiple 1sts or prospects up for a 33 year old center signed until he's almost 40. Couture at half salary is a bargain now but it could easily end up being an overpayment within 1-2 seasons.

 

[TheBeard]

Problem is that the vets aren't being deployed that way. Bonino and Cogs are playing with Nieto. Vlasic and Simek are on the same pairing when Middleton and Meloche are very inexperienced by comparison being used as a pairing. This team isn't being coached to develop anyone. This team isn't being managed to develop anyone either.

If we're making the transition to doing what we feel is needed to develop people then we need to identify who it is we want to develop and put them in the best position to succeed. For me, it's going to be difficult to see anything that makes it a good idea to trade Burns for the scraps he'd get or pay to get rid of him.

The knowledge and experience they have isn’t solely shared during games. Much of it is practice, learning off ice etc. but I do agree that I wished the vets weren’t all playing together. Just another head scratching decision from a coach with absolutely zero vision short or long term.

 

[Gecklund]

If we trade Couture for picks and young players and retain 50% we only have 4 million in dead cap. What you are calculating is 8 million being taken on. If we had to retain AND take on a garbage player with a bad contract then yes I would want a lot more but that is not what was suggested.

So we are only retaining and not taking on another contract? What team could even afford that that would want couture? The premise is flawed to say the least.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

The knowledge and experience they have isn’t solely shared during games. Much of it is practice, learning off ice etc. but I do agree that I wished the vets weren’t all playing together. Just another head scratching decision from a coach with absolutely zero vision short or long term.

It isn't but the difference between playing with someone and learning their tendencies and why and sharing information with someone on a different line is difficult to quantify but seemingly massive. It also doesn't help that the offensive capabilities of all involved is very limited especially at this stage.

Bonino and Nieto should be on their 4th line next year with Raska. That's the one guy I can see in our system that would benefit from 4th line NHL duties and veterans around him. The rest though is difficult to map out until we see what we have with our prospects in the preseason. Is any of Wiesblatt, Bordeleau, Eklund, Robins, Gushchin, or Coe ready? My gets would be dependent on who is believed to be ready for an NHL role, if any.

 

[TheBeard]

So we are only retaining and not taking on another contract? What team could even afford that that would want couture? The premise is flawed to say the least.

Vegas. They’ll just LTIR people until the league steps in.

 

[TheBeard]

It isn't but the difference between playing with someone and learning their tendencies and why and sharing information with someone on a different line is difficult to quantify but seemingly massive. It also doesn't help that the offensive capabilities of all involved is very limited especially at this stage.

Bonino and Nieto should be on their 4th line next year with Raska. That's the one guy I can see in our system that would benefit from 4th line NHL duties and veterans around him. The rest though is difficult to map out until we see what we have with our prospects in the preseason. Is any of Wiesblatt, Bordeleau, Eklund, Robins, Gushchin, or Coe ready? My gets would be dependent on who is believed to be ready for an NHL role, if any.

I’d honestly like to see Raska now on the third line. The experience would help and it’s not like the drop off from Cogs would be big. Get some experience on the 4th line too since right now it’s just a bunch of guys that are like 4 years into failed careers. Lane is useless, Gaj is slightly less useless, Viel is in between useless and slightly less useless.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I’d honestly like to see Raska now on the third line. The experience would help and it’s not like the drop off from Cogs would be big. Get some experience on the 4th line too since right now it’s just a bunch of guys that are like 4 years into failed careers. Lane is useless, Gaj is slightly less useless, Viel is in between useless and slightly less useless.

Well, I expect Cogs to get a late round draft pick at the deadline so the spot would be opened up. I'd be fine giving that spot to Raska the rest of the season. I'd at least appreciate the energy he would provide even if his teammates may not appreciate bringing that element to a losing season.

 

[Gecklund]

Vegas. They’ll just LTIR people until the league steps in.

Does anyone really want the Sharks to trade with Vegas?

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Does anyone really want the Sharks to trade with Vegas?

I'll deal with any team if it gets us what we need.

 

[Gecklund]

I'll deal with any team if it gets us what we need.

Vegas has like 3 players we could say we need.

 

[Hatrick Marleau]

So we are only retaining and not taking on another contract? What team could even afford that that would want couture? The premise is flawed to say the least.

You don’t think a team could afford to pay 4 million a year for a top 6 center? I could see a team like Colorado who can’t afford to keep Kadri with significant raise he is going to get as well as the raises others on there team will get be interested in Couture at 4 million a year. That is really not a significant amount. You just said Couture is way better than Toffoli who makes more money and now you’re saying you don’t see a team wanting to take on Couture for less than what Toffoli is being paid.

 

[Gecklund]

You don’t think a team could afford to pay 4 million a year for a top 6 center? I could see a team like Colorado who can’t afford to keep Kadri with significant raise he is going to get as well as the raises others on there team will get be interested in Couture at 4 million a year. That is really not a significant amount. You just said Couture is way better than Toffoli who makes more money and now you’re saying you don’t see a team wanting to take on Couture for less than what Toffoli is being paid.

I’m saying a team can’t afford to take on 4M with no contracts coming back. Good job trying to change my argument though.

 

[TheBeard]

Does anyone really want the Sharks to trade with Vegas?

No chance. I’m even leaning towards accepting lowball offers for Hertl just to help out other teams.

 

[Hatrick Marleau]

We would need to get a significant return for Couture to make 5 years of a dead $4M cap hit worth it and I'm not sure why another team would be willing to give multiple 1sts or prospects up for a 33 year old center signed until he's almost 40. Couture at half salary is a bargain now but it could easily end up being an overpayment within 1-2 seasons.

That is a fair take but they should at least explore it. GMs are known to make dumb decisions in trading for players because of past playoff performance and “leadership.” I agree with you on not wanting to do it for scraps but if you get a good return I think it’d be well worth it. If Couture does end up being an overpayment for the team that acquires him they could buy him out for a really small amount later too.

 

[Hatrick Marleau]

I’m saying a team can’t afford to take on 4M with no contracts coming back. Good job trying to change my argument though.

Yes and what I’m saying is a player in Toffoli just was traded with no cap dumps going back and he made more than Couture at 50% which shows that teams can afford that. I was just using what you brought up as an example as why that would work.

 

[TheBeard]

Yes and what I’m saying is a player in Toffoli just was traded with no cap dumps going back and he made more than Couture at 50% which shows that teams can afford that. I was just using what you brought up as an example as why that would work.

Pitlick

 

[Hatrick Marleau]

Pitlick

Pitlick only makes 1.75 million and is an expiring contract. They didn’t have to take on a long term cap dump or a huge 1 year cap dump.

 

[TheBeard]

Pitlick only makes 1.75 million and is an expiring contract. They didn’t have to take on a long term cap dump or a huge 1 year cap dump.

Most teams only offset Salary for the year but even still Tyler only has two more years remaining on a very affordable deal.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

I’m saying a team can’t afford to take on 4M with no contracts coming back. Good job trying to change my argument though.

Every team has pending UFAs plus the cap is going up next season, and going forward. So, yes plenty of teams can take on Couture at 4m without a contract coming back

 

[Hatrick Marleau]

Most teams only offset Salary for the year but even still Tyler only has two more years remaining on a very affordable deal.

Yes and what I’m saying is that many teams would be able to afford a 4 million dollar cap hit without having to eat 4 million in dead cap for multiple years or a single year. 4 million for Couture would be very affordable and a bargain for most teams.

 

[Gecklund]

Yes and what I’m saying is a player in Toffoli just was traded with no cap dumps going back and he made more than Couture at 50% which shows that teams can afford that. I was just using what you brought up as an example as why that would work.

What is the almost 2M coming back that Pitlick is? Guy is a garbage player by the way.

Every team has pending UFAs plus the cap is going up next season, and going forward. So, yes plenty of teams can take on Couture at 4m without a contract coming back

Name them. I would put money on it being under 5 and all 5 of those have contracts coming up. 4M for 6 years is a detriment to lots of teams as they have young guys coming up that deserve the raises.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

What is the almost 2M coming back that Pitlick is? Guy is a garbage player by the way.

Name them. I would put money on it being under 5 and all 5 of those have contracts coming up. 4M for 6 years is a detriment to lots of teams as they have young guys coming up that deserve the raises.

Pretty much every team but TB and Vegas

 

[Gecklund]

Pretty much every team but TB and Vegas

Not according to capfriendly. Only teams that are currently in a playoff spot with 4M+ in cap space are NSH (Forsberg, Kunin, Fabbro, Myers up in the next 2 years), NYR (Strome, Miller up in 2 years and huge raises for Fox, Zib). And that’s it.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

Not according to capfriendly. Only teams that are currently in a playoff spot with 4M+ in cap space are NSH (Forsberg, Kunin, Fabbro, Myers up in the next 2 years), NYR (Strome, Miller up in 2 years and huge raises for Fox, Zib). And that’s it.

Cap space and cap hits are prorated. I just assumed you knew that

 

[hohosaregood]

I'd be seriously interested in targeting Nashville as a Hertl destination. They're in the playoffs, have a strong group of prospects, and could use a big addition to be a real playoff threat