@sedin33 @NucksFanForLife @ItsBlowTime what do you guys think of the value, here?

I look at Gagner as a 50/50 gamble to make the Caps. He either fits in at #2C pretty quickly, or they might cut him after a couple weeks, in which case they've traded Burakovsky and a checking wing who leads their forwards in corsi for Goldobin and a little bit of salary cap baggage through next year.

If Gagner works out, as I hope he will, each team ends up making a top six player out of someone who didn't fit on the other team's top six, both teams get better, both teams get a feel good story out of it, and the Canucks have moved out half of Gagner's salary, without the long term cap effects of a buyout.

If this doesn't work for Vancouver, what on Earth would?

I think Vancouver would do this deal.

I’d take that in a heartbeat. We can keep Gagner, his cap doesn’t hurt our team and we have tons of cap space. We’d send Motte or Granlund instead of Gagner. I’d be willing to do a straight up Goldobin for Burakovsky. I’d add the Washington 6th to it as well. And at this point, I don’t really care for Goldobin. He’s just not good enough defensively. Is Motte and Goldobin for Bura and Jaskin good for you guys?

Yeah. Motte's work ethic would be a great fit. He might be what's missing in Washington's bottom six. But I also honestly want to experiment with Gagner which doesn't even out the value, or leave a roster spot for Goldobin.....unless the Caps carry 15 forwards and send Siegenthaler back to Hershey. That would be unpopular, because Siegenthaler is a beast, but if Gagner can get back to his old, disappointing, perennial 40 point pace, and stop Kuznetsov from taking face offs, that would be a pleasant surprise, to offset the fifty points a year for life that Burakovsky will get, if he plays on a top six line with Pettersson.

I think the Caps could easily add a decent prospect to balance that. Maybe Jusso Ikonen?

So Motte, half-retained Gagner, and Goldobin for Jaskin, Burakovsky, and Ikonen. I'd do it. If you need our sixth so you can dump an unwanted bottom six guy, I'd do that too. Not sure if there really are any though...

Nah. Have to demote Siegenthaler and give Bowey some big minutes. That part is awkward, but having a fifth line could help in back to backs.

In another thread I'm working on Dowd+Connolly for Faksa (who I think is both of them, in one player), which brings back Siegenthaler.

That’ll be fun. I feel like there may or may not be a Dallas fan who won’t like that at all.....

I can't mcimagine whom you mcmean!

Ooooookay, hold on there @NucksFanForLife , Motte is my BOY! I think he has a real chance to become a high end checking line/PK type of guy,, the ones that make a big impact on Stanley Cup runs! So lets cool the jets on trading him just yet :P

As for the trade at hand, @Eli The Canucks scream yes before WSH changes their mind. Gagner is loaned to the Marlies in the AHL, Goldobin is as good as gone already, the coach has no trust in him. This is a huge win for the Nucks imo.

I agree, but we shouldn't pay for Motte, Roussel, Beagle, Sutter, and Granlund. We have an overload of those guys. Sutter should be gone as well as one other. You would rather trade Granlund?

Awesome. I think if Gagner works out, and stops Kuznetsov from getting any worse than 39% at faceoffs, this trade could help revive both Gagner's career and the Caps' season. The value is weak, from Washington's side, but I'm just happy we all agree on something that includes more than just Goldobin.



Makes sense. I think with MacLellan hinting that he wants someone similar in age to the player he wants to trade, he'd probably want Motte out of those. Not sure what it would cost.

If age weren't a factor, he would have cap space above for 50% retained Alzner, who could probably still help in some situations, but he says it is, and I applaud that. So I'm curious what it'll cost to pry hopefully a Faksa or a Motte away from teams that clearly know they're pretty good.

Burakovsky is 8th in his draft class in regular season goals, 2nd in power play goals. But he's had an awful year, and his value is at an all time low. Even after taking back Sam Gagner, I think the Caps have to add probably a B+ prospect like Nate Walker (got a point in the playoffs.... really quick skater... Austrailian), and a 3rd pick? I could also see them targeting Motte or Stecher, instead, but I imagine they might cost more.

The definitely shouldn't, but Motte, Roussel, and Beagle, give the Canucks everything that Sutter and Granlund are supposed to.. grit, energy, and PK capabilities with a touch of scoring.

Sutter Granny, and Goldy total a cap hit of 6,488,333 -or 2.1 per player. Meanwhile the other three total 6,925,000 which is 2.3 per. For basically the same cap hit, Sutter and Goldy each on their own would bring back a much bigger return perhaps than all three combined. It just makes sense that Benning finds ways to move the 'fringe' (Sutter, Goldy, Granny).

It just makes sense that

Yeah. I think that's fair, to hold onto your cheaper, better checking forwards, and move out the older, less exciting ones. Especially if we're talking about guys like Gagner and Jaskin who have bounced around, and who have been waived, and who haven't always had a spot--guys who aren't traded necessarily for future hopes, but just for who fits where, right now.

I don't see Sutter fitting with the Caps' salary structure, and I don't know how well Granlund fits with the team's style of play. I really like Motte too, but I can't tell whether or not Burakovsky is worth Goldobin plus Motte, to Vancouver. Part of me wants to argue it, but I'm not sure.

Since 2014, Burakovsky is in the top 180 active forwards in points, so he's been a top six guy, offensively. This year, whether it's because of his injury from round one against Columbus or a Cup hangover, he hasn't been scoring at the same pace.

His past performance is better than Motte's. http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?aggregate=1&reportType=season&seasonFrom=20142015&seasonTo=20182019&gameType=2&draftYear=2013&position=F&filter=gamesPlayed,gte,1&sort=goals

This year Burakovsky and Motte are tied at 0.27 points/game played. For Motte, it's a career high. For Burakovsky, a low. He's varied between .41 points/game and .55. In his first two seasons, he outpaced Horvat. Then he got one wrist broken with a slash, took a while to heal, and got the other wrist broken with another slash.

I'm reasonably certain that Burakovsky, who is tied with Drouin for 7th in the 2013 draft class in even strength goals, will bounce back. He's got three goals in his last four games, bringing him up to six, on the year. I think he's starting to find his game, again, and will finish the year as a pretty good offensive player.

I think the Caps might add to be able to get Goldobin and Motte, here. I'm not sure what Vancouver would want for that, though.