Rob Blake would be mental not to take that trade for the Kings. First one I've seen that doesn't include a 1st rounder.

From a Buffalo POV, that deal is an emphatic 'yes' and I imagine the Sabres would even add a medium prospect or depth player - but the questions are: 1) do the Hawks want to trade Murphy rather than keep him as mentor for their youth?; and, to a lesser degree, 2) does Murphy have Buffalo on his M-NTC list? If so, if the Hawks came to him with the intent to move him, I'd assume that his history with Granato would favor Murphy agreeing to a Buffalo trade.

Can't see GMCM moving back a full round to take on T.J, even half retained.

Not a bad effort! Kings won't want Blackwell - they have more forwards than they can play already. And Hawks keep that 4th. Takes Turcotte at a minimum to move Peterson. Murphy doesn't get moved for less than two 2nd's or a 1st. Not sure the Hawks take Mantha for that 3rd. They definitely don't send Dickinson back to Caps. Don't see why the Av's make that deal and not sure they have cap space for Johnson anyway. The trades all seem feasible as possibilities - just not built in a way that Hawks would make them as proposed in my opinion.

COL will pass on that.

Avs decline that very quickly.

You are spot on with your assessment that Hawks value Murphy as a mentor for their young D and as a team leader in the room. Only way they move him is if they get blown away by a trade offer in my opinion. I think Murphy wouldn't hesitate to waive for Buffalo. Sabres are a team on the cusp of being a perennial playoff team. That's very appealing!

Trading Murphy is probably best for the Hawks. Davidson has talked about letting the young guys grow into leadership roles, so I could see Murphy being traded to clear the deck for someone like Vlasic or Korchinski to take the reigns. The Hawks also need to give more NHL ice time to their defensive prospects to see who actually has NHL regular potential. Although I would like the Hawks to try and package Murphy with either Tampa’s 1st or a pair of their seconds to get Buffalo’s 1st this year (assuming it doesn’t move too high up in the lottery).

I think even if Murphy does have Buffalo on his M-NTC, where the Sabres are at as a team and the Granato connection probably can change his mind.

My thought on Murphy and i like him, is they resigned Tinordi to be a mentor. The TJ trade is because when healthy he has produced at a very solid level, the avs need center depth and he has stanley cup pedigree i am TB would want him back if they could afford him. I was being moderate on returns because everyone on here thinks to dump players its 1st and 2nd round picks and if it is for this draft which is pretty deep, teams aren't going to be willing to just give those picks away. My thought on some of these cap dumps is they are only 1 year, we can provide some of these guys with top line minutes hope they can produce to flip at the deadline. All need good fun and great discussions from everyone.

Have you seen TJ play when healthy? Also They avs need depth and TJ at 2.5 when healthy is great value. I know key in that is "when healthy" but its the gamble you have to take.

Yeah i think Murph would waive to Buf. A up and coming young team in the US. He has a 10 team no trade list and he is from Ohio. Yeah a 2nd and prospect I think may get it done. I know buffalo could use a Murphy.

Buffalo accepts and add Kisakov

Caps probably take that offer.

Buffalo guys if your 1st round pick stayed where it was, would you include it in a Murphy trade if the hawks also took back Olofsson? Maybe the hawks add a pick. Just a thought. Seems like they would like to move on from him.

I've read that Murphy himself has embraced that role and isn't downtrodden by the prospect of a long rebuild and losing more than winning but I haven't read or heard if the Hawks plan includes him. Jones also seems OK with staying in Chicago through the rebuild.



If the Sabres were to relinquish their 1st, I think you're right in presuming that they'd either want the TBL 1st or the Hawks' 2nd....



One would think so even though he seems tied to Chicago even more after getting married this summer to a Chicago-born woman - but, if the Hawks come to him and want to deal him, Murphy's fondness of living and playing in Chicago would be moot. Buffalo's situation - not just their trajectory towards a likely playoff team next season and Granato connection but chance to play with Dahlin or Power as a partner - would seem to be the next best thing for him.



Even if Rosen, Biro, Weissbach or Cederqvist were necessary, that'd be fine. Savoie and Kulich are the non-starters at the moment.

Despite the fans' disdain for Olofsson, he's still been a reliable 20-goal scorer each season and it's been speculated by many that he should be worth at least a 2nd round pick to teams eager to add offense and/or PP help. The Sabres aren't trying for a cap dump so your theory that the Hawks taking Olofsson back to warrant the 1st is off - but, like GMTommy suggested, the Sabres might give up a better draft position to Chicago (i.e. giving up Buffalo's 1st for TBL's 1st or pair of CHI's 2nds).

I think Van would prefer to move a 2025 pick, as you did here vs 2023 or 2024, to move on from Myers. Definitely need to address 3C and depth D with that 6m.

COL isn’t spending even $2.5M on a bottom 6 guy that cost a resource. They have gotten to the point they need those guys to be ELC or $1M-ish, they have about $13.5M this off season for 5 bottom 6 forwards, a 6th dman Byram and Newhook and potentially a 2C. Johnson produced 32pts averaging 16.5 minutes, COL’s bottom 6 under Bednar has averaged closer to 10-12.

The point of this is the fact he's a gamer and can move up into the top 6 if needed and produce. N i watched Newhook this year, which they expected him to make the jump to second line center this year. That didnt happen. TJ is also a Sakic type of player..... I totally get where you are coming from in a cap prospective with 2.5mil hit but the juice has to be worth the squeeze.

Fair enough. I'd assume the hawks would think about it for a pair of seconds if they really like a player in buf's 1st round. Just shooting things around. I imagine the hawks would either like to move up the TB pick at either 19-20th or at least add another 1st for this year even if it was at the end of the 1st.

Yes but the Avs don't have cap to spare and simply won't be giving up that 1st rounder in a hurry. It really is that simple and why it makes it an easy no at that price.

To BUFF: Murphy and 1st (TBL, 20th OA)
To CHI: Rosen, Bryson and 1st (BUF, 13th OA)

Seems fair for both sides. Done deal?

caps are better off buying out mantha than paying a pick and also taking back a bottom 6 guy making more than his buyout would cost

Newhook was maybe the single most player adversely affected by their injuries that didn’t get hurt. Bednar said at the start of the season it was his intention to give him a long look at 2C playing between Landeskog and Nichushkin which obviously didn’t happen. Instead because of the injuries he bounced all over the line up and still produced 30pts 2 less than Johnson averaging about 3 minutes less a game. On top that even on his next deal he is going to make less than Johnson at 50% retained. Was more expected of Newhook absolutely but he is only 22 and given the Avs cap situation he is going to be counted on to produce more. Landeskog’s and Nichushkin (wtf) situations are going to weigh heavily on the Avs off season plans but regardless of that I expect the Avs to do at least one cheap prove it deals to a guy like Drouin.

The real question is, have Hawks fans seen him healthy?
Edit: It is also not a gamble the Avs have to take. They could sign Drouin or someone for 1m if they want to boost their fragility