We don't have much time left, so I'm gonna get real weird with it.
Goals: Move Laine. Move Elvis. Move Provorov. Clear room on the wings. Make room for Greaves in the big boy squad. Bring in an established starting Goalie. Add a good big body d-man.
I'm not listing out the draft here but here are my thoughts:
Demidov No Matter What. Unless he's not on the board, then take Lindstrom/Trade down but stay in the top 10 and take Konsta Helenius. There's more nuance to this, but this has taken all day.
Step #1: Remove the problem children.
While I loved the acquisition of Laine and Roslovic for PLD, it just seemed to never work out. The revolving door of coaches didn't help anything, but cheap shots and injuries became a real issue for him. I hold no ill will to Laine for needing to leave. Instead of going after Zegras, who I think would make a fun #2 center between Marchenko and Johnson (wanna see betting lines for Michigan attempts per game?), I went for Marner.
New problem child with daddy issues? Yes. One year left with a waived NMC? Also, yes. The TDL is gonna get hot if he doesn't decide to play ball with Waddell. He should look real good next to Gaudreau and Fantilli to at least help raise his value. As good as when he was with Matthews? Probably not, but let's be optimistic in Capfriendly's last days.
Elvis is a different situation. His well documented situations in the past few years have been rough for everyone involved. I think he needs a fresh start. Anaheim has a second player circulating the trade block in John Gibson. That is a bear of a contract he has there and I think the Jackets can provide some kind of alleviation by taking on that extra million for the same amount of time. Elvis gets moved to (hopefully) a better situation and can return to form.
Step #2: Re-sign Contracts
- Chinakhov: 2 year bridge to see if he can stay healthy.
- Johnson: Prove it/bridge deal.
- Marchenko: 7 year team friendly deal. He's proven himself and is the new "Media Darling". Quickly became a fan favorite and he should get locked down long term.
- Sillinger: That sophomore slump is going to hurt his next contract. However, a 3 year bridge seems worth it to me.
- Texier: Ultimately this is a sign and trade. The intent was to leave his deal where he is still and RFA by the end of it to increase his value. Love the player, but he's ultimately the logjam.
- Nylander: Was it luck or is this the real deal? Prove it.
- Greaves: Max two-way deal.
- Others: AHL team almost went all the way. Maybe they run it back again.
Step #3: Move Provorov, Texier, and Tarasov
Really I make my case below, but Provorov is in the last year of his contract and he's not going to stick around. It hurts to move on from Tex and Tary, but something has to be done. Utah seems like a great home for all three of them I imagine an extension for Provorov would be necessary, but I didn't think about that until after I wrote up the trades. I would love to get Lawson Crouse or Barret Hayton, but the objective is to clear the logjam so all I want are some picks in return.
Step #4: Starting Goalie and Making Room for Jet Greaves
Ullmark is available. His current contract is cheaper and shorter than Gibson's, while being younger and currently better. There are no good options in FA, so let's flip some picks from the Utah trade above. If he keeps up his game from last year, it's a huge upgrade for Columbus.
Gibson sticks around for a good time, not a long time in the Columbus summer and we send him plus picks to Utah to eat that contract. That may turn around to bite everyone in the ass though if he gets back to prime Gibson numbers. That would be a dangerous team in Utah. Greaves gets to come up and play regular NHL minutes instead of starting AHL time where he's proven himself. Bit of a gamble, but there are plenty of backup options in FA if we have to find someone else.
Step #5: Brady Skjei
I really hope Waddell goes into FA and gets Skjei. Big bodied, Defensive-minded, Top 4 guy like that should really help make up on some shortcomings of this defense. Same money he had in Carolina for 3 years.
Trade deadline moves include potentially moving Marner half retained and Boqvist out for major assets. If Demidov is as advertised, that's our 1st line RW of the future. Move Mateychuk up to the big boy team if he looks ready to go by the TDL.
He probably doesn't waive his NMC for this, but I imagine playing next to Gaudreau would be a good selling point here. If it doesn't work out, CBJ flip him again at the TDL with major retainage or at least let him walk to FA at the end of the year. Idk, feels like everyone gets out of a weird situation to me.
Sorry, Patrik. Not sure if pressure was an issue in Columbus but it will be now. A fresh start next to Matthews could be exactly what revitalizes his career and would be really fun to watch.
Ducks get a slightly younger player who hasn't been the same since the Kivlenieks tragedy and frankly I've never blamed him. He needs a fresh start and if this works, Anaheim gets a really good stop gap starter for a few years before another guy is ready.
I'm tempted to ask for $500,000 in retention to make the cap hits equal. Threw in a sixth to look sweeter. I'll miss watching Elvis lose his shit at the end of a game when the defense forgets to play in front of the net.
Gibson gets a fresh start with a rebuilt blue line in front of him in Columbus.
3.
CBJ
Choix de 2e ronde en 2024 (UTA)
Choix de 2e ronde en 2024 (WSH)
Choix de 4e ronde en 2024 (SJS)
Choix de 2e ronde en 2025 (TOR)
Détails additionnels:
10 second rounders in next three years triggered the Shooter McGavin "Oh My God" clip through my brain.
Just give me a few of those. That 1st rounder is too valuable to trade for. Also, I can flip these 2nds for D-men.
Two 2nds this year for Provorov. Next years 2nd and San Jose's 4th for Tex and Tary. Fair~ish, I think.
If I could pry a guy like Lawson Crouse out their hands I would do so in a heartbeat, but picks are more easily flipped.
Texier makes every line better that he's on. If there wasn't a logjam of 2nd/3rd line wingers on this team I wouldn't move him.
Provorov helps with the cap floor situation and probably slots in well with Durzi.
Tarasov, when healthy, has the potential to be a monster in net. Still young and under team control for awhile so he can hold down that backup spot with good certainty for Utah. Keep him healthy and he'll be good. Jet Greaves needs to move up to the big team either this year or next and Tarasov is slightly in the way since he's not a starting goalie yet.
Wish I knew how to value Ullmark. I have never been a true believer in him, but a one year flyer to see if this past year was a flash in the pan is certainly worth someone else's picks.
BOS
Choix de 4e ronde en 2024 (SJS)
Choix de 2e ronde en 2025 (TOR)
5.
CBJ
Hey. I'm back. Want a goalie? Or help getting to the cap floor with a one time great goalie? Here's John Gibson.
Not gonna lie, there's something tempting to having both Ullmark and Gibson, but I can't see the potential of having 11.4+ million tied up in two goalies over 30 with one needing a new contract in a year. Especially if we're not thinking playoffs this year.
Since there's some kind of kink for 2nds here we'll start with that.
The Leafs don't have a center they could put Laine with so why would they trade for him? Matthews and Tavares are both goal scorers. In theory he would work well with Marner but that would defeat the entire purpose of trading them for each other. I just don't see any scenario where Laine ends up a Leaf.
Lot of work into this one, and lots I agree with. The stuff I don't:
1. I think we need to ship a pick to Toronto with Laine, probably in the range of a 2nd. I don't know that Toronto (or Marner) realistically bite.
2. Gibson has statistically been the worse goalie in terms of GSAx the entirety of Elvis' NHL career, and given he's older on a worse deal, I don't like the idea of anything more than a 1-for-1. With that being the case, just ship Elvis to Utah in that deal and save the hassle/the 6th.
3. I think it's too early to give up on Tarasov, and Greaves could use another year/half year in the AHL IMO. They're the tandem of the near future, might as well keep both and find out who's better first.
4. I think Boston demands more for Ullmark, and if we're keeping Tarasov and Greaves, I'd rather use next year as another building year for the kids and sign a vet backup in free agency.
5. I think Carolina and Skjei have a contract worked out already, if I'm remembering my rumors correctly. It's just not public/finalized.
If Demidov is still available at 4OA, take him and never look back.
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