mll

Teams are offering to add sweeteners. Can't really see Nashville giving up an asset for a middle of the lineup player. Available based on input from Trotz would be my guess. They were still talking regularly after he was let go. The cap crunch league wide looks more acute this year than last year.

He might not have any trade value by the deadline. Chicago, Arizona etc aren't very good teams and his numbers could be pretty ugly. 6M even with 50% retention is also a difficult contract to move at the TDL - he has the highest cap hit of all the Ds in the last year of their deals. There will be cheaper options available which then gives room to also improve elsewhere.

Beauvillier was on the trade block in NYI when Trotz was there - wouldn't expect them to want a reunion unless Vancouve the ones adding the pick. Trotz is talking of getting sweeteners in trades - teams have already approached him. He's even open to move Saros. Doesn't really feel like they'll be looking to give up assets unless they get a young high end player. Nashville trying to develop their next core.

Can't see the NHLPA allowing that. His side negotiated a late payment to reduce the likelihood of a trade. Dhaliwal verified with his agent - it's 15 September.

Don't see Vancouver trading Demko - playoffs seems an objective for next season. If things go as they hope Pittsburgh wouldn't be picking that high for some time and it's a special draft. Keeping the pick gives them the 1st step on preparing the next era.

I wouldn't expect them to be interested in Miller anymore. Dubas is talking of reducing the gap between this era and the next. That's probably through drafting/developing prospects (ie need picks for that) but also avoiding contracts that could age badly. There are just so many cap strapped teams league wide - teams with some cap space could get some pretty good players on the cheap. Pittsburgh has the high end players in Crosby/Malkin/Guentzel. It's the bottom-6 and the D-corps that's been the issue mostly and at times goaltending. Dubas and Sullivan have already had some broad discussions on roster need. Sullivan reminds that speed was critical when they used to have success and says it's an area they can improve on this off-season. Speaks of how the best teams are teams with speed. Carolina and NJD in the same division and are both very fast skating teams.

Re Nashville:

Doesn't align with the timeline. Treliving not returning in Calgary was announced already mid-April. Shanahan and Dubas were negotiating a new deal just a couple of weeks ago before Shanahan had a change of heart following Dubas' end of season presser.

From the press release - speed and skill. "When I look at our roster and those in our system, we have a lot of fast, skilled players and we will likely select more of those types of players in this year's draft," Trotz said. "We want to become more of an offensive team and Andrew specializes on that side of the ice - he lived it as a player, and he coaches it as a coach. He is as good of an offensive teacher and power-play coach as there is in the game today. He will be great with our young players, and I know, because of his background as a player, he will connect well with our top, skilled players. At the end of the day, he is a good person who looks forward to working in partnership with our players to make them, and our team, better. I can't wait to get in the foxhole with him."

The D-corps in the finals for Florida. Not all that expensive to build other than Ekblad. Waiver claims + 1x 3rd round pick + free agency. Forsling Ekblad Staal Montour Mahura Gudas Drafted: Ekblad Waiver claims: Forsling + Mahura + Fitzgerald Trade: Montour 3rd round pick UFA signings: Staal 1 year league minimum, Gudas All played 16 games except Ekblad who missed 1 game and was replaced by Fitzgerald.

It's more teams outthinking the process than the expansion rules + some teams not knowing what they had in their players. CBJ would have probably never left Karlsson unprotected if they knew he could be a top-6 C. Trotz was calling Schmidt a D7 and healthy scratching him. This was Vegas' opening lineup: Perrron Eakin Neal Marchessault Haula Smith Karlsson Lindberg Leipsic Carrier Bellemare Nosek Sbisa Schmidt McNabb Engelland Garrison Miller Fleury Subban They had Tuch and Theodore in the AHL and had drafted Glass (now in Nashville for Nolan Patrick), Brannstrom (part of trade for Stone), Suzuki (part of Pacioretty trade).

St Louis not in a rebuild but a very aggressive re-tool - they don't believe in rebuilds per the different insiders. They were looking to use 2x 1st round picks to bring in Timo Meier per LeBrun. Per Friedman Parayko is apparently available but they want a younger version in return - futures that can allow them to bring in that younger version would probably work too. The cost is high and it's not necessarily worth it if that player is then just as good in a year or two.

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Hynes with ties to Drury in NYR and Guerin in Minnesota - Evason was confirmed back but assistant position open.

Garland is not really speed and size.

Can't see Nashville going run & gun. It's still Trotz. NJD didn't give up much defensively while playing a speed game.

Brunette was associate coach with NJD this past season.

Johansen the better fit than Garland in Nashville given the players they already have. He's a C that's a face-off ace, can play up and down the lineup with skilled players or grinders. That's more versatility and usefulness than Garland. Nashville doesn't know the readiness of some of their young players - seems more useful to have players who can drop down the lineup or step in in case they struggle especially at C. They are in a re-set. Trotz says step back to take 2 steps forward. He also says that the league wide cap crunch is an opportunity for them to gain additional assets. Can't really see them adding to a trade unless they find a young high end player that they see part of their team long term - the rights to Timo Meier if NJD can't extend him for example. In the past they haven't been shy to use buyouts (eg Turris) and that might the better option than paying/using a retention spot. Nashville only has 2 retention spots left so it would limit what they can do trade wise if they try and move further veteran contracts for a significant return like they did for Ekholm where they had to retain on. Don't really see Garland as a fit in Nashville when Trotz says speed and more size. Garland is not seen as a player to keep on the contender that the Canucks are trying to build - not sure many teams would either. There's no indication whether he can overcome his size in the post-season.

Last year Vancouver signed Nils Aman and Filip Johansson who were on last year's 1 June list.

15 September - Dhaliwal checked with his agent.

Why would Rutherford mention a 3rd pairing D in his letter to season ticket holders. Feels like they think he can evolve into a top-4 D.

NYR lost in round 1 because they were helpless against NJD's speed and couldn't get to the net. Boeser not really the player that's going to help them with that. NYR in win now mode so draft picks don't hold all that much value for them. Dolan really an impatient owner. He fired Davidson/Gorton because he felt they were building a team that was far too skilled and lacked toughness. Hard to believe they'd want a winger like Boeser.

That's still adding a winger they don't really need - it's not like Boeser could help elsewhere either. Buffalo has quite a few players up in a year and have to plan for that too before using up all their cap space this summer. Boeser's agent has been granted permission to seek out a new team already back in December. Buffalo had more than ample cap space to add Boeser in season if they wanted to.

They seem to see him as part of the future. From Rutherford's end of season letter: "We are equally excited about the emerging new players on our roster which includes Andrei Kuzmenko, Ilya Mikheyev, Ethan Bear and the recently acquired Filip Hronek."