Draft Option #7: Trade it!

[TrueBlueGED]

Trade. The. Pick. For who? Why, I'm glad you asked! 

We can all agree we're not getting an established star for the pick, right? Especially if they're in their prime. Somebody like Point just isn't happening.The 7th pick isn't the 1st or 2nd: you can get a good player, or even a star, but you're just as likely to end up with JAG. So the target, in my view, has to be a good young player from a cap-strapped team who simply has other priorities or a team about to enter a rebuild. So a guy like RNH is out because it doesn't make any sense for Edmonton to move him for a pick that's 2 years away from doing anything.I don't mean for the following list to be exhaustive or to convince anyone for specific players, just to get the conversation started.

Tampa Bay

This one is obvious, but they basically have to shed some payroll this offseason to pay Point, unless his agent is as bad as Kucherov's and agrees to a cheap bridge deal. Possible, but let's assume they want to make a deal. The targets are obvious: Kucherov and Hedman. Okay, fine, the actual targets: Palat, Johnson, Miller. My preference would be Miller due to age and versatility, but I could be talked into Johnson. I'm not interested in Palat for the pick unless there's a decent size add from Tampa.

San Jose

Pavelski and Karlsson are UFAs, and will easily combine for $15M or so. Meier is an RFA and just had a breakout season. They don't have a pick in the first 2 rounds. Something's gotta give! Even assuming they don't re-sign Thornton and Nyquist, they're in a tight spot to keep everyone. Might they have to choose between Hertl and Meier? Maybe. It's worth a call. We'd have to add in either case.

Anaheim

Talk about a team that missed its window. Rakell would be ideal, but with an ancient core, I can't picture them trading a 25 core piece. Silfverberg makes more sense. He's 28, not cheap ($5.25M), and a mid-40-point winger. May not fit into their long term plans. 

LA

Bring me Dion Phaneuf!!! Really though, the obvious target here is Toffoli. He had a down year, but is only 26 and on a reasonably cheap contract ($4M). They're probably not quite prepared to blow it up (they should be, but whatever), so trading Toffoli for a pick may be unlikely.

Vegas

Stone gets a raise, Fleury gets a raise, Tuch gets a raise, William Karlsson needs a new contract, and they don't have any notable money coming off the books. Prime target baby! Reilly Smith. Could we get Eakin as well to help our center depth with a smallish add on our end? I'd like to find out.

Florida

They don't have anyone set for a big raise, but if the rumors are true and they want both Panarin and Bobrovsky, they have to shed some salary. Luongo may gift them retirement, but Hoffman or Huberdeau (less likely than Hoffman by a mile, probably) seem like sensible targets.

Columbus

If they lose Panarin, Duchene, and Bobrovsky, might they enter a rebuild? Without a 1st round pick, our #7 might be enticing. I don't love trading for a 29 year old with this pick, but I love Atkinson's game.

Ottawa

Just kidding, they're a wasteland.

 

I stopped about halfway down the Cap Friendly list, so I know I left off some possible targets. Feel free to pick up for my slack.

[Derrico]

I don’t hate this idea at all.  However, I’m hearing that almost whoever we draft at 7 is going to be the next Patty Kane or superstar so that makes it much more difficult.

[GASabresIUFAN]

 Bold but no. 

We can probably get Toffoli for the late first and even that might be to much

[nfreeman]

Excellent thread but I think Huberdeau is a core piece in Florida.  

[TrueBlueGED]

15 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

 Bold but no. 

We can probably get Toffoli for the late first and even that might be to much

Why would LA move him for a glorified 2nd? 

11 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Excellent thread but I think Huberdeau is a core piece in Florida.  

Agreed, but his name was out there during the season, so figured I'd mention him. 

[Brawndo]

Botterill said on the 31 Thoughts Podcast he is not trading this pick. His scouts are really excited for the Player they can draft. 

Also he reiterated any player they would move assets for are in the 18-24 year old range. 

[PerreaultForever]

No f'n way. Montour still has to prove he was worth giving away a 1st for. No way I want to see us dumping higher picks.

[dudacek]

I am open to this idea, but not the players listed, with the exception of Huberdeau, who I doubt is available. Maybe you rank the listed players higher than I do, but history shows a pick that high might have more value than you think.

Stepan and Raantta went for 7 and DeAngelo

Staal went for Doumoulin, Sutter and pick 8

Schneider went for pick 9

Carter went for Voracek, a 3rd and pick 8

You can leverage the pick into a number one goalie or a pretty good centre. To find something I’d like that would be realistic, would probably take a multiplayer deal. 

Edited April 11, 2019 by dudacek

[...]

This is pure impatience. We need to fill the pipeline.  Why waste a pick in a good draft year when you can slightly over-pay for a decent UFA and/or orchestrate a hockey trade? No one you'll get for the pick is worth the trade off.

[LGR4GM]

No. 

Let's all remember the tale of Brock Boeser.

Edited April 11, 2019 by LGR4GM

[LGR4GM]

I love seeing a list of players, all with lower ceilings than pick 7 but we should trade for them. In 2015 if we had just ***** drafted well this would all be over now. It's a terrible idea unless I'm trading 7 for someone 23 or younger with the same ceiling as who I can get at 7.

[North Buffalo]

Agreed based in talent in top 10 nfw do I move that pick for anyone but a young talented center... oops isnt that whats in the draft?

[TrueBlueGED]

9 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Botterill said on the 31 Thoughts Podcast he is not trading this pick. His scouts are really excited for the Player they can draft. 

Also he reiterated any player they would move assets for are in the 18-24 year old range. 

He also said he wasn't firing Housley. He also flatly denied talking about trading O'Reilly. And so on.

8 hours ago, dudacek said:

I am open to this idea, but not the players listed, with the exception of Huberdeau, who I doubt is available. Maybe you rank the listed players higher than I do, but history shows a pick that high might have more value than you think.

Stepan and Raantta went for 7 and DeAngelo

Staal went for Doumoulin, Sutter and pick 8

Schneider went for pick 9

Carter went for Voracek, a 3rd and pick 8

You can leverage the pick into a number one goalie or a pretty good centre. To find something I’d like that would be realistic, would probably take a multiplayer deal. 

Very possible. Give me some names! Except a goalie. If you suggest trading #7 for a goalie...I will find you.

8 hours ago, ... said:

This is pure impatience. We need to fill the pipeline.  Why waste a pick in a good draft year when you can slightly over-pay for a decent UFA and/or orchestrate a hockey trade? No one you'll get for the pick is worth the trade off.

Why not swing a hockey trade, slightly overpay a UFA, AND trade #7? We might actually finish out of the basement then.

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

No. 

Let's all remember the tale of Brock Boeser.

Do you really want to go down this route? You say Boeser, I say we could have had Cam Fowler instead of Alex Nylander. And round and round we go.

[Wyldnwoody44]

I'm of the ilk that if there is truly a guy that jbot wants, maybe at 3 considering the top 2 are fairly unanimous, maybe see what it takes to trade up to 3 or 4 to guarantee you get that guy. 

What would it take to get 3 from 7, give Chicago #7 + a 2nd round, +? I don't follow draft charts so I honestly have no idea. 

[LGR4GM]

53 minutes ago, TrueBlueGED said:

He also said he wasn't firing Housley. He also flatly denied talking about trading O'Reilly. And so on.

Very possible. Give me some names! Except a goalie. If you suggest trading #7 for a goalie...I will find you.

Why not swing a hockey trade, slightly overpay a UFA, AND trade #7? We might actually finish out of the basement then.

Do you really want to go down this route? You say Boeser, I say we could have had Cam Fowler instead of Alex Nylander. And round and round we go.

Yes, I do want this. Because the reason we suck is because we draft bad. If you think we are going to draft bad trade the pick. i don't think that so I want the pick I want the chance to get Boeser as opposed to getting some 40pt 2nd/3rd line guy that I just traded for who is 27. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

I love seeing a list of players, all with lower ceilings than pick 7 but we should trade for them. In 2015 if we had just ***** drafted well this would all be over now. It's a terrible idea unless I'm trading 7 for someone 23 or younger with the same ceiling as who I can get at 7.

Yep, had we just kept all our picks and built the thing correctly we wouldn’t be in this mess now.   I remember the pamphlet I received touting all our picks and the plan to build from them.  Murray should be out of hockey permenantly.

The Rags are doing things right. They had 2 1sts in 2017, 3 in 2018, and they have 2 1st and 3 2nds this year including a top 3 pick.  2 of those 2nds could become 1st as well if TB wins the Cup and Dallas makes the 3rd rd.  Both 1sts from 2017 are already in the NHL.  

[LGR4GM]

10 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Yep, had we just kept all our picks and built the thing correctly we wouldn’t be in this mess now.   I remember the pamphlet I received touting all our picks and the plan to build from them.  Murray should be out of hockey permenantly.

The Rags are doing things right. They had 2 1sts in 2017, 3 in 2018, and they have 2 1st and 3 2nds this year including a top 3 pick.  2 of those 2nds could become 1st as well if TB wins the Cup and Dallas makes the 3rd rd.  Both 1sts from 2017 are already in the NHL.  

Exactly, we cannot keep trading multiple pieces away and expect to magically be competitive some day. 

[CallawaySabres]

This will hopefully be the last year for a while where the Sabres are picking in the 7 range. This is a deep draft and they are definitely getting a top 6 winger or center with this pick. We have waited this long, can't throw away young talent now. TM made that awful mistake and look where it got us. I want to make the playoffs for a decade, not 1 or 2 years.

[Derrico]

2 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

This will hopefully be the last year for a while where the Sabres are picking in the 7 range. This is a deep draft and they are definitely getting a top 6 winger or center with this pick. We have waited this long, can't throw away young talent now. TM made that awful mistake and look where it got us. I want to make the playoffs for a decade, not 1 or 2 years.

While I agree with this, I've also been saying this is the last high pick we will have for a long time starting with the Nylander pick.  Then came Mitts.  Then came Dahlin.  Then came Pick #7.  Sounds like it's a good draft so I would prefer to stay and make our two picks.  At the same time, I completely understand True's idea to use this to get better today.  How many more years are we going to waste Eichel?  This team has to take the next step soon.  Having said all that, I would keep and make atleast the 7th OA pick.  If we can use the late first in a trade then I would be open.  

[Sabres Fan in NS]

MEIER!!

?

Get 'er done!!

Sorry, I stopped reading after that.

[LGR4GM]

I just don't see why SJ would trade Meier. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I just don't see why SJ would trade Meier. 

I don't think they will either, but if I can't convince the Sabres to draft one then I will try the trade route.

[TrueBlueGED]

3 hours ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

I'm of the ilk that if there is truly a guy that jbot wants, maybe at 3 considering the top 2 are fairly unanimous, maybe see what it takes to trade up to 3 or 4 to guarantee you get that guy. 

What would it take to get 3 from 7, give Chicago #7 + a 2nd round, +? I don't follow draft charts so I honestly have no idea. 

Nobody has any idea because these trade ups really don't happen in the NHL. And in all honesty, everyone ranked 3-7 is basically the same quality this year; at least, there's enough uncertainty where it doesn't strike me as a great use of assets to move up.

3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Yes, I do want this. Because the reason we suck is because we draft bad. If you think we are going to draft bad trade the pick. i don't think that so I want the pick I want the chance to get Boeser as opposed to getting some 40pt 2nd/3rd line guy that I just traded for who is 27. 

So we suck because we draft poorly, and your plan is to...continue drafting because you don't think it will be done poorly? I feel like Morgan Freeman when Bruce Wayne's accountant tried to blackmail him.

You don't have to like the specific names I put out there, and Dudacek may be right that I'm undervaluing the pick, but to completely reject the concept of trading it is nuts. I was like you, once. And now I have Alex Nylander instead of Cam Fowler. The #7 pick simply isn't a pick that you refuse to trade.

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Yep, had we just kept all our picks and built the thing correctly we wouldn’t be in this mess now.   I remember the pamphlet I received touting all our picks and the plan to build from them.  Murray should be out of hockey permenantly.

The Rags are doing things right. They had 2 1sts in 2017, 3 in 2018, and they have 2 1st and 3 2nds this year including a top 3 pick.  2 of those 2nds could become 1st as well if TB wins the Cup and Dallas makes the 3rd rd.  Both 1sts from 2017 are already in the NHL.  

We haven't drafted a useful NHL player outside the top-5 in about a decade, and just keeping all of our picks would have made us competitive? Puhlease.

Secondly, the Rangers have literally just started their rebuild. Maybe see them win some hockey games before declaring them a success story?

2 hours ago, Derrico said:

While I agree with this, I've also been saying this is the last high pick we will have for a long time starting with the Nylander pick.  Then came Mitts.  Then came Dahlin.  Then came Pick #7.  Sounds like it's a good draft so I would prefer to stay and make our two picks.  At the same time, I completely understand True's idea to use this to get better today.  How many more years are we going to waste Eichel?  This team has to take the next step soon.  Having said all that, I would keep and make atleast the 7th OA pick.  If we can use the late first in a trade then I would be open.  

Uh huh. Jack, Sam, and Skinner (assuming he's still here) are in their prime now. Not in 3 years. Now. Dahlin is cheap for 2 more years. The time to strike is now. I'm not suggesting trading #7 for a bag of pucks, but there are almost certainly hockey trades out there that make sense.

[French Collection]

My vote is to keep the pick and stick to the plan.

I think JBot is better at the draft table than our previous 2 GMs so I give him a few years to compile some talent.

I also would like to win now but I don't feel that Jack is in his prime yet, so we have a lot more good years from him. Yzerman didn't win his first Cup until he was 32.

[LGR4GM]

I'm not going to agree. Unless we trade 7 for what i've already say 20 times. 23 or younger with a ceiling equal to what 7 can be.