Theoretically, What does a McDavid trade look like?

[elijah]

Unlikely to ever happen (or is it?), but a slow Oilers start along with not winning anything this far in to his career makes for fun speculation. Was having a conversation about it with my friends and it just seems like something that’d be impossible. It seems like the Oilers would be crazy to take the highest offer any team could reason to send their way, and visa versa that any team would be crazy to offer what the Oilers asking price would be. 

My best theoretical offer would be Cozens + Peterka + Kulich + UPL + ‘24 1st + ‘25 1st + ‘26 1st for McDavid, and that just seems like it’d be too little for the Oilers and too much for the Sabres. 

A little off the wall and definitely just a useless exercise, but with the Oilers down to the Sharks in the battle for last place, it was a fun what if conversation that came up. Curious what SabreSpace thinks about it. Not even just in terms of the Sabres but with any team in the league 

[Zamboni]

Fantasy land …. Everybody waiving their NMC/NTC.

Four 1sts, Starting in 2024. Dahlin (25% retained) Mitts, Benson, and one of Cozens or Tuch.

Buffalo gets McDavid and one 7th round draft pick in 2027. 😬

 

oh, and 50 pounds of Buffalo wings to Edm. monthly until Dahlin retires. 😂

 

Yea, this seems crazy train enough

[Doohicksie]

Sign him in 2026 as a free agent.  Done.

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, elijah said:

Unlikely to ever happen (or is it?), but a slow Oilers start along with not winning anything this far in to his career makes for fun speculation. Was having a conversation about it with my friends and it just seems like something that’d be impossible. It seems like the Oilers would be crazy to take the highest offer any team could reason to send their way, and visa versa that any team would be crazy to offer what the Oilers asking price would be. 

My best theoretical offer would be Cozens + Peterka + Kulich + UPL + ‘24 1st + ‘25 1st + ‘26 1st for McDavid, and that just seems like it’d be too little for the Oilers and too much for the Sabres. 

A little off the wall and definitely just a useless exercise, but with the Oilers down to the Sharks in the battle for last place, it was a fun what if conversation that came up. Curious what SabreSpace thinks about it. Not even just in terms of the Sabres but with any team in the league 

This is almost as funny as the Draisaitl to Boston idea from earlier this week. I believe it was DeBrusk, Ullmark, Poitras, Lysell, picks or somebody else as well. 

It's fun to watch the vultures fly around a corpse. I think the bigger question would be would Calgary (goalie) trade with Edmonton or would the fanbase revolt.

[HOUSE]

Better not trade Conner Clifton or I will be pissed

 

[Flashsabre]

The only time a haul like that was handed over was for Lindros after the draft. Gretzky and Jagr in their primes didn’t receive trade hauls like that. There is also the cap hit and the UFA status coming up. 

IF McDavid got dealt people would say “that’s it” for the return.

Edited November 10, 2023 by Flashsabre

[Weave]

17 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

The only time a haul like that was handed over was for Lindros after the draft. Gretzky and Jagr in their primes didn’t receive trade hauls like that. There is also the cap hit and the UFA status coming up. 

IF McDavid got dealt people would say “that’s it” for the return.

Agreed.  Noone is going to offer EDM an offer they can’t refuse.  It will be a more Eichel like scenario where the situation in EDM becomes untenable and they are forced to shop him, and the return will reflect that.

What would be interesting is whether EDM decides to go youth rebuild, or collect a different, ready to win core to take a shot with.  I suppose the right trading partner might entertain a LaFontaine for Turgeon type deal.

Edited November 10, 2023 by Weave

[nfreeman]

Well, it’s 75% likely that he only goes to the Kings, the Rangers, the Panthers or Vegas.

[pastajoe]

Cozens, Power, UPL, a prospect, and a pick.

[inkman]

2 minutes ago, pastajoe said:

Cozens, Power, UPL, a prospect, and a pick.

>hangs up phone<
 

/Ken Holland

[Archie Lee]

33 minutes ago, Weave said:

Agreed.  Noone is going to offer EDM an offer they can’t refuse.  It will be a more Eichel like scenario where the situation in EDM becomes untenable and they are forced to shop him, and the return will reflect that.

What would be interesting is whether EDM decides to go youth rebuild, or collect a different, ready to win core to take a shot with.  I suppose the right trading partner might entertain a LaFontaine for Turgeon type deal.

The Sabres did get the equivalent of 3 first rd picks for Eichel, at a point where Eichel needed neck surgery.  I think the Oilers would do significantly better than that. 

The Gretzky trade was 35 years ago and involved the owner of the Oilers getting what would be the equivalent of $40 million today. I don't see a modern day McDavid trade as comparable.  

I do think that trade talk around McDavid and Draisaitl will definitely heat up if the Oiler season does not progress towards playoff contention. If things don't turn around significantly, extending either player (Draistaitl this off-season, McDavid next) seems unlikely.  The Oilers will need to decide which is worse:  being pilloried for winning nothing with McDavid and Draisaitl and having to trade them, or being pilloried for being the team that won nothing with them only to then see them walk as UFAs. 

It isn't something I would be interested in, but a Sabres trade for McDavid would likely start with Power and one of Thompson/Cozens and then add a combination of 3-4 top prospects and 1st rd picks. 

Edited November 10, 2023 by Archie Lee

[Buffalonill]

He will go to the leafs ..

Which sucks but that's where he's Going

[inkman]

How is Tage not the starting point for every one of these fantasy land trade scenarios?

[Scottysabres]

27 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

He will go to the leafs ..

Which sucks but that's where he's Going

He's not going to Toronto imho. I'm thinking Anaheim, Chicago, Seattle or Buffalo, again, imho.

[Buffalonill]

Why wouldn't he go to toronto that's his dream? 

And he has the leverage.

 

[LGR4GM]

33 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

He will go to the leafs ..

Which sucks but that's where he's Going

That isnt the question or the purpose of the thread. 

[Buffalonill]

13 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

That isnt the question or the purpose of the thread. 

I wouldn't trade Trade for him 

 

Edited November 10, 2023 by Buffalonill

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Tage or Rasmus are the asking starting point from the Oilers.

The price depends on the situation in Edmonton.  Are they starting over and blowing it up?  Or are they interested in a hockey trade to get a jump in a bit of a different direction, but still in a win now mode.  Hockey trade will not involve 3 or 4 1st round picks.  A blow it up move will have to include 3 or 4 1st round picks.

Hockey trade ... Rasmus a lotto protected 1st and a second. 

Non-hockey trade ... Cozens, Joker, Savoie, 6K, 3 firsts (lotto protected) and 2 seconds.

At the end of the day, I don't think the Sabres would do either right now.

If Edmonton is interested in a hockey trade thay may be more inclined to trade Leon.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

6 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

I wouldn't trade Trade for him 

 

That is not an answer to the question either.

[Buffalonill]

17 minutes ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

That is not an answer to the question either.

So @Doohickie , @nfreeman are wrong too then .

BTW if you want McDavid it starts with power, Dahlin

[shrader]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

How is Tage not the starting point for every one of these fantasy land trade scenarios?

It has to start with either Tage or Dahlin. Anything short of that is living in Wookiee town. Another major part of why it would be very different than anything mentioned in here is that we are living in a cap world with contract limits. You can’t just throw 18 bodies at Edmonton and only get McDavid in return. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

11 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

So @Doohickie , @nfreeman are wrong too then .

BTW if you want McDavid it starts with power, Dahlin

Yes.  Neither of them answered the question either.

I agree, that the starting point for a 'hockey trade' is Rasmus or Tage.  They may settle for Power in such a trade, but the starting 'ask' is Dahlin or Tage.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

2 minutes ago, shrader said:

It has to start with either Tage or Dahlin. Anything short of that is living in Wookiee town. Another major part of why it would be very different than anything mentioned in here is that we are living in a cap world with contract limits. You can’t just throw 18 bodies at Edmonton and only get McDavid in return. 

Good point about contract and body limits.

If the Sabres decide to trade for McDavid in a non 'hockey trade' they are admitting that yet another rebuild has failed.  It's most likely that the trade would be made by the next GM and not KA.

[GASabresIUFAN]

2 hours ago, nfreeman said:

Well, it’s 75% likely that he only goes to the Kings, the Rangers, the Panthers or Vegas.

Taking the Gretzky route out of town.

[Brawndo]

13 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

So @Doohickie , @nfreeman are wrong too then .

BTW if you want McDavid it starts with power, Dahlin

No it doesn’t. 
 

Holland will ask for that but Adams will hang up the phone. If McDavid does indeed ask out He has total control over His Destination with His NMC and will have input over what Edmonton’s Return. McDavid wants to go to a team that has a chance to win the Cup and he is not going to allow that team to be decimated in a trade. Similar to how Hasek had a say in Detroit’s package for Him.

McDavid has two years left on his deal after this and if He wants out there will be tremendous pressure from McDavid’s Camp, The NHL and Sponsors to make the move, so Holland doing nothing is not an option.