2023 Trade Nonsense

[Knives Out]

I wonder if we’d be able to get Kevin Hayes for cheap. Get his Dead Bro Revenge Tour to re-kickstart Marchment’s Dead Dad Revenge Tour.

[Troy McClure]

You don't want him. Hayes is signed through The Fast & the Furious XV.

[Knives Out]

OH! You’re right then. I just assumed that he wasn’t LOL.

[The Frugal Gourmet]

So just two more years?

[Troy McClure]

The downside of “do something!” is when your GM does something very stupid.

[slaps]

I'm amazed (although I shouldn't be) at the amount of Stars fans on Reddit and other places who keep enabling Nill's laziness. "But where is the cap space coming from!!?!?" "Why we would trade this 25-year-old third-rounder, he has so much potential!?!?" "But those East teams are Cup or bust!?!?!"

I truly don't understand it. I've just spent several days watching teams that had maybe like $5 in cap space create space and make deals to actively get better. It's called a GM doing his job.

The Predators managed to trick the Penguins into taking Granlund! Anything is possible.

[ToddM]

In all fairness to the Nill apologists, I'm not really sure any team got *better* with this batch of trades. Older and more expensive, sure, 100%. But better?

[Math]

In all fairness to the Nill apologists, I'm not really sure any team got *better* with this batch of trades. Older and more expensive, sure, 100%. But better?

Toronto and New Jersey.

NJ got better by the sole addition of Meier who brings scoring and toughness. Toronto is full all-in but all their acquisitions fill the missing parts for an already loaded team in terms of scoring and talent. You have O'Reilly centering the third line and Acciari-Lafferty on the fourth, two very underrated players that makes this not only dangerous but very painful to play against. They also have 8-9 Dmen that offers a lot of flexibility in their depth chart. McCabe is much better than Holl, Gustafsson brings another good option at the blue with the struggling Reilly.

Of course it's not a guarantee for success but their respective GMs did everything they could to put the best squad on the ice. Now it's up to the players and "leaders" to do the job. If Toronto blows it again, Dubas could at least look himself in the mirror by doing everything he could to help his team.

[Troy McClure]

Boston and Edmonton got better as well.

Boston keeps getting better.

[slaps]

Thank the FSM Boston took away this particular toy from Nill:

[wonko80]

Guys, we got Dadonov. Might as well rename him Conn Smythe Dadonov.

[Troy McClure]

Thank the FSM Boston took away this particular toy from Nill:

They also put Taylor Hall on LTIR with falsa injuria, a condition once afflicting Kucherov for a whole regular season.

[Math]

[The Frugal Gourmet]

It's true that every single team will regret these trades except the one that the wins the Cup. Although you'll have a more fun next few months.

[Troy McClure]

It's true that every single team will regret these trades except the one that the wins the Cup. Although you'll have a more fun next few months.

I had fun with the bubble Cup run. Don't have to win it all to be a success.

But if they fart and fall down in the first round after having done nothing, I'm not exactly going to be overjoyed about still having a second round pick or some kid unlikely to do much in the NHL.

[Troy McClure]

Seems simple enough.

[The Frugal Gourmet]

It's true that every single team will regret these trades except the one that the wins the Cup. Although you'll have a more fun next few months.

I had fun with the bubble Cup run. Don't have to win it all to be a success.

But if they fart and fall down in the first round after having done nothing, I'm not exactly going to be overjoyed about still having a second round pick or some kid unlikely to do much in the NHL.

True

[Knives Out]

Seems simple enough.

For Jim?

[ToddM]

NJ got better, and maybe the Avs, but all Toronto did was fill their locker room with tons of mediocrity. I don't see how that helps them at all.
As for Boston... I mean, these guys are already, right now, the 94 Wings. Why *f-bomb* with that level of success?

[Troy McClure]

NJ got better, and maybe the Avs, but all Toronto did was fill their locker room with tons of mediocrity. I don't see how that helps them at all.
As for Boston... I mean, these guys are already, right now, the 94 Wings. Why *f-bomb* with that level of success?

Because this is probably the last season of Bergeron and Krejci. The Bruins are all in for this last shot at the Cup with them.

[slaps]

Now I am just more annoyed at fans who shrug and say "cap space." Whether it helped or hurt them, tons of teams have made cap space somehow to try and get better. I guess after ten years on the job, Nill might be willing in 3 or 4 years if the team is pushing for a playoff spot to make a few trades, but why bother when the team is right at the top of the West with maybe the last really good year of Pavelski and Benn actually producing, right?

[ScubaSteve]

I had fun with the bubble Cup run. Don't have to win it all to be a success.

The key to replicating the success of that playoff run is to make sure in the first round you play a team that clearly doesn’t want to be there and is trying to escape a hostage situation as quickly as possible, and then in the second round play a team that’s missing half their roster and is starting their 8th string goalie.

[Knives Out]

^And then face DeBoer in the WCF.

[Troy McClure]

Now I am just more annoyed at fans who shrug and say "cap space." Whether it helped or hurt them, tons of teams have made cap space somehow to try and get better. I guess after ten years on the job, Nill might be willing in 3 or 4 years if the team is pushing for a playoff spot to make a few trades, but why bother when the team is right at the top of the West with maybe the last really good year of Pavelski and Benn actually producing, right?

That's exactly it. Is Benn going to replicate this again? Is Pavelski's sudden downturn going to be even worse next season?

[Math]

And former Stanley Cup winner and Blue Jackets legend Quick sent to Vegas.

[Troy McClure]

Pretty amazing to put this plan in action all while also asking locals to fund your new arena.

[The Frugal Gourmet]

Now I am just more annoyed at fans who shrug and say "cap space." Whether it helped or hurt them, tons of teams have made cap space somehow to try and get better. I guess after ten years on the job, Nill might be willing in 3 or 4 years if the team is pushing for a playoff spot to make a few trades, but why bother when the team is right at the top of the West with maybe the last really good year of Pavelski and Benn actually producing, right?

That's exactly it. Is Benn going to replicate this again? Is Pavelski's sudden downturn going to be even worse next season?

I mean you raise a good point. This is the last shot for many of these guys.

On the other hand, if they wanted more help ... tanking the entire calendar year and making it obvious they don't have a deep run in them anyway is probably not the best idea.

[Math]

Pretty amazing to put this plan in action all while also asking locals to fund your new arena.

They should ask Voracek, Ladd, Weber & co. to help build the new arena: they are paid anyway and it may decrease the overall budget.

[slaps]

[The Frugal Gourmet]

20 goals on the Hawks this season is actually great although -- as we saw last game -- I'm quite sure sweet feeds from Kane helped out a lot.