Sure Whatever

Team: 2023-24 New York Islanders

Initial Creation Date: Jan. 26, 2023

Published: Jan. 26, 2023

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

This team? Folks, it's bad. Let's see how much less bad we can make it.

TRADES
-First three would be done at this year's TDL. Doesn't necessarily have to be those teams buying, but I would think this is the type of value those guys get. Mayfield gets the Manson comp (2nd & a good prosepct), Varly waives to go over the bridge and gets back a 3rd and a surplus prospect from the Devils, and Parise goes to whatever contender wants to give up a 3rd.

-Beauvillier for Garland is a classic change of scenery trade. Swapping Garland out means that the Canucks get the less productive player, but I'd argue that Garland's term and higher AAV sap that surplus value. If Canucks fans want a little treat to come with Beau, sure, but I can't see it being anymore more than a mid-round pick.

-Nelson is a tough guy for me to gauge. I think if they trade him they should eat as much cap as possible - trading him means you're treating next season as a transitional year, so who cares about the dead cap? Nelson at $3M is a steal - a 25-30 goal scorer who can easily slot in as 2C anywhere. I picked the Blues because I feel like they're another team stuck with older guys with term, and think that they might go "all in" over the next 2-3 years. It's a steep price, but how many guys making $3M are as productive as Nelson?

SIGNINGS
-Re-sign the key RFAs to simple deals, gave Wahlstrom 3x$2.5M with the idea that whatever injury he's currently out with is not career-altering, and kept Reilly Walsh around to be RD3 with a decent veteran hand like Sebastian Aho at LD3.

UFA-wise, I targeted Sonny Milano as a guy who SHOULD HAVE been targeted this summer; he's not gonna cost the league minimum now, Lou. Otherwise, I picked up Matt Nieto and Antti Raanta on 1-year deals with the hope that they can be flipped out for futures if the team goes in the tank.

I don't know, this team looks better than the one currently on the ice. My hope is more of a focus on younger guys and building a new culture with Ilya Sorokin being a pending UFA - show him that the team can bounce back while he's still younger and see if he can stick around for that. I think this team is probably similar to this year's squad, on the playoff bubble, but with a younger core I feel like you can paint that as more hopeful than the current team.

ROAST AWAY BABIES

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