Mantha, 4th & 5th for Arizona 6th - He needs to go. Simple. Not many teams have the cap and a use for Mantha. However, Mantha might actually be useable in a place like Arizona.
Wilson & 8 OA For Nylander & 25th OA - I will explain the pick sell off later. I feel this would be a win win for both teams. Toronto needs grit, and Washington desperately needs point producing wingers. I do feel that Nylander is the more valuable player here. Wilson gives you the intangibles but the scoring touch of a mid to lower tier 2LW. Nylander is, well, a legit top line point producer and in today's NHL, you want the point producer. It would also be a great way of showing Backstrom how appreciated he is(As Nylander and Nicky are very close).
Kuznetsov for a 2nd, 2nd & 3rd - Chicago is gonna need some established players around Bedard. Youth movements are great, however it can backfire because of many reasons. I could easily see Kuzy in the 2C spot behind Bedard and both working on the PP1. To critique my own trade here, I don't think Kuzy is worth this much(Stupid Contract), so I'm ok with adjusting it as needed.
Oshie & a 2nd for 6th - Its ashame things are this way. :( Oshie can still be productive, however, his age, contract and susceptibility to injuries just destroys his value. Im not sure exactly what team would bite on this, so I just used Seattle as default in this trade. In my mind, Oshie could be useful there.
And now for the "Big One"...
McMichael, 1st, 2nd, 2nd & 3rd for Toews and O'Connor - Hear me out on this. Early in John Carlson's career when he was paired with Karl Alzner, is when Carlson was at his defensive best. The offense has always been there, but when he is paired with a TERRIFIC defense minded LD, the man is a better overall defensemen (Yes, Alzner was GOOD most of his time on the Caps). Pairing Carlson with Toews would be phenomenal. Look how good Toews makes Makar look(lol), but seriously, Toews is SO under appreciated. Colorado isnt going to give him up cheap, but there is a need for them to shed some cap. This would be a way to do that. I figure the trade breaks down as such. McMichael, 1st & 3rd for Toews and a 2nd & 3rd for O'connor. Might still need to add or subtract a little, but this IS close.
Free Agents :
- (RFA) Fehervary 3 x $3.1M : The season before last Fehervary proved that he can be a very solid lock down D-Man. He regressed a little this year, but in all fairness, the entire team regressed. Ive included a lot of 3 year deals. Timing is everything in transitions, and when Ovi rides off into the sunset, flexibility is going to be needed.
- (UFA) Tarasenko 3 x $5.75M : Yes, Vlad is getting older, however he is still really productive and would be a "younger" option than Oshie. His $ value isnt what it once was, so I feel the $5.75M AAV is fair. Would be good to give Ovi a buddy after shipping out Kuzy, and having Vlad around to help in the development of Suzdalev and I.M. could be HUGE.
- (UFA) Bunting 3 x $5.25M : Despite some questionsble decisions, Bunting is a very solid option at 2LW. He has proved that he can be a 50 point producer and is just now coming into his prime. He looses value because of his aforementioned decision making and He isnt going to win a Selke, but can be trusted with 2nd line minutes with confidence.
- (UFA) Nosek 3 x $3M : You know what your gonna get with Nosek. His numbers stay very consistent from year to year, nothing much, but acceptable based on what else he brings to the ice. He wins faceoffs, can be physical and is responsible with the puck. I also think he would gel well with Protas and O'Connor. I would expect a 15 to 20ish percent increase in his numbers as well if put into this situation.
Final Thoughts :
Its obvious that in this scenario, Im going all in on Ovis last few years. Giving up so many picks can be dangerous, however, if you do the math, the average age of this team is about 28. So when Ovi and Nicky retire, it wouldn't be nearly as painful as our current situation. Speaking of Nicky. I was very disappointed with how we handled Holtby. He had a small rough patch and we bailed on him. I feel as if the lack of confidence from the organization played a major role in his regression. The Caps CANT do this same thing to Backstrom. Nicky has always been a warrior. From being criminally under rated in his prime(ONE All Star game...WTF?) to the IIHF stuff to his injuries, he has always been a professional. I have a lot of confidence that he can bounce back this year. Putting him on the first line with Ovi(seriously, never should break these two up) and with his bud Nylander would be amazing to watch.
I know you said any team and I'm sure Oshie's family would love to see him in play for the Kraken, but I don't see how it fits on the roster there as it's their deepest position.
I know you said any team and I'm sure Oshie's family would love to see him in play for the Kraken, but I don't see how it fits on the roster there as it's their deepest position.
Yeah...I get that. Did it for the same reason you mentioned. It's hard, someone like Oshie you WANT to put in a spot that he would enjoy, but in reality...you just gotta send em anywhere to give the TEAM flexibility.