I'd honestly take a new GM over keeping Tavares so this is if Tavares is gone but a new GM comes in.
Here's what I'm trying to do
- Rid the team of bad contracts (Very hard to do unless I want to dish out more bad contracts given the salary cap increase)
- Build up the prospect pool while also keeping the team competitive
That Tavares trade would give the Isles 5 picks in the 1st 2 rounds, a great starter to building up the pool.
By raising the cap to the expected $80 million, the cap floor would be around $60 million.
Here's the thought process
- Bridge deal for Pulock, love him, but not playing a full season would probably stray a GM away from giving him a long term contract
- Davidson's been a rock on the back end since we got him, who was also presumably Hickey's replacement so I'd give him a bridge deal too
- Send Pelech to the minors until an injury, he's done nothing here and frees up a million in cap space
- Toews had and all star season last season in the AHL but his injury killed him this year, I'm looking at a one or two year deal to see how he comes back next year, presumably with some NHL minutes too
- Need a goalie to fill the gap for 1 year. Soderstrom isn't going to be ready next year and Sorokin comes in two years
- Explanation of Nelson is in the trade description, this moves a matter of the Isles just giving up on him, he needs a change of scenery
- Stajan is filling a hole a 4th line C, I can't see him getting anywhere near the $3.1m his last contract was plus he's a decent face-off and defensive guy
- Kulemin is a great defensive guy, I have 0 problem bringing him in for depth on a 1 year, cost friendly, contract while prospects begin to bloom
For The Future
- Isles could use a couple college free agents, just to shore up their prospect pool, for a few of these guys I'm basically hoping they don't sign with their draft team. If I'm management im looking hard at Sikura (CHI - Northeastern), Jaillet (FA - Denver, Attended Isles camp last year), DiPietro (FA - Western Michigan), Donato (BOS - Harvard), Kuffner (FA - Princeton, Attended Jets camp last year), Schuldt (FA - St. Cloud State - Attended Canadiens camp last year)
- Along with college free agents, they should also be looking at junior age outs or just standouts as well, guys such as Shmyr (Saskatoon), Rassell (Medicine Hat), Phelan (Moncton), Galipeau (Acadie-Bathurst)
- So say we sign 3 of these guys, thats a bump in our prospect pool just like that. Would really like Schuldt, DiPietro and Kuffner. Sikura's the prize but I think he goes to a team that offers him big minutes next year
Buyout Time
- I explored buying out Boychuk, Clutterbuck, Ladd, Cizikas and Greiss. Clutterbuck, Cizikas and Greiss were the only ones that were stomach-able cap wise in the long run. But in the end, I decided Clutterbuck was less of an asset to the team than the other two. His worst cap hits are 2020-2022 where he counts against the cap for $2,041,667 per year and the Isles would be paying him until 2026
- All in all, there's not a ton that can be done to immediately put the Isles back into playoff contention. If you lose a guy like Tavares you're gonna hurt. This years draft, the signing of college/junior free agents and minor deals is what can propel this team forward. Of course big trades can always be done, but that depletes the prospect pool and with a fairly young team like the Isles I think they'd have a long playoff window in about 2 years given the right trades are made and prospects pan out.
- The defense looks extremely thin. And with the new found cap space, I wouldn't complete rule out a trade for Karlsson or just trying to outright sign him at the end of the 2019 season
- Lastly, I see 3 scoring lines, one depth line, 1 solid d pairing, 1 decent d pairing, 1 below average d pairing and average goaltending. No, I wouldn't be surprised if this team was in playoff contention next year, I also wouldn't be surprised if they're a basement team next year
Not exactly sure how plausible this is, but Halak's rights got traded for a 4th back in 2014 so I don't necessarily think a 2nd is breaking the bank for a player like Tavares
MTL
Rights to John Tavares
2.
NYI
2019 2nd round pick (ANA)
Additional Details:
*ANAHEIM IS JUST A PLACEHOLDER*
I think Nelson's time here is done, I also think a team is going to look at his past numbers and offer him a deal, I can't see a team not offer a consistent 20 goal scorer at least $3 million
ANA
RFA Compensation for Brock Nelson
Signs 3 year/~$3m AAV contract
A change of scenery for 2 2014 1st rounders that havent panned out, Quenneville is as of now the slightly better prospect so I swapped 2 picks to even it out. Obviously the Isles draft pick is higher than the Devils.
Montreal is more of a hot mess then the Islanders are right now, No way is Tavares leaving the Islanders for Montreal he wants to go where he can win a cup now. And with Prices health issues and even Webers health issues that's not going to be Montreal.
Montreal is more of a hot mess then the Islanders are right now, No way is Tavares leaving the Islanders for Montreal he wants to go where he can win a cup now. And with Prices health issues and even Webers health issues that's not going to be Montreal.
Montreal's just a placeholder, well aware they're a mess. They're also the one team that seems they'd give the world to Tavares.
Montreal is more of a hot mess then the Islanders are right now, No way is Tavares leaving the Islanders for Montreal he wants to go where he can win a cup now. And with Prices health issues and even Webers health issues that's not going to be Montreal.
Quoting: AlexG35
Montreal's just a placeholder, well aware they're a mess. They're also the one team that seems they'd give the world to Tavares.
I don't think JT is coming to MTL either but I would like to point out that only one time in the modern day NHL that a big name pending UFA didn't sign with his original team to go to a cup contender. Marian Hossa....... twice. These big star players always resign with their team or go to the team that pays them the most mooolah. (With a couple other factors limiting them to a few less teams obviously)
JT wants to go to winner? Where would that be exactly?
Nashville?
TB?
Toronto?
Boston?
Pittsburgh?
None of these teams have the cap space to sign JT to a realistic contract. Those who think JT is leaving NYI and not going to go for the money are delusional. He's going to get paid easily 12.5M a year. Only a few teams have that space to even offer him a contract. Plus if he would leave NYI and sign for less then what the Isles were offering would be a slap in the face.
I know as much as anyone that the Habs are a hot mess right now. I also do know that the Habs with JT, whomever they draft this year, and a even a moderately healthy team will be very competitive next year. The Habs might not be a contender next year but then again, only a handful of teams are contenders and those teams don't have the cap space for JT soooooo.....
Im not saying JT will come to the Habs but saying he won't definitely is nonsense. What JT wants and the media gets to hear aren't always identical. JT is smart and knows to say the right things to keep his transition wherever that may be, a smooth one.
I don't think JT is coming to MTL either but I would like to point out that only one time in the modern day NHL that a big name pending UFA didn't sign with his original team to go to a cup contender. Marian Hossa....... twice. These big star players always resign with their team or go to the team that pays them the most mooolah. (With a couple other factors limiting them to a few less teams obviously)
JT wants to go to winner? Where would that be exactly?
Nashville?
TB?
Toronto?
Boston?
Pittsburgh?
None of these teams have the cap space to sign JT to a realistic contract. Those who think JT is leaving NYI and not going to go for the money are delusional. He's going to get paid easily 12.5M a year. Only a few teams have that space to even offer him a contract. Plus if he would leave NYI and sign for less then what the Isles were offering would be a slap in the face.
I know as much as anyone that the Habs are a hot mess right now. I also do know that the Habs with JT, whomever they draft this year, and a even a moderately healthy team will be very competitive next year. The Habs might not be a contender next year but then again, only a handful of teams are contenders and those teams don't have the cap space for JT soooooo.....
Im not saying JT will come to the Habs but saying he won't definitely is nonsense. What JT wants and the media gets to hear aren't always identical. JT is smart and knows to say the right things to keep his transition wherever that may be, a smooth one.
Yeah, if he ends up leaving I think it's gonna either be a team like Montreal for a boatload of cash, or a team like San Jose to stay in a smaller market for the sole reason that I think he'd die in big market pressure.
McDavid, Connor
$250,000)
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