You never know

Not at all. Strait to ignore list.

They really aren't stupid though, they are smart and calculating it's about out maneuvering the other GM's not just flat out being ridiculous like you seem to think. If there is a list like you say I guarantee Gaurin has already told the other GM's that McBain is available and their team is one of the ones he would be willing to sign with. Otherwise it is still a guessing game as to whether he would sign and you are not going to get many GM's willing to make an offer if they don't know he will sign. So now let's pretend there is a list and only the 7 teams above are on it. Gaurin has to let them know they are on it cause if not then those 7 teams aren't risking anything. So now they know they are on it and that there are other teams on it. Now the question becomes what price do you set as being too much for McBain. Obviously a 1st is an overpay, so that's out. Now what about 2 2nds or in this case a 2nd and a prospect worth a 2nd. The question then becomes is the prospect we give up better than McBain? Obviously again yes this is the case for all of these teams. So the 2 2nds are out. What about a 2nd + 3rd or 4th? Yes it is an overpay as well but this is the area where GM's start to vary, do these teams need a 3 center at that price? L.A. doesn't need any C's, Montreal and NY need a top 6 C which McBain is not. So now you are down to 4 teams that MIGHT need a 3C over what they already have the issue is now the preceived demand is cut in about half, as such the price gets cut in half. Now we are talking about Buffalo, Arizona, Ottawa and Detroit who are all bottom 8 in the league so those 2nds are basically a late 1st and we already determined a 1st was too much. So now we are looking at 3rd round picks only (basically 2nd's given the positions in the standings) well if we are talking about 3rds that brings Montreal, L.A. and N.Y. back into the conversation. So that will be how the whole process works out. So you may get teams with multiple 2nds giving a low 2nd or you may even get a team willing to give up a 2023 2nd if they feel like they will be a playoff or bubble team but other than that it will be a 3rd or a 3rd + C level prospect (someone like Fairbrother or Xhekaj or Brook) but that is the limit.

Aww well I’m sorry that you feel that way

I’m not reading all that but if you don’t think GMs make terrible trades on the regular I don’t know what to tell you. There are several circumstances that prove that point.

You, need to read it to be able to continue to argue your side! Otherwise I will just assume you read it and understand why you are wrong but have entrenched yourself so far into your argument that you can't just concede at this point.

You can take the win on the argument pal, I have no interest in winning arguments. I’m just telling you the truth. Count me out✌🏽

McBain would be a nickels and dimes bidding war at most. It's which team is willing to add a 5th to the 3rd they'll offer, or what prospect they are willing to swap for him. McBain isn't going to step in anywhere and be an immediate top-6 impact player this season. He might not even be an impact 4th liner this season. 3C is about his absolute ceiling.

Saying "x" number other teams have called is just GMs doing their due diligence. Find out the ask, if McBain would even be interested in signing there, etc. Of all the teams that called how many had a "don't call us, we'll call you" response when they heard a 2nd (or whatever) was the ask?

I'm I'm GMBG I have a deal with a bad team in the East for a high 3rd in my back pocket for him and am waiting until the TDL day to move. Just him to see if any GMs get desperate and overpay for him. Trade him at the last minute for that high 3rd if no big overpay comes and say "We did everything we could to get him signed up until the last possible moments."

Ok Mr. Guerin

Cause you know I am right and now you have no leg to stand on.

Minnesota has great leverage (though not great enough to get what OP is suggesting). They've allowed his advisors to speak with other teams, so any team trading for him will know they can sign him per Michael Russo. McBain likely wants his ELC to start this year, moving him a year closer to being able to sign a larger contract so that's why teams won't just wait until August. It wouldn't be surprising to see a team that wants McBain give up a 2nd or 3rd round pick and sign him to his ELC starting this season as part of the condition to get McBain to sign with them. If his ELC isn't going to kick in until next year, McBain will just wait until August. Not too hard to understand why a deal may get done.

I've seen so many people on this site say the Wild have zero leverage and it's almost comical how many people frequent a site that focuses on the business side of the NHL and somehow have no concept of how things actually work. Why did the Rangers give up a pair of picks to get Adam Fox when it was pretty well known he wanted to sign with them? Because there was always a risk some team would come in and offer him a better contract situation and they'd miss out on signing him.

Didn't Fox have another full year of college before he could become a FA? Fox was also much better than McBain in college.

I read it, save yourself the time. His thought process is all over the place and it’s borderline incoherent. The jumps in logic are absurd. Here’s an excerpt on why you can’t expect a 2nd:

“Now we are talking about Buffalo, Arizona, Ottawa and Detroit who are all bottom 8 in the league so those 2nds are basically a late 1st and we already determined a 1st was too much. So now we are looking at 3rd round picks”

I agree with everything you said.

It is beneficial to all involved to close a deal before he hits the market. To a certain point.

Risk needs to be managed (business concept), not overkilled. This AGM proposed to loose a more valuable prospect +2nd, which doesn't make sense.

The asking price being set and known to be a 2nd, it cant just double it because of wishfull thinking on overbidding.

It's possible, which would make sense since Fox signed his deal May 2019 to start in 2019/20 season so that was his leverage to get the Rangers to offer a fair price to the Canes: if they didn't, he'd let the Canes trade him somewhere else and get the clock ticking towards him being able to sign a new contract at a higher price sooner even if his preference was to play for the Rangers. If the Rangers didn't, he goes back to college another year. Completely agree Fox was a better prospect, but that's also why the Wild won't get 2 2nd round picks and honestly are probably lucky if they recoup the 3rd they used to draft McBain imo.

More I think about it, I think McBain to the Coyotes makes the most sense because he'd have a clear path to being a NHLer next season and they have a bunch of 2nd round picks so trading a later 2nd like Vancouver or SJ's wouldn't be much of a problem.

Yep, so it's possible the Wild may get their asking price of a 2nd and if a team gets desperate/stupid, they may get an extra later pick or something but no one is going to toss in a high ceiling prospect for a guy who looks to have the ceiling of a bottom 6 center.

Not at all, it’s because I’m a grown human being who has zero interest in winning arguments. If you were right I would tell you that, I have no ego or pride to protect.