Minnesota says no. We aren't trading fiala for Pavel zacha, a player in foote who will not have any place in Minnesota. You don't get to decide a team makes playoffs for other teams to get 1st round pick. So easy no from Minnesota.

Im absolutely shocked you feel this way. lmao

Isles won't trade Varlamov who is doing great since the all star break, for a struggling goalie, and a forward who has only player 3 games this year. L trade. Isles strongly decline.

Because it's true

Do you think there can't be a condition on a pick that upgrades the pick to a first depending on playoff success?

Probably. But Blackwood is cheaper by a lot and has team control. And Lou drafted Wood and overvalues his style of game. So while I agree, I do see a world in which this happens.

Minnesota isn't trading fiala to take on cap, or bottom line player. So you aren't getting fiala with 2nd round pick and nothing. You are going to have to give up a 1st. The only time conditions are made is @ deadline like Guerin Mads with Fleury

My guy, I hope Ottawa offers the whole farm for Fiala just to make you happy. And they will, because they're stupid. But the theme here is targeting cap strapped teams (you guys).

Conditional picks based on playoffs are allowed. See Minnesota wild trading conditional 2nd to Chicago for Fluery. Pick becomes 1st if MIN makes conference finals

There's a difference between Fleury and fiala trade. Wild aren't going to trade Fiala for 2nd round pick. Yeah, wild should just say yes to a 2nd round pick for fiala based on team getting in playoffs. These conditions are rare also.

and also a young center and 6'4" 2019 first round pick. don't forget those.

Pavel zacha isn't a C. Everyone knows what he's. So no, wild don't want zacha who has proven he's a winger , and not a C. Foote won't make Minnesota or at best be a 4th liner in Minnesota on a deal winger term. You wouldn't trade this players if they were good

I could see it being more of a training camp type of deal, once Wood is skating and showing that he's recovered from the injury.

Personally, I don't hate it - Blackwood has shown flashes in the past and with the Isles' goalie coaches & system, I wouldn't be shocked to see him put up some very good numbers backing up Sorokin.

Wood is extraneous though, and would only really be necessary if they trade another forward this summer (they've already got 13 NHL guys signed to contracts for 2022-23). What do the Isles need to add if they wanted to swing the deal to Blackwood (no retention) & Ryan Graves for Varlamov & ?

The devils need a top 6 winger if they're moving out a top 4D. Or at least "2nd line". Blackwood and Graves for Varly and Beauvillier is, I'm assuming, not something that would happen? I know he's had a really poor year.

Zacha *is* a center. Just not a top 6 one. He can be a top 6 W though, as he's proven playing with Bratt and Nico.

Is your criteria for prospects "MUST MAKE THE WILD IMMEDIATELY" because brother I have some bad news for you about how much you're gonna like the trade for Fiala when it happens.

Trading Beau would be selling super low on him, so yeah, I'd personally hesitate on moving him (look at his shooting percentage for this year, and then his career entering this year - he's down from around 12 to 7% shooting!)

If you truly wanted to weaponize that cap space, I feel like targeting a guy that might not have a home in the Isles' top 6 anymore in Josh Bailey (2x$5M left on his deal) would probably get Lou to throw in a 3rd, maybe 2nd if he's feeling saucy. I don't think Bailey's a cap dump, but I feel like the pick makes up the difference in AAV & talent between him and Beau. You could probably then flip out Tatar (pending UFA) and get a pick back for him and most likely get the same type of production from Bailey at LW3.

Issue there is the age. Fitz said he's looking for guys in the same age range as our core of Jack (20), Nico (22), Bratt (22), Luke (18), and Mercer (20)

ah, buddy, lemme tell you - the Isles are stacked with some things (RD, centers, goalie, defense) but one thing they are damn near empty on is useful players under 23. It's basically Dobson, Wahlstrom, and a handful of prospects that haven't made it yet.

If the framework of the deal was Blackwood/Graves for Beau/Varlamov, it strikes me as missing something, but at the same time, either side adding something is going to make it lopsided, if that makes sense. It feels like it would need the Islanders making another move independent of that trade (signing a top 6 winger? finding a taker for Bailey that brings something useful back?) to have that trade make more sense to me.

OTTAWA is interested. Other teams will. Minnesota isn't trying to take on cap.

you fill have to actually pay to get someone like hague. i know vegas is in cap trouble, so they have less leverage, but you are competing against other team who will also try to get him. you'll have to pay sometjhing actually valuable for him.

Yeah I know that's why I think it's tougher outside of a goalie swap(ish). /But/ the Devils and Isles have been trading partners often. So who knows.

Sure, you can add a 3rd or whatever here. Wouldn't be more than that, imo. But I'm not a GM lol

I think it would be better for your mental health at this point to not comment on any ACGMs I make with Minnesota. I'm not going to offer anything close to what you think Fiala is worth, and a smart GM won't either.

Going through your comment history is wild though. You think the Wild /aren't/ trading Dumba or Foligno and still getting full value for Fiala. I just don't know how you can possibly think a player you can't pay is gonna return what you want him to.

Hey, maybe you're right. But history isn't even remotely on your side in this one. But, as we all know, that Senators front office has only a handful of braincells to rub together.

I don't think the Isles do it but probably not as far off as we think. Wood is a really nice bottom-6 piece. Blackwood could positively regress in the system. The sticking point is Varly's mentorship to Sorokin for another season.

it would absolutly be more than that. have you seen the price of defenseman the last 2 years?