Trade #1:
Chicago gives up a bright young player but gets a good future talent, veteran leadership for now and solid goaltending for at least one year. This move would allow them to be more competitive and fill some holes in their lineup with many UFAs.
Trade #2:
Colorado took advantage of us in cap trouble in getting Toews, let's get them back! They're really going to be up against the cap with a lot of holes to fill in. This trade gets them two young players that can fit right into an NHL lineup and save them money as well.
Trade #3: "The Unpopular Opinion"
Now I know many people are about to have a field day with this but hear me out. Barzal is not going to explode into what he was in the Trotz system. We can see that very clearly now after 3 seasons. He's playing down on the 3rd line. Now again, I know they're all balanced and the Isles a 4 line team, etc. When pen goes to paper, Trotz is writing Nelson and Pageau in the lines above Barzal's name. It would be better to slot in a guy like Raty who has size and likely fits the mold and makeup of this team better than Barzal does. I am NOT saying Raty is better, I'm saying all things considered (money, roster placement, etc) it does not pay to keep Barzal. He's going to want to be paid as the guy who can put up 100 points, but he plays in a system that likely won't get him passed 80. And, he will end up being that scorer elsewhere, just not here. So comes the trade...
Send Barzal home to Seattle and bring back someone that should have never left, Jordan Eberle. It gives the Islanders back someone who slots right in with Lee and Nelson like in the past. He knows the system and had great chemistry with the two of them. It also brings us draft picks which we could use some replenishing on. The details of picks are in the trade box.
Signing note on Chara: I know he is likely to retire, but if he came back for one year as an extra defenseman to help Wilde the way he helped Dobson, that'd be priceless in itself.
Overall:
The Islanders with this roster would be, once again, 4 lines deep with a more bolstered defense. The excess money, along with another hopeful small increase, allows to likely keep the roster intact going forward as well.
Do I think all of these trades would or could happen? Likely not, but they don't seem outlandish to me. There is understandably a lot of wheeling and dealing here. All in good fun. Let's see what happens next! I still think Dufour could be hidden diamond that explodes in camp. Raty/Dufour could be a skilled, sized duo for years. Fingers crossed.
If Barzal re-signs with Seattle, the 2024 2nd round pick becomes a 1st round pick. If Barzal leaves Seattle in free agency, 2024 draft pick is returned. If Barzal signs with the Islanders in free agency, the 2023 and 2024 draft picks are returned.
COL declines and has plenty of cap space to keep Toews for the remainder of his contract.
Check any of the past hundred COL AGMs posted, tons of room for Toews.
IF he was to be moved, the package you've offered is low and you know it.
Wahlstrom for Debrincat is a good start, and I know you're adding Bailey and Varlamov to get some cap space, but it will take a couple of #1 draft picks and another good prospect to get him.
Barzal would be an RFA in Seattle so he wouldn’t even be able to leave in free agency, let alone back to the Isles. Also, he’d fetch a much higher package than 3 2nds and a borderline cap dump
COL declines and has plenty of cap space to keep Toews for the remainder of his contract.
Check any of the past hundred COL AGMs posted, tons of room for Toews.
IF he was to be moved, the package you've offered is low and you know it.
There's $25.6 mil of space this offseason for Avs. Call it $26 mil, that will get you Burakovsky, Kadri, Kuemper, Manson or Murray (not both) and Nichushkin. That'll bring the to 10 forwards, 7, defensemen and 2 goalies being pretty much capped out. Unless they get some of them to discount themselves a little bit, as Landeskog very obviously did, they're going to have to move some pieces. This trade would get you 2 playable players in your lineup and at least $2 mil in cap space back as well. I will agree though, the pick would have to change to at least a 2nd rounder and maybe another later round in addition. You are definitely right there.
If a coach doesn’t value an elite talent than it’s time to get rid of the coach
Some isles fans value the system + Trotz over winning and keeping elite talent. Insane lol
The "system" got them to back to back ECF appearances. The "elite" talent hasn't gotten them anywhere...doesn't seem to work for Toronto in the playoffs either.
Barzal would be an RFA in Seattle so he wouldn’t even be able to leave in free agency, let alone back to the Isles. Also, he’d fetch a much higher package than 3 2nds and a borderline cap dump
Can't afford to take much more than that. Take a look at who we have to sign coming up.
There's $25.6 mil of space this offseason for Avs. Call it $26 mil, that will get you Burakovsky, Kadri, Kuemper, Manson or Murray (not both) and Nichushkin. That'll bring the to 10 forwards, 7, defensemen and 2 goalies being pretty much capped out. Unless they get some of them to discount themselves a little bit, as Landeskog very obviously did, they're going to have to move some pieces. This trade would get you 2 playable players in your lineup and at least $2 mil in cap space back as well. I will agree though, the pick would have to change to at least a 2nd rounder and maybe another later round in addition. You are definitely right there.
Kadri, Murrary and Burakovsky are near locks to let walk and wont be resigned.
PLENTY of cap space.
Also still doesnt excuse the massively underwhelming offer for a 1D in Toews
The "system" got them to back to back ECF appearances. The "elite" talent hasn't gotten them anywhere...doesn't seem to work for Toronto in the playoffs either.
That is incorrect. Elite goaltending, the Pelech/Pulock pair and Barzal is the reason why they’ve made it the ECF. They carried the team. They are all elite players.
Also Devon Toews is a superstar , why do you think Colorado would trade him for scraps?
There's $25.6 mil of space this offseason for Avs. Call it $26 mil, that will get you Burakovsky, Kadri, Kuemper, Manson or Murray (not both) and Nichushkin. That'll bring the to 10 forwards, 7, defensemen and 2 goalies being pretty much capped out. Unless they get some of them to discount themselves a little bit, as Landeskog very obviously did, they're going to have to move some pieces. This trade would get you 2 playable players in your lineup and at least $2 mil in cap space back as well. I will agree though, the pick would have to change to at least a 2nd rounder and maybe another later round in addition. You are definitely right there.
Toews is significantly better than every player you listed. They would let one of those players walk before trading Toews.
Wahlstrom for Debrincat is a good start, and I know you're adding Bailey and Varlamov to get some cap space, but it will take a couple of #1 draft picks and another good prospect to get him.
There's definitely defensive prospects that can be added in there. I was also going on the fact that if he says he wants to be traded, Chicago kind of loses some steam on having the advantage? Really in the end I feel like they're all going to stay in Chicago anyway. His salary will go up, Kane will come down maybe a bit and Toews will come down a lot. That'll allow them to retool properly.
That is incorrect. Elite goaltending, the Pelech/Pulock pair and Barzal is the reason why they’ve made it the ECF. They carried the team. They are all elite players.
Also Devon Toews is a superstar , why do you think Colorado would trade him for scraps?
Dude I'm an Isles fan and I'd never call Pelech or Pulock elite. They're very good defenders, Pulock very good 2-way, but they're not on the elite level of scoring and dynamic play like others are. The Isles were filled with almost the same players from one year to the next going from Snow/Weight to Lou/Trotz and the difference was insane. It was to the point that if Snow had been able to bring in Trotz and work with him on his system, he'd probably still be here over Lou! So please, it is absolutely system built. If it was based on elite level talent alone, Toronto would be a sure thing for the cup in the last few seasons and this current one as well. It'll end up being Boston or Carolina that likely goes the distance though.
Dude I'm an Isles fan and I'd never call Pelech or Pulock elite. They're very good defenders, Pulock very good 2-way, but they're not on the elite level of scoring and dynamic play like others are. The Isles were filled with almost the same players from one year to the next going from Snow/Weight to Lou/Trotz and the difference was insane. It was to the point that if Snow had been able to bring in Trotz and work with him on his system, he'd probably still be here over Lou! So please, it is absolutely system built. If it was based on elite level talent alone, Toronto would be a sure thing for the cup in the last few seasons and this current one as well. It'll end up being Boston or Carolina that likely goes the distance though.
I don't care if you're an isles fan lol your statement is just not true, - Both Pulock and Pelech rank in the top 20 among defenseman over the last 3 seasons. Your confusing dynamic skill and impact, both Pulock and Pelech put up elite results both offensively and defensively. The lack of points is because the isles forwards fail to convert on the chances Pelech and Pulock create
The isles took of after Devon Toews was called up and Pelech/Pulock were allowed to face top competition instead of Leddy/Boychuk. Toews didn't play for Doug Weight. It is not the system, that is a fact. It's the players and elite goaltending. Trotz owes Mitch Korn the goalie guru a lot of credit as well.
Dude I'm an Isles fan and I'd never call Pelech or Pulock elite. They're very good defenders, Pulock very good 2-way, but they're not on the elite level of scoring and dynamic play like others are. The Isles were filled with almost the same players from one year to the next going from Snow/Weight to Lou/Trotz and the difference was insane. It was to the point that if Snow had been able to bring in Trotz and work with him on his system, he'd probably still be here over Lou! So please, it is absolutely system built. If it was based on elite level talent alone, Toronto would be a sure thing for the cup in the last few seasons and this current one as well. It'll end up being Boston or Carolina that likely goes the distance though.
Pelech isn't elite lol ok
Adam Pelech misses out on these lists partially due to special teams but he has been Norris-caliber at even strength this season for the Isles. pic.twitter.com/DqUw6dHBKF
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