On a superficial level, it might appear that the Kings have regressed from last season, losing to the Oilers in 6 games instead of 7, but I draw several positive conclusions from this campaign:
1. The youngsters all got another season of experience, and all seem to be progressing -- even Quinton Byfield who was, it must be remembered, the youngest of his draft class.
2. Phillip Danault really is the home run he looked like last season, and his line with Trevor Moore and Viktor Arvidsson is really solid on both sides of the puck.
3. Unlike most players changing teams, Kevin FIala didn't require half a season or more to become a noticeable factor, despite being shuffled around from line to line and even occasionally position to position.
Now the negatives:
4. It's abundantly clear that the defensive issues and goaltending vacancy have to be settled.
5. We have too many young forwards who are NHL-quality or getting there to give proper playing time to.
This ACGM is an effort to create enough roster and cap flexibility to take a much bigger step forward next season than we did this year.
I'm not "giving up" on Alex Turcotte, but I'm trading him for two reasons: to give him a better chance to succeed, and to recoup the first-round pick sent away in the Gavrikov - Korpisalo deal. I think that the Black Hawks would be interested in him, have the roster space to keep him there, and are getting full value for transferring a late 2023 first to 2024. Los Angeles gets a LhD prospect at the position where the Kings are thinnest. (For those of my fellow Los Angeles fans who don't want to give Alex Turcotte up, Chicago might be interested in a prospect like Sam Helenius or Francesco Pinelli or Helge Grans, and there are others as well, due to the quality and depth of our prospect pool.)
The biggest problem the Kings face in the off-season, as I see it, is that we need at least $4 million in new cap space to address the weakness at LhD and lack of a starting G. Rather than trade Cal Petersen at a loss, or discard Viktor Arvidsson in the last year of his contract when his value would be diminished, I'm trading Alex Iafallo. His value is known to knowledgeable people despite his underrated status; I'm trading him to the Sabres because he'd be Buffalo's best two-way forward and I sense that they're going to be moving Viktor Olofsson this summer (for whom they will probably get a new second). Plus, Iafallo has local ties, and might well re-sign in Buffalo when his conract is up. I know that this idea is anathema to my Kings brethren, but we can get the maximum return for Iafallo and need to do so.
Finally, for cap and roster flexibility reasons, I'm trading Sean Walker to a team which needs a stopgap veteran RhD.
More than $7.5 million should be enough to acquire adequate LhD and G free agents. For example, Vladi Gavrikov might sign for $4.5 million AAV or less and Joonas Korpisalo for $3.25 million. Or we could get Ryan Graves for a little more and Korpisalo for a little less.
{Note that I began work on this ACGM before Erik Portillo was actually signed, or Alex Iafallo scored the winning overtime goal in Game 1.}
I'm sure you all will let me know how you feel about these ideas.
The Blackhawks trade is an interesting proposal. Phillips has looked very good in the AHL and in his limited time in the NHL he has shown flashes of promise. That said, we are quite stacked at LD and swapping one for a forward prospect is bound to happen at some point, and I think Turcotte could be on the radar. I just dont know how much value he holds, being 4 years post-draft and never having played a full season of hockey with great production.
Im not sure the Hawks would like to trade the 1st this year for another next year, as we already have 2 and potentially 3 1sts next year if the rangers make ECF.
The Blackhawks trade is an interesting proposal. Phillips has looked very good in the AHL and in his limited time in the NHL he has shown flashes of promise. That said, we are quite stacked at LD and swapping one for a forward prospect is bound to happen at some point, and I think Turcotte could be on the radar. I just dont know how much value he holds, being 4 years post-draft and never having played a full season of hockey with great production.
Im not sure the Hawks would like to trade the 1st this year for another next year, as we already have 2 and potentially 3 1sts next year if the rangers make ECF.
Let's revisit that last thought if the Rangers don't!
As a Habs fan, can't say I would be that interested in Walker.
Not sure he would be that much of an upgrade over the RHD we currently have (Barron, Savard, Kovacevic) and when you add Matheson, Edmundson, Guhle, Harris, Xhekaj, the Habs already have 8 defensemen on the roster (not even counting Wideman).
Let's revisit that last thought if the Rangers don't!
Thats fair. Also would depend on how the draft board falls. If nobody from that high-middle tier of forwards is left on the board, I would certainly be more willing to trade to next year. Also could just be looked at as excess value from the prospect swap. And we'd also then have 4 2nds to use to trade back into the 1st anyway. The possibilities are endless
I like the idea of trading away turcotte for a first this year. I would forfeit the first though if I could move Peterson on the same deal. Moving a large contract like Peterson's is worth not getting a first in return as well as giving up our future first. The other problem I think we're gonna have is we need to move durzi. He's too risky of a player to keep, and there isn't any room for him. With the emergence of Clarke we need a clear left hand d who's going to play good defence. I'm sure there are teams who will pay a good amount for a young offensive defensman who's going to be an rfa after a year.
I like the idea of trading away turcotte for a first this year. I would forfeit the first though if I could move Peterson on the same deal. Moving a large contract like Peterson's is worth not getting a first in return as well as giving up our future first. The other problem I think we're gonna have is we need to move durzi. He's too risky of a player to keep, and there isn't any room for him. With the emergence of Clarke we need a clear left hand d who's going to play good defence. I'm sure there are teams who will pay a good amount for a young offensive defensman who's going to be an rfa after a year.
As a Habs fan, can't say I would be that interested in Walker.
Not sure he would be that much of an upgrade over the RHD we currently have (Barron, Savard, Kovacevic) and when you add Matheson, Edmundson, Guhle, Harris, Xhekaj, the Habs already have 8 defensemen on the roster (not even counting Wideman).
Walker isn't supposed to be an upgrade on your youngsters; he's supposed to shield Barron and Kovacevic from over-exposure at #2RhD temporarily while they get 60 games' worth (or more) of experience this coming season. And I expect waivers-exempt Harris and Xhekaj to get substantial playing/development time in Laval this year. At least, that's my thinking.
IMO, CHI declines. I really don't think Turcotte is worth trading back a year to what will likely be a later pick in a draft year that won't be nearly as deep as 2023. I really don't care where he was drafted 4 years ago, he just isn't worth it. There will be players available at 20th overall (the 2023 Tampa pick) that I like a lot more than Turcotte. If there is any intention of bringing Turcotte to his hometown of Chicago, I'd rather wait until either his price comes down and LA is ready to cut their losses or he proves he can stick at the pro level and stay healthy.
But, if LAK has interest in Phillips, I'm sure we could work something out, considering the plethora of LHD we have in our system.
Walker isn't supposed to be an upgrade on your youngsters; he's supposed to shield Barron and Kovacevic from over-exposure at #2RhD temporarily while they get 60 games' worth (or more) of experience this coming season. And I expect waivers-exempt Harris and Xhekaj to get substantial playing/development time in Laval this year. At least, that's my thinking.
Except, what you're describing is kinda Savard's role right now. Unless you're implying a rotation between Barron and Kovacevic ? In which case, the Habs would probably sign a veteran in free agency to play that kind of role.
Also, eventhough Xhekaj and Harris are both waiver exempt, I doubt that Laval would be the plan for them. Depending on Edmundson's health, they might be forced to...but right now, the plan seems to find a taker for Edmundson, and run Matheson, Guhle with Xhekaj and Harris rotating on the left side, while playing Barron, Savard and Kovacevic on the right side. With Wideman being the other odd-man out.
Except, what you're describing is kinda Savard's role right now. Unless you're implying a rotation between Barron and Kovacevic ? In which case, the Habs would probably sign a veteran in free agency to play that kind of role.
Also, even though Xhekaj and Harris are both waiver exempt, I doubt that Laval would be the plan for them. Depending on Edmundson's health, they might be forced to...but right now, the plan seems to find a taker for Edmundson, and run Matheson, Guhle with Xhekaj and Harris rotating on the left side, while playing Barron, Savard and Kovacevic on the right side. With Wideman being the other odd-man out.
Im really high on Phillips. Aside from Vlasic has been comfortably the best D in Rockford this season. He is super athletic, physical and can skate. He's not looked out of place in the NHL either and I would imagine is pencilled in to play in the Majors next season out of camp.
Turcotte, I'm personally a fan of though cannot let that get in the way of what his value should be after we've not seen enough in his 4 years since being drafter #5OA.
It is for these reasons that I would want more. I don't like the idea of pushing back our draft and the recency bias certainly supports that thinking. There is an unfortunate chance Turcotte doesn't pan out and we lose this trade heavily. Philips at the very least becomes a serviceably 3rd line LHD who brings physicality (He's already there IMO) and the tantalising prospect of picking #19 or #20 in the 2023 draft is just too much to pass up on.
The argument is certainly there about our abundance of LHD in the pipeline and its true. CHI may be more inclined to look at a prospect swap with later round draft capital.
Im really high on Phillips. Aside from Vlasic has been comfortably the best D in Rockford this season. He is super athletic, physical and can skate. He's not looked out of place in the NHL either and I would imagine is pencilled in to play in the Majors next season out of camp.
Turcotte, I'm personally a fan of though cannot let that get in the way of what his value should be after we've not seen enough in his 4 years since being drafter #5OA.
It is for these reasons that I would want more. I don't like the idea of pushing back our draft and the recency bias certainly supports that thinking. There is an unfortunate chance Turcotte doesn't pan out and we lose this trade heavily. Philips at the very least becomes a serviceably 3rd line LHD who brings physicality (He's already there IMO) and the tantalising prospect of picking #19 or #20 in the 2023 draft is just too much to pass up on.
The argument is certainly there about our abundance of LHD in the pipeline and its true. CHI may be more inclined to look at a prospect swap with later round draft capital.
Would you consider trading later round picks with these young guys? (Phillips and Turcotte) i.e. 3rd and 4th round picks
I understand you to mean would I substitute a third for Turcotte and a fourth for Phillips? Absolutely. I'd make the third the Pittsburgh 2023 and take your 2024 fourth.
I think that it's essential for us to have a pick in the twenties in this year's draft. That all stems from not being able to make the McCabe deal with you guys, in which we would/should have offered our 2024 first (instead of Toronto's 2025 first) and our 2025 second (instead of Toronto's 2026 second). That way, we'd have our 2023 first and McCabe for two more seasons at $2 million per instead of our 2024 first and happy memories of Vlad Gavrikov and Joonas Korpisalo. (We could then have passed Lafferty on to Toronto for a little something.)
I understand you to mean would I substitute a third for Turcotte and a fourth for Phillips? Absolutely. I'd make the third the Pittsburgh 2023 and take your 2024 fourth.
I think that it's essential for us to have a pick in the twenties in this year's draft. That all stems from not being able to make the McCabe deal with you guys, in which we would/should have offered our 2024 first (instead of Toronto's 2025 first) and our 2025 second (instead of Toronto's 2026 second). That way, we'd have our 2023 first and McCabe for two more seasons at $2 million per instead of our 2024 first and happy memories of Vlad Gavrikov and Joonas Korpisalo. (We could then have passed Lafferty on to Toronto for a little something.)
Okay I see, the pick is the most important for you. I had meant, more along the lines of would you entertain the prospect swap with lower picks though I see your perspective better now.
Yes I agree, you should have done the McCabe deal, I was surprised at first when it was TOR, thinking he would prefer to be in the USA.
That 23' 1st will be very difficult to pry from KD hands IMO.
Perhaps a 3 way trade with TOR:
receive:
24' LAK 1st
M. Murray
receive
23' BOS 1st
I.Phillips
receive
A.Turcotte
23' PIT 3rd
Probably a little light for TOR tbh and LAK may not want to give up that much.
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