CBJ accept.

Heh. You're so generous to the first four, and then the Seattle offer is just sad.

It’s not a bad price for Bertuzzi but not the right type of winger for the Oilers. Oilers say no to target better fits. There’s only one RW slot needing to be filled, and they won’t be using Bertuzzi to till that spot.

Agree, but Severson doesn't. He signed an 8-year deal with a full NTC for a reason, I doubt he's waiving less than a season in, even after the team's not so good bad terrible boo hiss year.

I doubt it.
CBJ is toward the bottom of the league in revenue they don't want to pay Reaves 1.3 million to sit on the monsters.
If TOR took out Reaves, you probably got a deal.

To get out of a Severson deal that was made to please Babcock, I think they’d consider it. The dollar figure on Reaves isn’t *awful*, it’s the term.

Buy him out or put him on waivers. Bound to be some rock-headed GM who convinces themselves they need to add some Grit™️ to their team. Hell, Treliving convinced Leafs ownership it was worth three years and $4M.



Given CBJ were supposed to be, if not a bit better than they are now, at least not such a dysfunctional ****-show, I’m not so sure he wouldn’t, TBH. As long as TOR has Matthews, they’re contending. With CBJ where they are right now, who knows.

If he signed that contract because he loves Cbus and being a Blue Jacket, then sure, he stays. But I feel it was more to just have control over where he could be dealt.

I can't see Seattle trading away their top pair D-man for an AHL level defenseman, a prospect defenseman, and scraps of draft picks.

Whoa, I just noticed your plan to pair Severson on the top pairing with Rielly. Yikes... that would turn out how you wanted anyway, man.

Dallas declines. Losing Smith downgrades our pk. Domi downgrades our team defense. We are fine offensively.

I don't think that is true on CBJ. Severson is at least serviceable and helps fill a role in CBJ. Reaves is just dead weight. If it was as simple as putting him on waivers and someone pick him up, he wouldn't be on TOR now.

TOR has deep pockets, CBJ does not. They are a lot more careful on their cap. They aren't adverse to spending to help the team, but they aren't taking on dead cap.

I guess the counter to that is term. Severson is serviceable and fills a role, but you’re dealing with him for seven more years, at an annual salary that is almost 4x the total value of Reaves’ contract, particularly in a window where younger and more cap-fitting options can fill in.

You’re also asking a professional NHL franchise to take on a few million in extra cash for purposes of saving potential bad value down the road. CBJ aren’t TOR, but it’s not like they’re paying players in crackers, my dude

1st if you think Severson is the problem on that defense you aren't paying attention.
2nd the defense market sucks. So many teams are running AHL level players it's not even funny. Hell CBJ gave Gudbranson 4x4 because the market is garbage. Here you are thinking they can just "replace" him. and should do so for basically nothing but taking back a cap dump in Reaves.
Defensemen aren't goalies. They have value.
He's not a cap dump. You should get that thought out of your head as soon as possible.
If there were younger more "cap fitting" options the whole league would be using them. Instead everyone is looking for a capable defenseman and guys like Jack Johnson still have a job and Guddy is getting 4x4 contracts.

Now if you want to talk about moving Guddy for Reaves, I might listen but your offer is ridiculous.

- Never said Severson was the problem? But also if you think he’s the only thing propping it up, you aren’t paying attention.

Not open to trading because he’s bad, but because his contract is not likely to age well and was signed under different circumstances - Jarmo making the poor decision to trade and sign for a guy as if their window of contention is right now. CBJ have a number of good prospects coming up the chain who can fill his role as a middle-pairing D.

- “The defense market sucks” actually inclines me to trade him even more. If you’re telling me I could put Severson on the market and he’d represent the top-end of it, I’m putting myself in a position to get a prime asset.

You’re basically making the point to me that CBJ shouldn’t settle on a trade like this for Severson, and they can/should get more in a seller’s market. Problem is, moving that kind of cap in a league that is still flat-capped is very difficult; there needs to be money-in-money-out.

you think he's a bad contract on the team. I don't think he is.
Those young players need stability around them and on the back end.
He brings that. It's not like defensemen are just going to "go bad" past 30. The vast majority of them play fairly well into their mid 30s. It's not a horrible contract.

So the whole isn't going to age well argument doesn't mean much. You need defensemen who can help a young forward group in CBJ. 6 of their top 9 are 23 or younger.
Next year with them drafting top 5 it will probably be 7.
You need those vets to provide not only leadership but also stability in the play. If the game is shaky behind them things fall apart.
Which is why I say if you want Guddy I'm sure they could make a deal. But I don't see them moving out a stable guy for a young developing core as it's hard for them to replace that.
If they did move him out, you are looking at it having to be a really good deal. Not one they are taking back a cap dump, etc...

You have to realize CBJ isn't the most attractive place to land free agents. So it's not like they can easily replace guys on the market.
It's why they tend to develop their own players. Between not being a draw and not being deep pockets that's how it is.
But they need to have that stability to help all those young players grow. It's one of the arguments as to why Boon Jenner is more valuable to CBJ than anywhere else.
On the backend for CBJ Severson, Provorov and Werenski are the guys who can provide that stability. Everyone else is sketchy at best. You'd leave them with 2 defensemen.

Thats an error, Larsson pair #1, Severson Pair #2

Was just thinking of Cap implications for Dallas as I don't follow them closely. When they do inevitably pick someone up at the TDL, who would they send out?