Devils pass. We'll have that package as a starting point for Swayman tho

Can't see the Blues trading that much for a rental at this deadline. i'd imagine if the price were lower there'd be interest. There's a fit there, but I don't think there's that much desire.

and you can forget that.

okay, lots of problems here:
1. way too much for ullmark. devils aren't paying that price.
2. way too much for hanifin, bruins aren't paying that price.
3. in my opinion, too much for hanifin again, his number should start with a 6.
4. why trade debrusk?
5. i'm really skeptical of taking on that lindholm contract. he's a good player at a bad age, and that's a big number.

I said starting point. If negotiations with Swayman go badly (80% of players who go through Arbitration hearings are gone within 2 years), and I came with 2 1sts+Holtz you aren’t even thinking about it? That would be by far the biggest goalie package of all time.

usually guys going to arbitration are going to arbitration because the two sides genuinely disagree on value. in this case they went to arbitration because the bruins had absolutely no cap space, and wanted a second buyout window.

by that logic you could say everything is a starting point. 1st round pick as a starting point for Jack Hughes? no? i said starting point, are you telling me that if i offered you pastrnak, swayman, mcavoy, and 47 first round picks you aren't moving hughes?

I like Debrusk and wouldn't mind Blues pursuing him in off-season especially if some other things change but can't see them giving up assets for him this deadline. Think they will sell.

You get the second buyout window whether you settle or actually go to arbitration. Swayman actually went through the arbitration process, which is basically just listening to your team **** on you constantly. He then came out publicly about how awful it was.

Again, 80% of players who go through that process are gone in 2 years.

1. I mean the Markstrom rumor has been 1st + Holtz as the starting point. Is 30 year old Ullmark less valuable than 34 year old Markstrom? And Saros would cost way more.
2. They should
3. That is completely unrealistic
4. Its time for a change of scenery
5. I hear ya

That markstrom rumour is made up by flames fans. There is no credible reporter saying that Holtz+1st has been reported as a "starting point"

1. rental vs two years (or in the case of the conversations around markstrom today, three vs one)
2. why? they don't have to. what you're doing is ignoring decades and decades of trade precedent and saying, "nahhh, let's pay more!" why? it makes no sense. pay a fair price? sure.
3. maybe, but i thought the market would give lindholm $8m per easy. also i'm not sure you're quite understanding what you're saying. you're saying it's unrealistic that sweeney thinks hanifin is a $7.5M player? have you seen the contracts he's signed guys too?
4. the single dumbest reason for a trade ever. "hey, we're a really good team. lets make ourselves worse because, ummm, change of scenery!" that's just lazy. let's hear a real reason. how does it benefit the boston bruins?
5. then why do it?

i'm well aware of what the arbitration process is. in this instance, i really don't see it as any cause for concern.

Don't see the blues trading for a rental at this point

1. of course NJD wouldn't make a move without negotiations in place, which is why a deal couldn't happen until the summer.
2. A 1st, 2nd, a 23 year old middle six prospect and a 4th liner prospect IS inline with decades of value. If you don't see that, I don't know what to tell you.
3. Lindholm got 6.5 with a flatcap coming off of multiple questionable seasons. To think inflation, Hanifin's younger age, Hanifin's health, and Hanifin's safer projection based on recent play doesn't net him another million bucks... I don't know what to say.
4. You have to make hard choices in a cap world on where to allocate your funds. Betting on DeBrusk being "good Jake" over the length of his next contract is one I am wary of. For all his hype, he is essentially a less consistent Brandon Saad. Higher highs and higher lows, but that the range of player he is. If you have Pasta, Frederic, Lysell, Holtz, etc in the fold, is that where you want to spend your cap?
5. It's a calculated risk, but Pasta's prime is now. We can talk about primes going to 32 or even extending beyond that... but to win a Cup your best players are in their absolute peak.

kinda stopped reading after two but:
1. are we just supposed to guess that? the description is available for a reason.
2. it just isn't. give me a comp. just one. lets limit it to the cap era, so the last 20 years. one comp would be sufficient.

Lindholm went for 1st, 2nd Vaakaneien.
Vaakaneinen is comparable to Merkulov. Better pedigree, but at the time of trade pretty comparable upside.

Bruins also included a 2nd for the Ducks to take Moore. Any Hanifin deal would need the Flames to give some kind of cap consideration. Between that and the fact they have to wait an extra year for the picks, a high end 4th liner prospect like Beecher sure seems equitable.

okay good - lets start with lindholm.

Lets start with what the two players are. Lindholm is head and shoulders above hanifin, and in a completely different discussion. when hanifin starts getting norris votes, we'll talk about that as a comp.

Now, lets compare the returns. Boston sent a 1st, two 2nds, a propsect that is not comparable to merkulov, and a multi-year cap dump. Vaakanainen spent four years in the boston system, got four shots in the NHL, and didn't really show progression. he was a reclamation project at the time of the trade. Merkulov on the other hand is in his second pro year, has shown significant growth, and is north of a point per game in the AHL. Now, there's also the matter of Beecher. The bruins are looking for ways to clear cap space to get beecher back up in the NHL because they desperately need him.
1st, Merkulov, Forbort is reasonable. Need a kicker, fine. take a fourth.
1st, Merkulov, Beecher, and a 2nd is not reasonable, and there isn't precedent for it.

Gotta tell ya, man, that's a really left field concept. The Blues will not be splurging on a Jekyll and Hyde UFA winger, thanks.

Merkulov is 23 with no standout physical skills. You are overrating him as a prospect compared to Vaakaneien. Yes, it was clear at that point that Vaakaneien wasn’t going to develop the offense, but it was also clear that he would at least be an NHL defenseman as he finished developing physically. Merkulov has a similar ceiling as a middle of the roster guy and a lower floor as one of many guys without standout physical skills destined to be a AAAA player. You also completely misjudge Lindholm vs Hanifin. They are absolutely of the same tier of player. I think you have some homer valuations going on.

The mod verified Bruins insider with Blues connections on HFBoards has the two teams talking (Detroit too) on the player. Shrug.

uhhh no. what was clear was that vaakanainen wasn't an NHL d man in boston. this is the first season he hasn't played in the AHL, at the age of 25. that has a lot more to do with anaheim being awful than him being NHL caliber. Merkulov is just a better propsect. how are we even discussing this?

okay, good. so now we've got the, "you disagree with me, so you're a homer," argument out of the way. I was wondering when that was going to come out. I've been a fan of lindholm since he was drafted, and it sounds like the same can be said of boston management. he's a legit top pair d man, and on most teams, a number one. he's received norris consideration. He had some deep playoff runs on good teams, and was the top d man for those teams - unless you're a big sami vatanen fan for some reason. Conversely, Hanifin has never been the top d man for a good team, or any NHL team for that matter. This is the first season he's been a top pair guy. It's just apples to oranges. I think you're suffering from shiny new toy syndrome because it seems like you're just making up false narratives about objective things that have happened in recent memory.

Whatever the hell you just said, whoever that clown is, he;s wildly full of it.