One name who could be a nice rental upgrade is Berglund. Maybe send a 2nd, Lindberg and another player. Hayes, Stepan, Zib and Berglund would be the best C depth in the league. With Nieves still around I think Lindberg becomes more expendable, plus I don't think he's been as productive as hoped.
No. Lindberg is fine as the 4th line center. I would say if they lose one guy to the expansion draft it will be either Raanta, Lindberg, Klein or Fast. I'm guessing Raanta. Lindberg is cheap.
No way they should give up on Lindberg and/or Fast. Keep playing them.... eventually they will hit the twine. Why break up a very good 4th line? Besides, who checks better than these two guys?
What do you guys think of a straight up stepan - shatty swap with st louis throwing in draft pick cause step is signed already
Insanity. That's what I think. The whole world knows Shattenkirk is signing with NY next season. Stepan if anything should be dealt for picks and prospects, an NHL ready, 3rd line center who is affordable and can win over 50% of his draws.
Elliot Friedman was on Sportsnet Radio yesterday. Said Blues/Tampa had a deal worked out around Tyler Johnson for Shattenkirk, but Tampa pulled out when Shatty refused to agree to a 7 yr/6m extension. Friedman's sources say it isn't money, but that he wants to sign in either New York or Boston. Other sources I've heard say he is 100% coming back to the northeast. Friedman also said STL had a deal worked out earlier this season for him with EDM but Shattenkirk said he would never sign there, and that deal fell through as well. The trade deadline is on Wednesday. Last year the Blues held on to Backes and Troy Brouwer at the trade deadline and lost them both for nothing in FA. They have no goaltending at all. They are not going anywhere this year and it sounds like the front office is souring on Shattenkirk quickly (hard to blame them). I think Shattenkirk is going to move by next week. If STL starts getting desperate we should swoop in with that extra second we got from OTT and prospects, maybe include a goalie prospect not named Igor since STL has none. Even see if any of our depth forwards will get it done. I still 100% get Shatty for this year if the price isn't a first. This team is poised for a run if we can reinforce the back end. With the way Hank is playing we can still go for it without trading firsts. Plus, if we get him, we can then negotiate with him before he hits FA and teams like Boston get in his ear thus driving the price up. As of about a week ago Stepan was in the top 10 for points by a C over the past two seasons. That's not a guy you trade because he isnt good at draws. I get that he plays uninspiring hockey sometimes, and isnt particularly great at any one thing, but he is solid at almost everything (other than faceoffs) and is an important piece. He is the guy in the middle when the game is on the line and does a damn good job there. And don't forget, he's still only 26 years old (hard to believe given the unfortunate hair situation). Just now entering his prime. I dont give up on him. I dont move any forwards this year. I try damn hard to get Shattenkirk. If not, maybe we settle for some alternative R-D depth. But this top 9 forward core should stay.
FWIW i did see this morning from one of the 'insiders' that we have an offer of Gropp, one of the 18' 2nds and Clendening for him. If true that's not all that bad. Definately wouldn't give up a 1st.
Nice. Do you remember who had this? As much as I like Gropp you do that trade every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Clendening is a good guy but he stinks and is getting passed around the league like a cheap hooker. The issue is that Shatty doesnt have a NTC. Eventually the offers will turn from extension offers (i.e. the Tyler Johnson trade) to rental offers like ours and the bidding will begin. Not sure this package wins the sweepstakes.
There is no doubt Shatty gets moved by Wednesday. Last year the Blues were a top team poised for a shot at a long run, so they held and then made the WCF. This year no shot they hold given their position, and the fact that cannot lose another player for nothing. Shatty gets moved 100000000% by the DL. He is the # 1 player in terms of lock to get moved, unless there are simply no offers, which I cannot see. I also look for Detroit to be in big sell mode, and Smith could be in play for us if the Shatty deal is too rich. Detroit will sell players by the DL. As for what we'd offer for Shatty, I think the deal you laid out 71 is the range I'd go for. I would rather not deal Gropp, but someone like that and a 2nd would be my range. I wouldn't deal any forward depth, unless we are talking about Pirri/Puempel level. Our forward depth will be HUGE during the playoffs and that is something we should hold on for sure. If we add a solid RD, Smith is a L shot who can play RD and has very good possession #'s for the Wings, we are a legit threat. And if we add Shatty without dealing a forward we have a legit shot at a long run, and then the chips will fall where they may. This weekend will be interesting. You never root for an L, but I would be perfectly fine if CBJ swept the weekend (at Isles and NYR) and we won tonight and lost a tough one to CBJ tomorrow night. The Met team that ends up in the Atlantic bracket will be an ECF fav IMO.
For the record Prod, if we got Shatty it wouldn't be a true rental IMO. I just don't see him coming here, his favorite team/where he always wanted to play, and then bolting in July for a little more money. We would have a good offer for him...in the 5's/6 mill per +/-, and if he was dealt here I personally wouldn't view it as a rental. He'd resign here I believe. But I do agree the price could go up as teams say I don't care about next year, and we're all in now, so deal for him and try to win the SC, and if he walks in July so be it. I'd also add that while Shatty is good, he is not a top pair guy, and many think he is just okay at even strength, more of a PP specialist. A better R shot version of Yandle IMO, but not a stud top pair dman. A 2nd pair dman in a perfect world I believe. So he isn't a savior I don't think.
No you're right, I apologize if I was unclear. I meant the previous market for him was based on a long term extension signed pre-FA, which made the price very rich (see the Tyler Johnson rumors). Once the market adjusts to rental offers, we have a much better shot at getting him via trade as we didnt want to pay the higher extension market price (it would have cost a Miller, etc.). Rangers are in a stronger position as we have great shot to get him in FA anyway. So I'm not saying I view the trade as a rental, I'm saying we jump in when the market at large is viewing it as a rental. Perfect world for us, as we then keep him off the market and hopefully get him for cheaper than we would bidding against Boston. As for the player he is, he is definitely better defensively than Yandle (who I dont think was as bad as people made him out to be but we've been down that road before). He also has a much better shot, is a little more physical, has better positioning and gap control and, importantly, a righty. He may not be as gifted a passer and puck handler as Yandle, but few are. And that is not to say he isn't good at those things, because he'll be the best we have at it the second he puts a jersey on (if he puts it on...don't want to jinx it). EDIT: and you're right...he isn't your ideal #1 right defenseman. He isnt a shutdown guy. But he's damn sure better than anyone else we're trotting out on the right side right now, and I dont think we'll find better in FA either.
One other comment, yes we have some good youth upfront, and we should NOT deal a 1st, but this is still a now team with a 34 year old goalie. We need to add a dman, even if it is a Smith type. We don't need to make this huge splash with a Shatty type if the price is too high, no way, but we do need to add a dman better than Clendening. Adding a Smith type would be a good fit at a cheaper price. Helps us now on D, and we do not deal a 1st, or even a 2nd for a guy like Smith. That is a smart move. That D core, while not great, would be solid with Smith added combined with our forward depth.
I get your point and agree Prod. The price drops when you trade him as a true rental with no extension, and to me that gives us even a bigger edge because we can pay for him trade wise as a rental, BUT in reality we know if we get him he will NOT be a rental. Perfect world for us I believe. As for the player he is, I believe he is a better player than Yandle. Better on D as you said, and a better shot. Good passer as well, not Yandle level, but still good and aware. Simply a better player, and raises another level as a R shot as you said. He is a very good 2nd pair RD, who can QB a PP. That's how I would classify him. A 10 to Yandle's 8 or 8.5 if I was rating them against each other. A better all around dman. Worth a deal, but not worth us breaking the bank or dealing a 1st, double so when we can/would sign him this summer, unless he gets dealt to Boston now, which would give them an edge.
I found it under InsiderIntel on Twitter. Seems like someone who has some connection to front office stuff. If we get him on our terms great, if not then grab a lesser guy like Smith or Franson etc.
This team isn't winning anything this season likely with the flaws on offense and defense and Shatty coming here won't make the difference. The reason you need to move stepan is his $6.5M cap hit and hit NMC. Too much money for him, especially with a NMC. They can get Shatty for money in the offseason. They need a forward like Kreider who isn't afraid to go the middle of the ice and get an ugly goal. Right now they have a bunch of forwards who always stay to the outside and won't crash the net.
Indeed he does. This team is so frustrating to watch. They have a majority of the pieces to do really well, but they can't all seem to get it together at the same time. They all seem to take turns playing with their heads up their asses lol. If they could ever all get hot at the same time, they could make a deep run.
^^^^^If there one time they should all get it together, let it be playoff time! Like Raanta said......hockey is a crazy game...... anything can happen....good and bad. That's reassuring. LOL
