krsmith17

I would buy-out Daley prior to the start of the season. Here's a look at the "extended cap hit"... 2019-20 - $1,699,999 2020-21 - $733,333 We clearly don't need the $1.7M this season. Do you really think the $734K is going to make or break this team next season? Again, the cap hit on a Daley or Ericsson buy-out is a non-issue. We don't need the cap space, but we could use the extra roster spot. I would go with this to start next season... DeKeyser - Green Ericsson - Hronek Cholowski - Bowey Witkowski I would then trade Green at the deadline for pick(s) and call up whoever. Kaski if he's ready, or maybe Lindstrom... In my opinion, you don't hold onto a player like Green if you can acquire key assets for the rebuild. I'd be fine with either option.

I'm not advocating burying players, but in a lot of cases it makes sense. Especially when the cap hit is, like you said, "exactly the same". Get rid of an underperforming player. Give a developing player an opportunity. Seems like a win-win to me. Cap space is a non-issue for this team right now. If they think sending Daley down to the minors and giving that spot to Cholowski is the right move for the team, I wouldn't complain...

It's not just fans though. It's media. It's coming from people that are inside the dressing room on a daily basis. People that have an inside look and personal conversations with the players. Anyway, believe what you want to believe. As will I. I think there's too many rumors and rumblings to ignore. I think Trouba is done in Winnipeg and there's a strong possibility that he could become a Red Wing sooner than later. I've never said that he would come cheap. I just think he will likely come cheaper than you seem to think he will. Like I said though, we'll see how it plays out...

You have no idea what Holland and Green agreed on in principle or of any "handshake deal" made. The only agreement made was the contract that was written. That contract states that Green has a full NTC up until February 1st 2020. After that it becomes a M-NTC in which he would have to provide the team with a 10 team no trade list. If there really were an agreement in place that Green would not be traded, it obviously would have been in the contract (full NTC for the entirety of the contract). So again, if Yzerman sees an opportunity to upgrade his team, he's going to do it. Whether that's trading Green at the deadline for picks, or buying out a bad contract to free up roster spots. Buying out a player would have nothing to do with freeing up cap space. It would be to free up a roster spot. There's still a log jam on defense, and I believe buying out one of Daley or Ericsson would be a smart move. Like mentioned, we don't need the cap space, and the payout over the next two years would be minimal. What a buyout would do, is free up another roster spot for a young defenseman. We currently have DeKeyser, Green, Daley, Ericsson, Bowey, Hronek, Cholowski and Kaski vying for spots on the blueline. That's not considering any possible trades or free agent signings. I'd buyout Daley (or Ericsson) in a heartbeat.

If it were to play out that way (I don't think it will), I'd be thrilled with Cozens at 6. I think Zegras could be available there as well though. I think Hughes (NJD), Kakko (NYR), Turcotte (CHI) and Byram (LAK) are top 5 locks. The wild card is Colorado and who they take, or even if they keep their pick...

You're absolutely right. However, where there's this much smoke, there's definitely a fire. You really don't think there's any truth to these rumors? Why is it only Trouba that we've been hearing these rumors about for the past 3 years? Why are we not hearing that Werenski (or any other NHLer) is unhappy in Columbus (team they're playing for) and wants to come home to Michigan (hometown)? I think Trouba has played his last game in Winnipeg. I think he will be traded before training camp. I think there's a good chance he lands in Detroit. I also think he will end up being traded for a lot less than you and a few others are expecting. We shall see...

Sure, we can afford to trade out 6th overall pick, but why would we? I'm with @nyqvististhefutureon this one. No way should we be giving up huge assets for a player that could end up coming here for free in a year's time. I mentioned trading Rasmussen plus, but even that may be too high a price to pay... The 6th overall pick could end up being our future number one defenseman, if Byram falls (doubtful), or our number one center. I wouldn't trade that for a player that has been rumored to want to "come home" for years... I do think Yzerman will acquire Trouba, and I do think it will be for MUCH less than some of you are thinking it will be. What guy? Jonas. Not that I think any of us would have what it takes to be a NHL general manager, but this guy would be the absolute worst...

You want vets? Acquire them via free agency, not trade. It would be beyond dumb to trade high end picks / prospect / roster players for two players that are soon to be past their prime. The average prime years for a forward is approximately 23/24-27/28. The average prime years for a defenseman is a little older (not much). Of course an elite player like Suter is an outlier here, but he will soon start a regression as well. I'm so sick of this "we don't want to end up being the next Oilers" narrative. It's dumb. The Oilers haven't been terrible because they didn't have veteran leadership. They have been terrible because they've had (up until now) terrible management. That team was mismanaged for years. I think Holland will turn things around there in a big way. You're right. Suter would instantly be our best defenseman. That doesn't make it a good trade though. How much longer would he be our best defenseman? 1? 2? 3 years? At what cost? The cap hit isn't what worries me. I said as much in my previous post. It's the age, term, and cost (assets) that made me say "Hell No!"...

a contender... We have no use for a 31 year old winger signed for $6.8M for the next three seasons. Kessel would cost huge assets... something we can't afford to give up. No! Imagine this guy being our GM...

Are you serious? Hell No! Why would we want a 27 year old, 40-50 point left winger that is signed for $5.5M for the next 4 seasons? And a 34 year old, 40-50 point defenseman that is signed for $7.5M for the next 6 seasons? Zucker is overpaid and soon going to be past his prime. Suter is paid fairly but for too long, and will soon be past his prime. Both are still solid players (not for much longer), but are players a team a piece or two away from being legit Cup contenders would acquire, not a rebuilding team that is several key pieces away...

Premise: Michigan defenseman is a stud. Data: Everything is pointing toward Trouba moving on from Winnipeg. LGW: We should go after Trouba. What would it cost to get him? Or maybe we should wait until free agency? CRL: Everything everyone is hearing is just rumors. There is no truth to any of it. Trouba will re-sign with Winnipeg... Can't fault that logic... Everyone in the hockey world are probably wrong. I'm sure Trouba is perfectly happy in Winnipeg...

The quotes you're thinking of are from last offseason, not this offseason... Here's the article... It’s May 22, 2018, and Jacob Trouba sits beside Josh Morrissey at Bell MTS Place. Trouba is adamant that his mission in Winnipeg hasn’t been accomplished yet. “You get the sense there’s a little unfinished business here with this team,” Trouba says. “We all have such good relationships on this team — it’s fun to be part of.” Trouba is all smiles and optimism. He cracks jokes and pokes fun at Morrissey while insisting that his situation in Winnipeg has improved since his 2016 contract stalemate. “It’s a special team,” he reiterates. “You want to play for a contender and that’s what we have here.” For Jets fans, the only way to improve this press conference from Trouba would be if he closed it off by signing a long-term extension. Instead, Trouba holds court, lauding Morrissey’s development, highlighting their burgeoning chemistry and emphasizing his increased responsibility as a reason things are looking up in Winnipeg. He doesn’t sign a long-term contract. Trouba elects for an arbitration hearing instead, which promptly ties GM Kevin Cheveldayoff’s hands. Winnipeg is forced to choose between a one- or two-year arbitration award. Given that a two-year contract would walk Trouba directly to unrestricted free agency in 2020, Cheveldayoff chooses a one-year pact. This decision will have consequences. Fast forward to April 22, 2019. After a prolonged second-half slump and a six-game first round loss, Winnipeg’s optimism has faded. Trouba’s exit interview is exactly one month (or two metric playoff series) earlier this season than it was a year ago. This time, it’s not defensive partner Morrissey at Trouba’s side but pending unrestricted free agent Brandon Tanev. Trouba is wearing a black Detroit Tigers baseball cap. He shifts back and forth restlessly in his chair as the question everyone knows has to be asked finally comes. Does Trouba want to be a long-term Winnipeg Jet? “Same answer as always,” says Trouba. “I’ll figure it out once things get going in the summer, what’s best and move forward from there.” It’s summertime, Winnipeg. The Jacob Trouba saga is coming to an end or, at least, it should be. With May long weekend in the rearview mirror, we are exactly one month away from the NHL draft — or, from Winnipeg’s perspective, a great opportunity to trade Trouba. Those consequences we mentioned earlier? They were dire. While playing out his one-year arbitration award, Trouba did himself all kinds of favours on the ice and on his stat sheet, too. We’ve known Trouba was a top-end 5-on-5 point producer for years — he’s placed inside the top 20 for points per minute among defencemen at 5-on-5 in each of his past three seasons — but prime-time power-play minutes have been tough to come by. In a league where point production equals ability plus opportunity, Trouba finally enjoyed the best of both worlds in 2018-19. With 82 healthy games and career-high power-play minutes, Trouba obliterated his previous career high of 33 points, reaching the 50-point plateau for the first time. Suffice to say, if Winnipeg decides to trade Trouba, his value will be at an all-time high. Of course, the truth is that players with Trouba’s pedigree are typically supposed to be untouchable. At 25 years old, Trouba has just completed a career season in Winnipeg. Whether you look at all-situations minutes or key in on 5-on-5, he played the second-most minutes among Jets blueliners during the regular season and the playoffs, too. His 50 points led all Jets D in offence and tied Trouba with Patrik Laine for fourth in points. And don’t let Trouba’s six full years of NHL experience fool you — he’s younger than Dustin Byfuglien, Tyler Myers, Dmitry Kulikov, Ben Chiarot, Nathan Beaulieu, Joe Morrow and Tucker Poolman. If ever there were the type of player whose age and performance dictated a long-term contract, it would be Trouba. The problem is ever since his 2016 contract standoff, the perception around Trouba is that home is simply not in Winnipeg — that he’d prefer to play as much of his career as possible in the United States. He and the Jets have been allowed to negotiate a contract extension since Jan. 1, but nothing has been announced. After all of this long-term consternation, the thought in Winnipeg is that a long-term contract is not in the cards and that Trouba will be traded before this summer’s draft. So what does Winnipeg need? On the ice, Winnipeg’s most pressing need is a player who can come in and play in its top four. Without Trouba and with the potential loss of Tyler Myers to free agency, there are going to be more opportunities on D in Winnipeg than there are experienced bodies to fill them. It should be noted that the Jets are presumably in win-now mode. The most ideal return may well be a Trouba clone or, at the very least, a defender who can play in their top four. Similarly pressing, Winnipeg’s second-line-centre situation is ambiguous heading into 2019-20 — Bryan Little has been ousted from that job in consecutive seasons, while none of Adam Lowry, Jack Roslovic or Andrew Copp has managed to claim his spot. Off the ice, the Jets need to replenish their prospect pipeline. A team known for drafting and development — and in dire need of value contracts after Laine and Kyle Connor get extensions this summer — heads into June’s draft with just a second-, a fourth- and a fifth-round pick to its name. That sheer lack of picks needs to change, and Trouba may be Cheveldayoff’s best bet to make that happen. Finally, the Jets do have prospect defencemen — most notably Sami Niku, Dylan Samberg, Logan Stanley, Luke Green and Poolman — but no one with Trouba’s ceiling or pedigree. Any meaningful addition to this group would have to be seen as a boon.

Rasmussen = high-end prospect, top six winger. Green = top 4 defenseman / power-play quarterback, that provides value for the same number of years (1) as Trouba. Age doesn't matter much when it's a one year contract. 2nd round pick = good value pick. Trouba = 1B defenseman entering his prime that will NOT re-sign. Every single GM in the league knows this. They will not get max value. Did you not see the moves he made in Tampa? You're really underestimating how ruthless Yzerman can be. If he sees an opportunity to upgrade his team, he will do it. Trading Green at the deadline is a no-brainer. Do you think Yzerman won't buy-out a Daley because he might "look like a jerk" or "damage relationships"?...

I can't remember where it came from, but a couple years ago there were some serious rumors stating that Trouba wanted to be closer to home. There's no place closer to home for Trouba than Detroit... Even you said, you know people that know Trouba that backed these rumors... Regardless, that's all they are at this point, so I'll leave it at that, but I do think he wants to play for the Red Wings. It takes two parties to negotiate a contract. I'm sure Trouba would have preferred a two year contract. Cheveldayoff wanted no part of a two year contract. And here we are... What do you expect him to say? He hates Winnipeg and he's miserable there? This simply isn't true. Winnipeg know that they have a one year window to trade Trouba or they potentially (likely) lose him for nothing. Every team in the league knows this. So, while they're not going to give him away, I don't think they'll get maximum return either. That's a lot of convincing evidence you have compiled there... Random fans armchair GM trades. My armchair GM trade was... To DET: Jacob Trouba To WPG: Mike Green, Michael Rasmussen, 2nd round pick I think the two high-end prospects that you mentioned (Hronek, Veleno) is completely unreasonable / unrealistic. This, I tend to agree with.

More realistic? Sure. Realistic. Not at all. This is where we disagree. I don't think a pending RFA, that is known to have no desire to remain in the organization garners that sort of return from any team. IF he is traded, it will NOT be for two high-end prospects and a high draft pick. It will also NOT be for two replacement level prospects. Don't take this as me comparing the two... because I'm not...

What's your point. No comparison was made between the two. I simply said that neither would happen. That's it. If I said it is "equally" as foolish, you'd have a beef. I didn't... What the f*** are you talking about? Legitimately curious to know what you think I said... Hirose ≠ Rasmussen. Ericsson ≠ Green. 3rd round pick ≠ 2nd round pick. Landeskog ≠ Trouba.

No, calling both foolish is just that. I was never comparing the two trade packages in any way. I never once said that one was or wasn't more realistic than the other. That was never the point of contention. My only point was that Winnipeg are NOT getting Hronek, Veleno and a 2nd from Yzerman for Trouba. Never going to happen. Period. End of discussion.

I have no idea what your point is... All I said is that the Jets would not get Hronek, Veleno and a 2nd for Trouba, just like we wouldn't get Trouba for Kuffner, Puempel and a 2nd. Then you told me not to pretend the two were similar when I never at any point said they were. Neither will happen. Anyway this is beyond dumb... I just want the offseason lull to be over, and teams (Yzerman) to start making some moves...

Explain how I'm splitting hairs? You think what some random Jets fans think would be a reasonable return for Trouba is a good indicator of what such a trade would look like. I don't. It's really not much different than if Mantha wanted out of Detroit and said in the past that he wants to go back to Montreal. We then say that we should get Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Josh Brook and a 2nd round pick, and some random Hab fan comes here and brings that useless information back to his friends back at letsgohabs.com...

What are you talking about? I never said that we could acquire Trouba for anything close to Kuffner or Puempel. I'm not "splitting hairs". Literally all I'm saying is that IF we were to acquire Trouba, it would not cost us Hronek, Veleno and a 2nd round pick.

Green's NTC becomes a M-NTC on February 1st of next season, in which he would have to submit a 10 team no trade list. Assuming Green is healthy, and we're not a playoff team by that time, he will 100% be traded. Yzerman has no ties to Green, and would not feel obligated to honor a deal made by the previous GM.

There's zero chance Hronek and Veleno would be traded for Trouba, just like there's zero chance two career AHLers will be traded for Trouba. Hronek just put up 0.5 points per game in his rookie season at the age of 20-21. Trouba never eclipsed that number until he was in his 4th season at the age of 22-23. Hronek is off limits. Yzerman has already said this. I originally said Green, Rasmussen and a 2nd round pick. I think that's a little more reasonable, but what do I know... I also think this is more reasonable. Hronek, Veleno and a 2nd? No chance. I do agree though that we should probably just wait it out a season, and hope we can sign him as a free agent next summer...

It's foolish to think that Puempel, Kuffner and a 2nd would be enough to get Trouba. It's also foolish to think Trouba (under these circumstances) would get anything close to Hronek, Veleno and a 2nd. Realistically, it's likely somewhere in between. Hronek is off the table. Yzerman will work his magic. Trouba will be a Red Wing.

Great Tournament for Hronek and Mantha. Hronek - 3 goals, 8 assists (11 points) in 10 games - 1st among defensemen. Mantha 7 goals, 7 assists (14 points) in 9 games - 5th.