OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - Vancouver Canucks - 2014 - what if Jim Benning never happened? Pt. 2

CanuckJohnny · 01-16-2024, 03:44 PM

Trade Deadline Preview 2018

February 25th, 2018 -

Buyers:

Calgary Flames - Captain Mark Giordano is 34 years old, star netminder Devan Dubnyk is 31 and in the final year of his contract without an extension in place, Calgary could be going for it this season. They have some exciting young pieces up front in Gaudreau, Connor, Strome, Monahan and Bennett. Shawn Matthias is in top five in the league in faceoff percentage. They're getting solid play from 23 year old Nikita Tryamkin who is in the top five of the NHL in plus minus at plus 44. The depth on defense is lacking however, beyond Giordano, Tryamkin and the 34 year old Dennis Wideman.

Colorado Avalanche - Ownership is rumoured to be really pushing Joe Sakic for immediate success. The Avs are on top of their division but with the Blackhawks and Blues at their heels they may not be comfortable simply sitting pat. The goalie tandem of Neuvirth and Varlamov has been successful for them. This is a team with a lot of firepower up front between MacKinnon, O'Reilly, Landeskog, Duchene, Tanguay and rookie Travis Konecny but they don't really have much on the blueline after Tyson Barrie. Brad Hunt was a savvy acquisition in the preseason and he has 31 points and a plus-10 rating this year but no playoff team should go into the postseason with him as their number two defenseman.

St. Louis Blues - The Blues are keen to defend their title of Stanley Cup champion and will aim to do so with depth again. With Robby Fabbri out for three or four months still they may look to add another top nine forward with skill. Pietrangelo is injured again but should be ready for the playoffs. Do they want to add another defender as insurance? Bouwmeester was effective last postseason but he's another year older and the playoff grind playing top four minutes might not be the best usage for him if Pietrangelo does go down again.

Pittsburgh Penguins - Jim Rutherford is eager to be back on top of the hockey world. Despite some great seasons and good runs in the past five years it's been almost a decade since they won the Cup and they may be starting to running out of runway for this core. Fleury is gone and Matt Murray has stepped in admirably, they have one of the more effective tandems in the league between him and Raanta, they have eight shutouts between them. This is a team that lacks depth after Crosby, Malkin, Guentzel, Perron and Letang. Hartman is growing into a solid 3C for them but Beau Bennett seems to have topped out as a middle six winger and Oshie hasn't been as productive this year. Maatta and Aho and Despres have played above expectations as young defensemen but their blueline could use a boost from a bona fide top pairing defenseman to play with Letang or add depth to the top four.

Boston Bruins - They are pushing hard to have a shot at one more ring for 40 year old Zdeno Chara. Their 6'9" captain is currently out for a couple more months with an arm injury but would be back in time if they made a deep run. David Krejci will not likely return no matter how deep their playoff run is, and though Ryan Spooner has filled in quite adequately for him the Bruins may be in the market for more forward depth all the same. While Krug and Hamilton are a formidable top pair, with "Big Z" out they are very thin on the blueline after those two, with minor league defensemen like Henrik Tommernes and Corey Potter taking regular shifts.

Sellers:

Arizona Coyotes - Jake Allen has signed a six year, $5.9M AAV extension, but could he still be in play for the Coyotes, who are in total rebuild mode and are short on valuable pieces to offer up at the deadline? Everyone not named Matthew Tkachuk or Max Domi should be for sale. They do have late blooming scoring winger Brett Connolly on a great value contract for four years, but at 25 they may look to hold onto him. A pair of free agents they signed this summer could be attractive pieces (and maybe that was the plan all along) as Hartnell has 27 points and Ladd has 18 but both of them have the coveted grit and leadership and experience that GMs tend to overpay for at the deadline.

Toronto Maple Leafs - Dave Nonis is overseeing a rebuild in Toronto. Could red hot starter Jonathan Bernier be available? Is it finally time to move captain Dion Phaneuf, and if it is, will they get any value from the 32 year old with three more years remaining on his $7M AAV contract? 28 year old James van Riemsdyk could garner interest as a top six scoring option. He has 14 goals and 40 points through 61 games. At 30 years old, Phil Kessel may be slowing down. Could they find a contender willing to take on the remaining three years of his $3.64M AAV contract? James Neal has 15 goals and they should get some calls on the power forward.

Anaheim Ducks - Even with the recent coaching change the playoffs are a non-starter right now for the free-falling Ducks. They do have some interesting veteran pieces. If they are willing to move on from him after signing a three year deal this offseason they could doubtless find some takers for 34 year old James Wisniewski and his 32 points in 64 games. Chris Higgins has a no trade clause but would reportedly be willing to waive to go to Boston or the Rangers. He has only appeared in 26 games this year but has 12 points and is plus ten in those games and brings a great work ethic and playoff experience. Corey Perry is a huge part of their culture and recent success but at 32 if he becomes expendable he could be one of the biggest fish of the deadline. He has 20 goals and 36 points so far this year. Erik Johnson is in a contract year and the 29 year old has a reputation for solid defensive play.

Vegas Golden Knights- After making some noise early in the season the expansion franchise has fallen off and will likely miss the playoffs in their first year. If Jim Benning is smart he should be making moves to bring in more draft picks and prospects to position his team for future success. It's unlikely Fleury would waive his no trade clause but if he does they would be wise to move him since Andersen seems to have claimed the crease. Veteran defenseman Alex Edler should be available and draw interest. He is +11 on a struggling team and playing some of the best defense of his career. 30 year old Alec Martinez is also a potential trade target for teams looking for defensive depth. A lot of their forwards are available, including Bryan Little and Frans Nielsen. Captain Justin Abdelkader is also rumoured to be on the block and would be a good add for a playoff bound team.

Other Names Available:

Jared Spurgeon - The Minnesota Wild probably still see the 28 year old two way blueliner as part of their future plans but his name has been floated out there and he doesn't have an extension in place with Minnesota yet. Spurgeon has 10 goals and 40 points this year.

Cory Schneider - The Devils are rumoured to be shopping the 31 year old goalkeeper. In the midst of another sub-par season for their team Schneider has been effective with a .914 save percentage and 3 shutouts in 31 outings.

Riley Sheahan - The versatile forward is just 26 but rumours are Steve Yzerman isn't planning to re-sign him and has him on the trade block. Sheahan is noted for his defensive acumen but he also has 11 goals and 34 points this year, career highs.

Brock Nelson - The 26 year old pivot has had a down year on an otherwise hot Islanders squad. A season after putting up 17 goals and 51 points he only has 5 goals and 16 points through 63 games this year. Garth Snow is reportedly shopping him for more immediate and experienced help for the postseason.

Michael Del Zotto - The Flyers are aggressively shopping the 27 year old two way defenseman. "MDZ" has 21 points in 53 games and one of these contending teams may pick him up for blueline depth if they lose out on higher profile pieces.

Brandon Sutter - The defensively reliable center is being made available by the Devils who reportedly have failed to come to terms on an extension. Sutter has 23 points and is plus 3 on a struggling New Jersey squad this year.

01-16-2024, 03:44 PM	#54
CanuckJohnny All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2022 Posts: 554	Trade Deadline Preview 2018 February 25th, 2018 - Buyers: Calgary Flames - Captain Mark Giordano is 34 years old, star netminder Devan Dubnyk is 31 and in the final year of his contract without an extension in place, Calgary could be going for it this season. They have some exciting young pieces up front in Gaudreau, Connor, Strome, Monahan and Bennett. Shawn Matthias is in top five in the league in faceoff percentage. They're getting solid play from 23 year old Nikita Tryamkin who is in the top five of the NHL in plus minus at plus 44. The depth on defense is lacking however, beyond Giordano, Tryamkin and the 34 year old Dennis Wideman. Colorado Avalanche - Ownership is rumoured to be really pushing Joe Sakic for immediate success. The Avs are on top of their division but with the Blackhawks and Blues at their heels they may not be comfortable simply sitting pat. The goalie tandem of Neuvirth and Varlamov has been successful for them. This is a team with a lot of firepower up front between MacKinnon, O'Reilly, Landeskog, Duchene, Tanguay and rookie Travis Konecny but they don't really have much on the blueline after Tyson Barrie. Brad Hunt was a savvy acquisition in the preseason and he has 31 points and a plus-10 rating this year but no playoff team should go into the postseason with him as their number two defenseman. St. Louis Blues - The Blues are keen to defend their title of Stanley Cup champion and will aim to do so with depth again. With Robby Fabbri out for three or four months still they may look to add another top nine forward with skill. Pietrangelo is injured again but should be ready for the playoffs. Do they want to add another defender as insurance? Bouwmeester was effective last postseason but he's another year older and the playoff grind playing top four minutes might not be the best usage for him if Pietrangelo does go down again. Pittsburgh Penguins - Jim Rutherford is eager to be back on top of the hockey world. Despite some great seasons and good runs in the past five years it's been almost a decade since they won the Cup and they may be starting to running out of runway for this core. Fleury is gone and Matt Murray has stepped in admirably, they have one of the more effective tandems in the league between him and Raanta, they have eight shutouts between them. This is a team that lacks depth after Crosby, Malkin, Guentzel, Perron and Letang. Hartman is growing into a solid 3C for them but Beau Bennett seems to have topped out as a middle six winger and Oshie hasn't been as productive this year. Maatta and Aho and Despres have played above expectations as young defensemen but their blueline could use a boost from a bona fide top pairing defenseman to play with Letang or add depth to the top four. Boston Bruins - They are pushing hard to have a shot at one more ring for 40 year old Zdeno Chara. Their 6'9" captain is currently out for a couple more months with an arm injury but would be back in time if they made a deep run. David Krejci will not likely return no matter how deep their playoff run is, and though Ryan Spooner has filled in quite adequately for him the Bruins may be in the market for more forward depth all the same. While Krug and Hamilton are a formidable top pair, with "Big Z" out they are very thin on the blueline after those two, with minor league defensemen like Henrik Tommernes and Corey Potter taking regular shifts. Sellers: Arizona Coyotes - Jake Allen has signed a six year, $5.9M AAV extension, but could he still be in play for the Coyotes, who are in total rebuild mode and are short on valuable pieces to offer up at the deadline? Everyone not named Matthew Tkachuk or Max Domi should be for sale. They do have late blooming scoring winger Brett Connolly on a great value contract for four years, but at 25 they may look to hold onto him. A pair of free agents they signed this summer could be attractive pieces (and maybe that was the plan all along) as Hartnell has 27 points and Ladd has 18 but both of them have the coveted grit and leadership and experience that GMs tend to overpay for at the deadline. Toronto Maple Leafs - Dave Nonis is overseeing a rebuild in Toronto. Could red hot starter Jonathan Bernier be available? Is it finally time to move captain Dion Phaneuf, and if it is, will they get any value from the 32 year old with three more years remaining on his $7M AAV contract? 28 year old James van Riemsdyk could garner interest as a top six scoring option. He has 14 goals and 40 points through 61 games. At 30 years old, Phil Kessel may be slowing down. Could they find a contender willing to take on the remaining three years of his $3.64M AAV contract? James Neal has 15 goals and they should get some calls on the power forward. Anaheim Ducks - Even with the recent coaching change the playoffs are a non-starter right now for the free-falling Ducks. They do have some interesting veteran pieces. If they are willing to move on from him after signing a three year deal this offseason they could doubtless find some takers for 34 year old James Wisniewski and his 32 points in 64 games. Chris Higgins has a no trade clause but would reportedly be willing to waive to go to Boston or the Rangers. He has only appeared in 26 games this year but has 12 points and is plus ten in those games and brings a great work ethic and playoff experience. Corey Perry is a huge part of their culture and recent success but at 32 if he becomes expendable he could be one of the biggest fish of the deadline. He has 20 goals and 36 points so far this year. Erik Johnson is in a contract year and the 29 year old has a reputation for solid defensive play. Vegas Golden Knights- After making some noise early in the season the expansion franchise has fallen off and will likely miss the playoffs in their first year. If Jim Benning is smart he should be making moves to bring in more draft picks and prospects to position his team for future success. It's unlikely Fleury would waive his no trade clause but if he does they would be wise to move him since Andersen seems to have claimed the crease. Veteran defenseman Alex Edler should be available and draw interest. He is +11 on a struggling team and playing some of the best defense of his career. 30 year old Alec Martinez is also a potential trade target for teams looking for defensive depth. A lot of their forwards are available, including Bryan Little and Frans Nielsen. Captain Justin Abdelkader is also rumoured to be on the block and would be a good add for a playoff bound team. Other Names Available: Jared Spurgeon - The Minnesota Wild probably still see the 28 year old two way blueliner as part of their future plans but his name has been floated out there and he doesn't have an extension in place with Minnesota yet. Spurgeon has 10 goals and 40 points this year. Cory Schneider - The Devils are rumoured to be shopping the 31 year old goalkeeper. In the midst of another sub-par season for their team Schneider has been effective with a .914 save percentage and 3 shutouts in 31 outings. Riley Sheahan - The versatile forward is just 26 but rumours are Steve Yzerman isn't planning to re-sign him and has him on the trade block. Sheahan is noted for his defensive acumen but he also has 11 goals and 34 points this year, career highs. Brock Nelson - The 26 year old pivot has had a down year on an otherwise hot Islanders squad. A season after putting up 17 goals and 51 points he only has 5 goals and 16 points through 63 games this year. Garth Snow is reportedly shopping him for more immediate and experienced help for the postseason. Michael Del Zotto - The Flyers are aggressively shopping the 27 year old two way defenseman. "MDZ" has 21 points in 53 games and one of these contending teams may pick him up for blueline depth if they lose out on higher profile pieces. Brandon Sutter - The defensively reliable center is being made available by the Devils who reportedly have failed to come to terms on an extension. Sutter has 23 points and is plus 3 on a struggling New Jersey squad this year. Last edited by CanuckJohnny; 01-16-2024 at 03:46 PM.