Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – June 28, 2020
Could the Sabres, Senators, or Devils trade their 2020 first-round picks? Check out the latest in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup
THE BUFFALO NEWS: Mike Harrington believes Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams should trade his club’s first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. The Sabres hold the No. 8 pick but Harrington proposes it should be in play. He feels the club needs immediate help and cannot wait two or three seasons for a prospect to develop.
Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams (Photo via NHL.com).
Harrington points out the Sabres need a second-line center, suggesting perhaps packaging the pick with defenseman Brandon Montour. “You don’t know who might be willing to deal until you put up that “For Sale” sign,” he writes.
Such a move comes with risk. Several players selected between seventh and 10th overall in recent years have gone on to stardom. Among them are Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele, Philadelphia’s Sean Couturier, Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen, Toronto’s William Nylander, and Columbus’ Zach Werenski.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Adams would make a bold statement by shopping that pick. Time will tell if he’s willing to entertain the possibility. It wouldn’t hurt to shop it around and see if someone’s willing to meet your asking price.
The return would have to be an established scoring center in his mid-twenties and under contract for several years. Yes, there’s risk in trading that pick away, but it would be worthwhile if the return provided instant help for the rebuilding Sabres.
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion is cool to the notion of trading down from No.3 or No. 5 in the draft. He indicated it would have to be “a special player coming our way” to make that happen. Dorion also said a GM listens to everything and didn’t rule out selecting a goaltender with one of those picks. He declined to comment if he would offer those two picks for the first-overall pick.
OTTAWA SUN‘s Bruce Garrioch reported Dorion would listen to offers for either pick but is 99.9 percent sure he’ll keep them.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dorion played coy regarding that question about bundling those two picks for the first, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he made the pitch to whoever wins it. I think he knows he won’t get it but it wouldn’t hurt to ask. He’ll also likely listen to offers from other clubs but, as with trading down, it’ll take a special player for him to part with one or both selections.
New Jersey Devils’ official team reporter Amanda Stein took to Twitter reporting Devils interim GM Tom Fitzgerald would consider trading one of his club’s potential additional first-round picks should the opportunity present itself.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That decision might not be Fitzgerald’s to make. Devils’ ownership still hasn’t decided if they’ll keep him as their full-time GM or hire a replacement.
The option of a potential trade by ottawa of 3rd and 5th for 1st if it was to come to fruition would strictly be preference. do you want the flashy 1st overall headliner put fill seats and still be a ways away from competing or do you keep 3 and 5 get 2 legit players that will advance your clock to compete and fill more needs.. interesting situation to be in..
No way I trade two very good prospects (with the potential to maybe be elite) for one elite prospect. It takes a team to win not a single player, right Edmonton?
Well then a lot of speculation on trading top 10 picks. I can see no reason for a rebuilding team like Ott or NJ to trade their picks unless they get a young star back – and who on the other side would do that. Buffalo however wants to win now. I don’t know of any young scoring centers with term available so this could get interesting.
Kevin, there are a few teams that might have no choice but to deal a “good” young F with term simply in order to free up cap space with which to sign key RFAs or even UFAs they may wish to keep. In those situations they are far better off getting some good picks in a deep draft. Five that jump to mind in that situation are Arizona, Toronto, Winnipeg, St. Louis and Chicago. And there likely are several more.
If only those teams have the first overall pick. I hope they trade up, aka the dumb move.
I think you could add Tampa to that list that will need to move talent to comply with the salary cap.
George,
I wonder if St. Louis would offer a package of B. Schenn, Jake Allen, a prospect and pick for Carter Hutton and Buffalo’s #8.
It would sure free up cap space, but I’m not sure if Buffalo wants anything to do with the Blues!?
With what’s going on in Buffalo, Iowa Boy, coupled with their long playoff drought, the new GM is going to want to tread carefully.
And relinquishing a number 8 in a deep draft is not treading carefully. Especially not for a goalie who costs $4,350,000 off the cap now and who’ll be a UFA after next season. I like Schenn, a solid F, but adding another $6.5 to the cap for 6 years for a guy who has average 22g 51s 53 pts per year over 9 NHL seasons and who isn’t going to get much better.
Besides, even with Allen and Schenn they are not going to suddenly become a contender next season. Right now Hutton costs just $2,750,000 in an uncertain cap world and is a UFA after next season when he turns 36, and among their up prospects are goalies Luukkonen and Portillo. And they should get a very good prospect at # 8.
I don’t profess to know Buffalo that closely – perhaps someone who does can chime in – but I just don’t see them going for that deal.
The only 1st round pick Dorion is likely to deal is the one he obtained from the NYI – unless, of course, something happens down the line with this season which puts the Isles in the Top 3, in which case the pick becomes their 1st in 2021.
If, however, things play out and the pick comes somewhere in the middle of the 1st round I can see him packaging that with one of his high 2nd rounders and even a top prospect to perhaps move up to around 10th.
He could also offer the same sort of package to move down from the Isles’ slot with a team prepared to relinquish a good solid F with term in order to free up necessary cap space.
One thing is for certain, the wheels are already in motion one way or another.
If I were in charge of the Flames and the won the first overall, I would trade it for 3 and 5 in a heartbeat.
The sens would get a dynamic Canadian french kid and it would really help them moving forward.
As for the how it helps the Flames, the sens would take Lafrenière and the Kings are in love with Stutzle which would leave Byfield at 3. Even if they got Stutzle at 3 it would be a huge win as they lack depth down the middle. I honestly think if the Flames won, they should take Byfield anyway. If they could draft him and also get one of Rossi, Perfetti or Hotz, it would be amazing.
As for the sabres, I would if they would have any interest in Gaudreau for the #8 pick? Even if it was a package around Bennett and Gaudreau for #8 and one of Miller or Montour.
But lets face it, the Flames will likely lose to the jets and still end up drafting 16th and mire in mediocrity for another 30 years.
A different way of looking at a Calgary -Buffalo trade. What about the #8 pick as part of a package for Monahan. Lindholm could step into 1C. Monahan might be a better fit as a 2C. Perhaps #8, Montour and a conditional next year’s #1. And if we need a sweetener maybe either Thompson or Mittlestadt.
This might be the craziest draft of all time.
The draft is deep and the players have been seen a lot, who knows what future drafts will be like, if juniors and colleges games are scaled back. If your rebuilding, NOW IS THE TIME. As I recall NJ and OTT have 3 picks in first round, Ana, NYR, Minny have two, so there could be a lot of moving around especially after the first 10 picks. A few other teams have 2X or 3X 2nd rounders so day two of draft could also be interesting. Finally a lot of teams are busy trying to figure out if they can generate enough revenue to pay their bills and some may trade a quality player with term on contact just to “dump” salary in exchange for draft picks or prospects that they don’t have to pay much money to the next few years.
I would like to see Arizona get first pick and I’m pretty sure Gary would love that too. Coyotes would have a great team once he matures and if Matthews survives Covid 19 and signs with them in a few years. Time will tell but will hate if a top team who happens to lose first round gets the number one pick.
Fitz did a nice job at the trade dead line… It is truly a sin management has given him control.. I have the utmost respect for him and his hockey sense. This is just a debacle in NJ.
Does anyone see Buffalo contending for cup next year? Are there any good, young 2c’s out there in the trade market? There’s no way you trade that 8th pick. They have 3 young centers that were all 1st round picks. Thompson, Mittelstadt, and Cozens. You have to give these kids a chance. If I’m Buffalo, I’d take Askarov if he’s there. Goaltending is their biggest problem and this kid is considered one of the best prospects in awhile.
Devils could end up with just 1 first rounder this year.
Buffalo should draft the goalie Askarov.
Flames would want more (not add) for Guadreau. It would take multiple assets including the first round pick.
Bennett stays who is the highest taken pick in club history at no 4 . Young age reasonably priced and plays with grit.
I would like to see Dubas trade Marner for 1st overall
I would like to see Dubas trade the 1st overall
Yes! Trade established star player for a mystery box. Hey I have some watches, land in Florida and some bonds you might be interested too.
Obe you have an unsafe fixation with Mathews, eh?
I doubt whoever gets the 1st pick (and it COULD be Toronto if they lose to Columbus so that makes this moot if it should happen) would take Marner.
And NOT because I don’t think he’s a very good F – Id love to have him in Ottawa – but simply because most of those teams, either being solid to begin with and with very little cap room and a top contender (who happened to get bounced in the play-in) or a bubble team in much the same cap boat, could absorb that close to $11 mil per over a long term without putting themselves in the same boat which prompted Toronto to trade him in the first place!
And if that bubble team that gets the 1st pick happened to be Montreal you can scratch them immediately as getting a potential francophone star is something they’d never relinquish.
With marners cap hit I doubt any team would trade the first overall for him, unless it was the first and a bad contract
I would pay between about 6.3 to 6.7 mil per year for a 80 – 90 pt player who kills penalties.
There’s only a handful of players who are able to do that, and 63 in Boston is about the best of the lot. He doesn’t make close to 10.5 per year.
OK, guys, we’ll keep him. Thanks anyway.
Scary to think Toronto could end up with Lafreniere.
I wonder if Edmonton were to lose in the first round & actually win the first overall pick, if they would be willing to deal it away to Dorion & the Sens????
No GM in the league values draft capital as much as Kenny Holland & with two studs McDavid & Draisaitl & with Dorion & the Sens oozing that draft capital would Holland entertain the thought of quantity over some slightly less quality??? Edmonton has no second rounders in either of the next two drafts.
Would Dorion part with #3 overall, plus the Isles #1 pick & the Blues Jackets second rounders in this years & next years draft, all which the Sens own for the #1 overall???
Dorion would then have the #1 & #5 overall picks while holding three second rounders this year & two next.
Holland would then have his two second rounders back in his bank for the next two drafts, plus turning one first rounder into two!!! He could Stuetzle at #3 & then a very decent D-man prospect with the second of the two first rounders. Likely having a shot at any one of Schneider, Barron, O’Rourke or Wallinder.
Slick62, it would certainly give the Leafs an opportunity then to seriously move Nylander for some immediate help on D without losing too much on the first two lines.
The flip side is, they would either have to Lafreniere or another high paid Leaf three seasons from now. Too much of a good thing is very costly. As would be for other team with already young, high end talent.
Uwey. Toronto’s situation now will not be effected by drafting Lafreniere. He’s ll be on a elc for 3 full seasons. By the time he needs a new deal, Marner and Matthews will have 1 year left on their deals.
I wonder if Edmonton were to lose in the first round & actually win the first overall pick, if they would be willing to deal it away to Dorion & the Sens????
No GM in the league values draft capital as much as Kenny Holland & with two studs McDavid & Draisaitl & with Dorion & the Sens oozing that draft capital would Holland entertain the thought of quantity over some slightly less quality??? Edmonton has no second rounders in either of the next two drafts.
Would Dorion part with #3 overall, plus the Isles #1 pick & the Blues Jackets second rounders in this years & next years draft, all which the Sens own for the #1 overall???
Dorion would then have the #1 & #5 overall picks while holding three second rounders this year & two next.
Holland would then have his two second rounders back in his bank for the next two drafts, plus turning one first rounder into two!!! He could Stuetzle at #3 & then a very decent D-man prospect with the second of the two first rounders. Likely having a shot at any one of Schneider, Barron, O’Rourke or Wallinder.
If I’m Leafs I would never trade Marner for picks but would definitely trade him to improve the defense. Leafs need to figure out their window is it now till Matthews leaves I figure that’s it. Marner makes around 11 million trade him for a real good D man and than sign another with cash left over. Reason I pick Marner is because they are not trading Matthews and nobody would take Tavares at his numbers. Nylander won’t bring the D man you need and won’t free up enough cash.
It’s not that good the numbers don’t lie, healthy or not healthy
You nailed it when you wrote, “when the team decides to plays defense”.
I don’t want anything to do with Toronto or Columbus in the early rounds.
On a good day, Toronto’s defense is almost adequate.
And, with good goaltending, it is adequate.
Leafs could trade Marner and Sandin to Columbus for Seth Jones and Oliver Bjorkstrand than sign a UFA Tough D man and than they are ready to compete. Columbus gets the young gun forward they lost in the bread man. Works for both Teams. Jones is a D man Leafs could build their Team around for many years.
Why on earth would clb trade jones? Lol