Trades and rumours (& fantasies) 2013-14

[Hockey Widow]

HW, have you heard anything that gives credence to the Doug MacLean rumor about some blockbuster that none of us will see coming?

No I haven't, but that doesn't mean anything. Most of MG moves are deals we don't see rumours about. I think the team uses disinformation and rumour to hide their true intentions. The Coho deal came out of no where. The CS deal caught at lot of people off guard. The Ballard and Booth deals came out of no where. His FA deals are more predictable. So I wouldn't have access to these surprise deals nor would my contacts. If he has something big in the works I'll be just as surprised as the next.

Although since we have been punting around so many ideas and scenarios on this board I'm sure someone somewhere probably has come close to getting part of a blockbuster right. I mean what could a blockbuster mean? Part of the core, a top six, a goaltender, a top 4 on D? We've talked about so many scenarios already. A real surprise would be trading the twins.Thats the only thing I'd be shocked at and not see coming. Any other players being traded would not shock me, maybe a little surprise.

But no, I have no new information to add. Same rumours that have been flooding the hockey boards for a while now. Players with NTC about to be moved, no deals imminent, part of the core going, no changes until the summer. Up and down. I think MG knows it's time to make changes but whether he can remains to be seen.

[Jovocop]

When I think of loyalty I think of Brian Burke. Seriously, I mean it. That guy would fall on a sword for his players. I can't see MG taking one for the team. He's strikes me as someone who would put a knife in your back and blame everyone and everything before he accepted responsibility for anything.

Didn't Brian Burke say "I'll personally drive him to the airport" to Klatt when he was still a Canuck?

[Southern_Canuck]

If the Canucks make a "blockbuster" deal, the player I see on his way out is Kesler.

Pros
Good skater, good shot, excellent at faceoffs, 2 more years on a $5M per season deal, former 41 goal scorer in 82 games in 2010-11
Cons
Oft-injured, known for embellishment, not much of a playmaker for a center, 46 goals in last 154 games

With a sad-sack team limping along as a contender for - at best - 8th place and instant elimination, and young centers Schroeder, Horvat, and Gaunce in the pipeline - now is the time to cash in on Olympian Ryan Kesler.

S_C

[SKYO]

If the Canucks make a "blockbuster" deal, the player I see on his way out is Kesler.

Pros
Good skater, good shot, excellent at faceoffs, 2 more years on a $5M per season deal, 40 goal scorer
Cons
Oft-injured, known for embellishment, not much of a playmaker for a center

With a sad-sack team limping along as a contender for - at best - 8th place and instant elimination, and young centers Schroeder, Horvat, and Gaunce in the pipeline - now is the time to cash in on Olympian Ryan Kesler.

S_C

Good point, probably at this point RK would get a good young roster player, top prospect and a 1st....like Kadri, Rielly and 1st. ha that would be something. :-D

[herb]

I like Kesler. A year ago I would have been dead set against trading him.

Now I see him more as that piece that could bring us back a king's ransom. I've flip-flopped - I know.

I don't see re-signing Kesler at 32 years of age for 5+ years at $6M+ as being attractive, and this current version of the Canucks ain't going to win the cup; therefore, move a valuable asset for some assets that will help us over the next 5+ years.

[Meds]

I like Kesler. A year ago I would have been dead set against trading him.

Now I see him more as that piece that could bring us back a king's ransom. I've flip-flopped - I know.

I don't see re-signing Kesler at 32 years of age for 5+ years at $6M+ as being attractive, and this current version of the Canucks ain't going to win the cup; therefore, move a valuable asset for some assets that will help us over the next 5+ years.

It's a shame that we haven't had a GM smart enough to sign our players to deals in which the contract would be expiring as the player was hitting 35-36 years old. The Sedin's last contracts are case in point, if Gillis had given them 7 year terms at $6.1M, instead of 5 year deals at the same, then he would have been in a position to play with $2M more cap space, as well as watch their production decline, and then, if they wanted to stick around, sign them at a reduced rate, like 2 more years at $5M or so, instead we see them extended 4 years at $7M as their production drops to second line numbers.

I was surprised that Gillis signed the Sedins as early as he did.....would have made more sense to wait until the Olympic break at least. At least if he was negotiating now he might think about trading them away as rentals and getting a King's ransom in return, considering how poorly the entire team is performing and how ineffective his top players have been over the last month.

[herb]

In hind sight Gillis has certainly made some contractual errors.

The Sedins should have been signed for a year or two longer in their last contracts, but that's probably nit picking.

The Sedin's new contracts are probably a year too long, and Gillis should have bargained a bit harder or at least waited until later on in the year to see if Dank could start scoring goals again. Those contract extensions seemed like odd timing. Dank is not and probably won't be a $7M winger.

A year or two longer on Kesler's deal probably would not be a bad thing. With his injury history, it certainly would not surprise anybody to see Kesler suffer another major injury. A 32 or 33 year old Kesler at $5M will be much more palatable than $6 or $7M, and would probably increase his trade-ability.

The Burrows and Luongo contracts are awful.

[Lancer]

The Burrows and Luongo contracts are awful.

The new CBA made Luongo's contract awful. Take out Burke and Buttman's RevengeTm and Luongo's cap-hit is pretty good. Considering that half of his high-cash years are already paid for by the end of this season and the fact that he hasn't played bad this year with a couple of exceptions, he's not a bad asset.

Not that I want to go down that topic of conversation...

yet...

again...

[Chef Boi RD]

I see it now. Gillis trading a big chunk of the future for the American rental Paul Stastny for a couple months services (Gillis likes making stupid trades for Americans - Ballard and Booth), only to see the UFA walk after July 1st after a short miserable experience of playing for LaForgerella in a not so friendly hostile Canadian Hockey Market whom do not take to kindly to missing the playoffs. "Get me the fuck out of here"

[sagebrush]

Players on the move, according to TSN.
No Canucks listed - yet.

[Chef Boi RD]

In hind sight Gillis has certainly made some contractual errors.

Ya think?

But the Process won two Presidents Trophies! By adding a couple of meh 3rd liners, 4th liners and Erhoff and Hamhius. Who the fuck cares about the Cup run contributions of the previous mgmts players - Sedins, Kesler, Bieksa, Burrows, Raymond, Luongo, Schneider, Hansen, Elder, Salo. TWO PRESIDENTS TROPHIES! The most memorable and prestigious trophy in the sporting world. Fuck the Stanley Cup

[Hockey Widow]

Players on the move, according to TSN.
No Canucks listed - yet.

That list is based upon FA status and says likely to move. No insight on that one.

What MCLean said was he has it directly from an inside source that the Canucks are working on a deal with a player no one will see coming as part of a blockbuster. But that to me was the Kesler rumour already bandied about.

[Chef Boi RD]

I fully expect The Process to be a buyer at the Deadline, he's that stupid. The writing on the wall for this team is much to evident that it has literally blinded The Process. Ya don't hire a short term, win now coach like LaForgerella and go into a 'Re-Tool' Program. Very contradictory to the hire.

Although, the Horvat trade does give me hope that The Process may have some intelligence in that arrogant mind of his.

[sagebrush]

Players on the move, according to TSN.
No Canucks listed - yet.

That list is based upon FA status and says likely to move. No insight on that one.

What MCLean said was he has it directly from an inside source that the Canucks are working on a deal with a player no one will see coming as part of a blockbuster. But that to me was the Kesler rumour already bandied about.

TSN lists tend to focus on fact rather than innuendo. Factual food for thought. Never seen one of their lists provide insider information. Insider info - being the provision of facts before the media/club make it available.

MacLean interviews & TSN editorials sometimes contain more shadow than substance. They'll blow smoke up what ever audience they cater to.

No doubt Gillis is working on ... many things.

[Meds]

Sabers GM, Tim Murray, seems to think that Miller wants out and is exploring options. Apparently there have been at least 2 teams that have called about Miller's availability.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=444666

I kind of wonder if Toronto takes a stab at Miller and something in exchange for Reimer. Miller would give them a solid starter going into the playoffs, everyone seems to be deluded that the leaves are contenders in the east, so why not rent a guy like Miller? He's a goaltender with a really good resume, he's used to bailing his team out on a regular basis, so the volume of shots that the leaves give up aren't going to be an issue. So why not? Pull the trigger Dave, Reimer and a pick for Miller and parts.....with no intention to re-sign Miller next year.



Oh yeah, and it sounds like Reimer wants out of the center of the universe.....and that he thinks he's good enough to be a starter in the NHL.