Trade Deadline Discussion

[Jovocop]

I can't believe people are even entertaining the idea of trading up and coming youngsters for a bloated contract like Rick Nash carries. Players with contracts like Nash's are supposed to make those around him better. I see no evidence Rick Nash has done that. What has Rick Nash ever won as a player in the NHL? This is a player who should be in the upper echelons of league scoring but is a perrenial underacheiver. Sure he has all the tools except IMO his level of compete. He is another JBO, overrated, over paid and over hyped.

Nash is talented but he is not a competitive player. Like I said before, he chose to stay in Columbus for money instead of waiting for a chance to move to a contender. Unlike Weber, he chose money over winning. I would not want a guy like that on my team.

[ESQ]

[

Portzine now saying 6 teams on the Nash list. Team 6 is the canucks. McKenzie saying Columbus wants Schneider, Hodgson plus other.

I don't think Portzine has any credibility whatsoever, and in fact I think he's pulling an Eklund - seeing where his site traffic is coming from, seeing tons of Canucks fans looking at Nash coverage, and throwing the Canucks rumour out there to drive traffic. I don't think his "list" is correct, I think he made it up himself with no "inside sources".

Kings have the goaltender to offer and can likely fit Nash in next season but after that Quick will be due a huge raise and the Nash contract hinders things. Still I get the sense the Kings might go for it. They would have to move a bunch of salary in the deal though.

I really don't expect Nash to accept a trade to a West Coast team, but if he did it would be LA. Lombardi is a "big move" GM, much like Burke and Sather. And I'm sure Lombardi is still smarting over missing out on Kovalchuk, even though that turned into a bit of a disaster.

The new rumour is that Lombardi is making Jack Johnson available, who's on a new $4.35 mil/year deal for the next 6 years. That is an amazing contract actually, and Johnson + Bernier could get Nash.

Re. the salary cap, it is going to go up. Last year's finals was the most-watched in years and the NHL has just started the NBC deal. Plus, for the 2013-14 cap you have the Atlanta moneypit coming off the books and the chance of Leafs playoff hockey, and the year after that the Phoenix moneypit is off the books. Addition by subtraction will keep revenues increasing.

[Jovocop]

One more defenseman off the market.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=388101

The Montreal Canadiens traded defenceman Hal Gill and a conditional 5th round pick in 2013 to the Nashville Predators on Friday in exchange for Blake Geoffrion, Robert Slaney and second round draft pick in 2012.

[Fred]

Gill traded to Nashville

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=388101


By the way am I wrong in thinking Crosby's going to get the best laugh at every one when he turns up ready to play in the play-offs healthy and fully rested

[tantalum]

I don't think Portzine has any credibility whatsoever, and in fact I think he's pulling an Eklund - seeing where his site traffic is coming from, seeing tons of Canucks fans looking at Nash coverage, and throwing the Canucks rumour out there to drive traffic. I don't think his "list" is correct, I think he made it up himself with no "inside sources".

He's around the team everyday in a professional reporter capacity. If he doesn't credibility in this situation no one does. Several folks with credibility have also said Portzine is likely correct and he does have credibility.

Still it's all discussion anyways.

I really don't expect Nash to accept a trade to a West Coast team, but if he did it would be LA. Lombardi is a "big move" GM, much like Burke and Sather. And I'm sure Lombardi is still smarting over missing out on Kovalchuk, even though that turned into a bit of a disaster.

The new rumour is that Lombardi is making Jack Johnson available, who's on a new $4.35 mil/year deal for the next 6 years. That is an amazing contract actually, and Johnson + Bernier could get Nash.

They likely could but to me they begin to shoot themselves in the foot by weakening the backend. Lombardi needs to show some patience and take a few years to build this team. He has some good franchise horses up front. He doesn't need another one...he just needs a better supporting cast on the wings. A David Booth for instance would have went a long ways to helping his club out.

Re. the salary cap, it is going to go up. Last year's finals was the most-watched in years and the NHL has just started the NBC deal. Plus, for the 2013-14 cap you have the Atlanta moneypit coming off the books and the chance of Leafs playoff hockey, and the year after that the Phoenix moneypit is off the books. Addition by subtraction will keep revenues increasing.

The league will be looking for a reduction in the percentage that goes to the players. The players will be looking for additional revenue streams. I believe the cap will still go up but I'm not convinced it won't be somewhat stagnant next season. and no matter which way you slice it, right now it is an unknown because of the CBA expiring.

I do think the canucks can fit Nash, I'm not convinced they should though. I think the Raymond and Ballard money could be allocated differently to provide better balance but I wouldn't put that money to Nash and have a Tanev-Rome thrid pairing heading into the playoffs.

[Blaster86]

Ladd heard that Luongo was furious with RK after his comments in the Olympics.

I thought that was pretty widely reported afterwards by insiders?

[Hockey Widow]

I do think the canucks can fit Nash, I'm not convinced they should though. I think the Raymond and Ballard money could be allocated differently to provide better balance but I wouldn't put that money to Nash and have a Tanev-Rome third pairing heading into the playoffs.

This is exactly my view. They could easily fit Nash under the cap if they wanted to but should they. No question we would be significantly stronger up front with Nash. But our defence is already questionable with a healthy Ballard in the line up. Do we really want to go into the playoffs with our defence as is and risk another painful experience when the inevitable injuries hit?

Of course with Nashville picking up Gill today maybe we could get Suter too and then with he and Nash we should win the cup. Now we would have to trade Hodgson and a few other pieces to Nashville to fir Suter under the cap assuming we now have Nash.

So see it is all doable if only MG will do it. I mean we would be a better team right with Nash and Sutter rather than Raymond and Hodgson and Ballard and Cory and a couple other 4th liners and one of Sulzer, Alberts Rome gone, at least. Right? Oh I forgot we would need a backup too.

[clem]

Nash's pay to play ratio is simply too high, for a team that wants to be a perennial contender.

[ESQ]

He's around the team everyday in a professional reporter capacity. If he doesn't credibility in this situation no one does. Several folks with credibility have also said Portzine is likely correct and he does have credibility.

Maybe this comment belongs in the Vancouver Hockey Media thread, but there are a handful of reporters that I think have credibility. Dreger and Mackenzie, Andy Strickland...and that's it. Maybe I don't know enough about Portzline specifically, but if Gallagher is around the team every day in a professional reporter capacity, and says "Cody Hodgson is going to demand a trade because he's mad about icetime, but AV is mad at him because Cody didn't want to go back to junior, therefore Cody's going to leave us", does that have any credibility? Or is he just trying to generate a story?

If Nash is going to be traded, and if there is a list, its one of the biggest hockey stories of the year. The CBJs would keep that list as tightly under wraps as possible to maintain a strong bargaining position, and I would guess you could count on one hand how many people actually know. And if there was a leak, the leak's story wouldn't change a day later to add Vancouver, plus the 6 other biggest hockey markets/fanbases in the League. As someone who used to read Eklund, it just reeks, because that's exactly what he would do - figure out where the site traffic was coming from, then put those teams in every single trade rumour. Then, surprise! Toronto, Vancouver, New York, and Philly are in every single trade rumour!

Again you're right that I'm speculating, but as soon as I read his story it sounded like bullshit.

As for the Kings, I totally agree with you. Johnson at that cap hit is a key part of their team. But what you pointed out is my opinion on Nash in general: whoever gets him is going to regret it in 1-2 years.

I think there's no chance he'd want to come to Vancouver, or that Gillis would bother making an offer, but I really want to see where he ends up because of the trickledown effect on the Canucks.

[Benjo]

LA is unbelievably offensively challenged this season. 22 games now with 1 or less goals scored and Jonathan Quick has 9 losses to his name where he has only allowed 1 goal . I could really see them doing something stupid to be honest.

[Topper]

Trade rumour 101

1st - Pick struggling team.

2nd - Pick struggling star player on struggling team.

3rd - Start trade rumour.

4th - Ignore that it takes two to tango.

5th - Ignore salary cap.

6th - Ignore future line up implications.

How many god damn times do you clowns fall for this nonsense? Bobby Ryan, Corey Perry, Vincent Lecavalier, Rick Nash. the fact that this shit gains any traction should be an embarrassment.

Tony Gallagher, Al Strachan, Bruce Garrioch, and Larry Brooks are also close to their respective teams as professional reporters, I suppose that makes them reliable and respected sources of information.

[tantalum]

Clearly there are reporters and there are reporters who are rumour mongers. Portzine has never struck me as a rumour monger. He doesn't typically do that sort of stuff from what I've seen. It's also fair to say that once upon a time Brooks was the guy that got all the inside information about the Rangers until he had a falling out (from siding with the players all the time). Portzine is not Eklund....and given one of those you trust in McKenzie agrees with the Portzine report that should also say something.

[clem]

Tony Gallagher, Al Strachan, Bruce Garrioch, and Larry Brooks are also close to their respective teams as professional reporters, I suppose that makes them reliable and respected sources of information.

The term "reliable respected reporter" might be taken as a serious joke. This whole thread has an irregular pattern to it.
In fact, reading all the fuzzy logic makes me hungry. Time for some jumbo shrimp.

[Listercat]

Topper's rant!! LMAO !!!!

[tantalum]

I think we all know that Nash is not a likely possibility. Nor is Carter. All for contract reasons.

But just for shits and giggles and discussion....what about Umberger? The contract isn't pretty with a $4.6 mil per x 5 year extension but he might be a bit of a Booth-esque reclamation project. Also brings versatility being able to play every forward position. Has good size and skates well. 4 time 20 goal scorer. Ignoring cap hit I can certainly see Umberger on the wing in place of Raymond for instance being a good thing.

At the very least it would give RD another player to complain about.