Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteMoss
I don't think its horrible to trade picks for players. Obviously it depends on the player, but picks don't always work out. If you can get a decent player.. why not.
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While it is true that 50% of 1st rounders actually become NHLers, part of the reason why it's not good to move them out is because the players you'd be acquiring will cost an arm and a leg already.
With young UFA players like Bozak Weiss and Filppula, you aren't really losing much in terms of production, or in age as I think all of those guys are 27-29. The RFA's and UFA's salary costs are going to likely be in the same ball park (if we're talking about acquiring a similar calibre RFA).
Also, the acquisition costs of a good RFA will cost a ton. Colorado said no to what was expected to be a 10-15 Overall pick and a 3rd in order to keep O'reilly. What are you going to get for the 22nd overall pick? You might get someone that trends to be a quality 2nd liner maybe. What would be the point in that.
Basically think of it as a trade
Outgoing
1st round pick
3-4 million cash
incoming
40-50 point 23-24 year old RFA (any younger and it'll cost more than one of the lower 1sts and still likely would even at the 23-24 year old range)
Vs
Outgoing
5 million cash
Incoming
Tyler Bozak or Stephen Weiss
I personally would rather take the 50-50 change of getting another Backlund/Baertschi/Jankowski/Erixon with the latter two picks and sign the UFA stop gap guy instead of wasting the opportunity to actually get some young players in the organization.
I just don't want to see them spin their wheels for years and years trying to take the quick approach to a rebuild.