Quote:
Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard
I think that Stajan is taken in the expansion draft, he only has one year left on his contract so at the deadline he would be able to get traded for a second/third round pick and if he doesn't live up to his contract in the next year it isn't as though the Knights are burdened with him for too long. The rest of the players either aren't good enough right now to be selected and play a role on a NHL team (Shinkaruk, Kuluk).
The Knights are going to be in a win now type of mode as at the current time they are the only game in town but soon it sounds like the NFL is going to be moving in and the rest of the city being the entertainment capital of the USA makes it so that there are plenty of alternatives for finite entertainment dollars.
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I think this is a bit of a short sighted view as to what mode Vegas is in. If you're building a team from the base up, starting not a rebuild but a true build what are the things you want most? Young assets in particular. Young players that can be the foundation of your team for years.
Obviously Vegas has to ice a team next year and they want to be entertaining but they will get a lot better players than previous expansion teams. They can't pick only picks/prospects, they will get some players for now. But make no mistake, the assets they covet most are young assets and they'd be happy to take players that other teams will trade good young players, prospects or picks for. To say they are in win now mode is extremely misleading. They have to balance trying to build a winner for the future with being entertaining right away just like any building or rebuilding team.
All that said if you're an expansion team the smart move is to take the most valuable asset from each team given the parameters available in regards to how many number of forwards, defensemen, goalies. You suggest they will take the player that helps them win the most now. I think that's wrong, they will take the asset that holds the most value league wide and then potentially parlay that asset into something else.
Vegas will take a lot of players they never plan on playing. They will take players merely to trade them immediately to another team. Will they take some vets? Sure. And I think Brouwer and Stajan are possibilities. But mostly because they are likely to be the most valuable assets we leave unprotected, not because they help Vegas win now.