2023/2024 Trade Rumors and Speculation Thread

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I have a Hanifin or Zadorov and a Vladar for sale.

Toronto knew these guys were injured and counted on them being on LTIR.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I have a Hanifin or Zadorov and a Vladar for sale.

All for the low price of a William Nylander, but wait there's more, if you buy now we'll include a mint condition Rooney free of charge.

[Bubba17]

Originally Posted by jayswin

But then I again bring up the sheltered minutes that Zadorov plays. He was being played in a way to maximize his hitting and offence, while minimizing defensive deficiencies. But now needs to be paid as someone who is isn't having defensive deficiencies hidden and sheltered.

We need to stay away from a $4.5-$5.5AAV Zadorov. If we were smart he'd be the best candidate to get a kings ransom at the deadline for and help restock the cupboards to focus on drafting and developing even when not rebuilding, as Conroy stated he'd be doing.

What Conroy should counter with is the prices McNabb, Whitecloud and Hague get from Vegas. All 3 are key contributors, big and hard to play against which is comparable to Zadorov, to me anyway. McNabb is the highest paid at $2.85M.

[FlamesAddiction]

If the Leafs can't swing a trade to dump $3 million before opening day, what are their choices to get under the cap? Go with a 20 man roster? Or do they waive someone?

I am really curious to see what they do.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by CF84

I would be very happy with a 4.5 AAV Zadorov.

I wouldn't. He's worth 3.5 at most.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

I wouldn't. He's worth 3.5 at most.

He's worth less than he makes now huh? Ok.

[bdubbs]

I'm pro Zadorov even despite his sheltered minutes. He brings grit and size on a position that we don't have any replacements for. 4.5 would be fine for me, and far from the worst contract the Flames have ever awarded.

[Caged Great]

I’d be fine with 5-5.5 in the right circumstances. It largely depends on his season.

[FlamesAddiction]

Someone would offer Zadorov an AAV of at least $5 million as a free agent. He isn't old and has a few peak years left in him, and has just started to realize his 1st round pedigree potential.

[Tbull8]

Hurricanes have taken Pesce off the market. Hopefully this helps with Hanifin, since there could be some teams circling back

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

I wouldn't. He's worth 3.5 at most.

The problem with this type of thinking is if you’re telling Zadorov he’s taking a pay cut or setting some artificial cap on the amount your going to pay a 4-5 D man is your going to have to replace him.

Looking at the Flames depth chart, replacing him internally with a player on entry level doesn’t look feasible at the moment. If that’s the case, you’re looking at trade, take note that trading a mid round pick for, Derek Forbort as an example, is a wildly unpopular move around here. Or you’re looking at a UFA replacement, which begs the question, why don’t you just resign the guy you have, especially if he’s doing what he is supposed to do?

I wouldn’t object to a three to four year term between 4-5M per season. I would probably prefer 3 years at $4.5-5M. This gives time for Piorier, Kuznetzov, Mirin to develop. If any of them are ready next year, you’re likely already dealing with openings left by Tanev, Gilbert, Hanifin. There is value in keeping guys here who have said they want to be here. That said, if Z wants 5x5 or more, the move should be to let him walk.

[Ashasx]

I understand the Flames don't have much top-end talent to allocate cap to, but we really shouldn't allocate $5+ million AAV contracts to bottom 6 forwards / bottom pairing defencemen.

[dammage79]

I'm figuring that as much as the players want a little time to figure out if they want to stay or not, the team also wants this time to sort out their next five or so years of cap structure out.

Hence the alleged hang up on the Lindholm contract I.e the NTC and little to no bonus structure.

Don't think Zads is in the cards for this team at 5m a year. I would prefer, and hopefully the Flames agree with me that that money would be wiser spent on retaining Kylington with some left over

[trackercowe]

The whole Matt Murray situation is a complete LTIR scam. Murray said he was fine at the end of the season, and would be ready to play this year. Now all of the sudden he needs major surgery, and is having the surgery right before the season begins.

Why is Murray only having the surgery now, not when his season ended back in May? Now the Leafs can put him on LTIR and not have him count against the cap. I'm sure they had this planned out from the day he was traded for. It's advantageous to trade for injury prone players, as they are always banged up and can be put on LTIR whenever needed. If Murray played well last year I bet the situation would be much different. He would be playing, and wouldn't likely miss the entire season.

Honestly this LTIR business is a major reason I've lost interest in the league. It needs to be addressed in the next labor agreement. I know Leafs fans would disagree, but it's such an obvious issue, and all the recent cup winners have taken advantage of it. It's not at all fair having teams be well above the cap because of this loophole. I'm sick of it.

[Jay Random]

LTIR isn't going to be fixed while the cap remains stagnant. The last two years, more than half the teams were over the cap and needed LTIR to be compliant.

At one point last season, I ran the numbers and found that the league as a whole was over the cap. Of the teams that had cap space, I believe Arizona alone had more than half.

You know who had the highest cap number in the league for a good chunk of last season? Montreal, and they were hopelessly bad. That's why they were willing to take on Monahan. With Carey Price's enormous contract already on LTIR, there was no way they would be cap compliant, so adding more injured players cost them nothing but cash – and the Habs are rolling in cash.

The system as a whole is farcical, but it's a league-wide farce and doesn't confer any special advantage on the teams that happen to win the Stanley Cup.

[RedHawk12]

The LTIR loophole is something every team can take advantage of if they meet the requirements, so I don't really have a problem with it. Actually I wouldn't even really call it a loophole. Someday the Flames might need to use it.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by RedHawk12

The LTIR loophole is something every team can take advantage of if they meet the requirements, so I don't really have a problem with it. Actually I wouldn't even really call it a loophole. Someday the Flames might need to use it.

Given Matt Murray's age (29) and the fact he is a UFA after this season, I don't think he would agree to just not play this season unless he really couldn't. He is entering his prime earning years for most goalies and this is going to make it really difficult for him to get another lucrative contract. I am inclined to believe that he really can't play and put off the surgery in the hope he might not need it.

This isn't a Mike Smith situation where he was basically LTIR'd for being old. That was a lot more suspect.

I don't care about this part of LTIR. My only beef is when players sit out on LTIR only to be miraculously available for the playoffs, and then they ice a team with a roster that grossly exceeds what the regular season cap was.

[transplant99]

Yeah...i mean would willingly go through surgery that wasn't required all while they come out the other side as UFA, with very little resume to get paid again with a new deal?

Makes no sense.

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

This would be a happy result in my eyes. Out with the two oldest (Backs and Tanev) alongside a player who may or may not want to play here going forward.

Order of importance for me on UFAs

1. Lindholm (Signed <8.5% of cap moving forward or traded before December)
2. Kylington (Signed <5% of cap moving forward)
3. Hanafin (traded before December)
4. Zadarov (Traded - based on high ask)
5. Backlund (Traded - deadline)
6. Tanev (Signed - force him to sit and get healthy <4.5% of cap moving forward)
7. Vladar / Markstrom (trade one of them)


2024-25 Line Up
Huberdeau - Lindholm - Mangiapane
Pelletier - Dube - Sharangovich
Coleman - Kadri - Coronato
Walker - Ruzika - Klapka

Weegar - Andersson
Kylington - Tanev
Poirer - Morin

Wolf / Vladar

Works out to an $83m payroll on $87.5m in cap.

[activeStick]

Unless the unproven ones in that lineup make pretty significant leaps this year and into the following one, that lineup would get eaten up by most of the league. Inconsistent 2nd line center with a very raw winger and a fourth line that will either only get played 6 minutes a night or play more and get scored most of the time they're on the ice. Bottom pairing on D will get owned by most 2nd lines in the league. No proven starter in goal rounds out a lineup that isn't nearly good enough.