2024 Off-season trade rumours and speculation thread

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Why would Jersey make that deal at the draft when they could have done it at the deadline?

They couldn't have done it at the deadline, because Calgary would not agree to take Holtz instead of Mercer.

Conversely why would Calgary agree to that at the draft when they allegedly turned it down at the deadline?

Trading Markstrom to New Jersey at the deadline might have put the Devils into the playoffs, and would certainly have improved their record for the rest of the season. Also, the Devils would no doubt have insisted on lottery protection for the pick. Trading for a pick that is (for instance) certain to be 11th overall is much better than trading for a pick that might be 17th or 20th or might even slip to next year and be a late pick even then.

[Toonage]

I'd love for you both to be right, I just don't see the Devils moving their 1st at the draft. Fitz has also put his cards on the table. He felt extorted. 1st and Mercer was likely the ask. He said no then, he'll say no in June. IMO.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Toonage

I'd love for you both to be right, I just don't see the Devils moving their 1st at the draft. Fitz has also put his cards on the table. He felt extorted. 1st and Mercer was likely the ask. He said no then, he'll say no in June. IMO.

What Fitzgerald felt has no bearing on the market. He tried to make deals for a goalie with Calgary, Nashville, and Boston, and they all turned him down flat. If he keeps saying no, his team will keep losing because of bad goaltending.

If he wants a proven starting goalie, he's going to have to improve his offers.

[SuperMatt18]

I have a feeling it's the Flames that maybe would change their tune.

I think they were a bit less motivated to sell this season...they were in good 15 games stretch, had no real pressure to move Markstrom, and you know Edwards was really pressuring to still try to push for playoffs even while selling the UFAs...but Markstrom wasn't a UFA.

Come the draft the Flames likely are picking top 10 and the idea of "squeezing into the playoffs" will be long gone in everyone's mind.

Let's say the Devils are picking 13th, and they make the 2024 1st + Holtz offer then...I think the Flames would bite then even though the didn't at the deadline.

I actually think it's less that the Flames didn't love the Devils package, and more that it was a hard sell at that point in the season to sell Markstrom for less than what their exact ask was. Think come the draft they will be more willing to negotiate.

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I have a feeling it's the Flames that maybe would change their tune.

I think they were a bit less motivated to sell this season...they were in good 15 games stretch, had no real pressure to move Markstrom, and you know Edwards was really pressuring to still try to push for playoffs even while selling the UFAs...but Markstrom wasn't a UFA.

Come the draft the Flames likely are picking top 10 and the idea of "squeezing into the playoffs" will be long gone in everyone's mind.

Let's say the Devils are picking 13th, and they make the 2024 1st + Holtz offer then...I think the Flames would bite then even though the didn't at the deadline.

I also think it could depend on who is there at 13. If someone (lets say Tij) is there at 13 then maybe they change their mind on only moving Marky for Mercer, and take Holtz + the pick. If theres a decent tier drop and they think that they can get a similar player at 20ish, maybe they move him to LA and grab a prospect they like more than Holtz.

[dustygoon]

The most important part of this trade is that it needs to happen. If it's Mercer? Bonus.

But 1st and Holtz is worth settling on. Selling high on Markstrom is key.

Either he is amazing next year and our pick goes to Florida or he sucks/gets hurt which is a reasonable possibility and goes back to being negative value.

[Groot]

Vancouver 1st (probably 25-32 range) + Markstrom for NJ 1st + Mercer.

So we basically for Markstrom we get Mercer and the opportunity to draft what's likely a much better player with the NJ pick vs the Vancovuer one.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

I also think it could depend on who is there at 13. If someone (lets say Tij) is there at 13 then maybe they change their mind on only moving Marky for Mercer, and take Holtz + the pick. If theres a decent tier drop and they think that they can get a similar player at 20ish, maybe they move him to LA and grab a prospect they like more than Holtz.

I look at the rumoured names and I personally see a really strong top 15.

Celebrini
Silayev
Levshunov
Eiserman
Lindstrom
Demidov
Dickinson
Helenius
Parekh
Catton
Yakemchuk
Buium
Jirieck
Iginla
Greentree

I feel like those 15 tend to be the top 15 on most lists, with a lot of variation of where they are in the top 15 depending on the list (outside of Celebrini who is locked in at 1).

If you can add another top 15 pick in this draft you absolutely should be jumping at it IMO.

[Jiri Hrdina]

I suspect NJ will only put their 2025 1st on the table, with protection.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Do we even know if Jersey had a 1st available?

Fitzgerald said he made a fair offer in the market based on previous prices.

Francis said we got lowballed.

Friedman said it was a good package in the beginning.

Hard to gauge what the offer was.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Do we even know if Jersey had a 1st available?

Fitzgerald said he made a fair offer in the market based on previous prices.

Francis said we got lowballed.

Friedman said it was a good package in the beginning.

Hard to gauge what the offer was.

On of the rumours said the Flames wanted a "higher pick". Implies to me the earlier pick wasn't a first.

[ComixZone]

If NJD were to actually make their 2024 1st available at the draft (so like 13-16th), the Flames should take that in a 1 for 1 trade and walk away laughing.

For a 34 year old goalie, that's a haul.

Any of these other packages are fantasy in my mind (Holtz + 1st, Holtz + something, +++, Mercer, etc).

Even a 2025 1st with protection is a clear win for the Flames. I think Conroy and/or Flames management overplayed their hand in not moving Markstrom this deadline with or without retention.

[FlamesAddiction]

I don't see a 1st rounder being on the table for a 35 year old Markstrom with 2 seasons left. The best chance to get that was at the deadline if a contending team saw him as the missing piece, but that opportunity didn't arise. New Jersey was so close, but just far enough out that I don't think they figured that they were just a Markstrom away from contending.

At this point, I'd take Holtz and a 2nd.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

If NJD were to actually make their 2024 1st available at the draft (so like 13-16th), the Flames should take that in a 1 for 1 trade and walk away laughing.

For a 34 year old goalie, that's a haul.

Any of these other packages are fantasy in my mind (Holtz + 1st, Holtz + something, +++, Mercer, etc).

Even a 2025 1st with protection is a clear win for the Flames. I think Conroy and/or Flames management overplayed their hand in not moving Markstrom this deadline with or without retention.

If it was Holtz + a 3rd then I get it. I thought the package was Holtz + a 1st but now seems like it was smoke.

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

If NJD were to actually make their 2024 1st available at the draft (so like 13-16th), the Flames should take that in a 1 for 1 trade and walk away laughing.

For a 34 year old goalie, that's a haul.

Any of these other packages are fantasy in my mind (Holtz + 1st, Holtz + something, +++, Mercer, etc).

Even a 2025 1st with protection is a clear win for the Flames. I think Conroy and/or Flames management overplayed their hand in not moving Markstrom this deadline with or without retention.

BuT He'S a VeZiNa FiNaLiSt!

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Bonded

If it was Holtz + a 3rd then I get it. I thought the package was Holtz + a 1st but now seems like it was smoke.

And that comes down to if they like Holtz.
Which they may not.
His own GM doesn't seem to.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

And that comes down to if they like Holtz.
Which they may not.
His own GM doesn't seem to.

Yeah, that was a pretty interesting presser by Fitzgerald. Trying to use him in the centerpiece of a trade and then crapping on him publicly.

[FlamesAddiction]

I missed it, what did Fitz say about Holtz?

[Paulie Walnuts]

I would still do it just for the 1st.

We are not getting Mercer for a 34 soon to be 35 year old goalie who looks like he starting to have injury issues.

Lots can be done with Holtz, could be flipped in another deal. Maybe if given a chance here he explodes. We don't know.

I was never in the camp of giving him away for whatever scraps we got offered, I was always under the impression New Jersey made an offer that was overpayment for a goalie. A 1st and Holtz to me is just that.

If we got offered 3rd rounders and scraps, I can see why we said not and tried to extort him as he said.

[Groot]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I missed it, what did Fitz say about Holtz?

https://www.nj.com/devils/2024/03/de...good-year.html

Then Fitzgerald was asked about Holtz directly.

“Hm,” Fitzgerald said with a pause. “What I would say is if (Holtz) changes as a player, then it will change as ice time.

“He has not had a good year. I don’t believe it’s because he’s been on the fourth line. The core values you have as a player – strong on walls, puck play, puck management, are you turning pucks over, can you be better in certain situations. It’s not about goals… It’s the other areas, the game within the game, which I say a lot, it matters. Managing the lines, turnovers. Those areas have to be way better. Not just for him, but for a lot of players.

Will it change here? He’ll get an opportunity to show that he’s reliable enough to be put out on the ice at certain times. We all know how he can shoot the puck and we all know he has the potential to be a goal scorer. We’re not losing games because we’re not scoring goals. We’re losing games because we don’t manage pucks well enough. Certain individuals have to be better. But with change comes a possible opportunity.”