Off Season Trade rumours thread - Brodie, Frolik, Stone etc. Only

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

Getting close to something happening? Oilers insider asking about Bennett.



Bob Stauffer
@Bob_Stauffer
U know I have always liked Sam Bennett.
Ballsy player, punches above weight class.
Flames fans.
Can he become a top 6 forward?

In Europe via Edmonton?

[TheScorpion]

Giving up Bennett in a deal for Lucic would be a fireable offense

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Giving up Bennett in a deal for Lucic would be a fireable offense

So bad. Just fold the franchise.

[Caged Great]

I'd look at Bennett for RNH.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

I'd look at Bennett for RNH.

I'd take a look at it, too, but I can't help but think that it would sap the Flames' toughness almost entirely. Also, how are you gonna take on the additional $3.5 million in salary? Include Stone? Well, now the Flames aren't losing one of their toughest players... they're losing two of them.

I don't think Bennett is the right guy to look at dealing for RNH. I wonder how much interest there might be in Jankowski ++, though. Janko is more productive and better defensively, two things the Oilers sorely need.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

I'd look at Bennett for RNH.

And Poolparty.

...if Bennett goes to Edmonton, the sadness that would settle in on my heart...I’m not sure i’d come back from that....

Colours would fade, birds wouldn’t sing, the play wouldn’t get set up...

[Caged Great]

I'd hate Benny being elsewhere.

We'd need a clear talent win to consider it.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

Call me crazy, but I do think there is some logic to a Lucic - Neal swap.


The caveat to my reasoning is that no player gets better, and Lucic agrees to lift his NMC, and modify it for only "NO AHL". He can be traded in the future to any team, and will not have to be protected in the expansion draft.



Why do I feel this way?


1) Lucic out-produced Neal last season. Sure, he got about 10 more games to do it, and it was only 1 single point, but Neal would not have out-produced Lucic by much anyway if given those games.


2) Neal dragged down every line-mate he played with. If that isn't addition by subtraction, I don't know what is.


3) What did Neal do well? He didn't add to the 'team speed'. He didn't drive possession. He wasn't good at getting to prime scoring areas. He didn't make the players around him better (see point 2). He didn't help to create secondary scoring chances where he amassed a bunch of uncredited assists. He didn't help on defence. He didn't play gritty. What he did add to the team - the only thing that I have ever noticed or heard about - was how he conducted himself in the room and helped young guys like Dube. I think this is actually a VERY important element to a team, and I don't want to understate that. Lucic - when he is not scoring - will at least hit and play gritty. He also goes to the front of the net and plays havoc. He sticks up for his teammates. Is that worth that horrid contract? Absolutely NOT, but at least he does 'something'.


Now, comparing those contracts, Lucic carries an immovable cap-heavy contract that is buyout proof. Neal's is not. That's a risk. The risk is mitigated somewhat with the addition of Puljujarvi, who I think may be salvaged in the right environment.


Now, if Neal does indeed bounce-back, then this is an atrocious trade that makes one sick to their stomachs. However, I just don't buy that Neal is going to have a bounce-back season. I just don't see it. I didn't see him do much at the beginning of games in the first moments of his shifts to think that it was purely a conditioning issue. I just saw a player that continuously made the players around him worse, and couldn't be bothered to try and contribute in other areas like being more physical (a gaping hole on the Flames), or at least trying to be more competent defensively.


I hope for that turnaround this season, but at this point, I would be open for that trade as it at least starts to address an area of weakness on this team (though some more grit/toughness in the top 6 would fill that need much better). If Neal comes back and does what he did last season, I will be kicking and screaming for a Lucic swap straight up.


But hey, on the bright-side, look how well the Flames did even with an almost 6 million dollar cap hit that not only didn't help the team, but actually dragged them down. That's really good when you think about, as Edmonton fans will constantly lament that their team sucks just because of one cap hit.

Ok, look, I know we are unimpressed with Neal

Lucic got 74 shots on goal in 79 games.

Neal had 141 shots in 63 games, and an absurdly low 5 percent shooting percentage. 2.2 shots per game, off his recent years numbers which you may see around ~2.8

Even coming back to the low end of his recent normal 10-12 percent shooting percentage range, he should be much better than Lucic. And I think with confidence it will snowball a bit.

Sometimes players struggle the first 20 games or so with a new team, and Neal sure didn’t get out of that funk decisively. I don’t see any way he is possibly as bad as last year.

You can’t sell low if the return is way lower

[dammage79]

IF.....and this is a might big friggin IF, if you can net RNH and Poolparty for Brodie and Bennett, I could deal with it eventually. Bennett going to Edmonton makes me Jim Carey face gif though. And that's a move where my brother may throw in his fan card. As a family we are pretty big fans of Sam Bennett. Itd be a tough tough day.

Edit: make it Janko instead of Bennett and I dont think twice about it.

[DazzlinDino]

Why do we want to help Edmonton taking on players who have picked up bad habits and embraced a losing culture? Edmonton They did all this themselves with incompetent management. Are we desperate, do we really need to make this kind of trade? All this does is helps Edmonton get out of their mess gives them a get out of jail free card. I could see this backfiring and if the team struggles out of the gate we would never hear the end of it. What if Bennett gets more opportunities, finds some chemistry with McDavid? Could happen; If the Flames need to get rid of Neal this badly then bringing in Neal was a waste and a huge mistake.

[djsFlames]

Yes, hype up Bennett.

Then give us RNH for him. He'd be fine in a 3C role with PP time. Certainly an upgrade.

I'm with many other when I say I don't see Lucic as even worth Neal. Neal is just a season removed from being a contributor on two deep playoff teams, and with commitment to his offseason has a better chance of bring some form of value than "Looch".

And frankly, I wouldn't touch any one outside their top 3 forwards, top two d-men, and JP with a hundred foot pole.

[Heavy Jack]

Seems to me like Edmonton would be wanting Bennett more than we would be wanting to trade Bennett to them; especially after how Benny performed in the playoffs versus the rest of our team ... that comes at a premium IMO. The thought of Bennett in Oiler rags makes me puke lol.

[Heavy Jack]

Thinking outside of Edmonton; a Bennett/Brodie package could command a pretty good top 6 forward IMO.

Bennett + Brodie for Gallagher from Montreal?

[Nelson]

I think there needs to be some more faith in Treliving.

That said, I wouldn’t want a Neal for Lucic swap. A recent article on The Athletic ranked Lucic’s contract as the 6th worst in the NHL, while Neal’s contract only got an HM and didn’t make the list of top 10 worst contracts. Mike Commodore was on the Fan 960 talking about how Neal is working out a lot this off season to be in better shape next year. He says Neal will be better this coming season. Neal also had a really low SH% last year and more than double the shots compared to Lucic as many ppl and the poster above have pointed out. Anecdotally, I feel Neal was dangerous quite a number of times last season and failed to score. That’s why, while I would dump Neal’s contract in a heartbeat, I would not want a Neal for Lucic swap.

[Aarongavey]

Nugent Hopkins would instantaneously be one of the Flames 3 toughest forwards, especially if Bennett was going the other way. Maybe Neal could compete with the Nuge for toughness.

On the Flames he would no longer be his Tenderness, on a Flames team without Bennett he is our go to physical guy.

[Wolfman]

Anyone who thinks that a Neal for Lucic swap is a good idea should be institutionalized.

[keenan87]

Maybe Bennett has asked for a trade..

Bennett + Neal for Hopkins + Lucic (NMC removed)

I can live with that. Lucic is slow and dumb but you never know who he may click with. It would also be nice to get someone who will go out and beat up idiots who slash Gaudreau.

Gaudreau-Hopkins-Lindholm
Tkachuk-Monahan-Lucic

Maybe Tkachuk and Lucic become a force together?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Wolfman

Anyone who thinks that a Neal for Lucic swap is a good idea should be institutionalized.

I don't think many do. I highly doubt Treliving has any interest. My guess is that the talks may be regarding Frolik as the Flames need to shed his salary and he would become instantly one of the Oilers best wingers. Flames probably looking for a draft pick(s) in return.

[Monahammer]

If Bennett is going, I want nuge and pulju. I think the dislike for nuge around here is misplaced though, solid player playing for a terrible team.

[kukkudo]

Most likely be Bennett for Puljujärvi and a late pick.