Commandant

I think he'd love to tank. I just don't know a team with cap space to take both and is a contender.

Finding a team that is 1) a contender short term with those two adds 2) has the cap space to fit them both. 3) has the assets to trade for them. Is going to make this extremely difficult

I can buy one of those three players surprise, and Veleno is the best bet to surprise this season. I don't like relying on all three of them to surprise and be an effective NHL line.

that looks much more likely and allows Kapanen/Beck to play big minutes in Laval.

EWWW I think those three together, one a rookie who isn't NHL ready, and two guys who might be best suited as 13th forwards, would get totally dominated by other teams.

1)the source is Kypreos so grain of salt. Also he hasn't waived anything, the report is that he would potentially be willing to waive if traded. there is nothing to waive until a trade is agreed. 2)I think if we look at the Habs moves this offseason, specifically around Cs, they have shown little to no interest in centres who are in their 30s. I'm just guessing based on what we've seen, that the Habs wouldn't be looking at him. they seem to want their acquisitions to fit the age of the current core.

Hes 22 years old. Yes hes played three seasons but did it at 19, 20, 21. He was a third overall pick. His 52 points were 2nd on the team in scoring. While playing on the second line. Whats his ceiling? Could be an 80-90 point guy? Will he hit that ceiling? Thats a different conversation but i think being a 70 point guy is realistic in his prime on a higher scoring team. And yes Ive always thought a trade is unlikely this summer.

Here is the Seravalli report

One thing I have seen that surprised me today is that both Jeff Marek and Frank Seravalli are putting him out there as a trade candidate.

One of Veleno/Newhook will be a Centre given they are the only two lefties. I could very well see Newhook as the 3C and Veleno in the pressbox or Laval. Its a possibility. Veleno has not been guaranteed a spot based on the contract he has gotten.

He never played a game for Seattle. In June, He was traded from Chicago to Seattle for Burakovsky. Seattle then bought out Veleno the next day. Burakovsky was the cap dump by Seattle, and buying out Veleno was cheaper than buying out Burakovsky. So, Seattle never even really considered him an option..... he played mostly with Detroit and some with Chicago last year.

This is assuming that one of Dach/Newhook is playing wing (or not playing at all).

It would take Matheson plus a lot. or Guhle plus a lot. This is a third overall pick, a centre with size, who was 2nd on his team in scoring last year. He's not cheap.

McTavish is very intriguing to me, and I'd love to get him, but this is a move that will come with significant pain in terms of the trade assets required to get him, if he's even available which I find unlikely. Guhle does sound like a likely ask from Anaheim.

Or 4th or Laval, given his contract is 900k

1 year, 900K So hes either a depth forward on the team, or if sent to Laval doesnt count on the cap. Not a bad gamble.

Scott wheeler released his top 10 goalie prospects on the athletic. 2 goalies made tier 1 of future star #1s... Askarov and Fowler. "Fowler has established himself as one of the top goalie prospects in the sport with his play over the last four seasons. That started when he was named to the USHL’s All-Rookie Second Team four seasons ago and its First All-Star Team three seasons ago after leading the league in both save percentage and goals-against average. It was stamped with a stellar freshman year at BC that saw him play virtually every minute behind the top-ranked team in the country (while the team in front of him helped, their strength was most pronounced at forward, and he stole some games and was deservedly named Hockey East Goaltender of the Year). And it has been cemented last year with a repeat performance as the MVP (for me) of another top-ranked Boston College team, his save percentage rising from .926 to .940. He also had some strong performances in the AHL in the spring, even if he wasn't able to hold the Laval net in the playoffs as a rookie. (I should note that I’ve seen him look just OK with Team USA both in Gothenburg at the World Juniors and Plymouth at the World Junior Summer Showcase, but he was also excellent at the World Jr. A Challenge and the body of work over the last four years is unimpeachable.) He’s the kind of goalie who, if he can see a shot and move to it, is going to stop it. He had some work to do on some other things (conditioning/fitness, less business on scrambles, losing his posts at times) pre-draft but he has worked hard at it and is by all accounts committed to staying in better shape (he's now listed between 210-220 pounds and there has been progress off the ice), and has so many clear tools, highlighted by great hands, an ability to take space away through square angles and sound positioning, high-end tracking/reads, excellent rebound control, legitimate power/movement and a knack for making huge pad saves and stopping high-danger chances. He rarely gets beat through the body or frozen. He doesn't show holes in the net and has the reflexes to get a piece of (or a hold of) pucks when he does. He has a legitimate shot not just to be an NHL goaltender but to be a top one, and there aren’t many goalies his age (or even a little older) I’m comfortable saying that about. He seems to pitch a shutout once or twice a month these days and I thought he had a compelling case for the Hobey Baker last year and was hurt by some of the conference allotments/politics of the nomination process (which was evident when he wasn't a top-10 finalist and still won the Mike Richter Award as college hockey's top goalie)."

Goalies are voodoo, but Fowler is a top 5 goalie prospect in the entire league. and he's not 4 or 5.

Primeau, 7th round pick. Stats in his last year in college. 2.09 GAA, 933 sv% Fowler, 2nd round pick. Stats his second year of college 1.63 GAA, 940 sv% Their resumes are not the same.

the pyramid is interesting but i don't agree with a bunch. Reinbacher and Fowler both belong up a level. And now they didn't draft a guy at 5h overall with the expectation he would be second pair. Beck should be same tier as Kapanen. Rohrer should be up a tier. Bogdan should be up a tier. Mittelstadt and Bergqvist should be up a tier, that bottom tier is throwaways and they are more than that. Kidney should be down a tier. Miller should be down a tier. Paupenakis, Radkov, should be down a tier. few others i'd move to.

I agree with this. If we get a 2C then Matheson can go. Otherwise Im holding him.

Prices don't go up cause the cap goes up. thats the wrong order of things. Prices go up cause demand for tickets goes up.... as this goes up the cap follows. If you raise the prices and there isn't demand, then you end up with half empty buildings. At the end of the day with scalpers and stub hub and the like, there are people making profits on these tickets which means the demand is more than face value. You also just had a new tv deal, 2 more games per team in the new CBA, and merch sales are also up.

100%. He was already demonized by Isles fans for occassional giveways (even before the trade) and that is despite his Even strength defence being ranked 87% percentile in those stat charts. People just only see the bad plays and not good ones.

I think if kyrou comes in then Laine is out, probably at 50% retained. Cant see where he fits if Kyrou is here. That said i dont think we get Kyrou.