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Source: "If The Islanders Take Hedman,I Believe Tavares Is A Predator. 95%" |
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Fascinating scenarios unfolding all around the draft and UFA's today, but having talked to a dozen or so people today I have happened upon a scenario that makes a ton of sense.
For those of you who listened to me last night in on the Hockeybuzz Radio Show in Nashville with Paul and Brandon, you may have heard me throw out this little tidbit. At the time, I had just started to hear about this growing possibility so I tried to downplay it by saying, "Not to tease the Preds fans or anything..."
However, my sources in Nashville have always been strong and a few people down there heard the show and then upon following it up today I am growing more and more confident in this scenario's likelihood.
Here's what could happen:
#1 The Isles take Hedman
#2 The Lightning are unable to get the Canadiens to move Markov, and LA, Vancouver, and Edmonton all take their shots at Lecavalier.
#3. Brian Burke is unwilling to give up Schenn for the pick.
#4. The Lightning, not willing to hold on to both Vinny and Tavares start to entertain other offers for Tavares. Their asking price, an All-Star D-man. It is the Lightning's dire need.
#5. Teams with a surplus of great dmen then have to be looked at as the favorites, and then teams with budgetary concerns and in need of a young star to hang their hat on come into focus.
It is times like this that we have to remember the Forsberg trade to Nashville, The Ryan Smyth trade to the NY Islanders, or the Tkachuk trade to Atlanta.
In each case, teams with higher profiles were also involved in the bidding, but in each case they weren't willing to go as high as teams that felt a sense of desperation. I wrote a blog at the time that asked the question, "Do established fanbases allow certain teams to play it much more cautiously?" Essentially I outlined that giving up "too much" in Toronto was not the same as giving up "too much" in Nashville.
A good example this time would be Calgary or Vancouver. Both teams have the kind of D-men that it would take to get Tavares in Phaneuf, Regehr, Bieska, etc...However, for the same reasons Canadien fans are balking at Markov for Vinny and Leaf fans are sold on one year of Luke Schenn, Calgary and Vancouver may not have to make the deal.
So then we have to look to the teams who REALLY benefit from the exctiement and attention that a player like Tavares would bring. Phoenix, Nashville, Atlanta, Florida...
Putting John Tavares onto ANY of those four teams could completely change the course of history for those franchises.
One team stands out however when it comes to having what Tampa needs.
Nashville.
The Preds have two All-Star caliber D men in Weber and Suter. Weber may be the best in the NHL in his class.
Now another source, out of Montreal in this case, said very clearly that he believes the Lightning would take Weber for Tavares straight up. He also believes that Suter +the Preds #1 + a young D prospect would also get it done.
Obviously, no one wants to move Weber or Suter.
However, and this is a direct quote from a Nashville source: "If you are in the Nashville situation, with all the young d-men in the system, the need for Pizzazz, and the fact you get Johnny T at rookie money for three years....you consider it with every bone in your body...."
More to come...
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