Taking age out of the equation, who would you prefer?

Dobson
Jones
Nurse

They are all really close to being the same guy (although FLA has Jones on a sweet deal right now). Even with the down year this season, I think I have to go with Dobson (you might be able to talk me into Jones). When you take age into consideration, it's a no-brainer. Nurse is just severely overpaid.
- Chunk

Dobson for sure. Jones at $7M is not bad, he’s a decent #2 or #3. Nurse is way overpaid, he would only add value at about $5M per, and that’s a maybe.

Per Lebrun:

8 year $9.5M AAV for Dobson

Both firsts (16/17) and Emil Heinemann

EDIT: For sure they are going to go hard after Hagens as well.
- Chunk

That's crazy, what are the Islanders doing? I wonder if they are going tank mode.

Nice move by the Habs

So what's Bouchard going to get paid?

Here's where the bridge deal screws you.

Taking age out of the equation, who would you prefer?

Dobson
Jones
Nurse

They are all really close to being the same guy (although FLA has Jones on a sweet deal right now). Even with the down year this season, I think I have to go with Dobson (you might be able to talk me into Jones). When you take age into consideration, it's a no-brainer. Nurse is just severely overpaid.
- Chunk

Nurse is definitely the weakest link. Jones is on a good deal now for Florida at 7.5 million and pretty well rounded. Dobson has the advantage of age being only 25 and might be the best offensively of the group.

So what's Bouchard going to get paid?

Here's where the bridge deal screws you.
- BetweenTheDots

probably somewhere between 10 and 11.

It's a give and take, because probably they would have had to pay him more the past two seasons which maybe means a weaker roster and not getting the same shot at the cup they've had by going to the finals. We don't really know what happened in those negotiations with his Agent and Ken Holland.

MUTIPLE PICKS ROUND 1

SJS 2 1st (2, 30), 2 2nd (33, 53)
CHI 2 1st (3, 25), 2 2nd (34, 62)
NAS 3 1st (5, 23, 26), 2 2nd (35, 55)
PHI 3 1st (6, 22, 31), 3 2nd (36, 40, 48)
PIT 2 1st (11, 12), 1 2nd (59)
CLB 2 1st (14, 20), 0 2nd
MTL 2 1st (16, 17), 2 2nd (41, 49)
CGY 2 1st (18, 32), 1 2nd (54)


Lots of trade-up ammo if anyone wants to trade down.

Wonder if PHI or NAS might trade a bunch of lower picks for one of the PIT picks.

Teams with multiple RD 1 might go high-risk, high-reward on one of their picks. Might leave some safer picks at 25.
- totem

1/2 the first round picks are controlled by 1/2 the teams in the league. Crazy.

Ritchie + Eiserman + 16 and 17 for #3?

Ritchie projects as a strong 2C (similar to Frondell) + Eiserman adds scoring and 2 1st round picks...
- Revco38

Depends on how bad islanders want hagens and getting him early instead of waiting and leaving it to chance he might drop later in the 1st round I think if islanders would offer that Hawks should consider it.

Hilarious Scott comes up with some beauties unfortunately I'm left more dazed and confused about what he said.
- BGKarras

It's just for fun and discussion sake

Depends on how bad islanders want hagens and getting him early instead of waiting and leaving it to chance he might drop later in the 1st round I think if islanders would offer that Hawks should consider it.
- Scott1977

Schaefer is going first over all since they traded Dobson away.

I get the sense they may be tanking

What did he say about Adam Foote, Dan Muse, and Marco Sturm? Gallant doesn't get calls about head coaching positions anymore because he loses the room two and a half years into every job he has. Jackets, Panthers, Knights - All 2 and a half seasons. NYR he didn't even get the last half season.

What did Ron Wilson say when he called MacLean?
- Chunk

Doug is here as a speaker at the SMWW event my kid is attending. He is the kind of guy that will talk to you until he sees someone over your shoulder that he would like to talk to more. Didn't get a lot of follow ups. Always try to hear what he says about the Hawks.

I did ask him what he thought about the Cifu incident where Cifu, one of the Panther's owners, got banned from the NHL for a very heated social media exchange a month ago. That was the executive who Doug always talks about as being rude to him. Doug got invited to a Panther event as a guest and when Cifu saw him, Cifu said, " Here for another free meal on us?" Doug didn't gloat when I mentioned the suspension but he did say that Bettman will not put up with anything that reflect poorly on the NHL.

I don't agree with much of what you type, but you are certainly entitled to your opinion.

I do however, admire your ability to talk to all these hockey people. You have as good as access, or maybe better than some at national outlets. I don't see any of them reporting any of this stuff. Not sure that they can if they do, but you do a good job of hunting (some may say stalking, but not me) these folks down and getting us info.
- vabeachbear

I am at the Marriot Courtyard. The JD Marriot is across the street. Obviously there aren't a lot of current managers here because they are drafting from home. The atrium at the JW is teeming with agents. I only know a couple of their faces so I'm having a hard time getting more. There are a couple of autograph seekers and women who are stalking even more than me in the area.

That's crazy, what are the Islanders doing? I wonder if they are going tank mode.

Nice move by the Habs
- BetweenTheDots

New GM. Sounds like they didn't want to (or couldn't) pay Dobson what he wanted. They are obviously getting Schaeffer, and will do everything in their power to get Hagens.

I'm kind of surprised they haven't already tried to make moves with some of their forwards (Pageau, Lee, Barzal) to open up some flexibility.

Kinda feels like they are doing what KD did when he arrived (moved Hagel, Dach, and ADB). Selling off the highest value pieces for a ton of draft capital so that they can rebuild. Starting it off with Schaeffer and Hagens would put them in great position.

If they don't move anyone else, they've got Barzal, Lee, Duclair, Palmieri, Pageau, Holmstrom, Tsyplakov, and now Heinemann to help ease kids into the lineup. Can likely move some of those guys at the TDL to get more assets.

1/2 the first round picks are controlled by 1/4 the teams in the league. Crazy.
- Ztra

FIFY

Steve- I work just down the street from LA Live and until you told me that the Peacock theater was at LA Live (used to be called the Nokia Theater- I thought it was in Hollywood) I would not have known anything was going on here. Real missed opportunity.

Thanks for the update on your conversations. We have no information if Gallant was contacted and/or considered for the Hawks HC position (or if he would even be interested considering how far they are from contending- maybe like Maclean he does not think about them either- what a passive/aggressive dig btw). I have concerns about Blashill but am hoping his years at TB under Cooper, he will have picked up a few things here and there. I like what he has said so far. Let us see what happens.

Wonder if Frondell's consideration for #2OA has to do with what we saw from the Panthers, and what you just mentioned about Misa, and his defensive shortcomings. Many scouting reports mention that he is actually sound defensively, but the concern maybe he is more finesse, and the league is looking for more physical players.

Looking forward to more of your reports.
- Revco38

It is hard to get a lot. Few are here. I ran into Ryker Lee at Smash Burger last night, he is from the North Shore and used to play at Watts from morning till night. He might be a first rounder. He was always small but when I stood up to shake his hand he could be more than 6' or I might have shrunk. Tony Granato was walking outside of Tom's and I have to say that all of the Granatos are friendly people off the ice.

Hilarious Scott comes up with some beauties unfortunately I'm left more dazed and confused about what he said.
- BGKarras

He’s at least two thirds retarded 😂

It's just for fun and discussion sake
- Scott1977

I get it Scott some of your proposal's are way out there. I'm glad you're not the Hawks GM...

It’s amazing how your story manages to fit your narrative so perfectly. It’s almost as if you made it up.
- paulr

Actually I had no idea about the parent rumor and I had always heard Gallant was not much of an x and o coach and the game may have passed him by. I didn't say that to him. As for him not paying attention to Chicago, it makes sense because he's usually on Canadian radio talking about the Canadian teams. Maybe he didn't buy an antenna and couldn't catch the games like many others last season.

The Hawks roster is really interesting to me right now because we are really only left with one "old" guy. Foligno is 37 (38 in the first month of the season).

We have Murphy at 32, which while getting up there isn't "too" old in NHL terms. We have

Bertuzzi 30
Burakovsky 30
Turbo 30
Richardinson 29
Mikheyev 30
Donato 29

I don't know if we count Brossoit as I think it's unclear if he ever plays. Everyone else is under 25 right now. This could be the final year with Foligno, we might see Murphy or maybe Richardinson on the move.

What a young roster. Exciting times.

MUTIPLE PICKS ROUND 1

SJS 2 1st (2, 30), 2 2nd (33, 53)
CHI 2 1st (3, 25), 2 2nd (34, 62)
NAS 3 1st (5, 23, 26), 2 2nd (35, 55)
PHI 3 1st (6, 22, 31), 3 2nd (36, 40, 48)
PIT 2 1st (11, 12), 1 2nd (59)
CLB 2 1st (14, 20), 0 2nd
MTL 2 1st (16, 17), 2 2nd (41, 49)
CGY 2 1st (18, 32), 1 2nd (54)


Lots of trade-up ammo if anyone wants to trade down.

Wonder if PHI or NAS might trade a bunch of lower picks for one of the PIT picks.

Teams with multiple RD 1 might go high-risk, high-reward on one of their picks. Might leave some safer picks at 25.
- totem

Now it's the islanders with 3 first round picks

Yea when you don't make the playoffs this makes so much sense, but it's the commitment to it every year that makes it brilliant

Barzal for 3rd overall + NYI 2nd round 2026 + Reichel


I know probably wouldn't happen but saves them a bunch of money if they are rebuilding.

MUTIPLE PICKS ROUND 1

SJS 2 1st (2, 30), 2 2nd (33, 53)
CHI 2 1st (3, 25), 2 2nd (34, 62)
NAS 3 1st (5, 23, 26), 2 2nd (35, 55)
PHI 3 1st (6, 22, 31), 3 2nd (36, 40, 48)
PIT 2 1st (11, 12), 1 2nd (59)
CLB 2 1st (14, 20), 0 2nd
MTL 2 1st (16, 17), 2 2nd (41, 49)
CGY 2 1st (18, 32), 1 2nd (54)


Lots of trade-up ammo if anyone wants to trade down.

Wonder if PHI or NAS might trade a bunch of lower picks for one of the PIT picks.

Teams with multiple RD 1 might go high-risk, high-reward on one of their picks. Might leave some safer picks at 25.
- totem

KD should trade 3, 25, and a 2026 2nd to SJ for 2 and 30.

KD should trade 3, 25, and a 2026 2nd to SJ for 2 and 30.
- DarthKane

I wonder if that's why we are hearing all that Frondell talk? I can't see KD doing it i think they are happy with who they can draft at 3.

Barzal for 3rd overall + NYI 2nd round 2026 + Reichel


I know probably wouldn't happen but saves them a bunch of money if they are rebuilding.
- breadbag

David Pagnotta

Islanders remain active. In addition to all their action, I’m told some teams have called the Islanders about Mat Barzal, including Utah and Vancouver. Don’t get the sense anything is close right now, but some clubs have inquired.

The Hawks roster is really interesting to me right now because we are really only left with one "old" guy. Foligno is 37 (38 in the first month of the season).

We have Murphy at 32, which while getting up there isn't "too" old in NHL terms. We have

Bertuzzi 30
Burakovsky 30
Turbo 30
Richardinson 29
Mikheyev 30
Donato 29

I don't know if we count Brossoit as I think it's unclear if he ever plays. Everyone else is under 25 right now. This could be the final year with Foligno, we might see Murphy or maybe Richardinson on the move.

What a young roster. Exciting times.
- breadbag

I think the Broissoit situation is very interesting. You don’t hear anything about him. If he is 100% healthy by the start of camp and performs well it opens up some intriguing possibilities.

Of course they need to sign Soderblom in the interim.

I think the Broissoit situation is very interesting. You don’t hear anything about him. If he is 100% healthy by the start of camp and performs well it opens up some intriguing possibilities.
- Ztra

At the end of year pressers, KD said that they "hope" he'll be able to compete in camp. That's as clear as they can be at this point after about 9 months away from the game.