They can't stand pat. They need to pick up somebody in the mold of Jeannot or Pezzetta. Too many young guys without an ICBM to protect them. There will be a reclamation project like Dvorak who will look at the roster and think they have a chance to play with Bedard and resign for 4x4. A veteran defenseman will be signed. Petry/Schmidt type who can sign here for $1 million more per year than anywhere else and get an extra year of term.
- stevefrmglencoe

Dvorak signs 1 year 5.4 million with Flyers.

Perry to Kings?

Could you just start with the order teams finished this year? Make it so no one moves up, and use the trades for 26 instead of this year, so Utah picks 14, Car picks 29, Hawks pick 2 and 32 with Florida's 1st next year, etc.
- tvetter

The ridiculous way this site was reinvented has me having to change both player and team with every slot shift, so starting is with the best guess is better starting point.
Boilermaker suggested just start with the pre-Draft standings of 2025.
I figure there has to be a few teams worse or better.

I guess I will go to the pre-draft rankings.

Considering where they were drafting and the fact they traded some of the higher picks away, SB didn't do horribly. If Dach wasn't injured, I think you would be able to call that a win (and he'd likely still be on the team).

The only really bad one in my opinion was 2018 where you basically got a jar of warm spit with 2 first rounders (one of them a top 10).
- Chunk

If, if, if

Sorry that's part of the equation of evaluation.

Carolina extends Stankoven, $6MX8, good young player, but that seems pricey to me. So basically with the cap going up, some GM’s are just going to overpay, there’s no stopping the insanity.
- Angotti

Had to over pay because the f'd up those trades last year, and couldn't lose him

Vegas is almost $7M over the cap. What would it take to get Barbashev?
- tvetter

We're assuming that the Hawks aren't on his no trade list. I'm not used to thinking of that possibility, either.

Pietrangelo will likely remain on LTIR. They will have three slots to fill if that's the case, and there will be about $2 mill in space for that, so they will probably still have to make a trade.

Gavrikov signed with NYR, 7 years, 7 mill per.

If, if, if

Sorry that's part of the equation of evaluation.
- vabeachbear

Oh for sure. I'm just saying the pick at the time wasn't a bad pick by Stan. You can't (well, obviously you can) go back in hindsight and say a pick was bad because a guy was injured. Especially looking at the rest of the options available that year. You've got Boldy and Caufield who both went in the low to mid teens who are now demonstrably better.

Connor Brown to NJ, 4 years, 3 mill per.

They can't stand pat. They need to pick up somebody in the mold of Jeannot or Pezzetta. Too many young guys without an ICBM to protect them. There will be a reclamation project like Dvorak who will look at the roster and think they have a chance to play with Bedard and resign for 4x4. A veteran defenseman will be signed. Petry/Schmidt type who can sign here for $1 million more per year than anywhere else and get an extra year of term.
- stevefrmglencoe

Jeannot signed with Boston, 5 yrs $3.4 mill, and Pezzetta signed with Toronto, 2 years, $787K per. Back to the drawing board!

We're assuming that the Hawks aren't on his no trade list. I'm not used to thinking of that possibility, either.

Pietrangelo will likely remain on LTIR. They will have three slots to fill if that's the case, and there will be about $2 mill in space for that, so they will probably still have to make a trade.
- 333inthe3rd

Forgot about Pietrangelo. Yeah, they can probably get away with trading a less important forward.

Blues getting Malloux who was now pushed back a spot on the Habs defense ranks with the Dobson acquisition was a good move for the Blues.
His nude women's phone photo he shared dropped him to Nolan Allan draft slotting area, but he was a prospect who would have been off the board a whole lot earlier.

I just think that for Bolduc it was steal for Blues.

I suspect you will eventually see the Hawks selling off one or two of our in the pipeline rankings in similar type trade as time goes by.

Lindgren signs with Seattle, 4 years, $4.5 mill.

Not sure why KD acquired Lafferty? He’s basically the same guy as three or four other veterans already on the team and it clogs the pipeline for young Rockford players. I’d much sooner see Slaggert or Savoie make mistakes than watching veteran forwards making mistakes.

I really miss being stressed out during Spring hockey.

I hope everyone is well.
- mrpaulish

What's up Mr.P hope you're doing well also

@frank_servalli
Trade, per sources:

To #Blackhawks:
F Sam Lafferty

To #Sabres:
2026 6th Round Pick

Lafferty has one year left at $2m.

Hope this means Kyle is moving one of Richardinson,Foligno or some other vet?
- captainserious

Trade bait at the TDL....

Not sure why KD acquired Lafferty? He’s basically the same guy as three or four other veterans already on the team and it clogs the pipeline for young Rockford players. I’d much sooner see Slaggert or Savoie make mistakes than watching veteran forwards making mistakes.
- paulr

Agreed 💯 just dumb

Agreed 💯 just dumb
- BGKarras

As with all these things, too early to get pissed or excited. Let the offseason play out.

If when they ice a team for the first game and there's a young guy getting blocked, then i agree the move doesn't make any sense.

As with all these things, too early to get pissed or excited. Let the offseason play out.

If when they ice a team for the first game and there's a young guy getting blocked, then i agree the move doesn't make any sense.
- vabeachbear

As others have stated, VGK has some work to do to get cap compliant and ice a full team. MTL has Price's cap hit, but may do something. Dallas is kinda stuck right now. COL and FLA need to make moves.

The ridiculous way this site was reinvented has me having to change both player and team with every slot shift, so starting is with the best guess is better starting point.
Boilermaker suggested just start with the pre-Draft standings of 2025.
I figure there has to be a few teams worse or better.

I guess I will go to the pre-draft rankings.
- wiz1901

We're drafting 4th.

Jeannot signed with Boston, 5 yrs $3.4 mill, and Pezzetta signed with Toronto, 2 years, $787K per. Back to the drawing board!
- 333inthe3rd

We couldn't out bid $787?

Not sure why KD acquired Lafferty? He’s basically the same guy as three or four other veterans already on the team and it clogs the pipeline for young Rockford players. I’d much sooner see Slaggert or Savoie make mistakes than watching veteran forwards making mistakes.
- paulr

13th forward is all I can think of - doesn't block a prospect. Two years ago KFC was trading for AHL lifers just to ice a team. Last year he had an excess of bottom 6 not very useful guys. No way to predict what you will need. Basically a non-event and Lafferty will go if he is blocking anyone.

Don't really need a 6th rounder anyway - no room for them.

As with all these things, too early to get pissed or excited. Let the offseason play out.

If when they ice a team for the first game and there's a young guy getting blocked, then i agree the move doesn't make any sense.
- vabeachbear

Spitballing on why this move happened...

When Lafferty was here, he brought a certain energy that was lacking before. And they did try to sign him again last summer when they traded for his rights. He also chose to sign elsewhere. I don't know if we will get that version this time around or not. What they're hoping for is he's here to anchor one of the bottom lines, to lead by example on the bottom six, and provide depth on the PK.

We don't know who is going to make it out of camp and who will be starting the season in Rockford. Having a vet gives them more flexibility on these decisions. Yes, it can block a worthy player, but is that more likely at this point than a player who needs to work on a few things in the A? There is no hurry to bring guys into the breach here.

The other part mentioned earlier, it gives them more room to trade other placeholders on the roster. I would be surprised if KD is done with trades this summer. We'll see what this roster is like when camp starts.

We couldn't out bid $787?
- rpeters01

How much is he worth? He's 27 already. And would top out at 20 points over 82 games. Does he have another reason besides money to go to Toronto?

JvR to the Wings.

Jonathan Drouin - 2 years; $15M ($7.5M AAV)

Overpay, but we can afford it. Almost a PPG player last year, and we need goal scorers.
- tvetter

I haven't seen that posted anywhere.