Re: Speculation: Tavares trade in the offseason?
This one is going to be interesting. Isles were looking on the upswing a year or two ago and now they're a complete mess. I suspect ownership is strongly considering firing Snow or bringing in a person to be above him as "director of Hockey Ops". I suspect their first goal is to try and show Tavares they have a plan to be competitive and to re-sign him long-term this July.
If Tavares doesn't want to re-sign then they'll have to move him sometime next season. When moving him I assume the first goal would be a sign-and-trade because that way the acquiring team would be willing to pay a premium. Last resort will be trading him as a rental with conditional picks for Tavares re-signing.
Teams who may take him in a sign-and-trade need: a young but improving core, lots of cap space for Tavares new deal and lots of prospects to pay the Isles.
1st stop is (obviously) Toronto. They have the core, they should have the cap-space, if they can somehow unload Nathan Horton it may actually be a fit. Tavares-Matthews is a combo they should be willing to pay a ton for.
Montreal also has a ton of cap space, and improving core and could obviously use Tavares. Plekanec's 6m cap hit would be expiring just as Tavares got re-upped, Radulov is done this offseason as well.
Florida also has a ton of cap space and a decent core. They are going in a completely different direction right now, maybe they make a big push for Tavares.
Other teams with room: Carolina- can't spend given their ownership situation I'd guess. NJD- perhaps but do they have the prospects?
Arizona is too cheap to afford Tavares.
Winnipeg has a younger core and looks solid offensively.
Ottawa is rumoured to have an internal cap.
Similar to all the speculation around Stamkos last season my actual bet is he stays put and signs a long-term deal with the Islanders.....
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This one is going to be interesting. Isles were looking on the upswing a year or two ago and now they're a complete mess. I suspect ownership is strongly considering firing Snow or bringing in a person to be above him as "director of Hockey Ops". I suspect their first goal is to try and show Tavares they have a plan to be competitive and to re-sign him long-term this July.
If Tavares doesn't want to re-sign then they'll have to move him sometime next season. When moving him I assume the first goal would be a sign-and-trade because that way the acquiring team would be willing to pay a premium. Last resort will be trading him as a rental with conditional picks for Tavares re-signing.
Teams who may take him in a sign-and-trade need: a young but improving core, lots of cap space for Tavares new deal and lots of prospects to pay the Isles.
1st stop is (obviously) Toronto. They have the core, they should have the cap-space, if they can somehow unload Nathan Horton it may actually be a fit. Tavares-Matthews is a combo they should be willing to pay a ton for.
Montreal also has a ton of cap space, and improving core and could obviously use Tavares. Plekanec's 6m cap hit would be expiring just as Tavares got re-upped, Radulov is done this offseason as well.
Florida also has a ton of cap space and a decent core. They are going in a completely different direction right now, maybe they make a big push for Tavares.
Other teams with room: Carolina- can't spend given their ownership situation I'd guess. NJD- perhaps but do they have the prospects?
Arizona is too cheap to afford Tavares.
Winnipeg has a younger core and looks solid offensively.
Ottawa is rumoured to have an internal cap.
Similar to all the speculation around Stamkos last season my actual bet is he stays put and signs a long-term deal with the Islanders.....
12 team H-2-H 1 year league, daily roster changes, 3 goalie start minimum/week
2xC, 2xRW, 2xLW, 4xD, 3xUtil, 2xG, 5 Bench
G, A, P, PIM, PPP, SHP, GWG, SOG, Hits, W, SV%, GAA, SVs
C: C. Keller, C. Mittelstadt, B. Nelson, R. Strome,
LW: K. Connor, B. Tkachuk, J. Gaudreau, J. Marchessault, E. Rodrigues, A. Lafreniere
RW: K. Fiala, J. Bratt, T. Jeannot V. Arvidsson
D: R. Josi, J. Trouba, E. Gustafsson,
G: L. Thompson, F. Gustavsson, V. Vanecek
NO IR