Vegas ready to deal before expansion draft

[lucafen4]

So... perhaps conspiracy theory time...

McPhee trades for Fleury, gets a late 1st - Fleury accepts because McPhee has informed his agent he is going to flip Fleury to Philly (for more pick/prospects combo).

Fleury stays close to home, McPhee extracts maximum value & Pitt keeps Murray without trading to a rival

[Jouko-Pouko]

Not even if it was the only possible option to allow them to keep Murray besides giving up multiple first rounders to Vegas?

Most interesting offseason ever.

Buyout is also an option if they can't find a trade partner.

[PenguinHunter]

So... perhaps conspiracy theory time...

McPhee trades for Fleury, gets a late 1st - Fleury accepts because McPhee has informed his agent he is going to flip Fleury to Philly (for more pick/prospects combo).

Fleury stays close to home, McPhee extracts maximum value & Pitt keeps Murray without trading to a rival

I like it.... payback for how the Penguins got Streit haha.

[Jouko-Pouko]

I like it.... payback for how the Penguins got Streit haha.

Such a beast he's been.

[BreadManPanarin]

Buyout is also an option if they can't find a trade partner.

Good point. Dug up this article which states exactly that: http://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/nhl/report-penguins-will-buy-out-fleury-if-not-traded/ar-AAlQu5a

[Chico Resch]

Hahaha.



Watch this big name be a washed up hack like Gaborik or someone.

[Loch]

With the way this is looking we may finally see a challenge to the Glen Sather/Rangers title for the most terrible contracts on one team...

[Pengwin7]

So... perhaps conspiracy theory time...

McPhee trades for Fleury, gets a late 1st - Fleury accepts because McPhee has informed his agent he is going to flip Fleury to Philly (for more pick/prospects combo).

Fleury stays close to home, McPhee extracts maximum value & Pitt keeps Murray without trading to a rival

I love a good theory.
OK - here's mine:
1. PIT decides to go with a 4F/4D protect (which includes Crosby/Malkin/Kessel/Hornqvist + Letang/Schultz/Dumoulin/Maatta).
2. They convey this info to Vegas and ask if there's a trade to be constructed that gets Fleury back to PIT.
3. Vegas agrees that if PIT is willing to trade Maataa/Pick, they'll draft Fleury (as ransom towards trade goodwill) and then trade him back to PIT for the promised parts.

PIT gets to keep Fleury and all their forwards.
Vegas gets Maatta & draft pick (of ??? value).

[2014olympicgold]

I love a good theory.
OK - here's mine:
1. PIT decides to go with a 4F/4D protect (which includes Crosby/Malkin/Kessel/Hornqvist + Letang/Schultz/Dumoulin/Maatta).
2. They convey this info to Vegas and ask if there's a trade to be constructed that gets Fleury back to PIT.
3. Vegas agrees that if PIT is willing to trade Maataa/Pick, they'll draft Fleury (as ransom towards trade goodwill) and then trade him back to PIT for the promised parts.

PIT gets to keep Fleury and all their forwards.
Vegas gets Maatta & draft pick (of ??? value).

Fleury would have to waive his NMC for this to be done. They could theoretically do the same but draft Murray and trade him back to Pitts.

[Bass56]

I love a good theory.
OK - here's mine:
1. PIT decides to go with a 4F/4D protect (which includes Crosby/Malkin/Kessel/Hornqvist + Letang/Schultz/Dumoulin/Maatta).
2. They convey this info to Vegas and ask if there's a trade to be constructed that gets Fleury back to PIT.
3. Vegas agrees that if PIT is willing to trade Maataa/Pick, they'll draft Fleury (as ransom towards trade goodwill) and then trade him back to PIT for the promised parts.

PIT gets to keep Fleury and all their forwards.
Vegas gets Maatta & draft pick (of ??? value).

So Maatta is the ''big name'' player??

[Mr. Guru]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Pittsburgh makes a trade with Vegas to keep MAF and Murray.

[JagrBomb]

So... perhaps conspiracy theory time...

McPhee trades for Fleury, gets a late 1st - Fleury accepts because McPhee has informed his agent he is going to flip Fleury to Philly (for more pick/prospects combo).

Fleury stays close to home, McPhee extracts maximum value & Pitt keeps Murray without trading to a rival

I've got a gut feeling if Fleury goes to Vegas the incentive will include Sprong.

[LawMan]

I love a good theory.
OK - here's mine:
1. PIT decides to go with a 4F/4D protect (which includes Crosby/Malkin/Kessel/Hornqvist + Letang/Schultz/Dumoulin/Maatta).
2. They convey this info to Vegas and ask if there's a trade to be constructed that gets Fleury back to PIT.
3. Vegas agrees that if PIT is willing to trade Maataa/Pick, they'll draft Fleury (as ransom towards trade goodwill) and then trade him back to PIT for the promised parts.

PIT gets to keep Fleury and all their forwards.
Vegas gets Maatta & draft pick (of ??? value).

I like the analysis but as I understand it this can be accomplished much simpler.

My understanding is Vegas can take picks to give teams additional protection slots.
McPhee was quoted by hockey news saying:

“If (other teams) want to give us draft picks to encourage us to take a certain player or leave another player alone, we're open-minded and we're going to listen to everyone," McPhee told the Associated Press. "You usually build your team, historically, through the entry draft, so we'd certainly be interested in acquiring picks.”

1. Pittsburgh protects Murray and offers Vegas an xx round pick to protect MAF.- Vegas accepts.
2.Pittsburgh goes 7-3-1 and exposes Maata, Maata is selected.

MAF never leaves the Penguins roster. Same result, MAF need not waive NMC, so in that way its a simpler mechanism.
Actually, I don't know if its simpler, both require a "side deal" in that Pittsburgh has to agree to go 7-3-1 instead of 4-4, not sure if that's allowed.

[Pengwin7]

Fleury would have to waive his NMC for this to be done. They could theoretically do the same but draft Murray and trade him back to Pitts.

Yes - in my situational... Fleury would waive his NMC - with the understanding that PIT would trade for him. (or that Vegas simply not select Fleury for same trade return)
Part of this speculation is based on something similar that happened in 2000.
The Minnesota Wild drafted Chris Terreri from NJD... and then days after traded Terreri back to NJD for Brad Bombardir:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_NHL_Expansion_Draft

*Notably: Terreri was a back-up on that June's Stanley Cup winning New Jersey Devils.
[Terreri obviously wasn't the future of NJD - and in fact only stayed with the club that one season after... but he was part of the Devils 90s success group.]


@Lawman, yes - I suppose they could also just do "agreement" with Vegas that Vegas doesn't draft Fleury.
My gut feeling is that PIT hangs onto Fleury - just because he's been a big part of Pittsburgh's hockey identity for the last decade.
And for Vegas - I don't think having a 30-year old goaltender is going to make them any better for the long-term than drafting one of several really good young ones (Grubauer, Forsberg, Brossoit)

[Jouko-Pouko]

And for Vegas - I don't think having a 30-year old goaltender is going to make them any better for the long-term than drafting one of several really good young ones (Grubauer, Forsberg, Brossoit)

You mention "one of several really good young ones" and then list three so-so prospects who may or may not become full-time NHL goalies? OK, Grubauer is an NHL goalie but I'm not so sure he can become a starting goalie. The other two have shown nothing really to make them "really good".