Which young assets should I trade to improve?

[snaxwell]

I find the key to winning our league is acquiring young assets and then (smartly) trade them for proven talent once GMs start to get excited about their potential. My team is coming out of a hefty rebuild and I think with a few more pieces (particularly on D) I can be competitive in the top half this year. I've worked hard to acquire young, valuable assets off of waivers and through the draft and I'd like to figure out who I want to focus on selling off in a potential-for-proven-results deal with a seller. I've already traded a few. Below are my most valuable current young assets, who should I keep and who should I shop? Or maybe I just hold and see if these guys pan out?

On Roster (no-longer minors eligible):

Jarvis
Kaliyev
Maccelli

In Minors:

Guenther
Reichel
Peterka
Kemell
N. Robertson

Nikishin
Addison

Wallstedt

[LuigiC173]

One of the goalies if not two have to be moved for an upgrade at D, F, there's no world where you need five of them in a twelve man league. Whilst this team has solid depth overall, you lack a true star defender which you need to get over the hump. Eichel has the star caliber ability but you need more than one in a league this size. Creating some sort of package to acquire one even if it means overpaying somewhat is how I would be approaching the offseason.

Ideally another team exists with excellent skaters but truly poor goaltending. Basically pick two of those goalies to offload and add in a forward or two to go after a star with a small add-on sweetener if you can get it. The angle is your solid depth package for a star. Do not shoot for the moon and go after a Draisaitl but you can certainly put something together to get a 75-85 point, goal-heavy forward or defender with 60 point ability.

[snaxwell]

One of the goalies if not two have to be moved for an upgrade at D, F, there's no world where you need five of them in a twelve man league. Whilst this team has solid depth overall, you lack a true star defender which you need to get over the hump. Eichel has the star caliber ability but you need more than one in a league this size. Creating some sort of package to acquire one even if it means overpaying somewhat is how I would be approaching the offseason.

Ideally another team exists with excellent skaters but truly poor goaltending. Basically pick two of those goalies to offload and add in a forward or two to go after a star with a small add-on sweetener if you can get it. The angle is your solid depth package for a star. Do not shoot for the moon and go after a Draisaitl but you can certainly put something together to get a 75-85 point, goal-heavy forward or defender with 60 point ability.

Okay very interesting! Should I trade Ullmark while his value is highest?

[LuigiC173]

Okay very interesting! Should I trade Ullmark while his value is highest?

Linus is the last one I would look to move because he's the only one who is an unquestioned starter on what should still be a competitive team even if Patrice and Krejci hang 'em up.

As an example I would have a trade block the likes of:

Grubauer (sell high)
Korpisalo (sell high)
Ehlers (sounds insane but he will get hurt)
DeBrusk
Hague/Kubalik/Bean

The work is finding the team that needs what you have to offer and working something out to attain what you want.

[snaxwell]

Linus is the last one I would look to move because he's the only one who is an unquestioned starter on what should still be a competitive team even if Patrice and Krejci hang 'em up.

As an example I would have a trade block the likes of:

Grubauer (sell high)
Korpisalo (sell high)
Ehlers (sounds insane but he will get hurt)
DeBrusk
Hague/Kubalik/Bean

The work is finding the team that needs what you have to offer and working something out to attain what you want.

Thank you for this insight!

[RizzeeDizzee]

1000% Maccelli. The list of productive very productive wingers in recent memory who just don't shoot the puck, pretty much begins and ends with Alex Tanguay.

[Nylander2.0]

1000% Maccelli. The list of productive very productive wingers in recent memory who just don't shoot the puck, pretty much begins and ends with Alex Tanguay.

Also Robert Thomas and Marner ( his first few seasons )

[Magicstew]

Find the teams that need some goaltending and inquire there. Start shopping Walstedt - goalies are hard to project and don't usually contribute till 24-25.
Also look at teams with depth at a position that can afford to move players.
Shop them all, see what guys are biting all.
You can definitelty afford to move a goalie or 2. If Gibson gets traded from Anaheim his value will sky rocket.

[Daydream Nation]

Okay very interesting! Should I trade Ullmark while his value is highest?

That was what I thought. He's not going to repeat this past season. Boston is going to take a step back and Swayman might even be the better goalie. I'd see what you could get for Ullmark.

[RizzeeDizzee]

Also Robert Thomas and Marner ( his first few seasons )

Dating back to 2000-01, there were 809 instances of a winger playing in 60+ games while scoring at a rate of 0.7 points per game. Maccelli's 2022-23 SOG rate puts him in dead last, with just six other instances (two by Andrew Brunette and two by Tanguay) of forwards averaging less than 1.5 SOG per game. That's pretty damning to me. Oh, and Thomas is a center. I'm talking strictly wingers here.

[Belexus75]

Find the teams that need some goaltending and inquire there. Start shopping Walstedt - goalies are hard to project and don't usually contribute till 24-25.
Also look at teams with depth at a position that can afford to move players.
Shop them all, see what guys are biting all.
You can definitelty afford to move a goalie or 2. If Gibson gets traded from Anaheim his value will sky rocket.

I agree with this but when it comes to trading your young guys this is a loaded question....who do you trade?

well you want to get better, so technically you want to keep the better prospects and trade the weaker ones but better prospects will get you better win now talent..so its catch 22 in a way...i think you do exactly as Magicstew said...shop all, see your options and evaluate. Do bets deals you get and dont decide who to trade before you know whats out there for each of them

[snaxwell]

I agree with this but when it comes to trading your young guys this is a loaded question....who do you trade?

well you want to get better, so technically you want to keep the better prospects and trade the weaker ones but better prospects will get you better win now talent..so its catch 22 in a way...i think you do exactly as Magicstew said...shop all, see your options and evaluate. Do bets deals you get and dont decide who to trade before you know whats out there for each of them

I like this approach!

[stevegamer]

I also think you have too many main roster goalies. Gibson is a guy I'd try to move, because his value (such as it is) comes from volume, and as soon as an above average goalie gets there, his value is toast. To me he's a package with a young guy for a skater. Stolarz outplayed him in 21-22, but couldn't do so again this past year.

Hart's a keep, as he's young, far better than Gibson the last 4 years, and also entrenched as the starter.

Korpisalo likely has little value as he's neither entrenched nor young, but he could be solid if nets a good job.

Ullmark could be a good guy to move at peak value, as that season won't repeat, and he is in a tandem.

The Kraken & Grubauer's playoff run means he may have value again. He's another one to move.

As far as your young guys, I'd shop most of them.

G: Wallstedt would be a guy I'd hold. He's potentially elite, and his timeline lines up with Minnesota's dead cap issues mostly clearing up.

D: Addison could be shopped for a more proven top end defender, but he's likely a guy who will play a bunch next year. I think he's an attractive piece to move for an upgrade. Also, he's likely to lose minors eligibility soon.
Nikishin is probably a guy who won't fetch a lot, I'd guess.

F: Macceli is poor in this format, as he's not gritty, and not a goal scorer. Also no longer minors-eligible.
The rest of the guys are a bit harder to figure. Some do projects as good in this format, and others are too soon to tell. Moving one or two as pieces in deals could be good.

[snaxwell]

Bumping this thread because I really appreciated the feedback and I put some of you words into action. I made the following two trades and have a third lined up:

I traded my Keller, Cozens and 6th overall pick for Draisaitl to get me a bonafide star as suggested. Then that same day I traded my Wallstedt, Maccelli and Nikishin for Quinn Hughes to get a star D as suggested.

Now, as for goalies, I shopped around and have been offered Trochek (stud in our format) for Gibson straight up.

Feel free to add any more thoughts if you'd like! I may pull the trigger on the Gibson deal but was thinking of offering Ullmark instead to see if I can get an even better player. Thanks!

[Luffy D Monkey]

Whoever traded you Draisaitl needs to retire