Trading Veterans and Prospects for Offense?

by NJGuy on Jul 22, 2011 2:24 PM EDT

I've been doing some thinking, and I have a few ideas on how the Devils can assist in opening up cap space, while acquiring some potentially top offensive prospects in exchange for some of our veterans, and defensive prospects.

We all know that the Devils are in a small bind in trying to sign Zach Parise to a long term contract due to the cap space we have to deal with. Several options that we have include putting Bryce Salvador on LITR, in order to free up his cap space, which would be more than enough to accomplish our goal. There is also the option of trading at least one of a selection of players in order to free up that precious cap space. This option has been discussed numerous times, and speculates on trading players like Rolston, or Zubrus. They both add important qualities to the team, and trading either one of them as a salary dump could be detrimental to the team. Also acknowledging that if such a trade is a salary dump, we may have to throw in a defensive prospect in order to make it happen.

Now, I will raise the possiblity of going through with a trade, partially as a salary dump, but to instead pick up some good offensive prospects. We all know that our system is just about overflowwing with defensive prospects, I'll list those from the top 20 prospects list just to make the point again:

Adam Larsson, D
Jon Merrill, D
Alexander Urbom, D
Brandon Burlon, D
Eric Gelinas, D
Matt Taormina, D
Maxim Noreau, D
Dan Kelly, D
Joe Sova, D
Curtis Gedig, D
Corbin McPherson, D

On that list, there are only 5 offensive prospects on that list compared to 11 defensive prospects. Now I would say that the top 7 of the defensive prospects on this list are NHL Caliber at this point. For this next season, we are expecting Adam Henrique to make the jump to the NHL. Other than that, we don't have many guys at all. We of course do have the prospects we drafted in this draft, but it will be a few years until they are NHL ready.

I've been looking through the NHL's top prospects list as listed on http://www.hockeysfuture.com/hockey_top_50_prospects/, trying to figure out if there is a team that happens to have good offensive prospects, and in need of defense, as well as at the NHL level. Alas, I haven't really figured anything that strikes me as a great potential trade. This is were I would like everyone's opinions on this. Do you think that we should trade some of our veteran players packaged with prospects for offensive prospects or promising players with low cap hits? If so, which prospects do you think we should be willing to trade, and which veterans? Rolston, Zubrus? Should we consider trading a veteran defenseman? It could be a benefit for the long term. Salvador and White are entering the last years of their contracts, would it be best to call up a young defenseman in order trade for a prospect or future pick? I would like to know what you think.

Personally, I will add, I like the fact that our organization has mainly been home-grown, and would like to keep it that way, but the fact that we lack depth in forwards in the minors should be looked at.

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I happen to like the idea of looking into some offense-for-defense type swaps with other clubs who might have a glut of offensive talent in the minors. I think the salary-dump element to the trade you’re suggesting clouds things up, though. To get someone to take on Rolston or Zubrus, it seems like you won’t get equal return prospect-wise for whatever d-men you send their way.

Status quo.

by nyynygnjd on Jul 22, 2011 7:11 PM EDT reply actions

True, it does throw a wrench into the plans by wanting to trade Rolston or Zubrus, but if that is the option that Lou wants to go with, it could be very possible. It would be a salary dump for us while providing a veteran to the team that is our trading partner, but the feature of the trade for them would be the defensive prospect, while we acquire the offensive prospective that we so desire. But yes, it would be a salary dump nonetheless, but doing it in order to get something that our system is lacking somewhat.

by NJGuy on Jul 22, 2011 7:35 PM EDT reply actions

A salary dump of a veteran will not net the Devils anything of substance in return…. and Lou Lamorello shouldn’t even waste time attempting to trade Rolston and/or Zubrus for anything substantial. Trading one or the other (or perhaps even David Clarkson) would be for the express purpose of freeing up cap space by ridding the franchise of an overpaid forward.

I disagree with the premise that the top 7 defense prospects as you list them are “NHL ready”. Three of the seven players have never played a professional game in North America, and a fourth hasn’t even made an NHL roster. Of the remaining three, there are issues with all of them:

Matt Taormina is coming off a significant injury and has a very short track record. His handful of games looked promising, but there’s no certainty he’ll be good enough to win a roster spot come Training Camp.

Alex Urbom bounced up and down between Newark and Albany last season because he wasn’t ready for the Big Show on a consistent basis. Similar to Taormina, there’s nothing screaming out that he’ll have improved enough to nail down a spot on the blue line.

Maxim Noreau couldn’t stick with the Wild, and would have been non-tendered if he hadn’t been traded to New Jersey. It isn’t like Minnesota is stacked with offensive talent on their blue line, which makes me wonder what the Wild thought he was missing.

For this next season, we are expecting Adam Henrique to make the jump to the NHL.

I’m not. Short of a substantial trade, I don’t necessarily see a place for him to play above the 4th line…. and it would be a considerable detriment to his development to get six-to-ten low quality minutes a night in Newark instead of heavy minutes in all situations at Albany. Henrique might be good enough — although once again we don’t have a real barometer on how he compares to bonafide NHL talent — but there’s a logjam ahead of him. I think the more likely scenario is that Henrique gets one of the spots vacated by a veteran for 2012-2013, whether it be a departing free agent such as Brian Rolston or another spot opened by way of trade or ineffectiveness of a prospect (e.g. Nick Palmieri regressing).

I think the ideal solution would be to make some tough decisions about the defense prospects and decide which ones absolutely have no future in New Jersey. Trade some of them for forward prospects who are a year or two away, and then let the kids develop. As veterans retire and/or have their contracts expire (or if Lou pulls a rabbit out of his hat and makes a bad contract disappear), give the prospects first crack at the jobs being opened up.

You don’t necessarily have to look for teams that have a shortfall of defense prospects or a surplus of forward prospects. Other franchises might prefer our defense prospects to their own, or have forwards they’re willing to part with even if they don’t necessarily have significant depth up front. The General Manager and the Scouting Department can evaluate who might be available, who among them is desirable, and if there might be a fit.

Right now, this is a veteran-laden team. There isn’t room for a rookie to push his way in unless his play is so exceptional that it forces the issue…. and there’s no reason to try and force a rookie into a spot barring injuries/trades. Time will sort most of the rest out.

by acasser on Jul 22, 2011 9:07 PM EDT reply actions

huh?

Don’t you think if its was possible to move rolston it would have been done already? short of adding a top prospect no one is taking his salary unless they are really hard up on making the minimum payroll.

by pepe22 on Jul 23, 2011 11:45 AM EDT reply actions