Ideas to get roster settled

by devils_93 on Jul 7, 2011 5:23 PM EDT

There are quite a lot of posts on this site asking about what could be done to change this roster. Obviously, Lou has deals to do (namely a coach and resigning ZP), but there are other moves out there to be made to get this team under the cap, and still be able to compete for a playoff spot, if not the Cup.

This post is for those daring and bold enough to not just list the person that should be moved, but to list what the whole deal would be (player traded, team traded to, and compensation coming this way). However, I'm not looking for the ridiculous (like Rod Pelley for Alex Ovechkin and Washington's two 1st round picks). Let's try and come up with something legit, that both teams would agree too.

I'll start.

I've come up with two different trades that, IMHO, make sense for both teams.

Potential trade #1: Dainus Zubrus and rights to Matt Corrente to Minnesota for a 2012 3rd round pick and a 2013 3rd round pick. This would make sense for the Devils because it frees up Zubs 3.4 million cap hit, which gives us plenty of cap room to sign ZP. I think our use for Corrente has passed and a change of scenary might do him some good. We pick up a couple of draft picks, one this year and one next, to help us offset the picks we have lost (via trade or forfeiture) the last couple of years. I think we could get a 2nd for those players, but Minn traded their 2012 second in the Burns deal, so two 3rds seems like equal compensation. Or maybe a 3rd and 4th. Meanwhile, Minn gets a player that can play on their second line, maybe even center it, in Zubrus. They get a player who could be a top 6 defenseman if he can stay healthy. Per Capgeek, they only have 12 forwards and 6 defenseman, so they need to add players and have almost 11.4 million, enough to take Zubs 3.4 and sign Corrente and help them round out their roster. They don't have to give up to much in return in a couple of 3rd round picks. Seems like a win-win for both teams.

Potentail lines with this deal:

Kovy - Elias - Palmeri

Parise - Zajac - Henrique

Rolston - Josefson - Tedenby

Zharkov - Steckel - Clarkson

Pelley

Volchenkov - White

Tallinder - Fayne

Taormina - Greene

Fraser

Brodeur and Hedberg

Potential trade #2: Brian Rolston and a prospect (maybe Corrente or a forward like Mike Hoeffel) to Detroit for Justin Abdelkader. This move obviously depends on Brian waiving his NTC, but for a chance to play in Detroit, who wouldn't? Detroit gets an aging veteran (something they love) who can play 2nd or 3rd line, kill penalties, and play the point on the power play. They also get a promising young defenseman or forward to help them in the future (In the case of Corrente, maybe the very near future). They give up a talented forward in Abdelkader, but they still get a lot in return. We get Abdelkader who is a gritty forward with a scoring touch who can play 3rd line, who is still early in his career. Detroit can handle the 4 million swing in salary (cap space currently stands just north of 7 million). We lose almost 4, which one again gives us the room to resign ZP. This scenario seems less likely then #1, but does make some sense.

Potential lines with this deal:

Kovy - Elias - Palmeri

ZP - Zajac - Zubrus

Abdelkader - Josefson - Tedenby

Zharkov - Steckel - Clarkson

Pelley

Volchenkov - White

Tallinder - Fayne

Taormina - Greene

Fraser

Brodeur and Hedberg

Also notice that in both scenarios, I left Salvador off the roster. I don't think (as many on this site have stated) that he will play this year. Whether he goes on LTIR, or gets buried in Albany, I think he has played his last game as a Devil. With his cap hit off the books, in either scenario, we can sign Larsson and plug him in the lineup as well, even at a cap hit of 3 mil.

So, what do you think? Are either one of these trade options viable in your opinion? Are both? If not, would there be something you would change to make it better, or am I way off track and the deal is not really viable at all? Are there other trade partners in your mind? If so, who, and what could we get in return(remember, be realistic)?

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Comments

Dainus Zubrus and rights to Matt Corrente to Minnesota for a 2012 3rd round pick and a 2013 3rd round pick.

Minnesota’s roster is a little more flush than the 12 forwards/6 defensemen you cite. CapGeek is only including guys on NHL contracts, but there are guys further down below (in the non-roster players section) who are going to be there. Chay Genoway is going to be on their Opening Night roster, and I imagine David McIntyre will be in the mix as well.

Beyond that, I don’t see a purpose to Zubrus in Minnesota. Sure, he’s an upgrade over much of what the Wild will put out there on a nightly basis, but Minnesota isn’t particularly close to contention and probably doesn’t see a need to trade away more draft picks while they’re still building up their roster.

Minnesota also has five RFAs they’ve given quaifying offers to who haven’t signed anything, yet. It’s a stretch to think more than one or two of them will be in St. Paul come Opening Night, but the Wild can fill out their roster from within.

Brian Rolston and a prospect (maybe Corrente or a forward like Mike Hoeffel) to Detroit for Justin Abdelkader.

Um…. no. Just…. no. This trade is not going to happen. There is no reason for the Red Wings to make this deal. Abdelkader is a better player, Abdelkader is a lot less expensive, and Rolston wouldn’t be anything more than a fourth-liner in Detroit. There’s no reason for the Red Wings (or anyone else for that matter) to give the Devils an asset of any quality whatsoever in return for Brian Rolston.

….

I’m sorry, but both of these qualify as “unicorn trades” from this vantage.

by acasser on Jul 7, 2011 5:45 PM EDT reply actions

Actually Rolston would be much better than most of the guys in Detroit. They do employ Todd Bertuzzi as a op 6 forward you know. But yeah, that trade is pretty unrealistic

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by Kevin Sellathamby on Jul 8, 2011 10:09 AM EDT up reply actions

I could go forward-by-forward in Detroit and dissect why I think Rolston would be the 9th-best forward on the Red Wings roster if you dropped him into the middle of it…. and that would be my view through rose-colored/Rolston-loving goggles. But I won’t unless this discussion takes a turn that will oblige me to defend that particular point of view.

As for Bertuzzi, he’s still an above-average player. He isn’t the beast he was during his Vancouver days, when Bertuzzi-Morrison-Naslund was one of the very best lines in the League…. but he’s still a solid power forward. If he remains healthy (and that’s a more reasonable bet with him than with Rolston), you can probably expect 15 goals, 40-45 points, and 70-80 PIMs from Todd next season. The only one of those numbers I think Rolston matches and/or surpasses is the goal total.

by acasser on Jul 8, 2011 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I think you have to find teams that are in need of veteran presence/salary.
Look to Nashville, the Islanders, or Colorado.
I only now include Nashville because they have signed 4 RFA’s, leaving just Weber, Kostitsyn (and most likely Ryan Ellis $1.4M) to eat up $10M to reach the Cap Floor. While those three should command about that much, it means any injuries to a salary above $1M during the year puts them under the Cap Floor.
The Isles need more than $10M and their most significant RFA is Josh Bailey or maybe Blake Comeau. 4 more players to get a full roster there.
The Avalanche need about $6M with Galiardi, Porter and Cumiskey to re-sign. They currently have 20 players on their roster (via Capgeek) and most likely have to make room for Joey Hishon at $1.2M. I know there was a pitch for Kyle Cumiskey not too far back on this site. Brian Rolston actually makes sense on the Wing and might be seen as ‘salvageable’ playing alongside Duchene or Stastny (or even O’Reilly). He’d certainly be an upgrade (in the potential scoring department anyway) over David Koci or Cody McLeod

by Skuba7 on Jul 7, 2011 7:03 PM EDT reply actions