Sportsnet: Greg Wyshynski and Jeff Marek on The Jeff Marek Show talking about the Edmonton Oilers being a ‘hipster’ pick to be in the Stanley Cup Final at first when you have players like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. What’s the logic? Then they get into teams trading a first-round pick for defensemen at the trade deadline.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Wyshynski: “Sure. Stu Skinner and Jack Campbell, That’s the logic. No, I mean, the reason I picked them cause I figured one of those guys would be at least average, And you get average goaltending behind what I think is a really talented and deep forward group.
I’m betting on Kenny Holland going out and finding another veteran defenseman at the deadline. Although I got to tell you, man, you see the way this league is shaping up right now, whoever is going to be the David Savard, for lack of a better proxy, at this trade deadline, someone’s going to get a king’s ransom for him.
I feel like there’s like seven teams all looking for that second-pairing veteran defenseman to get them over the top right now. So whoever is holding that card is going to do pretty well for themselves at the deadline.”
Marek: “You know what, David Savard is a great example. I’ll throw Ben Chiarot into that mix as well. Someone is getting a second-pairing defenseman. Everyone is going to be chasing a second-pairing D and it’s going to cost them a first-round pick.
Which, at the beginning of the season you say to yourself, ‘oh no, no. That’s way too expensive for that player’ and then trade deadline rolls around and you’re nip and tuck for a playoff spot and you say to yourself, ‘oh man if we fall out I’m really going to hear it from my owner, and I don’t know what my future is, I might not even be here for this draft pick that’s a couple years away.’ Like what we saw with the Florida Panthers – screw it, I’m just going to pay the king’s ransom and we’re going to get our defenseman.
And right now, you look around the NHL and we started off the season, we looked at Boston and said, okay, injuries are the story there, to biggies with McAvoy and Grzelcyk, and now you see Aaron Ekblad and you see Jake Muzzin.
If you’re the Arizona Coyotes, there’s no reason to drop your price for Jakob Chychrun. Like right now, and Scott Perunovich goes down at the beginning of the season for the St. Louis Blues, like there is zero reasons, I know maybe there’s some frustration from the player, but there is zero reasons for Arizona to lower their price for Jakob Chychrun because there are needs out there, Wysh, there are needs.
Wyshynski: “There are. I want to park on that draft pick thing for second.
But another guy I’m thinking about for example is Damon Severson. In the last year of his deal with the Devils. 28, right side D. Real good player.
Like if they’re not in it, that’s the kind of guy that I think could bring back a pretty good return.
The draft pick part of this is very interesting though. If you’re on the bubble and you are pushing in your chips to get your David Savard, Ben Chiarot-type guy and he costs you a one (first-round pick), like are you going to be allowed to trade that one? Don’t you have to be firmly ensconced in a playoff spot, considering this draft in order to give up this first-round pick?
Marek: “It’s a good point because when Florida did it they were firmly ensconced. When Tampa did it to Savard they were firmly ensconced. I’ll need to go back and just thinking trade history, where were the teams? Where were the positions when Kyle Quincy went for that first-round draft pick and we all went, whoa, Kyle Quincy just went for a first-round draft pick right? That was one of the first ones where you look and you said, wow.
Brian Burke would always make the point that there’s two times during the year where general managers overpay for defense. It’s trade deadline and it’s free agency. Those two days are when everyone pays too much, by the way assets or by the way of money for a defenseman.
I’m with you. I’m thinking it’s shaping up the exact same way this season. And I think Damon Severson’s an interesting one. I thought before they wrapped him up, I thought Travis Sanheim could have been one of those players on market. That if Philadelphia really decided to go the burn it all down and build it back up again, they could have fetched a lot for Travis Sanheim. The problem is, then you try to find another player like Travis Sanheim and they don’t really exist around the NHL. Although Calgary might have one in Chris Tanev.
But I think you’re right. I think that you look around the NHL right now, I think we’re going to see teams looking for that same commodity at trade deadline, and the prices are going to be high.
The other thing we need to consider here to. Elliotte’s always a big one on this one. Don’t forget how much money comes in come playoff time, and how much money was lost for some of these organizations during COVID.
So if a first-round pick means a couple extra dates at home, I don’t know if it might be the GMs decision but team president and right to the top team owner. I’m pretty sure they are pretty cool with it.
Wyshynski: “It’s an interest cost benefit analysis. How much money do you make in a couple playoff dates during a first-round exit versus the long-term economic impact of Connor Bedard? It’s a very, open up your text books kids. You’re e-comm 101 text books.”
** NHLRumors.com transcription