Think about it. What team would have to protect more than four defensemen. That would just be odd.

Also, if you wish to protect that 4D, are you actually losing two protection spots by choosing to do so? I already know RW is going to advocate protecting DP tomorrow, but it would be really dumb IMO to expose three more forwards than we have to unless DP becomes a clear cut top 4 guy next year.
- Victoro311

It really wasn't a question of whether it made sense to keep 3F-5D as it was seeing it as weird that RW would say he was using the 4F-4D option for certain teams even though there really isn't a 4F-4D option, it's an 8 skater option. I just find it odd that every calls the option 4F-4D not 8 skater.

Shero drafted well in later rounds but he deferred to the scouting department for them. He only had like 4 first round picks the entire time he was here, Staal, Bennet, Pouliot, and Maatta. It's not his fault Bennet is made of porcelain, he is a decent player when he actually plays. Staal was good and trading him got us some valuable assets Bonino(by way of Sutter), Dumoulin, Puliot, Bjorkvist(by way of Sutter). Maatta and Pouliot hopefully hit their potential and still have time. They also got this Hall kid from the Bennet trade and even though he's a third round pick he looks pretty good. Drafting those 4 guys have given us in different tangents a good chunk of our team. And that doesn't even cover the fact that he drafted Murray, Jarry, Rust, Wilson, Sundvist, Guentzel, Blueger, etc etc. His draft legacy really isn't that bad. It's not as awful as say Brian Burkes.
- Dcoms

Couldn't agree more. I've been advocating for years that RS's draft history has been much better than people give him credit for, his strategy of loading up on PMD with the few high picks he had definitely had it's flaws and 1 of those flaws was that it took longer to get contributions from his picks because defenseman typically take longer to develop as do the later round forward projects. We'Re just now starting to see the fruits of Shero's drafts.

It really wasn't a question of whether it made sense to keep 3F-5D as it was seeing it as weird that RW would say he was using the 4F-4D option for certain teams even though there really isn't a 4F-4D option, it's an 8 skater option. I just find it odd that every calls the option 4F-4D not 8 skater.
- jaydogg1974

Well if you are going to do the 8 skater option then you are obviously going to take 4D and I doubt any teams would protect a bottom pairing D instead of one of there top forwards.

Couldn't agree more. I've been advocating for years that RS's draft history has been much better than people give him credit for, his strategy of loading up on PMD with the few high picks he had definitely had it's flaws and 1 of those flaws was that it took longer to get contributions from his picks because defenseman typically take longer to develop as do the later round forward projects. We'Re just now starting to see the fruits of Shero's drafts.
- jaydogg1974

I actually kind of liked how Shero drafted a lot of PMD as it allowed him to use them as currency in trades like the Goligoski and Whitney trades which worked out great for Pittsburgh.

The girardi contract is bad, the boychuk contract is worse!!! How did the rags and iles give these contracts with nmc s??? Boychuk was 32 when he reupped!!! I wonder if iles fans are still talking about 5 good years, 2 bad lol ... That contract is an albatross

Well if you are going to do the 8 skater option then you are obviously going to take 4D and I doubt any teams would protect a bottom pairing D instead of one of there top forwards.
- lemieux_66

If pouliot shows next year he's a future 4d then he's a must protect. I'd protect hagelin over hornqvist, but let's not forget hagelin was a guy no one wanted and we essentially did Anaheim a favor taking his contract. I'd assume hornqvist has higher trade value right now.

Honestly I'd probably deal hornqvist for picks before the expansion draft if pouliot becomes a must protect. I would take a guess that there are teams only protect 3D who horn would be a big upgrade for 7th forward spot. Someone would decide he's the missing gritty forward they need. Wasn't Lucic worth 2 1st for one year? I would assume one year horn rental could net a first. We might even have the ability to retain a little salary for a year. Then lose one of rust, Wilson or fehr.

Could then flip the 1st at the deadline for a rental winger if we need to. I think that could be the formula to minimize our expansion loss.

I actually kind of liked how Shero drafted a lot of PMD as it allowed him to use them as currency in trades like the Goligoski and Whitney trades which worked out great for Pittsburgh.
- lemieux_66

I think early rebuild it makes sense to target defenseman. They take longer to develop. Then I would tank hard and use top picks on forwards with dmen when it's best available.

Once you have the core in-place draft forwards again. Takes too long to turn dmen into currency chips especially developing them because a decent team isn't giving their young d-proper minutes. It's easier to just hope you draft a saad/Jenner type then to draft d and trade.

The draft d and trade thing only really worked with gogo. Letang though was a key piece for our team. Whitney was declining and was just a good way to monetize.

Ansar Khan of MLive: Winger Gustav Nyquist has three years left on his deal with a $4.75 million salary cap hit. Nyquist struggled from December to the end of the season last year. He could find himself as a trade chip for the Red Wings as they search for a top-three defenseman.

Would You package Dumoulin or Määttä on a deal for Nyqvist?

Ansar Khan of MLive: Winger Gustav Nyquist has three years left on his deal with a $4.75 million salary cap hit. Nyquist struggled from December to the end of the season last year. He could find himself as a trade chip for the Red Wings as they search for a top-three defenseman.

Would You package Dumoulin or Määttä on a deal for Nyqvist?
- Barnaby36

I would package pouliot. but no. I wouldn't I think.

Ansar Khan of MLive: Winger Gustav Nyquist has three years left on his deal with a $4.75 million salary cap hit. Nyquist struggled from December to the end of the season last year. He could find himself as a trade chip for the Red Wings as they search for a top-three defenseman.

Would You package Dumoulin or Määttä on a deal for Nyqvist?
- Barnaby36

No. Nyquist is a nice player but we need our 2 and 3 D much more than him. If they wanted to talk DP, then I'm all ears.

Ansar Khan of MLive: Winger Gustav Nyquist has three years left on his deal with a $4.75 million salary cap hit. Nyquist struggled from December to the end of the season last year. He could find himself as a trade chip for the Red Wings as they search for a top-three defenseman.

Would You package Dumoulin or Määttä on a deal for Nyqvist?
- Barnaby36

No.

Besides that fact we don't have the cap room. He's 750k above Maata. How do we replace maata with anyone we can get for 800k. For Maata I would would package him for like Taylor Hall. Straight up if possible. Any top 4D Detroit could get would be for a package including Nyquist. The only top 4 Dman they could even get a whiff of for nyquist would be Paul Martin.

No.

Besides that fact we don't have the cap room. He's 750k above Maata. How do we replace maata with anyone we can get for 800k. For Maata I would would package him for like Taylor Hall. Straight up if possible. Any top 4D Detroit could get would be for a package including Nyquist. The only top 4 Dman they could even get a whiff of for nyquist would be Paul Martin.
- sditulli

if you contacted oilers before the hall trade you might have gotten hall for maatta

If pouliot shows next year he's a future 4d then he's a must protect. I'd protect hagelin over hornqvist, but let's not forget hagelin was a guy no one wanted and we essentially did Anaheim a favor taking his contract. I'd assume hornqvist has higher trade value right now.

Honestly I'd probably deal hornqvist for picks before the expansion draft if pouliot becomes a must protect. I would take a guess that there are teams only protect 3D who horn would be a big upgrade for 7th forward spot. Someone would decide he's the missing gritty forward they need. Wasn't Lucic worth 2 1st for one year? I would assume one year horn rental could net a first. We might even have the ability to retain a little salary for a year. Then lose one of rust, Wilson or fehr.

Could then flip the 1st at the deadline for a rental winger if we need to. I think that could be the formula to minimize our expansion loss.
- sditulli

No one wanting Hagelin is kind of a misconception. The Rangers would have loved to keep him but had/have cap issues that made that impossible. He just wasn't a good fit with the Ducks. Was his value much lower on Ducks at the time? Yes, but I'm sure we weren't the only ones with interest.

I wouldn't protect Hornqvist. I love him and I'm glad he's on the team next year, but giving him a five year extension with a pay raise (which he'll ask for and get) is a bad idea given the brand of hockey he plays. He won't have many good years after he's on the wrong side of 30 and could turn into Brian Bickell. I'd rather protect someone else than one year of Hornqvist. Maybe if DP shows enough next year that we start to like him again but not enough to merit a protection, having Hornqvist exposed could block him from being taken?

if you contacted oilers before the hall trade you might have gotten hall for maatta
- martox

If he didn't have the injury years that would have been possible. Didn't perform well enough for that to happen.

No one wanting Hagelin is kind of a misconception. The Rangers would have loved to keep him but had/have cap issues that made that impossible. He just wasn't a good fit with the Ducks. Was his value much lower on Ducks at the time? Yes, but I'm sure we weren't the only ones with interest.

I wouldn't protect Hornqvist. I love him and I'm glad he's on the team next year, but giving him a five year extension with a pay raise (which he'll ask for and get) is a bad idea given the brand of hockey he plays. He won't have many good years after he's on the wrong side of 30 and could turn into Brian Bickell. I'd rather protect someone else than one year of Hornqvist. Maybe if DP shows enough next year that we start to like him again but not enough to merit a protection, having Hornqvist exposed could block him from being taken?
- Victoro311

They've chosen other guys to pay. But it's not a misconception. They wanted him just though 4 a year was too much for mid-6. He's replaceable there is a frolik or boedker that provide similar depth every year signing for similar money.

Fwiw no situation exists where we leave horn and pouliot unprotected. If we protect 7f then horn will get protected. And his trade value as a 1 year rental might be too high.

Ansar Khan of MLive: Winger Gustav Nyquist has three years left on his deal with a $4.75 million salary cap hit. Nyquist struggled from December to the end of the season last year. He could find himself as a trade chip for the Red Wings as they search for a top-three defenseman.

Would You package Dumoulin or Määttä on a deal for Nyqvist?
- Barnaby36

Not a chance, good dmen are hard to come by and I really like both of their future prospects a lot. They are both very good character and hard working kids and the sky is really the limit for them. Nyquist is already starting to taper off.
In fact I bet if you asked Rutherford who was untouchable on the team Dumoulin would definitely be a name that would cross his toungue now. He may have horrible taste in music but his future as a Penguin is solid.

Looks like Ovie is injured? Not?

I am genuinely excited to read the Flyers portion of this series.

Looks like Ovie is injured? Not?
- powerhouse

Don't worry, Russia will have him nice and doped up healed well before the World Cup starts.

They've chosen other guys to pay. But it's not a misconception. They wanted him just though 4 a year was too much for mid-6. He's replaceable there is a frolik or boedker that provide similar depth every year signing for similar money.

Fwiw no situation exists where we leave horn and pouliot unprotected. If we protect 7f then horn will get protected. And his trade value as a 1 year rental might be too high.
- sditulli

Oh I agree. I was more talking about what I would do. I legitimately believe that Hornqvist will be the fourth forward management will want to protect and I'm using that as my reasoning as to why we can't go the 8 skater rout. I think if Hagelin is exposed he'd 100% be taken and that'd be a bad loss. Same with Murray. If we can avoid exposing those two, we won't lose anyone we don't want to.

Also I just don't think Hagelin is that replaceable. I still don't agree NYR deemed Hagelin expendable and were fine with parting with him. Having really bad and immoveable contracts in Girardi and Staal really hamstrings them cap wise and both Hagelin and Kreider were coming up on pay days. They couldn't pay both due to the bad cap they had on defense, and choosing Kreider there is a no brainer. I guarantee you if they could swap out Girardi's cap hit for Hagelin's right now they would. He's a much better player than Frolik and Boedker, IMO. Certainly Boedker.

The Nyquist question was an interesting one. Sweedes are a hard working and talented bunch. If Pouliot and Schultz prove themselves I would think about a Määttä trade

The Nyquist question was an interesting one. Sweedes are a hard working and talented bunch. If Pouliot and Schultz prove themselves I would think about a Määttä trade
- Barnaby36

If Maatta puts his injuries behind him after a healthy offseason and gets back on track, he is much more valuable than Nyquist.

Plus Finns > Sweedes. Suck it, Martox

If Maatta puts his injuries behind him after a healthy offseason and gets back on track, he is much more valuable than Nyquist.

Plus Finns > Sweedes. Suck it, Martox
- Victoro311

Swedish defensemen > Finnish defensemen
Finnish forwards > Swedish forwards.