Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Question of the Day: What is the required return in a Chris Kelly trade?

In light of Garrioch's article that Murray is hitting the phones, combined with the apparent emergence of Regin as a third line centre, we now have a very expensive fourth line. Kelly centres at $2.2M, Ruutu makes $1.3M, and Neil makes $2M. Of the three, it would seem the depth at centre is where Kelly loses out.

So if he's on the trade block, what return would we need? Is he good enough that we have to get a high pick or good prospect? Or is he so replaceable that we'd just need a 5th rounder for the cap space?

Follow up question - would you trade Kelly, Ruutu, and Picard to Washington for $4.875M Michael Nylander so he could set up Alfie and Cheechoo on the second line? Salaries are close and they get actual bodies for their castoff, while we actually get a second line playmaking centre...and open up spots for Regin and Karlsson.

Thoughts?

9 comments:

Joshua Lind said...

A bag of pucks? 3rd to 6th Rounder and I'm happy.

Just the cap space is good enough for me...

Joshua Lind said...

Picard stays unless we get a true offensive defenseman back.

Sacul said...

There is no way Bryan Murray is going to make room for any big contract unless one of the few "stud" defensemen becomes available in strange circumstances (like Heatley.) If Kelly (or Neil, Ruutu, Donovan, Schubert) is traded, it will be for picks or some fading prospect on a 2-way deal. I'm sure BM isn't finding any willing dance partners as the market is flooded with bottom 6 forwards.

nate- said...

Yes his contract is pretty steep but he is a solid 4th line center. Unlike Picard, Shubert or Neil he can actually serve a valuable purpose as a great penalty killer and shutdown center. Having one of the best 4th line centers in the league is a good thing. If your'e going to dump salary for a 5th round pick I would look to Shubert, Picard and Neil first.
Neil first because they are arent nearly as valuable as Kelly is.

hambown said...

I'd like to see Kelly & a late pick (say 4th) swapped for two early picks (1st,3rd). Targets should be any team close to the salary floor, with bonus points for being shallow at centre.

Master Of Puppets said...

Kelly, Neil and Ruutu are probably the most marketable. Kelly could be a 3rd line center on a team weak at the position. At 2.1M that's about right.

I like Nylander, but he's way overpriced (by 800K). You could argue that he's on Alfies level productionwise (60-70 pts), but his intangibles are suspect.

Nylander has one year left at 5.5M and the final year at 3.0M, his hit is still 4.875M (doesn't change based on remaining salary owed).

If we didn't have Fisher at 4.2M then maybe.

Lang may be a cheaper option - if Sykora signed for 1.6, Lang should go for less than 2. Not sure how much he has left at age 39. He had 39 points in 50 games last year with 18 goals. He's a cheap Sundin.

Honestly, I don't know why the Rangers don't pick him up, and send Dubinsky to us for Kelly and a 2nd round pick. LOL. Or even better, Kelly, Neil and Picard for Dubinsky and Anisimov. Is Slats good for a fleecing?

Pipe dream. Kelly may well be moved for a pick or picks. He has shown flashes of offense, but I don't see him as a third line regular. Great PK guy but you need 4 or 5, and Fisher, Kovalev, Michalek, Alfie, Donovan, Foligno, Regin can all do that job.

I can see Pedro gone - I don't understand the attachment some people have for these depth players. Can't trade Kelly, Neil, Donovan, Ruutu ... etc etc etc.

Somethings got to give when you can't have/use them all ...

Anshu said...

I suspect given the market, you probably can't get more than a 3rd round pick for Kelly. Of course, I didn't think you could get a 2nd round pick AND a number one goalie for Vermette, but Murray did.

I wouldn't make the Nylander deal. The purpose of moving Kelly is to open up a spot for a young guy like Regin and reduce our cap expenditure on forwards. This makes it possible to augment at D, possibly at the trade deadline.

By clearing $2.3M for the year, you can pick up a pricey D-man at the deadline. If we wait to move Kelly until later, it limits the salary you can take on at the deadline.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I am new here. This Websites great, ive learned loads from it so far!

Anonymous said...

Good day!

I'm new to this , but I guess I shall be spending quite a bit of time here as there seems to be so much going on! I'm hoping to make some new friends
big respect, Dennis from [url=http://www.myonlinepayday.com]My Online Payday[/url] website!