Trading for D is the play

[bencardsfan]

We are so deep at forward there’s a good chance we’ll be fine sorting out the 2C on the fly for the next year or two. Either schenn stays relevant (Holloway, kyrou and other young skill elevating that line), Dalibor steps up(dont forget he dominated OHL two years ago and figured out AHL last year, he’s not far off, DA is just keeping expectations down), or worst case we trade for a stop gap at the deadline for the stretch run.

So, let’s solidify the top 4 D. Assuming he recovers from the 4 nations shoulder injury, Charlie Mcavoy might make sense. The Bruins were the worst team in the east and a rebuild is likely. Mcavoy is 27, signed through ‘29/‘30, and would be a top 4 RHD for us through any cup window we have for the next 5 years. At 27 he bridges the age gap between our current defensemen(parayko 31, broberg 23). He’s established as about a 50pt player you can count on for 23-24min/game, plays hard defense and is a team leader.

Mcavoy
For
Faulk, Adam Jiricek, ‘25 1st round pick

Mcavoy is signed through 29/30 at 9.5m/year, with a 10 team “yes” trade list kicking in 2028. Makes no sense for the bruins to waste him/pay him through a rebuild

Faulk has one year left at 6.5, so the money is close enough to make work. He does, however, get a 15 team no trade list.

Boston clears a little salary and gets a stopgap vet, high end D prospect and a first rounder to help their rebuild.

Blues lock up the defense and solidify their cup window for a few years.

Thoughts? Would Boston trade their top defenseman? Would Faulk exercise his no trade rights? Is that a fair trade? Is the need for a forward more important?

LGB

[rbirules]

I'm not convinced Boston is going to blow it up more than they already have and tear it all down and start over (i.e. trade their core of Pasta, McAvoy, Swayman), but if they did i would love to get McAvoy or Pasta (in that order of preference). He's the position we need, right age range, and the salary can work with the rising cap.

Only "problem" is there would be 20 other teams interested in him as well. I would absolutely be willing to trade Jiricek and our 2025 first (helps them jump start the rebuild) for McAvoy (or Pasta).

[dhsux]

I do like his term for a deal like that.

Problem beyond the players agreeing DA seems settled on the D for now and likely wanting a 2 C for the now and that is going to cost a pretty penny by itself to say nothing of the picks or prospects for the Mcavoy trade.

I think for next year there's room for 1 big trade, not 2. That's how I see it anyway.

[noted]

We are so deep at forward there’s a good chance we’ll be fine sorting out the 2C on the fly for the next year or two. Either schenn stays relevant (Holloway, kyrou and other young skill elevating that line), Dalibor steps up(dont forget he dominated OHL two years ago and figured out AHL last year, he’s not far off, DA is just keeping expectations down), or worst case we trade for a stop gap at the deadline for the stretch run.

So, let’s solidify the top 4 D. Assuming he recovers from the 4 nations shoulder injury, Charlie Mcavoy might make sense. The Bruins were the worst team in the east and a rebuild is likely. Mcavoy is 27, signed through ‘29/‘30, and would be a top 4 RHD for us through any cup window we have for the next 5 years. At 27 he bridges the age gap between our current defensemen(parayko 31, broberg 23). He’s established as about a 50pt player you can count on for 23-24min/game, plays hard defense and is a team leader.

Mcavoy
For
Faulk, Adam Jiricek, ‘25 1st round pick

Mcavoy is signed through 29/30 at 9.5m/year, with a 10 team “yes” trade list kicking in 2028. Makes no sense for the bruins to waste him/pay him through a rebuild

Faulk has one year left at 6.5, so the money is close enough to make work. He does, however, get a 15 team no trade list.

Boston clears a little salary and gets a stopgap vet, high end D prospect and a first rounder to help their rebuild.

Blues lock up the defense and solidify their cup window for a few years.

Thoughts? Would Boston trade their top defenseman? Would Faulk exercise his no trade rights? Is that a fair trade? Is the need for a forward more important?

LGB

Sorry but Boston doesn’t consider this for a second. McAvoy would cost the Blues Dvorsky, Kyrou, and a first or 2.

[callitwhatyouwant]

D is not the play this season. 1 real forward is the play this season. Then when our cap opens up, you go sign a number 1 D or trade for it. Offense cost us this year not defense. And we can survive 1 more year with the group we have. This year you go O, then Joseph, Texier, Sunny, Walker, Torps, All come off the books, you pick who you re-sign for your 4th line, and then you insert our young guys. The money that is now opened up on the O because we have young guys inserted into the lineup then gets allocated at revamping the defense when the Leddy contract is over and Faulk has 1 more year.

No reason to rush going defense when it is going to take care of itself in 2 years.

[Bubble4427]

We are so deep at forward there’s a good chance we’ll be fine sorting out the 2C on the fly for the next year or two. Either schenn stays relevant (Holloway, kyrou and other young skill elevating that line), Dalibor steps up(dont forget he dominated OHL two years ago and figured out AHL last year, he’s not far off, DA is just keeping expectations down), or worst case we trade for a stop gap at the deadline for the stretch run.

So, let’s solidify the top 4 D. Assuming he recovers from the 4 nations shoulder injury, Charlie Mcavoy might make sense. The Bruins were the worst team in the east and a rebuild is likely. Mcavoy is 27, signed through ‘29/‘30, and would be a top 4 RHD for us through any cup window we have for the next 5 years. At 27 he bridges the age gap between our current defensemen(parayko 31, broberg 23). He’s established as about a 50pt player you can count on for 23-24min/game, plays hard defense and is a team leader.

Mcavoy
For
Faulk, Adam Jiricek, ‘25 1st round pick

Mcavoy is signed through 29/30 at 9.5m/year, with a 10 team “yes” trade list kicking in 2028. Makes no sense for the bruins to waste him/pay him through a rebuild

Faulk has one year left at 6.5, so the money is close enough to make work. He does, however, get a 15 team no trade list.

Boston clears a little salary and gets a stopgap vet, high end D prospect and a first rounder to help their rebuild.

Blues lock up the defense and solidify their cup window for a few years.

Thoughts? Would Boston trade their top defenseman? Would Faulk exercise his no trade rights? Is that a fair trade? Is the need for a forward more important?

LGB

Sorry but Boston doesn’t consider this for a second. McAvoy would cost the Blues Dvorsky, Kyrou, and a first or 2.

It wouldn’t take THAT much. Dvorsky, Kyrou, and 2 1sts? No way.
I also don’t see DA bringing in a player that will be making more than Thomas and Kyrou. That just isn’t the way that he does business..
On a side note…..I believe the Blues could find a deal with someone who would take Faulk…but I don’t think he would bring in much of a haul at this point.

[STL fan in MN]

Boston isn’t trading McAvoy.

Also, Army said in his presser that he likes his top-4 D and his main target this summer is a forward.

[smegma]

Boston isn’t trading McAvoy.

Also, Army said in his presser that he likes his top-4 D and his main target this summer is a forward.

Yes, but maybe he does not want to show his cards.

[skilles]

Boston isn’t trading McAvoy.

Also, Army said in his presser that he likes his top-4 D and his main target this summer is a forward.

For sure but he also knows he'll need that RD soon enough and I'm sure he would strike while the iron is hot if the opportunity was there.

[noted]

We are so deep at forward there’s a good chance we’ll be fine sorting out the 2C on the fly for the next year or two. Either schenn stays relevant (Holloway, kyrou and other young skill elevating that line), Dalibor steps up(dont forget he dominated OHL two years ago and figured out AHL last year, he’s not far off, DA is just keeping expectations down), or worst case we trade for a stop gap at the deadline for the stretch run.

So, let’s solidify the top 4 D. Assuming he recovers from the 4 nations shoulder injury, Charlie Mcavoy might make sense. The Bruins were the worst team in the east and a rebuild is likely. Mcavoy is 27, signed through ‘29/‘30, and would be a top 4 RHD for us through any cup window we have for the next 5 years. At 27 he bridges the age gap between our current defensemen(parayko 31, broberg 23). He’s established as about a 50pt player you can count on for 23-24min/game, plays hard defense and is a team leader.

Mcavoy
For
Faulk, Adam Jiricek, ‘25 1st round pick

Mcavoy is signed through 29/30 at 9.5m/year, with a 10 team “yes” trade list kicking in 2028. Makes no sense for the bruins to waste him/pay him through a rebuild

Faulk has one year left at 6.5, so the money is close enough to make work. He does, however, get a 15 team no trade list.

Boston clears a little salary and gets a stopgap vet, high end D prospect and a first rounder to help their rebuild.

Blues lock up the defense and solidify their cup window for a few years.

Thoughts? Would Boston trade their top defenseman? Would Faulk exercise his no trade rights? Is that a fair trade? Is the need for a forward more important?

LGB

Sorry but Boston doesn’t consider this for a second. McAvoy would cost the Blues Dvorsky, Kyrou, and a first or 2.

It wouldn’t take THAT much. Dvorsky, Kyrou, and 2 1sts? No way.
I also don’t see DA bringing in a player that will be making more than Thomas and Kyrou. That just isn’t the way that he does business..
On a side note…..I believe the Blues could find a deal with someone who would take Faulk…but I don’t think he would bring in much of a haul at this point.

Yes it is. They aren’t trading him anyway

[STL fan in MN]

Boston isn’t trading McAvoy.

Also, Army said in his presser that he likes his top-4 D and his main target this summer is a forward.

For sure but he also knows he'll need that RD soon enough and I'm sure he would strike while the iron is hot if the opportunity was there.

Absolutely. He knows most of our D is still on the wrong side of 30 and if the opportunity presents itself, he has the assets and cap space flexibility to strike.

But I do believe him when he says his priority is adding a forward. But at the same time, if that door is closed but the door to an opportunity to notably improve the D is open, still still walk through that door.

[sneptsmoustache]

"Hey Don, it's Army"

"Hey Army, what's up?"

"I've got a great deal for you. What would you think of Justin Faulk, Adam Jiricek, and our '25 1st for Charlie Ma..."

*CLICK*

[seattleblue]

What's standing in the way of the Blues being a top flight contender is having another very strong 22+ minutes RHD

[This player is absolutely also not Blake Fiddler of the Edmonton Oil Kings]

I agree Boston wouldn't trade McAvoy and that the offer of Faulk, Jiricek and Blues 1st is not that appealing. You have an anchor RHD and you're going to convert that value into Faulk for the price of the 19th overall pick in a weaker first round and a very iffy prospect? I agree that it's a bit of card holding. Besides if you announce that you're looking to upgrade D then you're kind of announcing Faulk doesn't really belong in the top 4 group any more, given that nobody is thinking that about Fowler, Parayko and Broberg. And if you do that now your team isn't as team-y in the offseason since Faulk is a part of the leadership group. Thus I don't see the benefit in Armstrong telling us he's looking to upgrade Faulk before he's actually ready to pull the trigger, at which time he will simply say "I saw an opportunity to make the Blues better" if people say "but but but you said you were targeting a forward."

I really believe in Dvorsky. He might see some AHL games next season but if he does they'll be relatively few and his last. I am really confident when he is 24-25 years old he will be a quality scoring NHL center, a top two center with Thomas. He may play some wing before then the same way Thomas did but his future is as a center. IF the Blues land a significant 2C this summer I don't see any problem with having that center, Thomas and an emerging Dvorsky down the middle. I am also encouraged that Dean can possibly sneak back in there and be a quality bottom six center.

[DawgDad]

The issues with focusing on Brady or McAvoy are they'd come at a premium price and they are rarely the guy that's really available.

[skilles]

Boston isn’t trading McAvoy.

Also, Army said in his presser that he likes his top-4 D and his main target this summer is a forward.

For sure but he also knows he'll need that RD soon enough and I'm sure he would strike while the iron is hot if the opportunity was there.

Absolutely. He knows most of our D is still on the wrong side of 30 and if the opportunity presents itself, he has the assets and cap space flexibility to strike.

But I do believe him when he says his priority is adding a forward. But at the same time, if that door is closed but the door to an opportunity to notably improve the D is open, still still walk through that door.

Yeah if I'm Army I'm looking 2c with urgency and looking RD thinking I have some time to get that done but also knowing that will be a hard one to get so making sure I don't let an opportunity pass by.

[TAFKAP]

Army doesn't miss much, but, IMHO he should have taken care of the 2C issue last year. We all were pretty shocked to see what a guy like Monahan signed for with CBJ but absolutely lived up to it (before getting injured) and that's before the salary cap went up. He's going to have to get a mask nobody has seen him in and polish up his six shooter, because it looks like the only answer at 2C this year is going to have to involve a robbery.

Here's hoping.