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I wonder if Anaheim would have been better off keeping McTavish and taking the 4 1sts for Carlson? Letting Carlson walk for 4 1sts would likely help push Gautier's demand down to $12 or $13.

Anaheim went from a rebuild to the Oilers in 1 summer.

I can’t see Kreider getting claimed when a team (of his choosing) can sign him for a lower cap hit.

Very possibly how it will play out BoS.

Tciso wrote: ↑Thu Sep 10, 2026 7:48 am I wonder if Anaheim would have been better off keeping McTavish and taking the 4 1sts for Carlson? Letting Carlson walk for 4 1sts would likely help push Gautier's demand down to $12 or $13.

Anaheim went from a rebuild to the Oilers in 1 summer.

I think there is absolutely an argument that having McTavish on the roster would have been material to the match/don't match decision. The team's rebuilt core isn't nearly as impressive without Carlsson, but you would have a pivot with upside at the right age who isn't an ideal 1C and probably won't be that, but you'd have 4 additional first rounders and about $16 million more in cap space (diff b/n Carlsson & McTavish and a more reasonable $13M demand from the Gauthier camp -- which, let's be honest, we don't know how Gauthier would position himself) to use to acquire/draft that player and also sort out the many depth issues the team is facing.

But that wasn't an option because they moved on McTavish before securing either Gauthier or Carlsson. Now, looking at that decision in the most favorable light to the Ducks, they may have thought that they needed to get rid of the $7M to have the money to sign Carlsson and Gauthier, and that by having McTavish on the roster they'd be *more* vulnerable to offer sheets and lose even more leverage in trading McTavish, but it certainly didn't work out optimally.

All of this explains Buium and Minten, doesn't it?

McTavish was playing 4th line minutes post Christmas and down the stretch. It was clear he wasn’t a JQ guy and was not in the teams plans moving forward. The big knock on him was his foot speed and ability to read the play at a pro level.

BoS wrote: ↑Thu Sep 10, 2026 12:39 pm McTavish was playing 4th line minutes post Christmas and down the stretch. It was clear he wasn’t a JQ guy and was not in the teams plans moving forward. The big knock on him was his foot speed and ability to read the play at a pro level.

Well, JQ is going to get to watch a shitload of scrubs on the 3rd line and defense with their top heavy cap. Last time I checked, scrubs usually had poor foot speed and poor ability to read the play at the pro level. He made a self fulfilling prophecy.

BoS wrote: ↑Thu Sep 10, 2026 8:33 am I can’t see Kreider getting claimed when a team (of his choosing) can sign him for a lower cap hit.

Habs.

1 year 2.15.

Bonuses to 5.

donlever wrote: ↑Sat Sep 12, 2026 3:51 pm

BoS wrote: ↑Thu Sep 10, 2026 8:33 am I can’t see Kreider getting claimed when a team (of his choosing) can sign him for a lower cap hit.

Habs.

1 year 2.15.

Bonuses to 5.

I'm reading that Krieder's agent got the word out he likely wouldn't report if anyone claimed him.

Might even have been here eh?

donlever wrote: ↑Thu Sep 10, 2026 6:24 am Kreider has (allegedly) a minimized list in hand of East Coast American teams with the idea of being closer to family....and...presumably...winning. It is claimed he will refuse to report to certain teams which certainly his agent is making clear.

donlever wrote: ↑Sat Sep 12, 2026 6:21 pm Might even have been here eh?

donlever wrote: ↑Thu Sep 10, 2026 6:24 am Kreider has (allegedly) a minimized list in hand of East Coast American teams with the idea of being closer to family....and...presumably...winning. It is claimed he will refuse to report to certain teams which certainly his agent is making clear.

Well, it wasn't.

But it definitely could have been.