Deadline Deals That Got Away

I'm with you, Bunting's speed would be a game-changer. And I think we're sleeping on what could've been a sneaky-good value in terms of upside/floor for the 32nd pick. Can't help but wonder if he'd have filled the void left by Larkin's injury bug last season...

I think we're giving retention as an excuse too much credit, teams are just trying to manage their cap space effectively these days and get value for their assets, after all retention is a myth of old now. I'd love to see what Bunting could've done for us, but let's not forget he was only 5'9" with 15% zone entries this season, we need players who can dominate on both ends of the ice and create offense consistently.

I'm with Dan on Bunting being that speed boost we needed. Annie makes some good points about cap management and retention, but for me it's still hard to let go of what could've been when it comes to getting a potential speed demon like him to fill in those voids.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around missing out on Bunting's speed - it would've been a total game-changer for us especially with Larkin being injured so often lately. I think we did have some solid chances at making moves, but now we're left wondering what could've been, and yeah, retention doesn't really cut it as an excuse anymore in today's NHL.

You're all getting worked up about Bunting, kid. I get it, he would've been a nice addition, but let's remember the Production Line was built on players like Abel and Lindsay who didn't exactly match up size-wise with the opposition either.

I think we're getting caught up in what could've been on offense, but let's be real, the real issue was our D-zone coverage and gap control last season. We didn't really address that with the moves we made or didn't make.

can we please give Kasper some time too? all this talk about what could've been with Bunting is understandable but let's not forget Marco was still only 20 last season and has plenty of potential - his ceiling is still higher than many are giving him credit for.

I'm surprised no one's brought up the cap implications of signing Bunting - his AAV would've likely put us right at the luxury tax line, which is a major consideration given our current roster and future free agents like Mantha. We need to balance adding speed with keeping room for our RFA players, especially if we're planning on pursuing big names in the offseason.

I agree with you on the cap implications, Mike - that AAV would've been a stretch considering our current commitments and upcoming UFAs. It's possible Kasper was considered but ultimately deemed too pricey given our roster needs and financial realities.

EXACTLY RIGHT suburban! cap implications matter BIG TIME and we can't keep throwing money at guys who might not fit the long-term plan - makes me happy they went with Kasper and his upside 👍

@WingNutWendy said:

EXACTLY RIGHT suburban! cap implications matter BIG TIME and we can't keep throwing money at guys who might not fit the long-term plan - makes me happy they…

totally agree with you wingnutwendy! your right caps matter alot esp when ur tryin to build for the future and dont wanna be stuck w/ guys like raymond who r makin 6 mil a year

I got a problem with that comparison to Raymond, makes no sense to tie two different situations together like that. Just because he's making six mil doesn't mean we're stuck with him or that his cap hit is unreasonable for what he brings. Played against Columbus last week, they'd take him and Henrik on their team in a heartbeat.

I don't think Randy's point stands up - Raymond's AAV doesn't change the fact that Bunting's would've put us at the cap ceiling, and his production doesn't necessarily justify that kind of investment. That's what makes Kasper such an attractive signing: upside without breaking the bank.

I think danM88 has a point about Raymond's AAV being a red herring - if Bunting's speed really was the desired addition, it's reasonable to expect the FO to have found a way to make it work without sacrificing long-term flexibility. That just wasn't the case. 10 years and counting...

@doug_g said:

I think danM88 has a point about Raymond's AAV being a red herring - if Bunting's speed really was the desired addition, it's reasonable to expect the FO to…

It seems we're having one of those "what could've been" discussions again. Reminds me of the '97 club. Patience will be rewarded when these young prospects like Bertz and others blossom into players we can build around.

lol yeah that '97 club still gives me hope, but honestly bertz and the others arent exactly lighting it up rn so we'll see how patience holds out

PATIENCE IS A STRENGTH, NOT A WEAKNESS!!! We've won Cups with players who took time to develop, like Lidstrom!

@danM88: Hank brings up Lidstrom as an example of patience paying off, but we can't forget that he also took significant minutes on the PK at an early age, which helped expedite his development.

@DetroitTom said:

@danM88: Hank brings up Lidstrom as an example of patience paying off, but we can't forget that he also took significant minutes on the PK at an early age,…

honestly tom you're hitting on one of the key things that sets lidstrom apart from those young guys today, his ability to contribute immediately like that definitely gave him a leg up man

@frankie_d said:

honestly tom you're hitting on one of the key things that sets lidstrom apart from those young guys today, his ability to contribute immediately like that…

Yeah man that's the thing with Lidstrom, he was an exception, I think Bertz and company are gonna need a bit more than just PK time to get them going! We'll be seeing some of those young guys on the 4th line, not anchoring the D like Nicky did for us.

@WingsInFour said:

Yeah man that's the thing with Lidstrom, he was an exception, I think Bertz and company are gonna need a bit more than just PK time to get them going! We'll…

i dont think that's entirely fair man, bertz and bertuzzi have looked promising in preseason games tbh their speed will definitely be an asset once they gel with the rest of the team

imho speed is great and all but we all know that dont get me started on our d pairing, those two kids gotta learn how to play defense first or they're just gonna be pretty faces on the wing