The Deals that Make (or Break) a Franchise

Such a deal PROBABLY won’t happen. Gainey would probably be wiser to trade a pick or two for Robidas and make the Martineck trade. You just never know, though, what might happen when a GM is facing the kind of desperate situation Gainey will at deadline time. Kostitsyn is not well liked in Montreal and it would make sense that Garth would insist on more for Streit as I believe he is better than Pronger over all and certainly is of greater value to us than Pronger was to Anaheim. Also, Gainey would be bargaining from a MUCH weaker position than Holmgren was. This is the approximate shape of a Streit deal were it to occur.

I don’t think that I am over-valuing Streit at all. Doug Weight and Bill Guerin (who between them should know) told the former Islander beat writer for Newsday that they had never seen a defenseman play his position better than Streit did. It should be noted that—among others—they have played against not only Pronger but a certain Swede who can create a design motif from his Norris trophy collection.

In any event, its two players, a prospect, and four picks and if I am Garth Snow I will not accept anything less for him. And it isn’t so much that Gainey’s crazy as that he will become desperate next February. Of course, it isn’t Garth’s way to discuss these things, so we may never know unless Gainey does spill the beans, but I would bet that Gainey will approach Garth about Mark. And I bet that Garth will either tell him no way or make an offer about like this one which is, again:

Hamrlik, Kostitsyn, Subban and the 1st, 2nd, & 3rd picks in 2010 plus the 1st in 2011.

i guess I value Streit more highly and believe that, on balance, he is a more effective defenseman than Pronger/ Pronger has the reputation. In the new game, it takes a different smarter kind of defenseman…and I am guided by the words of Guerin and Weight.

In any event, that is what Streit is worth to me and, I believe, to this organization…and I think that there is a widespread consensus that I suspect even Gainey shares now that he made a big mistake in letting Streit walk and that Streit is much more than what some thought he was.

and would be looking for a big bang to get them over the top. I don’ty believe that Markov will be back this year and who knows about the rest of his career. Streit would be a likely player for Gainey to look at to replace him and it would take an enormous package for Garth to even consider moving him…probably out or proportion to his already considerable value.

The Sutton deal (don’t recall suggesting that they send us anything in addition to the Philly first rounder which likely will be a late first round pick) was predicated on the notion that Anaheim would be struggling for a playoff spot and would have issues with their rebuilt defense. It was also predicated on Sutton having a career year, offensively and defensively. Andy’s doing well so far this year and I do think that he will look very attractive to another team at deadline time, but it looks very unlikely that Anaheim will be competing for anything but the best possible draft pick at this point—and hoping that Emery stinks up the joint and Philly does the same!!! At this point about the only way I see us getting Anaheim’s first rounders is if we win the Taylor Hall derby—in which case I suppose that Garth will be getting a lot of offers he can’t refuse.

Over $5.8 mil and change, the package is 4 first rounders. You will say that Anaheim only received two—but Lupul and Sbisa were former first rounders. Philly had to send back salary to accept Pronger’s cap hit, otherwise they really would have been throwing away their future. In the Islanders case with Streit, given what he means to the franchise, the cap problem, and the situation, maybe they send back Hamrlik along with their first, second, and third round picks—first, second, and third being the guideline for Streit’s salary. But Garth still wouldn’t do it, I am sure.

I’m still trying to figure out how Snow got a 1st rounder for Comrie last year, but i’m glad he did.

I think the key to that one was Campoli for the 1st, plus a swap of UFAs (and perhaps the option of warming Comrie up to re-signing in Ottawa, if they were ever interested). Ottawa taking a flyer on a guy who might help their PP. Not that that invalidates your larger point, which is off-meds deals are rare, and multiple prime picks even more so.