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Ryan McDonagh Dealt. Destination: Nashville, USA


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In a bit of a surprise, Stanley Cup Champion and core TB Lightning defenseman, Ryan McDonagh, will be changing playing addresses from Amalie Arena in Tampa to Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN.

From TSN.ca
https://www.tsn.ca/philippe-myers-grant-mismash-ryan-mcdonagh-tampa-bay-lightning-nashville-predators-1.1820592

 

The fact that McDonagh was being shopped and ultimately dealt ISN'T what was surprising as everyone knew already that was coming....but Nashville hadn't appeared as a possible destination, at least not in publications or social media I have seen.
But apparently, McD is ok with the Predators because he had full say in where he ended up due to his NTC in his contract.

The return for the warrior McDonagh?
Former Flyers defenseman Phillippe Myers (25 yrs old) and former 2nd round selection from the Preds, Grant Mismash (23 yrs old), currently assigned to the AHL.

Right now, I gotta say I am underwhelmed by this particular return. No picks or prospects with big upside that I can see (unless Mismash turns into that), but then again, when teams KNOW you have to trade a player due to cap, the expected return isn't going to be huge, even for a player like Ryan McDonagh.

On the bright side, the Lightning DO have a track record of turning around NHL players who have been "Meh" on previous teams (hopefully Myers), and also further developing prospects and young players at the forward position, as those types seem to make leaps forward playing on the Bolts or in their system. 
Will that be true of Mismash? We will see.

The other bright side... as much as I love McDonagh, at 33, playing the hard style he does, and at four years left at nearly 7M, the Bolts probably did the right thing getting out from under the contract before McD's body just gives out on him.

Internally, I have read stories where Mikhail Sergachev's responsibilities will change now and he will be tasked with many of the 'hard minutes' McDonagh logged.

So..... Ryan McDonagh to the Preds, Myers and Mismash to the Bolts.

Edited by TropicalFruitGirl26
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Even though I understand why the Lightning made this move, as a fan, and seeing what McDonagh has done for the team, it does sadden me still.
Of course, I will be glad when probably, past the second year of what is left on the deal, McDonagh is likely a shell of his former self, that the Bolts won't have to worry his cap hit and the highly diminished player.

But for the next two seasons at least, the Predators will be getting a hell of a defenseman to go along with Roman Josi and I want to wish McDonagh a sincere "good luck" in his time with the Predators.
Even playing for a Minnesota Wild rival now, I will always appreciate him for his service to the Lightning.
 

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49 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Right now, I gotta say I am underwhelmed by this particular return. No picks or prospects with big upside that I can see (unless Mismash turns into that), but then again, when teams KNOW you have to trade a player due to cap, the expected return isn't going to be huge, even for a player like Ryan McDonagh.
 

 

Correction: Tampa got Myers, Mismash and $4.2M in cap space.

Edited by JR Ewing
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11 minutes ago, JR Ewing said:

 

Correction: Tampa got Myers, Mismash and $4.2M in cap space.

 

Yea, I know.
Guess I was laughably hoping for like a 2nd or 3rd round pick or something (don't you EA sports me, young man! :shifty: ).

The "piece" coming back to the Bolts is the the cap space.
With any luck, Mismash (mishmash??) turns into something. Just 23 and mostly a college player prior with one year of AHL under his belt, and maybe, MAYBE, the Bolts can turn Myers into a  decent 3rd pair guy, since it seems Sergy will be getting McDonagh's minutes.

Lightning did ok 'rehabbing' Brayden Coburn, formally a Flyers flop before....maybe they can do the same for Myers who at this point in his career is younger and maybe more 'coachable' than Coburn was.

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I guess the Preds are gonna "go for it" the next couple seasons....we may expect them to make further moves and/or signings leading towards that if they want to maximize the small window that is open with their top defense.
Three guys, good defensemen of course, but that are tying up quite a bit of cap and all three 32, 33.

Coupled with many of their forwards not exactly spring chickens, and they most definitely need to try and win now.

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Tampa Bay Lightning trade Ryan McDonagh to Nashville Predators

The Tampa Bay Lightning traded veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh to the Nashville Predators on Sunday to clear space under the NHL salary cap.

 

The Predators sent defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Grant Mismash to the Lightning for the 33-year-old McDonagh, who waived his no-trade clause to make the deal happen. McDonagh has four more seasons on his contract with a $6.75 million average annual value.

 

"If we didn't live in a flat salary-cap world, it would never have crossed my mind to ask Ryan McDonagh to waive his no-trade clause because I would've been ecstatic to know that I had him under contract for four more years," Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said Sunday.

 

BriseBois met with McDonagh face-to-face Wednesday regarding the decision.

 

"Not the most pleasant thing I've had to do in my tenure as general manager, but I'm sure it was even more uncomfortable for him because I know he didn't want to leave the Lightning," BriseBois said.

 

McDonagh played 71 games this season and tallied 26 points. He averaged 17:50 in ice time at 5-on-5 this season, which was his highest rate since 2013-14 with the New York Rangers (17:56). His 1.04 points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 was his highest rate since 2018-19 (1.46).

McDonagh spent four-plus seasons with the Lightning after being traded to Tampa Bay by the Rangers in February 2018. He was an integral part of their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, anchoring a second defensive pairing behind star Victor Hedman.

 

But after losing to the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Final, the Lightning engaged in conversations with McDonagh about waiving his trade protection, as they were desperate to create salary-cap flexibility -- potentially to re-sign longtime winger and playoff hero Ondrej Palat, who is an unrestricted free agent.

 

"It gives us the flexibility to potentially re-sign Palat or [defenseman Jan] Rutta or address holes that need to be filled on the free-agent market or the trade market," BriseBois said. "Or those holes could be filled organically from within our organization.

 

"I think it allows us to make sure we can make sure we extend it beyond one season. We've freed up some cap space for this year, 2022-23, but more importantly we freed up some cap space for 2023-24 and beyond, which I hope will allow us to secure the rights to Anthony Cirelli, Mikhail Sergachev and Erik Cernak for years to come."

 

Myers was acquired by the Predators in last summer's Ryan Ellis trade with the Philadelphia Flyers. He played 27 games with Nashville last season, averaging 14:52 in ice time. According to Cap Friendly, buying out the remaining year of Myers' deal would give the Lightning a $616,666 cap credit for next season and $633,334 in dead cap space in the 2023-24 season.

 

However, BriseBois said the plan is to work with Myers, who has one season at $2.55 million against the cap before restricted free agency

"We've liked him going back to his junior days. We really like the toolbox. We liked him in Philly. For whatever reason, things didn't work out for him at the tail end in Philly and in Nashville last season," BriseBois said. "He's only 25 years old. He's a 6-foot-5 defensemen with size and some physicality. He's a quality skater.

 

Can improve his skating; in the past, we've been able to work with players and make them better skaters. He has a huge shot. We figure there are enough tools there that intrigue us enough to work with him and help him reach the potential we saw not too much long ago."

 

Mismash, 23, skated in 57 games in 2021-22 for the Milwaukee Admirals, Nashville's AHL affiliate, and tallied six goals and 12 points in his rookie season. He is a product of the University of North Dakota.

 

McDonagh gives the Predators three defensemen with a cap hit over $6 million: Roman Josi ($9.059M), McDonagh ($6.75M) and Mattias Ekholm ($6.25M), all of them signed through 2026. According to Cap Friendly, they have 18 players under contract and just over $18 million in cap space. Forward Filip Forsberg, one of their leading scorers, remains unsigned ahead of unrestricted free agency.

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5 hours ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

mcdonagh.jpg.8f0519c260ea1874413214b143c4bdd2.jpg

 

In a bit of a surprise, Stanley Cup Champion and core TB Lightning defenseman, Ryan McDonagh, will be changing playing addresses from Amalie Arena in Tampa to Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN.

From TSN.ca
https://www.tsn.ca/philippe-myers-grant-mismash-ryan-mcdonagh-tampa-bay-lightning-nashville-predators-1.1820592

 

The fact that McDonagh was being shopped and ultimately dealt ISN'T what was surprising as everyone knew already that was coming....but Nashville hadn't appeared as a possible destination, at least not in publications or social media I have seen.
But apparently, McD is ok with the Predators because he had full say in where he ended up due to his NTC in his contract.

The return for the warrior McDonagh?
Former Flyers defenseman Phillippe Myers (25 yrs old) and former 2nd round selection from the Preds, Grant Mismash (23 yrs old), currently assigned to the AHL.

Right now, I gotta say I am underwhelmed by this particular return. No picks or prospects with big upside that I can see (unless Mismash turns into that), but then again, when teams KNOW you have to trade a player due to cap, the expected return isn't going to be huge, even for a player like Ryan McDonagh.

On the bright side, the Lightning DO have a track record of turning around NHL players who have been "Meh" on previous teams (hopefully Myers), and also further developing prospects and young players at the forward position, as those types seem to make leaps forward playing on the Bolts or in their system. 
Will that be true of Mismash? We will see.

The other bright side... as much as I love McDonagh, at 33, playing the hard style he does, and at four years left at nearly 7M, the Bolts probably did the right thing getting out from under the contract before McD's body just gives out on him.

Internally, I have read stories where Mikhail Sergachev's responsibilities will change now and he will be tasked with many of the 'hard minutes' McDonagh logged.

So..... Ryan McDonagh to the Preds, Myers and Mismash to the Bolts.

This is how good teams stay relevant, they move on from diminishing assets no matter how emotional the attachment. McDonough is a warrior, there is no disputing that, but these playoff runs take a heavy toll. This one more than the last 2. You don't have to pity him though, playing in Nashville at 6.75 per is a good life.

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I dont think Mismash is much of a prospect, a former second rounder with a nothing year in his first pro season in Milwaukee. He might fit into the roster as the 7D filling in on days where someone is nicked up but he doesnt look like an NHL defenseman to be honest.

 

  McDonough to the West made so much sense, I thought the Kings because they desperatelyneed defenseman with his exact game. Kind of a mild surprise the Preds did this but the Predators always build from the net and through the defense and forwards last. Josi, Ekholm, McDonough is one Hell of a top three with lots of good kids on the back end as well. They have a ton of cap space this offseason so it makes sense.

 

 The wildcard IMHO is Myers, has size but after two full and two partial seasons in the NHL has done exactly nothing to prove that he is an NHL defenseman. He was even loaned from the Preds to the Toronto Marlies for a good chunk of the season as the Preds decided that they wanted Alex Biega instead of Myers. That should tell you all that you need to know, Biega is not now never has been and never will be a true NHL defenseman Biega was traded to the Admirals by the Marlies for future considerations, the considerations were Myers would be loaned to the Marlies for the rest of the season. Not traded, LOANED. As in the Preds rather than send him to Milwaukee to keep an eye on him they chose to say, go play for the Marlies for the rest of the year but I guess you are still our property, we just dont really want you.

 

  So.  Tampa now has enough cap space to sign Palat and Rutta so essentially if you look at it like a trade, they traded  McDonough for Palat and Rutta IF they resign. And while Myers is not exactly the next Chara, he could replace bogosian as a cheap younger version who can play 12-13 minutes a night with defensive zone only faceoffs if he has enough brain to learn how to kill penalties and play within a winning system, Myers could be the 6th defenseman in a best case scenario. Still, a big maybe.

 

  I mentioned to @TropicalFruitGirl26a week or two ago that Cernak IMHO deserves a chance to see if he has another gear. I think they will go with Cernak as the puck mover on the second pairing, I think he is capable of stepping up his game. Foote showed flashes last year, he was in and out, me will likely move to the second pairing as well. I looks like this in Tampa now

 

Hedman  Sergachev

Cernak     Foote

Rutta        Bogo

 

in the mix   Myers, Sean Day, Mismash

 

  Not a bad defense, easily enough to keep them hanging around with three, Cernak, Foote and Day all with solid potential to step up their game.

 

 So money saved to take care of internal housekeeping, the key is what to do with the savings as the defense is still stout with three players who very well might push each other and be better as the year goes on.

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2 hours ago, yave1964 said:

  I mentioned to @TropicalFruitGirl26a week or two ago that Cernak IMHO deserves a chance to see if he has another gear. I think they will go with Cernak as the puck mover on the second pairing, I think he is capable of stepping up his game. Foote showed flashes last year, he was in and out, me will likely move to the second pairing as well. I looks like this in Tampa now

 

Hedman  Sergachev

Cernak     Foote

Rutta        Bogo

 

in the mix   Myers, Sean Day, Mismash

 

  Not a bad defense, easily enough to keep them hanging around with three, Cernak, Foote and Day all with solid potential to step up their game.

 

 

Moving Ryan McD IS all about the cap space....seeing what Julien Brisebois had to say about it in print, he said it was an unpleasant task to have to have that conversation with McDonagh.
With no cap, I am pretty sure Ryan stays on.

But we do have a cap, and I am just glad Brisebois isn't afraid to make the hard decisions, like his mentor Yzerman, when it comes to realistically maintaining a roster.

By the way, Yave...Grant Mismash is a forward, left winger to be exact if I am not mistaken. 
23 yrs old, not much sample size other than this college career to draw on, but again, I like the Bolts' touch with players like him and at his age, as they tend make the player more than the sum of his parts in many cases.

Past players like Cory Conacher, Richard Panik, heck, you could even throw Tyler Johnson into that....players that probably should NOT have been NHL material, Bolts got them to perform as such (of varying quality obviously), then removed them from the equation when the maximum results possible with those players was reached.

The navigation of the defense will be tricky for Brisebois no matter how you slice it though.
Hedman, Sergachev, and Cernak are a good enough top three, but health better be on the side of Cernak, and as you have hinted all along, perhaps a change in style to some more offensive play rather than strictly defensive, could not only help his production, but avoid taking two or three pucks to the gut n legs every night!

Jan Rutta, if re-signed will continue to be Hedman's personal assistant.
I am not really sure on Cal Foote anymore though.
I know he is still young, but there was a reason Jon Cooper healthy scratched him in the final two games against the Avs..... he STILL has trouble keeping up with the faster players in the league....kinda like what Colorado has!

It wouldn't surprise me if the Bolts can get Foote to his highest possible value, then package him along with another player or a pick and get a more established defenseman...either this year or next.

Sean Day, IMO, is strictly AHL material with an occasional call up if need be.
He is 24, sure, can still get better, but his speed on the ice didn't look NHL quality either......only played two games granted, but he made Cal Foote look like Cale Makar! :bigteeth: 

We will see. He is a big boy....maybe too heavy? Slim down a bit to be more agile, could probably get him in the NHL? Seems to have a good shot from the blue line...

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Mismash got his knee absolutely shredded in college his last year in college on a dirty knee on knee hit by jimmy Schultz who was drafted by Vegas but is with buffalo now I believe. Anyway I remember them saying he might have to switch to Defense with his loss of mobility I just assumed he did. Yep just looked at elite prospects he is listed as a winger still.  My bad.

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5 hours ago, yave1964 said:

Mismash got his knee absolutely shredded in college his last year in college on a dirty knee on knee hit by jimmy Schultz who was drafted by Vegas but is with buffalo now I believe. Anyway I remember them saying he might have to switch to Defense with his loss of mobility I just assumed he did. Yep just looked at elite prospects he is listed as a winger still.  My bad.

 

Wow...didn't know about the knee thing with him.

I really should just give in an subscribe to AHL.tv.
Would LOVE to see firsthand a lot of these young players making their way through the minors to the NHL....or at least try to.


Pretty sure the Bolts will give him every opportunity to succeed in Syracuse. It will be on him, if he is physically able, to make it so.
 

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