Following a brilliant lead set by The Falconer at Bird Watchers Anonymous, we at The Box are asking you to play the part of Panthers general manager Randy Sexton. Here’s the deal:
It’s well known throughout the world of hockey that superstar Thrashers forward Ilya Kovalchuk may not re-sign with the only club he’s ever played for come July 1st when free agency opens in the NHL.
As Florida’s GM, what would you give up to acquire Kovy? The rules:
- This offer is for Kovalchuk and his expiring contract (cap hit: $6.389M) only. No secondary Atlanta players/picks to be included in the deal.
- The Panthers would also be acquiring the first right to sign him prior to July 1st.
- No sign-and-trade proposals.
Here are Atlanta’s needs, per The Falconer:
- A roster player(s)
- Quality prospect(s)
- Conditional first-round pick(s) if Kovalchuk re-signs with Florida
- No goaltenders (though the Markstrom Effect may carry some weight)
- No one over 33 years old, nor “bloated” contracts (the Cats have very few of either)
You’ll find player salary numbers at CapGeek (look under “projected final”). Mandatory: please provide a short explanation of your proposal, so we’re all on the same page.
If you’re not yet a member of Litter Box Cats, join today and gain the ability to participate in commentary, live game threads, fanposts, fanshots, and most importantly never having to worry about receiving unsolicited emails from us. I swear.
And that’s all there is to it. Each of SB Nation’s hockey sites are taking part, so this promises to be a fun round of “What If”.
Please have your trade submissions entered into the comments section of this post by 7pm Wednesday, January 13th (just prior to the Panthers/Capitals game). I will then submit the “winning” proposal (my discretion) to Bird Watchers Anonymous for use in an upcoming article on what’s becoming a truly hot topic.
Get to work…