Buying Groceries Bought A Horse

Still working on an all-three-teams breakdown of that trade, but I can tell you upfront that there's no way in hell Columbus goes for it.

Okay! Full breakdown:

Columbus gives up: LW Max Domi @ 50%, LD/RD Dean Kukan, C/W Liam Foudy, 1st 2022 (unspecified)
Columbus gets: W Tyler Bertuzzi, W Josh Archibald, LD Slater Koekkoek, RW Zach Kassian

Detroit gives up: W Tyler Bertuzzi, LD Nick Leddy @ 50%, W Adam Erne @ 50%
Detroit gets: 1st 2022 (CHI/CBJ, unspecified conditional), RW Raphael Lavoie, W Warren Foegele, EDM 2nd 2023, EDM 3rd 2023

Edmonton gives up: W Zach Kassian, W Warren Foegele, W Josh Archibald, RW Raphael Lavoie, LD Slater Koekkoek, EDM 2nd 2023, EDM 3rd 2023
Edmonton gets: LD Nick Leddy @ 50%, W Adam Erne @ 50%, LW Max Domi @ 50%.


Columbus rejects because wingers and LD are the absolute last things in the world we need, so there's no way in hell either of the 1sts come into play at all.

I'm sorry but Detroit isn't doing that. Bertuzzi is almost at a point a game with a ppg of .96 Edmonton has only 2 players with a higher ppg. Bertuzzi has improved every single season and his production has been good and consistent. He has done this on one of the worst teams in the league. Archibald is 27 played 3 games this season and is UFA and has no value from Detroit's POV. Koekkoek is a 28yr old AHL dman that has recently passed through waivers. Foegele is a solid middle 6 winger and Lavoie currently projects as a middle 6 winger. Even if Detroit traded Bertuzzi and Zadina winger still wouldn't be a position of need. This is a quality over quantity trade.

I appreciate your comments. It is trade deadline, so this is when non-playoff teams will load up on draft picks, prospects, RFA’s and sometimes longer-term contracts, while offering salary retention. There is no current market for these teams to really load up, often Management doesn’t mind, let’s call it…improving their draft position.

For teams in this position, their best opportunities for acquiring the players they need will be at the draft or free agency. As a fan, I wouldn’t be concerned with these sort of acquisitions, they are also moveable assets. Rumours are that Domi and Bertuzzi are going to be moved. Maybe Bertuzzi is a Laine replacement and Laine is traded for a C.

You perspective is really interesting, a CBJ fan told me last week that there was no place for Barrie, an offensive RHD there, but in the end our opinions don’t influence reality.

Cheers

I'm not sure about the Chicago trade. Acquiring Kubalik is an interesting idea-- given that Edmonton lacks the flexibility to make any major trades, grabbing reclamation projects is probably the way to go --but Kubalik is too expensive for the Oilers. Retained salary would lower his price tag for this season, but his Qualifying Offer is $4M. The Oilers could decline to qualify him (which would make him a UFA), but that'd essentially make him a rental. And given his struggles this season (not to mention his cap hit, even after the $500,000 retention), Kubalik isn't very attractive as a mid-price rental.

The premise of the Buffalo trade makes sense, but it'd probably be someone other than Benson going back in exchange for Hägg. The concern is less about value an more about fitting with Buffalo's needs. With Quinn and Peterka both appearing ready for permanent promotion to the NHL, the Sabres just don't have room for another waiver-eligible forward unless he's already a full-time NHLer. Ater all, Benson cleared waivers just 2 days ago -- there's a reason that Buffalo didn't claim him.