I think the ANA deal is fair, we gain speed which we need.

MTL will want a center for Gallagher, not another left shot wing which they share the same problem as us. You also probably aren't giving enough for MTL to part with Gallagher, maybe they'd bite if you took away the pick and added Coyle on our side. Maybe.

The LAK trade deson't make sense... We're trading for TWO 30-30+ guys here that will only be playing for a few more years. I'd much rather have the younger Brodin than Muzzin, and I'd honestly rather have Staal than Carter. Staal is a best of both worlds player, he can set up his wingers and he can score goals (as we saw last season). Carter you only get the goal scoring, he's not really a playmaker. Even though he's a right shot, I'd rather have Staal. Also, this trade puts even more cap onto the Kings who are very tight in that department since they signed Kovy. If I'm trading for someone on the Kings, it'd have to be Forbort to replace Brodin (he's a little older than Brodin but much more physical).

True. That's the best I could do but I realize that those trades aren't quite realistic. Although Carter has a bit more term than I'd like I figured the deal could help with our cap since Foligno hinders it greatly while bringing a right shot center that can score. I figured it'd also fit the timetable of Parise/Suter/Koivu and the tweak to win now which Leopold is going for without going overboard with picks/prospects.

That's alright, sometimes the most fun trades to make are the most unrealistic ones. I honestly think the best way to maximize our window with Parise, Suter, and Koivu is to get younger skilled guys who will be hitting their prime in a year or two so when Kaprizov can come over we can capitalize. We'd still be competitive those two years and possibly be good enough for a cup run but Kaprizov will be a game-changer for us.