The Devils do not see Kinkaid as their starter, only the idiot fans do.

Signed,
Not an idiot Devils fan.

Think Tampa is paying a bit much for rental depth scoring here. Especially when. Depth scoring is not something they really need.

Carolina is going to trade their newly minted Captain?

Agreed.

Signed,
Another non-idiot Devils fan

"CAR
Bäckström, Nicklas
Burakovsky, André
2019 3rd round pick (WSH)
WSH
Svechnikov, Andrei
Rask, Victor
Darling, Scott ($830,000 retained)
2020 2nd round pick (CAR)
2019 6th round pick (CGY)"


Well... you certainly aren't messing around. I could totally see a Burakovsky and a 3rd for Svechnikov deal happening. Backstrom for Rask, a 2nd, and a cheap backup goalie probably isn't on the Caps' radar....

If this is in response to my suggestion of a three team trade that put Burakovsky, Puljujarvi, and Svechnikov each with a team likely to use them as first liners instead of third liners, then I'm flattered as a Caps fan to see Carolina keeping Burakovsky instead of making the easy move of swapping him for a third Finn who was Aho's dominant linemate in winning the gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championship. Burakovsky was awesome in the playoffs, and certainly fits in well with a team captained by Justin Williams... I think they played a few shifts together? Maybe with Kuznetsov? I don't know. But why are you trading Williams?

I think it's possible that for contract reasons the Caps listen to huge offers on Backstrom before extending his deal next summer, but this isn't close.

Viktor Rask is a year and a half older than Burakovsky with 12 more goals, all on the power play, and 7 more points. He's not as good. Backstrom has put up 90 points a season in the NHL and won a Stanley Cup by skating toe to toe with Crosby, Stamkos, and Karlsson. A 2nd overall pick has about a 15% chance of yielding a player that good. I like Svechnikov's style. I think they way he sees the ice and makes unexpected passes reminds me of Kuznetsov, so they could develop well together. I do not think that there is even a 1% chance that Backstrom for Svech improves the Caps on the ice in 2017-18.

The average 2nd overall pick develops into a first liner or a top pair defenseman. So I have every confidence that Svechnikov develops to be slightly better than Burakovsky or Rask. Over the last few years, Backstrom is one of the highest scoring centers in the league. He's an elite guy. TSN do not think, on average, that 2nd overall picks develop into guys as good as Backstrom. Some do. For sure, some great players were drafted second overal. Other great players were undrafted.

The Caps are currently one game out of a playoff spot, so Burakovsky for Svechnikov is only something they should do if they think Svechnikov works better on the top line during the Wilson suspension than Burakovsky on teh top line. Burakovsky had his best season, with 17 even strength goals (one more than Rask's best) playing with Kuznetsov. If I had to guess why he hasn't gotten to play there yet, it's because they want him to earn it, and he's slumping, but he'll come out of it. If you watched game seven between Washington and Tampa, and saw his two goals, you know he's pretty good. If you saw his four points in five game in the Finals, you know he's someone who comes through under pressure.

But Puljujarvi's chemistry with Aho in World Juniors was unreal. I think having a 4th overall pick who knows exactly where to look for your team's leading scorer to set him up with perfect cross ice passes is worth more than having a 2nd overall pick who plays pretty well with a career minor leaguer in your bottom six. Not just this year, but permanently. Most likely, if there's a Burakovsky-Svechnikov-Puljujarvi trade, Edmonton is the broker, because they have what Carolina wants. My rough draft yesterday with the Caps in the middle was absurd, because the Caps want Svechnikov, and don't have anyone Carolina should be superexcited about.

I'd predict Svech for Puljujarvi and a 2nd, then Burakovsky and a 3rd for Svech. Maybe in a side deal, the Caps toss the 'Canes a 3rd for Ferland, so they can send Svechnikov to Hershey this year?

Svech is a really good prospect. Here's an idea of what that means: https://www.tsn.ca/statistically-speaking-nhl-draft-pick-value-1.786131

He's likely to develop into a 1st line forward. Not necessarily an elite one, and very unlikely a generational player like Ovechkin. He's also very unlikely to bust. Since Zyuzin in the '90s,, every 2nd overall pick has been a consistent NHLer. But that includes Bobby Ryan, Jordan Stall, Ryan Murray, Kari Lehtonen... and of course there's also a chance that he turns into a Seguin or a Malkin.

The above offer is treating him like he's already Malkin, which is about a 1 in 10 proposition, after he's properly developed, in a positive, nurturing environment, with coaches and teammates who aren't troubled by any language difficulties he might have, in his first year in North America. The Caps have two good Russian speaking prospects in Hershey, and Svechnikov for Burakovsky is the kind of deal I think they'd consider while Burakovsky is having a really weak start to this year. I don't think it's one Carolina considers, but I think Svechnikov for Puljujarvi is something Carolina does right now, the way that Aho and Tervainen are playing, and then Svechnikov for Burakovsky is something Edmonton shrugs off, because they want to make the playoffs this year, and Burakovsky is a proven NHL player who they have good reason to believe should fit on either of their top lines. So. Ferland for a 3rd? How about it?

Well I'd say that Andrei Svechnikov is much more valuable than Burakovsky and Puljujärvi. He has more value than those two combined.

I haven't seen any posts regarding to Puljujärvi or Burakovsky, haven't been in this site for a long while. But the thought of getting an experienced and talented center like Backstrom might help the team more than Svechnikov - especially if the team acquires Nylander.

Basically my logic behind the trade was Darling+Svechnikov+2nd for a star center Bäckström and Rask+6th for Bura+3rd. Darling is included in the trade to even the salary. Besides he has shown that he could play as a 2G for a top-tier team. He was great behind Crawford, so I guess he could be really nice help for Holtby in the future? I don't know for sure. Also Rask as a center is in my opinion a little more valuable than Burakovsky.

And why did I trade Williams? Simply because he doesn't in my opinion have a place in this kind of roster. As a fourth liner, he doesn't really work. And I'd rather give more offensive time for Nylander and Burakovsky. Ferland has performed nicely, and thusly I'd give him the position as a 3rd liner.

no thanks

Yeah. I agree with you that Backstrom would improve the Hurricanes. But I don't think the Caps consider the above during this season. They're looking to repeat. They have Backstrom and Holtby signed for two more years, Ovechkin for three. If they have a rough year, and they're looking to get younger, and they don't think they can afford Backstrom's contract demands, then Rask and Svechnikov for Backstrom could be in the ballpark of things they'd listen to next summer? But I think it's more likely they agree to keep both Backstrom and Holtby in Washington as long as they both want to keep playing, and happily keep giving them each about 7 million a year.

You're absolutely right that Svechnikov's skill should be tantalizing to the Caps. But the Canes scouts drafted Aho after watching him play on a line with tournament MVP Jesse Puljujarvi at the World Junior Championships. Puljujarvi is stuck in Edmonton where none of the forwards speaks his first two languages of Finnish or Swedish. Carolina currently has two Finnish guys at a point a game each, on its best line. They could use a third. The team, as a whole, would be better with Puljujarvi getting a point a game this year and for the next decade, then with Svechnikov, whether or not he's two draft positions better and two years younger, trying to put something together on his own.

Actually, they drafted Aho in 2015 NHL Entry Draft. It was half a year before that WJC tournament. If Aho was drafted after that WJC, he would've been taken in the TOP10 for sure.

But yes, you have a point. Reforming Puljujärvi with Aho could probably give them both huge boost. If I remember correctly, they actually played together in Finnish League as well - at least in the same team.

But I think CAR could acquire Puljujärvi without really including Svechnikov in the trade. Probably Fleury+2nd+something could do it. Puljujärvi's value has never been lower than it is right now, since he's being benched and all.

Fair enough, but why trade Fleury? I know there's depth, but they say you build from the net out...

I mean, if Car doesn't care about defense, they could probably get Puljujarvi for Faulk. But I think Puljujarvi and picks for Svechnikov makes the Hurricanes better this year. Trading away defense for scoring is break even.