Who adds what?
Joined: Jul. 2017
Posts: 13,677
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"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?