Edited Dec. 27, 2018 at 4:07 p.m.
Do I agree that Kadri may have to be moved in the future? Most likely yes. For this package? Absolutely not. The fit is there with Carolina for Kadri but there's a good argument that the package coming back isn't nearly enough. Kadri is a 2C on most teams and arguably would be Carolina's 1C beside Aho. That's lethal. & all Toronto has coming back is Faulk and a pick? Faulk is an offensive guy, probably wouldn't even see time on either of Toronto's PP units. Leafs only use 1 dman on each, Rielly on the first isn't changing, and Dermott can easily slide in on the 2nd PP once Gardiner leaves (he's solid at both ends of the ice and is way cheaper than Faulk and if they wanted a right shot on the PP point, Zaitsev is more than capable of playing that role). So Faulk wouldn't have a spot until the PK and he's not the type of guy to be used just for killing penalties. On top of that, Kadri has 3 years left after this one where Faulk only has 1 left and could walk as a UFA cause he'll ask for more money which the Leafs can't give him when they'll have bigger contracts in Marner and Matthews signed plus Dermott next offseason, plus Freddy and Rielly in a couple more. Doesn't make sense for the Leafs to give up the games best 3C in the league for a guy they'll barely use and won't be able to use his most skilled areas a lot.
That being said, as I said Kadri to Carolina is a good fit IMO.. just not for this package and not for Faulk at all really. IMO, if I were the Leafs and Canes, a Kadri for Brett Pesce straight up is fair. Both teams get what they need (Carolina gets top 6 forward, arguably 1C, and Toronto gets a top 4 right handed, defensively minded guy who they can use on the PK). Kadri has 3 years left after this one, Pesce has 5 years left. Kadri has a cap hit of $4.5M per season, Pesce has a cap hit of $4.025M per. Toronto even saves a bit of cap in this idea but Toronto also ends up paying Pesce more in real dollars which saves Carolina more money long term to pay guys like Aho, Svechnikov, Terravainen, and other guys. The argument for the deal being 1-for-1 and not more is the fact that even though Pesce has 2 more years of control on him, Toronto is giving far more offence and Kadri is good in his own end too. And Pesce makes the Leafs an even more well rounded team. Both teams also trade from a strength to address a weakness in their teams. Win-win deal for both teams