Yes please make that LAK trade happen, I don't really get the OTT trade bc Bjugstad can get usually a second+, ZAR about a third, and Guddy a late round pick, and OTT probably doesn't go for it, they're close enough to the floor to only take 1 of the 3, and you can trade the other two elsewhere, also I'd try to trade Hornqvist before Bjugstad and ZAR, you can also just skip the SJS trade, VGK also needs a cheap backup bc they don't trust Subban, and BOS probably isn't adding to Gryz for Rust, but I'm also really high on Gryz so...

I don’t know why you want to trade Joseph, he is a really talented prospect who can turn into an excellent defenseman.

I don't trust his defensive play, the Q is generally much higher scoring than the other CHL leagues, he wasn't great offensively in his d+2 year, he's extremely underweight, he'll need at least 2 years in the AHL, and then maybe he'll be ready for bottom pair time, maybe, but by that point Addison and Almari will be better, and I think bottom pair is his ceiling

I disagree, I think his ceiling is much higher than bottom pair. The biggest concern is his weight and lack of physicality, however he’s got excellent skating abilities and puck handling skills. He’s quick with good agility and has high awareness in the defensive zone. Great passer and breakout technique as well. I believe he really fits the style of play the Penguins want, so they should give him a chance to continue developing. No doubt in my mind he will be better than Jack Johnson.

Carter for JJ would be straight up.
Lets not pretend it's not one bad contract for another. He's 34-35 years old this season. That contract runs till he's 37. It's little more than a cap dump.

Carter is nowhere near the negative on the ice that Johnson is, and Carters been playing decently on a trash LA team the past couple years, the Penguins can't take on Carters full contract, and if they retain 50% they are going to want a significant add to be paying 2.5M to Carter and 3.25M for JJ. Johnson is a awful contract, Carter is just overpaid.

when you have players putting up mediocre stats on bad teams it means little. Someone there has to score and get some points. Even players on Ottawa look good on paper. But we all saw Dezingle when he left ottawa for CBJ and played on an actually talented team. He looked bad.