That Minnesota trade is brutal. I could get on board for the players involved, but to also give up a 1st. Yikes. Zucker isn't even that much of an improvement over hornqvist. Maybe point total wise he is, but the things hornqvist does away from the puck in the offensive zone are hard to replace.

Yeah I totally get what you’re saying...Pittsburgh would be losing a physical force and a glue guy in the locker room. I also feel that if Minnesota were to take Hornqvist as a return for Zucker they’d need some sort of pick/prospect compensation along with Hornqvist. This doesn’t mean it has to be a first rounder but I imagine there would be another piece of some sort going the other way.

I agree that there would need to be more going to Minnesota. But probably not that much more. And definitely not a 1st.

I’m thinking a b level prospect or a 2nd/3rd because Minnesota will definitely want something for eating $200K to make it a cap wash.

They also don't have to retain any salary.

That is true...I did it like that because the contracts are so similar and I thought it made sense to make the cap hits even since it’s such a small difference.

It is because they are so similar that it doesn't need to be done. Pittsburgh doesn't need to waste assets just to save $200,000 in cap space. Minnesota doesn't need to waste the ability to retain salary in a future deal if they need to since you can only retain on so many contracts at once.

That is the type of salary retention you see in the middle of a season when teams have way less flexibility with the cap.

Zucker is so much better than Hornqvist, Hornqvist will get 40-50 points MAYBE is already declining, is extremely injury prone overpaid etc, plus I swear he turns invisible for long stretches of time where he literally does nothing, if he's not directly in from of the net he doesn't do anything good, ik he's a good "glue guy," but that's not worth 2+ mil imo, especially for 4 years where his value will do nothing but decline during that time, and Zucker will get 60+ points is younger and is a fantastic two way forward, and the fact that MIN if they trade Zucker will be rebuilding, but getting an old overpaid player and a mid pick, I would gladly give up Hornqvist a first+, just getting someone to take Hornqvist and not giving us a bad contract back is a massive W

The pens could get a much better player than Zucker for a 2st round pick.

Like? And MIN also takes Hornqvist, who doesn't have negative value, but has a very rough contract

Hornqvist doesn't have negative value. God the pens trolls on here are incredible. FFS he knocked in 18 goals last year in 69 games. That's 21 goals on an 82 game season.
He's more likely to be a LTIR guy before declining.

I think if they trade Horny they are going with someone younger. Someone like Kahun or McCann. This team wants more speed. Every move they made this off season has been about getting younger and faster. Kahun, Tanev,Galchenyuk. They are trying to win foot races and increase the speed of the game. This is going to be a faster team on the ice next year. No more sluggish play.
If they move a forward it's either Jugs or Horny because of that. Could be both. But I don't think they are going to be bringing in any big names like Zucker, who is one fast skater. The reason I say that is there isn't really anyone on MIN who has speed. Zuc is shifty but he's not blazing fast and neither is Donato. So he's their "team speed" if you will. So I don't see them trading him.
To find a speed guy they are gonna have to go younger as I don't see teams giving players like that up.