Quoting: BigDog91
To be fair risto is not on playing top powerplay for the sabres and still on pace for 40 points. His 5x5 play has been alot better. He has been a 40 point player in his career but needed half to come on PP. This year he is on pace for 5pp points.
Yeah. He's 12th among RHD in even strength points right now, with 12. Super-valuable, at just 25. You can trade him to a half dozen playoff teams that don't have anyone ahead of him, easily, for something valuable.
Vrana's 8th among LW in ESP, at 23, though, and signed super-cheap next year. Regardless of team need, he's more valuable. Vrana was in the top six for the Cup win in 2018. No need to shake it up while the team's in first place and Vrana's playing like a future first liner.
But here's why the Caps need Vrana more: they have John Carlson on their first pair, who leads RHD in points and even strength points with 43 and 30. That's two or three times as much as Risto's 14 and 12. He shares the points on the first power play unit with a guy named Ovechkin. Orlov plays point on the second power play unit, and over the past four seasons, he's eighth among LHD in even strength points. Off to a weak start, I think, but still in the top 30 LHD in points or even strength points right now. Risto needs a partner who covers back for him. That's a waste of Orlov, who is more consistent at each end of the rink, than Risto. So Risto plays third pair with Siegenthaler. Limited minutes. Tough zone starts. Maybe he gets a little power play time on the second unit, but they really need him to kill penalties, where he isn't as quick as Jensen or Gudas. He's big and he hits, and the skill is nice. I like him, but the Caps aren't a good fit for him this year.
If you wanted Oshie and a 3rd for Risto, the Caps could move Panik up to 2RW and he'd get back to the 40 points a year pace he played at in Chicago. If you wanted Holtby and Boyd for Risto and Ullmark? Fine. But there's no depth LW in Washington who can move up to the 2nd line and replace Vrana, unless you want throw in Mittelstadt? At that point the value's good on paper, but the Caps are messing up a 2nd line that was good enough to win a Cup in 2018 just to get some young guys with good draft position. I'm not sure they do it.