I'd personally keep Skjei instead of dealing him for a pending UFA because that long-term control could be quite valuable if he steps up his game with us. I'd also much rather use the compliance buyout to generate another prospect or pick than to waste it on a not-terrible contract for a still-valuable player like Staal. Finally, if our organization trades Fleury to Montreal, the asking price should be Struble +. I'm really high on that guy even though he's probably 5-6 years away from contributing in the NHL.

Can't, for a comp buyout, you need to have the players contract by the deadline

Last CBA, they gave teams a 2-year window to use a comp buyout. If they give one out post-COVID-19, they will very likely do the same. The Canes can then trade for a player with sweeteners, use their services for the season, and then buy them out the next year when Svech gets his massive extension. We have the cap space to do it, and thanks to Dundon we now have the funds, so we might as well take full advantage.

I suggest reading the CBA again,, a compliance buyout can only be used on a player that was acquired before the deadline in Feburary for any given year, it was to force teams to subtract from their roster and create a fair playing field so teams cannot trade for bad contracts to get out from scotfree. You cannot trade for a player and use a compliance buyout on them. Staal's deal is illegal anyway, buy it out, and get out from under it now. We don't need Staal.

If that's the case, I don't think that they should use the compliance buyout on Staal until the very last minute, right before the expansion draft. He's valuable to our team for at least the next year. That should give Geekie a full year as the 4th line center to adjust to the league full-time.

Using a skill player in a grinder role is a disaster waiting to happen. We've seen him play in the NHL, and he looks fine, you can move Marty up worst case scenario, but Geekie needs a top 9 role to come up, which means either a 4C making 6 mil, or buying staal out. That's a no-brainer decision

No, it really isn't a "disaster" waiting to happen. It's called being careful with your prospects. If he performs well enough, he can get promoted to a better role or, alternatively, dealt as the major piece in a right-now player deal. Wallmark performed well enough in his 4C role here to get a shot as the 3C in Florida next season.

Columbus has no interest in Skjei. We have no need for a LHD, honestly we have no need for a defenseman. Honestly I don’t even know a fair trade to send Savard to Carolina. It would have to be a center and Aho and Trocheck are to valuable for Carolina to move, but they would be the only real targets for Columbus.

Wallmark preformed well enough as a 2C in Jordan's Staal's 3 month absence last year he got a shot as the 3C in Florida. Guys get given shots for performing. Geekie gets top 9 ice time, end of it. Rod clearly likes him