Darcy Kuemper played at a Vezina caliber this season, and Hill is a perfectly serviceable backup, making Raanta a luxury. He is still a solid net minder, and can work great in a tandem. He'd be a perfect 1A to Bernier's 1B in Detroit, while simultaneously helping them reach the cap floor. He also can help them stay competitive in most games he plays in, and playing competitive hockey is important for the development of a young rebuilding team like Detroit.
The Kings are rumoured to be looking for left-shot defensemen. The Coyotes need to move Goligoski's salary to make this work. They send a prospect and a pick to a team that actually wants the player attached to the contract so they don't have to pay a higher price sending him elsewhere. In LA, Goligoski helps teach LA's many defence prospects before being flipped at the deadline (or kept if he really works out, crazier things have happened).
A similar idea is present with the Ottawa trade. Stepan helps Ottawa hit the cap floor, teaches and shelters their young C prospects before being moved at the deadline. Partner in a prospect and a good draft pick, and only giving up a dead contract and a low-ceiling prospect, and Ottawa comes out pretty good here.
The big one. I know the Islanders would rather cut off their hands and eat them than trade Barzal, but they may not have a real choice. They're in cap hell, with mostly unmoveable contracts. The Coyotes can take advantage of this to pick up the one thing they've never had: a true franchise centre. To compensate the Islanders, they take on the overpaid Cizikas, give up a trio of quality draft picks, a solid middle six roster player in Hinostroza, and three good to bluechip prospects, most notably Barrett Hayton who could become a star centreman on his own.
In UFA, the Coyotes snag a buy-low candidate in Janmark and Tyler Toffoli to create a killer top-six.
Kings don't really want Goligoski. They'll take Hjalmarsson if you need to clear cap space though. They'll even take Grabner's contract off your hands.
You think an elite young center under team control for years is only worth a third-line RW, four guys who have never played a game in the NHL and three of whom probably never will, a distant first and third and an even more distant second?
Let's give you the best of it and say Cizikas = the third. So you've got Hinostroza, an A prospect, a first-rounder, a B prospect, two C prospects and a second rounder for Barzal? All-Star Barzal? Best player on the team Barzal?
OldNYIfan liked this.
Reply
CapFriendly
CapFriendly