I think they can get better picks back for Raanta and Hammer considering the players they are getting back are low in value.

A mid 2nd round pick for Stepan is too much.

It's not a mid-round second. It's a mid-round second "minus" a mid-round fourth.

4th for Raanta is fair. Asplund is gonna be the 4LW for Buffalo.

I would love to see that.

Just to be on the record: I don't care how bad the cheating was -- depriving a team of a potential lottery pick is too severe a penalty. Pulling that first should have been conditional.

I don't think Buffalo can make a deal like that in the current situation. With a limit of 70 million, while it is not clear what to do with Hutton, unfortunately, we will probably save as much as possible.

Point well taken.

{ colloquial for "I accept your point or position and consider it accurate" }

I don't think the Kings can afford to trade Amadio until JAD can establish himself as a NHL regular. They have no one else to fill the 3C role.

I think there's a precedent to suggest the league is going to reverse this decision in some capacity and instill other forms of punishment.

Both the Devils and Kings have had some form of punishment through cap circumvention reduced: Arizona absolutely has a case to appeal their punishment based solely on those two reductions, as I think the argument could be made that cap circumvention is more severe than premature combine testing.

The New Jersey case is most interesting: the last (30th) pick in the 2014 draft was returned to them regardless of their finish that year (would have held the 11th overall pick), but with sanctions. They couldn't trade the awarded pick. I believe this is going to be a similar case for Arizona - they will likely be awarded the 32nd overall pick regardless of finish, may be asked to forfeit a third round selection, and will likely see a fine (which ownership, not the 31 other teams in the league, will be forced to pay).

It makes no sense for the NHL - who've propped up the Coyotes this far - to maintain the punishment they've levied if the expectation is to quit propping up the franchise.