Quoting: mhockey91
Laf is going to be one of the best players in the leauge. Let me ask you something, would you have traded Matthews for a similar package back in 2016? If the answer is no, then you’re out to lunch. And Laf probably has even more hype / promise then what Matthews had
Leafs were in a different situation back in 2016. They were starting a rebuild.
NYR are transitioning to a contending team. Different needs.
If you are on the valuation argument then again, the pieces stay same but stuff can get added or moved to get the value close. Either way it is a step for both teams on paper.
PS. that being said, I 100% agree with you. There is absolutely zero chance NYR trade Laf. The press and hype is way too big theres a lot of collateral value that comes with that draft pick.
Also, for a large market team like New York, this is big publicity and will increase ticket value. I get that. For those reasons, a trade is unlikely. I am JUST talking hockey trade hypothetically.
Disclaimer: this will never happen for those reasons.