Just like Hughes was an 18 year old superstar. Laf is going to be really good, don't get me wrong, but if Laf hits his ceiling he is what Eichel is right now

The Eichel package is about as close as you can get to a real package posted here. NYR is basically trading 1OA (who is a winger), a top 2 dman (he's probably a 1.5D, that on-ice shooting percentage is WAY above average which has helped contribute to his point totals, he could definitely get to 1A dman status though), and a #2 C for a 1C player.

At 23, Eichel is going to get better (he's not at his peak yet), while Laf won't get to Eichel level for at least 5 years (Laf is not in the Matthews/McDavid level, but above the Hirscher level), Eichel has also never played with the same level of talent NYR has on their team, imagine him with Panarin on his wing and what numbers he could put up. BUF needs to be looking a few years out if they move Eichel, which they'd do with Laf.

If I'm NYR, I don't do the trade. I think you've seen from this past SCF that depth is key, you need 4 lines to contribute, and you'd eat up some of that depth with this trade. I'd take your cash and look to add talent on lines 2-4, and also look to the future for contracts (Fox will need one soon, Kakko, etc). I don't think Eichel makes them a contender.

Lafreniere is a cut above Hughes. Hughes would have gone anywhere from 2-4 in this years draft. If Lafreniere hits his ceiling he could be better than Eichel... think Draisaitl.

Hughes would have been a clear cut #2 in this draft- the discrepancy between him and Laf as prospects is not as far as you are making it out to be. The point being, you're trading an established superstar at the most premium position in the sport for an unproven commodity. Will Laf be great? Probably. Will he put up 85-90 points per year? Probably not.

Hughes would have been a clear cut #2 in this draft- the discrepancy between him and Laf as prospects is not as far as you are making it out to be. The point being, you're trading an established superstar at the most premium position in the sport for an unproven commodity. Will Laf be great? Probably. Will he put up 85-90 points per year? Probably not.

Hughes woul

No. Hughes wouldn't have been a clear cut #2 in this draft. But even so Lafreniere is massive cut above all 3 of those guys.

Will he put up 85-90 points a year? Not in his first season but at his peak there's like a 90% chance he does.

Would I trade Matthews for Lafreniere straight up? No... but I'm not gonna ask for a 22 year old elite defenceman AND a 2C as the add on to get the deal done in addition to the 5M in cap space I'm making for myself.

If you want Fox it would have to be with Kakko for Eichel. If you want Lafreniere the add on would have to be someone like DeAngelo.

none of those players come close to getting a talent like Eichel it doesnt matter how many pieces come you can't trade elite talent of there isnt a form of elite talent gling back

there is no scenario that eichel is traded to NYR without 2 of kakko Laf and fox are coming the other way.