LA says "Weird... but no. We're not holding on to money for you for a likely inconsequential pick."

For Detroit I'd decline. You're only allowed to retain salary and 3 players at once. In this case, we'd be retaining salary for 3 years for a late pick. The value we could get back by retaining on other guys would be much greater than a 5th.

Sam Bennett > J. T. Compher, And why would Detroit and LA retain for Colorado for such low picks? Detroit nor LA are retaining anything.

How about if the picks are 4th rounders instead? Or a B prospect they like?

This is so elaborate, I’ve never heard of a 4-way trad before

Idk. I just don’t like the idea of retaining salary for 3 years and limiting the other contracts we can retain on. Tbh, I think you’d be better off just having one team retain and giving up a more significant asset to make it worth it.

Giving up a more significant asset is what I was trying to avoid lol.

Maybe Calgary could send Detroit a 3rd for $800k retention instead, and Avs send Calgary a 4th or 5th.

It's less elaborate than the 3-way trade where Vegas retained $2m of Brassard's caphit in 2018 for Reaves+4th. Or last years trade where Toronto retained $1.1m on Lehner's contract for a 5th.

That could make more sense from Detroit's perspective I think

Bennet is no where near what Compher is, Bennet is being pushed to the 4th line in CAL and that’s why he wants out. Bennet is literally the most overrated player on CF. He goons it up some, but look at all his numbers for the last 3 years all decidedly down.

The 2nd part you are spot on

You're right that Compher is the better player (by how much is debatable). But realistically once Colorado add a 3C (either at the deadline or by adding Newhook) Compher will be pushed down to a 4C or 4RW role, and at $3.5m that just isn't a good use of capspace. That being the case, moving him for Bennett would be as much about getting cap flexibility in the next 2 years as it is about acquiring Bennett.

That’s not true at all. Compher’s best spot is in the wing, wth Bednar doesn’t recognize it is beyond me. Playing wing allows him to utilize his speed and skills more effectively than when he gets bogged down in the middle. Think about all the really good JT games, SJS in the playoffs, MIN he is playing wing. He just isn’t a center.

And Bennett sucks like a Tijuana donkey hooker, a lot, and on top of that he goons it up. Hate that kind of guy.

Once salary is retained he has to wait a full year before going back to his original team.

Nobody would need to be going back to the same team. The trade would simply need to be done with some thought as the league would want the order of the transactions to be correct to approve it.

For example it could be done with these 4 straightforward transactions:

1. Calgary trades Bennett + CGY 5th to Colorado for future considerations.

2. Colorado trades Compher ($3.5m) + CGY 5th + COL 5th to LAK for future considerations.

3. LAK trades Compher ($3.1m / $400k retained) + CGY 5th to Detroit for future considerations.

4. Detroit trades Compher ($2.7m / another $400k retained) to Calgary for future considerations.​

Compher would basically go from Colorado, to LAK, to Detroit, and then to Calgary, but never back to the same team.

Fwiw this trade idea isn't dissimilar to two recent trades involving Vegas. Last year Toronto retained $1.1m of Lehner's remaining caphit at the deadline for a 5th round pick, and 3 years ago Vegas retained $2m (40%) of Brassard's caphit in exchange for Reaves + 4th. Both of those Vegas trades were considerably more complicated and involved more moving parts than what I'm suggesting, even if my idea involves 4 teams instead of 3.

What part about what I said is not true?

Do you disagree that Compher will be pushed down to 4C or 4RW if the Avs add a 3C? If so, what role do you think Compher would have if we added a 3C/Newhook? Would he play LW and bump Nichuskin down to the 4th line instead?

Do you disagree that it would be a good thing to move Compher's contract to get cap flexibility the next two years?

I agree completely that Compher's best spot is on the wing. I also said that Compher is better than Bennett.

Whilst I make proposals on here that are a bit creative like this one, what I think is most realistic is that Sakic adds a cheap 3C at the deadline (or just adds Newhook when the NCAA season is done), and then we'll have the luxury of having Compher on the 4th line. If capspace is needed in the offseason Sakic will address the Compher situation then. Unless of course an opportunity arises by the deadline that is too good to pass up.

Landeskog ----- Mackinnon ---- Rantanen
Burakovsky -------- Kadri -------- Saad
Nichuskin ------------ 3C ---------- Donskoi
Jost --------------- Bellemare ----- Compher

I dont see the NHL accepting this. They do not like when these type of trades are done, one team retaining and flipping it tothe other the...2 teams retaining I think they block the trade as its mocking intent of the cap.

They had a big fit when the Brassard trade was done with Vegas retaining for Pittsburgh via Ottawa.....they didnt like the Lehner to Vegas trade via retention from the Leafs.
You could get away with 1 retaining flip, 2 might be playing with fire

My god thats complex did you run it through the Trade Machine? When you do run it through TM make corrections until it is approved by the league. It takes everything into account.

I don't see what the problem is. Every team has a cap limit of how much they can spend, it's up to them to try to optimise that $81.5m to their advantage as best as they can. If a team wants to trade capspace for futures, who's to say that's wrong? It's absolutely smart asset management to weaponise capspace like that in a cap league when your team is rebuilding.

No I haven't put it through the Trade Machine, it's not really a straightforward one-off trade but requires a sequence of trades so it's not really fitting in the trade machine. But I don't see why it would be an issue. Calgary and Colorado would both be cap compliant so there's no issue.

the NHL just doesnt like it and can see them making a big deal about it as an attempt to circumvent the cap, which it isnt, but can see them not wanting teams to begin doing this as a precedent.

I could see why the league would find it annoying, but it's absolutely not cap circumvention. Teams effectively trading capspace should absolutely be allowed in a cap league.

I see what you mean I just looked at it in trade machine and there isn't an easy way to enter it.

One I HIGHLY doubt Newhook joins the team this year to play. Regardless of what you or I think, Bednar likes him at C so much so he was running him as the de facto 1C with MacKinnon out. IF they add a 3C yes Compher I would think would push to wing and the 3rd line would be new guy, Compher, Donskoi and I’m assuming the new guy would be a very good skater. Pushing Nichushkin down to the 4th isn’t all that bad because his offense has stalled and If that means a 4th line of Jost, Nichushkin and Calvert/PEB/LOC so be it, but until he is no longer an Av or Bednar is his coach I don’t see a scenario where he isn’t a 3rd line guy

JT Compher>>>>>Sam Bennett you mean.

Bednar persists with Compher at C because he simply has no other options. It's a real shame that out of Compher/Jost/Kamenev/Bowers we haven't yet been able to get a single 3C by now.

I do like the idea of pushing Nichuskin down to the 4th line.

Compher - 3C - Donskoi
Nichuskin - PEB - Jost

That's a strong defensive 4th line, and if that 3C is a good playdriver he could hopefully get the best out of Compher and Donskoi and make a pretty solid 3rd line.