As much as I like Dermott, this is very good. Flames will certainly want more back and ownership doesn’t retain so that trade is dead in the water.

Flames have no interest. We don't need a 27 yeat old prospect of a position we have better at, 1 players that is actually kinda worse(Gio and Dermott)and picks that won't be NHL players for a few years if at all. And we aren't retaining half on our captian

Remember this is my opinion.

Absolutely fair, but if you hold on to Gio and he regresses next year will this return even be on the table for a 38 year old ufa?

That's what I thought as much as I want to hold on to a Hirvonen or a Niemela I would be willing to replace Loponen if it meant getting Gio

Flames don’t retain. It’s an ownership rule. Maybe if he was expiring but he has a year left.

Freddy isn’t going on LTIR. This is a waste of time

I read your post description and that's not how LTIR works. Freddy has sat out 19 days and it's 5 days until the trade deadline. In the morning of the trade deadline he will be put on LTIR the reason why he hasn't be on LTIR already because the Leafs have been accruing cap space by letting him sit while not being on IR. LTIR only give you cap space if you are close to the cap with Freddy on LTIR before the trade deadline the Leafs would not be close enough to the cap for the LTIR to benefit them.

If you check the Panthers cap page you will see that Ekblad is not on LTIR and he won't be placed on LTIR. The reason being is that the Panthers are not close enough to the cap for putting Ekblad on LTIR to give them cap space. In fact if there were to put him on the LTIR they will lose cap space putting them at a disadvantage.

Ok, so let’s say you’re right... they put Freddy on LTIR. Now he has to stay there until the playoffs. Campbell has been outstanding, but is still playing through an injury. So the playoffs start, and Campbell gets hurt or just falters under the pressure. Now you have Freddy,
( who is a notorious slow starter) coming in, and hasn’t played a game in close to 2 months. That sounds like
a recipe for disaster!!