All in all EDM would have a cap hell of epic proportions.

Hall would've walked long ago, they never would have drafted Yamamoto. Most likely they never would have had the money to sign Barrie or Koskinen either.

Actually the Hall contract would have just expired last year so we probably would have traded him prior to free agency for draft picks.
We would have never signed Koskinen so would have also dodged that bullet.
Absolutely would have drafted someone like Yamo.
The bad thing is we probably wouldn't have been so terrible so we wouldn't have won the McDavid Lottery.
So all in all we are actually better off now except we would have had Barzal.

Unlikely. With Hall you probably would've been in the playoff race last year. I don't think EDM wouldn't have moved the guy.

They would have acquired another goalie regardless, or possibly re-signed Talbot, so their goaltending would've remained pretty bad all things considered.

If you guys had Hall, EDM probably would've had their fill of wingers. Uncertain whether or not you guys would've drafted Yamamoto.

McDavid was picked in 2015. Hall got traded after the draft, so I don't think Chia's moves would've necessarily had an impact on your lottery luck.

Hall left after McDavid

This team is nearly cap compliant as is if you take out Russell Chiasson and Kassian who naturally were all signed by Chiarelli I mean it's tight but doable

Hall signed in Buffalo to find a situation like the one he would've had with McDavid all along... he makes lots of silly decisions but leaving 97's wing in prime (??)

Barrie & Koskinen are both ancillary ultimately

Valid as ever

Not to say it's 100% exactly this

But anyhow it's wild how badly chiarelli messed up

There was a rumor with the Barzal pick they were going to draft Joel Ek

I would take either guy over Reinhart

Sorry your right, my bad.