Edited May 7, 2021 at 6:55 p.m.
Quoting: OldNYIfan
Well, I have yet to see credible evidence -- evidence, not rumor -- that Las Vegas was EVER thinking about trading Fleury because almost from the start of the season, Lehner's health was an issue.
Your entire premise is faulty. Here's how the actual math works out:
Las Vegas has 11 forwards under contract for next season aggregating $43.7 million, no RFAs to re-sign, and no particular need to re-up their two UFAs. They can promote Dorofeyev and Glass for a total of $45.5 million on 13 forwards. Now add the 5 defensemen (temporarily omitting UFA Alec Martinez) currently under contract for $18 million and the two goalies at $12 million and you have a payroll of $75.5 million, short of two defensemen. So Las Vegas can afford to give Martinez the same $4 million he's making now and promote RFA Coghlan or rookie Korczak and still have $1 million in cap space.
I don’t care bud. I’m not the GM. The trade isn’t real. It’s an idea. An idea I think the Kings and Vegas would jump all over and the Pens wouldn’t do.
Teams don’t trade NHL capable, signed long term to a decent deal, 24 year old LHD,(defense is so valuable in the NHL) for potential. They just don’t.
Same with Zucker. He’s a proven entity. Any NHL team would love to have him at 5.5M per.
And DeSmith numbers prove he is a very capable NHL back-up(if you care to look at them) and he almost took Jarry’s #1 spot this year. And T.Jarry, is an all-star goalie. Not a potential all-star. An all-star goalie. He has done it, proven he can do it. In the NHL. It’s not just potential.
And Vegas will have to give up assets to trade Fluery or retain. No one takes on a 7M contract now. No team would do it with a 2nd round pick attached.
Vegas would get 3M in cap relief in that deal. Plus a very cheap, very capable NHL back-up to go with their 5M per #1 goalie and a proven, 24 year old, LHD, still with some potential . Ya, they do that deal.