Quoting: GoodIdeaAtTheTime
Easy no from Buffalo. Nothing they need for a rebuild so all the wrong pieces except maybe Samsonov.
Pre-draft comments on Lapierre:
"Hendrix Lapierre is a very skilled, very good skater, possession player, one of the elite playmakers in the draft." — Blackhawks Vice President of Amateur Scouting Mark Kelley
"The left-shot forward has great hockey sense, compete and playmaking qualities. He was limited to 19 games because of an upper-body injury but may have the highest ceiling of any player projected to go in the first round." — Mike G. Morreale, NHL.com
"Great background work will have to be done on this player. If health is a non-issue, and that’s a big question, there’s a steal waiting to happen." — Sam Cosentino, Sportsnet
https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/blackhawks/2020-nhl-draft-profile-c-hendrix-lapierre
Since the draft, he's got 31 points in 21 games, back in the Q. He and Samsonov are the kind of players you rebuild any team around.
If this trade happens after Oshie gets a $3M bonus this summer, then Oshie's salary this year is $3M with a $5.75M cap hit. If Buffalo is building down to the floor in a total rebuild, that lets them spend 2.75M below the floor. He'd also come in as their leading scorer. Total, he's owed 16M over four years, for an average savings of 1.75M below cap. Definitely something rebuilding teams value, if they're saving up to spend big in a few years.
I agree Eller doesn't fit a rebuild at all. Great two-way player with Eric-Staal level offense, the last three years, but younger and faster. Great penalty killer. Scored a Cup-winning goal. Throw in a 2022 1st instead.