As a Hawks fan I like these trades, especially if you can get a 3rd for Gus. I'm not sure Carolina goes for that trade though, as I don't think that de Haan is that big an upgrade over Bear.

How has Kubalik been? As a Pens fan I would love to add another top 6 forward.

I’d be shocked if Holland added a goalie. He’s got 2 guys think the organization is very comfortable using as a starter in smith and skinner. I don’t see it.

Kubalik has been okay. Having a down year but the team is bad and has not had much puck luck. Might fit in Pittsburgh's top six nicely. Has a really hard, quick shot.

To be perfectly honest. He's not getting the looks he should be getting. He's a 30 goal scorer and he's not being played with playmakers. This isn't 30 goal scorer trade value though either. He's an RFA so you'll get at least 1 more year from him that's cost controlled.

I'd like him to play along side Malkin with his shot. Could be a nice fit. Neal had the shot and look what he did playing with someone like Geno. Is a 2nd + prospect his value?

Remember when Carolina paid to dump De Haan in Chicago? Why would they want him back?

Well A.) They didn't pay to dump him, BUT I can see that they didn't ask for much in return. B.) It's a different situation. DeHaan is a pending UFA so no need to keep his enlarged cap hit on the books for years. That's the reason CAR traded him. Long term cap. He's been the #1LD for the Hawks. And you know as well as anyone DeHaan can play left or right side. For someone playing as well as he is AND lower cap hit. I think this is a low cost prudent move to shore up the best D in hockey.

They paid to dump him, giving up Aleksi Saarela, who was one of the better prospects in the system at the time. That was a cap dump.

Yes, it's a different situation. But the reason they dumped him is because he was a 3rd pairing player. Carolina don't need that. Cole and Bear are fine. Ideally, they need someone more defensively sound than Skjei to play in the top 4 on a contender. CdH has never done that.

Where is aleksi now? CAR got better prospects than they sent away. Forsling is crushing it! 25 atoi and 21 points in 40 games. He's on arguably a better team than CAR too. VERY arguably and I think CAR is better, but Florida is no joke too.

I think CAR would prefer someone more proven than Bear for a run.

That's NOW. Not then. You have to look at it from the time of the trade. Saarela was projected to be in the Canes top six, and he was used to get out from under that Calvin De Haan contract. How it worked out is fine, but they paid to dump him.

Carolina probably want someone more proven than Bear. CdH ain't it.

Oh I agree with you. Hard to predict players development. I'd still argue Forsling was just as valuable as Aleksi if not more, but neither of them were top prospects so not really something to argue over.

There isn't much more proven out there. You want Chiarot for your 2023 1st??? Doubtful

At the time, Saarela was very highly thought off and Forsling was struggling in Chicago. Saarela was the top prospect they got back for Eric Staal. He was very highly thought of.

Off the top of my head more proven than CdH

Giordano
Klingberg
Dunn
Schenn
Graves

There's a lot more guys that have proven themselves on good teams and would be easier to go and get than CdH

Schenn is not better and YES of course go after Klingberg! He'll cost you Seth Jarvis. I'm not suggesting DeHaan is the best Dman in the NHL. FAR from it, but you're not looking for a #1RD. CAR is looking for a veteran presence that can more a GREAT bottom pair guy, but can also jump up in case an unfortunate injury happens. CAR doesn't want to sell the farm on a rental like Klingberg or Giordano.

I also follow the Canes, so while Saarela might have been ok...he wasn't ever anything special. That's why he was pick #89 in the draft.

Everyone knows Klingberg is not going to cost Jarvis and the fact you bring it up... that's just assanine. I know you're smarter than that, don't be so ridiculous. Schenn is a 3rd pairing RD with a cup ring and he makes less than a quarter of what CdH does with another year on his deal. Ditto Giordano, who's having one of his worst years ever and has very little value left.

There's better cheaper options than to go back after De Haan who wasn't a match in the first place.

Ok, Seth Jarvis might be a bit much, but it'll be the 2023 1st and someone like Bokk or Suzuki (but probably not Suzuki. After his eye injury he likely won't get much. He'll need a few more prove it years before teams will give up assets for him). and I'm not joking about that. CAR doesn't want Klingberg. They don't want or need to lose those kinds of assets.

If the price is Bokk AND Suzuki, that's not an issue. If Bear is included in the deal, you likely wouldn't have to include the 1st either, make it this years 2nd. Klingberg is probably irrelevant because he's a turnstile defensively anyway, but there's cheaper options than CDH still.

There's cheaper alternatives than CdH. There's players with better upside and more skill than CdH that haven't been in Raleigh before and performed to the point of being moved elsewhere.

- MAF is rumored to not want to come to Edmonton
- Holland has stated multiple times he's not trading the 1st for a rental
- MAF has been having a very uneven season so far
- the goalie market is flooded, it's a buyer's market

All this to say the Edmonton deal isn't happening.

As we've discussed before. That's an EDM rumor that quite frankly hasn't been a rumor here in CHI...where he actually plays. So I do hear you, but I trust MAF before I trust random EDM journalists.

Also, MAF would not be a rental. Out of his own mouth he's said that he'd like to extend somewhere to win. He likes CHI and he might even extend here, BUT he wants to win and wants to focus right now on CHI winning despite they (for all intents and purposes) already being out of the playoffs.

So, Holland wouldn't be sending a 1st for a rental and what other goalie option are you looking for? Korpisalo? He's not any better than EDM's (3) sub par goalies right now. Holtby? DAL is fighting to beat EDM into the playoffs. They're not helping EDM.

Pick is on the wrong side of the Canes deal

Well that's just a joke if I've ever heard one

Rental 3rd paring D man who is probably plan C for most teams in the rental market for a 24 year old RFA right shot defenseman…not a joke.

Korpisalo is markedly worse than any of Edmonton's goalies, so that's not an option. Also Skinner has a better save percentage than Fleury, is he sub-par too?

I think there are other options that would be cheaper (Reimer, Halak) and/or better (Varlamov).

Skinner...wow. I'm not even sure how to take this. Do you Honestly believe a HOFer with 500 wins is somehow equal to a rookie (on a better team with a better defense) with 14 games under his belt? It's just crazy talk.

MAF GSAA 10.54 and HDGSAA 6.47
Skinner GSAA 4.3 and HDGSAA 1.47

But Skinner is a rookie with 14 games in his entire career. Why not play Olivier Rodrigue. He has a higher SV% than either Skinner or MAF.

Now divide those numbers by games played and compare again.

Nowhere did I say Skinner was as good or as valuable as Fleury. I was simply countering your inane assertion that Skinner's performance this year was somehow "sub-par". And you still haven't provided a spec of evidence that corroborates your story.