Too many first rnd picks in that Oilers deal.

I'd pass on Ekholm for a 1st. Not paying to dump AJ, rather sit him for the year.

I'll trade a 1st when I know the Devils have the pieces to be a playoff team and then those moves get to the next level for a window.

saros is a top 5 goalie in the league on a fantastic contract

The Ducks arent giving up high value futures for a 31 year old signed for 4 more years

I think you mean not enough

Then why would a playoff team trade him.

to rebuild to get bedard, it’s in the title

Selling low on Ekholm. Not crazy about the return on Duchene, especially with that many years of retention. I think Barrie holds a lot more value to EDM than NSH, so putting him in the trade isn't ideal for either team. I'd do the Dadonov deal though.

Saros just put up a Vezina finalist season and you're getting him at 3x$5M, plus you're only really adding minimal cap by offloading Barrie *and* adding a solid checking forward in Luke Kunin. I think you can maybe take Kunin and Edmonton's 2nd out if you want less moving parts, but Saros is easily worth 2 first round picks+, especially for a team that has been so often undone by their goaltending the past few years.

Sorry but it's strong that this Predator team wont be in the Conor Bedard sweepstakes.

The other trades - I think the Vegas trade is fine, but the last 2 are "win now" trades for teams that aren't necessarily ready to win. The values are right, just can't see Anaheim or the Devils making those moves this offseason when they are still both about a year or two away from truly contending.

I wouldn't call BOS' mid to late round 1st in a weak draft "high value futures".

a first round pick, regardless of perceived draft strength is a high value future

No one knows the true strength of a class until at least 5 years after the draft

Even so, it's not really adequate compensation for four years of salary retention, and there isn't anything else in the return worth considering for the player NSH is shipping out.

The player NSH is shipping out isnt worth the package above to ANA

Fair. They need to stay on the rebuild path for awhile still.

It’s not taking a first to move one year of Dadanov 🙄

Kunin is overpaid, his QO is high, he's got negative value in this deal. Barrie is on a great contract, but as someone else pointed out above, isn't the type of player Nashville needs. Meanwhile Saros is no better by GSAx than a healthy Mike Smith. He's young though, so he definitely has more value than Smith, but his on-ice performance hasn't been better.

This deal is
- perennial 50 point RHD + TWO 1sts +2nd from EDM
- good young goalie (but not an upgrade) + cap dump from NSH

Seems more than a little rich.

you have to be joking saying saros isn’t an upgrade from mike smith?? i don’t see mike smith top 10 in ANY GSAx models, and saros is top 10 in all of them and top 5 in the private ones. not to mention he’s a long term answer at goalie and smith is not.

I mentioned age and the effect it has on value. Please re-read what I wrote.

MoneyPuck GSAx/60, 2020-21
Smith: +.468
Saros: +.386

MoneyPuck GSAx/60, 2021-22
Smith: +.281
Saros: +.316

Evolving Hockey GSAx/60, score and venue adjusted, 2020-21
Smith: +.272
Saros: +.227

Evolving Hockey GSAx/60, score and venue adjusted, 2021-22
Smith: +.263
Saros: +.192

Better check your stats again.

I don't see the Devils giving up that much for a soon to be 32 YO Dman

Ignore him. Everyone else knows that Saros is a top 10 goalie AT LEAST (he's arguably top 5) and the NHL GM's agree, as he was officially a Vesina finalist.

Well, it'll take a least a second, that much is for sure.

Saying Saros is "not an upgrade" and then quoting rate stats further downthread misses the main reason why Saros is an upgrade over 40 year old Mike Smith: Smith is putting up those numbers on a 1B/backup's workload (27 starts this season, 30 last year) while Saros is a throwback workhorse (67 starts this year). Sure, Smith looked good with 7.3 GSAA this season - but Mikko Koskinen gave back almost all of that with his -6.1GSAA. David Rittich did his DAMNDEST to give back what he could in his 12 starts, but Nashville still comes out ahead by the sheer volume of Saros starts.

Mike Smith is a very good backup at this point in his career, but I worry he would just turn to absolute dust if you asked him to hit 60 starts next year. Saros looks to be a lock for that for the next few years, at least, and that's what a team is going to pay up for - certainty in goal.

Mike Smith had fewer starts this year due to injury. He wasn't the backup.

This year was the first time Saros started more than 35 games in a season, and guess what? His play fell off precipitously over the last 3 months and culminated in a season-ending injury. If you think playing him 60+ starts every season going forward is a great idea then I've got some prime oceanfront property in Arizona for you.

Up to Feb 1st: 38 starts, .927 sv%
After Feb 1st: 29 starts, .905 sv%

Oh, look where his play dropped off a cliff - after 38 starts. Seems they had it right limiting him to 30-35 starts before this season. He will no doubt grow into a larger role, but thrusting 60+ start expectations on him seems rather premature, to say the least.