Devils accept.

Devils trade is "fair" but then you went and traded down from 2nd OA to 8th + traded a cost controlled middle 6 winger for a freaking rental

Devils decline. The correct move for the future of the team, both in terms of personnel and cap space, is to keep our top assets. The only Tkachuk trade I'd consider is 2oa alone and even then I'm hesitant.

Also you need one more scratched player and that would put you over the cap. Cap is 82.5 this fall.

If NJ does go after a guy who is going to cost a ton, probably won't be for a guy who just had an astronomical career year that is much different than previous years (Tkachuk/Miller) if it's going to also cost a ton to acquire them. Also, if Mercer has similar skill sets to Tkachuk, it makes more sense to keep him, and give up assets/spend cap on a guy with different skill set than the rest of the core

Also, compensation for a Tkachuk OS is going to be 2 firsts, a 2nd, and a 3rd. Is Mercer worth a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd?

Detroit declines.

An offer sheet for Tkachuk is quite frankly ridiculous. The question that should be asked is would you rather have Mercer and Slafkovsky/Cooley/Wright on ELCs or Tkachuk being paid 8.5, 9, 9.5 million or more. Even if Tkachuk alone is better than Mercer and the 2oa pick, how much is that 7m+ in cap space worth?

Both teams would want the ELCs since it allows them to be more competitive, especially with the stagnant cap.

For NJ most of their draft picks are probably going to accept that their hit comes under Hughes' unless they are a prolific goal scorer or way better. So it would be best if they didn't upgrade their players for a similar mlre developed version. I think Jersey makes a bid for Forsberg but perhaps turns out to be like the Tavares signing for Tor (which is mainly an issue because of the stagnant cap). Can also see Jersey trading Zacha or 2OA to Vancouver and trying to get Boeser or Fiala from Minnesota.

2oa is too much for either of those players. Devils have targeted Garland in the past so that's who they'd be after from Vancouver. I'd offer Minnesota something like Gritsyuk and a 2023 1st protected/conditional for Fiala, and fot Vancouver something like Zacha and a 2nd for Garland. One or the other, not both deals

Isles trade is interesting. I don't think it's out of the question, but would probably be dependent on the Isles moving out some salary in another trade first.

Minnesota probably wants the 2OA, so that they can draft a Fiala replacement. I think a deal with Vancouver would need to move multiple guys due to their cap situation (Zacha over Garland probably doesn't save them much), I would think it would be one of Miller or Boeser along with them. Severson and the 2OA probably interest Van. Perhaps Vancouver would offer Miller/Boeser+Garland+15th OA for 2OA+Zacha+Severson but I can't think that NJ would take that deal

I don't want Miller at all. If Vancouver wants 2oa it's gonna cost them at minimum Demko and 15oa.

Yeah, I would hate for NJ to do a move like that especially if extending Miller would cost something that does not start with a 7.

I'll be disappointed though if NJ drafts 2OA, I want to see a blockbuster trade or two this offseason

If that's disappointing you haven't been keeping up with the prospects. There's some serious talent in the top 5.

You essentially turned Matthew Tkachuk into Tyler Bertuzzi, Dawson Mercer & Jakub Chychrun, which is not too bad.

As a Detroit fan, I don’t like the Bertuzzi deal.

So I have no idea who Dube is. Seems like a low level middle 6 center, which Detroit already has Suter and Rasmussen who fall into the same category, as well as Veleno who projects to be middle 6. So Dube seems pretty much a throw in.

Essentially, this breaks down into Detroit trading their 8th and Bertuzzi and a 3rd round pick to get the right to draft Cooley or Slafvkosky. Neither player is a slam dunk top line NHLer. Or Detroit holds onto 8th overall, and has options that can pan out to be top 6 forwards or top 4 D, depending on how the first 7 picks go. Plus, this is Yzerman, who managed to get Seider and Raymond with later picks, and both players may pan out to being the best in their draft classes. Kasper looks NHL ready to be a second line center, and there are some really good D that are 2 to 3 years from being top 4.

Basically, Detroit says absolutely not. There are better uses for their assets.