no lol

not bad

Where am I wrong? I mean the team likely won't end up looking exactly like that. I think Formenton might get moved, plus Pinto only gets $3.25M if he has a very solid year which I believe he does centering Formenton and Joseph on a 3rd line against most team's 3rd defense pairings. So elaborate.

A 2024 2nd and 2025 3rd doesn't win a bidding war for Whitecloud and his contract and Vegas isn't in as big of cap trouble as Ottawa is if they have to add Sokolov to dump Zaitsev. Worse DMenb have returned 1sts+ for 2-month rentals.

I don't see anyone taking on any money for nothing right now. Ottawa needs to move Zaitsev because they're a budget team, plus Ottawa has Chabot, Zub, Holden, Brannstrom, Sanderson, Hamonic, JBD, & Thomson all vying for spots. So keeping Zaitsev around just doesn't make any sense. We have to add a sweetener to move him, but his $4.5M cap hit and no place in the lineup means they really need to move him.

Like I said Whitecloud is basically a $3M 3rd pairing defenseman in Vegas. Them being so over the cap already and now needing a goalie? They don't have much time left before this window for them closes. Not to mention they aren't flush with prospects to replace the personnel they're going to have to replace in the next 2 years. So draft picks makes sense for them. A 2nd and a 3rd for a guy that is a 4-6 defenseman on most teams is good value when you have no bargaining power.

No bargaining power is a great line. Sabres want Ottawa's next 3 1sts and Sokolov. Ottawa has to get rid of Zaitsev and has no bargaining power. Zaitsev is in the press box on the Sabres. They are a budget team.

Very possible hence why I believe Zaitsev is still in Ottawa. However according to some reports Zaitsev already nixed a trade that was completed with Buffalo as Buffalo is on Zaitsev's NTC list. Buffalo actually wanted Zaitsev. With Buffalo likely out of the playoffs yet again.... Zaitsev helps them stay above the cap floor and he helps them in their pursuit of Bedard. Outside of Power, Dahlin, Lyunushkin.... Zaitsev can likely push anyone else on the defense in Buffalo for at least a year. Again issue will be convincing Zaitsev to take the trade.