Teams pay for cap relief, they don't usually get picks back.

Why would Arizona who's in a rebuild help the leafs, Engvall likely won't stick around there.

Engvall and 4th for future considerations would be more likely.

I understand the want for picks back for cap relief but this is more of a situation of getting better for both teams. Leafs don't need to move Engvall at all, Lilly is likely weeks away and makes a strong case to be a player the Leafs rely on for PK and possibly PP. He does not have a high cap hit for what he will likely produce making him a player of value, not a negative value. I hate this idea of every bad team HAS to get picks back for players. It is not true. Arizona is in a situation where Engvall immediately makes them better. This isnt a Ritche situation or a Marzek one where the Leafs are actively looking to move them because their bad. This is a situation that allows Arizona to get better at a cheap price for someone who likely plays on their top 6. If you were a rebuilding GM and someone said he would you like a young, speedy, large player who will likely play in your top 6 this season and onwards play in your top 9 for a 4th round pick, and you said no! I want picks back, the other GM just hangs up the phone.

Does AZ want to get better this year or do they want to suck and be much better 2-3 years from now.

Can never have too much depth, we don't know what Malgin will actually be. If Robertson wasn't waiver eligible I might agree but with injuries and the possibility that Malgin flops there's no reason for this move, Robertson will still probably play most of the season with the Leafs

I think where you're missing the point of my post, you're assuming Arizona wants to get better.

What Dan the Man said, Arizona doesn't want to get better, they are in a Bedard contest with Chicago and Montreal.

if anything, they want to get worse, and they want draft picks to help stock the system for the future as they are going full rebuild, not re-tooling.

Completely fair, but I also think Arizona is by far the worst team this year and adding Engvall isn't going to push them over the edge from Montreal or Chicago. Arizona has one of the worst defence in the league and easily the worst goal-tending. I don't think adding a top 6/9 winger is going to push them light years ahead of either team.

On top of that, the NHL has gone out of there way to say if teams are intentionally tanking, they will be fined and stripped of their picks. I don't think Arizona would want to lose out on ANOTHER first round pick. However I do understand your side, Arizona could simply just say no, we don't want him and that's the end of that

Yeah that's a trade being refused that's not instigating a tank investigation.

All a matter of time, if Chicago offloads Toews and Kane they have scraps left, and don't underestimate the tandem of Mrazek and Stalock, Chicago is pretty awful.

And the west is pretty weak outside the 9-10 teams, any of SJ, Chi, Ari can just isht the bed and be in last place pretty easily.