Lol no need to get salty. Kupari is a wannabe top 6 guy who can’t produce, same as Jost. Look at their stats and metrics. Just cuz Kupari is bigger doesn’t mean anything. He doesn’t play particularly hard and is yet another one of many tweeners that every team has.

tbh at this point, I’m starting to think you originally confused Vilardi with Kupari and are too far down to retract it…Kupari is literally playing in the AHL, what on earth makes you think he can step in and be effective with Boldy lol?

I’m amazed at how little love is given to Middleton here! Sure, he isn’t Lidstrom or Chara in their primes, but he is an absolute bargain with his contract! He is easily a 2nd pairing defenseman in the NHL, and a good one at that! The only thing I dislike about his contract is it isn’t longer.

If you can’t figure out the differences between Kupari and Jost, there’s no point in furthering discussion with you.

Middleton wouldn’t pull Vilardi lmao. Vilardi isn’t even playing center, which I can almost guarantee you didn’t know. Kupari is in the AHL because he’s stuck behind a lot of quality players at center and it’s best for him to get top of the lineup minutes at the AHL level for his development (kinda like Rossi).

Middleton is a 2nd pairing LD if your team has low quality LD depth. His numbers are propped up a bit by the analytical darling, Spurgeon, whom you want to get rid of for nothing because of his contract.

He is much better than you realize!