Quoting: jnowariak
I get the idea of a lateral swap but what I don’t get is the messaging about wanting to win and the fact that hockey trades are less common in season (Kahk for Midds was an asset trade IMO and the other 2 were taking advantage of cap space, which doesn’t apply here). I don’t see a scenario in which we trade Dumba and get better this year, maybe there’s a defense for offense swap but nothing is jumping out to me. My question is whether they need to get a top 4 guy back if they trade Dumba or they’re willing to take a 3rd pair guy as the lateral swap.
Maybe you’re right about the Oilers as a trade partner, but this really feels like it’s about jacking up Dumba’s value in hopes somebody ponies up. Either Dumba finishes out the year or we will be blown away by the return. It’s just an odd situation.
Talbot/Gus was the only trade where the cap moved, and that's cause Talbot wanted out. Staal/Marjo (1C, it's what MarJo was sold as after the trade), Pateryn/Cole (6/7D), Sturm/Jost (4C), Kunin/Bonino (3C) were all position swaps. You could even add in Suter buyout and Goli signing.
I consider the MAF trade as part (maybe facilitator is a better word) of the Kahk/Middleton swap. Both happened on TDL day, and if the MAF trade doesn't happen then the Kahk/Middleton trade doesn't happen. MAF and Kahk had pretty close stats for MN last year too.
Basically to me GMBG is saying he's not going to weaken the team just for the sake of getting future assets. The d-corps is 7 deep currently, but there isn't anything in the AHL (Faber is a question mark too) behind them that is NHL ready. Trade Dumba for futures and then you're 6 deep in the d-corps, and any injury puts the team in a precarious position. The RD could be Goli, Addison, and Sustr with a Spurgeon injury (common occurrence) and a Dumba trade.
I just don't see many options for a Dumba trade unless there is a top-4 d-man coming back (Holl/Dumba swap example). It would need to be a 3rd team (either same trade or sperate trade) involved for a Dumba trade to happen. Something like Chychrun for futures to MN, and Dumba out of MN of futures.
It just sends the wrong message to the team about the season to trade away Dumba (good locker room, wears an "A", etc.) for nothing. After all this GM is all about the locker room.