Go Habs Go
Joined: Mar. 2017
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Reposting from previous comments:
I haven't looked hard enough at every team's goaltending situation to definitively state Hart won't return a 1st in trade, but I have looked at goaltender trades over the past few years and the high end is multiple picks including up to two 3rds.
The notable exception is Kuemper, where Colorado was desperate and he had solid numbers with a .920 save percentage over 3 years in Arizona. Way better numbers on a worse team and the return was a late 1st. Timmins was a project with an injury history and little recent action. He was flipped for a 4th round drafted, 6'9" project prospect. The 3rd was conditional on a cup win (which ended up happening, but that's long odds and more of a bonus).
When Schneider was traded for a 1st, it was ONLY for the 1st (9th overall) (no "extras" in the deal. He was maintaining a .927 save percentage over 3 years. Much better team of course, but he was in the top tier and had a Jennings.
As for others:
There's speculation about NJ not qualifying Blackwood. (Very comparable raw stats to date, but Hart's expected numbers are better than Blackwood's.)
Georgiev was traded for two 3rds and a 5th.
Nedeljkovic for Reimer and a 3rd.
Samsonov wasn't qualified.
Gustavsson was swapped straight up for Talbot.
Vanecek went for a 2nd and a 3rd.
Adin Hill for a 4th.
Vladar for a 3rd.
If you're paying beyond those prices for Hart, you're paying a premium for name recognition.