Quoting: Faeyla
Yeah, and Galchenyuk got flipped to Toronto for literally nothing.
Vatanen was hurt when they traded for him. Hakanpaa was traded to get grit, Fleury was just dead weight and needed to be dangled for any sort of value.
Note how all the players I mentioned here never resigned with the Canes the following year? Because they were rentals. There's no discounting the longer contracts that DW traded for and made spades on them. It's the fact that they're not avoiding rentals, they just don't give out 1sts for rentals that they know they're not going to go all in on signing next year.
They got a minor leaguer and Korshkov, who was used to get Domi.
They picked up Vatanen, Hakanpaa, Domi and Ghost as rentals. In 5 years. This team avoids rentals. Look at who they're being linked with. Erik Karlsson? 4 years left. Pesce's deal expiring? Rumor mill. Teravainen's deal expiring? Rumor mill. Skjei's deal expiring? Rumor mill! This team avoids players on expiring deals. They do, Waddell's never hidden that. He frequently admits it. Dundon doesn't like the idea. They picked up Vatanen because EVERYONE was hurt. Pesce, Hamilton both had long term issues, Edmundson wasn't right, and they had to do something. Hakanpaa was trying to find Haydn Fleury a good home.
The two times they've had the choice and did it anyway are the last 2 years... the 2 years the East became a complete arms race at the deadline with Meier, Kane, Tarasenko, Orlov, O'Reilly, Bertuzzi, Horvat, all ending up in the East they pick up Ghost for a future 3rd. Remember, they didn't *want* Ghost, they were going after Timo Meier. They like term, they avoid rentals.