I hope not, I rather buy him out. I don't think anyone would be interested, but I don't think burning the last retention slot for 1.25 years is worth tops like a 6th rounder

Imagine if CGY despite selling their rental D and Lindholm make the playoffs

Timo hatty

I think Grier has done a fantastic job with the Duclair trade.

1) basically two thirds (equal to Tarasenko) - a good RD prospect for SJ which needs RD; and he’s 21 so he’ll have a lot of time to grow in SJ and the best pick they could get from Tampa realistically.

2) Duke has consistently voiced interest in SJ and while their being no deal on the table (obviously) he said in the last 24hrs he would return to SJS in the offseason is they would have him and if there was no deal out there for him.

3) ..I actually don’t think Duclair will stay in Tampa so it would come down to a new front runner to give Duclair a UFA deal.

4) And Grier has voiced recently not waning long term expensive UFA’s which means: IF DUKE was to resign in SJ

- Duke will return to a deal that’s probably 2-4 years
- At an AAV of probably 4.5-3.75m

So if the stars align for a Duclair in Teal - we could see Thompson, a 3rd for Duclair to return at a 4 years - 4mAAV deal.

Which would make an already great deal by Grier - even more incredible.

Well Bunts, so long buddy. I enjoyed our short time together

I know things look bleak in SJ right now; but I really like all the young additions to their blueline pipeline. Really have turned that around in a short time.

LD
Mario Ferraro 25 yo
Henry Thrun 22 yo
Nikita Okhotiuk 23 yo
Shakir Mukhamadullin 22 yo
Luca Cagnoni 19 yo
Nikolai Knyzhov 25 yo

RD
Ty Emberson 23 yo
Calen Addison 23 yo
Jack Thompson 21 yo
Mattias Hävelid 20 yo

I think they will have a very solid pro blueline in 2-3 years after they go thru the growing pains/development/competition for those spots

Pagnotta is reporting the return for Guentzel is Bunting, 2 prospects, and a 2nd. My guess is Blake/Morrow and Suzuki are the prospects you see get moved. Blake would definitely be a great pickup, as would Morrow. Not getting a 1st is pretty tough, but Carolina has got some good prospects so maybe that will make up for it

Supposedly Morrow is (unsurprisingly) involved. Like I said earlier, he instantly becomes the best prospect in the Pens system

Well Seravalli just came out and said Morrow isnt apart of the deal, so tough luck Pittsburgh. Heres to hoping Blake or Nadeau are involved as the 1st round pick equivalents

Probably something like Suzuki Blake Bunting conditional 3rd/1st depending on if they win the cup, conditional 2nd if they make the ecf, an air conditioner, some hair conditioner and an autographed pic of Rod the Bod.

From LeBrun:

Full trade:
Pittsburgh trades Jake Guentzel (25% retained) and Ty Smith to Carolina in exchange for Michael Bunting, Ville Koivunen, Vasili Ponomarev, Cruz Lucius, Carolina’s 1st RD pick in 2024 (Conditional) and Carolina’s 5th RD pick in 2024 (Conditional).

Wow. Fleece job by Carolina.

Lebrun reporting that the condition is that if CAR doesn't make the finals, it becomes a second. Could not be happier with this trade. Don finally did something, hell has frozen over.

Are any of those guys in Carolina's top 10 prospect pool?

Soctt Wheeler at the Athletic has them at #6 (Pono), #7 (Koivunen), and #9 (Lucius).

To be fair, Pono is a point-per-game player at the NHL level at the moment.

Craig Button had Koivunen as the #34 prospect in hockey and the Hurricanes #2. I think Ponomarev is 5/6 but don't quote me on that. Lucius I think is out of the top ten.

This be up there with the Meier trade in which its just bad

Koivunen is for sure, Lucius is probably just on the outside despite being solid, and Ponomarev probably right there with Lucius. They are all decent, but they arent A tier prospects (Koivunen could make crack that tier). This is bad for the Pens. I would've wanted a Morrow, Nadeau, or Under Sorum dearly

Could probs get Reilly Smith 50% ret for Tverberg and a 3rd with how we just saw the Guentzel trade unfold

That return is slightly better than I expected after the scare of taking Bunting. I am pretty happy with both forwards who could be in our lineup at some point next year. I would have rather had Nadeau but he’s also a few years away. They wanted young cheap forwards who can crack the lineup as easy as next year and the two they got fit that bill. I am still wondering what this condition is on the 2nd rounder though.

At 50%, sure

Can someone give Marchand his pacifier back?

Carolina wins simply because they’re getting an elite winger. Now to break this down:

Positives: Two young forwards on ELCs who look like they could be in our lineup at some point next season is exactly what we wanted. We didn’t want Dman. We don’t need Dman. We have a ton of money tied up there and limited ice time for a kid. Outside of Yager we have NOTHING up front and these two immediately become the next best forward prospects. I’m uncertain on Chaz Lucius but the numbers don’t look too shabby so far for a college player.

Bad: A conditional 1st? Come on that should have been a no no. We should have a first out of this deal straight up. Bunting also is an overpaid mediocre player that Dubas has some weird thing for. We do not need these “scrappy Leafs”. That crap can stay with Treliving.

Bunting is going to be great next to Crosby. He was excellent on the Leafs and dearly misused in Carolina. Chaz and Pono are alright, Koivunen is the real highlight here. The pick is horrible

So Bunting was 4.5 and Gunetzel 25% retained is…4.5

I am not sure I’d even want him on Sid’s line. I don’t want “energy guys”. We need more youth, skill, and skating. He doesn’t check those boxes. I agree the pick is what puts the trade into C grade territory. Boy do I hope they make the finals!