I don't see Canucks trading Mikheyev and Willander for Smith and Guentzel.
If the Canucks trade a future first-round pick and Raty or Podz for Guentzel (Pens retains 50% of Guentzel's contract), then it would make sense.

It's basically a trade of two first round picks for Guentzel which would be his maximum return anyway.
Seems like a realistic proposa in this post.

One of which is a high first rounder (Willander) that is probably only a year away from making an NHL roster.

Bad trade by Canucks. Willander is a keeper.

A soon to be 30 year old, defensive third line winger that makes $4.75 million for two years after this one is not very appealing.

Willander is the price piece here obviously. Immediately becomes Pittsburgh's top prospect by a mile and is probably only a year away from being in the NHL.

I love Willander but this is a win now move. Canucks only do this knowing they can extend Guentzal too.

Canucks window is this year plus the next 2-3 years (Demko and Hughes contracts). It could obviously extend past that but those years are probably their best chance.

hardly, he's not even a very exciting prospect for the penguins.

Yager still remains their best prospect and I doubt they would do this deal for such a lower return and taking on such a bad contract to make it happen.
They can move Smith easy for a 2nd. Multiple teams are interested in him. They don't need to trade him for a freaking cap dump.
Jake will get a better return than a late 1st and a prospect that has no real place in PIT. Where is he going to play. They have Letang and EK for the next 3 years.
Wallander isn't exactly defensively solid to take on that 3rd pairing role. He'd just be another offensive defenseman on a team that doesn't need another.

You clearly have no idea who Willander is. He's a two-way dman that is strong defensively and if anything needs to improve his offensive game to become a top pair dman rather than a 3/4 dman.

I know exactly who he is because I watch way more NCAA hockey they you do.
He is not a strong defenseman, he's an offensive one.
It's so sad you don't even know your own prospects. Probably because you never watched them play.
It's not his offensive game that needs work, it's so sad you don't get that. But you will when he gets to the NHL level and realize his light frame for his size is going to end up with him getting pushed around alot.
He won't be able to play the same way in the NHL that he does at BOS and will most likely be hidden in the Ozone.

but go on..... tell me more about what you don't know.

Every scout in hockey that watches him described him as a two way/defensive D but I'm sure they're all insane and only you truly know him

the old.... every scout.......
but again..... you have never watched him play and that's all we really need to know now.
Do yourself a favor, maybe start watching NCAA hockey and then come with your opinions.

Obviously scouts aren't right about everything, they can be wrong (they are all the time.) But if every single scout says one thing about a player, every coach says it, and you say otherwise, maybe you're wrong? IDK what to tell you.

except that isn't what every scout says.
what you looked at one scouting report on cap friendly and now think your an expert.
That is rich.
The scouting reports on him basically describe an offensive defenseman. He skates well, can pressure up ice.
They call him strong... but only at his level.
As I said above, how he played in juniors and the NCAA is not going to cut it at the NHL level.
At the NHL level he projects as an offensive defenseman. He lacks the strength and size to be a defensive D. Which is why little is written on his defensive game.
He also lacks the high end offensive skill to be considered a 1st pairing D. Something scouts have also pointed out.
Which is how you get "best described as a 2 way defenseman" on capfriendly. Because his high end lacks both.
If you watched him play you would know this. Because his whole defensive game is based on his skating. He can close a gap... great. That's basically his whole game, he can skate and decent shot and pass.

But when he hits the NHL and they park on him down low, he's done and will be exposed. Because he doesn't have the size for it. Which is why no one ever says anything about his defensive ability.
His defensive ability is basically transition game limited.
That might cut it at other levels, but at the NHL that won't work. Nor will his current game be nearly as good when he hits the NHL level and all the other players are just as fast if not faster than he is. Again effecting his defensive ability.

Maybe again you should watch players play before making comments instead of reading some half ass scouting reports that don't say much of anything most likely written by people who don't know crap about a player anyway because much like you they don't watch.

But at the NHL level he's an offensive defenseman. Period. This isn't a guy you're putting into heavy D zone starts or someone you are going to trust on the PK.

You are out to lunch on this one champ. Literally every scouting report talks about his strong defensive and transition game and room for improvement offensively. Even his head coach at BU has reiterated same.

"As advertised, competitive, good defensively, great skater. He is very coachable and wants to get better everyday. He has not been out-matched physically by anyone in college hockey." Pandolfo said.

no one is out to lunch.
Like I said, stop reading what other people say and go WATCH.
His defensive game is only in transition. He will not be able to play that way at the NHL level.
Your like all the other so called experts on here.
Like the same ones in EDM who talked up pool party while those who watched him play said he can't play north south and won't transition to the NHL.
But they went on too.
You don't watch, you read and then come comment to people who have watched a guy play. Sit down.

You said Brandon Yager is your best prospect, are you sitting down to watch every WHL game too? Every single other person who has watched him play has described him as good defensively (along with analytics about him) but that should all be thrown out the window because "LuckyMoneyPuck" says otherwise?

again you don't watch him play and your still talking.
No I don't watch every WHL game, nor do I need to to know Yager is the penguins best prospect. It's not like that's a hard assessment. It's also obvious he plays a position of more pressing need for the penguins.

Again you are continuing to argue on a player you don't watch. If you bothered to watch and you knew anything about hockey you would know that his defense is a transition game, based on his skating.
While that may work at the NCAA level, at the NHL level where everyone is a good skater and many better than him, that isn't going to cut it.
You read some hyped up report and you believe it. Instead of actually using some judgement and realizing there is a difference between NHL and NCAA play and what one does on one level isn't going to transfer to the other.
But go ahead, keep reading reports from guys who hype everyone up and give no realistic view of a player.
Maybe you can read some great reviews on Yakupov while your at it. I hear he was going to be an all star and had a near flawless gave due to "scouting reports" but you know, those scouts said it so people who played hockey at the NCAA level shouldn't be honest about players.

But hey instead of writing another comment, try watching games instead

Just, to be clear. You don't watch Yager play. Yet despite not watching him you call it "obvious" that he's your best prospect and claim it's an "obvious assessment?" Yet I don't watch WIllander play so the mere idea of calling him a good prospect that can play solid defensively (what 99% of people who *do watch* him would say) is a ridiculous statement? If you can't see the hypocrisy maybe you should take a step back

you are so clueless.
It's obvious Yager is their best prospect because they don't HAVE ANYONE ELSE in their pipeline who can actually help turn the team around.
But thanks for playing.

You said he was obviously better then Willander without knowing Yager. Seems like you're the very guy you're complaining about

because the penguins have no use for yet another RD, They have Letang and EK. Whats he gonna play to impact the team, 12 mins a night.
FFS you got no brain.

In 2-3 years he's probably going to be playing more then 39 year old Letang and probably at least fighting in ice time with 36 year old EK. Might as well move Yager too because he's behind Crosby and Malkin in the C depth chart

they aren't waiting 2-3 years.
and yager will either play 3C or most likely wing.

It's just all about you isn't it.

You know other teams make moves in THEIR BEST INTEREST.