Drag0nDan

Instead of Kakko being the key piece in an eichel trade, they got borgen and some late picks. Laff is also now getting 7+ aav and playing like cozens.

Agreed. Drafting him made it easier to move savoie (in addition to kulich just lapping him during development. Norris being so injury prone also gives me pause on moving probably the top non-NHL center. He was also the youngest player in the AHL last year, so he likely projects to be a year away. As it stands today though, the only center keeping him in the AHL is krebs.

Agreed - bring me a superstar and every prospect is available.

I don't like moving helenius because he actually profiles as a middle-six center. Seeing the scarcity and difficulty acquiring two-way centers makes it tough to want to move him.

There's just no reason to justify it. I'd rather just decide the week or even day of and say "I want to go to a game". Ok great, it'll be cheaper if you wait and if they suck again you aren't stuck going to meaningless games that you overpaid for.

I think the challenge i see is the limited suitors - like truly how many teams need a player like him? With the state of this franchise I assume buffalo is a no on most peoples trade destinations, so you have to let some of the roster chips fall around Buffalo before they can try and make a player trade here.

Sorry, i meant from buffalo - instead of say JJP+Rosen+9, its Tuch+Rosen+Östlund - 2 close to ready prospects in lieu of the 9th pick since Tuch either needs to be extended or is UFA.

But then you're hanging onto an asset because you aren't getting the offer you want, and limiting what you can build from a roster perspective. If you've decided on power, move byram to a team that will accomodate his contract demands. A 1st round pick is a trade asset - gives you a first back if you move #9, or trade ammo to try and find a RHD.

Thats fair - i just wonder how much more you're going to get from bottom of the barrel agents. Like if the replacements are sam lafferty with half his contract... uhh you're gonna have a bad time.

I think he's the today replacement at a lower cost - maybe less draft comp and another closer to NHL ready guy in the return.

To shed any payroll they have to move Robertson or Oettinger. Johnston i suppose could be an option, but most teams keep young centers more than wingers. Seguin, Hintz, Heiskanen, and Seguin have full NMC's so they're all likely out on a trade. Rantanens already among the highest paid wingers in the league. I don't think it makes sense to then extend robertson and then have the two most expensive wingers in the league. Working JJP under is challenging, probably requires Dumba be included, and maybe a 3rd team for Lyubushkin. It's why it might make more sense for it to be Tuch - with rosen/Östlund, probably this years 1st, and probably next years 1st (maybe you can throw a lottery top 3 protection on it). Nuclear option would be they move both Robertson and Oettinger - and then definitely need a 3rd team to accommodate some of the other pieces that would need to be included while getting dallas NHL ready prospects, cheaper contracted players, and a goalie. Like Dallas doesn't need Byram, but what buffalo gets for byram, plus the above trade, plus levi... etc. Buffalo would need to shed UPL somewhere too. The amount of moving parts would be insane. The stuff madden dreams are made of 🙂

Duchene averaging a PPG is probably driving the price out of their range imo so he's probably gone. Benn's 35, and a different player than they had paid so I'd think he can be had for a team-friendly deal. Granlunds tough because they used a lot of capital to bring him and Ceci in, and he seemed to mesh with Rantanen. Ceci is also a free agent, but i suppose dumba replaces him with his return from injury. As it stands without those guys they only have 5M in cap space, with Lundkvist (I don't really know whats going on with him) and Bourque yet to pay.

I just assumed they were moving him because they cant afford to pay him 12M AAV after 25-26. Benn is the captain and a UFA, Duchene wears an A and is a UFA, then you also have Dadonov and Granlund. You can't (and shouldn't) keep all of them, but both Robertson and Harley come up in 2026 and Seguin doesn't come off until 2027 so somethings gotta give. Otherwise they're going to struggle to ice a competitive back half of the roster.

Most likely - they got his 15 team no-trade and made some calls.

To me, if JJP is moved then it's gotta be the big piece in a hockey trade. He has more value than Byram - who probably has a smaller list of suitors due to the nature of his game. There isn't a team in the league who doesn't listen to a call for a 30G winger.