Quote:
Originally Posted by New Era
How about Monahan, Tkachuk, Zary and our 1st for Aho and some salary dumps?
Or maybe for Monahan, Tkachuk, Gaudreau, Zary and our 1st for Couturier and Konecny, along with whatever salary they need to send our way?
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Eichel is better than Aho.
The whole point of getting a player like that is to pair him with Gaudreau.
Let’s also assume that any deal for Eichel involves Skinner.
Gaudreau-Eichel-Skinner
X-Monahan-Dube
Lucic-Backlund-Bread
Bennett-Ryan-X
Gio-Ras
Hanifin-Tanev
OK-X
I know we all hate Skinner - he has scored 30+ Four times. Eichel and Gaudreau could bank 20 a year in off his ass. He’s only 29, and you could sell high if he has a decent rebound in Calgary.
Tkachuk, sucks to lose him. You can replace what that player brings.
Lindholm, sucks to lose, big time. But you’re getting Eichel, and cementing Monahan as a #2C, which he absolutely is, I don’t care what his detractors say, he’s a quality top-6 player.
Valimaki - the 5th D, and really sucks to lose him. But he was a mid-1st pick, and he has 10 points in 59 games since he was drafted in 2017. I know, injuries, but If you can turn that into Jack Eichel, you do it.
Zary is a nice player. If everything breaks his way, maybe one day, MAYBE he’ll be as good as Backlund or Monahan. Sometime in the next nebulous 5-10 years.
So as I see it, acquiring Eichel and Skinner costs one top-6 centre, one top-6 winger and one bottom pairing D.
Eichel replaces Lindholm- you’re not set back.
Skinner is a wild card, but if he’s able to be even his career average, it’s acceptable.
Valimaki is replaceable. I know he’s popular, but Nik Lidstrom he ain’t, and even if he was, C > D. You still have Hanifin, Andersson, and OK as young D with high ceilings - you don’t need more than that. You need two more Tanev types.
We then need to find a top-6 LW, the easiest thing to do in the sport, and a bottom pairing defenseman. A competent hockey team can add those.
I fundamentally disagree that this sort of trade sets us back more than a year. If it sets us back at all.
Winning without a #1C is flat out impossible in the cap world.