Quote:
Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug
From a Buffalo perspective, they clearly like Tuch and his contract and the potential of Krebs. Surprised they settled for top 10 protection on the draft pick. It would have been tough for Calgary to match, as I think Mangiapane would be close, but without the contract certainty. The ask might have been Hanifan or Lindholm, which would be a big no from me.
I think Vegas did well, but the true cost is still yet unknown. I think they end up giving away Patches, Smith or Marchessault + a sweetener, perhaps even Theodore to make the cap work. They will still see some pain to get Eichel in the lineup.
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Pacioretty and Marchessault each have some trade protection. While not bulletproof, it certainly makes it harder to get good value on the trade. Smith is easier to move since he can go anywhere, but there will still be only so many teams interested. Theodore has real value, but Vegas can still only ask for picks/prospects as the point of the exercise is to shed salary.
I guess the question then isn't is Eichel able to replace Tuch & Krebs, but can Eichel replace Tuch & Krebs and 2 more players. And if not, then what chances do they have of making the playoffs with their current roster, considering the injuries that will still be around for a few more weeks.