Agree with many of the takes here:
1. I don't see how the rangers can afford Kane, even at 50%, if Laf is the main piece going out. They are in true cap hell.
2. Our pick is unlikely to be in the top 15 as we are most likely going to make the playoffs. Adding an even strength producer like lafreniere increases those odds. 21 and tons of upside, so it's not like we're trading a 1st for a crusty vet who will up and leave. Stats have been meh so his second contract is probably going to be a bargain too.
3. The whole building through the draft post by Jason on the last page was gold. Absolutely true! We often hear lamentations about how the flames trade their 1sts away too often... but our late round 1sts are extremely unlikely to push any team into contender status. If we want to build a contender through the draft, we will have to be much worse than we have been in decades for at least a few consecutive seasons. Even then there is absolutely no guarantee. You could even draft the best player of an entire generation and still be a total train wreck.
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