The Rakell trade is 100% dependent on how you view him.
Is he an 82 game, 60pt player? Or is he an injury prone player who has played one full season in the last 5, and his 4 assists in 17 games this season (before being hurt) is a sure sign that he is about to drop off completely?
He is signed for 4 more seasons at 5 million after this season. I look at him as being a cap dump with little upside at this point, and a huge risk. Monahan took a 1st to dump a single year of $6.375 million. If you think that Rakell is still a player that has positive value and will continue having positive value over most of the next 4 years after this season, than this is a fantastic deal that the Flames should jump all over. i look at Rakell as a player who is about to fall off the precipice of a mountain top into the canyon below. That's 4.5 years at 5 million bucks.
Also, you have to factor-in the existing contracts. Maybe the Flames could absorb a Rakell, but at some point in that 5 years, the Flames will be trying to become competitive. With the Huberdeau contract on the books, as well as Kadri, adding Rakell's last 2 seasons will keep the Flames in the 'mushy middle' in my opinion. Too good with the new core drafted/acquired in trades to be a lottery team, too many cap-heavy deals to keep them from being competitive enough.
Just say no to long-term risky deals. Yes to short term cap negative deals.
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