Fair trades that make sense

I doubt NYI wants to turn Wahlstrom into a conditional 1st and Labanc, even if it means unloading Bailey. They view themselves as in a cup window.

Kinda thought this was an opposing teams ideas because these trades are all bad for San Jose.

I like Barabanov but not for that price. I would give up the 40th pick at most for him, not a first round pick from 3 years ago who still looks like he’s on track to make the NHL.

RD Jokiharju has a lower cap hit and slightly better stats than LD Ferraro, but is RFA in 2024 while Ferraro is UFA in 2026. The $ value seems negligible assuming a raise on Joki's next contract so that's fair, but LD/RD in Buf's top-4 is irrelevant when Dahlin and Power can play either side on separate pairings.

Considering the Dman swap is a wash, this is basically UPL for an early 3rd and I don't think the Sabres go for that.

They might view themselves that way but in no way do they have a chance against Carolina, NYR, TOR or NJ, they need to recalibrate their lineup and adding a couple 40-50 point forwards and a potential 1st is a big step. Wahlstrom hasn’t exactly lit the lamp there and might need a change of scenery.