Playing it Relatively Safe

If I’m the jets, I’d call about mantha for a late round pick swap at the draft. Something like jets 5th for wsh 5th and mantha (so basically for free). I think he could be the perfect guy to ride shotgun with schiefele and ehlers on the top line.

Beneficial for both teams. The jets get a solid winger if he can bounce back and the caps get cap space

Would rather give McMichael 2C and go after a bigger name in trade than Hall with all the cap space

I'd also love to go get someone like Keller, but the more I think about it the more I don't think the Caps want to make a trade that big and sacrifice key future assets. Not sure you could get a bigger name without giving up a first, McMichael or Lapierre. Kinda have to be realistic about the team's Cup chances even if they get someone like Keller or Scheifele and choose to stay competitive enough to be in the playoff race without giving up the future

I hear where you’re coming from for sure. I think with Carbery at the helm, the team is gonna rely on guys like Protas and McMichael more. In an ideal world, we add one young player via trade (a guy like Keller or DeBrincat) and keep the team mostly intact. I think if you move either Kuznetsov or Mantha, you can use that cap space in really interesting ways. I don’t think they’ll move the eighth pick after what I’ve read from Tarik, but the 2024 first rounder and guys like Lapierre and Chesley should also be available if we’re getting a high end player back.

I think the Avs could be interested if it were the '24 1st with a sweetener like the '25 3rd but don't see them moving the '23 1st for Kuzy.