Trade confirmed:

Détails de la transaction
Les Penguins de Pittsburgh font l’acquisition de: De VGK: Derick Brassard (2 000 000 $ retenus - 40%) · 3 000 000 $3 000 000 $0 $ Tobias Lindberg · 0 $693 333 $735 000 $ (LAH/JR) De OTT: Vincent Dunn · 0 $635 833 $650 000 $ (LAH/JR) Choix de 3e ronde en 2018 (OTT - #64 - Justus Annunen) Somme: 3 000 000 $4 329 166 $0 $ Variation: -225 000 $ Variation: +328 333 $ Variation: -135 115 000 $	Les Golden Knights de Vegas font l’acquisition de: De OTT: Derick Brassard · 5 000 000 $5 000 000 $3 500 000 $ De PIT: Ryan Reaves · 1 125 000 $1 125 000 $1 125 000 $ Choix de 4e ronde en 2018 (VAN - #99 - Stanislav Demin) Somme: 6 125 000 $6 125 000 $4 625 000 $ Variation: +3 125 000 $ Variation: +2 431 667 $ Variation: +4 625 000 $	Les Sénateurs d'Ottawa font l’acquisition de: De PIT: Ian Cole · 2 100 000 $2 100 000 $2 500 000 $ Filip Gustavsson · 0 $775 833 $0 $ (LAH/JR) Choix de 1e ronde en 2018 (PIT - #22 - K'Andre Miller) Choix de 3e ronde en 2019 (PIT - #83 - Anttoni Honka) Somme: 2 100 000 $2 875 833 $2 500 000 $ Variation: -2 900 000 $ Variation: -2 760 000 $ Variation: +2 500 000 $

Ian Cole

You spelt the title wrong lol

Good return for Ottawa, the lack of centres on the market must've helped them get a good return.

Were waiting on the retained amount before adding the trade to the site. Hopefully will be released soon!

Theres a retained amount? you sure

it is believed to be 18% on brassard but now pierre lebrun says there is still more information to follow

"Up to 18%" was what was reported. Waiting for an exact amount. Also sounds like there will be more in the trade.

There are still more details to come in this Pittsburgh-Ottawa trade, perhaps a third team involved in some manner...

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 23, 2018

Win-win trade. @Jarvis I think the 'more details' are actually another Cole trade (the Sens trading him) but i'm not sure ... well, that's what some are saying, i don't see it. Also, retained salary might be the details. Though if there's something else involved, i'd have to wonder if maybe PIT adds a later pick.

Its mind blowing that every year PIT improves and I don't feel like they lose in the trades.

Just talked to someone who said of the Brassard deal "The league hasn't weighed in on it yet, this one is a complex one."

— John Shannon (@JSportsnet) February 23, 2018

Hmmm, this is interesting

Mark Madden is saying brassards cap retention by two teams could be bringing his cap down to as low as 1.5mill

VGK sounds like t is selling cap space

This is some serious wizardry

I doubt it's that high. Ottawa would have to eat 2 million for Vegas to be able to bring it down to 1.5.

What is going on? First it looked like Brassard was traded for Gustavsson, Cole, and a 1st, and now something weird is happening ... no idea what's going on.

Probably still the end result. My guess is Ottawa is taking Gus and the 1st. Vegas ends up with Cole and maybe sends a low pick Ottawa's way. In return, Vegas is eating a little of Brassard's salary first.

Hearing @NHL has rejected the Brassard trade unless @penguins @Senators @GoldenKnights can restructure the trade to leagues satisfaction.

— Nick Kypreos (@RealKyper) February 23, 2018

Wow, it looks like Pittsburgh just paid a pound of flesh for Brassard.

What is Vegas going to want to retain salary? One could only imagine a pick and prospect. I cant imagine Vegas offering to retain salary for no reason.. They have to be getting something worth while...

Sounds like a very complicated deal with the salary retention... Certainly not your common 3-way.

To Pittsburgh: Brassard (% retained), 2018 Seventh Round Pick (Vgk)
To Ottawa: Cole, Gustavsson, 2018 First Round PIck (Pit)
To Vegas: Pit prospect, 2018 Second Round Pick (Pit)

So one could imagine this is going to cost Pittsburgh; Cole, Gustavsson, 2018 First Round Pick, 2019 Second Round Pick & prospect.

That's a lot for a rental.

He's not a rental

Brassard isn't a rental, and where did you find out about the 2nd and the prospect?

THAT IS A MERCHANT OF VENICE REFERANCE

So I guess the deal is canceled for now. Will probably get done soon though. I don't see how one of the GMs can back out at this point.

The league told all 3 teams involved that the deal(s) as originally presented weren't acceptable. So deal(s) being reworked.

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 23, 2018

LeBrun followed that up with a tweet saying the general sentiment is that the deal will still get done somehow.

One of those questions I had without a precedent (that I could find).

Sounds like ...
Ottawa retains some of Brassard's contract and sends him to Vegas.
Vegas retains on Brassard as well, then sends him to Pittsburgh.
Then Pittsburgh sends pieces to both teams to account for the retention, as well as additional pieces to Ottawa for the original value of Brassard.

If that's what they tried to do, and the league stepped in, it seems like that falls under the guidelines of cap circumvention in some capacity.

It's an interesting situation without precedent.

Let's say Vegas, in theory, sends their 2018 1st round pick to Ottawa for Brassard (50% retained).
Pittsburgh then sends Cole, Gustavsson, and their 2018 1st to Ottawa for Vegas's 2018 1st.
Pittsburgh then sends Vegas's 2018 1st back as well as, say a future 2nd or 3rd round pick, to Vegas for Brassard (50% retained).

It's' clearly a premeditated move to lower a player's cap cost, but I don't see how it breaks any rules that I'm aware of in the CBA...

Maybe they tried to do it in 2 deals.