Fair deals, but send Dowd instead of Megna. Chicago might half retain Kruger too.

There seems to be a high frequency of retention in AGM trades lately. Many of the deals fall short in value without retention. If you expect the other team to retain, you gotta pay for it. Especially if it is multiple years. These two are one year, but some other had $2Mx3 retention and the trade offers are baerly good without retention. $2Mx3 is going to cost a lot, potentially 1sts (plural) or prospects just for the retention alone. It just seems like retention is almost "expected" on here, and it is "expected" to not cost additional assets from the other team.

But as to this AGM...
I don't see NJ doing this trade. Geisser, Megna and a 5th doesn't get Boyle even without retention. None of those three really add any value for NJ. Geisser is a blah prospect (young so you never know), Megna is an UFA AHLer, and a 5th is no real value. Caps need to add, a good bit, to just get Boyle straight. If there is going to be retention they would need to add even more on top of that. NJ will get multiple better offers than this at the deadline.

Dowd>Boyle.

Then why give up a B prospect and a fifth to get a guy who doesn't crack the roster? It'd be a better idea to get Chicago to half retain Kruger and get Johansson back from NJ for that package except with a higher pick.

Megna was good in Vancouver. Didn't make the Caps. Boyle is getting ready to hang up his skates. I think an audition of Megna for next year's Devils is better, alone, and still hundreds of thousands of dollars cheaper for NJ than keeping Boyle and paying him to play out the string of a career whose highlights we're mostly with NYR and TB, but I also think Geisser is going to make the NHL as a stay at home 2LD. In his first year in NA, he's playing some decent minutes in Hershey, a team that doesn't mess around with developing anyone who isn't helping them win right away. He took Bindulis' spot, and now Bindulis has a half a point a game in the ECHL. So I think NJ wins that one, long term, as big as the Caps win it right now.

That half retention on that other one was proposed by the other side, repeatedly. I liked it, but the player in question is on pace for Mr. Futility, so I can see why they offered. Buyouts cost cap space for more years, and they're building long term, around someone who will cost a lot in year four. I think different linemates, defenders, and usage should make that buyout unnecessary.

Would NJ do that? I think, barring a huge offer, they'd re-sign MoJo? I mean, he's a fifty point utility forward.

And while Dowd has 50% more even strength points than Boyle this year, Boyle adds experience on both special teams, while Marcus Johansson only plays pp. I'm intrigued by Boyle's on ice shooting percentage. He's a very good screen. If a ref swallows a whistle, his slow skating could become less of a liability in a slow series dominated by clutching and grabbing.

Penalty killing is exhausting. You can do better with four good units than one great one. Boyle and Dowd each play second unit now. Moving either to a third PK unit makes the overall team rate better. It's less exciting than finding a trade that works for Coleman and Lovejoy, off NJ's top unit, but that would take an overpayment, and it's still a gamble because Andy Greene drives that bus.

MoJo is having a bad year on power play, figuring in all four points he's been on the ice for. NJ has eleven guys who have been on ice for more than four PPG. Johansson doesn't play pk, and would, indeed, probably cost more, because he's younger, but since the Caps can't afford to give him a raise, and he'll hit UFA, his age brings no additional value to Washington. I think Boyle adds a tough net front guy for the second power play who can also clear the crease on pk., but shouldn't play much at evens in a fast paced game. So, against Pittsburgh, maybe Dowd plays more games, but against Boston, Boyle duels with Chara every night.

But mostly I messed up with Perlini. He's not waiver exempt, so Chi fans, any chance of Kahun, Ejdsell, or Strome instead of Perlini? @exo2769 @ForsbergForVezina ?

Kahun and Strome aren't for sale. Ejdsell could be if we make a late playoff push, but I doubt that happens

I think Ejdsell, Kahun, and Burakovsky are all 23, and Burakovsky's got more points in the NHL playoffs than Ejdsell got in the AHL playoffs, so I guess I'm surprised by that response. I mean, Strome is 21, so he's still got plenty of time to score another 100 pts by Burakovsky's age, and catch up.

I don't think Strome is available. I think CHI views him as a solid piece moving forward. I don't think he'll try to rob CHI with his contract. Sounds like he's really happy to have gotten out of AZ becacuse he's finally getting some consistency and proper development. I'd trade Kahun or Ejdsell. For a right price though. Someone would have to TRULY believe in Kahun...more specifically...over pay for him. He really is a rookie playing on the top line. He's not driving that line, but he's definitely holding his own. I'm not sure anyone really knows who he'll be, but that means CHI would only trade him if they traded the upside version of him. With that said. I really think the Hawks want picks more so than prospects. Their system is pretty full. They signed a bunch of young UFAs...like Kahun or Hagel or Lankinen… so I'm not sure a prospect for prospect or Bura for Kahun deal would work. I think they want to get picks to draft prospects that Colliton wants.