Quoting: Pensfan89
Then let them trade those guys. Don’t waste a 1st and 3rd for a player that will probably end up playing 3rd line and pay him 5 mil a year on top of that. It’s just bad asset management. Since you are only looking for a legit 3rd liner, why not just trade a 2nd or 3rd for Brown if you want to trade with Toronto? Cause let’s be honest. They all but promised that the first line next year is gonna be McCann-Crosby-Guentzel. If they don’t trade Malkin or Kessel then they are guaranteed the 2nd line role with one of either Rust, Simon, or ZAR. So you are paying 5 mil for a guy that’s probably gonna be a 3rd liner and giving up a 1st and 3rd to do it when you can probably just offer a 1st as a trade and sign him to a cheaper contract. Toronto cannot afford to sign Kap to over 3 mil contract. So that too is why signing him to a 5 mil contract would be bad asset management.
That's not at all what a team would be looking to get by offer sheeting Kapanen. One year in the league and he's a solid second line option and is one of the fastest players in the league. Basically a better Bryan Rust. And then you have the fact that he's 22 and will improve. You aren't even getting a fraction of that from a guy like Brown.
" McCann-Crosby-Guentzel." Assuming that will be the line and making moves based on that is silly. Sullivan has shown he doesn't like having Guentzel on the RW, evidenced by waiting until game 4 of the Islanders series to do it. He also constantly shifts his lines around. Kapanen was better than Hornqvist last year. Better than Kessel 5v5. And is a major upgrade over Rust. Thinking that the compensation or salary is too much is one thing. But thinking this guy would be consistently pushed to third line duties by ZAR, Simon, and Rust is just silly.
A first round pick was used on Kapanen. And he's already playing up to expectations and will get better. It's certainly better than throwing 5+ million at guys you know will only get worse like the team did with Hornqvist. And better than spending a mid-to-late pick drafting someone with the hope that they turn into that player 3-4 years down the road when the window will be closed.
Quoting: Pensfan89
Kap to over 3 mil contract. So that too is why signing him to a 5 mil contract would be bad asset management.
They absolutely can. And probably will. Again, Brown and Zaitsev contracts can be gone. They can choose between Kapanen and Johnsson. Kadri may also end up being traded.