VGK laughs. Hague is probably the most valuable player of that trade. Reaves is decent enough grinder and first is a first - while Pulju wouldn't even make it to the TOP12 of Vegas forwards.

nothing in this team is close

Its not about whats going to VGK, its about whats coming out of VGK, have you had a look at VGK cap situation? regardless of Clarkson going on LTIR they are still forced to make a trade in order to be cap compliant before the season starts. sure JP is not a huge return you are paying a First + B+ Prospect for another B+ prospect and cap room not to mention an additional 3rd.

They save more money just by moving Eakin for a low 2nd.

Much better option than getting absolutely fleeced by EDM.

Allow me to disabuse you of the notion that teams in cap trouble throw away big ticket players just to reduce their cap problem. No matter what, any team moving players for financial reasons does so either purely for draft picks. or to improve their on-ice squad in some way. And Las Vegas has a definable need -- RD. So even if they have to move Eakin, or Gusev, or Reeves,or Holden, or even Smith or Marchessault, it will be for a second-pairing defenseman, at the least. Las Vegas has three RW's ahead of Puljujarvi -- acquiring him makes as much sense as acquiring a seventh-round pick for Reaves.

I don't understand why everyone legit thinks JP is hot trash, he had surgery that i am sure EDM medical said he could play through. He just turned 21. Sure hes not been great at the NHL level but its not like hes playing in the Top 6 in EDM? A.Johnsson never played in the NHL until he was 23 (Sure he was a 7th Round Pick) but Kapanen has even worse Points per 60 than JP it was not until this season that he really took a huge leap. Kap was a 1st in 2014 making his real NHL debut in 2017-2018 (Would be this next season for JP at the same age). I follow the Leafs mostly but i am sure their are TONS of examples of players not hitting NHL readiness until 21-22

Which player out of this is a big ticket player? Reaves? in Essence if you take away the names you are trading:


VGK Obtains: A- Prospect, 3rd, +2,000,000$ in Cap Space while against the cap.

EDM Obtains: 4th Line Grinder, B Prospect, 1st

That's why too much for Vegas to give up to save a bit of cap. NHL teams aren't interested in Gagner. That's why the Oilers have him.

I'm not saying Pulju is trash - as a Finn I'd hope he performs much better. But currently, he has little to no value. He's stuck between rock and a hard place. Teams are afraid of taking the risk, because his development hasn't worked out at all the way it was expected. He definitely should return to Europe for the next year to gain his confidence.

If I were GM I'd offer a 2nd rounder for him - not a prospect with currently higher value, a first and a decent grinder. In this case, it's just a bad trade.