Question if the rangers were to trade deangelo would you rather have him or pulock?

But we can sign pulock and barzal. Barzal will likely get a bridge deal, pulock will be locked up long term.

If Montreal or another team doesn’t offer sheet him then they might get barzal on a short term deal. Guarantee someone’s gonna throw $9M+ at him if he gets to RFA

It’s unlikely he gets an offersheet , but even if he does, the most he’ll get is 9.5 and I don’t even think it will be that much. A lot of people on this site say he’ll get 10+ but it’s just to fit their narrative.

Worst case scenario, barzal gets OS 9.5 x 5, isles match. Pulock gets 6.25 x 5, toews 3 mill x 2. Isles have to trade Leddy + bailey, use a regular buyout on komarov (if there is no CBO) . It’s simple. Pulock + barzal will both play for NYI next season.

It's not that easy to trade two players...

To think he will not be offersheeted or be presented with one is naive. Not disagreeing that they’ll both be Islanders next year. But Lou being the frugal GM he is, if you’re either barzal or Pulock why wouldn’t you listen and potentially take a deal. Aho would not have got that deal had Montreal not gave it to him first. And with Lou already saying they’ll match any offer. Barzal gets an offer of $10M+ per year you say match it or I sign it’s a business after all.

They won’t get fair value for both players, but yeah it will be very easy to trade Leddy for a mid round pick. Even if teams aren’t interested in giving up a pick for bailey, the islanders would add a 2nd or 3rd rd pick even though he’s still a solid 2nd line guy. They would do whatever it takes, there is no chance both barzal + pulock aren’t in an islanders uniform in October.

To say an offersheet is unlikely is not naive , it’s realistic. How many offersheets have been presented in the last 5 years?

Aho is a better center than barzal and he received 8.5 x 5. Stating that barzal will get 1.5 mill more than Aho is false hope.

Pulocks a Manitoba kid. Personally I'd rather see them sign Demelo for 3.5 or so for the right side along with Pionk and Poolman, then add a UFA (zero assets lost) vet top 4 on the left to give Samberg and Heinola some time. perhaps another Manitoba product in Left handed defensemen Joel Edmondson could fit that bill? 4x$4.25?

With uncertain gate revenue post coviid there is likely to be a conservative approach to contracts both term and value.

Is Aho a better center than Barzal? Its a very interesting comparison. .