hawks decline and it's not close

Agreed. What about Montour, 38th OA, and one of Pilut, Fitzgerald, or Murray?

Don't want montour at all. Middlestat + 38th OA?

What is it with people on here not understanding the needs of teams they try to trade to?

Let me help you; Hawks have a big logjam of defensive players with the exception of a first line LHD guy to take over for Keith and slide Keith down to the 2nd line. On the right we have; Boqvist, Mitchell (one of the hottest D guys going pro this year), Murphy, Seabrook and future Regula. Left side we have Keith, De Haan, Maatta, Carlsson, Beaudin, Kalynuk, and future of Vlasic.

Ottawa doesn’t want Hutton, 34 years old wash up goalie. They don’t need a backup goalie which is the best Hutton will be next year. This trade makes no sense at all for Ottawa since they have better, younger and cheaper goalies they should be giving playing time to in their system.

Tampa can't afford to keep their own players but are going to take Miller?

VAN decline

One reclamation project (Nylander) is enough from BUF, really don't want two.

I understood that the reason Chicago was rumored willing to deal Strome is because they were set at center with Toews and Dach and Strome didn't fit in other than as a winger....as a Sabres fan, I'm ready to give up Mittelstadt - especially for Saad - but why would Chicago want another center?

Strome is too good and going to be too expensive to be a 3C. Middlestat will be cheap and is much less good than Strome, and my understanding is he can play the wing as well

Are you forgetting who your GM is?

Sabres hire a new GM every year and they still finish at the bottom of the standings.