Drop MacDermid and Dermott from the trade and the Kings might go for something like this.

This is rudeness.

We'd prefer the two-year head start on development Thomas has over the 2021 first-round draft pick. Neither Dermott nor Engvall are of any use to us prior to the expansion draft. We might be interested in one or both of them after July 1.

Because the 1st round pick definitely won't help stock the cupboards for the future.

Dermott could be useful in sheltering some of the King's young LD's, Anderson and Clague have a combined 10 games of NHL experience, and Bjornfot is not going to be in the bigs this year I would imagine. One year of Dermott, even if you were to lose him to the expansion draft, couldn't hurt.

At the cost of a guy who's more highly rated than any center prospect in your system? No thanks.

Take a look at the 2017 draft. Fewer than half of the 30 skaters taken in that first round have made any impression at the NHL level three seasons later. That means that there's a 50% chance the guy taken with your 2021 first-round pick won't make the NHL until 2024-2025 (f ever). We expect Thomas to be in the NHL in 2021-2022.

I'm not sure of how LA would rank their center depth, but I would assume that Thomas is behind Byfield, Kupari and Turcotte at least, and maybe Vilardi as well. If you would rather substitute one of them, fine, because you are definitely correct about Toronto's prospects at center.

Lol...aaahahahahaha...so crazy are Toronto fans. I thought it was just BlueJays fans. But MapleLeaf fans are worse w/ player evaluations and knowing players worth. Especially their players worth..lol..this is great. Someone should screen shot this and send it to the Flames and Kings GM