VAN decline, they are not moving a 1st round pick.

Why does everyone think TB is going to waste draft capital on a minimal salary cap relief or backup goalie. If Tampa Bay is depending on someone not named Vasilevskiy Tampa Bay is done

Montreal doesn't need Kulikov especially since we would be getting Butcher, but it is not a deal breaker. We could always use him for depth in case of injury or flip him before the deadline to recoup a pick.

NYI - Wilde not my first choice, but cool with it
FLA - Sounds good
MTL - I think I'd take out Byron and one of those 2nd's of they cancel out.
VAN - Thats a top-10 pick...so may be worth it
TBL - Good if they are...more likely a 5th or 6th
BOS - I'd think Murray is they guy here. But if they want Carrick, I'll take a carrot for him.

Counter offer?

Injuries

Makes sense. I've seen many Kulikov to Montreal trades recently

Byron is added for salary reasons. Montreal would be over the cap.
I was hoping to resign Murray but could see him being dealt
Carrot>Carrick

Not with TB future cap hell

Dell has one year left and Is 500k cheaper than McElhinney. If Vasy is tired or injured, Dell could step in and be a surfacable replacement.

Fair Palmeri offer. Isles don’t want to trade Wilde NJ probably wants a first. I could definitely something close to this happening.

I've put the swap through the trade machine since I didn't think it would work for MTL and their 400k capspace. But it does!

With Byron or without?

With Byron. Only about 200k left, but still possible.

How is Carrick playing in the AHL worth a 5th and Vatanen who gets consistent time and is on the PK worth a 4th? I think that Vatanen would move for a little less than what he got last year and Carrick would be closer to a conditional 7th.

Carrick is a great locker room guy.

You're probably right though

My issue was more about having another LHD taking up a roster spot. With Kulikov we would be carrying 5 Butcher, Chiarot, Edmundson, Kulak, Romanov, and Kulikov.

Chiarot's not on the roster and Romanov plays RHD. That's only 3 LHD on the roster.

Im not saying we actively need to trade for Kulikov, since Butcher would be the most wanted piece. But would it be a nice to have insurance policy in case Chiarot can't find his game when he will return? Definitely.

An upgrade on Mete? Check. Fits the cap? Check. Comes of the payroll at the end of the season? Check.

As Bergy always says: "You can't ever have too many defencemen! "

I wasn't saying not to get him, I was saying we don't really need him.

Just wondering but what would the defense pairings be if this trade went through

Make it a 2nd rounder and add a B tier prospect like a Jonah Gadjovich or Will Lockwood and I accept that as VAN