Lundkvist is objectively better than bortuzzo, screw grit just to make our team worse

I know man, Lundkvist has really tore up the league in his entire 0GP NHL career.

... besides the fact Lundkvist vs Borts isn't the conversation here, given a strong defensive prospect will be needed in an Eichel trade

Not a chance both Kakko and Buch are traded for Eichel.

Exactly, that kills our RW depth

Does buffalo need defense enough for it to be Lundkvist over Jones or Robertson?

Not a chance you get Eichel without giving up pieces you will miss

Buch is a cap casuality regardless, given there is no cap room to keep our necessary pieces in Zib and Fox if this trade happens, without losing Buch, Kreider, etc... given Buch is the most tradeable one there, it'd have to be him

That's a lot of value for Eichel. Is it worth it?

There's a difference between "pieces you will miss" and "your only 2 RW that have played on 1st line"

An Eichel trade is aimed to improve a weak spot on your roster, but not at the cost of making a different spot 10x worse.

This trade is overkill, and I think you know it, but played it conservatively so no one came at you with "Buffalo laughs and hangs up the phone".

I have said since day 1 that a Kakko/Lundkvist/2021 1st package should be enough to pry him away from Buffalo. If your goal is to trade Buch and Strome, I think you could trade both for 1st+ B prospects in separate deals. Georgiev is kind of whatever...goalies don't carry a ton of value in trades these days.

I guess you don't watch the Rangers, because Kreider plays on the right pretty often, and Kravstov is going to develop into a top 6 RW... so, I'm not sure what you're talking about here, especially given that Kakko has never consistently played on the top line, or even really the second line here... only really when injuries take place. The wing depth is still impressive. If we stay status quo, then we're going to have two top 6 wings play on the third line. Yes, we'll miss them, but not incredibly so. Plus the fact that I'm not pulling for this to happen, just giving an actual realistic trade given all the joke trades we've been seeing on here

Yeah, not sure if Buffalo could even it out with prospects of their own. I'm just saying, Eichel is a top 5 center in this league in my opinion, you're not gonna get him for Strome and junk like all the other trades on here. The trade is kind of lopsided also due to cap implications; Zibanejad and Fox (out of the players I didn't trade) need contracts next year. Strome and Buch are the most tradeable pieces we wouldn't miss an incredible amount to free up cap space, if you get my meaning

Georgiev goes because Igor cemented the #1, and he could (probably) help out Buffalo's weird goaltending circus over there, given that Ullmark likely won't be back

Jack Eichel is a top 10 center in the league and your saying is it worth it?

You're probably right on all accounts. I wouldnt worry about the winger depth, as you have two top 10 picks in there along with Kreider and Bread. People were clamoring for Krav to be in a top 6 role, and now that he is via this trade, people complain

IMO its an overpay. Not that Eichel isn't a great player but he isn't worth all of the talent you're giving away especially considering there is a rift between him and Sabres management.

Haha, I know right? You can't make anyone happy anymore : P

Something has to give with the wing depth, I just don't know what for. Really nothing needs an incredible amount of upgrading, unless you give up Strome.

Definitely an overpay for Eichel. Starts with Kakko and 2021 & 2022 1sts. If you want to add Strome and Georgie thats fine or prospects like Jones or Robertson.

Eh, I guess you can sub in whoever for these... I'm just not sure any of these guys are gonna see long term meaningful time on the Rangers in the next 5 years. The top 4 defensive pair is gonna be Lindgren/Fox, Miller/Trouba for the next 5 years at the very least. If these guys are as good as they say, is it going to be worth paying them what they'll be worth? I don't know. I'd rather have these top two pairs play most of the time, then have a grit-driven third pairing. Borts isn't signed for forever, just a placeholder for a year until someone else develops.

On the Buffalo side, they lost Montour, will probably lose McCabe and/or Miller to Seattle and free agency, could lose Ristolanien if anyone will take him... they've got a lot of holes back there. I'm sure they're gonna want someone good in an Eichel trade. If swapping any of the Jones, Lundkvist, or Robertson around in these trades helps, I still think it's a similar outcome on the Rangers' side. I'm not sure if Lundkvist is NHL ready next year or not. I just think the D pairs are what they are for the next 5 years given Miller's emergence, and Trouba's contract

The Blues would have zero interest in Reunanen, and probably very little in Howden.

For curiosity, what would it take? I'm not well versed on the Blues but seems there's no solid 4C; Howden is a good defensive penalty killing 4C despite what majority of Rangers fans want to say about him. Doesn't seem like Borts even plays every game there over the last few years, so thought a potentially 2nd pair defense prospect could get him and help clear some cap space for Hoffman (if he's staying), or whatever else

EDIT: Ah, might be Sundqvist down there as the 4C, didn't catch him on the IR right away. My fault.

Clifford would certainly be available, Bortuzzo not so much. He's a good value soldier at his cap hit/position and an important leader in the locker room regardless of whether he plays every night. Reunanen is hardly a top 4 D prospect and he's small and the Blues already have 1000 LD's better than him. Howden is quite wretched, and the Blues already have 32 PK forwards better.

And I tend to doubt Hoffman isn't coming back. Yeah, his goals are nice, but everything else about his game is routinely maddening.