Gonna have to package some big assets with Ghost for Seattle to take him

This is the ONLY way I consider taking Risto! We are not giving up any good picks/prospects for that guy!

This is false, big assets is no where close. I wouldn't be surprised if they took Ghost outright.

i wouldn't mind Risto with Sanheim, or even sign Yands and play him with Risto, and then play Sanheim with Braun and have a kinda 2a/2b pairings instead of a 2nd and 3rd pairing. I wouldn't mind Suter either playing with a guy like Braun on that 2b/3rd pairing. There are definitely options out there.

I don't want either Yandle or Risto near this team. Neither can play defense well!

Prepare to be surprised

I honestly think Risto is a player that has never been utilized right. He is not a first pairing shutdown defender, but that's how he was employed in buffalo. he can definitely chip in some points as well. I mean, it's buffalo after all, no one should be shocked. Playing on the 2nd or 3rd pairing with a defensively responsible dman perhaps can allow him to be the player everyone thought he'd be when he came into the league. With a trade like that, it's basically no risk.

I agree. Risto hits, skates, plays big minutes and produces offensively, but he needs a steady partner who can mind the shop.

Yandle is too old and never has been a real physical specimen. With Ellis in the fold, thats enough age.

There are tons of options (even if SEA grabs Larsson). Even a Suter at 2LD, moving Sanheim to 2RD, or York to 2RD sounds good.

But we just our dealt our envisioned 2RD for a 1RD, so we need another big minute eating dman.

Personally I like a dman corp of:

Provorov-Ellis
Suter-Sanheim
York-Braun
Hagg

provorov/ellis/suter/braun can all play pk and York/Suter/Provorov/Ellis can play PP. But overall its a nice mix of size, physicality and puck movement

I agree to an extent about Yandle, but the guy has been delivering for years. Him on the 3rd pairing with Braun as his stay at home type guy and him on the PP2, i think would shine. But i get the age part. However with Suter, how much does he really have left? I do like him, and maybe he would be a good guy on the 3rd pairing with Ghost as the right side D there, would form a good give and take. However, I think a 2nd pairing of Sanheim and Risto would be solid, or even Suter and Risto and then Sanheim and Braun. Yes that would keep York in the minors and of course Ghost or Hagg wouldn't be here due to the salary cap, but seasoning never hurt anyone. Plus there will be injuries, there always is, so York would be that 7th guy, or even Morin if we sign him.

Surprised?

Surprised that they took Twarynski? Yeah. but not surprised that it wasn't big assets, and not even close. a 2nd and a 7th? in this draft? not even close to big assets.

Much bigger than Seattle taking him outright or any team giving anything back. Funny part is they went and got Risto after paying somebody to take Ghost. Can’t make it up lol

Why is that funny? Ghost wasn't in our plans clearly, not surprised he is gone. Risto has one year left on his deal. If he pans out to be what he should have been before Buffalo screwed him up, that's a win. If he doesn't, he walks, and we free up more space to sign a better dman in 2022, which is also a win. I know the assets we sent to buffalo were a lot, but a 1st and 2nd isn't anything to lose sleep over, and in the end if we go get a top 4 dman, it still works out. Plenty of UFA dmen to pick from for next year, if they do indeed make it to July 1.