People really need to look at the Pens financial situation. The Pens have $121,000 in available cap space. There's no way this works.

What is that blues trade this has to be a troll.

Pens take that and run.

That's not the point. There's plenty of trades I'd love to make, but when you only have $121,000 (that's thousand, not million), you simply don't have room to add over $2M. This is simple math.

What do you think is fair value? Essentially that trade is an expiring contract and a 3rd round pick.

Burkey knows no cap sir.

Yes and when someone offers you a deal like that you take it and figure out 2 million later.

LOL unfortunately the league does. Don't get me wrong, I'd be fine value-wise, but the Pens just have no room for anything.

The NHL is not capfriendly lol. The Pens have been trying to drop cap all off-season. It won't all of a sudden happen because NOW they want it to. Hextall has been trying to trade Zucker and Pettersson all off-season and no dice.

It will cost the third just to move Leo now you have to pay for tarasenko with fifty percent retained. The most conservative valuations have that at bellows aho and a second.

Vlad is coming off 3 shoulder surgeries and openly wants out. How does StL have any leverage at all?

Lmao that's because the return he wants is probably too high. There's a ton of teams that will take on cap. Those guys are still solid players, I'd he really wanted to move them he could.

Again, the NHL doesn't operate like this website.

They don't. STL fans have been grossly overvaluing Tarasenko. He's a $7.5M gamble. No team is giving major parts which is why he hasn't been moved yet.

They don't but at the same time 1. You have to pay for retention and 2. Teams would like him at 3.75 enough to give stuff up. How does buffalo have any leverage? Eichel wants a surgery never performed on a hockey player and openly wants out. Should teams be able to get him for free at a much bigger contract than tank at 3.75.

STL has no choice but to retain a major chunk. They have no leverage and teams do no have to pay extra to retain.

Didn’t realize the cap situation was that dire. I feel like if the Islanders actually offered this you call Arizona or Buffalo and make them take a bad contract for picks. Teams weasel out of bad cap situations all the time, and getting Varlamov at that cheap a price allows you to make another deal. I am regretting using Pittsburgh though, just thought it would be a good win-now move for them.

Again, don't get me wrong, I think it's a fine trade, but the Pens can't just all of a sudden make this work. Hextall has been trying all off-season and at the same time has been adamant about the fact he won't add sweetener to move player and in general is not moving any major futures. The situation is what it is for the Pens right now. It really appears they're trying to ice the best team possible without trading major parts. It's prepping for the end of the Sid era.

EDIT: Hextall also publicly stated he's only looking to move Zucker and/or Petterson in a hockey trade, not a cap dump otherwise he would have and we could have signed some solid UFAs.

The odds that any of the players/picks turn out to be a player at Eichel’s level is minimal. The first round picks will be late. The surgery has been performed on rugby players and UFC fighters. Eichel is really good and you take a chance on that talent.

Hard pass from Buffalo

I think Armstrong's adamant that he's gonna get a return for 2017 tarasenko otherwise he's not moving him. Also according to all blues fans he's never retained salary in his entire career so I guess we will see.

I think you ask for way less though for the players you want to move now. I don’t think Hextall/Burke are thinking long-term or end of Sid era. I feel like they are trying to win in next 2 years. I am not as plugged into Pittsburgh so I will defer to you on knowledge, just an outside feel. Jarry is awful lol.

I guess Tank is staying in StL then lol

So when you have a player with tarasenkos history at a good price like that teams are gonna take a chance.

He hasn’t been that guy since 2019. Eichel was that guy in 2020. Tarasenko also openly wants out. StL has no leverage. Seattle wouldn’t take him. I feel like an expiring and a 3rd is the best you can get.