bring in hertl make no sense

Is MTL allowed to trade away one of the 2022 1st round picks? Honestly curious given the wording of the conditions on the Dvorak trade I'd think they couldn't.

I think you're right. I didn't think of that

It makes perfect sense. Even with the addition of Dvorak we are weak down the middle.

as long as the condition is that it is the "lower of the two 1sts"

I thought I saw that it was the HIGHER of the two 1st UNLESS the higher is in the TOP 10.

Yep. From NHL website. "Arizona will receive the better or worse of Montreal's two first-round picks in the 2022 draft, and a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. However, if either of the first-round picks is in the top 10 of the draft, then the Coyotes will receive the lower of the selections."

If picks are encumbered the conditions must be cleared first. You can move a conditional pick provided it doesn't conflict with conditions from a previous trade.

"Lower of the two firsts" can't be used here however.
If one pick is top 10, Arizona gets the lower pick, so that condition doesn't clear.
You would have to account for that variable first ...
"Lower of the two firsts unless one is a top 10"
Then what happens in that instance ...
"In which case, the pick becomes Montreal's 1st in 2023"

didn't notice the top 10 part.

Lehkonen, Artturi
Poehling, Ryan
2022 1e round pick (MTL)
2022 3e round pick (CAR) for Hertl 1 year fr?! 1. not enough and you are really willing to give up these good assets for one year of hertl contract??? how can you sign him next year with suzuki rfa situation?

that's why it make no sense

Pens decline. They have Dumo, Pettersson, Matheson, Riikola that all make over 1 million and are left handed D. They have POJ waiting already for a spot to open up, just signed Bartkowski to a pto that would be cheaper, not to mention Friedman and Ruhwedel can all play the left side if needed. No reason to bring in another LD that makes over 1 million, much less spend assets for one.

You extend Suzuki before it even becomes a potential problem. With Hertl, Suzuki, Dvorak, Evans down the middle that all but guarantees you a playoff spot and we've saw this past year once you're in anything is possible. I would do this trade 5 times over even if we only get one year out of Hertl. But I also don't see anyone trading for Hertl without an extension worked out, and realistically if we dump Drouin and Chiarot come next year that would almost give us the space to work something out.