Given the teams' respective needs, I can see Walker for Yamamoto.

It doesnt make sense for a contending team to trade a guy like Girard for futures

I think it depends on what happens the rest of this season. This is a 22-23 offseason deals. So it would depend on how much of the future the avs gave up at the TDL for the run.

sure
Keith has been good and is a mentor to Broberg and Bouch why get ride of him
Ceci has been alright as well
sure, we have prospects that can take over yamos role and we NEED more d
absolutely terrible return for foegs, why would we trade him at all especially for the that

Avs are likely going to want a young roster forward of comparable age etc for Girard not futures, even if it's off season.

If you need the cap space it sure does. Especially if they trade lots of futures at the TDL. Smart teams replenish their picks and prospects otherwise their window is very small. That's a really solid return for Girard too.



Do not fool yourself. Keith may be a good mentor, but it is not worth having him play on the team taking up 5 mil of cap space while he plays the worst hockey of his career. Ceci being "alright" is not good enough. The Oilers need quality defenseman, not "alright" ones. His contract is terrible and Lyu and Walker are miles better than him. Appleton > Yama so that's an upgrade in the forward group. Foegele is moved because of cap space. The D and goaltending need big upgrades at its only at the cost of a 3rd line winger. A 3rd is what most 3rd line wingers with a year or two left get in the offseason. Could be a 3rd and a B- prospect but that really isn't much different.



What if Yamamoto or Foegele was in the return at the expense of dropping Benson and/or downgrading the 2nd to something like a 3rd/4th