Tampa gives up a good player, who is admittedly overpriced at this point in his career, for a $2.5 million healthy scratch and a career AHLer. Huh. Tampa got weaker. Nashville wins.

6.75 million dollar question right there

More like lopsided

what you aren't getting is GM's don't care if they're helping someone else if they feel they're getting what helps their team especially if it's from the other conference.

TB won 2 stanley cups with a very left lopsided d-core

They’re not being bailed out. They got weaker in defense and Nashville got stronger. This makes Tampa worse and Nashville better.

They had two LD making 6 + million, Nashville is about to have 3

Oh I get it.

He simply thought wrong

the other was making 4.8

That's still under 6 million

not drastically

Eh, 4.8M still isn't top pairing money. Even McDonagh hasn't really played at a top pair caliber level during the life of his current contract

I say Nashville wins only because I’m a big fan of McDonagh.

McDonagh is very underrated. He was a massive part of their top four and their 3 finals appearances in three years. Hedman is the do-it-all defenseman and main offensive contributor. Sergachev is their secondary offensive presence. Erik Cernak is their physical defenseman. And McDonagh was the defensive master, blocking shots like nobody else, making subtle defensive plays and playing the hard minutes on the left side to ease the load on Hedman and Sergachev. He didn't need to be what he was in New York (the main guy) and that allowed him and Tampa to win Stanley Cups.
Sure the contract is big, and with cap regulations, Tampa couldn't allow to keep him to stay competitive. But he will be missed in Tampa, and this might be the end of an era.
As for Nashville, I like this. However, I doubt that this trade will push them over the hump, especially because the central division is so competitive (looking at you Colorado and St Louis) and this team needs more forwards than defensemen, especially with the possible departure of Filip Forsberg.

I apologize but if you think McDonagh hasn't played top pair quality minutes you're either not watching ,not good at evaluating , flat out wrong, or purposefully lying.

Not sure what to tell you if you haven't figured out he's lost the plot in recent years

You are right, if Palat wanna play the UFA market game. I would find that surprising though. Would would wanna leave TB right now?

It seems a lot of people don't understand the difference between a cap dump and shedding salary.

Wow! Doughnut to Smashville? Myers to play 3rd pairing or 2nd pairing D role? Or even being traded to other team? That would do + $9,300,000 cap space. And Mismash, will he ever be playing for the Bolts? And how about the other side of this trade? Josi, Ekholm, McDonagh - is it not way too much for the laft side? Are they going to part with one of the three blueliners??

They got out of a bad salary with committment for no cost. They win

Looks like Sergachev's time to step up full-time into the top 4 is now; but someone has to play on the 3rd play left side or TB brings up Sean Day from the AHL.

Hedman-Rutta
Sergachev-Cernak
Bogosian/Day-Foote

They could also have gotten a solid D-man with those 5 million in cap space. This way they instead tie up a 33-y/o middle pair defenseman for almost 7 per year. He's not getting better, Nashville isn't competing now, and if they were - they'd do like Tampa and understand that 6.75 is an overpayment for McDonagh and move on.

This is exactly why teams like Tampa gets away with bending the cap to their will - other teams argue themselves into doing it for them.

Julien BriseBois said it was not a "pleasant" experience having to ask Ryan McDonagh to waive no-trade, called him one of best d-men in league. But became "odd man out" when considering contracts for Sergachev, Cirelli, Cernak, Colton, Foote going forward.

— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) July 3, 2022

Brisebois saying this kinda has a point. McDonagh's performance at least right now is enough to warrant at least close to the amount he's earning now, but circumstance forced them to move on from McDonagh.

NSH saves themselves from offering such contract to a pylon like Chiarot and get themselves some actual quality with pretty much no cost. I can't see how this is a L for them either.

I don't see the need for Nashville of a top 4 left D costing 6,75m$, unless there is another trade

Sergachev is more than capable of taking that Top 4 role. Losing Rutta is where it gets dicey for them. They have some RHD prospects who are intriguing though such as Thompson and Schmidt.