Isles say no to trades 1, 3 and 4. Edmonton says no to trade 2.

Edmonton doesn't have the cap space to do that anyhow.

Islanders pass on the Vegas and Washington trades. Edmonton and Chicago pass.

I would say there's zero chance the caps give up a first to take back the albatross JGP contract, but I guess they would only be trading back 5 or so spots anyways

There is no chance isles do that Chicago trade

What makes Pageau contract an albatross. A 40 point 3C who is consistently a top rated defensive center at 5M in the middle of his prime. Would I like him at 4M sure, but does 1M make a contract an albatross. By your standards is Mantha an albatross.

That trade with Edmonton is so bad. Puljujarvi is better all around then Beauvillier and you expect us to add?

Chicago does not pass on that lmaooo

at 29 with 4 more years Pageau's contract covers the back end of his career and as an undersized center without elite skill it is extremely likely that at least 2 of those years look very bad. Paying your 3c 5m isn't good cap allocation in today's NHL anyways where it is much more efficient to have one 8m player and one on an ELC or league min than a 4m and a 5m player. Mantha has probably not lived up to his contract so far, but he is two years younger and it only has two years left. If they wanted a 3c who puts up around 40 points a year, they would keep eller who has scored at a very similar /60 rate without getting the powerplay time that JGP does.

Covers the back half of his prime, when he expires it would be the same age Eller expires. There is no reason why he wouldn’t be a 40 point player and better defensively than Eller as he has been. maybe overpaid by 1M but not the albatross your are trying to claim.

Yes they do. They will want an asset for taking on the Bailey contract. Wahlstrom and a late first is not enough for Kane 50% retained.

I agree that pageau will be a better player than eller next year. The margin is not great enough to justify paying him 5m for the next four years, especially given that by the last one or two years it will be a problem contract (as Eller is currently -- the only reason he is still on the team is because of the weird backstrom situation). A forward's prime is ages 24-29. Pageau's contract doesn't cover the "back half" of it, it covers what are most likely to be his least productive years.

This is all without even mentioning that the caps would be giving up their first round pick in the best draft in 8 years just to get a second in two years back, or that it is very possible that Backstrom comes back this year or next and so taking on long term money isn't the smartest move, or that they have no incentive to help a division rival bring in Kane and Kadri.

good thing the first won't be late!

Isles wouldn’t give up Wahlstrom alone for Kane

I will have to disagree on a forwards prime ages when so many players are producing very well into their 32 age season with players even this past season like Kreider, Kadri, Duchene, Nelson, etc. At 32 I would not give a forward a contract for more then 2 years (unless it was an elite player like Crosby, Ovie, Stamkos) but there is no reason Pageau will not continue to be a top end 3C who is consistently around the 40 point mark while providing top level defense and great to have at the end of games when you need to win critical face offs.

While I completely agree the Caps would not want to give up a 1st (I think Pageau's worth is 2 2nds), in no way is his contract an albatross. Sure, I would like Pageau for the next 4 years at $4M but he can be moved fairly easily to teams that are looking for centers. An albatross is a contract that is completely immovable like Price, Brobovsky, Karlson unless the team is retaining 50% and even adding a sweetener after.