Quoting: csick
Stutzle is untouchable except for maybe 10 players in the league and Tkachuk would be damn near impossible to move and that’s without mentioning Zub in the deal. Pesce isn’t a top 10 nhl Dman even
And that’s why I said it’s unrealistic for the Canes to move him and it’s unlikely that a team will pay the price that is set. The Canes are more than happy to be stuck with Pesce, and the Canes can set whatever price they want for him. If a team is willing to make that overpayment, they will do that, but with the price being that high, it will likely keep teams away. I’m just speaking from a hypothetical scenario position. But if the Sens want a quality top 4RD, and specifically one that is elite defensively, they have a couple of options. 1) Take the time to draft their own and develop them (this would be the easiest and best scenario, but would be the most time consuming). 2) Pay the high price that a team sets on their player and just bite the bullet (very risky scenario given how massive an overpayment it would require: EK65 to SJ is a prime example of that). And 3) Attempt to sign them as a UFA, but give them higher money/term to ensure (risky scenario given that you would have to aim higher cap wise to get their attention, but not as risky as option 2: Tavares to Toronto is a prime example of that).
Given that Ottawa wants a top 4 RHD that’s is defensively responsible now, that really only leaves options 2 and 3, and neither will be the most appealing for the Sens. The Canes front office knows that, and if Ottawa really were to want Pesce, their best option of actually getting Pesce would be option 2, which is the least appealing of the 3, since Pesce is very likely to be resigned by the Canes. Top 4 RHD’s are one of the hottest commodities in the league. A great example of that would be EK65 and Hamilton. You are obviously aware of the EK65 trade, but for Carolina to bring in Hamilton, they had to give up Lindholm and Hanifin, both of which were high picks and now are core pieces of the Flames. And that’s just for offensive defensemen. Think of the haul that a 2-way dman like Pesce could get. Like I said before, if the Canes move Pesce, it’s under their conditions, and it would require a massive overpayment. Would you not say the same for someone like Chabot, Tkachuk or Stutzle? That’s why a Pesce trade is so unrealistic.