So terrible. Seemed like alot of good options but Hextall just seems so incapable

Granlund was a massive waste of cap space, but I have no problems with the depth moves today. Being able to shed McGinn while taking in a depth UFA for just a 3rd is good. Bonino was pennies on the dollar for depth. Hextall didn't trade away any young roster players so that's good. We have 21 mill in cap space next season for a new GM to work with. Need to re-sign Jarry, 5 forwards, and 2 D. I'm just glad Ron didn't get a Boeser or Miller and screw our future cap situation.

Overall it gets a failing grade in my opinion - as I think we all expected.

The team wasn't improved enough to be a legitimate contender - but they also didn't sell and get any picks/prospects/players. He did a good job unloading McGinn, and got lucky with Kap getting claimed - but then he turned around and gave that money to Granlund. Looking at what other players went for, and what cap space we were able to free up - there were plenty of better options and moves he could have made.

Both of the moves today are good in isolation, but overall I would say a very poor TDL. Didn't get anything we need and I still dont think this team wins a round.

So many better options. I dont know why he waited until the last minute to clear cap. If he put McGinn and Kapanen on waivers even a week ago we might have Chychrun now. Other names like Bertuzzi or Domi would've been perfect and didn't go for a ton. I would give it a fail.

While yes Hextall could’ve done better, the Granlund trade was a bit suspect, though I like that we got Bonino back for very cheap, he’s a guy who will bring energy and be of great help defensively, perfect replacement for Blueger.

Liked the Kulikov move as well, I’ve always liked his game and wanted us to go after him in free agency and in the meantime we got rid of McGinn’s garbage contract. Also worth noting Kulikov will be a free agent so at the moment he’s a pure rental that we paid a cap dump for.

Overall, think it was a decent deadline I would’ve liked to see more but just because we don’t trade for the obvious eye candy on the trade board doesn’t mean it was a terrible deadline….

I just cannot see us winning a round. Would've taken a couple big additions and we got none. We also were the oldest team as is and just got even older

Depends on a lot of things quite honestly but this team is going to be more determined then ever to win this year. And they’ve got the heart and leadership in the locker room to do it, it just boils down to whether we have the guys that can do it on the ice or not

Exactly - I don't know either. "He liked his team" lol - so maybe that's why.

I mean he literally could have had Niederreiter for the same exact pick he gave them for Granlund lol. And honestly he still could have got Chychrun even with the delayed waiver placements - he was still available. Add in Bjugstad for a 3rd to get some defense on that 3rd line. Would've been nice.

Yeah Bertuzzi could have easily been had, ROR, and so many others - don't feel like making a huge list haha but we clearly had the assets to get them. Domi would have been good too - but only if you also brought in a defensive/possession guy to play alongside him - maybe like an Engvall, Namestnikov, etc. Because Domi and Carter on the 3rd line would scare the **** out of me defensively haha.

Definitely a fail. Didn't help the team win now but also didn't open up the cap space to regroup for next year. Worst of both worlds.

I dont think we do. Cant see us beating any of the metro teams in playoffs, we match up bad with all of them. Rangers are better than last year, we are worse than last year. New Jersey and Carolina can both skate circles around us. It's extremely frustrating seeing how determined the team is knowing that we could have surrounded them with so much better.

It's so frustrating, he opened up the cap and then replaced it with another immovable contract. Granlund seems like a good guy and I will give him a chance. I think he is a good player, but dosen't really check any boxed for what we needed. It is so apparent past few seasons we needed more youth, speed, and grit, but Hextall either makes completely random, unecessary moves, or adds the exact opposite of what we need. I dont know what a new GM will be able to do this summer to fix this.

The guy really said "I need to get rid of these two bad contracts with term and replace them with one bad contract with term" lol. I can't even find the slightest reason why he thought that was a good move.

Oh for sure. I 100% want to eat crow on this and Granlund turn out to be amazing. But for now I'm going to judge it on paper - which is a terrible trade. And I agree - it's not that he's an awful player, his playstyle and attributes just aren't what was needed for this 3rd line. Add in his AAV, term, and the fact that there were other better moves available - and it makes for a bad trade.

Me neither. With some cap space a new GM could have figured it out. But now, you're basically just replacing Dumo with Smith and giving the extra cap money to Jarry - and then re-signing Zucker or another winger to similar money. Not a lot of options.

Just hearing what he's saying at the press confrence is so frustrating. He's saying cap space limited them and is limiting a lot of teams and how it's tougher to make a trade now than 10 years ago. Almost every good team has no cap space, but they make it work. And it's his fault that he spent too much to the cap to the point where they cannot call anyone up. Just so frustrating. I'm at the point where I think we have to just rebuild. Not because I want to and not because it had to be like this, but I just dont know what else we can do this offseason.

Yeah for real I had zero interest in those VAN forwards



Getting rid of the kapanen and McGinn contracts are both wins and overall the Bonino and Kulikov acquisition costs are pretty low. I don’t get trading for grandlund tho bc he’s really not a centre and his contract is not good.



Sadly agree unless the vibe of the bottom-6 totally changes, our special teams improves, and Jarry is healthy enough to steal games.



I actually disagree on this one… we didn’t miss out on bertuzzi or domi bc of lack of cap… we missed out bc hextall wouldn’t give up a 1st and in Chychruns case maybe 2 1sts… I don’t think this team is a real contender so I get not blowing all the picks but we should have at least attempted to retool a bit and getting a bertuzzi or a Chychrun would have at least given us another premium asset to flip in a couple years when we start the full rebuild

This isn’t 10 years ago ron or 30 years ago when you were actually relevant in the NHL lol 😂

For a sliver of hope remember we went into the playoffs absolutely sucking last year and then would have beat the rangers in 5 had it not been for Louis domingue and Jacob Trouba elbow
Not saying we have hope but If this team finally comes together and finds gritty ways to win as it has the last 4 games I can actually see us giving CAR or whoever a good fight

I dont disagree. The excuse being used is that we didn't have cap, but I dont think Hextall was even really in on Chychrun. I think he just wanted to say he tried to please Sullivan and management, but never had the intent on actually trading for him.

Even if a miracle like that happened though, the chances of it happening for 2 or 3 rounds is pretty much 0. It's frustrating knowing we have no chance at the cup, but we could have if we played our cards right. If we played last summer better (or at least didn't completely mess it up) and then got Chychrun, Bertuzzi, or someone at this deadline could have had a real shot.

Agree on both of your comments.
Hextall will inquire about everyone but refuses to give up his beloved first round pick that might play in the nhl when Sid is 42

Yah he failed. There is no doubt. I'm just glad he didn't completely bone us and now we can move on from him and have some flexibility to fix the team this offseason.

It's just unfortunate. Having the core 3 and others like Pettersson and Zucker playing so well. No guarantee that we get that next year as well. Just feel like had real potential to do something this year and last, but Hextall butchered it.

Absolutely - getting rid of those contracts was great(even though he just got lucky with the Kapanen one). My point though - as you touched on - was he then turned around and gave that money and term to Granlund. It just makes no sense. He barely improves the team, definitely not enough to be a contender - but he also didn't clear cap space. So he'll be in the same exact position next season lol. I have no issues with the Bonino and Kulikov acquisitions. They aren't going to help this team win anything - but they're UFAs at the end of the year so it doesn't matter to me.