couldnt afford 2nd t
Rejoint: sept. 2021
Messages: 1,014
Mentions "j'aime": 431
No getting cute over-thinking it with additional pieces.
-Pinto is worth more than Laughton.
-A 2nd+Pinto's excess value covers dumping Joseph.
-Flyers are also incentivized to take Joseph, because otherwise, this trade cannot happen due to Ottawa's cap situation.
Ottawa can only afford to sign Pinto to a 1 year deal, which might come in at 1M give or take. They cannot afford cap wise to go 2-3 years, which will take 2.5-3.5 million. To do that, they need to dump Joseph. Dumping Joseph independent of a bigger trade would cost too much in assets.
Additionally, you have to understand that two factors:
1 - Ottawa's window is the next 4-5 seasons while everybody is cost controlled. In 4-5 years, the raises and extensions for Tkachuk and Chabot start kicking in.
2 - Dorion needs to win now to keep his job.
If Dorion signs Pinto to a 1 year contract instead of acquiring Laughton, 2 things happen:
1 - He gets the worse centre this year. This lowers the chances of the team winning in the short term, and Dorion keeping his job.
2 - He has to trade Pinto next year anyways, because he will be eligible for an offer sheet, and if Dorion plans to keep Tarasenko, there will be no room to pay Pinto.
That is very similar to the Zibanejad scenario. Brassard was perceived to be a short-term upgrade who was cost controlled (Salary, not cap, Ottawa was a budget team). Dorion knew his window to win was the next 2-3 seasons while Karlsson, Stone, Hoffman, etc were all cost controlled. He did not care if Zibanejad would be the better player 4 or 5 years down the line. It was a win now move.
Laughton will be cost controlled for 3 seasons, and will be an upgrade on Pinto for at least next year - the return will also be an upgrade on what the Senators might get trading from a position of weakness next year if Pinto goes one year.
I would personally just attach a 1st to Joseph to dump him somewhere, avoid re-signing Tarasenko, and commit to Pinto long-term, but I don't think that is Dorion;s play here. He likely doesn't want to give up another major asset to dump a contract. He will acquire Laughton and justify it as being a big-boy win-now move because other championship teams that may have been Colorado or St.Louis also wanted Laughton.