Quoting: sabres89
Love the ideas. Getting a vet 3c, a defensive right shot d, and a fair amount of grit with Crouse, Duhaime, and kuraly. Everything here is at least plausible too.
I think the plausibility is there, in terms of at least trying to get both teams in each trade fair value in areas each team is reportedly focused on adding in.
- It's hard to know if Utah will be willing to deal Crouse when all of the hype from the new owners is about adding - not subtracting - proven talent but, at the same time, they're still in a rebuild and adding an elite prospect and 11OA has to be tempting.
- Similarly, it's too early to know how Francis and Bylsma will go next year - one would think Bylsma's familiarity with their AHL roster and time spent developing younger players, along with the Kraken seemingly taking a step backwards while aging in some key positions, signals some push for more young talent and shedding older players on expiring contracts like Gourde and Larsson. But both players are beloved in Seattle and have M-NTCs so either or both could squash a deal to Buffalo even if Adams were interested.
- My hunch is that with a new GM and coach this summer, Columbus will overhaul the fringe players around their current core of Gaudreau, Jenner, Fantilli, Johnson and Werenski. Kuraly as a 4th liner seems expendable if the Jackets get some picks and prospects. Lindgren has to be signed next month or his rights are lost - I doubt the Sabres will sign him with Johnson, Novikov, Komarov and Strbak ahead of him on the depth chart.