If other GMs are lowballing Waddell to the point of a “very disappointing” return, why not just move van Riemsdyk first? I don’t really get the prioritization of TvR here. Faulk is a better player and a better fit given the makeup of the defense at this point; give me a ~15 goal defenseman in that 3rd pairing slot over another sub-20 point guy. Faulk’s shooting percentage should bounceback and his numbers will follow. That could improve his value for a deadline trade or a move next offseason.
This assumes that the budget isn’t a motivating factor here. If it is, moving Faulk for the best offer, even if it's crap, makes more sense. The opening night NHL player payroll is on track to be in the high-60s; that’s a pretty significant bump from the ~$60 mil mark of last year.
This assumes that the budget isn’t a motivating factor here. If it is, moving Faulk for the best offer, even if it's crap, makes more sense. The opening night NHL player payroll is on track to be in the high-60s; that’s a pretty significant bump from the ~$60 mil mark of last year.