i personally love having yandle and having a true puck mover like him is critical to have. hes playing great, not that old, hes got one of the longest games played streaks and i dont see that stopping anytime soon, so hes not breaking down or anything. and guys like him arent as physical and can play longer. hes got a nmc so itd be harder to move. i wanna keep him.
matheson is signed for the longest, also the cheapest of the three. his game has come around big time, has actually put up double digit goals and hopefully thatll continue. his speed, agility, stamina, and skating ability are huge assets to have. as he gains more confidence he'll become better and better. i was more for possibly trading him earlier in the season but hes come around a lottttt since then and i feel way more comfortable having him now. if he keeps it up, or even improves, hed be locked in for a real long time at what would be a great cap hit (especially with an increasing cap ceiling).
ekblad i like but id probably be the most willing to move him. even though hes a lot younger than yandle i still think a yandle-type is much more vital to have and the age doesnt scare me. ekblad's skating has always been a crutch, idk how his conditioning is, not known to be a puck mover, definitely great for scoring goals and can defintiely expect that from him. defense is alright. hes the most expensive of the three players, also locked in for a real long time, and does have a concussion history. i also think he could very well bring in the most between the three considering yandles age and matheson still being relatively unknwon by most. ekblad is mr 1st overall, rookie of the year, exceptional player status, etc, puts up goals and perceived by many im sure to be really high end. trading him could return the most, shed the most salary, and still remain strong with move movers and highly skilled skating D (yandle and matheson).
say for instance if they were honestly serious about going after karlsson. id let ekblad be the main piece in that assuming we're allowed to talk with him before hand (karlsson) and get a deal done before any trade is done.
overall, as it sits now im happy with all 3. we still need to add a proper 4th. and im very hppy with huberdeau despite not being his usual self since leaving the first line. i dont think hes a natural fit for trocheck and would actually love to pair him on the 3rd with borgstrom and really run thre strong lines, especially considering trocheck kinda just carries his line on his own. malgin works well with him and vatrano could be another option for the other side.
