Seriously, let's pump the brakes on these Sam/risto trades. They are far from the problem, which is that we have no scoring depth and McCabe is our other 1st pair dman.
I hate to say it, but I'm not sure any amount of trades can help this team. It has to come from drafting and development.... And no one really has any clue as to how that'll shake out
More years of losing are on the way......
There's plenty of help trades could do. It juat needs to be value in and not swaps.
Its part of why I was never impressed with the Skinner move. Great trade for the value it cost to trade, but team wise, all that trade did was replace Kane's production for the difference in value between Pu a high second vs O'Regan and a super late first. It's not an improvement team wise, its just a shuffle.
But with the pieces they have now, they could certainly be making some future trades to bring in real talent.
You want Ehlers and improve the team? See if the Peg bites on Risto and a 2020 first gets it done.
You need another center? Trade Mitts, 2020 first rounder, Cozens and Pekar and take a real run at Malkin.
We have plenty of faults. But we still have 3 legitimate top line players. A couple other bubble guys if they had help that could be just fine.
Risto, 2020 second and Pekar for Ehlers
Mitts, Cozens, Sheary, Vesey, 2020 first, 2021 first for Malkin
Skinner Jack VO
Marjo Malkin Reinhart
LOG
Fourth line of Asplund Tage and Smith
Obviously who knows if the Pens are willing to do something like that, but there is always a team or two each year who makes a big move like that.
Does that trade make us a guaranteed contender? Probably not. But it makes us a playoff team. And it doesn't require an unexpected player or two to do well just to have a chance. Instead if someone unexpectedly pops, they could be a dangerous team.
Guh, what a horrific waste of three years.