*preface by saying that, although i dislike fighting in the NHL -because it is pointless and completely unnecessary for the game of hockey (i love combat sports, hockey is not a combat sport), it is unfortunately a reality in the league, and players who take on that role do have an impact on the team identity…
Prust looks like the wear and tear has caught up to him this season. Hard to envision him "bouncing back", unless there is a significant injury affecting his overall play that will get addressed effectively in the offseason.
if this is the case, MB should really do 2 important things:
- identify and bring in a suitable younger and ideally cheaper replacement (i.e a good locker room guy who plays with a warrior mentality, accepts/embraces his role in sticking up for his teammates, and can hold his own vs the other "goons" or intimidation-focused players in the league).
- trade Prust to a team with a GM who will look at the intangibles that a guy like Prust brings and "overpay" to get him… and if that isn't doable, ask Prust where he wants to go (or doesn't) and do everything possible to get him to one of those teams even if the return is nilch.
if MB could turn Prust into a 3rd round pick (or better, of course), the cap/ROI factors could help mitigate the negative impact on the players from the pov of trading away a guy who has been a warrior and whom they seem to very much appreciate, and from a hockey sense, it's a no-brainer.
in the absence of that, doing right by him would circulate quickly and help ease that factor as well.
2.5M$ for a guy who, hockey-wise, is an average 4th liner at this point, is a waste. That cap space is better allocated elsewhere unless moving him has a serious negative effect on the room. A solid return is a narrative that would both mitigate that and be seriously astute asset management.
i think it would be a mistake to move him without factoring in that human side… but from a hockey sense, keeping makes even less sense.
