Analsysis of Wild: pretty soft down the center. They could use an upgrade/overhaul at that position. In terms of cap space, they have $10m with just Dumba to sign so instead of one player you've had problems negotiating a long term extension kill two birds with one stone. The Wild stay roughly the same at the blue line, vastly improve down the middle with a fringe 1st/2nd line center, and get some more competition with Pedan. Who I think will be a NHL defenseman. Assumption is you sign Brassard long-term, because he's the 1st/2nd center on the roster and he fits in that style of play.
PIT trades Derick Brassard, Justin Schultz, and Andrey Pedan to MIN for Mat Dumba
Analysis for Pens: Dumba is an improvement on Schultz. This improves the top 4 with a young dynamic puck-moving defenseman that will greatly help the transition game. Brassard is trading from an area of strength. To keep the window open as long as possible, you're going to need studs on the blue line. Dumba is a bonafide stud.
Mat Dumba signs for 4 years, $22.5m
Analysis of Flames: the Flames have a tight cap with five RFAs to sign with $12.8m to do it. Two of them will come in for a pretty penny. Sam Bennett is the Lonzo Ball in the room. The Lakeshow got all these guards and he's the odd man out. Bennett is the odd man out after the Flames added a few wingers. Plus, I'm sure they'd love to remove his salary and that's the plan all along. Just $2m but it helps in signing RFA. If the Flames get the blue line right they'll be Stanley Cup contenders.
The Flames do this because the thought of adding a player of Sprong's caliber would be tantalizing to them and the idea of a Gaudreau/Monahan/Sprong top line would be too much for them to pass up. Then you come back with Tkachuk/Jankowski/Lindholm on line two. Having James Neal as a Phil Kessel on line 3. Maatta is a solid 4/5th defenseman that will play 3rd pair. The 1st would be used to get hey maybe even a Justin Schultz at the trade deadline. Then the Flames would be a Cup contender. Don't like some of the sludge down the center for the Flames. So Blueger will help in that 4th line capacity as you work on moving out Troy Brouwer and players of his ilk. Blueger had 45 pts in 70 games at the AHL level and should come in around 13 goals a season. *2019 1st can be exercised this year or next year.
PIT trades Daniel Sprong, Olli Maatta, Teddy Blueger, 2019 1st* to CGY for Noah Hanifin and Sam Bennett
The analysis for the Pens is that I actually think Sam Bennett fits in quite nicely. He's a highly skilled, gritty player. Sound familiar? He'll never be a 30 goal guy but he fills a role and the Pens need LW more than RW. Noah Hanifin fits in with the theme of getting bonafide studs on the blue line that will help the top 4 for years to come. Hanifin will help with the transition game, which is another theme of these improvements for the Pens and will quell the Murray tears that he's a bum. The guy is simply a net clogger and the longer you spend in his zone and move him at your will the less nets he will clog
Hanifin comes in at 6 years, $40.5m ($6.75m AAV)
I'd rather keep Schultz and Brass
