I'd have to think it would take more than a 1st to protect all 3?
"I think Vegas should ask for more than a 1st for that" is kind of just an opinion. An opinion that goes against what our one insider is saying.
Why pay a 1st if it won't protect your good players?
If they want a 1st but still want to take Nelson or De Haan, just let them take one and keep the 1st.
Exactly. This is a trade between two friends where both sides get what they want - Islanders get cap relief and retention of all their key assets, Vegas gets a nice pick and I still believe Snow owes McPhee a favor.
What's the other scenario? Snow or McPhee play hardball, no agreement, Snow panics and trades CDH for ED-exempt assets but loses the trade on value. Snow loses, McPhee doesn't get his 1st and settles for a worse player from NYI, but meanwhile the Sabres win because they were able to snag a top-4 defenseman for cheap. Snow/McPhee's GM relationship also dwindles.
And he mentioned they weren't taking Kulemin, right? At that point it could be anyone, you could make a case for Hickey, Cizikas, Halak... prob not Clutterbuck but who knows.
I also still wonder if Pelech was kept because he's the defenseman who has been dangled in a trade. Of course nobody but Isles fans know about him but he does still have some decent upside and he's looked good so far.
Really don't think it's Halak from a pure Vegas perspective. After Fleury there are plenty of interesting names - Mrazek, Grabauer, Subban, Raanta, to give Fleury a solid backup.
Right now, I'd bet it's either going to be Kulemin (meaning Staple had to panic and retract the story), Cizikas (which is what the Islanders board on reddit seems convinced of) or Hickey (who is expendable from an Isles POV with plenty of other guys to fill the role he plays).