Micklebot
Moderator
- Apr 27, 2010
- 53,951
- 31,167
I think you are forgetting the salary equation factored in. Yes, Duchene and Karlsson make the same money now, but whoever acquires Karlsson needs to find 12M in space.
Most teams aren't worried about making room for a player of the tier you normally just plain can't acquire. They just find a way to get it done. Toronto found a way to sign Tavares, as would have Boston, SJ, Dallas, Tampa, or NYI given they were all bidding for him. And they couldn't shed any salary in the transaction like what happens when you trade for a player.