Carolina doesn't need to give up as much if they acquire patches, and they need wingers more now that they seem to have their center issues dealt with. So the Habs Carolina trade would be based around patches for a young Dman and the trade with the sabres would be based around Dman from Carolina+ something from have for ROR
I’m curious what you have in mind. What Buffalo fans would deem as an acceptable return for O’Reilly, Pesce or Hanifin, is simply not obtainable by Montreal with Pacioretty as the guy coming back the other way, given his age and contractual status. Maybe Faulk would fit, but Buffalo fans have balked at the notion and that’s not unreasonable given Faulk’s recent play and contract term. That leaves Bean, Fleury and McKeown. What is that Montreal can add that Carolina can’t that makes a trade with one of those defenders as the centerpiece palatable for Buffalo?
While I did argue on a prior page that Carolina’s need for a center is not what it was, I didn’t mean to say that the Canes wouldn’t benefit from acquiring a center. Aho could go back to the LW. Lindholm, if retained, could go back to RW. Alternatively, Necas could start out at RW. Heck, O’Reilly is versatile enough to slide over to wing if necessary.
I was really trying to argue that some combination of Aho, Lindholm, Staal, Rask and Necas is enough to prevent the organization from having to chase a player on the sole basis of position. Edmonton fell into the trap of chasing a RHD several years ago and got burned badly for doing so. I don’t think Carolina needs to do that. If the cost of O’Reilly is Hanifin, but a JvR is available for nothing but budget space, then the Canes rolling with what they have at center and going for the winger is preferable in my mind. I guess given Dundon’s recent comments, the latter is not in the cards, but a trade for something similar with Bean/Fleury as the centerpiece may be possible.