To Carolina Hurricanes:
Patrik Laine at 7.7mil AAV for 3 years(1mil retained)
To Columbus Blue Jackets:
Michael Bunting at 4.5mil AAV for 3 years
Jesper Fast at 2.4mil AAV for 2 years
1st 2024
Philadelphia Flyers 2nd 2024
Reasoning:
Carolina Hurricanes desperately need goal-scoring. Their top goal-scorer is Sebastian Aho at 17 goals. There are 48 players who have scored more goals than him. This is terrible for a top contender. While Patrik Laine hasn't scored at the pace that he used to in the past, I believe that he still should have the capability, especially when put in a situation to succeed. Hurricanes are missing a dedicated shooter. Aho can shoot but is really more of a playmaker, and Svechnikov is more of a power forward type than a sniper.
Patrik Laine and Sebastian Aho have some history together, and I think that they should work well together.
For the trade itself, Bunting is the direct replacement. He should be a fine player for his cap hit. He has a history of being able to perform as a first-liner, even though his current season hasn't been amazing. Fast is a bit of a cap move, who probably has neutral value, or even slightly negative.
For the picks, I wasn't entirely sure about the going rate. It's still three whole years, so Laine wouldn't be a rental. A first and the Flyers second does feel a bit steep to me especially with 1mil retained, but I don't think the players coming back are that amazing, so it might be justified. If this is considered an overpay, the Flyers 2nd can be changed into a later pick, such as Canes' own 2nd, or even a third. Either way, it's not really about the specific value but the idea of the trade that I'm going for.
What do you think?