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It's true that Ottawa has no real 'need' for LE - he could be useful to them particularly in the next few years with so much cap expiring - but nevertheless, imo it would take more than 'scraps'. I don't see players like Baertschi or Goldobin as 'scraps' though - they've both proven capable of being middle six to second line productive at the NHL level - both quite talented, with health limiting Baer and some development without the puck limiting Goldobin. Moreover - Ottawa may be 'rebuilding/rethinging' but they aren't exactly swimming in futures - they are at somewhat of an earlier stage (having spent a lot of futures/picks in recent years) - so players like Baertschi or Goldobin do not necessarily represent 'surplus' to them - in the way they did not represent 'surplus' to the Canucks - before the arrivals of EP, Boeser, MIller, Ferland, Pearson...(while also having Podkolzin, Gaudette, Hogstrom, Madden...in the system at this point).Ryan, Anisimov, Boedker, Ennis = placeholders imo - while they already have their better young forwards - 19 Tkachuk), 20 (Batherson), 22 (White) - (the one exception may be Brown?/20) - penciled into their lineup/top 6 - a pair of them centers. LE and one of those young wingers probably makes them better in the present and moving forward. So I think if the Canucks offer a legit, young, talented forward with him, and take back money (ie Boedker - who represents 3 million in salary relative to LE, who is 1 million this year...with Boedker's performance being worse, and less versatile) - that saves Melnyk a couple million up front - which was also an incentive in the Anisimov deal that was about more than just cap/floor - it too offered Melnyk capital savings.

I'm not sure about that - don't necessarily agree - unless you're reducing it to present 'market' value. If you're talking about value to Vancouver, imo Lind potentially has more than Goldobin - because he has a conceivable future here, probably more conceivable than Goldobin at this point. The reason I say that - Goldobin has a small window - with a strong deep roster - in which to prove himself - or he's waiver eligible. For that reason it wouldn't surprise me if he's not here a few months from now = I'm not sure I like his chances of competing in the present mix. He'll really have to take bigger steps than we've seen from him - hell even Baerstchi is in that kind of situation. Lind may have had injury setback, a 'disappointing' first 'pro' season - but he's 20 years old - and what's he's capable is unlikely to have disappeared in the past year - but maybe more importantly, he's an ELC, waiver ineligible for some time...... I think with the additions they've made, prospects/picks have more situational value than the marginal forwards on the roster, so I won't be surprised to see any of Baertschi, Goldobin, Schaller dealt for picks or younger prospects (perhaps at positions of greater need) if possible.

Exactly - in fact it's hard to figure where the guy would fit/play here. He's not a 'shutdown' winger - that's wishful thinking imo among people probably trying too hard to talk themselves into a deal - Edmonton's dzone/shtudown/matchup line was driven by Brodziak imo, whether his wingers were Kassian, Khaira, Reider, Lucic....and Lucic has been unable to produce with McDavid, Draisaitl, or RNH.... Edmonton has 4 years of 6 million of inalienable cap and an active roster spot (and expansion spot) chained to Lucic. Vancouver has 3 x 5 million tied to LE (gain a million each year if they waive him) - and no need to commit an active roster (or expansion) spot to him. That's a difference of $9 million in cap space (and a year). And the rest of the context matters as well. Benning - by most accounts - at least those from this market/fanbase - is considered to have had a positive summer - has added Miller, Myers, Ferland, Benn - to a group with some solid two way veterans and a promising emerging core. There isn't really pressure to 'win now' with a lineup full of lottery picks. Edmonton on the other hand has disappointed in consecutive seasons / decades - and can't find a winger who can produce 2nd line outcomes while playing with 100+ pt players..... Vancouver's biggest problem in the present - is which top 6 winger wont make the cut on EP and Horvat lines - with a guy like Baertschi (whose been probably the team's 2nd best forward among guys potentially a part of their future, Horvat aside, over the past three years (excluding the retiring Sedins). The Canucks also have similar 'problems' in their bottom six, where their units, geared toward shutdown/dzone starts, have no shortage of candidates to fill those roles - players whose bread and butter is their two way or defensive game. How/where does Lucic fit? So, for me - there's no pressure whatsover on Benning - and no shortage on Edmonton. And Benning has the advantage - the shorter term, the lesser cap, the flexibility of no-NMC, and no real need to 'upgrade' his winger group. Eriksson - would be very difficult to imagine him NOT upgrading Edmonton's bottom six - given Chiasson was Edmonton's 4th leading forward scorer last year ...Could LE score 38 pts if he's not getting 38.0% ozone starts, and playing with a McDavid, Draisaitl or RNH? LE is the better bet, he's the better two way player, he's the shorter term, and he's waivable / can be buried off the active roster/expansion while saving you 3 million of cap over 3 years....

It's not just about cap though - it's also about a NMC. Edmonton doesn't have the option of the equivalent of assigning Loui Eriksson to Utica - and they are compelled to protect Lucic in the expansion draft. Edmonton has absolutely no leverage - and they also have the longer term - and the more rapidly declining asset. I'm not sure why you're concerned about Edmonton not considering it - there is literally no need for Lucic, and no need to play softball with Edmonton hoping to get them to agree to a deal. A deal should involve taking them to the cleaners, period. There is no guarantee Lucic is or becomes a roster player - he needs to regain form for that to be realistic - whereas value is based on actual performance - and his is that of a 6 goal 6 million misfit winger. Moreover - Lucic holding a NMC and indicating he "would like to play here" further weakens Edmonton - Lucic holds the cards whether or not he accepts a move - and again, Edmonton can't even waive him, let alone send him to Bakersfield. They retain heavily and include a serious prospect or they can bust rocks. 4.5 million with that extra year of term is not good enough imo. You just gave back the 4.5 million you saved over 3 years on Loui, by eating the 4th on Lucic.

Had that combination of size, toughnes, talent that you'd think would have made him more successful.... But one of those players that has had - consistently - horrible underlying numbers - some of the league's worst - for a range of different teams - a persistent theme - ineffective without the puck - did not have an NHL defensive game. Colorado 2010/11 57.3% ozone starts 47.3% corsi St Louis 2013/14 60.5% 48.3% Buffalo 2014/15 41.6 35.2 -30 Minnesota 2016/17 60.4% 40.5% Sometimes these kinds of 'underlying numbers' can be deceiving - an outlier - but with Stewart, it's such a theme accross so many different situations. It's too bad - a guy like him probably could have really used a coach like Travis Green earlier in his career. That said, can't assume it was just coaching, but if Stewart had gotten and developed the ability to play without the puck = so much potential. Almost like a Bertuzzi born too late.

That's Robin Williams. You met him on Ork.

Where'd Louigo?

Hold on. Edler strikes again. But now you've seen it all? Hadn't you seen it before?

I love pumpkin pie - so hard not to eat the whole gd thing in one or two sittings.

I will try pie.

I'd take on Lucic if he's heavily retained and waives the NMC, simply to cut our cap losses on LE. Wouldn't have much to do with expecting him to make the lineup or be an upgrade on anyone - I have my doubts he could make the top 12 forwards - but as a cap dump deal, if he's half the cap hit that LE is, the extra year may be worth eating in exchange for a prospect. Edmonton eats more cap, but they get out of having to protect Lucic in expansion, in which case they may lose a decent player in any event.

the ironing is delicious. "all the players brought in will be boat anchorzzz!" you're making pretentious claims - in the future - and you expect it to be countered with "facts"? lol. you aren't talking facts - that's why you got called out in the first place.

says the guy that called the Leafs the next Blackhawks dynasty lol.