Heck of a deal for Toronto only having to pay 25% of ROR's salary.
Of course, they gave up 3 prospects and 4 draft picks total. Deal also included sending Leafs prospect Josh Pillar to Minnesota with a 2025 4th round pick and the Wild picked up 25% of ROR's salary.
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The only main problem with trading expiring contracts for 1st rounders is that those 1st rounders are inevitably late in the draft. Hopefully they can package them.
my FB feed coincidently had the O'Reilly trade followed by a post from "the hockey writers" 5 players to avoid at the deadline
#1 was O'reilly
#3 was Barbashev
hopefully we can get a second + for barbashev
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The only main problem with trading expiring contracts for 1st rounders is that those 1st rounders are inevitably late in the draft. Hopefully they can package them.
This year might be an exception in terms of forward depth available. The weakness in the upcoming draft is defenseman.
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I've already got a few guys in mind I'd like them to use these picks on, none of which are d-men. They've done well, I think, drafting defense in the later rounds and have a pretty deep pool to work with without going to D in the 1st round this year.