some of those are awful, i'd be checking on moving graves for some of those guys lol

Detroit will pass.

admittedly you are correct sir.
However, we ain't exactly trading McDavid either.

If you look around the league, at roughly the same contract length and cap hit.... this is what other teams would probably like to move... minus WPG. Who just resigned and probably won't move neido

Easy no thanks from Detroit. Copp provides alot more value to the team than Rakell would.

Columbus...might? If it's that or a buyout, I'd consider a 1-for-1 with Rakell/Elvis. It's solving one problem while creating another (we already have too many forwards), but might as well try it? The buyout isn't that much different next year vs. Elvis this year.

I think you'd have to entice us with a pick given the deal is longer, but it wouldn't be anything egregious.

Palat declines

I'd rather have a shorter Palat.

Palat is shorter but it's also 1 mil more per year and he's 2 years older.
Over 4 years it's only a 2 mil difference.
It's give and take. Rakell's contract ends at 34, Palat at 35. So the odds are higher the wheels fall completely off Palat first.

yeah the pick sounds fair, depending how high it is. I could see maybe a 4th or 5th.
I figured the biggest issue on CBJ is too many forwards. But I also figured they could make that work somehow.
I'm running with the theory that neither team wants to pay a buyout, and a hockey trade is simply a better solution.
These are the kind of trades that no one "wins" and everyone just hopes to salvage. Maybe CBJ would be more likely to retain on Rakell than PIT, and flip him. Bring it down to 2.5x 4, instead of Elvis 5.4x3.
I think they are more likely to find a partner for a retained Rakell than a retained Elvis.
Either way both get a "new start" which typically doesn't work out well, but it's better than doing the same thing again which clearly isn't working for either team.

Yeah, but team matters more as we likely buy him out the final year, so dead money would be over soon. Need the money for the core.

eh I don't think they buy him out in the final year. The cap savings aren't that great.
If you are going to buy guys out, you would be better off taking a younger Rakell, retaining 50% and flipping him to a contender.
It's pretty hard to flip Palat right now, being he's 33 with 3 years left. But a guy who's only 31 you might be able to flip.
Palat's buyout in the final year is 2.7 and 1.7 where a retained Rakell at 50% would be 2.5, could probably move him at only 2 mil cap retention to be honest maybe less.
Someone would give a 31 year old 1 year out of a 60 point 28 goal season a shot at 3 mil cap hit.

But you seem to be worried about "winning" a trade. There are no winners in trades like these. Palat is a bad contract. Rakell as it stands right now is a bad contract. You have to stop thinking you can "win" in these moves and figure out a way to lesson the pain.
I threw Palat in there as a near comparable. Not because I think the penguins would actually make that move, but just to see what people thought.
I personally would not make that trade.
I tend to like the CBJ trade myself. Elvis can backup Blom for 3 years, or until SM is ready to come to the NHL level and PIT could retain on Elvis and flip him.

The other one I could see is possibly Burakovsky. He's young maybe he can turn it around. His style of play maybe a playoff contender would like a big physical forward 50% retained if it doesn't work out.

So I wouldn't worry too much on the NJ trade.

Palat also wouldn't waive, so the point is all moot.

This is my thought process as well. If Pittsburgh is willing to throw in ~4th due to the longer contract, letting Rakell be a 3rd or 4th line mentor for a couple years and then flipping him retained for whatever could work. I don't think having Elvis on the roster next year is healthy, he needs a fresh start more than anything, so if this is the best option presented, I wouldn't hate it.

Definitely not the big, sexy offseason move though haha