#instant stereanalysis

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INSTANT STEREANALYSIS - LYUBUSHKIN TRADE

Trade Details:

TOR Maple Leafs receive:

Ilya Lyubushkin (75% Retained)

Kirill Slepets

ANA Ducks receive:

2025 3rd [TOR]

[50% retention on Lyubushkin - $1.375m]

CAR Hurricanes receive:

2024 6th [TOR]

[25% retention on Lyubushkin - $687.5k]

TOR Maple Leafs StereGrade: D+

ANA Ducks StereGrade: A

CAR Hurricanes StereGrade: A

TOR Maple Leafs Instant Analysis:

THIS was your missing piece???

Lyubushkin is an RD, which is, admittedly, what Toronto desperately needs right now. It's not an absolute fail of a trade for that purpose alone. That being said... this is so clearly a reaction to the Tanev trade that it's not even funny. And it's just. Lyubushkin is literally replacement level. On a less than league minimum cap hit, for "only" a third and a sixth, it's. Fine. I guess. But this so clearly isn't the piece Toronto wants at this point of its window. Not to mention he's a former Leaf, too, and really wasn't that great when he was there. He blocks shots? I guess? But he's a third pair defenseman, not a top four like the Leafs need. This trade is so reactionary, it's nuts.

As one of my Discord friends calls it, "average Leafs grit trade".

ANA Ducks Instant Analysis: You got rid of Lyubushkin at the deadline? For a THIRD? Well done, my guys. Well done. A replacement level player, as a rental on an expiring deal, and you got a decent pick for him. Easy, easy A.

CAR Hurricanes Instant Analysis: Incredibly similar to the Tanev deal yesterday. Waddell weaponizes cap space to pick up an extra pick. It's a lot less retained than NJ did yesterday, so the pick is worse, but still. It's an A. Stop copying us.

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INSTANT STEREANALYSIS - MACDERMID TRADE

Trade Details:

NJD Devils receive:

Kurtis MacDermid

COL Avalanche receive:

Zakhar Bardakov

2024 7th

NJD Devils StereGrade: B

COL Avalanche StereGrade: C

NJD Devils Instant Analysis: Don't worry, MacDermid isn't really very good. That being said, he does work as a 4th liner/3rd pair defenseman with a lot of grit. Plus, he's a very good locker room personality, which may be very helpful to the Devils who have been cited as having some locker room deficiencies as of late.

Plus, he fights. A lot.

So to sum up:

COL Avalanche Instant Analysis: This trade essentially moves off MacDermid, freeing cap space for a future move. C is because it has little real impact otherwise. The 7th is all but useless. Bardakov likely does not come to North America (he's in the KHL). If Colorado can bring Bardakov over to benefit their team, this trade looks like a steal for them, but this seems unlikely.

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Instant Stereanalysis StereGrades:

(subject to change, I usually go off vibes lol)

A Grades are given for trades that are of quality. The receiving team clearly benefits.

A+ : Generally only given to trades that fleece. Clear, undisputed winner of a trade. Gain far more than is lost.

A : Winner of a trade. Did the "right thing" and came out on top. Everything that was expected. Gain more than is lost.

A- : Still won the trade. Identified a hole and addressed it. Gain slightly more than is lost.

B Grades are given for trades that are fine, but not stellar.

B+ : Addressed a need in the proper way, trading to fill a lack of something. Probably an even trade.

B : Addressed a need properly in a fairly even trade. Trade makes sense, but is not wonderful.

B- : Addressed a need properly, but gave up more than felt necessary. Probably a light loser of a trade, but makes clear sense why it was done.

C Grades are given for trades that are mediocre. Either the trade does not adequately address the problem at hand, or it gives too much up, or some other issue.

C+ : Addressed a need, but improperly. Trade makes some sense, but is ill-advised.

C : Addressed a need, but improperly. Did not get an adequate return or gave up too much for the deal to go through. Alternatively, the trade seems to have little to no impact at the NHL level.

C- : Addressed a need, but improperly. Other players were available that would have been much better fits for the team, or clearly gave up too much.

D Grades are given for trades that are seriously flawed, in one way or another. They are not absolute fleeces, but seem to make little sense.

D+ : The trade is clearly flawed, despite it addressing some need. This trade does not benefit the team.

D : Did not address a need. The trade does not benefit the team.

D- : Undisputed loser of a trade. The trade clearly does not benefit the team, in short or long term.

F Grades are given for trades that are, well...

F : Fleeces. More specifically, You Got Fleeced. Absolute loser of a trade. Bad decision making evident throughout. The trade did not make sense with the trajectory of the team. The kind of trade that gets one fired.

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INSTANT STEREANALYSIS - TANEV TRADE

Trade Details:

DAL Stars receive:

Chris Tanev (75% Retained)

Cole Brady

CGY Flames receive:

Artem Grushnikov

2024 2nd [DAL]

2026 3rd [DAL; conditional on DAL making SCF]

[50% retention on Tanev - 2.25m]

NJD Devils receive:

2026 4th [DAL]

[25% retention on Tanev - 1.125m]

DAL Stars StereGrade: A

CGY Flames StereGrade: B-

NJD Devils StereGrade: A

DAL Stars Instant Analysis: You managed to get Chris Tanev for basically nothing. Did not give up a first. Did not give up a roster player. Paid a second and a seemingly quite mid defensive defenseman prospect for a very good rental. Got retention so he only counts as about $1m on the cap. Major win for a team needing defensemen to make the push in the playoffs. Well done, Nill.

CGY Flames Instant Analysis: The Flames didn't have much of a choice here. Either they would trade Tanev for something or get nothing when he inevitably walked. As an older (34yo) defenseman, it's uncertain how much longer he would even want to play. So it's not a bad trade for Calgary by any means. That being said, the return is underwhelming. They get a meh prospect and a second, and a possible conditional third with a relatively low chance of materializing. For a team trying to "set the price" of the defenseman market, it feels lacking. Tanev is, however, a rental, and old, so it makes some sense they could not get a first. If that third weren't conditional... C'mon, Conroy.

NJD Devils Instant Analysis: With Dougie Hamilton out for the season, the Devils have a lot of cap room to play with and might facilitate more deadline deals like this, as they do not seem to expect to contend for the Cup this year. They give up Cole Brady, a goalie that is worth essentially nothing, and basically get a free fourth round pick out of the deal, which they can then use as they want, either to pick up a new prospect or use in a later deal. Additionally, they foster good will with Calgary in case they want to work on a Markstrom deal later. Good work, Fitz.

Do y'all want instant stereanalyses for trades? Is that something you would be interested in or should I shut up?

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Sure I'll bite, tell me about the trade oh wise one

VANCOUVER GOT FLEEEEEEEECED-

Ahem. Ahem.

Instant Stereanalysis - Lindholm/Kuzmenko Trade

Okay, so Lindholm was linked to the Nucks for a while - the Nucks don't really have a 2C. Pettersson and Miller can both play C, but they're much better together on the "Lotto line" with Boeser. So it makes sense why Lindholm was moved.

It also makes sense why Kuzmenko was. He's not performing to his contract and is becoming $5.5m in the press box. So he was likely going to be moved anyway.

My problem is everything else about the trade. Lindholm for Kuzmenko, 1 for 1, would make sense. Okay, Lindholm is the better player, and has a lower cap hit, so you need to throw in extras. Vancouver does this by... throwing in Brzustewicz (75th overall d-man prospect from 2023 who looks like a steal). And a first. And a conditional fourth. And Joni Jurmo (a decent d-man prospect in the Liiga right now). You see the problem here?

Plus, Lindholm has neither an extension in place nor RFA status after the season. If Vancouver flames out - pardon the pun - early in the playoffs this year (and I suspect they might), Lindholm can simply walk, and you just threw away Kuzy, a first (which, if they lose in the first round in the playoffs, would be in the 17-24 range), and one and a half good d-man prospects for what, 30-40 games of Lindholm? Ouch.

Now, if Vancouver re-signs Lindholm on a reasonable deal, this trade will look a lot better. As it stands, though... Yikes. Patrick Allvin's first trade under his new extension is not great.