Because its easier to buy out Johnson’s contract than it is Kovalchuks, and it frees up a roster spot at forward, and gets us an extra 1st rounder.
Kovalchuk is a lodestone we need to get rid of. Pittsburgh might be able to get some value out of him next to Sid or Geno.
I’d even retain on Kovalchuk to make something like this happen.
How do you figure that? If you buy IK out next June, everything stays the same as it would if he didn't get bought out, except he's not here. If you buy JJ out, his name is on the books until 2026. They get more cap space next year if they do JJ, but who are they going to spend it on? Another veteran warm body? It's probably even easier not buying Kovalchuk out at all. If TT, KC, and TL are all gone after this season, that's 3 spots open for young guys, which is likely more than enough. Then you try and trade IK at the 2021 deadline. Maybe get a mid round pick of some sort.
Because I'm not sure how a 1st is going to come this way from Pittsburgh in a JJ for IK trade. If the Kings were only taking JJ, then a 1st makes sense. Wasn't the rumor that Blake wanted to trade Carter for Marleau? I don't think another Leafs 1st was coming back. Is a 36+ year old winger what the Pens even need for 2 years? I'd hold onto that 1st until the deadline, especially if I was going to use it for IK, to see how he does first. Last year you can chalk it up to total team dysfunction. Now that the rest of the team seems to be somewhat engaged, and they have some level of respect for the coach, you see if he still does his own thing on the ice.
****can that useless POS Toffoli & play Gundstrom. Maybe someone is desperate enough to give us a 2nd or 3rd for him before the season starts.
We have some terrible salesmen on the board.