Time for a little game. Meant for fun. Though knowing this place, I'm sure it'l start a fight. If so. Oops.
With the deadline coming up and the team in clearly a win-now (or win in the next few years) mode as buyers, prospects will likely need to be sacrificed in deals.
Let's play this prospect or that prospect. Again, this has no bearing on who will or won't be traded. And forget the return coming back, pretend the deal is more than fair either way. If you had to keep one and trade the other, who would it be and why? I don't think there are any wrong answers here and I think there are arguments for either side. I'll start.
Nick Robertson vs. Rodion Amirov
Clearly the two crown jewels of our forward prospects. Obviously, would rather and hope to keep both. But if one had to go? I think Amirov has the higher upside as a more complete player. But of course, we have seen Robertson contribute fairly well, albeit a small sample size, in pro hockey. With a win now mode, it is easier to look to the player who is more NHL ready. I'm very pro-Amirov, I was clearly on his side in the Schneider debates, which is one reason why I see Robertson prevailing in this one a lot for other posters.
Keep: Robertson
Trade Amirov
Timothy Liljegren vs. Rasmus Sandin
Couldn't play this game without this one coming up. Keep it civil. While I like both, for this purpose, I've flipflopped back and forth. I like what both bring. This may come down to need for me. So it's keep the RHD, right? For many years, yes. But I think this may have finally changed. Brodie and Holl are signed for a bit, arguably our 3rd best D prospect is also a RHD and in the past 4 drafts, we've actually drafted far more RHD than LHD. Add in a potential loss of Rielly to UFA, Dermott to expansion and a potential Muzzin regression, I think the need has changed. Again, I hate to pick between these two, hopefully we don't have to, and I find my reasoning quite simple, but for this purpose:
Keep: Sandin
Trade: Liljegren
Filip Hallander + Roni Hirvonen vs. Topi Niemela + Mikhail Abramov
I had trouble pitting one vs. the other here, so I figured a team would make sense for this tier of prospect. In this foursome, while I like all 4, I prefer Hallander and Niemela. I decided separating them would be more interesting for me at least, but feel it would be for others as well. I think Hallander and Niemela fill needs that would help long-term, while Hirvonen and Abramov might just have the higher upside. I hate to go with recency bias, but I will. And in saying that, Hirvonen would have a strong case for recency bias. But:
Keep: Niemela + Abramov
Trade: Hallander + Hirvonen
Well that was fun. Your turn!