I thought about something around Marner for Wilson + WSH 1st + salary balancing pieces when he was struggling at the start of the year. Halfway through the year that felt like the stupidest deal I could have thought of. Now it looks like a homer proposal.
Would be nice to have Marner consistently at 80% peak where that’s just a average to bad deal rather than it being fair value, massive underpayment, and massive overpayment at various points in the same season.
If you also plan on trading Matthews, the word on the street is that Washington is looking to move Kuznetsov. Top 6 center, makes$ 7.8m on the cap, free agent in 2 years. Wilson makes $5.1667m on the cap, free agent next summer.
Trade Marner for Kuznetsov + Wilson with some salary retention (25%?) and try to get a prospect/pick as well
Kuznetsov + Wilson (25% retained)
= combined $11.675m cap hit
Marner
= $10.903m cap hit
You have Matthews Tavares Kuznetsov down the middle, but Matthews is being traded with a winger and/or defenseman coming back, along with picks and/or prospects.
(Matthews trade) - Tavares - Wilson
Knies - Kuznetsov - Nylander
Robertson - Holmberg - Jarnkrok
(Aston-Reese ?) - (Kampf ?) - Lafferty
13 - Bobby McCann
14 - Kyle Clifford
This isn't the direction I would personally choose to go with trading Marner, but that lineup doesn't look too bad...