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Todd Cordell
This is probably a good trade for both teams. Arizona used cap space they didn't need to acquire a prospect they like. Meanwhile Florida's new management team traded a prospect they are not overly high on to rid themselves of Dave Bolland's terrible contract and recouped a couple picks in the process.
If Crouse turns into a difference maker, which I don't see happening, Arizona will undoubtedly win this trade. If not they parted with a pair of draft picks and cap space for a depth forward. I understand why they took the risk but I think I like Florida's side a little more.
Matt Henderson
Lawson Crouse never should have been taken 11th Overall and if the Florida scouting staff didnt deserve to mass fired before that pick then they did afterwards. The Hype-Train for Crouse was full-steam ahead in his draft year even though his offense suggested he wasnt more than a 2nd round prospect. Stat-based adjustment of draft ranking had him quite low and not particularly comparable to the better players who went after him. There's a reason Florida has made massive changes since then. He's never going to live up to 11th overall but he can live up to the 3rd round picks Arizona gave up.
I dont care about Bolland and the price of moving the contract. That plays a much lesser role than the Crouse fanatics want it to be. 62 points in his post-draft season is brutal unless he became a defenseman in Kingston.
I think Arizona does well to get a potential 4th liner for very little. I think Florida does well to flush a bust pick out of a situation where he could never live up to expectations.
Adam French
So to escape three years of one of the worst contracts this side of David Clarkson, you just have to deal Eric Fehr Deux? Where the hell do I sign up? I? Did I say "I?" I meant Florida....oh and they did.
What a perfect trade for all that are involved.
Florida has enough young forward talent that they can let a few go, what they can't do is have 5.5 of real cap and salary on their roster while Ekblad blasts through his bonuses and destroys their financial situation.
Meanwhile, the Coyotes have taken on more crap to acquire assets. Which is great. While throwing out "Eric Fehr Deux" might be hyperbolic, I think it's reasonable.
Eric Fehr in 2003 was drafted at 18 overall after a season of 70GP 26G 29A 55P and boasted the size at 6'5 to be an absolute monster. His size became the crux to his draft position. He would then go from good prospect with intrigue to "Top Prospect" after a WHL season of 71GP 50G 34A 84P and then followed that up with what can be easily called a dominant 19/20 season. Fehr became a strong 3rd line contributor, but never met the expectations his size and later junior career showed.
Crouse, was drafted 11th overall after a 56GP 29G 22A 51P and his size helped get him a spot on the fourth line for Canada. He followed that up with a 49GP 23G 39A 62P campaign in his third year. It's reasonable to expect that the 6'4 forward will be one of the better players at 19/20 in the OHL this coming year...or so you'd hope.
Now is getting a potential big bodied 10-20 goal man ever a bad thing? No. Neither is it some insane steal.
Great hockey trade for both teams and I'm genuinely interested to see how the Panthers do next season and how the Coyotes manage their forward roster.
Peter Tessier
I'm so suspect of what the Panthers are doing based on the direction they've gone with scouting and analytics. I don't know if they are mad geniuses or flagrant risk takers. A 2nd and a 3rd pick seems fair by some and a huge win for the Panthers.
The interesting thing is the Coyotes are playing the same data infused game of strategy too and they might know something as well. I do like what the Coyotes are building and am more curious about this deal from how it helps (or not) the Yotes. Right now I call it equal because who knows what those picks turn out to be and how Crouse progresses.
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