Who says no? Analyzing 4 hypothetical trade-deadline deals

The NHL trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and there's nothing more fun this time of year than arguing over hypothetical swaps.

Here's how this exercise went down: Each of theScore's five NHL news editors (Kyle Cushman, Kayla Douglas, Josh Gold-Smith, Sean O'Leary, and Josh Wegman) submitted a trade to have the other four editors vote on which team they think would say no in that scenario. "Both" and "good deal" were options, too.

Remember, these deals are hypothetical. Editors were encouraged to think outside the box.

Below, I dive into the trades and analyze which aspects make sense and which don't.

Note: There were initially five trades in this exercise, but the one submitted by Douglas - which involved Timo Meier to Toronto - became moot after the Maple Leafs acquired Ryan O'Reilly from the St. Louis Blues late Friday night.

Oilers land Karlsson in blockbuster Ezra Shaw / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Oilers receive: Erik Karlsson (30% retained)
Sharks receive: 2023 1st-round pick, Jesse Puljujarvi, Tyson Barrie, Dylan Holloway

Submitted by: Gold-Smith

Editor	Who Says No?
Cushman	Sharks
Douglas	Good deal
O'Leary	Sharks
Wegman	Both

Why it could work: Wouldn't this be fun? Imagine Karlsson sharing the ice with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on a power play. That would be lethal.

The Western Conference is wide-open, and the Oilers have been playing excellent hockey lately, so this would be an ideal year to go for it. Karlsson is the Norris Trophy favorite amid a resurgent campaign and could be the missing ingredient on the back end. Getting him at $8.08 million is palatable, too.

Puljujarvi is in dire need of a fresh start, and Barrie's role would be vastly diminished with the addition of Karlsson, so both players are expendable. Their inclusion is also necessary from a cap perspective.

For the Sharks, it's a prime opportunity to sell high on Karlsson and rid themselves of most of his mammoth contract. A first-round pick and Holloway, the 14th selection in 2020, would help the rebuild.

Why it might not: Even with the inclusion of Barrie, Puljujarvi, and Holloway, the Oilers are unable to put forth a cap-compliant roster consisting of 18 skaters in this scenario. So they'd either need the Sharks to retain more than 30%, get a third team to retain a portion, or shed money elsewhere. All three options would be difficult to accomplish in season, making an offseason deal more realistic.

It's also possible the Sharks might not be comfortable retaining $3.45 million annually through 2027, especially when they're already retaining $2.72 million through 2025 for Brent Burns. New general manager Mike Grier seems content to rebuild, but he might think his team can compete again before 2027. And if he's going to retain salary, he might want another asset in return.

Bruins bring in Kane for Cup push Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

Bruins receive: Patrick Kane (50% retained), Jarred Tinordi
Blackhawks receive: 2023 1st-round pick, Fabian Lysell, Craig Smith, Mike Reilly, Chris Wagner, Jakub Zboril

Submitted by: Wegman

Editor	Who Says No?
Cushman	Bruins
Douglas	Bruins
Gold-Smith	Bruins
O'Leary	Bruins

Why it could work: The Bruins are enjoying a historically great campaign. There's no guarantee Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci play beyond this season, and it's also the last year of David Pastrnak's bargain contract before he gets a massive raise. If there was ever a year for a team to push all its chips into the middle, it's the 2022-23 Bruins.

Even in a down year, Kane is one of the best rentals available. It's easy to imagine how he'd be reinvigorated going from the basement-dwelling Blackhawks to the stacked Bruins. He wouldn't be asked to play a major role, either. While the idea of him with Bergeron and Brad Marchand on a line is enticing, playing a middle-six role to provide an offensive punch is probably more realistic. And as good as Boston is, there's no such thing as too much scoring in the playoffs.

The Bruins would also likely be pleased to get Smith, Reilly, and Wagner off their books. Swapping Zboril for Tinordi is the final piece to get the deal to work from a cap perspective, and it gives Boston a more reliable depth option on defense.

Why it might not: Kane has been playing through hip issues for at least the last couple of seasons. It didn't seem to affect him last year during a 92-point campaign, but it's likely partly to blame for his poor production this season.

Boston shouldn't hesitate to deal its first-round pick, which, if all goes as planned, will be 32nd overall. But there may be some hangup on moving Lysell, the organization's top prospect, in exchange for a 34-year-old rental. But that might be the cost considering he's the Bruins' only high-end prospect, and it's a similar package to what the Florida Panthers paid for Claude Giroux - who also had a no-movement clause - a year ago.

Kings acquire Demko to solidify crease Derek Cain / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Kings receive: Thatcher Demko
Canucks receive: 2023 1st-round pick (top-12 protected), 2024 2nd-round pick, Alex Turcotte, Cal Petersen

Submitted by: Cushman

Editor	Who Says No?
Douglas	Good deal
Gold-Smith	Good deal
O'Leary	Good deal
Wegman	Canucks

Why it could work: Goaltending has been the Kings' Achilles' heel this year. They're actually a strong defensive team; they just haven't received any saves. Pheonix Copley, the 31-year-old journeyman, has been their most reliable netminder to this point, but it would be difficult to trust him in a playoff series.

Demko had struggled this year before he went down with an injury, but the Canucks are among the worst defensive teams in the league. It's easy to envision the San Diego native thriving in Los Angeles. He received downballot Vezina Trophy votes a year ago and owns a ridiculous .985 save percentage in four career playoff games.

Petersen had played so poorly this season that the Kings optioned him to the minors. But he was solid in 2021-22, so it's possible the Canucks think he can eventually rebound. But more importantly, Demko and Petersen are signed to identical $5-million cap hits (Demko through 2025, Petersen through 2026) to get the deal to work financially.

The Canucks have been on the hunt for young centers, and Turcotte fits the bill. The 2019 fifth overall pick has yet to live up to his lofty draft hype, but at 21, there's still plenty of time to turn it around.

The Kings have a deep prospect pool, so they can live with dealing Turcotte. And in a year where the Western Conference is wide open, and Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty are getting older but still playing at a high level, this is an ideal time to go for it.

Why it might not: The Canucks may want more than Turcotte and a couple of draft picks considering there's a very real possibility he's a bust. Plus, not only are they giving up Demko, but taking on Petersen's contract warrants assets in return on its own. Perhaps if L.A. adds one of its many right-handed defense prospects - another positional need for Vancouver - a deal could work.

Boeser gets fresh start in Minnesota Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

Wild receive: Brock Boeser (25% retained)
Canucks receive: 2024 3rd-round pick, Jordan Greenway, David Spacek

Submitted by: O'Leary

Editor	Who Says No?
Cushman	Canucks
Douglas	Canucks
Gold-Smith	Canucks
Wegman	Canucks

Why it could work: Boeser and Greenway are both in need of a change of scenery. Going to the Wild would be a perfect fit for Boeser, a native of Burnsville, Minnesota. And the Wild could desperately use some scoring up front. Boeser has never cracked 30 goals, but at 25, there's still some unlocked potential there.

The Canucks, meanwhile, buy low on a hulking defensive-minded forward in Greenway. They also fill an organizational need on right defense with Spacek, the son of longtime NHLer Jaroslav Spacek. He was only a fifth-round pick in 2022, but his stock is on the rise after a strong world juniors for Czechia, in which he tallied eight points in seven games en route to a silver medal.

Why it might not: If the Canucks are going to retain salary on Boeser, they might want a greater return considering he's under contract through 2025. Retaining $1.66 million isn't an insignificant amount for a cap-strapped team.

Vancouver isn't in a time crunch to move Boeser, so it could wait and see if he heats up before accepting a return without any surefire building blocks coming back the other way.

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