Exactly this. There are far more undesirable assets to jettison — start with those. Lehkonen is a positive, not a liability. He’ll keep his value beyond this year as teams are always on the lookout for that type of no maintenance, solid contributor.
Seriously, why so narrow-minded?
Get rid of the crap? Sure.
Expect more than crap back? Why should you?
Not all players fit a niche need like Chiarot and are worth more than their actual value, come trade deadline, especially with a little bit of competition for his services.
Why should Montreal disais trading Lehkonen, a supporting cast type of player when they can perhaps get a Kravstov back, which is a player with definitive top-6 upside and, on the best of day, the potential to be a game-changing talent. If ot wasn't for taking advantage of a falling out with the Rangers' management for Kravtsov, the thought of making that swap would likely never even be entertained.
It's all about opportunity and seizing that opportunity.
Maybe you won't get Kravstov for Lehkonen, but maybe you can get Kravtsov and a 1st round pick in 2022 for Chiarot, Lehkonen and a 2nd round pick in 2023?
Maybe you can get Kravstov, Lundkvist and a 1st round pick for Chiarot, Lehkonen, a 2nd round pick in 2022 (not that far removed from a late 1st round pick) and the rights to Harris (which might sign in New York, but would never do so in Montreal)?
Think about it, it's just a 10 or so spot downgrade for New York to take the 2nd round pick over their first round pick. Harris might be a decent replacement for Lundkvist and Chiarot should be good for a problem child in Kravstov. Lehkonen is the package deal throw-in that event out any discrepancies in value.
Montreal gains rebuild value at its best in the future. New York gets immediate upgrades to supporting rules they need to go deep in the playoffs and future value to compensate for losing Lundkvist, but the loss itself is mitigated by the fact he's not an actual contributor right now and by the fact they gain a furture asset that might bring a lot of the same in Harris.
In fact, New York gives up nothing that can currently contribute to a deep playoff run and they have the Cap space to accomodate all these players. If they are after another player like Hertl, at 5.625M, as some would suggest, Montreal can swallow half of 3.5M for 1.75M and half of 2.3M for 1.15M, a grand total of 2.9M of the reported 10M under the Cap which New York has as leeway to fit the 5.625M for Hertl.
Is all of what is earmarked in this proposal about to be spent on acquiring Hertl; a 1st round pick, Kravtsov, Lundkvist?
I don't know what to say, but the offer sounds fair and fille needs on both teams, althoug we can argue any imaginaire scenario to make the deal sound undoable.