[Nods and hangs up phone, slides folder across the table to official WIIM Draft Master Kyle as we remain seated in front of a podium at the SB Nation official Mock Draft 2021 room. Our commissioner Steph walks up and says those familiar words: “we have a trade to announce.”]
Welcome back to the SBN Mock draft and the slot where the Washington Capitals would have been picking if they hadn’t really wanted to give us Jakub Vrana. We here at WIIM have always wanted to pull off a Mockbuster trade at one of these and this year I think we’ve accomplished that by helping put together a three-team deal that I think meets all the criteria of making every team happy with what they got and unhappy with what they gave up.
Let’s delay no further, here are the details:
In return for Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury from the Knights on Ice, the #30 overall pick (Vegas’ first rounder) and the #36 overall pick (New Jersey’s second rounder), the WIIM Red Wings have sent the #23 overall pick (Washington’s first) and the #52 overall pick (Edmonton’s second) to Vegas.
In addition, the WIIM Red Wings have traded goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to Pensburgh with 50% salary retained in return for Pittsburgh’s 2022 first round pick.
Additionally, Pensburgh has sent Goaltender Tristan Jarry and the rights to forward Zach Aston-Reese to Knights on Ice to complete the trade.
Head over to Pensburgh and Knights on Ice for their takes on today’s trade.
For me, this deal knocks it out of the park. I’m not terribly happy with having to give up #52 in the move back from #23 but leaving the Wings with picks 30, 36, and 38 still gives plenty of draft capital.
The real benefit is that it gives the Wings a way to weaponize one year of burned cap space for an additional first rounder next season. I don’t think Pittsburgh ends up in the lottery next season or anything, but I’m also fairly confident that they won’t have to wait until the end of the first round to cash that one in.
We’ll be back with our Mock Draft coverage when it’s time to announce pick #30. Stay tuned!