Regarding Defense:
Obviously, with the Hronek and Necas rumours lately, it seems like a good fit. Carolina gets their top RD for a long time that'll eventually replace Burns, and Vancouver gets the top 6 speedy forward they pointed out was in their interests. Necas was going to ask for a lot, and the Canes simply do not have enough to sign everybody. Hronek probably wont get the full $8Mx8y he wants, so they resort to a slightly cheaper deal over a shorter period of time, 6ish years. He also replaces Pesce for this year, who will head elsewhere and get the bag. Morrow can take the spot as the rookie for the bottom pair, but Phil Myers is added as the 7th D that is interchangable with Smith, Morrow, or Coghlan. Skjei and Chatfield are also casualties of the cap crunch, where Skjei will likely make $3-4M and Chatfield a little less both as solid 2nd pair D's.
Regarding Forwards:
There was a decision to be made about Martinook and Noesen. To me, it feels like they would only be able to fit one. So, they go for the heart and soul player in Martinook who may also go for cheaper. Because of the cap issues, Jarvis is only getting a bridge deal for cheaper, when he could have gotten a 7x7 with the space, getting a 5.5x3. He'll get his payday eventually, and this will come to bite the Canes in the behind eventually. Hopefully they have the money to keep him. Guentzel and Teravainen are too expensive for Carolina to keep, but Teravainen was closer. In hindsight, it is very possible for Teravainen to stay, but I also feel Tulsky is going to shake things up for this team. So, they pick up Debrusk from Boston, and Duclair from Tampa.
All in all, this team is a major downgrade from the previous season. However, this feels more like a transition year where they still will remain competitive, but slowly bring in their rookies to reach peak competition again soon. Nikishin, Trikozov, Gunler, Blake could find spots in the roster this year, and permanent spots the year after. By then, Orlov, Burns, and Kuznetsov's deals will be off the books, which leads to openings for the rookies, while also giving Slavin a pay raise.
That's all! I am a Canucks fan, so obviously I was hooked into the Hronek/Necas deals. I would love to hear from Canes fans on their thoughts of the offseason, who they think is staying, and going.