Trade to free up more space. Tuukka sadly needs to go to free up cap and to allow cost efficient options in Subban/McIntyre to take the pipes next year as Pavelec is in final year and will free up 3.9m next year. Stafford is just a one year place holder for Syenshyn and will free up 4.3m next year. Swapping undersized PP specialist Krug for Trouba gives us a young R shot Dman with top four potential. Undersized Grzelcyk can handle PP duties just
fine at cheaper cost. Sign Yandle and hope kids at fwd can play. If not, you still have 9+m this yeat to add vets on short term deals. Next year with 21m they can resign Marchy, Spoons, Pasta and have plenty left over to add more pieces. Connor could be a special player and lead the next waive with Heinen, Seynshyn, Debrusk, Carlo, Zboril...etc.

A lot of articles online say the reason the jets are willing to give up Trouba is because he is asking for a ridiculous amount like 7 mil for 6 years. Because of that I wouldn't doubt a dumb team offer sheeting him at at least 5.5 mil which is way under the 3.5 you estimated at. Also I dont think the bruins would give up Tuukka especially if the main trade piece is Kyle Connor who they passed on three times in last years draft. Other than that I feel like this would be a solid/realistic squad probably better than what Don will do this year.

Agreed, Krug and Trouba may fetch close to 5-6m/yr. In that case I'd still prefer Trouba. I feel Tuukka needs to go to free up cap and make room for glut of G's in system, Subban, McIntyre, Smith, Vlader. He just doesn't steal games and no sense paying 7m on a 7/8 playoff seed. I really wished B's drafted Connor and was shocked they didn't. The kid is electric. Then again they passed on Barzal too. Time will tell but I'd have taken Connor in place of Debrusk. I originally had a #1 and #2 coming back to B's but inserted Connor as the #1 since I like him so much. Time will tell how the kids develop and if Zboril, Senyshyn, and Debrusk were worthy picks.