Quoting: Dylan1995
Yeah Bouchard getting big mins would be nice but do you think person would actually be fine? He seems like a pp specialist over in Sweden with bokk an honestly maybe they trade Benning an sekera or Russell in the summer an maybe both Bouchard an person can make it
As for dizingel an eberle I like both love ebs tho but dizingel is faster but eberle just seems more of a safe signing if you can get dizingel at 4x4 that'd be ideal
Persson, from what I've seen, hasn't slowed down since Pettersson left Vaxjo production-wise. I read somewhere that he's become steadier at all facets of the game too. Huge considering he was essentially playing rec league a few years back. He'll do fine with 3rd pairing usage and PP time, which gives Edmonton the luxury of having Bouchard in the AHL.
I wouldn't be surprised if Sekera is bought out this offseason if he's lost a step: his deal isn't full of bonuses, so the savings with his deal only increase with time. Russell can be moved, it's just a matter of where based on his partial NMC. Might be easier after next season. Benning's as good as gone, but they won't recoup much for him. I see the D-pairings looking really similar to what was iced this year; the market for quality defenders is slim this year and Edmonton is still in a financial pickle. Gut feeling says it'll be something like:
Klefbom - Larsson
Nurse - Russell
Jones - Persson
Which I admit is not a hell of an upgrade. There's more mobility on the back end, especially with the bottom pairing, but its still far from a contending blueline.
I have a funny feeling that Dzingel is going to cash in as much as he can this season. I have him pegged at around $5.25M over 6 years. Pricey, but if he continues his production, he's completely worth it.
With Eberle, you know what you're getting for the last productive year of his career, but players are starting to fade sooner with the league getting younger, faster, and stronger every year. Anything over 3 years for Eberle is going to be risky considering he'll be 29 this offseason. I don't know if it's a symptom of playing for the Islanders under Barry Trotz, but his production already looks like it's falling off, and that he might only be a 40-point player for the remainder of his career. Given that Dzingel is younger and faster, I wouldn't entertain an Eberle deal this summer unless he wants to come play here for cheap.