Quoting: Stanley_Cup_To_Manhattan
How's the defense gonna work with Girard, Johnson, Makar, Toews, Timmins, Byram, Graves, and Cole?
It seems like a lot of bodies at first glance, but Sakic has played a blinder by having strong depth and perfectly continuity planning on D.
Our D this season shapes up as:
Toews --- Makar
Girard --- Johnson
Graves -- Cole
Gilbert
Sakic said in his last presser that Byram and Timmins would both get opportunities to make the team, but that they would get to develop at their own pace. Which basically means that they can beat Cole for the 6D role and bump Cole to 7D. Byram is a bit too good for WHL and can't play in the AHL so it's likely that he sticks and Timmins starts in the AHL. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Timmins make it either, but his health is a concern.
In 2021 Graves will likely get selected by Seattle and Cole will go to UFA, at which point we have Byram and Timmins ripe to replace them, making our D:
Toews --- Makar
Girard --- Timmins
Byram --- Johnson
That will lock down our LHD until whenever it is that Toews contract expires. At RHD one of Barron/Helleson should be able to replace Johnson by 2023.
Again, it's a perfect setup by Sakic, allowing just enough room for opportunities to Byram/Timmins without necessarily depending on them to make it, so that they can develop at their own pace. We also have perfect continuity with the Graves/Cole/Johnson contracts with the right type of prospects lined up to replace their roles.