The real question is
Can this team beat Tampa (with Kucherov) in the playoffs?

I think so

Mrazek who is labelled "an average goalie" was 0.99 GAA before injury. Defense is stepping up (even Gardiner and Skjei) and Jake Bean is ready but he is 7th unfortunately. Secondary scoring starts to click with Trocheck Dzingel and El Nino combining for 9 goals so yes - they are contenders with goalie better than Reimer and both Kuemper and healthy Mrazek are

The defense has always been stepped up. They've been one of the best defenses in the league for years. The only real problem with all of this is that CAR could have had Robin Lehner for ALOT less than this....and he took a team friendly deal so they'd have him a lot longer than Darcy will be in CAR. Such a stupid stupid move by Waddell and Dundon last year.

I dont see Canes giving up a 1st for a goalie. And I really doubt they would do it without having more than one 1st rounder.

Arizona's current RDs:

Goligoski..............UFA
Hjalmarsson........UFA
Demers................UFA
Lyubushkin..........UFA

I think that the prospect they're going to be asking for is Joey Keane.

They would be told to jump off a cliff. Keane is a top 4 RD in terms of ceiling and their value is inflated right now due to the incredible lack of them around the league. Oh, and they're allowed to re-sign UFA's you know!

You say they need a goalie, and yet you praise Mrazek.... WHO'S BEEN THE WORSE OF THE 2?

You say Reimer isn't good enough for a contender, yet in his last 20 starts, he's 16-2-2, with a .923 and a 2.24 GAA. That's MORE than fine.

Arizona's personnel decisions won't be guided by what they might be lucky enough to do if they decide that they want to go that way. Management learned from the Taylor Hall disaster.

They won't get RHD prospects for goalies. They're too hit and miss to be trading prospects in the position of the most inflated value in hockey right now. They will have a UFA market to do that, or re-sign some of the guys they already have.

bruh