With the Ekholm Trade and these signings, the team is an absolute WAGON.
Offence:
Cole Perfetti gets the Kyle Connor treatment and plays on the first line with Scheifele and Wheeler, who hopefully eventually find their rhythm, and if not, I would change up the right wingers (so Ehlers, Wheeler and even Appleton could be anywhere on the first to third line). The second line is good enough to be a first line on just about any team and work tremendously together. The third line with Stastny on it hopefully helps Appleton and Copp compete even better offensively and will still be solid defensively. This has to be the best fourth line in the league, reuniting Lowry and Perrault with an added Armia (who may be slightly overpaid, but because the term is shorter, I would pay him for two years of solid service) who make that line gritty and powerful offensively and defensively.
Defense:
I wouldn't sign a RHD, as I feel Heinola will finally get a full-time shot with Morrissey, and in the limited time they have played together, they look wicked good together (so hopefully this helps rejuvenate Morrissey). Ekholm should play with Pionk, as Ekholm is basically a big upgrade on Forbort, and they work fantastically together. I would keep Demelo, as I know that Chevy and Maurice won't give him up, and he has worked well on reduced minutes with our younger defensemen, like Stanley (and Niku, too).
Goalies:
Not much to report here. Hopefully Brossoit agrees to the contract, he is hugely valuable to the team the way he is playing at the moment.
Seattle Expansion Draft
Definitely going with the 7-3-1 format: protecting Scheifele, Wheeler, Dubois, Connor, Ehlers, Copp and Appleton offensively (Seattle won't take Lowry, as there is no guaranteed contract, and it could just turn out to be a waste of a pick). On defence, I would protect Morrissey, Pionk and Ekholm, Seattle has much better options defensively than Beaulieu, Stanley or Demelo, so hopefully they pick Nick Cousins, and I would even give Seattle a pick or Beaulieu to take him, as it keeps our team relatively the same from years prior, and Seattle gets a solid 3rd liner who can play both ways.
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Perfetti,
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