Quoting: csick
Personally I’d rather keep him at LW and look to acquire a centre or draft one. Ideally this team will look something like this eventually:
Stutzle-XXX-Boucher
Tkachuk-Norris-Batherson
Greig-Pinto-Brown
Formenton-White-Sokolov
Chabot-JBD
Sanderson-Zub
Kleven-Thomson
Murray
Gus
I have Boucher there at 1RW to play the Wilson role but you really need that elite 1C. That’s where I’d love a franchise centreman this draft or even a trade for Eichel or Hertl.
If there’s a deal to be made for a top centre using Brannstrom + Pinto + Jarventie and picks , I would do it. Move White up to 3C and put Kelly or Kastelic at 4C.
It could very well head that direction- see the Leafs with Nylander..... it was apparent rather quickly he was not going to be an effective NHL centre, hence JT and cap hell.
The Sens have the advantage here of having lower expectations going into the year. Experimenting with Stützle at centre isn't going to change those expectations either. What it will do is highlight what the team's next move will be.
Having said that, your package for a 1C is solid, but, find a 1C that can grow with the group is going to be very difficult (excluding Eichel). Hertl gets you 5 years, but, you could very well end up back at the same spot after that, looking for a 1C. 2 of those years will be spent maturing into a contending team.
Looking over the last year, I was surprised not to find the Sens in the Dubois sweeps (not that they would ever match Laine.... that would have been counterproductive), or even a Reinhart (who is a better winger than centre)..... which suggests to me they are planning to see if Stützle has the potential to make the transition. Bring up those two just on the basis of contract control.
In the interim, a short term deal would be where I head, or a guy like Nick Schmaltz - who can also play wing (gives options).
I think it will definitely be a defining year for the Sens, as I think we will get a very good idea of what that top 6 will look like long term