I'd love to keep Fiala if we can. I think it's possible if you move Greenway for futures like you have here. Might have to let Goligoski walk in free agency and roll with Brodin, Spurgeon, Dumba, and Addison as your top 4 defenseman. I do wonder if they don't give Kahkonen a qualifying offer/sign him to an extension. It's obvious they don't trust him since Talbot has started in a lot of games you'd normally give to a backup.

I worry about his relationship with Dean, though, and he may ask for more money than $6M AAV. Ultimately I think he's moved, but if there's a will to keep him, there's a way

I have a hunch Fiala wouldn’t have signed that contract this summer and his arb award will probably be over that number. So I guess t(e question is do you really believe he would sign that with UFA so close?

Yeah well said. I agree with you both. TanSor I think you’re spot to on with “if there’s a will there’s a way.” Based on what we know, there doesn’t seem to be an overwhelming will or desire to keep him.

If the number is 7, you could let Goose walk and bring back Merrill to round out the d corps. That savings could be distributed to keep Fiala, in this model above.

Idk I just think keeping Fiala yields more value to the team than keeping say Goose, Greenway and Gaudreau combined.

Could not agree more. And when you project the top 6 with Fiala, you're looking at some combination of:

Kaprizov - Rossi - Zuccarello
Boldy - Hartman/Ek - Fiala

That's a damn good top 6 assuming Rossi and Boldy pan out. I think Boldy and Fiala could be deadly together since a lot of what makes Boldy so good is his play away from the puck (not that he isn't good with it), and Fiala needs the puck on his stick to be effective. I'd really like to see those two together.

I guess it also depends on what you'd be getting for Fiala if he's traded. If it's for futures, that obviously makes the team worse right now.

100%. For me, it always comes back to the final year of Kaps contract. That seems to be the most pragmatic time for us to go all in. Boldy/Rossi/Addison should be well developed. Heavy buyouts are gone. Spurgeon and Brodin shouldn’t be too over the hill. Should have effective and cheap supporting young guys in Lambos/Khust/ROR/Hunt. Fiala will be what 29/30...? It seems like if we get to that point, and things go well, Fiala would be a very key piece to that.

In the meantime, he’s in his prime and capable of single handedly carrying a line. He could be huge to aid with Boldys development, and conversely Boldy could help unleash him even more.

I don’t see us keeping him, unfortunately, but it really does feel like letting him walk could turn into a regret.