Hm, nice roster, Price a little bit high, but I´m not sure about JT. Because I´m german I watch a lot of Islanders games too (Greiss and Seids), and I really like JT, but I wouldn´t give him $12 million per year. In my opinion he will stay with the Isles and will get between $8.5 and $9.5 million per year.

4/5 stars

Lol I like how you wrote out the rating instead of actually using the rating system haha.

As for Tavares, really? What are our other options? Everyone keeps saying its too expensive, its this, its that. The guy is a legit superstar center. No ifs ,ands or buts. We haven't had one since I can't even remember.

What is the single biggest problem with this team? Center.

Whats is the hardest player to get? Top line center.

Who is our best center right now? Phillip effing Danault. Galchenyuk might never be center in the NHL.

I don't understand how anyone can say anything but "give him a mountain of money and be done with it"?

The team above not only has depth at all positions but is young, fast and capable of beating any team in the league. Period.

Well Marco, I agree that JT is a top center and I agree with your statement about our centers.

But read your own Team Explanation. As you said, you might have to move some of your guys, to resign your young guns. And the following year the cap trap will even be greater.
Tavares 12, Price 10, Pac and Weber combined at least 15, so you use nearly half of your cap for only 4 guys. Do you really think, the other guys want to play for nothing? I´ve nothing against paying good money, but in my opinion you have to look at this as a whole. This is the same like your signing of Radulov for $7.75 million per year. Yes, Habs need Radulov, yes he is really good. But this contract would force the Habs, to give Pac at least $8 million or let him go 2019.

Look at Chicago, after the resigning of Toews and Kane they have the cap problem every year. And they are very lucky that Keith doesn´t get the money he really deserves.

Ok well lets not exaggerate either. Whose the only player we'd have to resign that would be getting a potential big increase? Sergachev. The rest of the team is replaceable.

And to quote my explanation "If not and money is tight, one/two of either Shaw, Gallagher, Beaulieu and/or Petry would need to be moved before the end of their contract to make space for younger players who will need new contracts going forward". I would trade all 4 of those guys for Tavares right now if I could so with that said, if we need to make space, these guys could be traded at any time. With Petry being the only one that has a NTC.

Your Blackhawks analogy doesn't quite work though. Nearly all of those big name players have NMC's making it damn near impossible to move them. We'd have Price and Tavares like that only. With pretty much the rest of the team being tradeable at any time if needed.

Regarding having half your salary tied up in a 4-5 players? Yeah look at Pittsburgh, Chicago, Washington, etc. All teams that have won cups or are perennial threats to win it. You don't win cups with ELC's and vets on discount contracts. This is a superstar league. The more stars you have the better your chances at winning. I understand the concern but if keeping this team intact, guys like Shaw, Beaulieu and Gallagher get traded because we need cap space, so be it. Thats why drafting is important. You need those cheap youngsters to replace those higher paid veteran guys every couple of years.

MTL needs to stop spending 13M total on guys like Plekanec, Eller and Desharnais and consolidate that spending and get one superstar. Always trying to go for the cheap easy solution doesn't always work. Sometimes you need open the wallet and buy premium straight from the start and always try to band-aid your way to the top.

Price-Weber-Tavares-Pacioretty. That is a core that can win cups for the next 7-8 years. Especially with Galchenyuk and Sergachev filling in where others start to taper off.

I'm definitely down for JT. IMO he's not worth more 10 mill. Yes I'm all for spending money but in a different structure. I also think the team you've put together above is kind of soft and still too small for my liking (Lehkonen Gallagher Shaw Byron Carr). And also the idea of not having a veteran presence in the top 6, kind of how Radulov is at the moment. There's a calming factor that comes with that kind of presence. I also don't like the pedigree of the D (Petry sucks IMO and his cap hit even more for what he brings...or lacks) . I think Markov still has a place on this roster , they'll need him (playing less minutes though). I think you can get JT for less if you have better pieces surrounding him. I also don't fully buy the idea of replacing expensive star players that every team needs to win cups (according to you) with youngsters. BTW the emphasis should be more on developing rather than drafting . Like you mentioned the core of the team is gonna be here for 7 years. Basically you'll need a mix of high paid veteran superstars and properly developed youngsters. I don't think this team is good enough to win a cup, but if you make some tweaks you could convince JT that he will win a cup here, and therefore getting him for 9 mill even. Sorry bro, half of these have barely gotten their feet wet in the nhl ( Scherback, Danault, Lehkonen, McCarron, Carr, Sergachev, Juulsen). If im JT I'll take the 12 mill, but we're not winning jack . Cheers!