Order of operations:
1. Sign Letang
2. If you can’t do 1, sign Klingberg
3. If you can’t do 1 or 2, sign defensive physical guys like you have and have a deep d core that focuses solely on defending and ball out of offence.

The problem with this team is you didnt ball out on offense enough

Marchment was nearly a point per game player last year and Rackell was money with Sid. Agree Letang #1 by a mile but hard pass on Klingberg. This team was based on getting bigger and tougher with higher quality throughout the roster.

Detroit accepts.

Letang does go, it's an absolute necessity to get at least 1 PP QB. This team has zero. Who plays the point on PP 1 with Geno(which is not optimal to begin with)?

Matheson would be tested first.

And why is PP1 with Geno not ideal?

Not PP1, but PP1 point. Geno has always been deadly with the one time bomb from the right half wall, but the past few seasons I've seen him more on the left point. Also the Geno/Letang combo on the points is why we are among the league leaders in shorties against every year. He is much better utilized down low with someone else up high, but Sully is stubborn.

Oh I gotcha - my bad. Misunderstood the wording.

Haven't Letang and Geno been in the same spots for like a decade? I don't think I've ever seen Geno down low - that's Sid. The whole reason is because of Malkin's one timer, as you said.