Full disclosure: I do not have much confidence with this offseason, and I absolutely do not see this becoming a reality. It should not be taking this long to get rid of Kerfoot/Holl/Muzzin (at least ONE), not to mention Dubas got fleeced by Dorion in the Murray trade. We have many holes and not much money to fill them, so it should be interesting.
Now that our goaltending is set in stone, the main things that need upgrading is the middle 6 and a partner for Sandin. We have already seen Dubas target players not qualified/wanted by their club, so it would not surprise me if he was in on a guy like Milano/Donato. However, I think that the main way he should go about this is via trade. In the starting lineup, the only exception is Dylan Strome, who should be the main target off the offseason. He is perfect to be the 3rd line centre, and I think he will be more than willing to come to the team he cheered for when he was younger.
Eric Robinson is perfect for a bottom 6 role. He is big, skates decently well and is pretty good defensively. He also had 27 points last year (10g 17a) and stayed out of the box. As a relatively cheap option (retention if necessary), he is definitely a viable option. Jesse Puljujärvi is coming off of a season where he was struggling to finish, and he is looking for a breakout (Mikheyev anyone?). He is a player that I would be fine with giving a long-term deal, as I think he will provide significant value to this team. He also gives us the option of spreading out the scoring even more, which should prove helpful in the playoffs. Hakanpää's value is in the defensive zone, and his size is a big factor into what he does. He could work with Sandin like Lyubushkin did, as Sandin will be the one moving the puck knowing that he has a partner who has his back defensively. Lastly, as depth defenseman, Olli Juolevi is a somewhat underrated option. He is still young, and some people forget that he was a top prospect a few years ago. I gave him the same contract that Haydn Fleury just signed with the Lightning, mainly due to the fact that they are sort of in the same boat.
The main question mark is still goaltending, but it they can just be an average tandem, then the rest of the team should be able to pull its weight.
Edit: I kept Muzzin on LTIR because he could honestly get waived if he doesn't waive his NTC. Some suitors could be the Kraken, Sabres, or Blue Jackets.
Adding these two gives EDM some different options. They already have Bouchard and Nurse, so they can trade Barrie for picks, and then Kerfoot gives them another option in the top 9 that can play both wing and centre. He is coming off of a career year offensively, and they are both very defensively responsible, which is what the Oilers need.
Robinson will be untouchable for the foreseeable future. He was apparently a major factor in Gaudreau signing with the CBJ. All they really need to do is move out Nyquist and his 1x$5.5 and then they'll have $11.2 mil to re-sign Laine. I think that's the path they're probably going to go down.
Robinson will be untouchable for the foreseeable future. He was apparently a major factor in Gaudreau signing with the CBJ. All they really need to do is move out Nyquist and his 1x$5.5 and then they'll have $11.2 mil to re-sign Laine. I think that's the path they're probably going to go down.
Then who would be next in line? Texier? Or would we have to explore free agency?
I imagine if they're considering moving Texier it will be after he gets a full season in and drives up his value. That or they'll re-sign him if he fits under the cap.
Then who would be next in line? Texier? Or would we have to explore free agency?
Most likely would be Bemstrom, who has a fantastic shot and is very defensively sound but whose development really suffered between Torts and Covid. He also hasn’t signed yet, so he could be had for his QO. I’d be sorry to see him go.
After that? Justin Danforth, Brendan Gaunce. I don’t even want to examine the prospects. This team and organization is SO young. We’ll see who sinks or rises between Traverse City and training camp for sure.
I imagine if they're considering moving Texier it will be after he gets a full season in and drives up his value. That or they'll re-sign him if he fits under the cap.
Yeah makes sense. For all I know it'll be some guy that I've never heard of. It'll definitely have to be someone cheap, but it depends on what Dubas is looking for (scoring/shutdown).
Most likely would be Bemstrom, who has a fantastic shot and is very defensively sound but whose development really suffered between Torts and Covid. He also hasn’t signed yet, so he could be had for his QO. I’d be sorry to see him go.
After that? Justin Danforth, Brendan Gaunce. I don’t even want to examine the prospects. This team and organization is SO young. We’ll see who sinks or rises between Traverse City and training camp for sure.
Bemström wouldn't be that bad, I just A) don't see CBJ moving on from him so quickly and B) Dubas willing to give up the assets required before he has shown he can be a consistent scorer at the NHL level. However, the other two you mentioned probably don't have a spot on this team.
Most likely would be Bemstrom, who has a fantastic shot and is very defensively sound but whose development really suffered between Torts and Covid. He also hasn’t signed yet, so he could be had for his QO. I’d be sorry to see him go.
After that? Justin Danforth, Brendan Gaunce. I don’t even want to examine the prospects. This team and organization is SO young. We’ll see who sinks or rises between Traverse City and training camp for sure.