Shirley CBJ can fiind a good way to spend 8m dollars on a centre....like maybe a UFA, instead of giving up a good young assets.

JT Miller is significantly better than anyone you'd get in FA this offseason

There are no good UFA options. All of them would cost more and be bad decisions later. Doing these deals don’t kill the Jackets and allows them to have depth at a position they have need led for a long time. Most of these players are spare parts and the Jackets in this situation should weaponize their cap space.

I know what you are saying, but if it means making a bad trade or spending long term unwisely (I'm not saying your post), that is so disastrous for team long term.
Actually there are so few teams with cap.....15 teams are in "overages" next season, the teams that do have cap will be very attractive places for UFA now and in future. And an Metro division team is an attractive place to be IMO. PS....sorry about the CBJ bad luck falling to third to the draft.

I'd be okay with one or the other, but not both Hayes and Miller. Miller would be good for a couple seasons, but then his contract is going to be an albatross. Hayes seems to have a bad attitude and has had reports of not being coachable in multiple stints.

If we're going for a center to play now, I'd rather swing big and trade 3OA for a guy like Lindholm if he'll sign an extension to play with Gaudreau again.

For 3 OVA in this draft I would be gunning for Aho. You never know what CAR might do with big ticket guys.

No interest in Miller with that contract. Only way im trading for a bad contract is if the other team is taking Gudbranson

Miller's contract is horrendous and I have no problem leaving Vancouver to hold that thing. I guarantee Vancouver won't accept doing retainage either.

Hayes will cost less than that. For that return they could take a lot more in retainage. What I have gathered so far, Philly would be down for Foudy, Bemstrom, and the late 3rd rounder for Hayes retained down to $5 million. Big selling point is that these are Torts' guys.

Ian Cole is a decent stop gap on the left side for a year, but dropping Bean as well will require another LHD to be signed. Svozil is probably not ready. If a deal can be made with a potential UFA, I would try to trade for signing rights of a guy like Ryan Graves before the Defenseman bidding war starts. If not, move depth players for a rental LHD to clear some of the logjam.

You may have made depth at Center, but taking $14+ million in bad contracts with movement clauses hurts. The highest paid of which underperforms as a center. Leo Carlsson should be there at 3rd overall and can play 2nd or 3rd line center right away on an ELC. There are other centers available at a much more reasonable cost.

Give me Carlson over will smith. Also definitely not on the JT Miller trade. If he had 4 years left on his deal then sure but that contract will be terrible pretty soon