Good job. If we are moving Krug in 2024, we can try and get Skjei. I think he’ll walk from Carolina and be a decent free agent target. I’d rather not spend $5.5M AAV on Pettersson. I think you’re right about Dvorsky and Snuggerud. I’d like to start rounding out our defensive pool. I think our goal for this retool should be structured around the Thomas and Kyrou deal. Years 1-3: Finish probably out of the playoffs somewhere in the 8-12 range. Years 4-5: Just missing or making wild card. Years 6-8: Hopefully can be in a 3 year competitive window. By the end of that, Buchnevich is 36 (probably retired), Kyrou is 33, Thomas is 31/32, Neighbours is 29, Bolduc and Dean are 28, and Dvorsky is 27. I’d like to make a splash and grab Keller to bring him home during that cup window in 2028-29, Keller would be 32/33 probably with some term left too. Very well can continue the cup window past Thomas and Kyrou, especially if we are gaining Top 10 talent in the next 3 drafts. Gotta be patient, but the future can be bright.

It would be nice to get our top pairing LD next summer, but I'm not sure how enticing our trajectory will look to top FA targets at the time, that's why I went with a '25 addition. I was looking at guys like Chychrun/Theodore/Slavin etc but I just don't think that's realistic.

I think Chychrun of that group would be the most likely. Really depends what happens in Ottawa. Even so, our prospect pool is currently ranked like 15-18 so it’ll only get better as we retool for the next 2-3 years. Really hoping for a late 1st round pick from Vrana. Maybe even move Parayko for a 1st round pick next summer.

LMAO, those Pettersson and Buchnevich contracts

I’d love to just part ways with Parayko for a 1st, but I think that moving on from him pushes us further into a real rebuild rather than a short-term retool. We can’t really do anything without a Parayko replacement in place.



Either you don’t pay attention to hockey at all, or you don’t realize this is two years from now with the cap going up ~$8M.

Pettersson just isn't that good, and Buchnevich shouldn't get that much term on his next deal. Common sense really

It's not abnormal for a guy that needs to be persuaded to stay with the team to take a contract to age 38. He's definitely earned that money at this point, not to mention what he may get done the next couple years. Pettersson is very reliable and this is about what he should ask for from a non-playoff team two years from now with the cap going up. Like I noted though, he's not my #1 and maybe not even top-5 pick, but I'm just trying to be realistic with options. If I just go and sign Chychrun or Theodore, I'm gonna get angry responses saying "nah they're not going anywhere".

Sure, but paying extra just to entice players to tolerate a not so ideal outlook in the meantime doesn't sound like a good premise to attempt to make an encouraging projection over

Well Buchnevich is definitely worth it but like I said, Pettersson is a consolation pick. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a deal like this with a team when his contract expires, unless he suddenly falls off.

only way I'd see penguins taking a Dman at the TDL this season would be if they had a big injury.

This whole thing is a mess and feels like a fools errand of making moves for the sake of making moves.
Their going to retain half of Leddy's $2M in 25-26 just to give that to a 30 year old Ceci on a 3 year deal?
Plus their retaining $1.75 of the Hayes deal in 25-26? So 3 in seasons, when they should be ready to be a real contender, they have $3.75 in dead money to move out 2 players who they don't have to move and get back maybe 2 3rd's at best? That $3.75M will cost them 1 to 3 roster players.
Then this season trade Vrana, hoping he hits 30 goals, at 27 years of age, when his age actually fits the timeline?
Then sign 27 year old Pettersson to a 6 year contract?
Then retain salary to dump Krug for the next 4 SEASONS? So take a modest number, 20% retained, $1.3M retained, add that to the above.
So in the 25-26 season the Blues will have $5.05M in dead money. In total they get, guessing, at best, a 2nd and a couple 3rd's UNLESS Vrana and/or Kappy have big years but if they have big years and develop then they traded away good players on expiring deals for picks or prospects that won't fit the timeline of other core players. Trading them on expiring deals at the TD won't yield too much likely either since both had rough years in the past, which led them to being a waiver pickup and cap dump to end up on the Blues.

Just ride it out. Scandella is gone after this season. As opposed to keeping so much salary their better off trying to trade Leddy and Hayes at the TD for future considerations, nothing.
24-25 could be a turn around year. Resign Vrana around what he makes, Kapy a small raise, resign Blais, Rosen, Perunovich, and Alexandrov who should all be around what they make now. Dvorsky, Snuggerud, or another young guy comes up to fill a slot they have a roster of 20 familiar players with over $9.7M in cap space if the cap goes up $4M. If Vrana and Kapy don't play well don't resign them and they'll have $18.2M in cap space with 18 on roster. If more than 1 ELC guy come up that bumps someone at equal or more and adds to the cap. Vrana keeps last seasons pace, scores over 40, he makes more, Kapy can go to pay Vrana, Blues keep a 40 goal scorer to go with the core of Kyrou, Thomas, Buchnevich, and still have around $10M in cap space with a roster of 19. Hayes plays well $6M in space with 20.

If they ride out 1 more year, don't retain salary to dump players for this season, try to strike when they can to dump Leddy, Hayes, and/or Krug for nothing, and basically keep the same roster they will have a decent 1st round pick again, rid themselves of 3 or 4 players, and be able to reload in trade, signings, or callups. Lots of players on 1 year deals now waiting for next season plus next season's FA market to pick through too.