Goals this offseason: Improve the Team, D-core, and leadership a little without hurting those trying to grab spots in the lineup long-term. Sign a top-six forward and a couple of D-men. Prospects do not develop great when we are 15-40. Make a team that looks less lost and gather some assets to flip over the next few deadlines.
On the flip side, being 15-40 does mean top 3 picks, but I think this team probably still lands a top 6 pick. No GM wants to have the worst team by far in the league for 2 years in a row, so I assume Grier does something like this.
(Not NHL) Prospect pool pre-2024 Draft:
Smith, Musty, Bystedt, Edstrom, Muk, Graf, Cagnoni, Haltunnen, Havelid... the list goes on. Add a top-3 pick and a top-18 pick, add some spice next year, and we will be looking great for the future.
New Young NHL guys Sharks are given a full opportunity this year in this scenario:
Gushchin, Mukhamadullinf, Graf, Smith, Bords
- It could be any of these guys, I want it to be 4-5 max
- In the next couple of years, they will take Lee, Granny, and Duchene's spots
- On D, the same thing most likely someone on the left side, Dumba/walker, and anyone else who doesn’t make an impact
Trades:
- Gather picks, young players with untapped potential, leadership, cap dumps
UFAs:
- improve D core:
- Dumba - coming off a down year, pay him on a similar contract for a year, and see if he can bounce back
- Walker is another top 4 D-man to take the weight off Ferraro and improve the team slightly
- Duchene - let's say Dallas wins the cup, and Duchene wants to try to get paid one last time 8x2, overpayment, mentor, and hopefully 60ish points, would be nice to have another actual top 6 guy for players to develop around
Young guys/RFAs
- Let them try to prove themselves, and see who can stick
Deadline
- Sell Sell Sell: Granlund?, Dumba, Blackwood, Kunin, Sturm, etc.
- call up others from AHL after
Prospects
- Musty may get 9 games
- Others still developing
For NYI Fans: Chmelevski is a 2x KHL All star, 24yo, near a ppg in the KHL, just does not want to play for SJS I believe. In this scenario he decides that he will come for NYI, hence the additional pick.
Pure Cap Casualty of Florida, they attempt to keep Lundell, Reinhart, Montour.
Peak of Knight is not really in their window in my opinion.
Say what you will about letting Reinhart or Montour go, but if you are in Win now mode, you do not want to let go your 50 goal scorer and a top 4 defensemen who had a 75 point season recently.
Detroit can buy out Justin Holl for mere pennies on the dollar, Than give up a 2nd and 5th round pick to move him, Detroit passes we're not giving up assets to move Holl period.
Seider will be the top pair RHD. If you are arguing this full stop.
Petry has a 15 team NTC and a NMC (so can't bury him). He has a retained cap trade with a $2,343,750 remaining cap. There is no reason to buyout that remaining amount.
Holl has a 10 team NTC. But more importantly a 3.4M cap hit (so no team is going to take him without retention and a sweetener) was brought in before the Ghost signing and Petry trade to be what he will next year: a 3rd pair d-man. He might not be the best NHL d-man, but he will be a 3rd pair rather than wasting a buyout or a sweetened trade to save a couple million when Maatta and Fabbri are the most likely to get traded for cap relief (as they already have cheaper internal replacements at those positions).
Seider will be the top pair RHD. If you are arguing this full stop.
Petry has a 15 team NTC and a NMC (so can't bury him). He has a retained cap trade with a $2,343,750 remaining cap. There is no reason to buyout that remaining amount.
Holl has a 10 team NTC. But more importantly a 3.4M cap hit (so no team is going to take him without retention and a sweetener) was brought in before the Ghost signing and Petry trade to be what he will next year: a 3rd pair d-man. He might not be the best NHL d-man, but he will be a 3rd pair rather than wasting a buyout or a sweetened trade to save a couple million when Maatta and Fabbri are the most likely to get traded for cap relief (as they already have cheaper internal replacements at those positions).
Imagine hearing an objection to your insisted upon Seider/Petry/Holl RD lineup and leading off thinking Seider was the issue...