No need to overpay for a 2C and not even get a 1C in FA

I just don't think there is a better option. Do you really wanna give Lindholm 8 mil over 6 years. Just seems like the back end of that will be Backes all over again.

I wouldn't give him 8mil, more like 7mil, great two way center that is good at PP and PK. Also flourished with good linemates like Johnny Hockey and Tkachuk.

Plus we don't need to give up valuable assets to acquire him, could trade for his rights but even then we wouldn't be giving up our top prospect.

I think both trades have Merit. I don't think you need to give up that much for Karlsson maybe Geekie a 2nd and a 3rd?

Then stand pat and wait until there's a good option instead of doing something just for the sake of doing it. Wanting Karlsson is one thing, but this return is way too much. $6M for 32yo Toffoli is also questionable.

I trust Don Sweeney’s current ability to discern whether a player fits. His hit rate recently has been outstanding. If he believes Lindholm is worth the risk, I trust his judgment more than a random fan on cap friendly

Yea I don't disagree just trying to give a different look lol. Every single other AGM just slots Lindholm in at 1C and what are we doing if Sweeney decides he's not a fit?

Then we probably go with the second person on his list. My worry is that will be Pierre Luc Dubois, but I’m guessing

He sure nailed it with the contracts he gave to Beleskey, Backes, Moore, Foligno, Forbort. I gave him a chance for the first years, but free agency under him has been mediocre at best. Some good signings, some okay and these five are unacceptable. From now on, I'll believe it when I see it and I do think he's improved (draft as well) although the bar was low given how he started.

That Lindholm fits is one thing and I wouldn't be surprised if it works but, a) he is not a 1C so this management plan can't pencil him into that role and b) it's the contract that is worrying. It's hard to not see the front office give too much term or too much money. This applies to Stephenson, Zadorov or any other top6 F/top4 D they could target. Contract is the main concern.

In recent years, his hits have been better as he has moved his people into the organization. There are few teams that understand fit better in the past 3 years.

Forbort has played OK. Ullmark looks like a HR. Last year, did he actually miss outside of Lucic?

I agree that he is really good at finding cheap depth guys who overpreform which is very important. However on deals with AAV over 2.5 mil he's missed on Belesky, Backes, Moore, Craig Smith, Forbort, and Foligno and only hit on Ulmark. Still has not really given a big deal so maybe unfair but that's a pretty bad record.

Forbort was not worth $3M in any year nor has he ever been in his career to even give him that $, you don't give any kind of clause to bottom-line/extra players and three-year... is long-term for him. That's just the contract. Hopefully they don't repeat that mistake with Edmundson or give a bad contract to Dillon or Zadorov. Ullmark was a gamble that paid off, let's see if they can finish the job by trading him to improve somewhere else.

It's fine when Sweeney doesn't have much money like last year, 2019 or 2017. When he has a lot of cap space with only few holes, it's another story. Again, I would love to see a successful off-season, I am not cheering against him just to be right.

Smith was not a miss. He played up or above his $3.1M cap hit in 2020-21, he was good until the last two months of 2021-22 and then fell off. It was worth it even with the poor ending. Agreed for the rest.