Hamilton gets a little less AAV than Petro but an 8th year. 22-23 blueline looks like Chabot-JBD Sanderson-Hamilton Mete-Zaitsev (with eventually Thomson taking over the 3RD spot, and then Kleven/Guenette can challenge for a role when they finish developing, no need to rush them).
Tkachuk gets 8 years and the C. Might have overpaid him a bit but I have faith he’ll live up to it. Dangle the C in negotiations to lock him up for max term if necessary. If we can get him for less AAV, great, but I reckon he’d want at least as much as Hamilton/a bit more than Chabot if he’s signing for max term. Again, 8 years is the most important thing here, no bridge for him.
Bridge Batherson.
Trade Brannstrom for a forward prospect, I’d go after guys like Turcotte, Frost, Tippett, Wahlstrom, Krebs, Studnicka, etc. That sort of tier would be the expectation. Could also include him in a package for a good top six 6 C that will be around for a few years instead of signing Stastny.
Sign Stastny to a 1 year deal for more money than he’d probably get anywhere else, with the promise to deal him (half-retained) at the TDL to a contender of his choice. Good mentor for Stutzle as the 2C, can slide to wing if they change their mind and try Jimmy up the middle. Could get pushed down if Pinto (or Studnicka in this hypothetical) step up. Krejci, Getzlaf, Bozak are all viable alternatives if they’re willing to come to Ottawa. Same kinda deal for Goligoski. Sign him for the 2nd pair LD, trade him at the TDL if Mete steps up and/or when Sanderson arrives. Again, it doesn’t have to be him, guys like Hjalmarsson, Murray, Forbort, Kulimov, or Staal would be acceptable as well. I wouldn’t be opposed to bringing Reilly back either, but he probably gets a deal with some term from someone else.
Draft Lucius at 10.
I like Bishop/Watson/J. Brown as the spares, I think that’s a pretty solid group of scratches. Bottom six could be Dadonov-Pinto-White Paul-Studnicka-Watson if you prefer Formenton as the scratch.
Only 4mil below the cap, but the total spend could go down, I might have overpaid Stastny/Goligoski a bit, or they could be replaced with slightly cheaper alternatives. Melnyk will have to open up the bank for Tkachuk, and Hamilton as well in this scenario, but won’t have to spend to the cap until at least 2022-23, and even then only if we make the 2022 playoffs and want to add in free agency (which is a totally legitimate possibility/reaction). As it stands we have over 10mil in UFAs coming off the books at season’s end, giving us somewhere around 20mil to resign Studnicka, Norris, Mete, Gustavsson (22-23 backup), Formenton, and Paul, which seems reasonable, in the 2022 offseason.
I’d bring back Amadio and L. Brown (trade bait) as RFAs, not really fussed about if the rest get qualified or not but I’m sure several will for AHL depth.
I don't think it would be a bad idea at all for the sens to target Hamilton, But idk if Hamilton would wanna play in Ottawa....But IMO Ottawa is going to be a dangerous team within the next 1-3 seasons so who knows
signing rights do not cost a prospect and a 2nd, would be insane to trade that just for rights with no guarantee the player will sign, considering he will be 28 at start of next signing for 8 years would be a grave mistake.
I just don’t think hamilton is going to go to a rabid hockey market.
Also, not saying the value is unreasonable or anything, but long term RD is the bruins biggest position of strength, and center is their biggest weakness. That trade won’t work.
McDavid, Connor
$250,000)
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