KEEP Toffoli: No rush to move him, he wants to stay, and he's good value. He will still be good value moving forward. Barring a significant overpay, he's worth hanging on to.
KEEP Lehkonen: Combined with Evans, our primary defensive line is set for the immediate future. Takes a lot of burden off call ups, and also leaves a slot in the lineup for less offensive players to fit into comfortably.
KEEP Anderson: We don't have anyone else like him on the horizon and he's not an easy type of player to acquire. Our challenge has been the system not making good use of his abilities.
KEEP Gallagher: He leads by example and is a positive influence for a rebuilding roster. It would be nice to give him a chance at a cup, but if there isn't a good offer for him, he still has value to us. We can always rent him out later when his contract is shorter and retention makes sense.
KEEP Price: Moving Price would require at least some retention. The flat cap makes it difficult to find the right situation for him to be moved. The return would have to be high to justify full retention. His current non-playing status is a non-starter for a trade. Let him play another year or two while mentoring Primeau, re-establish himself, and then move him to a contender with retention when it makes more sense.
KEEP Petry: This is more of a situational thing. I have faith Petry will bounce back from this season so far. He hasn't had a steady partner and hasn't been able to play to his ability for a number of reasons. New coach and Edmundson returning, and he'd be back to his normal production. I'm willing to entertain offers, but it has to make sense or come close to another move for a RD. We simply don't have the luxury of moving out one of our two RD under contract. Our LD need experienced partners to develop alongside.
That really only leaves Hoffman, Drouin, and Armia, as players with term who are expendable.
I've already moved Armia here for a minimal return. If we can move him out for a RHD in a similar situation, that probably makes more sense.
Drouin's value isn't going to change. He could probably return a 2nd or a decent prospect + something for retention if required. His production value is decent, but his lack of versatility limits his value.
Hoffman can be moved whenever and for whatever, but doesn't need to be moved quickly. His value is a little low right now, but that can change with better production and make him more appealing as a deadline acquisition in upcoming years.
Byron is another potential candidate to move, with 50% retention, but wouldn't return anything of consequence. He could raise his value for next year's deadline perhaps. Either way, I wouldn't mind seeing him return at a lower cost on his next contract.
Develop a strategy moving forward, find a coach who can implement that strategy, improve drafting and development, and identify and address areas of need through trade/UFA. Be patient with results and moving out players who don't fit future plans. We aren't trading off 10 players and getting a bunch of 1sts in a single season. Do it smart and do it right. None of the French first, need over BPA, or patch/fringework that have defined the last decade.
**Lyubushkin is just an example UFA signing. Could be any RD who takes some of the physical/defensive aspect away from Romanov to hopefully allow him to unlock more of his offensive potential.**
McDavid, Connor
$250,000)
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