Quoting: Ajp_18
Honestly I wouldn’t sign Duchene.... he hasn’t been that good to risk losing out 2020 1st for and even with Duchene this team is a fringe playoff team, unless Korpisalo and Merzlikins step up in a big way next season, we could be losing a Lottery pick.... save the 8 mil from Duchene and put it to use next season with PLD, Anderson and others.
I thought about what you are saying. We just have never had quality center depth, and will not have the needed depth next year with PLD, Jenner, Wennberg, Nash, Dubi, Sedlak, etc.
Top centers are hard to come by in the league.
And they are definitely necessary to make a strong push in playoffs (Backstrom/Kutznetsov, Crosby/Malkin, Matthews/Tavares, Bergeron/Krejci, Stamkos/Point, etc.).
Dubi is well past his prime to play above the 4th line, Nash really hasn't cut it with contributing to a dangerous (scoring) line, and Wennberg is just too overpaid for his production at this point.
Foudy & Texier are possibilities, but it would be so much better to get a top center like Duchene and ease them into the mix.