This is my fun (albeit highly unlikely) prediction for sharks roster at the start of the playoffs. The cap space works because They start the year with 2.7M in free space. all acquisitions are at the deadline so beginning year space is multiplied 4x, allowing the sharks to add roughly 11M in salary without subtracting anything. (They could have overages of roughly 8M)
Trouba's acquisition gives the sharks Burns, Karlsson, Trouba, Vlasic as the top 4, with Dillon as the #5 and Simek/Heed as 6/7th, so they can better absorb an injury, unlike last year.
Adding Toffoli gives sharks a 25 goal guy (potential 30 goal scorer), a cup winner, and a top 6 forward whos good defensively, who I think has major potential to break out (I wish he wasnt playing in LA), and at 27 years old, he is ripe for a good term (5+ years) extension in his prime with basically no injury history.
Then next year, The sharks have roughly 22M is cap space (assuming cap goes up 3M), so they resign Trouba at 8 yrs x7M per as he would still be an RFA and at 26, he's a perfect long term additon (15M left). Labanc at 5x4.5 (10.5 left), Toffoli at 5x5 (5.5M left) with top 10F, top 4D, #1G signed.
Can fill the rest of the roster (7 guys) with basically rookies or league min salaries.
D would be Burns, Karlsson, Trouba, Vlasic for 5+ years (Trouba's addition takes some minute pressure off aging guys)
Top 6 would be Cooch, Meier, Herlt, Kane, Labanc, and Toffoli (cooch would be the only 30+)
Then, with the roster so strong already, there would be lots of time to develop guys, and make up for missing draft picks and trading some prospects.
Midyear or deadline moves allow cap space maximization. These moves arent made during the summer, but in February. Hence the title "roster at the starts of the playoffs" and hence the reason to go into the year with 2+M in space.
Even if you say it is for fun, it has lot of errors. Sharks mostly need top 6 RW, not another overpayed Dman and middle 6 forward (who is from division rival so it makes the trade impossible), therefore sending away 2 arguably best prospects makes no sense. And Seattle expansion would hurt this team - that brings interesting question, if SJS wants to protect everybody, can they make Burns RW and protect 7F - Couture, Burns, Hertl, Kane, Meier, Labanc, Toffoli, 3D - Vlasic, Karlsson, Trouba, 1G - Jones?
Even if you say it is for fun, it has lot of errors. Sharks mostly need top 6 RW, not another overpayed Dman and middle 6 forward (who is from division rival so it makes the trade impossible), therefore sending away 2 arguably best prospects makes no sense. And Seattle expansion would hurt this team - that brings interesting question, if SJS wants to protect everybody, can they make Burns RW and protect 7F - Couture, Burns, Hertl, Kane, Meier, Labanc, Toffoli, 3D - Vlasic, Karlsson, Trouba, 1G - Jones?
definitely you are right about the seattle issue. I hadnt thought about it, but it's obviously a key condition. woops :-)
I thinkg they could use another top 4 Dman actually. Their top 3 have too much age and injury risks to have such a soft bottom 4. I would loveto add a more prime age Dman who can eat up 22-25 mins of good 2-way play. This way injuries dont sink them and they arent relying on very risky options for such a key spot.
That said, the expansion draft makes it impossible to pick up another top 4 Dman for the long term. Right you are...
definitely you are right about the seattle issue. I hadnt thought about it, but it's obviously a key condition. woops :-)
I thinkg they could use another top 4 Dman actually. Their top 3 have too much age and injury risks to have such a soft bottom 4. I would loveto add a more prime age Dman who can eat up 22-25 mins of good 2-way play. This way injuries dont sink them and they arent relying on very risky options for such a key spot.
That said, the expansion draft makes it impossible to pick up another top 4 Dman for the long term. Right you are...
I think giving Vlasic to Seattle and adding some UFA dman afterwards could work but he might have no trade clause for this case. Its definitely gonna be interesting