I agree with your points, but why not both Strome & Namestnikov....Sign Deangelo to a proper deal and use the remaining money to sign someone like Lindberg to hold down the 4th line....

I just think trading Namestnikov now would be selling extremely low on him, whereas trading Strome would be selling high. Vlad's point totals weren't great last year, but I think he is great defensively and if you pair him with Fast the Rangers could have a good defensive forward line that would allow their top lines more offensive starts.

I'm not opposed to trading both, but if it's one or the other I'd rather see Strome go.

I do think not giving DeAngelo a long term deal now will come back to bite them (I'd give him the Skjei or ghost contract tomorrow if they had the cap space) but I don't think that's even on the table at this point.

It a shame to put Namestnikov on the 4th line. It lowers his apparent value.
I think it best to put Lemieux there and Vlad on the 3rd line.
But its a minor quibble

I agree with your assessment. I think Namestnikov value to the team > market value.

The thing that makes this easy to rationalize is that once you get into the late 2nd round. The difference in value among picks becomes decently negligible...

https://public.tableau.com/profile/sean.tierney#!/vizhome/ExpectedpickvaluesdatabyMichaelSchuckers/Dashboard6

At the end of the day, you're replacing Strome, Namestnikov and Vesey with Panarin, Kakko and Kravtsov ....

and regardless none of the team's issues will go away until Ruff is fired so it's a moot point.

I say you put Namestnikov with Panarin and Buch and sell high at the deadline, but that's just me. Could still have a Kreider-Zibanejad-Kakko line and well that top 6 looks pretty good still

1) I can't imagine DeAngelo takes that deal
2) is DeAngelo any good at playing the left side?

3) I think he is even less likely to take a deal like that if it looks like he'll be playing on his off side because then he likely won't play well and his next contract will be even worse

Supposedly he will be forced into taking his Qualifying Offer, because he's an RFA with no arbitration rights on a cap-striped team. Similar situation to Labanc, where his only negotiating tactics would be sitting out or signing an offer sheet(probably not going to be offered one).

As for playing the left side, I recently read an interview with him (believe it was a few years old) where he said he was actually more comfortable playing on the left side due to him playing on it in Juniors ?

I feel like a lot of teams could use an RD who put up 1/2 a ppg last year playing 20+ minutes. Especially if he could be signed for like 2.5 mil for one year and cost like a 3rd on an offersheet