Quoting: CaptainFlynnt
Good point about palat, however as you know palat is more valuable than johnson and gourde so that's a tough one.
I don't think palat can be put on waivers during the offseason (unless it's for purpose of a buyout, in which case I've never heard of a player being claimed although this would be a pretty unique case). A team would need to have cap space to claim palat, and Sergachev would have to wait until the start of the season to sign a contract after palat is claimed.
Is Sergachev really worth Palat a 1st and 3rd ? Like just letting Sergachev leave would let you keep Palat, and you would get either offersheet compensation or a trade return.
I wouldn't be going that far to keep Sergachev.
Palat is the best of the three but if the have to do a buyout it would have to be him financially. Yes they can put him on waivers for a buyout and another team can claim him, he probably would be claimed that is why he might choose the route waiving his NTC. It would be messy for sure and not a good precedent but this would be the only case, after next year they would have more flexibility.
Sergachev is worth keeping, only 21 years old and already playing 22-24 minutes a night before the shutdown. Hedman is approaching 30, Sergachev is his heir apparent. I don't think a lot of fans have seen the growth of his game the past 3 months. The dude legit replaced a healthy Hedman on the top PP. The PP was horrible granted but they put him on PP1 over Hedman to stir it up. He is no longer a lost cause in his own end, he continues to refine his game. I would say his worst attribute now is trying to dangle with the puck on the offensive blue line. All other aspects of his game have picked up that much. Thats the great thing about the Lightning he was sheltered and learned from Hedman and McDonagh and now the Lightning are seeing the benefit of that approach.
If the Lightning lose an RFA I think it will be Cernak, they are thin on the RD but Sergachev and Cirelli are proven that they are part of the core.
Please know I am just throwing out examples to counter your examples on all this, its all hypothetical but I am also trying to be realistic to what the Lightning would need to do to keep Cirelli and Sergachev and to me they can make it happen if they choose to do so.
Maybe JBB gets an offer for one of them he can't refuse, I am not opposed to losing either one if the return is correct but in this league I think you are better developing and keeping your own players, its what the Lightning have been great at and it shows that this method keeps you a consistent contender.