This is actually a better scenario for us.... I'd still rather have Laf though

Svechnikov - Aho - Teravainen
Lafreniere - Trocheck - Necas

That is a DEADLY top 6

Im sure Fleury would sign a 6 year deal for only 2.1M at 23 years old

I'd rather have a Cup than Laf. I agree that that lineup is amazing, but Minnesota is the team and fanbase that actually deserves Lafreniere.

He mainly played as a 6/7 guy all year, so his RFA value at a 6 year range is likely what I showed here. You can, however, easily make the AAV larger. You may have to run a 22 or 21 man roster to do it, but it's possible. It's more likely that Fleury goes shorter at a smaller AAV than shown here, mainly because he hasn't proved enough at the NHL level to deserve a high-dollar extension yet. Late-blooming players like Fleury, however, sometimes have a tendency to prefer job security over the biggest possible paycheck (see Jarnkrok, Sissons, Holl, Marchessault, etc.)

It's nice to see that someone actually wants to win the Stanley Cup. I'm a fan of Carolina's "play good players and try to win" strategy.

We've need had a 1st overall pick and we've been in the league for more than 40 years.

Potentially having 2 Cups in our short history in Raleigh is always preferable to a 1st overall pick. ALWAYS.

Lafreniere is good enough though to make Carolina basically a cup winner for the next decade. It's short term loss for a long term gain. Personally, I'm good either way as longas we have a pick in the 1st round

Or, more likely, a top contender in the 3 year window that Laf is on his ELC. I honestly see Carolina as long-term contenders with or without Lafreniere, which is probably why I'm just fine with not having him.

We're a contender without him, but Laf, Svech. Necas, Aho, TT, Dougie, Slavin, Pesce as a core? That's a DEADLY team. We'd literally cake walk to the cup.

Prospects are cool, parades are cooler

One underrated factor about winning the Cup this postseason is the potential to be remembered as America's Team, since they would win the whole thing at the moment that all of America's sports fans are watching that tournament due to COVID preventing other sports leagues from re-opening. That would be HUGE for a franchise in our market!

If any of Dzingel, Gardiner, Skjei, or the goalies have a spectacular postseason, sell high!

Killing Necas’ speed and passing by putting him with Stone Hands. Rough.

Fans like winning teams regardless. Look at the NFL "America's team" is the Cowboys, but they've won nothing in forever. New England have won 6 super bowls this century, and they're one of the largest franchises in world sports. Winning continuously would be better, and we have a better chance of doing that with Lafreniere.

I agree! Go Canes!!!!

The only thing winning this cup does is have other teams hate us more. They already believe 2006 was a sham and now add in this one. Doesn’t make us America’s team in the slightest.

And why is that a bad thing from a marketing standpoint? Dundon clearly loves to be the heel of the NHL.

The marketing team would have a field day, Im sure. I don’t think ae’d have any claim to America’s team