My take on what happens in 12 months:



1. Norris gets paid more like Batherson than Tkachuk.


2. Brannstrom struggles to thrive under DJ Smith and Pierre Dorion is forced to move him somewhere.


3. Nick Paul goes to market and strikes gold with a Barclay Goodrow-like overpayment.

My take is that Tkachuk gets less on a shorter term deal.

I have @sensonfire muted, but I can see any of his comments before opening up the "see all", and he actually made three reasonable points.

I have Batherson at $5MM, Norris at $6MM, Tkachuk at $7MM

Nick Paul will price himself out of Ottawa the same way Pageau did, DeMelo was going to do, or Reilly was going to do.

I don't always need to agree with anyone, but posts that are based in reality are definitely welcome, even if they are contrary to my opinion.

Really like that forward group

Only nitpick here is I can't see Norris making as much money as Tkachuk unless he goes PPG this season

He's not a "mythical unicorn" like Brady

For consideration:
(1) With Chabot and Sanderson in the top 4D, Brannstrom should be more valuable to some other teams. Swap him for one of LAK's excess young Cs, like Kupari or Turcotte or Vilardi or Anderson-Dolan? Or perhaps Boston will be looking for a PP QB?
(2) Better to pay Nick Paul and buy out Colin White (CW is too expensive for the bottom 6, and still young enough for a buyout based on only 1/3 of contract)

1. I can see a Brannstrom/Vilardi swap working out if the Kings have seen enough of the Kingston native and want to give a spot at centre to someone else.

The left side of their defence is a real weak spot for the Kings.



2. Uncle Euge would absolutely hate paying Barclay Goodrow money to Nick Paul.

As for Colin White, I'm not entirely sold on buying out and I think he should be given another season or two to live up to his contract.