Edited Dec. 14, 2021 at 2:46 a.m.
Quoting: villenash
I really like the additions, but it just feels like a lot to give up when this team needs to be focusing on youth/picks.
I'd be hesitant to give up that much for a pure rental, but that top 6 looks great. Would Hertl fit this system though? I don't know enough about his game. And would they be able to sign him? I wonder. I know you said pure rental, but they might have the cap space to try. Matching 6 year deals at $7.5m for Forsberg and Hertl?
I like Carter, but I agree that I wouldn't go higher than a 3rd. A 2nd is too much. Maybe Brassard would fit? He doesn't have the size Carter has, but he has playoff experience and should be around a 3rd as well in terms of value.
I think that's fair for Chiarot and he would definitely bolster the 3rd pair, but I wonder if NSH needs to add a defenseman this year. Boro and Benning look better this season, and I like what I see from Myers when he actually plays. I don't want to lose so many picks for rentals, so maybe they just roll with what they have now into the playoffs and keep the two picks.
I agree it's too much, and inadvisable. I just wanted to see how much I could bolster the lineup, without destroying the future completely.
I still think it's a bit too much for Hertl, but if Glass is ready for a middle six role next season, Svechkov isn't absolutely vital for the future. Maybe SJ sends back a 3rd or 4th with him, as NSH wouldn't need them to retain any salary like most contenders would? However, I don't see NSH re-signing Hertl for the kind of term he'd want, with the depth coming up on the right side (Tomasino, Evangelista, Afanasyev, Kunin).
Carter was just the first guy I thought of for the 4th line. PIT seems like a solid bet for a playoff spot, so it's not too likely anyway. Brassard is an interesting thought. Whoever it is, a 3rd is the max I'd want to pay for that role.
I'm not certain that offer for Chiarot doesn't get beat. I agree Boro and Benning have looked much better this year, and have more confidence in them as a 3rd pair than anyone else NSH has rolled out there the past few years. I don't have confidence in either of them being able to handle top four minutes though, if there's an injury. Chiarot is more of an insurance policy if something happens to one of the other defencemen, and means the Preds wouldn't have to dress Harpur if a LD goes down. I like what I've seen from Myers in his sporadic appearances too. Not sure he's ready for a full time role in the playoffs though, with how little he's played to date.
In the end, I agree the Preds should chance it with what they have, instead of spending this much on rentals. But with all the core players at the top of their games this season, I can't help but wonder what if...