All-in for one last go for the cup. Assumes we bring Bergeron and Krejci on team-friendly deals ($5.5M split between both).
Also assumes that Foligno is going to stay on the team. Just don't see our front office moving him.
Reasoning for everything:
FA's:
1. Bergeron & Krejci - team friendly one-year deals for one last go at the cup.
2. Dylan Strome - Big free agent splash. Can be a future top-6 guy for us, and can help make our 3rd line a legitimate scoring threat. We need future help at center, and he is easily the best option we have right now.
3. Josh Brown - We don't have a ton of depth on the right side, and especially with McAvoy out this could be a good guy to bring as reinforcements. Sign to a one-year deal as to avoid complicating any Pastrnak extension.
RFA's
1. Zacha - $2.9M should hopefully get it done. Solid addition to a new-look 3rd line and could breakout next to better players.
2. Studnicka, Achan, and Filipe should all sign their QO's and be fringe roster players. Studnicka hopefully hits another gear soon as we will need him next year.
Trade:
1. Chychrun - I love Gryz, but this is a massive upgrade to our top-4, and this is a guy that can step into that top-pairing role and own it while McAvoy recovers. Comes at a great deal for a few years as other contracts run out, so there is a good chance we could keep him around long term as well. I don't want to trade Lysell, so Lohrei is the next best we can offer. And, with Chychrun, our top-4 D should be set for the foreseeable future anyways. Give the coyotes what they want for this guy.
2. Reilly, Forbort, Smith, and Nosek -> Where these guys go doesn't matter. Tried to pick teams that have a use case for them. Ideally they all carry at least enough stand-alone value to not require picks to dismiss. First, would see if any of them are of any interest to the Coyotes if they want some throw in roster guys for Chychrun (although I doubt it as all of them would likely be gone in the next two years). I would note that I actually like all 4 of these guys a lot, and think they are all solid pieces to the lineup. However, their dismissal is necessary for the additions of Bergeron, Krejci, Strome, Chychrun, and the extension of Pastrnak.
EDIT: The guys traded for FC would probably bring in picks, I just didn't attempt to attach value to them. Point was we need to shed cap, even if they're good players. Add whatever we can get from those guys to the Chychrun trade and it should all balance out. Worst case, throw a top-10 protected first at them too
Now this is what I think of when I hear "one last run". Sweeney HAS to go all in like this if its really the last of Bergy and Krejci. Chychrun would be a great addition to the back end. However, giving up multiple 1sts and our best defensive prospect may hold him back. But this is what I would love to see happen IRL especially the Strome signing.
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Lysell,
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