Couturier back in March, added Atkinson for cap purposes.
PHI is a .500 club without top 6 forwards, Couturier and Atkinson, and playing 7 guys in their 1st/2nd year. Hart is playing well and defense is all 28 yrs old or younger
In 23-24 when Smith/Blais go UFA, their 4.6mil and cap increase go to RFAs Frost, Coates, York, Attard and Zamula, Zamula/Attard/Niemala/Andrae fight a lge minimum vet for 6th/7th spot. Gautheir/Tuomaala/Desnoyers/Brink all in mix to supplant a top 12 forward.
Solid 3 pairs on defense, 4 strong forward lines, with youth in Foerster, Brink, Frost, Coates, York, Zamula, Attard, Tippett, Allison, Farabee, and Koneckny with only 4 players older than 28 yrs old.
Remaining Top Prospects at every position in Taxi Squad, (Not signing OBrien results in 2024 compensatory 2nd).
So a pick in every round and an extra 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th for next three drafts.
CAR: I know another CAR offer, but as the picks are not in 2023 and PHI could take a cap dump back, I think JVR at 21pts in 29 games and a perfect rental, gets later year 2nd and 3rd at TDL, from a number of contenders.
BOS: Frees up 3.1mil at TDL, acquires a big but underachieving Ratcliffe for 3 6ths, (Ratcliffe is probably worth a late round 5th).
NYR: Blais is small cap dump at 1.53, but brings two plug-and-play depth players for just 1.25mil. PHI doesn;t need Blais, so its two later year meh picks.
TOR: laughton is perfect fit, can play all 3 positions, plays 2 way and having 2nd career season on a team that cant score. Hes under contract for 3 yrs beyond, but a better fit than Kampf as a two way 3rd liner. His worth is probably a bit more than 2023 2nd and 3rd, but TOR gives Niemala, a good 2023 3rd and future picks.
PIT: With an aging core and lacking physicality, takes a capable gritty LD for 6th/7th and a physical young-ish winger in MacEwen. MacEwen and Seeler (signed for 2 yrs at 775k), probably get a 4th and 5th individually, return is a 2024 3rd and 2 7ths.
DET: Probably not enough, but Yzerman is not going to play him, so Lycksell, having a very good 1st year in NAmerica, and a good 3rd, but maybe Lycksell becomes a better prospect like Tuomaala.
ARZ: Chychrun and high 2023 2nd, for a lesser replacement in Sanheim, a high 1st and 2nd in 2024, a very good prospect and a midlevel prospect. IMO, ARZ 2nd in 2023 is less than PHI 2nd and Kaplan, (3rd rounder in 2022 and has 19pts in 27 games at Boston U, after real good in USNPT), so Is the difference between Chyrchrun and Sanheim as much as a high 1st rounder and Wisdom and the Kaplan difference?
Its too much for JVR with retention for us. He is playing a ton of heavily protected minutes and won’t fit in here except at the 4th line.
CAR is too easy, but could be CGY or any number of teams.
And it cuts both ways, JVR in PHI has always been 16 or so minutes, playing on a poor team that cant score, with limitwed talent, but hes a guaranteed 20-25 goals in those limited minutes and a key PP player. In other words hes a very solid bet for production in limited minutes.
CAR is too easy, but could be CGY or any number of teams.
And it cuts both ways, JVR in PHI has always been 16 or so minutes, but hes a guaranteed 20-25 goals in those limited minutes and a key PP player. In other words hes a very solid bet for production in limited minutes.
There are a bunch of so-so wingers available. The market and price won’t be very good.
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