So even if Couturier stays on IR, and he wont play again, you're just going to keep 12.3mil in cap space free? (Or 20mil in cap space if Couturier cant come back?)

Why not? We are rebuilding and would likely be in the bottom again next season for another high pick. There are no elite D men available in free agency this year so why spend it. We could take on contracts for picks but that's impossible to predict.

I doubt any of the top 4 trades down tbh.

I could see ANA moving down. They already have Zegras, Strome, Lundestrom, even McTavish down the middle. Could take that package and solidify their wings more.

I think based on this season:

Missed 2 Top 6 forwards in Couts and atkinson or almost 1 goal a game missing from lineup
you have some talent now thats so close but performing in York, Frost, Tippett, Cates
Solid but uneven seasons from vets 28 yrs old or younger: Risto, Provorov, Hart, Koneckny, Farabee, Laughton
Spectacular or at least NHL regulars in rookies in Attard, Brink, Zamula, Andrae, Foerster, Desnoyers knocking on the door

I dont think 2-3 years of tanking does these guys any favours as they look good now, but its about getting players to assist them and find the best pairings/lines. Adding Couturier and Atkinson while losing JVR helps alot. NYI added just 9 pts from non playoffs last year to this year, Pittsburg and Washington are based on very old cores with little prospects and will be another year older. NJ/NYR are having there youth all cashing in and squeezing them agaiunst the cap to make some difficult decisions. Sometimes its about guys who arent as good but a bertter fit: Niskanen is a great example of that

Heres what the team could do, IMO, and with Couturier/Atkinson healthy:

DEFENSE:
Finding a new Niskanen for that 1st pairing, Provorov can log the minutes, but they haven;t found a capable partner (Dumba, Severson are UFAs or maybe York can play RD)
Correct Sanheim or deal him, he had a career year, got his big contract and has tanked since, has never shown 1st pairing ability.
Deal DeAngelo: good season from an offensive RD, he has some value
Find playing time for Attard or Zamula.

CENTER:
If Couts is back to his 55-65pt ability, we're okay, but I'd:
Move Hayes (CBS for Bemstrom or Roslovic and a 2nd sounds fine)
Take a look at UFA for a 2C or 3C (Toews, Compher, Roslovic), depends on how you feel about Frost

Ultimately I'd go:

Atkinson-Couts-TK
Farabee-?-Foerester
Cates-Frost-Tippett
Deslauriers-Laughton-Brink/Allison

provorov-York
Sanheim-Risto
Vet-Attard
Seeler- Zamula

Are the Flyers having "signing regret" over Sacheim's eight year deal? I can't see LA wanting to take him.

LA needs a 2LD and Sanheim would fit the bill, but hes about 2mil more than they can afford, and they need to get rid of Petersen and his 5mil (2 yr) anchor......hmmmm.

I don't think we tank for 3 years, I think we will be ready to make the push in 3 years. 1 more year of being bad would do wonders for the franchise moving forward as I believe there are a few high end RHD available in next year's draft. Dumba or Severson don't do anything for me, 2 middle pair D men.

You also don't put a guy like Brink on the 4th line, that does nothing for him. IMO, Attard and Zamula are nothing more than career 3rd pairing guys if they even get to that point.

We don't want another year of being that 10-15th worst team, it's better to tank it for one more. We aren't passing NYR, CAR, NJ so that puts us, at best, a wildcard team and I don't think that's gonna happen when teams like BUF and OTT are on the upswing and ahead of our rebuild.

Maybe, but I think we have quality youth now and Brink/Foerester/Andrae will be here next year, and we have FLA 1st (which looks like a probable top 10 pick), and I think you get a few more 3/4/5ths for DeAngelo/Seeler/etc... than you have above. And consider that some mid midlevel prospects like Desnoyers, Brodzinski, Samson, Lycksell, Ginning, Gendron, etc... all overachieved against expectations this year to give you an idea that at least one of them will break through in the near future.

And you want a gautheir, andrae, this years pick to join while the team is on the upswing. I get what you're saying, I just dont think they're that far away from the playoffs with a healthy lineup and adding/subtracting the right guys. And even with what they have NOW, the future is probably less than 2-3 years away.

they locked top 3, they wouldnt trade down from bedard or fantilli, unless they drop to 3rd, then maybe they'd consider but it'd have to be a good package. theres a bit of a drop after the top 4, even more after the top 6.

I disagree that Andrae and Brink should be up next year, at least not to start. Andrae could use a year to acclimate to NA hockey and Brink just isn't ready imo.

Probably not but you can only develop or create ice time for so many guys at once. And you'll waste them if they never come up and then get stuck with the next batch on their way.

For me, RW with Konecklny/Foerester/Tippett is looking very good and between Farabee, atkinson, cates, laughton theres 3 LWs in that group, so really it comes down to a Deslauriers/Desnoyers/Allison/etc to grab the last few wing spots.

So really its the center position that looks like it needs help. A healthy Couturier would Help. Frost looked real good, but Im more comfortable with him as a scoring 3C, and one of Cates/Laughton would be 4C, which depending on how you deal with Hayes/2C, thats a pretty young and solid 1-12 forward corps

I believe they probably think Frost/Cates are our future 2 and 3 Cs after this season. Frost can definitely be a 2C, imo, and put up 55-60 points going forward. Cates a solid shutdown 3C. We need that 1C guy (if Coots is done) and I that's why I traded up.

If Couturier is healthy, hes a great 2C, which gives you alot of options, but you're right if we dont have him we're in trouble. Because then we cant lose Couturier and Hayes. I like the idea of a short term Center who can play 2C or 3C and then see if Frost can continue to that 50-60pt spot or Gautheir is ready, and theres some guys who COULD be a good fit, like Toews on a short deal, or a Compher.

But really this team on the wings is looking 4 lines strong, but we lack center/playmakers. We have shooters in TK, Tippett, Couturier, Laughton, but not having two of the best assist men in Giroux/Voracek is noticeable.

This team could be solid on defense if we could address that 1RD position.

Provorov/York/Sanheim/Seeler is a nice LD group, but provorov cant carry a 1st pairing and only he and York have any real offense.
I give Ristolinen credit for completely changing his game and I'll take his stay at home, hitting, 20-25 pts, but he and Sanheim dont produce enough offense for a 2nd pairing.
Deangelo did as advertised, put up pts, but hes not the right partner for provorov.

Which leaves 1RD and or 3RD. I think Severson or Dumba could be a solid partner on that 1st pairing, but would prefer York with Provorov, Hope that Sanheim can rediscover his game and pair with Ristolinen and then hope that a 3rd pairing of a veteran and either Zamula or Attard can play solid minutes

I think you are giving our D way too much credit. Sanheim and Risto have not been good together at the same time over the 2 years they have been together. That's not good. There is no way we go into next season with all 3 of Sanheim, Provy and Risto.

I also think Gauthier will be a winger in the NHL. Sure he's trying C in college but forcing Ws to C usually isn't the best idea. Hope he proves me wrong though.

Nah, I think you are reading the Anaheim situation incorrectly. Strome just spent half the season playing wing, he can keep playing wing in the future. Lundestrom is ideally a 4C. He would never get in the way of a kid with the talent to get taken 1-4 OA in this draft. So the Ducks aren't so deep at center that they won't take another.

You also have the Michkov wild card. He makes SO much sense for the Ducks (at 3-4OA) and the only hesitation is all of his baggage from being Russian. I think you take him regardless.

As to the trade, the pieces aren't good enough to go from 6OA to 3OA. Brink is not a player the Ducks want. Verbeek preaches size, size and more size. Start thinking about including Gauthier if you are serious about making an offer the Ducks would actually accept.