Quoting: perrystreett
What do you guys want to do with Kuzy?
Trade him. If everyone under contract returns, the lines are looking something like
Ovi-Strome-Wilson
McM-Kuzy-Mantha
Milano-Backy-Oshie
Protas-Dowd-NAK
with the second and third lines switched if you want.
It's clear they need to upgrade at forward, but where? Ovi, Strome, Backstrom are going nowhere. I think the org is very clear that McMichael is going to be in the NHL next year. They have no incentive to move Milano on a cheap deal that he just signed unless there was a crazy overpay. As much as it might help I think Oshie has earned honorary NMC status with the org and he seems like he wants to keep playing. Everyone loves Wilson, although maybe if contract talks really go bad or Toronto was willing to do something stupid they would move him.
That leaves Kuzy and Mantha as the odd men out. I think Mantha is a cap dump at this point, but no matter how bad Kuzy was last year he is only a year removed from a 78 point season and is an incredibly offensively gifted center which are in high demand in the league. Obviously they would be net negative on future assets with all of the correlated moves, but how much better does even an
Ovi-Strome-Wilson
Schmaltz-Backy-Horvat
Milano-McM-Oshie
Protas-Dowd-NAK
forward group look? Now think of a dream
Ovi-Strome-Wilson
Keller-McM-Nylander
Milano-Backstrom-Oshie
Protas-Dowd-NAK
I think Kuzy could get back to his old self, especially w a clean slate with Carberry and that it's much more likely he'll rebound than Mantha. At the same time, this team doesn't have the luxury of waiting around for guys to find their game again. I love Kuzy and will always remember his MVP-caliber play in 2018 to get us the cup and defend him against the bull**** "locker room cancer" allegations, but its time to be ruthless.