And for about the 20th time that’s awful value for Girard who is locked in for 4 years and just throwing in a recent 1st rd pick.

Okay please make a lineup for me.

Why? Not trading Girard for half value for bottom 6 help and inferior pieces. But here is summary of what I’d do
Drouin MacK Nichushkin: Drouin is house money you hope him and MacK re-create their chemistry because Drouin can facilitate from the wing MacK drives any line he is on, Nichushkin does the dirty work and is exceptional defensively.
Lehkonen RyJo Mikko: RyJo has always been a facilitator (50A is season high in career) Mikko can drive the line offensively and Lehkonen is the defense dirty work forechecker
Wood Colton Gurianov(?): Forecheck sand paper line that is miserable to play against Gurianov adds skill though if you could convince Tarasenko to somehow take a cheap 1 year deal (highly unlikely) it’s even tougher.
Cogs Meyer LOC: forecheck energy forecheck energy forecheck forecheck forecheck. W/Cogs and LOC you know they are good defensively and you can throw them out any time in any situation to balance the minutes.

Toews Makar - enough said though you will want to cycle Byram through with both of them. Down the stretch of important games no reason for there to ever be a situation where at least one of the 3 isn’t on the ice ala 2001 with Blake Bourque and Foote. Makar and Toews are going to play 25 a night Byram probably close to 22.
Byram and Girard: both can play off hand and imo Girard is better especially offensively on the right side. Girard is good for 20 minutes.
JJ and Manson: Manson can slide into that second pairing and kill penalties. JJ you can match him against bottom 6 keep his minutes around 13-15, Manson 15-17 depending on the night. I would have like to seen DeHaan here with JJ as the 7th d.

I don’t like MacDermid but the fact he can spot fill at a wing spot or d means only running a 21 man roster, if they sign another d he goes to the AHL and JJ slides to the 7th d.

If they can fill that 3rd line winger in that 2-3 million range that leaves enough space if you can make an add mid-season because the one thing most forget is that going straight into LTIR at the start of the season means no accruing cap space and any trade means they have to accommodate the whole year cap hit if they make a move and yes keeps the very valuable chip that is Girard available if something big needs/wants to be done.