Name me one really good piece on the back end outside Simashev ...
Maybe Durzi, but he ain't a top pairing dman
Moser and Valimaki are decent, maybe one could turn into a solid top 4 dman
Soderstrom as a lot to prove
Lamoureux have 3rd pairing ceiling
Duda is a good prospect but not really good

They are stacked on offense tho, I will give them credit

Durzi has high end potential.
Soderstrom was 11th overall a few years ago
Vasllimaki was 16th overall from a few years ago
Moser had a decent year last year.
Simashev was 6th overall this year (I doubt we see him for a few years)
Lamoureux was their 1st round pick last year.

The D as currently constructed has a lot of question marks. If they all play to their potential, they will be a lot of fun. If not, this team crashes and burns and they get another good pick.

They just need to hit on 1-2 of those guys I listed, and this team starts shaping up nicely. Free ageency and trades are always an option to fill other slots. And they have a TON of currency to do so (hence Durzi trade).

I think Dumba adds to this group a lot.

If I am Arizona management, I am clearly focusing on acquiring more defensive pieces. But I am still very happy to run out this group to see what all these guys have. Can Durzi play 25 minutes a game? Or is he best suited at 16 minutes a game. None the less, this team should be very exciting to watch.

agree with you, they are young but talented. still see hayton 1C, kell, schm, hayton when together for second half last year as 11th best scoring line in the league- keep them together. 2C cooley w those two, a playmaker and a more d power F in crouse.

Fair! I just see Cooley as having the actual #1C potential, where I don't for Hayton but I just did the swap. Lines can be adjusted a few different ways.

last year the D was better than the O league wide (still not great but ranked higher) I think scoring will be much improved (losing kassian, obrien, fischer, ritchie for guenther, cooley, zucker, kerfoot they better be). on the blueline moser and valimaki it was boths first full year (expect to improve on some of the mistakes), durzi is still 24, sodestrum is 22 and this might be first full year, brown and stetcher are bottom pair vets. agree a top pair is needed but as is they should improve (chychrun didnt play 1/2 the season and ghost wasnt much on the D side).

agree w/ cooley but id rather see him learn down a line or even two than be overwhelmed as 1C (he is still 19). maybe even start w zucker and kerfoot learn from some vets (who still can score).

Can't argue with this.

Arizona did a very good job at creating a deep forward group, so guys like Cooley shouldn't get overwhelmed.

They may just run each line 15 minutes a game to start and go from there. Kerfoot, Bjugstad, Boyd is a very good 4th line.

if look at bottom 9 - have 3 young kids (maccelli, cooley, gunether) think one each on 2/3/4 lines then have 4 vets (zucker, kerfoot, bjug, boyd) and 2 bangers (crouse, mcbain) id spread the kids (esp cooley, guenther w a vet and banger to learn and be protected). its about them learning the NHL game and being studs in couple years.
1st line gets their 20min and the others are all solid and interchangeable really - each get 12-15 min (depending on match ups, whos hot etc).