Habs only real hole going into next season is 2C so expect a bidding war. We've got two firsts and prospects out the wahoo mcdaniel at every position. I would have said we'd be patient and wait for Hage but making the playoffs, I can't see Hughes not addressing the only hole. Fully expect Reinbacher to plug the RD hole next season and be with Hutson by March.
That being said Habs have been careful about who they "add to the locker room" so you can probably pay less for a guy with character flaws without worry.
Vancouver might just be second place in terms of assets for a 2C, but there's also about ten other teams who need the same thing.
It's awkward because even though the playoff races are not even remotely close (I've never seen 90% of spots clinched with 5 games left before), it seems like no one is rebuilding. Boston might be the only one with assets to sell and obviously they have zero center depth. Everyone from Detroit to Philly in the standings will be trying to make the playoffs next year.
In the west it's the same deal, maybe only Nashville. Obviously you don't want O'Reilly/Stamkos for premium assets.
I've never seen so many bad clubs that aren't trying to tank before.
So you're looking at teams with excess depth of top 6 centers/potential ones. So you're looking at Buffalo, Columbus, the Ducks, San Jose.. pretty much all the bad teams who are several years into their rebuild. Except most of these teams just move the excess centers to wing.
So who is a free agent and a top 6 center? Marner who has mostly played wing, Tavares, Duchene, Granlund, maybe Donato, maybe the shell of Brock Nelson, maybe Sam Bennett the end.
Moral of the story? Draft centers.
Anyways tangible list of potentially available centers, for the right price, league wide (don't care if you're a fan of one of these teams and disagree).
1C: Marner, Tage Thompson (only for insane overpay + potential much younger top 6 C back)
2C; Ryan Strome, Trevor Zegras (if you think he's not a winger), Pavel Zacha, Elias Lindholm, probably Middlestats again, Nazem Kadri if Calgary retool, Ryan Donato, one of Columbus' many centers (Moneyhands, Sillinger, Jenner), Mavrik Bourque, RNH, Sam Bennett, skeletons of Nashville, Bo Horvat, DJ Zibanejad, broken back Sean Couturier, maybe Malkin (no way Crosby is moving though), Yanni Gourde, one of Nick Schmaltz (barely takes draws) or Barrett Hayton. Tomas Hertl or William Karlsson (vegas aint loyal), that's about it.
Won't even bother looking up prospects cause nobody trades top 6 center prospects who are NHL ready for futures.
