So because I'm kind of addicted to the dopamine of future roster building and planning, I have thought of numerous scenarios already how that season's lineup could look like. It's going to be a seriously entertaining season, where most of our young impact guys hit the floor. (Sorry for long post)
I see four basic scenarios:
1) Most conservative
This is where our 26 pick isn't NHL ready, Frondell and Lardis need AHL time (but Moore and Kantserov are ready, I think that's a given). We also don't sign any impact FAs.
Moore - Bedard - Donato
Teravainen - Nazar - Bertuzzi
Burakovsky - Kantserov - Slaggert
Dach - Green - Savoie
Well, that bottom line could be any mix of FA vets as well.
This is what I would consider a really bad outcome to the off-season but luckily I also think it is the least likely to happen.
2) Young top prospects make it out of camp
Frondell, Lardis, Moore and Kantserov are NHL ready out of camp and the youth injection is on. Out 26 pick is lower than top 3, and needs some more time in junior/AHL/wherever. We don't sign any impact FAs.
Teravainen - Bedard - Frondell
Donato - Nazar - Lardis
Moore - Kantserov - Bertuzzi
Burakovsky - Dach - Slaggert
This is a nice transition mix. One vet for each line, lots of youth, skill and speed. I like this option very much, and feels like still a conservatively realistic outlook but one that acknowledges the level of our young guys coming in.
3) We end up picking in the top 3, selecting McKenna or Stenlund
I think for now at least, those are the two forwards that look NHL ready. Of course it could change by the end of the season, but I think they both make the show next year. Let's say we pick 2/3 and select Ivar. We aren't able to sign any impact FAs though.
Stenlund - Bedard - Donato
Bertuzzi - Nazar - Lardis
Frondell - Kantserov - Teravainen
Burakovsky - Moore - Dach
Now this would be a great roster already. So much skill, so much speed, so much potential. We would be the youngest, most promising roster in the league. And I don't think personally, that it's that far fetched. Needs some luck and the developmental projections arent exactly conservative with all the impact top prospects making the jump, but still.
4) And then where everything happens
So the above scenarios didn't have any FA signings, but we are all speculating about that, from fans to media, so I think it's kind of realistic to at least expect KD will make a run at someone. At least try. I think the realistic ones are Necas and Kaprizov (McDavid and Connor re-sign imo) and in terms of age and style Necas is the better fit. I don't know if we can land him (or that it's the best way forward because it could push some youngsters out, or be a Tavares cap situation), but let's speculate. This one is obviously the most optimistic, kind of unrealistic scenario, where everything goes out way.
Frondell - Bedard - Necas
Stenlund - Nazar - Donato
Bertuzzi - Kantserov - Lardis
Burakovksy - Moore - Teravainen
Absolutely stacked. We'd be the most improved team in the league by far. Actually the FA almost feels like overkill looking.
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In all the above, I kind of assume that the d-core will be pretty set:
Vlasic - Rinzel
Kaiser - Levshunov
Korchinski - Del Mastro
Crevier
Maybe KK isn't ready or is traded, but the rest are locks next year imo.
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Anyways, these are all day dreamings obviously, doesn't account for injuries, trades, improved or halted developmental paths etc.
But I think two important things are clear. One - we have a lot of options, the roster and the prospect pool is very, very versatile. The lines are very different in the above, because I tried to balance them for effectiveness - and it goes to show we have a lot of complimentary skillsets going forward.
And two - the future is very bright. It might not all happen next year necessarily, but the guys will super close to hitting. Exciting times!
