Speculation: Armchair GM - 2026 CBJ Offseason Roster Moves, Rumors, and Discussion

[MissADD]

Big move here

 

[CincyCBJ]

Still think we could upgrade the top six with Vronk + 14OA + .... for an elite scorer.

 

[Indy18]

Not going to touch the Tuch trade as he's an AHL for now but current state of play before another defenseman move

 

[Ice9]

Still think we could upgrade the top six withe Vronk + 14OA + .... for an elite scorer.

Yeah, it’s Larkin with us adding more…

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Not going to touch the Tuch trade as he's an AHL for now but current state of play before another defenseman moveView attachment 1259510

I just have a hard time seeing Sillinger making more than Olivier. He probably will, but that just doesn’t look right

 

[Crede777]

Yeah, it’s Larkin with us adding more…

If I'm Waddell, I make an offer to Yzerman and, if it's better than the others, request the ability to speak to Larkin (to get him to waive) with Werenski in tow.

 

[JohnnyJacket13]

Not going to touch the Tuch trade as he's an AHL for now but current state of play before another defenseman moveView attachment 1259510

No chance Sillinger gets 5M per year. Maybe 3.5 if it's longer than 4 years...

 

[Indy18]

No chance Sillinger gets 5M per year. Maybe 3.5 if it's longer than 4 years...

I am just going based on AFP's numbers and also pushing them a bit "higher" because all the public models always falls shorts of what's expected. Waddell wants a soft cap around 100mil

 

[Ice9]

If I'm Waddell, I make an offer to Yzerman and, if it's better than the others, request the ability to speak to Larkin (to get him to waive) with Werenski in tow.

His list is a minor formality. The chips are falling into place and he needs to see CLB trying to improve as much as Z. As they’re attempting to do just that… it’s gonna come together.

I ain’t Kreskin or anything but the moment I heard the Larkin thing I had a feeling this was going down. Not that I think I’m anything special but I’ve called something quite a few times that others thought was absolutely ridiculous!

I admit I could be sooooo wrong and that’s alright, I wouldn’t be upset. I’m not trying to guarantee ANYTHING.
It’s just this feeling that these two young men have a bond and a plan. That’s it…

 

[Indy18]

Even at the cost of Vronkov I still like to have a bit more certainty from the LW side

 

[JohnnyJacket13]

Even at the cost of Vronkov I still like to have a bit more certainty from the LW side

I could see McCann still being a target (perhaps for Voronkov). Robertson would be a dream, damn the cap considerations for next year.

Nuke-Fantilli-Marchenko
McCann-Monahan-Johnson
Sillinger-Coyle-Olivier
Wood-Lundestrom-Garland

That's a fairly deep forward group

 

[Indy18]

I could see McCann still being a target (perhaps for Voronkov). Robertson would be a dream, damn the cap considerations for next year.

Nuke-Fantilli-Marchenko
McCann-Monahan-Johnson
Sillinger-Coyle-Olivier
Wood-Lundestrom-Garland

That's a fairly deep forward group

If you swap out the 4th to Lundestrom-LDBB-Garland that's a pertty good offense. You have a power line, a shutdown line that can punish mistakes (Sillinger/Coyle/Olivier) and two good matchup lines

 

[cbjthrowaway]

I could see McCann still being a target (perhaps for Voronkov). Robertson would be a dream, damn the cap considerations for next year.

Nuke-Fantilli-Marchenko
McCann-Monahan-Johnson
Sillinger-Coyle-Olivier
Wood-Lundestrom-Garland

That's a fairly deep forward group

olivier rocks but i feel like they’d bump garland up to L3 (his profile reaaaaaally fits there) or maybe the top six somewhere. i’m still shocked they never tried him with fantilli tbh.

leaning into chemistry a bit…

nuke - monahan - marchenko
johnson - fantilli - garland
sillinger - coyle - olivier
voronkov? - lundestrom - pyyhtia/wood

feels like one of KJ/voronkov (at minimum) is gone but who knows.

edit: orrrrrrrrrr

johnson - fantilli - nuke
voronkov - monahan - marchenko
sillinger - coyle - garland
pyyhtia - lundestrom - olivier

yeah that feels better

 

[Indy18]

olivier rocks but i feel like they’d bump garland up to L3 (his profile reaaaaaally fits there) or maybe the top six somewhere. i’m still shocked they never tried him with fantilli tbh.

leaning into chemistry a bit…

nuke - monahan - marchenko
johnson - fantilli - garland
sillinger - coyle - olivier
voronkov? - lundestrom - pyyhtia/wood

feels like one of KJ/voronkov (at minimum) is gone but who knows.

edit: orrrrrrrrrr

johnson - fantilli - nuke
voronkov - monahan - marchenko
sillinger - coyle - garland
pyyhtia - lundestrom - olivier

yeah that feels better

tl'dr we finally have options and starting to show some much needed depth

 

[majormajor]

My guess is that we're done at forward.

First thought for the lines is

Nuke - Fantilli - KJ
Voronkov - Monahan - Marchenko

Nuke might be in decline a bit, but whether he's scoring a lot or not he can push play in the right direction and help his linemates. I like the fit with Fantilli and KJ.

 

[stevo61]

My guess is that we're done at forward.

First thought for the lines is

Nuke - Fantilli - KJ
Voronkov - Monahan - Marchenko

Nuke might be in decline a bit, but whether he's scoring a lot or not he can push play in the right direction and help his linemates. I like the fit with Fantilli and KJ.

Thats what I want, the problem will be does Bowness agree and how much does he trust Voronkov. Coaches also seem to want to force Fantilli-Marchenko, really need KJ to show up ready to go to change that.

Id also like to test Garland on that Coyle-Olivier line but expecting Sillinger to drop in the lineup seems impossible to think about.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[Banana duck]

I think it might have been Jody Shelley today that said “no one has actually heard from Zach. We’ve heard a lot about what people think he thinks, but we haven’t actually heard from him”

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[DarkandStormy]

I have feeling this team will do something today. IDK, but something tells me something will happen

Well.

 

[Fro]

Something about McTavish says no...