I'm not sure that you have an accurate read on Boston's situation. I don't think they are going to do a "tear down". Last year was their tear down, they are rebuilding now.
I also think he has a pretty good shot of playing wing for Krejci and that could be a great thing for him, of course he is going to have to earn those minutes if he was to sign there.
I think it's less than 50/50 right now if Boston makes the play-offs. They are if anything worse this season than last. No one on that team was even close to a PPG last season. And no, the tear down hasn't started - they still have plenty of assets to sell.
Why go there? It's a terrible career move. They have nothing he can't get better else where. Too much uncertainty about the future.
In Buffalo if he was to play wing for Eichel that would be a pretty nice spot for him, Toronto is going to be a huge question mark but they are going to have a bunch of young guys all developing together, that could be a pretty special thing.
Talk about the blind leading the blind in Buffalo. Eichel is a great player, but he is still REALLY young. Not to mention it's a minus team still in the midst of a heavy climb in the rankings. What does Buffalo give that he isn't getting else where? The chance to be on a losing team? Toronto is the exact same. He is gonna want to go somewhere he will get a bit of carry in his first season. Set the trajectory - not have a middling 35pts season.
To make a long story short, I'm not sure any of these teams would be a bad place for him to sign, I think they all are going to have their benefits and drawbacks. I think he can be in Calder contention in any of those places if he plays well enough, of course Boston and Toronto will put him much more in the public eye so people will see how good he is if he does indeed play well enough to be in contention for the Calder.
And none of that attention will mean much when all those teams miss the play-offs for the next 2 years, and he has to help carry teams of borderline NHLers and aged-out vets. Why wouldn't he go to NYR, Tampa, Chicago where he will get better media attention, play with higher quality players over all, have a chance for real national attention on the play-offs, and get a sizable stat boost from being on positive goal differential teams?
You guys drastically over-value the home town thing or wanting to play for his Dad's team.
This kid wants to be a house-hold name pulling in high-end, long term contracts. Being a non-drafted, non-core asset, signing as a tradable UFA on a rebuilding team is not the best way to do that.
You think Panarin would have had the same break out season in Toronto, Buffalo or Boston? Zero chance.