1-Get Brad Richards to convince V.Lecavalier to sign for 1 year the Def+Net+Coaching is cup ready and with 4 top pivots Brad could be shifted to wing if needed to negate the loss of Gaborik
2-Resign Clowe and Stepan to 1 yr deals (Clowe has to prove himself so 1.5m is plenty and Stepan for 2.5 should be enough as he has to navigate through 15 minutes of ice time during the regular season.
3. Keep Boyle for the playoffs and bring in Artukhin+Stalberg to boost size and speed. throughout the lines. Boyle might net 5-9 goals but get another 5+ in playoffs as he's been a real leader for 2 straight playoffs.
4.Move Sauer+ MDZ/Staal + Zucc/Palmieri for Erik Johnson
Johnson is a Right handed speed skater that can mimic either Staal or McDonagh. Injuries have done him in last season but he's in his prime and relatively inexpensive @3.9m cap hit.
5.Stock up on skating defenders on the cheap like Sanguinetti/Gilroy/Eminger/ and even a # 6 like Komisarek. Despite a lack of speed, Komisarek brings everything that McIlrath could bring in a NHL proven package and is from the NY area. He can be a safe #6 while playing within a more versatile system. Extra blueliners at trade deadline time will be golden as teams look to fill holes.
6.Trade Pyatt for E.Gryba($540k cap hit) is s solid#4/5 Right handed beast that can mimic J.Falk who the NYR Recently acquired. Ottawa has him as the #6/7 spare part but he can really help NYR later in the season much the way M.Sauer originally did.
7.Sign Dvorak(speedy PK guys w/ 30 goal seasons in their past still have value)
(7.7)Nash--(2.5)Stepan--(1.2)Kreider Mcd(3.3)-Gir(3.3)
(3.2)Brassard-(2.8)Lecavalier-(6.7)B.Richards Moore(1)-Jonson(3.9)
(1)Dvorak-(1)JtM-(3.2)Callahan/(1.6)CLOWE/Dorsett
MDZ(2.5)-Komisarek(1)
(2.6)Stalberg-(1.8)Boyle-(2)Artukhin FALK-(1)-GRYBA(500K)
(1)Asham-(900k)Lindberg-(600k)Palmieri/Powe
GILROY/SANGUINETTI(1)--McIlrath(1.3)
TRADE DEADLINE TARGETS--B.gordon/z.konopka for faceoffs
while it hurts to lose sauer/staal/hagelin THE speed isn't hurt so much as the team still has 9 power forwards and 6 speedsters.
the cap hit is fitting under the 64m cap and the players here except maybe Artukhin know what it takes to win. (Dvorak has been a 30 goal scorer and to the cup finals in 96')
the blueline is FORMIDABLE as any pairing will be a handful and the scoring should really pick up with moore and Del zotto growing into PPQB's .
