Having a third C like Staz instead of McClement can make our forward core special, it gives us the kind of depth that can just be unmatched up around the league. With that kind of forward core that's so deep, versatile and balanced, our defensemen don't have to be as good as they would on a team like Stl, Nashville or Phoenix. Especially with Varly behind them.
That's not my point and what you wrote doesn't contradict anything that I wrote.
Yes, it is better having Stastny than McClement. But, if the choice is between having Stastny at $6M and McClement at ~$2M and we can use the $4M to upgrade our team elsewhere, it's not so simple.
The real point I was making is that while MacK needs to be sheltered, Stastny is worth every penny of that $6M but when MacK can handle his own and is rightfully paired with Landeskog, the value of what Stastny would provide as a third line shutdown center is not $4M more than what a player like McClement can.
of course Nate is in the equation , I didnt talk about him on purpose because he only got 11 games exp under his belt . I really think it's too early to put Nate on a second line right now , taken for granted that after trading Statsny, you leave Radar on Duchene's wing .
The problem is that Stastny is going to want a longterm contract. At some point during that contract, MacKinnon will supplant him on the second line, which will leave Radar on Duchene's wing (which like you, I believe should be a longterm pairing).
I agree that for the foreseeable future, having Stastny around is a good idea. But whatever decision is made has to take into account what will happen in a couple years when MacKinnon is the second line center. And just as importantly, I'm not so sure Stastny is so eager to play such a role, but on that none of us have a clue.
Make no mistake, I'd love to keep Stastny around at a reasonable dollar amount. I want him as part of the organization going forward. But until we know what his contract demands are (dollar amount and if he'll want a NTC), what I want to happen and what is best for the organization are not necessarily the same.