Yeah, it’s gonna be a real boring summer I think, especially if we also forfeit our 1st this year.
With the quality of the 2026 draft and if we make the playoffs this season, we can't take the chance to NOT forfeit it this summer.
Regarding a potential "boring" off-season, it seems that Staios can get creative so we never know! He's committed to improving the team even if it takes bold moves.
Zetterlund - Stutzle - Cozens
Tkachuk - Pinto - Batherson
Perron - Greig - Giroux
Amadio - ?????? - Cousins
Of course Giroux would get paid as a 3rd liner from now on (not sure if he'd accept 3.5 - 4.0 AAV but I wouldn't offer much more). I think Pinto can become an excellent 2-way #2 Center and Cozens could focus more on offense if he plays Wing so I'd go with that. The way he could improve the forward group is to "dump" Perron (and maybe Amadio) to be able to afford another Top line forward but not sure how (UFA? Trade?). Look at that potential Top-9 :
Topforward - Stutzle - Cozens
Tkachuk - Pinto - Batherson
Zetterlund - Greig - Giroux
?????? - ?????? - Cousins
I can't crunch the numbers right now but I don't think Ehlers fits. Zetterlund is getting 5M+. Maybe a bit less if we just buy up the arb-RFA years.
I was thinking of Vatrano's numbers for Zetterlund, so 4.5 AAV
But yeah, I had to dump both Perron and Amadio. We could probably get a pick for Amadio and Perron shouldn't cost too much to move as a 1 year veteran rental with a good reputation
If we could get a guy like Ehlers, I'd gladly do it. He's so dynamic, would make our forward much more dangerous.
