Walman is a decent top 4 at a good cap hit. With us being in a cap crunch I don't see the need to replace him unless a really good oportunity comes along. At his cap hit I think he'd be a decent asset in a trade.
I see our top needs as:
1. Top 4 partner for Ed that allows us to take some of the defensive matchups from Seider. Roy would probably be a good fit at maybe 4x5. He has the MI ties and I think Pesce is going to get too much.
2A. (Tie) Starting goalie. Gibson and Markstrom are probably the best targets but I don't want to give up a 1st for either. I'd rather go Lyon/Reimer next year. Husso should be LTIR'd if possible or bought out. His buyout saves us over 3 mil next season and only costs 1.5 dead the following for 1 season. I see us running back Lyon/Reimer as I think the asking price for the vets will be too high.
2B. (Tie) Top 6 forward ideally with some grit or at minimum has to create their own offense. We are far too small upfront and lack play drivers outside of Larks and Ray. We need someone that can put up 20-25 gritty goals and help our board game. Kane isn't the right fit for this team offensively if we hope to make the playoffs. I'm ok using our 1st to address this issue.
3. Trade Maata, Buyout Holl, Trade Fabbri.
I fully expect this team to take a step back offensively but take a step forward defensively.
DBC-Larkin-New Guy (20 min)
Ray (8x 7.5)-Danielson-Ras (15min)
Fisher (1x 1.5)-Copp-Compher (15 min)
Mazur-UFA-Perron (1x2) (10 min)
Seider (8x8.25)- Walman
Roy (5x5)- Ed
Aljo (2x1)-Chiarot
Petry
Lyon
Reimer (1x1.5)
That leaves us with 11 mil to fill 2 spots or if you can figure out a way to upgrade the goalie probably and don't resign Reimer 12.5 to fill 3. You could do 6.5 (using gibson sal) goalie, 5 forward, 1 4th line center. Or if we keep the goalies then you could do up to 9mil for a forward and 2 mil for your 4th line center. You could also do a bonus for Perron and squeek out even more cap.
Any good 4th line centers with an above average faceoff percentage avail?
New Guy (Toffoli, Buchnevich, Reinhart (prob too expensive), Bertuzzi, Pavelski (if Dal loses their minds), maybe others not yet known to be avail.)
I actually rather like that lineup. We incorporate 4 young guys in Ed, Aljo, Mazur, and Danielson. Kasper is 1st forward callup but gets to continue to push his offensive game in GR.
Fabbri (1 mil ret), Maata, Veleno, and Berggren are traded. Husso and Holl are bought out.
Compher and Danielson are 2a/2b with one getting primarily offensive starts and the other getting a shut down role. So Danielson isn't getting thrown fully to the wolves right away, but I feel him having a Larkin/Ray type rookie year and making the team.