Nylander88
Registered User
Sounds like we're going to run it back with the "core 4". That said, there were a lot of additions and things I really liked about this team. So maybe scorched earth isn't the answer...despite how I may have felt Monday night. We lost our Captain and a heck of a hockey player all series, we only had Foligno for half the series (and likely playing hurt the other games, hindsight is 20/20 and I'm sure we wish we kept our first rounder), and we lost Muzzin right at the end too. All of that mixed with our stars not looking like our stars (save for Nylander). That's a lot for a team to try and overcome. All that said, here's what I'd do for lines next season.
Sign:
Blake Coleman (great add regardless, even more so if we lose Hyman...and Im pretty sure he'll be had cheaper. Try and sell him on the idea of playing with Matthews and Marner)
Brock McGinn (another hard working winger to help cushion the blow of Hyman walking away)
Re-sign:
Spezza (great guy all around, will be had for league minimum)
Bogosian (perfect third pairing guy, shouldn't cost much, give him a few years of term)
Galchenyuk (should want the opportunity to play with high skilled players for longer. Didn't light it up so shouldn't see much of a raise on his 1.05mil he earned this year. Give him 2 years. He may want the security...and it could pay off for us if he regains 20+ goal form)
Simmonds (won't require much. Great emotional leader imo, likely takes less than the 1.5mil he made this year. Don't think there will be a crazy market for him).
Rittich (familiar with the team now, won't get starting job offers, gets to be 1B and see a decent amount of starts behind a first time starter in Campbell)
Additions from within:
Robertson, Brooks
Gone to Seattle: Mikheyev. If they want Kerfoot, you add a late round pick as a sweetner to Mikheyev to protect him. He showed his value big time as a guy who was on PP2, the PK, and most importantly able to jump up and play well in Tavares absence. This isn't Mikheyev hate at all, just Kerfoot is far more valuable to us. Chips in more offensively, plays a more "annoying game", and all the way around made a fan out of me in these playoffs.
Coleman-Matthews-Marner
Gives this line the Hyman type. Except he plays even nastier, and in my opinion is faster as well from the eye test
Galchenyuk-Tavares-Nylander
Hey, it seemed to work. Maybe give it an even longer run. Galchenyuk did a great job being the forechecker for this line, and just might find his scoring touch again and add 20 over the course of a season
Robertson-Kerfoot-McGinn
This line can play with high speed, score goals, and would just be annoying all the way around
Brooks-Spezza-Simmonds
We never really saw Spezza-Simmonds unless it was with Thornton. I thought Spezza and Simmonds both looked faster than they're given credit for. Brooks really helped out Thornton and Spezza..should be even easier to add speed to a Spezza-Simmonds combo. I like the idea of keeping a tough guy around, I don't think we can subtract from that area.
Rielly-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl
Sandin-Bogosian
You completely run it back on the backend. I don't think defence was our issue at all. Infact I thought it was much improved from past years. I think Sandin needs to be given a full season of rope to get his hiccups out, and the franchise likely believes in Sandin's upside over Dermott's. Be sad to see Dermott go, but that's the business. Engvall can find a new home elsewhere too for some draft picks or whatever we can get.
Campbell
Rittich
Not much to explain here. Campbell, former #11 overall pick finally gets his chance to prepare for a year like a starter. Rittich is a reliable 1B option
*Sad to see Hyman go. What a warrior. But business is business. And if he wants over 5 million, I don't blame him. We just can't afford it here if we're running it back with the core 4. Coleman + McGinn likely cost around 6-7 combined. I think that's the better bang for buck than a 5.5-6.5 Hyman (if that's the case).
Sign:
Blake Coleman (great add regardless, even more so if we lose Hyman...and Im pretty sure he'll be had cheaper. Try and sell him on the idea of playing with Matthews and Marner)
Brock McGinn (another hard working winger to help cushion the blow of Hyman walking away)
Re-sign:
Spezza (great guy all around, will be had for league minimum)
Bogosian (perfect third pairing guy, shouldn't cost much, give him a few years of term)
Galchenyuk (should want the opportunity to play with high skilled players for longer. Didn't light it up so shouldn't see much of a raise on his 1.05mil he earned this year. Give him 2 years. He may want the security...and it could pay off for us if he regains 20+ goal form)
Simmonds (won't require much. Great emotional leader imo, likely takes less than the 1.5mil he made this year. Don't think there will be a crazy market for him).
Rittich (familiar with the team now, won't get starting job offers, gets to be 1B and see a decent amount of starts behind a first time starter in Campbell)
Additions from within:
Robertson, Brooks
Gone to Seattle: Mikheyev. If they want Kerfoot, you add a late round pick as a sweetner to Mikheyev to protect him. He showed his value big time as a guy who was on PP2, the PK, and most importantly able to jump up and play well in Tavares absence. This isn't Mikheyev hate at all, just Kerfoot is far more valuable to us. Chips in more offensively, plays a more "annoying game", and all the way around made a fan out of me in these playoffs.
Coleman-Matthews-Marner
Gives this line the Hyman type. Except he plays even nastier, and in my opinion is faster as well from the eye test
Galchenyuk-Tavares-Nylander
Hey, it seemed to work. Maybe give it an even longer run. Galchenyuk did a great job being the forechecker for this line, and just might find his scoring touch again and add 20 over the course of a season
Robertson-Kerfoot-McGinn
This line can play with high speed, score goals, and would just be annoying all the way around
Brooks-Spezza-Simmonds
We never really saw Spezza-Simmonds unless it was with Thornton. I thought Spezza and Simmonds both looked faster than they're given credit for. Brooks really helped out Thornton and Spezza..should be even easier to add speed to a Spezza-Simmonds combo. I like the idea of keeping a tough guy around, I don't think we can subtract from that area.
Rielly-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl
Sandin-Bogosian
You completely run it back on the backend. I don't think defence was our issue at all. Infact I thought it was much improved from past years. I think Sandin needs to be given a full season of rope to get his hiccups out, and the franchise likely believes in Sandin's upside over Dermott's. Be sad to see Dermott go, but that's the business. Engvall can find a new home elsewhere too for some draft picks or whatever we can get.
Campbell
Rittich
Not much to explain here. Campbell, former #11 overall pick finally gets his chance to prepare for a year like a starter. Rittich is a reliable 1B option
*Sad to see Hyman go. What a warrior. But business is business. And if he wants over 5 million, I don't blame him. We just can't afford it here if we're running it back with the core 4. Coleman + McGinn likely cost around 6-7 combined. I think that's the better bang for buck than a 5.5-6.5 Hyman (if that's the case).
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