If we could get a top forward prospect from the Blues for Kreider, I wouldn't ever care about the draft pick.
Trade Strome to a desperate team. His value will never be higher. Trade Fast and Skjei, too. We have to keep ADA.
Assuming you're logically realizing this rebuild is going to take a lot longer than people seem to expect, I guess your desire is for us to be in lottery contention for a solid 3 years or so? If that's your goal than yes, let's do all you just said.
Shame that we'll never bottom out like Detroit and that even doing so only grants us a 50% or so chance at getting a top 3 pick. Otherwise your plan is flawless. 3 First overalls would be amazing! Or would it? Not all teams succeed with two+ top picks. See: Devils. (and Oilers forever).
Otherwise I have no idea what your plan is. McKegg, Howden or Chytil as top center if/when Zibby goes down. One of those 3 as 2nd center for the whole season period. Perfect.
Kreider, Georgiev, Strome, Fast... not getting us a 2C. Skjei in a package
maybe but doubtful. This is full on tank talk. Let's compete with DET. But hey, guess it's better than drafting 12th, that much is true.
It's funny because ADA will become our most valuable and worthy trade chip soon if he isn't already. And I'd love to keep him. Just facing the reality that to get that 2C we need so badly we need to trade from a position of strength and we're not getting a young solid center without dangling ADA. Trouba's going nowhere, Fox isn't flashy enough, and Lundkvist hasn't even played in the NHL yet.
Trading Skjei and then losing Staal and Smith (addition by subtraction, I know, I get it but you need to see this from an NHL coach perspective for a second) when we have no top LD prospects except, maybe, Miller who isn't NHL ready yet... well, let's just give up on defense period. Thinking Hajek, Lindgren and Rykov are just stepping in?
We need to trade people, yes, but we need the right returns. With the right returns it CAN free up other trades, but if we get lower value than we're expecting (which is almost certainly the case), then trading Strome and Skjei along with the others means tank tank city for a nice 3 years easily. So again, I assume that's the plan you prefer. I don't mind if we get lucky and build right, but we'll lose Breads best years, and some of Zibby's too.
Regardless, TDL and off-season will be very interesting for this team and how it can progress. I wouldn't wanna be in charge and I both do and don't look forward to seeing what happens before next season.
