Cap is gonna climb, 4 years time it's like 9 mill, and if not you retain a little bit if necessary. Teams every year are looking for a goalie, they'll make room for him if they need one, especially if it's only for 3 years.
For arguments sake, Vancouver right now. Demko looks like he is a question mark, do you think they'd find a way to add Shesterkin now? I do, maybe someone takes demkos contract for a pick and they make some cap space up to get him in the fold for 3 years of cup runs. There's always teams looking for high end players.
Another scenario, would you trade a package that surrounded Shesterkin and Petersson in vancouver and run Quick and Garand right now? Then trade Zibanejad in a package for a true top 4 ld. Is the team better then? I'd argue it is. I love Shesterkin but his contract along with everything else we have going on is gonna make it hard for us to get better than we currently are.
1. we need to shed vets/high salary to extend our window, not fall victim to trap of all in/win now, then you come up short and run the same shit following season 1 yr older. Keep/improve young core, tinker or better as opportunity emerges.
2. In that context Shesty goes, period.
He either goes now if there is enuf on the table, or we extend him 12.2 x 5 [gives him bragging rights + room for 1 more big payday] BUT he accepts ntcs but no nmc].
What is enuf now depends on pieces involved, and we don't have to let him go for nothing.
But we should also remember the Cam Talbot fiasco where Slats, not listening to bern, waited til the last minute, bid vs himself, painted us in a corner and we got below min for him.
3. As to EP/Shesty as a core, he is 8 seasons at 11.6.
Granted he is a pivot which helps short term.
And this guy is on the block for a reason. As is Demko
I'd say while big picture is shed cap -> room for mo better youth, short snapshot could be:
Shesty + Zib + Vesey + Lindgren [expiring, max half retained to 2.25]
for
EP [1.6 retained to an even 10 per] + Demko + Juulsen + Ratu
this works on assumption Zib sees handwriting on the wall, and figures VAN is solid cup contender 4-ish yrs, and that's enuf, [which it may/may not be]
VAN of course has permission to work out ext w/Igor before, effective upon trade completed
this would give us Demko as a project we can flip after
we would be moving on from Zib at 8.5 to EP at 10, which could backfire but that risk here is acceptable
Ratu [Chytil to LTIR til 111%] + Juulsen replacing Lindy help now
and Vesey buh bye makes room for Rempe
'nucks get best G in the league next 5-sih yrs, they are happy enuf camper
yes, as I've said, accept the growing pains
imo Garand is doable now
make co-starter for more and easier mins, phase him in on harder stuff
Domingue as needed to reinforce
His last game vs. the mini-Bruins was really good by any standard. Rempe was on the PP and the PK and generated some great chances by himself on more than a handful of instances. There were a couple wtf moments but those were outweighed by the rest of his play. He had a goal and an assist and was 1st star of the game. I haven't been able to catch a Pack game outside of that though so I can't speak to more of his AHL time other than one game.
thanks for posting this
like 've said,
while there is always some benefit to increased practice anywhere
Rempe is not best served in the A, but getting reg 4th line mins here, w/supervised tutoring on specialty skating and tip ins,.
accept the growing pains
We MUST be better physically to get past FL
Vesey is not that, Rempe is
accept that reality peeps