I would absolutely be open to moving Laf right now. If he were snake bitten or unlucky I may feel differently, but he isn’t showing anything that indicates he’s got a rebound coming next year, which means there is a very good chance his value will begin to decrease. Right now he’s still shortly enough removed from last season’s success and has the 1OA shine still after finally having a good season. Jettisoning him before other teams catch on that he was a product of a 120pt aeason from Artemi is probably the highest we’re going to be able to sell on him. If, for instance, Brady tells Ottawa he isn’t going to re-sign and wants to go to an American team, there isn’t a single argument that a single poster alive is capable of making that would stop me from ADDING to Laf (substantially, to be honest) to get that deal done. Let’s say Fox and Cuylle are just about the only things I wouldn’t be willing to include. Laf + KAM or Schneider? Laf + Otthman? Kreider (not happening with NTC, but still). Yes, I would trade Laf in a heart beat. Laf + Schneider - give me Pinto while we’re at it. Laf is symbolic of the country club problems we talk about, in my mind. I’ve never seen a player accomplish so little and look SO comfortable and content.
Games like tonight drive home to me how badly we still need top end talent. Panarin isn’t it. Even if he were playing like Panarin of last year, he’s not enough by himself. Winger Zib has been way better, but he’s not high end enough. Miller, Trochek, Cuylle are solid but they’re meat and potatoes. We need another garlic butter sauce to elevate the dish from ordinary to amazing. Otthman, Berard, Edstrom, Rempe, Carrick, Parsinen, Kreider if he stays, are all meat and potatoes. There’s gonna be enough of that up and down the lineup. We need another spice. A Nylander type. A Necas. Someone creative with high end vision who can identify and make the pass no one else can even see.
For clarity - my Tkachuk thoughts regarding Laf are not related to my thoughts about the overall makeup of the roster. Tkachuk has skill and would be a massive asset because he brings something we don’t have, but he would still fall into the meat and potatoes group. You’d have to move Laf, Kreider, Otthman (for example) and still add someone with some flavor to the group. Doesn’t have to even necessarily be a star. It could be a complimentary guy like Ehlers. Teravainen before he fell off. Those types.