This is what I would do for next season. But before I get to the 5 on 5 lines -- a huge starting point for me when evaluating this team and what it needs up front and where we stand as a team, that is (a) our PP, (b) our defense and (c) Shesty. With those three factors in place next season, we will have a good team that will win games in the NHL. So what more can we do?
Sign Blais to a three-four year deal at like 2.75-3m. Tell him that its his right to take the QO, but be clear that the will the team have to invest in him in the lineup will differ a lot between the scenario where he is about to become a UFA in the near future or the scenario where we know that we can count on him for the coming 3-4 years at least.
Resign Kakko to a long-term 6 year deal.
Resign Motte.
Lineup:
1. Kravy-Ziba-Blais //Why split Ziba and Kreids? Because Kreider does more good elsewhere in the lineup and Kreider-Ziba won't give us an edge anyway against the best teams. Ziba have "figured" it out, i.e. have understood the level you must break the game down to and just how consistent you must be to consistently score in the NHL. He and Kreider are on the same page there. But to pass that on to the rest of the guys on the team, the best way to do it is just to expose them to these guys. Do you think Kane told Panarin to hit the ice and just have fun in Chicago? Nah, Panarin is the same as Kreids and Ziba, he is the same as Jagr was here with Nyls and Straka. You must do things the right way. Kravy from my POV is a super good fit with Ziba. He got that same long stride that gives him a great top speed streaking down ice. He will be really dangerous on the rush with Ziba. He will forecheck well with Ziba.
2. Panarin-Laf-Hunt //Laf isn't dominating the game with his skating and raw skills, but he is a marvelous talent no doubt. He makes so many hard plays look easy. He is really clutch. He is a competitor. He can pass the puck really well. He can skate with the puck really well. He gets into trouble against good NHL defenders along the board, you want him to have the puck in open ice. Put him at C and match him against the best around us for the coming 10 years. Do you guys see him failing that challenge? I don't. I am the only one in the universe who likes Hunt. Hunt is a late bloomer. He doubled his production at age of 20 in the WHL. He have grown consistently over a longer period. He is really cheap and can surely be locked up cheap for a number of years. Invest in him. He transports the puck really well, he isn't without skill.
3. Kreider-Chytil-Kakko //Kreider sitting next to Chytil and Kakko every shift, bring his experience with Ziba to them. This is a line that I think is different than what Tampa have, but that could be sufficiently hard to play against to create problems for teams like Tampa and Carolina.
4. Reaves-Goodrow-Motte //You need more than 9 good players. Goodrow and Motte are both players that can contribute 365 days a year. We will have injuries, lines will be mixed up.
Rooney
Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Trouba
Jones-Schneider
Shesty
PP1
Kreider-Ziba-Kakko
Fox-Panarin
Bottom line: Look, I think this team accomplish two things. (1) It is a good team, no doubt. Best goalie in the league. One of the best bluelines. One of the best PPs. Its deep, the 3rd and 4th line are much better than we saw most of last year. (2) Its creates value, value and more value. Laf and Kakko get bigger roles. PP1 is huuuuge for Kakko. Laf getting time with Panarin AND next to a hard working player who will do the dirty work. Kravy is put in an optimal environment to develop. Really, it is hard to find a much better role. Sammy Blais is given a second chance. He is a good player. We only saw that for a brief stint, but he can become a guy like say Killorn in Tampa. Jones is a very talented D and he would do well, at least during the regular season, in the NHL. He and Schneider would definitly get a bromance going like Lindgren and Fox if they got regular time in the NHL.
Is this a Cup winner? You know what, we will play for it, but given how the contracts come in, the cap, where players are in their development, the facts that Fox, Shesty and Ziba's monster contracts all kicking in at the same time on July 1, honestly, I think we must realize that we aren't contending next season (unless kids take huuuge steps super fast and become stars). Use next season to mount a run in 23/24 or 24/25, and beyond.
Look at Schneider's value before and after he got to play in the NHL. Now he is surely very very valuable. Before, he was another pick. Jones would become valuble. Kravy would become valuable. Kakko and Laf would take further steps. All guys underlined above, these guys value go up a lot. What the above line-up gives us is flexibility in the summer of 23' to take care of business with Miller and Laf. It gives Drury tremendous resources to make moves to take the next step, if it must be done.
