Hi guys, have been reading this forum for quite a while, but just thought this thread is a great idea, so why not share some of my pipe dreams.
Don't re-sign:
Nieds, Lalime, Grier, Connolly
Re-Sign:
McCormick .8m
Stafford 3.5m
Weber 1.3m
Sekera 1.5m
Butler .9m
Gerbe QO ~.9m
Enroth QO ~.72m
Montador? 2.5m
As for Stafford, I think Pavelski is a good comparable in terms of age and production. He makes 4m, but kills penalties and is a better defensive player. Anything over 4m for Stafford is imo an overpayment.
Payroll with all of those guys signed: ~52.5m
Other offseason transactions:
* Sign/Trade for No. 1/1b/2 center: Richards would be a dream of course. Other (semi) affordable/realistic choices I like are Ribeiro, Stastny on the high side or Stoll, Bolland, J. Staal, Vermette on the lower side. As for Weiss, I don't exactly see him as much of an upgrade over Timmy, plus they'd have to give up major assets to get him. If they sign Richards/trade for Stastny then Stafford or Pominville are probably gone or they won't sign a 1st pairing dman. (+ max. 5m)
** Sign/Trade for 1st pairing defenseman: Someone who plays like Seabrook would be imo the perfect dman paired with Myers. All the high-end guys on the UFA-market are pmd though and have some (major) questionmarks plus not sure we need more pmd. Bieksa (injury history + depth on Van-D + horrible year before), Ehrhoff (depth on Van-D, people are saying Edler covers a lot of his mistakes, so not exactly sure if he's ideal with Myers), Markov (knee injuries), Pitkanen (inconsistency). Maybe a #2 pairing guy guy like Ian White is the best solution. Too bad Martin or Michalek were UFAs a year too soon, they'd be my dream choices.
I'd like to unload Morrisonn, because I'd rather have Montador and Butler, Weber and Sekera will be cheaper/better. Unfortunately I don't see a market for him, so we're probably stuck with him. If they sign a 1st pairing dmen, it's either Morrisonn or Montador.
(+ max. 3.5m (5.5m-2/2.5m))
In any case they add at most 8.5m which adds to the cap payroll to a max. of 61m. Salary cap goes up about 3m next year, so it would work.
Lineup:
Vanek-Roy-Stafford
Ennis-*-Boyes
Hecht-Gaustad-Pominville
Adam/Gerbe-McCormick-Kaleta
Adam/Gerbe
**-Myers
Leopold-Montador/Morrisonn/Butler
Sekera-Weber
Butler/Morrisonn
Miller
Enroth
I'd love a 4th line with McCormick-Gaustad-Kaleta, but Hecht-Gaustad-Pominville would be an amazing shutdown line with some scoring touch.