Buch is just in his prime, bern. you guys should be seein if you can sign him long term. His yrs will fit right in with when the young core hit their stride.
Buch is victim of bad covid timing = exacerbation of existing flat cap = next 2 yrs min = min increase if any for most.
His present salary is 3.25 w/final rfa + arbitration. He will def get a raise, no ? and he deserves one. But given he is starting now at 3.25, what you are looking at is likely a signif raise % wise to 4.5-4.75 ish min. That is a 1-2 yr deal taking him into UFA and hopefully for him a rebounded market for players w/salaries not constrained by covid.
Other option is he goes 5, 5.2 per for 5 yrs. Gives up something at back end for something more now.
But consistent w/bern philosophy no NMC to anyone, ever. Adequately generous NTC, but never a NMC.
Either way, what is limited here are minutes.
Our emerging blue chip elcs need those.
So betw. that and eventual need to have max roster flexibility, Buch needs to be moved, eventually. If market is robust for him now as possible dif maker this season, NY needs to not reject that market and those offers.
you can’t just dress ALL prospects and Panarin. Edmonton did the “young too prospects” game and it did crap for them. You’ll need a middle aged vet on top of his game to show and lead them
We have enough vet leadership even if all 3 --- Zib, Buch, and Strome --- are moved.
Panarin, Kreider both = enuf experience for their lines.
The other side is how many mins do these guys need, and it obv varies from one to the other.
But I would counter that we are well served long term by giving guys like Kakko, who have already taken great strides, more minutes.
Gauthier is another.
LaF I concede is a rookie but already shows maturity as a fast learner.
Barron is an unknown, tho he is playing well in the A.
Kravtsov I expect to kick ass day 1, provided he is not misused on 4th line or some other nonsense.
Kakko-Kravtsov-Panarin
that's the line
do it. just effin do it.
As was evident, Quinn has served his purpose.
We need a coach like Knoblauch, provided he does not overly experiment and juggle line assignments/D pairings, and we will be fine.