The center we might get if we trade Paccioretty would be young, around 18 and would have to make the nhl step with the big team. Or wait 2 years or 3 when that project center will be nhl ready. Are you willing to give the #1 or #2 center spot next year to a 18y or 19y player?
No but imagine what a different GM with a different perspective would do?
Stastny and Tavares are the only 2 centres left for UFAs. I think the Rangers are moving players to build around Tavares next year.
Stastny is a fit though. St. Louis can promote Fabbri or Sanford next year to replace him internally.
Sign Stastny and Perron. Invest $13 million in cap space. With Patches and Plekanec gone and the increase, you will have about $20 million, with Price taking up 4.
Drouin-Stastny-Perron
Lehkonen-Galchenyuk-Gallagher
Hudon-Danault-Sherbak
Byron-(Vermette?)-Shaw
That's a solid roster
Hudon-Sherbak grew together, as did Galchenyuk-Gallagher
Byron-Shaw are good friends off the ice.
A little bit of chemistry.
Still have some cap space for a d-man. Assuming Benn is traded, next GM moves on of Alzner or Schlemko with a pick for a d-man, top 4.
Say you get Vilardi, draft Veleno (hoping), and have Poehling in the system, team is moving in the right direction, draft picks at the table this year, are building blocks of the future, when I think other teams ahead of the Habs cores will be less strong. Say 20-21. Start off a new decade with hope, to end the curse.