The thing is with that scenario is you're asking the scouting department the impossible to rebuild the core without top picks. I'm a "tanker" or pro-rebuild through and through but we're at a point where we're too good to get a high pick but not good enough to be a big threat in the post-season.
Adding one of Panarin, Stone, Karlsson without giving up any assets in return except for cap space, is essentially getting a top pick. I'd normally agree if we were talking your run-of-the mill UFAs but guys like that who are among the best at their position and typically never hit free agency, they're well worth the money.
That lineup, if all you do is simply keep adding late round picks to it, unless you really and I mean really knock one out of the park, will never take the step from good to great by the time Weber and Price are too old to be as effective.
