With an earlier reported interest in Letestu at the trade deadline, I would expect the Penguins to go after him in free agency.
I think it would depend on their plans with Sutter. If we can ship Sutter out for a Top 6 wing, I would be okay with looking into bringing Letestu back. Dude only made $1.25mil last year. What would be ideal is if you can stick Sundqvist with him and they can eventually share center jobs. Maybe a 2 yr signing at $3mil? Low cost and after 2 years you can have Sundqvist fill in? I'm just not sure where Sundqvist is right now in development. I know he looked darn good in camp this year...
If we are looking to buy out Scuderi, that HAS to be off set by playing a young kid. It just has to. It pains me that I would have to "explain" that to the organization but I feel it needs to be.
With that, if Kunitz is bought out, that HAS to be off set by young kid. This is where signing Panarin would be all too perfect. That cheap contract would off set the cap penalty. If that's the path we want to go down, we have to think outside the box and take some chances.
Here's where I'm at:
XXXXX-Crosby-Hornqvist
Perron-Malkin-XXXXX
XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
XXXXX-Lapierre-XXXXX
Lapierre was a beast for us in the playoffs. Average 4C in the regular season. I want him back. I think he proved his worth to us. Spaling will be back as he is signed. Him as a 4th line wing would be nice. I really liked what I saw out of Spaling-Lapierre-Comeau. I REALLY like what I saw. If we can put that together again next year for the same price, I would be thrilled. Maybe Comeau to $1mil? $1.05mil would be a 50% raise.
Bennett is a conundrum for me. I like him in theory...I like what his game COULD be. I just have no idea where the organization stands on him. Does he go in a 1:1? Lol, watch it be RFA rights for Bennett for UFA rights for Letestu!
I would still pursue a Bennett-Kassian swap. Both have injuries, neither are reaching their potential with their respective clubs, this could be a new start / new beginning for both of them. This is one of those "old yeller" type things where you kill something because you love it. I like Bennett. I really, really do...I want him to succeed. And it's because I want him to succeed that I believe we need to trade him. Not unlike Despres. Thank god he went to Anaheim where he will likely find success.
Where Kassian would play, I do not know. Likely 3rd line but he could obviously get looks elsewhere.
Hate to beat the horse or sound like a broken record...but...Panarin and Tikhonov. Especially Panarin. Makes so much sense to pursue him. Signing him lessen the blow of missing out on so many forward prospect draft picks. If you get him you have Kapanen, Sundqvist, and Panarin as your young forwards. That's not terrible. That could even bee a good 2nd line some day
That would give us:
Perron-Crosby-Hornqvist
Kassian-Malkin-Panarin
Sundqvist-Letestu-Tikhonov
Spaling-Lapierre-Comeau
Not the best...would need some sweeks here and there. Perhaps Sundqvist in the AHL, Kassian to the 3rd line, and the Sutter trade brings back a top 6 LW. Sundqvist is 1st call up, Kapanen is 2nd. Wonder what the odds of us being able to get Foligno from Buffalo are...?
Perron-Sid-Horny
Foligno-Malkin-Panarin
Kassian-Letestu-Tikhonov
Spaling-Lapierre-Comeau
That's decent. If Letestu turns bad, ship him off, insert Spaling or Sundqvist.
Now with the defense...I literally can not believe we went from a stacked defense to a questionable defense in one season. Despres-Lovejoy was just disastrous in so many ways. Just...so bad for us. Painful. Just painful. If you have Despres in the lineup next season you have:
Letang-Maatta
Despres-XXXX
XXXX-XXXX
As a base with plenty of possible fillers: Scuds, Cole, Dumo, Pouliot, Chorney, Harrington...it would have been manageable. Now we have a top pairing, and several bottom pairing dmen. We now have to sign an additional top 4 dman. With Despres, you didn't have to. Now we do. Losing Martin-Ehrhoff (an amazing 2nd pairing, possible 1st pairing) will hurt a lot. But now is the time we look to the youth. One top 4 job is open and as far as I'm concerned, the bottom pairing should be too.
The other thing we still have yet to find out is the true condition of Letang. That could be bad and we need to have the personnel on hand to fill the gap. Maatta I hope comes back 100%. I think we need to sign Petry, or Sekera, or Franson. In that order.
With Letang:
Letang-Maatta
Petry-XXXX
XXXX-XXXX
With the best young player taking the top 4 and next two best getting the bottom pairing. Ideally, for me: Pouliot takes the top 4 job, Cole and Dumo take the bottom pairing. Chorney-Harrington are the back ups. Lovejoy is sent away. But as we all know, injuries WILL happen and everyone will get the chance to play. The key is letting the young kids play enough so that they have the experience needed to step when needed. Dumo and Chorney played amazing. Very impressive. I do believe a lot of that had to do with their comfort level with each other. Stepping up into the playoffs and having to build chemistry with a new partner...I don't think they do as well as they did (in the playoffs anyay).
So...there it is. TL/DR?
Summary:
Buy out Scuds and Kunitz
Sign Panarin and Tikhonov
Re-sign Comeau and Lapierre
Sign Petry
Trade Bennett for Kassian