Plenty of people keep bringing up that Trouba and Panarin wanted to come here and then say they have no solution at center. Who is to say, with the current selection of prospects available and in the system for the foreseeable future, that they would not be able to trade for one?
O'Reilly solved a lot of problems for the Blues. They also traded for Schenn and signed Bozak. To me, they have this season, and possibly some of the next season to situate themselves to be contenders. If the younger current players that will be filling in the middle 6 C role on this team (Andersson, Chytil, and Howden), don't show over the next 120 games that they are taking the next steps to be a top 6 center or more, they will have the firepower to go get one or sign one, including moving those players to a team that could have some more patience at that point. That's hoping we're in a spot to be a top 10 team in the league.
On top of the current cap crunch is the fact that in a few seasons (pending a buyout now) they will have a lot of money coming off the books for players unlikely to return and won't be paid nearly what they currently are: Smith (4.35), Staal (5.7), Shattenkirk (6.65) and Lundqvist (8.5). That money will be used to fill in for the RFA deals they'll have to make with anyone that isn't debuting this season, sans Shestyerkin.
If we can get some cap increases, it'll just add to the salary we could add then. There will be some more ELCs coming to provide support for paying some of the other players on our team. Whether it is adding a contract of a player that wants out of his current situation or a team that is looking to hard reset and move a top end player because of their new timeline, this team will have the assets to make the move and the future cap space to take in a player on a nice sized deal.
All the being said, this team will struggle in their own zone this season, but not as much as the year prior. Pionk out was a positive thing in general, but Trouba replacing him is surreal. Hopefully limiting Staal's minutes (with him being scratched at times) while getting our young LHD (Hajek or Rykov) some time will be of benefit. Smith will get waived and play out this year in Hartford. Same goes for making sure Fox and DeAngelo get their time on the right side and Shattenkirk not blocking them. Fox probably starts in the AHL and gets 35 AHL games under his belt before coming up. If Shattenkirk can re-establish some value in that time, he's a TDL trade candidate for a team needing a RHD that can help run their PP. Could be another asset coming back in that type of move.
While the team isn't in the strip it down to the bones mode of a rebuild, it is in the develop draft/acquired players mode for at least 82 games. This becomes the more difficult part, but brings the excitement level of the fanbase up 3 or 4 notches as you begin to see the fruits of the last two seasons of frustrating hockey become young players making plays and mistakes. You can get past the mistakes from the learning player, not the veteran.
