That rarely ever happens... you don't just luck into a star FA signing with you.
Let's just said for example we get a top 5 pick, and Stone signs with us. I think we would still need to go out and get another top 6er, along with maybe another D, or make a trade for a goalie.
My "dream" situation for the next 8 months would be starting September with Stone, Hayes, and maybe a guy like Nyqvist. If Sakic has an offseason like that, MacKinnon isn't going anywhere. And for sure he'll be doing some calling too.
That depends on whether we'd get Hughes/Kakko or not. Put Hughes & Stone next to Jost / Kaut / Compher, and all we'd really need is a resolution to the goalie situation if Frank isn't it, as Stone could carry that line well enough for us to win a series or two in 2019-2020...which would set us up to start contending for realsies the following season; when Hughes should start becoming a reliable gamechanger. If instead of Hughes we got Cozens / Dach / Turcotte with that pick, then yeah; we'd need another top 6er, at least until that prospect was ready to be a difference maker.
Which is why I hope that Sakic is at least kicking the tires on a potential trade for a guy like Tarasenko / Hall / Larkin / Zibanejad / Schenn
...Drae & Radu...already. If only to lay some of the groundwork for an offseason trade, when we would know exactly what that OTT pick could bring. On top of reaching out to pending FAs who could help us; be it a star that we could anchor a scoring line around (Panarin / Stone / Dutchy) or guys who could help us build a 2nd great line should we land a star in the lottery, FA or via trade...guys like Hayes or Silfverberg.
Which is why I'd be absolutely thrilled if we could snag someone like Zibanejad before his NTC kicks in; using some iteration of our 1st + an A-future (Timmins?) + a B-future (COL 2nd/OTT 3rd/Morrison?)...maybe even my beloved Greer; if we're never going to give him a real shot. Cover ourselves at Center regardless of where the OTT pick lands, how long it takes the prospect we get with that pick to develop, or how well we recruit in FA. While still keeping the OTT pick + enough capspace with which to sign one of the stars or a good-but-not-star-FA (like Silfvy)...if MacK has better luck recruiting this summer...to put on Zibby's wing opposite one of Jost / Kaut / Compher / OTT 1st.
Well come on now, that's not quite fair. He still has to get a FA to sign, he's not just getting lucky. The only thing that should matter is that we brought in a good player or two.
Sakic is patient but when he deems it's time to make a move he does it. He's made two blockbuster trades of ROR and Duchene. He's given fairly big deals to Iginla, Beauchemin, and Cole. He gave up assets and shelled out a decent sized deal for a good #2G in Grubauer. He's traded his good buddy Tanguay for a deadline rental. He's added 3rd string goalies at the deadline (unnecessarily IMO). He's bought out struggling players instead of keeping them. He's traded struggling prospects for other prospects, and at least so far it's worked out ok with one in Graves.
He's a lot more proactive than I think you're giving him credit for. He was just patient early in his tenure because he didn't like the offers for guys like ROR and Duchene, and the last couple years because he's been evaluating his young players, and waiting for this off season to see what the Sens pick turns into, and when the UFA options should be better.
I know that recruiting is tricky, I was just being a little facetious & used that hyperbole to give an example of one of the only situations where I wouldn't give Joe all that much credit for putting together a serious contender that fit my desired timeline.
Is it when he deems it is time to act, or when circumstances have forced him to act? That question is what worries me. There was no sitting on ROR any longer, and the clock was ticking fast with Duchene too. He's been less stingy with his 2nd tier assets & capspace...but on the big things, which have the potential to really burn him, he has been almost trigger-shy. Plus we have to keep in mind what Roy's part in all of that was...which is why I think it's informative to contrast Joe's process post-Patty, with the way he operated when still a member of Roykic.
It's fair to point out that he's a lot more active with the smaller stuff that doesn't risk anything major...but those aren't the kind of changes we'll need if we don't get Hughes / Kakko / Panarin / Stone. Although reminding me of all that, does alleviate some of my concerns about him being too passive to make those final minor tweaks even if we did put a cup caliber core together...at least as long as those final touches carry relatively minor pricetags & risk...
I'm not calling for his head or anything...yet...but if we don't enter next season with significant reinforcements, I'll start to criticize him much more sharply.
