Second line won't be that good. Neither will the third. Fourth could actually be alright. Second and third d pairings would be terrible. One more top pick. They might turn it around the year after.
You're right of coarse. I guess I was just trying to pull a worst case scenario out of the kitty. In my dreamworld, this is what I hope would happen (and it would come down to Sakic skills) as unlikely as it would be:
Drafts / Trades
X Acquire T J Oshie (massive one year deal like Hawks did to start with Hossa)
X Acquire Kevin Shattenkirk (if bridges aren't burnt, but have read we are an option - as unlikely as that is)
X Trade Barrie++ for Drouin. They need backend productive help BIG
X Trade Landeskog for Carlo + Senyshyn
X Trade Duchene for Hanifin + Roy
X Lose Varlamov for draft picks - Martin full time backup
X Lose Soderberg & Colborne if possible (even buyout given team below will be cheap given rookie statuses)
X Draft Nolan Patrick
X Lose Beauchemin if possible
X Fire: Billington, Army Farrish & Pratt - bring in an "experienced" NHL coach as assistant to Bednar
X Allaire - Either go fulltime, or fired for a full time goalie coach
Exciting TEAM as a basis to build around:
Drouin - Mackinnon - Oshie (possibly one of the best top NHL lines - imagine the speed)
Jost - Patrick - Rantanen (2 strong two way players & Rants. Rants / Patrick are big bodies as well)
Greer - Roy - Senyshyn (Big bodies, full of energy, but with plenty of skill)
Nieto - Compher - Comeau (Gritty, two way players - has to be all heart / energy)
Hanifin - Johnson (Hanifin is green, but EJ would be a fine teacher)
Carlo - Shattenkirk (Carlo stay at home weapon, Shattenkirk plays PP, and measured time - proper 1/4 back)
Zadorov - Bigras (played VERY well as a pair when on Roy's team last year before Z was sent to SAR)
Pickard (hopefully with a much more mobile D, he will look more comfortable)
Martin
That team would be VERY green, but very exciting. Columbus are the youngest team in the NHL and look at them. There would be teething problems, but man, that would be so exciting.
Coaches: Bednar + Experienced NHL proven coach + Heimlich
Front Office: Sakic GM + Macfarland Assistant GM (why do we HAVE 2 assistants right now?) & Grahame
That's a team Bednar could put his footprint on. They are all coachable. They are all young (a demographic Bednar excels at). That team would destroy our current team in my opinion.
That said, no chance in Hades all of the above happens. Hahaha..I just love to dream about my passion.