Yep, you're right on that point. Only matter is going to be getting those guys on the right contracts so as not to handicap ourselves going forward when we may be in a position to chase an elite talent that hits UFA.
Right now, I'd say we have 5 established core players going forward up front with some wildcards and a bit of overlap.
Elite talent - none
First line talent - Skinner
Second line talent - J Staal, Rask
Solid middle 6 - Nestrasil, Lindholm
Blue chip talent - Aho
High end wildcards - Rask, Lindholm, Tolchinsky, Saarela
Likely middle 6 - Nordstrom, PDG, Wallmark
Now Rask and Lindholm I have as wildcards since they're still developing their overall game. Rask's upward trajectory makes me think he may end up developing in to a low end #1C. Lindholm actually has a higher upside but is a lower ceiling guy based on what we've seen. IF he can take those next steps he can be a legit top line guy, but if not then he'll remain what he is, a solid but unspectacular middle 6 forward that will be good for about 40-50 points in a season once he's rounded out his game. Something along the lines of a MoJo type player. Tolchinsky is pure boom or bust. He'll either be like a young Samsonov type or he'll be playing for decent money over in Russia after not being able to stick in a top 6 role. Not sure what Saarela is yet.
Aho I see as pure bluechip. Maybe not to the extent of a Marner but I also wouldn't be shocked if he actually ends up being a better player then Marner.
Nordstrom and PDG I have as guys that are still developing but that are probably going to cement themselves as middle 6 guys. Not a ton of upside but guys you absolutely want in your team. Wallmark has shown that he could be a nice asset down the middle though we'll see if the upside is there to the extent it is with Aho and Tol.
Now these are just guys that have a shot at making the roster in the next year or two. There's guys out there still like Roy, McLovin (seriously why isn't he under contract yet?), and even Cotton and Stevens that are looking good but that are also projects at this point. Looking at least 2 (McLovin) on the low end and as many as 6 (Cotton, Stevens) years out on the high end for those guys.
Compare that to our defense, we basically have all the pieces we need in place right now and for the next... however long we can afford to keep that together. We have our #1 (even if he's not an elite one) in Faulk, a guy that projects to maybe be even better just based off pedigree and early showings in Hanifin, a guy that came out of nowhere to look like he's top pairing (#1?) caliber as a 21yo rookie in Slavin, another surprise 21yo rookie top 4 guy in Pesce, and oh yeah we still have a guy we just took at #7 in Fleury who's looking good, another we acquired in McKeown, Carrick looking like a great 2nd/3rd pairing option long-term, and while he's struggled to stick even Murphy still has a ton of potential at 23.