Well that is the thing, we are going to be tight to the cap and the obvious sacrifices are going to be the 4th line and 3rd paring. If the philosophy is that our system can get more out of the players then we should just run with it and plug in kids and give them the opportunity to play and grow.
I don't really see an issue with playing PDG/Bains - Aman - Sasson, it's the 4th line, they will get like 10min a game? Let those be development minutes. We need to invest in them because the cap is going get even tigher the season after with the OEL cap penalty increasing.
I disagree that what I suggested offers zero depth in forwards.
Suter - Miller - Boeser
Hog - Petey - Guentzel
Joshua - Lindholm - Pod
We are going to get guaranteed scoring from the 1st 2 lines, having guentzel and Lindholm is going to improve both PP1 and PP2 if we get a dedicated PP coach. I mean it doesn't need to be Lindholm or Guentzel but we need that level of an upgrade. Not sure how much ES scoring we can get out of Joshua - Lindholm but at least it will be physical and good defensively.
Like i said, there is a reason teams like the Avs play Ratanen with MacK and etc.. Paring elite players together increases the chance of getting more out of those players. You try to build that over buidling an above average 3rd line. That is how you increase the ceiling of the team.
I think Tocchet's system will have a large part of the kind of player the team needs.
Pettersson just might not be that kind of player. EP's stated before he wanted to play like P. Forsberg the problem is he doesn't have the physical structure. He tries but Forsberg was a beast.
Tocchet wants board guys and EP wasn't drafted because he was a boards guy, he seems to be trying to change his game to suit but in doing so he is going backwards on what made him drafted at #5.
So just maybe moving him might make sense if Tocchet is influencing the team structure.
Boeser has been riding the skirts of Miller and whomever. But if Miller gets hurt or sick then the team loses two players. BB isn't fast enough to be a F1, not nasty enough to win board battles and too predictable, cross blue line, then curl, he can't drive the net, Too nice a guy.
Cole's playoff experience helped carry the team into this year's real season but next year most of this group with have gained that experience and might make him less necessary.
Hronek's skill set mirrors Hughes for the most part but there is only one puck, so is he redundant? Certainly his position will increase his trade value and there are teams that will step up to pay that price. The Canucks still have 4 RHD prospects that might fill in his spot over the next couple of years. The cap space saved might get higher skilled larger players too.
Joshua will get a raise but not to the 4 million suggested by some. He had exactly 1 point more in the easy season than Mikheyev and the consensus is Mikheyev is paid way too much.
These real season games show which players or types of players this team needs.
Canucks might toss the idea of trading Demko too, he has had injuries every year the last 5 years.
I am sure trade packages could be made up to teams like Columbus, Buffalo, Ottawa, Utah or even the NJD.
Other than proposing which players the team will get, which is much different than those fans or the team might want, I work on re-tasking money already spent and suggesting a trade that might add a little to the total.
The confidence that Rugherford and Allvin have created by making GOOD trades make the idea of improvement not just HOPE.
They will make or have made already. IMO the OEL buyout was not necessary especially if Florida's contract is taken account. This season even with an additional 2+ mil added the team had LTIR space unused that would have made up the difference.
Essentially this group have 13 new players added over the last year and very limited cap space, think of what they could do with an additional 12 million they get if Boeser and Hronek are traded, or an additional 22 million if other are moved as well adding to the existing 24+ mil in estimated cap space.
IF they moved EP the return will be outstanding, Hronek will be fantastic, Boeser would be more and Demko substantial.
It sounds like gutting the team but there are many good players/prospects/FA's and RFA's.
Tocchet system has changed the way players play and their value to the system.
Any players Rutherford/Allvin get will likely offset the losses. Their running the team will make Vancouver more of a destination rather than undesirable to FA's. The weather is helping
This year is kind of a one off so far.