Yeah I think Ivan’s got the right pairings. Cole and Nemeth are both solid at what they do but would be a complete black hole together.
Z could/should be ready to really step up into full time top pairing minutes. I expect Girard to still be on the third pair at ES and Cole will balance him with some size and toughness. Nemeth stays at home when Barrie is pushing up ice.
If Z is ready to handle 22+ a night and of EJ stays healthy, it’s a pretty solid and well balanced unit with a mix of styles and experience. Barberio becomes a super solid #7, Alt a fine reserve and we never have to see guys like Warsofsky again. Plus Meloche and Timmins hopefully earning some NHL playing time.
But yeah, take EJ out for a couple months and it totally changes the outlook unless a guy like Timmins just explodes out of camp looking like a young Brent Seabrook. As for Nemeth, I’d look for him to play the year in Denver and then move on...he could earn a solid UFA deal next summer if he repeats his season.