ABB is certainly ready, he was given very little opportunity up here but he looked fine when he was playing. You are just playing a what if doom and gloom game with Tampa's scenarios re: injuries. They will not lose Cirelli after the bridge unless they want to, not because they have to. Tampa has been hearing about how they won't be able to make the cap work for 6 years now. Every single year we've heard the same garbage, and every year Tampa's management has found a reasonable solution.
Yes, Tampa will lose 3 guys next year. Johnson, likely Killorn(although I suppose it could be Palat), and then either Coleman or McD. Since they probably value keeping the d corps more intact, and since they are much deeper at F, they probably keep McD despite the possibility of his contract becoming an anchor near the end. Multiple 21 player rosters are possible with Colton, Stephens and ABB having more full time roles next year. On the flip side, if they do choose to make a deal to have Seattle take McD, then they can keep Coleman and have the 3LD be Borgman or another lesser cost player. I guess it just depends on JBB's view on the long term, whether sacrificing McD now to open up needed space later is more valuable than losing an additional forward now.
The cap will also be going up eventually, with both the expansion and the new TV deal coming, so future deals on players like Cirelli, Serg and Point will likely not be as impossible as some are dreaming about on here.
