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FireBednarsSuccessor
I think that the Avs should be going extremely hard after Sekera. I think Marc Staal 100% makes it to free agency, and his first option is likely going to be Carolina to play with Eric and Jordan, unless one or both get traded this year then that puts a wrench in those plans. But if they stay, he's my best bet at signing in Carolina. If we could manage to pluck Sekera from them, even if it's at the deadline, do it.
However, I am on board with most of you in saying that Bleackley and Bigras can't go. I'm still iffy on Siemens as IMO I project him as a 3rd pairing rugged defenseman, and I'm willing to move him in a package.
I wouldn't move Siemens not just because I'm a big fan of his talent, as his skating and outlet pass on top of that size and mean streak would do our d a lot of good, especially if he can pick up some things from Stuart who used to be that smooth-skating, puck-capable, and nasty top 4 guy; but because Duncan is so close to the NHL. This year we should see him get a significant call up when Hejda/Stuart/Holden get hurt for a while and Wilson Wilson's his way out of the lineup. After how good Dunk looked in camp with the strong first AHL season he had when healthy last year, he should show enough in that call up to make himself part of the equation next year so that he can take Stuart's job for good by the end of that season.
Even if I'm wrong and he maxes out as a third pairing guy like Holden / today's-Hejda rather than becoming the prime-Stuart I think he can be, I'd hate to give up on him now when we're so close to having a much better answer on where he'll really peak. With Barrie the only dman we have who we drafted and developed into an NHLer I'd be really loathe to lose the only other guy who looks like he can also fit that bill at some point in the next two seasons.
Plus it would help buy time for Bigras if we have Siemens pushing Stuart for the third LHD job and sign/bring-in someone to play with EJ; and I really like letting dmen and goalies over-ripen while getting sporadic call ups to check on where they are. Especially kids who have to fill out and learn to play with their man strength, like Bigras still has to do.
That's why a FA or a guy we can get for secondary pieces is as high as I'd go if I was the one pulling the trigger. We just need someone a little better than Hejda was last year to hold the fort next to EJ for the next 3-4 years, and to bounce Holden and Stuart down to the second and third pairings they should be on until Siemens and Bigras surpass them. Sekera would be ridiculously perfect though, Erhoff or Martin would be great for us to with their passing skills and two way play, but sekera's basically what I hope Bigras becomes as the supremely reliable EJ partner I've wanted since Greg from Accounting sent Kirk n Manbearpig to Stl for the big fella.
I was really bummed we didn't snap Sekera up when he left buffalo until I started watching Bigras games and fell in love with the intelligent confidence, smoothness, and strong tools that made me love Landy, Barrie, and Cap'nKirk before him. If we could bring him in now, without losing any of the guys I listed in my previous posts I'd be absolutely ecstatic and would be happy to see patty and joe just handing out extensions and filling the pipeline from then on. With the only possible move still to make being sending Patrick, Joe, and Varly on a recruiting trip to see Radulov should ROR walk, because that's what will happen if that's where we find ourselves the way Iggy replacing Staz did. It is known.