a few proposals that would both work well for us and piss off a few polarized groups... and fully assumes/requires MB to be gone and replaced with a GM looking to build a winner
To NJ
Weber, Kulak
To Mtl
PK, 2022 2nd
full circle for the two main pieces. PK slots in well behind Petry, and if his recovery and positive play this year continues, we leverage his love of the city to re-up for 2-3 years in the 3-5M$ range (based on his play). Top-4 with Petry/PK on the right side and Fleury/Brook depth UFA's rounding it out would be a good situation. NJ adds veteran presence with a rapidly declining salary that should make owners happy.
To Pitt
Drouin
To Mtl
Zucker
Drouin is taylor made to be a complimentary player next to an elite C... might just get closer to his offensive ceiling in that kind of situation. Zucker has a lower ceiling but is useful beyond the offensive output and can slot in to any line... maybe we get Pitt to retain 500K or throw in a later pick given the age/talent differential, but i'm happy with the move as is.
re-sitn Danault, Perry, Merrill
let armia, tatar walk
Zucker - Danault - Gallagher
Poehling - Suzuki - Toffoli
Caufield - JKO - Anderson
Lehkonen - Evans - Perry
Byron
Edmundson - Petry
Romanov - PK
Chiarot - Merrill
Fleury/Brook
Price
Primeau
(assumes Allen gets picked up by Seattle)
sign a veteran middle-6 winger on a 1-year deal from the late UFA pickings (like a Granlund/Hoffman)
if there is cap space left, let Caufield or Poehling start in Laval instead.
that's at worst the same caliber roster as this year (borderline playoff), and to whatever degree the young guys progress, incrementally better.