I think this is the year to go for more balance on the offensive lines. We need more than one line going in the playoffs, so why not develop that through the regular season?
I still think moving Kerfoot and signing Rodrigues at a fraction of the cost and freeing up cap and line-up space is the way to go. Allows us to add ZAR. Gives us a line up with a 1a and 1b and a 3a and 3b:
Bunting / Matthews / Nylander
Robertson / Tavares / Marner
Engvall / Kampf / Jarnkrok
ZAR / Rodrigues/ NAK
Anderson / Gaudette / Malgin
Clifford / Douglass / Simmonds
I think this makes too much sense. Matthews and Marner can each carry a line and reunite on the PP and at crunch times in the game. Marner is a playmaker with JT and Robertson and a strong defensive player on that line. AM34 already has chemistry with Bunting...Nylander has to be able to make it work with that line...if not, time to move on from Willy perhaps.
Our third line is a strong checking line with some ability to chip in some goals and we actually have a fourth line with purpose and we have Marlie depth too.
I would prefer to go after a Milano type over a ZAR in this scenario.
He can play 2L or 3L in this scenario, in both cases it pushes Engval to 4 LW with Rodrigues and NAK which would be a great 4th line. (I may even slot in Rodrigues as 3C in scenarios when you need a goal, with Milano and Jarnkrok.)
Other thing it does is really helps PP2.
Right now, PP1 is Matthews, Marner, Nyalnder, Reilly and Tavares. Who is PP2? Robertson, Engval, Jarnkrok, Sandin. No real playmakers.