Stastny: Tons of chemistry at 5v5 and on the PP. He'll be rightfully looking for a solid paycheque with term. Might end up being overpriced at the tail-end if it's more than 3 or 4 years.
Little: We were already a good team with Little at 2C. His numbers weren't what we're used to last year, but a bit of a bounce-back seems like a reasonable expectation considering he's still fairly young and has very talented players around him.
Wheeler: Did an admirable job as a C when called upon this year. It would be fair to say that considering how good he is on the wing, having him be a pretty good 2C is a waste of his talents. But if he has the whole preseason to adjust to the role, could he give us that 1-2 punch down the middle?
Roslovic: He's shown flashes of high-end talent. Has a good work ethic and a high hockey IQ. I would say his ceiling is as a mid-level 1C or elite 2C. But he's not there yet. Can he develop on the fly? Would putting him in this role force him to adapt? And would that learning curve be fast enough to get us back into the post season?
Thornton: Jumbo Joe probably would never leave San Jose. He's got unfinished business there and he's put down strong roots in the Bay Area by all accounts. But just for poops and giggles, his advanced age will likely mean that he'll be signing a relatively affordable short-term contract. If the Sharks want to move on, his size, talent and experience would be of immense benefit to a young team. Can we convince him that we have wifi?
Tavares: Definitely the best player named here and will get paid as such. That said, all indications are that winning is more important to him than money, so maybe he'd rather take $10M here than $12M on Long Island. We'd have to trade at least 1 high-paid player for futures to fit him under the cap, but that may be a good thing as we'll likely need cheap elc players going forward, and having a few extra picks in future drafts will help that immensely.
My personal preference here is for Tavares. There'll be some strong competition for his services, but I think that whole "nobody will ever sign in Winnipeg" idea has been fully debunked after Stastny waived his no-trade to come here. If Tavares wants to win, we might actually be the best possible option for him.
