Statue4Deano
Super Star
This is close to a version of the approach I think Holland will take. I don’t believe he wanted Marner at 14M. I think he wants more pieces to fill holes hoping that will raise the overall play more than adding one superstar.Instead of Marner, let’s go all in with Kings going hard for Kadri, Rasmus Andersson, and Byrum in trade, then sign Marchand at all costs.
If you need to make the money work, probably Danault has to go, which sucks but Kadri is a hard nosed player with way more offensive upside to slot in at 3C behind Kopi and QB(or push Kopi down to a very favorable 3C spot). I realize the trade costs would be high(Turcotte, Clarke, Greentree, one of our goalie prospects, lots of 1st round picks), but with this team’s regular season acumen, and subsequent crumbling in the playoffs, NOW is the time to seize a chance to win another Cup or two. A team led by Byfield and Clarke 3-4 years from now will be an absolute middle of the road club, especially if guys like Kempe and Fiala check out. The cap is projected to rise wildly in the next 2-3 years, so now is also an optimal time to grab players in their prime, and worry about how to make the money work later.
We desperately need bite and aggression that guys like Kadri and Marchand bring. Plus more puck moving skill out of the backend, so if Mikey Anderson needs to go, in order to replace him with one of the above defenders, I’m open to that as well.
For those who would cry about stripping the cupboards bare, my take is that once Kopitar and Doughty are done, this team is way overdue for a true, scorched earth rebuild. Unless we see actual results from Byfield and Clarke this season as true All Star type players, you’re just clinging to the illusion of hope that these guys are actual 1st line/top pairing players, and not foundational building blocks for a championship team
The question is can Holland close these types of deals? I think he’s going to get a couple of guys that he really wants but he’s also going to strikeout and a couple more.