This is a tough one. What is the goal and plan for this team? Compete for the playoffs next year? Build for the future? If it's the latter, what is the timeframe?
Personally, I think this team needs to rebuild and try to accumulate young talent. If the team is lucky, the team will have a couple of franchise players to build around who will be ready to lead this team to the playoffs in about 3 years. That means that the team doesn't need to go out of their way to get rid of bad contracts, but should try hard to trade away players with long-term contracts because they might not be players you want to have with years remaining 3-4 years later. This team needs a fresh start and transition to a different core. With that in mind, here are my thoughts:
Begin: Go. Give his job to one of the young guys.
Cammalleri: Go if there is a good deal. Otherwise, keep him until the deadline. Considering his loser comments in Montreal, I'm not sure he's the guy you want on a rebuilding team. That and an extension likely won't make sense financially nor would it be desirable.
Glencross: Keep. He's not an easy guy to replace. The team should consider him a 30 goal scorer with a great cap hit and it should take a franchise prospect or young player to get him.
Hudler: Keep. You still need players on the team and given Hudler's age and contract status, he shouldn't cause any problems.
Jackman: Irrelevant. Go or keep on a two-way contract.
McGrattan: Keep on a two-way contract for a dying breed of true HW fighter.
Stajan: Keep. only because I don't think he's worth much. A solid two-way center with size who can play a top 6 role, Stajan is the classic offensive player on a bad team. Give him 16-18 minutes with PP time and he'll get you 50 points. Can't win with him but he'll produce enough to help the team stay competitive in a losing cause. The team needs centers and he fills a role.
Stempniak: Keep until the deadline. He is who he is. He's a streaky goal scorer who ends up with 18-20 goals over 82 games. Useful player to have and should fetch at least a 3rd round pick. Likely a 2nd+ if he's close to 20 goals.
Tanguay: Go. This is one contract Feaster should try hard to get rid of but not pay or give up assets to get rid of him.He'll be 34 and has 3 more years. He does have a decent cap hit and on a losing team you can live with his soft play and hope for 50+ points.
Babchuk: Go. He's probably worth nothing. Give him a chance to earn a spot, if he can't put him on waivers. If he can earn a spot, trade him at the deadline.
Giordano: Go if a good deal can be made, otherwise keep. Gio's game has been trending upwards until last season. Can Gio get back to the way he was two years ago? I'm starting to have my doubts so I think if a good deal comes along you trade him and not take the risk of Gio being the mistake-prone defensemen he has been the past one half seasons. But you need top 4 Dmen and this team only has 3 and that's including Gio.
Sarich: Keep until the deadline. He'll be good in the locker room and his cap hit won't be a problem.
Wideman: Go. Goes back to the question of when this team will contend again. This team shouldn't saddle itself with long-term contracts. With that said Wideman, like Stajan, is a good player to have on a rebuilding club. Wideman is a defensive liability but that's only a big issue in the playoffs. In the regular season Wideman logs minutes, can run the PP, and produce offensively.
MacDonald: Keep for the league minimum. He's been a decent backup here and a good insurance policy in case this team decides that the best goaltenders outside of the NHL will compete for this team's #1 job.
And... Kipper: Lure back! I believe that having a good goaltender back there stabilizes the entire team and allows young guys more freedom to make mistakes knowing that they have a legitimate #1 goaltender back there.
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