Quote:
Originally Posted by Itse
This makes sense. Stajans cap hit wouldn't be much of an issue since he's only signed for 1 year anyway.
Good argument.
However, if you're looking for a stopgap top 6 guy, I think Versteeg fits the bill much better.
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The trouble is, Versteeg is at the age where he has nowhere to go but down. Shinkaruk could be a stopgap top-6 forward right away, and if his development goes reasonably well, he could be a legitimate top-6 forward in a couple of years. Age matters, especially when you're building a team that is unlikely to contend for several years.
Anyway, I very much doubt McPhee is planning to claim UFAs in the expansion draft unless there's one exposed who is just too good to resist. He'll have his shot at UFAs on July 1, like everyone else – and all kinds of cap room to play with. I expect him to look at drafting 30 actual assets – players under contract or RFAs – which he can keep or use as trade bait, as desired.