[gvitaly]

The great start to the year is really nice, but I actually want to see what those players do in the playoffs. I get that Gaudreau needs to be extended before then, but I hope it's to a number that starts with an 8.

I wouldn't want to see either player back at a $9.5M price tag. They haven't been game changers consistently enough last year, for me to be comfortable with that kind of a commitment. We had a great first half of the 2018-19 season as well, and then teams adjusted, or the coach's message started wearing thin. That's why the last couple of seasons left me with more questions than answers when it comes to our core.

Also, they are both amazing players, but I think that LW is the easiest position to fill in the NHL. As in elite LWers become available more often than elite Centers/RW. Lwers also seem to be easier to develop, as a lot of offensively talented centers start by playing on the wing at the NHL level. I didn't run the numbers, so that's just my eye test.