Here are the potential UFA options at C this off-season:
Malkin/Bergeron/Giroux/Getzlaf - re-sign or only to top contenders
Pavelski/Stastny - similar to above (contention/lifestyle considerations probably outweigh $$/term at this point)
Hertl - turns 28 in Nov
Kadri - 32
Trocheck - 29
Strome - 29 (exact same birthday as Trocheck 11-Jul '93)
Copp - 28
Tierney - 28
Eakin - 31
Bozak - 36
Domi/Rodrigues/Jarnkrok/Johansson/Namestnikov/etc - versatile middle sixers who you wouldn't want to rely on at 2C
Two premium options, though it's gotta be a little scary to bet on Kadri at his age based on an anomalous season. Trocheck and Strome are fine, but pretty scary bets if you're an ascending team looking at 6x6+.
Then you're looking at 3Cs or wingers who might slide to C in a pinch.
Paying a cond. 2nd/3rd on a Monahan bet would be more palatable to me than paying the price on pretty much anyone not named Hertl. Tierney seems like an interesting buy-low candidate - not really sure hat's happened to him the last 2 years?
Look at Paul Stastny's last couple years in STL...$7M AAV averaging .23 g/gp and .62 p/gp and he still returned a 1st+ at final TDL.
Monahan is about .18 g/gp and .51 p/gp these last 2 years. Obviously you can't bank on a bad trade repeating, but Monahan's numbers wouldn't have to improve by much to be fairly appealing by the TDL.
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