(Proposal) off-season plans

[GM PLACE ROCKS]

I'll keep it nice & short:

1. Buy out Booth if you can't trade him (even for a late round pick)

2. Trade Edler to an interested team (ie DET, fla, etc)

3. Trade Hansen: he used to be ok but once he signed his contract, he has been fairly un-noticeable, can be easily replaced by one of our younger prospects

4. Trade Kesler: don't want an arrogant American who clearly wants to play for a US team

5. Trade Schroeder for a pick or another decent prospect

6. Resign tanev, kassian, and santorelli

7. Bring up corrado, horvat, Jensen, and kenins (Hansen replacement)

8. Give shinkaruk and gaunce another year

At the draft if we pick 6-10, go for a big scoring winger.

Thoughts?

[AriGold]

9. Sign Jaro Halak to a 12 year 64M contract.

[silver_surfer]

10. Fire MG and (in keeping with current trends of hiring former players) replace with Libor Polasek

[Phil_314]

11. 8 points isn't really all that short.

12. So you'd keep Sestito on the team and keep Archibald in the minors? I'd waive Tom to bring Darren up.

[chayne]

1. Trade Edler. Not because I think he sucks, but this frees up $5 mill. Plus I would rather Bieksa and Hammy around to train our younger guys. Expected return a middle draft pick and a decent prospect (future 2/3 liner) eg. 3rd round and Spooner or Matt Fraser from BOS

2. Resign Tanev and Weber. Let Alberts walk

3. Shop Kesler. Would expect a return of a good forward, low 1st/High 2nd round draft and a prospect project. (ex: Pitts return Sutter, 1st round, Philip Samuelsson) maybe asking for their first is a high price.

PLEASE NOTE: Trading Edler and Kesler frees up $10 mil. For this reason, I say let Booth play his contract out. From management point of view this saves cash.

4. Shop our "older" player. Higgins, Booth, Hansen, Garrison and yes even Burr. If we can get a good return for 2 of these then I say go for it. If not then these players can fill out our four lines.

5. Call up Horvat, Shinkaruk, Gaunce, Tommernes, Corrado, Grenier, Blain. Let three of these guys make the team. This is assuming we keep Jensen up

6. See if we can a free agent depending on who goes to FA. Halak, Meszaros, Brian Lee, Callahan (dreams), Stastny, Michalek. No one over 30 unless signed cheap, over 25 has to equate to 50 points or decent cheap D, and under 25 with good potential. I think signing similar to what we have is just using up minute we could give to our young players (example Cammalleri, Hemsky, Jokinen, ect.)

7. Assuming we keep Gillis and Torts, then give Torts as many malleable young players to learn his "system."

8. Keep the Sedins. These guys will show our young players how to be good professional hockey players.

9. Santorelli. Not sure. I like him but do not want to spend too much cap on him.

10. Mid season: Re-access our vets and prospects. If at this point the team isn't rolling decently, the vets are out the door for youth. If we are winning, then make some hard choices about prospects and maybe dump a couple for return.

Torts: I look at Torts and think that he may work out. With the right player mentality he could create a situation like Hitchcock in St. Louis. Get your players to buy into the plan and you don't need a Crosby/Toews to win. Hitchcock got good players young and made a great team. Torts has this capacity if the team really likes him as much as they say they do. They will fight for him.

Gillis: Not sure. I think draft day is his make or break.

[silver_surfer]

1. Trade Edler. Not because I think he sucks, but this frees up $5 mill. Plus I would rather Bieksa and Hammy around to train our younger guys. Expected return a middle draft pick and a decent prospect (future 2/3 liner) eg. 3rd round and Spooner or Matt Fraser from BOS

2. Resign Tanev and Weber. Let Alberts walk

3. Shop Kesler. Would expect a return of a good forward, low 1st/High 2nd round draft and a prospect project. (ex: Pitts return Sutter, 1st round, Philip Samuelsson) maybe asking for their first is a high price.

PLEASE NOTE: Trading Edler and Kesler frees up $10 mil. For this reason, I say let Booth play his contract out. From management point of view this saves cash.

4. Shop our "older" player. Higgins, Booth, Hansen, Garrison and yes even Burr. If we can get a good return for 2 of these then I say go for it. If not then these players can fill out our four lines.

5. Call up Horvat, Shinkaruk, Gaunce, Tommernes, Corrado, Grenier, Blain. Let three of these guys make the team. This is assuming we keep Jensen up

6. See if we can a free agent depending on who goes to FA. Halak, Meszaros, Brian Lee, Callahan (dreams), Stastny, Michalek. No one over 30 unless signed cheap, over 25 has to equate to 50 points or decent cheap D, and under 25 with good potential. I think signing similar to what we have is just using up minute we could give to our young players (example Cammalleri, Hemsky, Jokinen, ect.)

7. Assuming we keep Gillis and Torts, then give Torts as many malleable young players to learn his "system."

8. Keep the Sedins. These guys will show our young players how to be good professional hockey players.

9. Santorelli. Not sure. I like him but do not want to spend too much cap on him.

10. Mid season: Re-access our vets and prospects. If at this point the team isn't rolling decently, the vets are out the door for youth. If we are winning, then make some hard choices about prospects and maybe dump a couple for return.

Torts: I look at Torts and think that he may work out. With the right player mentality he could create a situation like Hitchcock in St. Louis. Get your players to buy into the plan and you don't need a Crosby/Toews to win. Hitchcock got good players young and made a great team. Torts has this capacity if the team really likes him as much as they say they do. They will fight for him.

Gillis: Not sure. I think draft day is his make or break.

Tommernes, Corrado, Blaine are nowhere near ready, I haven't seen enough of Grenier to really speak about it. You put them in the lineup and delete Kesler Edler and two other vets and we would be in the running for McDavid. I'm assuming that's your goal but you just forgot to state it.

The difference between Hitch in St. Louis and Torts in Van is the amazing depth that the Blues have acquired over the last couple years. Their youth is contributing in a massive way. Not the case here (all respect to Jensen).

[canuktravella]

I disagree corrado will be ready next yr he looked ok last yr in playoffs and has all summer to train and get stronger. He makes our d next yr

[chayne]

Tommernes, Corrado, Blaine are nowhere near ready, I haven't seen enough of Grenier to really speak about it. You put them in the lineup and delete Kesler Edler and two other vets and we would be in the running for McDavid. I'm assuming that's your goal but you just forgot to state it.

The difference between Hitch in St. Louis and Torts in Van is the amazing depth that the Blues have acquired over the last couple years. Their youth is contributing in a massive way. Not the case here (all respect to Jensen).

The St. Louis Blues got amazing depth by using the young players they had. They were not afraid to lose guys like Brewer (trade), Crombeen (trade), McClement (trade), D'Agonstini (trade) and the like in favor of youth in the system. Let the young players rise to Hitchcock's expectations and who does is winning. Who doesn't is traded.

I can state Tanev, Staton and even Kesler as my examples. When Tanev stepped up for the big club, I was surprised by how great he was. Staton too! I remember when Kesler and Burrows were in the system and Kesler was considered overrated by the media and fans. Look how that turned when he was given the 3rd line center role.

Point is, young guys need a good chance and a look. If they fall flat on their face then they do. If not we have a good young team who is molded by the coach. Their isn't much in the way of free agency year after year and it seems that players get over paid that way as well. Our current core is old. So inject youth from our system with the vets we have. Vets can take care of the professionalism, while the youth can give the team a spark of energy, and hopefully some offense.