??? --- ??? --- Raymond
Kasper --- Larkin --- ???
Berggren --- Copp --- Buchelnikov
Soderblom --- Rasmussen --- Mazur
1) I'm a huge Buchelnikov fan, and Mazur's starting to look like a legit top-6 NHL RHW. I'm almost being conservative penciling them in the bottom-six.
2) Seeing Soder in the NHL this yr, I think his peak is "guy who can hang on the 4th line a few minutes a night and be an ENORMOUS asset on the PP". And Berggren's certainly looked like at least a solid 3rd line LHW on a contender-level.
3) I prefer Ras in a bottom-six wing role...but it is what it is. He and Copp should give us two solid bottom-six centers. Nothing wrong with keeping Veleno around as a 13th forward either. And I also like what I've seen from Red Savage as a potential future 4th line C/PK specialist.
4) Raymond is certainly a top-six RHW. If Kasper isn't needed at center, he can play left or right wing in the top-six.
5) I'll be shocked if Larkin isn't resigned. But he's not a #1 championship center. Neither is Horvat. Or Kasper probably for that matter. THIS STILL NEEDS TO BE FAR AND AWAY OUR #1 ITEM AT THE TOP OF THE DRAFT.
6) As for the other two top-six wingers. Maybe Bertuzzi is resigned and is great (I'd prefer a 1st rd pick for him to get one if possible, given his back). Maybe Vrana makes a miraculous comeback. Maybe Buchelnikov or Mazur is a star. Most likely, we will need to add at least one more stud wing...preferably a guy who can really put the puck in the net. That, as I see it...is really our only other big need.
Thoughts?
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