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Respectfully, we have a 2C... Dylan Larkin

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE

First off, both could be moving on, though I think both will stay with their respective teams. AA being RFA and Detroit needing vets (who can actually contribute) that can possibly play 2C. Athanasiou - career 117 pts in 303 games (avg 0.39 pts per game) Gagner - career459 pts in 844 games (avg 0.54 pts per game) Athanasiou has the advantage of his youth and playing on a much better Edmonton team, but then Gagner will only be turning 31 in august (AA turns 26 in the same month) so he's certainly not over-the-hill yet. Imagine if both players have something like a 40 pt season next year. Will Holland neck himself knowing he gave up two 2nd rounder for a lateral move?

Yup. Compliance buyout Abby, regular buyout Nielsen. That would free up almost $6 million next year and two roster spots. Then we just have to stomach that $4.4 cap hit for one year and we're free n clear. In the reverse we save 7.45 next year, but then we have to deal with Abby's 1-2 mil cap hit for the next FIVE YEARS. f*** that. We're not gonan spend to the cap anyway so screw the extra 1.5 we save by using a compliance on Nielsen.

I know I and others say this every year, but sure looks like we could afford to lose Nielsen and Abby pretty easily and still ice an "acceptable" lineup. Bertuzzi - Larkin - Mantha Fabbri - Filppula - Zadina Helm - Glendening - Timashov Smith - Ehn - Erne Svechnikov/Rasmussen/Hirose Missing from the lineup: Abdelkader, Nielsen, Gagner, Perlini, and that's also with no UFA additions. Adding another UFA center and/or a Lafreniere perhaps will make things all the more easy. Sink or swim time is fast approaching for Svechnikov. He'll be 24 to start the season and I think he needs to start seeing tangible NHL ice time by December/January. Hirose, Ras, and Smith all look like they should be callups. Abby and Nielsen prolly should fear for their jobs.

To be fair to Turris he had to play behind Forsberg and Duchene, AND Bonino to an extent. Playing as Nashvilles 8th forward. And he was still on a 40 pt pace, much better than any center besides Larkin we currently have. Our 7th forward was Glendog for pete sake. On this team Turris is probably our 2C and our at the very last our 5/6th forward. I would think he jumps back up to a 50+ pt center in that role with competent line mates, unless he's a total bum.

I just hope Ganger sticks around for a little bit. He is the kind of veteran who is good to have around during a rebuild.