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Cam Ward being moved is Imo the best option for the team and, then option 2 being unloading Ruutu's contract which would free up cap space ($11m) to resign Faulk but, more important this year is making the playoffs and upgrading the team and significantly with those contracts gone THIS season. JR could get a 3rd line center to start with with either player + a throw in player/pick which would let him do his favorite ritual which is sit on his hands until the March deadline to move the remaining player out for another 6/9 winger which would make the team much better and, with the right trade a serious contender with the D corps as is which some say is crazy but, this team when playing good plays good on both ends and, I really believe that a couple of players that can score which can take pressure of the top lines plus Skinner would give the team enough confidence to finish really strong.
The chances of keeping Ward & Khudobin both is...Not a chance in $ell and anybody that can add can see that Khudobin making less and producing more is a no brainer in the Salary Cap world especially when you can make huge upgrades down the lines along with having enough left to give Faulk his salary upgrade. This scenario would give JR the luxury of keeping Peter's as the back up and giving him a 250k pay raise AND, upgrading the whole lineup!..What's not to like unless you have a Ward or Ruutu jersey to upgrade to a new favorite player!
The answer to you have Rutherford pegged right as being more likely to wait and evaluate than open up a full yard sale early?..Easy does a bear sh#% in the woods? Nothing it seems is better to JR than sitting on his hands while his team flounders hoping his questionable draft picks pan out at all cost other than the Glass of Crown Royal and, tonic water he swills down while drowning the memory of two back to back shut out loses in the owners box!
The 3C position Imo would be Backlund or Stajan then Gagner as Cullen at 37 $3.5m and, Legwand at 33 $4.5m are to much with Legwand being a UFA next year so, with a trade I would want a younger player like Gagner or Backlund with both being under contract for at least a year with Backlund fitting in defensive wise better but, Gagner having more skill over all.
The salary cap going up is why JR needs to get a younger player under contract for this reason only with any UFA next year getting over paid especially Dmen and Goalies and, I think all these people who think Ward is over paid now are really funny when you look at the other goalies out there in UFA next year with let's say Halak who is the best veteran out there with the Blues do you think the Blues who are in a race for the overall #1 seed in the west will let him go to UFA? Not unless there stupid!..Halak would get crazy money If he hit the open market and, Imo more than Ward makes now so lets look at who may be out there.
Miller, Ryan » G BUF 33 $6,250,000 2014 (UFA)
Hiller, Jonas » G ANA 31 $4,500,000 2014 (UFA)
Brodeur, Martin » G NJD 41 $4,500,000 2014 (UFA)
Thomas, Tim » G FLA 39 $3,750,000 2014 (UFA)
Halak, Jaroslav » G STL 28 $3,750,000 2014 (UFA)
Dubnyk, Devan » G NAS 27 $3,500,000 2014 (UFA)
Nabokov, Evgeni » G NYI 38 $3,250,000 2014 (UFA)
Bryzgalov, Ilya » G EDM 33 $2,266,234 2014 (UFA)
Khabibulin, Nikolai » G CHI 41 $2,000,000 2014 (UFA)
Vokoun, Tomas » G PIT 37 $2,000,000 2014 (UFA)
Elliott, Brian » G STL 28 $1,800,000 2014 (UFA)
Emery, Ray » G PHI 31 $1,650,000 2014 (UFA)
Giguere, Jean-Sebastien » G COL 36 $1,500,000 2014 (UFA)
Gustavsson, Jonas » G DET 29 $1,500,000 2014 (UFA)
Berra, Reto » G CGY 27 $1,381,250 2014 (UFA)
Clemmensen, Scott » G FLA 36 $1,200,000 2014 (UFA)
Labarbera, Jason » G CHI 33 $1,000,000 2014 (UFA)
MacDonald, Joey » G CGY 33 $925,000 2014 (UFA)
Khudobin, Anton » G CAR 27 $800,000 2014 (UFA)
Greiss, Thomas » G PHX 27 $750,000 2014 (UFA)
Nilstorp, Cristopher » G DAL 29 $725,000 2014 (UFA)
Danis, Yann » G PHI 32 $675,000 2014 (UFA)
Desjardins, Cedrick » G TBL 28 $650,000 2014 (UFA)
Lawson, Nathan » G OTT 30 $650,000 2014 (UFA)
Scrivens, Ben » G EDM 27 $612,500 2014 (UFA)
Montoya, Al » G WPG 28 $601,000 2014 (UFA)
Johnson, Chad » G BOS 27 $600,000 2014 (UFA)
MacIntyre, Drew » G TOR 30 $600,000 2014 (UFA)
McElhinney, Curtis » G CLB 30 $600,000 2014 (UFA)
McKenna, Mike » G CLB 30 $595,000 2014 (UFA)
Reiter, Ken » G NYI 27 $550,000 2014 (UFA)
Leggio, David » G WAS 29 $550,000 2014 (UFA)
Hutton, Carter » G NAS 28 $550,000 2014 (UFA)
Peters, Justin » G CAR 27 $537,500 2014 (UFA)
So you think there's a lot out there right now?..By the deadline the pool will dry up faster than free money and, who's left will get vastly over paid then Ward's deal will be about average maybe less. |
