I keep thinking about it, and it isn't what people want to hear today, but I don't think we are far off.
McDonagh, Skjei, Smith (I will say he is resigned) as a base on D. Add in a kid like Graves and the guys we just signed from the KHL and college. We need a top 4 RD to round out this group, no doubt about it, but if we can add that we are pretty complete on D.
Kreider, Ziban, Zucc, Vesey (kid looks like a real player), Nash, Hayes, Buch, Miller, Lindberg, Grabner, Fast.
That is a real nice forward group. 11 guys there. Maybe we lose one to Vegas, but that is a real solid group. And I am sure they will add a free agent upfront as well. I left Stepan out because he hopefully will be the one dealt for the RD we need. Also maybe Gropp is a player sometime next season as well.
This team is not far off...I truly believe that. We need to reshape the D, and we can do that by getting rid of Girardi or Staal, and dealing Stepan in a package for the top 4 RD we need badly. Then we need to hope the young guys progress like we expect. Hayes and Miller and Vesey and Buch and Kreider and Ziban and Lindberg (hope he doesn't go to Vegas). I like what I see. Need that dman though to really get there.