Or he could be the next Antropov, or the next Zacha and many other top picks to bust.
This is a Dundon move not a hockey ops move in Carolina. Essentially a bad hockey decision.
He is one more mediocre season away from being worth ONLY a 3rd round pick.
Maybe it's me but I just don't believe in him. In his rookie year he did some good things at 18. He hasn't been the same since. That's a problem.
Bottom line - Time is running out for this core of Price/Petry/Gally and others . The window is 1 to 3 years with these guys. Can't afford to wait around for KK to blossom into his new found salary bracket. Those $$ are important in a flat cap.
I realize that things are not always linear...
Out of market contracts for comparable players take years for the market to catch up.
I always go back to the following examples:
The 1st big Brad Richards Contract in 2007 : Elite centers started making that kind of money 4 years later (don't have time to research all the details)
PK's $9...
I still think the Oilers will be OK eventually. Mcdavid is signed for 5 more years. Their top five or six prospects are really good and all close to stepping into the lineup and giving them cheap production. Guys like Bouchard, Broberg, Mcleod, Holloway....
They just need to get a goalie...
There is no point in my mid at least since it's just better to give Norlinder, Wideman, Brook that chance.
Vatanen was on waiver last year. Might as well go back to Gus.
Panthers goaltending is suspect. Knight is a rookie with 2 games worth of experience.
But yeah given what happened with Krejci, and the way the rosters currently stand, its probably Florida's division to lose..