i also thought this was a "gap" year.
when kasper was on the top line, they were humming. he went to the corners and to the front of the net. he was exactly what they needed. then copp got injured and he dropped down to center line two. which is exactly the time line two started to heat up and line one went into a funk.
kasper at lw or kasper at c2 made a huge difference.
to your point, they desperately need a LW or a C2. i dont think they need both because kasper can play one of those roles.
they need a top 4 defenseman to either allow ed to play with seider, or allow ed to lead the second pair. they have a bundle of 3rd pair d (and guys who should be out of the league). guys like chairot would be fine on 3rd pair.
marner and gavrikov would be great! lol.
i'd almost rather overpay for gavrikov than give marner 13x7. but that's where they are. then deal a pick and some defense prospect depth for a solid line two forward.
goalie will remain a problem until cossa matures or augustine gets here.
dare to dream, wings fans.