JD/Checketts have been frustrating with the contracts. Now we have a lot less dough to sign someone who will make a difference.
4.5 to Brewer (I don't care what other people think. He was still bad after Murray. Especially late in the season. Earlier, he still fucked up, it just wasn't leading to goals)
4.5 to KT. Holy crap. What is with the player loyalty?
4.0 to McKee. I guess I shouldn't judge this one. He couldn't play 5 minutes without breaking something.
3.5 to Weight. I'd call him a has-been, but I'm not sure how much he ever was. He can't score, and he really hardly puts up any points anymore. Overrated--yeah. We bill him as our #1 center, but really, he's more like a 3rd.

To Rucinsky (I forget... but it was too much)
While part of me still says, "who could we get for less than 4.0m that will make more of a difference?", I still think letting some young guys play would be more exciting. I just get a feeling we'll see Guerin or Dvorak again, which leaves us almost in the exact same spot as last year as far as our roster (subtract Drake, add Boyes--definite improvement, but there should be more). It is hard to be optimistic about the future when you keep throwing more dollars at a status quo.
Its like last year, throwing money at Rucinsky and Weight etc when we could have signed one real game-breaker.
Maybe I undervalue KT and Weight, but it just doesn't seem like they are top tier players anymore--(especially Weight, who can't score for shit). Even KT seems to get only assists anymore. What is the point of having two "setup men" (three if you count Boyes) when you only have one person that is a finisher (stempniak)?