#4. Trevor Lewis (2019-20 Salary: $2M)
Anytime you can look to add a two-time Stanley Cup champion, you do it. Lewis was on both Stanley Cup winning teams with the LA Kings and is a former teammate of Jake Muzzin. Some people think that Stanley Cup experience is overrated, but I don’t. Any time you can add another player in the lineup that’s been through war is a big deal and Lewis could be that addition.
The 33-year-old centre’s production has faltered over the past two seasons, but that’s not the reason why you’d be acquiring this player. In an article by LA Kings Insider, they detailed the reason why you’d want him on your team:
"“A player you can set a watch to, Trevor Lewis’ consistency, detail, coachability, regimen and approach sets a model for younger players to follow. He’s a valuable, catalyzing veteran member of the team’s leadership core that, after the departure of a high number of character veterans, has naturally evolved to maintain his important and versatile role into one that carries a modest but needed bounty of secondary production.”"
I know the team addressed it’s veteran leadership by adding Joe Thornton, Zach Bogosian and Wayne Simmonds, but it sounds like Lewis could be another leader in the room. Also, did I mention he has two Stanley Cup rings? Oh yeah, I did.
On a minimum salary, Lewis could compete for the fourth-line centre or be a player that rotates in and out of the lineup. Even if he’s not playing every night, he would be a great addition.