Habster:
I would strongly consider signing Brad Stuart to play with Roman Hamrlik as he would be a reasonable signing that wouldn’t eat up your salary cap. It would also allow Carbonneau to ease O’Byrne into the lineup as a #5 or #6 defenseman with Josh Gorges.
Granted, I love Francis Bouillon’s toughness and all-round game but talented youngsters like O’Byrne, Gorges and even Valentenko need to get playing time at the NHL level. There are also other talented prospects on the way up the system.