Looking back at our league's champs no team has won because of their hometown draft picks.  The Ducks teams won because of their own great drafting and smart signings.  The Blues/Shooter won because he is awesome at everything and caught on before everyone else that prospect extensions were the best value.  The Coyotes/Slack will continue to be great because they must have some kind of sports almanac from the future that told them who the next NHL superstars were going to be.

There has been no one way to win.  You just gotta be a good GM and put it all together.

Having said that I am actually in support of removing the 3 home team keepers and expanding our draft.  But, I have a bridge idea that maybe lets us keep the hometown feel while getting at my hatred towards the 5 year prospect extension.

What if we:
1. Remove the 3 keeper picks. 
2. Expand our normal draft (drafting is the funnest part). 
3. Then reduce prospect extensions to 3 years, but if the prospect is on your NHL team you can sign them to 5.  That way it gives an incentive to keep players from your NHL team while also not making you beholden to the terrible choices of NHL GMs.
4. Could also do what Snug mentioned and give a discount on signing players on your NHL team.

I'm looking to move

Philipp Grubauer $4.3m (25-26)
John Gibson $6.1m (26-27)
Joe Pavelski $3m (25-26)
Jake McCabe resigns for $4.8m as he crushed it playing for the Leafs

I can retain salary to make a move work. Mostly looking for some goalie prospects or picks. Could be persuaded for other pieces too.

Elias Lindholm $7m (25-26)

$7m x 3 = 21m x .66 = $13.9m

Buyout all this year

Please take Spurgeon off IR

Please place Patrik Laine and Filip Gustavsson on IR

1.8m