This team, right now, as it sits will not make the playoffs next year (most likely, I mean, I don't have a crystal ball, maybe some of the kids will be better than I expect.)
But I don't think this current roster is going to be the roster that goes in to next season. We're not done trading yet if Murray is to be held to his word about not letting any of the free agents walk. On top of that, free agency could be real interesting this year. If Brandon Saad hit's Restricted Free Agency (and he almost certainly will), Someone is going to offer sheet him and poach him away from the Blackhawks, who because of their cap situation will be in no position to resist. You offer sheet him for 5.5- 6 million and you've got him. They have 2.25 million in cap space going in to the off season right now, with 15 players. They're going to move Patrick Sharp and that will free up 5.25 but 2.25 is not even enough for them to just call up ELCs to get to having enough players and still stay below the cap, so they can't afford to match an offer sheet that wipes out the cap space they get from the Sharp trade. The only question at this point is who gets to Saad first.
On top of that you have some very good defenseman hitting the market, headed by Ehrhoff, Franson, and Sekera. Risto and Zadorov are the top line of the future, there is little doubt in my mind about that, and Bogosian is a top 4 dman. Get him a partner, and then call up Pysyk and/or McCabe for third pairing, with Gorges or Weber as the other if both aren't ready, and the D core is suddenly very very solid.
Right now I think the top line is sorted, It's going to be Kane - McEichel - Ennis unless we somehow, in only my wildest dreams, land Kessel or the Blackhawks give up on trying to keep Toews and Kane and we get Patrick. Like I said, my wildest dreams. Kessel is more realistic but barely. So that's the top line sorted. Second line should be Moulson/Saad if we offer sheet him away, Reinhart if he's ready, and then I'd like to see what Johan Larrson can do at RW on that line. Third line should be anchored by Girgensons. Wings are a bit of a toss up, if we don't offer sheet Saad then you've got Foligno on LW here and probably Gionta on the right. Fourth line all I know for sure is, if his career isn't over, Cody McCormick will be the anchor here.
So yeah, we've still got some holes to fill if we're looking to make a push but I cannot stress enough how much that Evander Kane trade helped. We have a real top line (potential, I know he has only shown flashes of it so far, but I believe in him) LW again and that will let Moulson roam free on the second line where I think he'll be better. The kids are, as always, a wild card. If we land McDavid their is no question in my mind he makes the roster day one. One look at his stats this year tells you he has nothing left to learn in the OHL, and even if we could send him to the Amerks I think it would be a mistake.
Of course I haven't addressed goaltending, simply because I have no real ideas here. Anti Niemi is going to be a free agent so that's a possible option. He's gonma be 32 next year though, so he's not a long term answer, but he could make a good enough bandaid until one of our young goaltenders steps up or we have time to find someone else. Other than that I have no ideas. They pretty much all, except for Makarov, look terrible this year. I expect Neuvirth and Lindback to walk as well, and don't really care if they do as I don't see either of them being the answer unless something drastic happens.