Joined: Jan. 2017
Posts: 467
Likes: 253
Can a player be traded while he's in the Player Assistance Program? I think somebody asked it on 32 Thoughts recently but I can't recall the answer.
Even if they can, the Sharks don't take the gamble. They just moved on from 6.75M in cap hit until 2030 of a productive player's contract who had some issues (knees) but didn't really fit their timeline. Hertl's 1 year 4 months older than Nichushkin, but I truly can't imagine them acquiring a player who is a similar age earning a similar amount to what they're saving for exactly as long. They're not going to be competing for the playoffs for at least 3 years, but his contract goes an additional 3 years after that. This would be replacing a center with a less desirable position (wing) and only saving 625k.
*I'm aware Hertl's cap hit is larger than that, but the unretained portion of his contract is 6.75M