Cap dumps for picks

Team: 2019-20 Detroit Red Wings

Initial Creation Date: May 1, 2019

Published: Jun. 13, 2019

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

I've gone through several combinations and permutations of this idea...

Basically what I'm proposing is plucking the low hanging fruit from teams who could use cap relief. I tried my best to structure these deals as win-wins for both sides. The teams dumping contracts get some cap flexibility, Wings get more picks while not taking on any long term deals, and neither side really has to give up much to get it done.

If you think my asking price on some of these guys is high in DET's end, remember that the wings don't HAVE to take on any of these deals. Late 6th round picks for bad contracts, even if they're expiring, don't move the needle for me.

If you care why I chose these 3 players:

Kulikov is a #6 D man in Winnipeg making more than Josh Morrissey. Jets have plenty of UFAs and RFAs they'd probably like to keep around, and $4.3 mil in cap space would go a long way to helping them do that. They don't have many picks this year, so I'd ask for a 2020 3rd for an early 2019 5th to take on his deal. The sad thing is, our left side is so awful he may slot in as a #4 D man on this team...

Ganger is an aging vet who's game has dropped off pretty hard. He's got 1 year left on a deal worth a little over 3 mil and I bet the oil can find a better way to use that money. By trading them our 4th round pick for the Islanders 4th round pick, Edmonton would only move back from 85 to 97th. Seems like a small price to pay for a team that finished in the bottom of a weak Pacific with a capped out roster.

This is where it gets interesting to me: I would try to flip Ganger to a team that needed bottom six help at a heavy discount. I'd retain at least $1.5 mil and ask for a later but still relevant pick in return. Florida seemed like the best fit. They need bottom six forward help (when Riley Shehan is your #3 center, you have problems, ask me how I know) and aren't in cap trouble. They also have a load of 4th round picks. I'd ask for theirs first, but I'd also take any of the ones they own. Philly just paid a 5th just to TALK to Kevin Hayes...I feel like this is a fair ask.

Vegas is in cap hell and they know it. Haula seemed like the easiest one to deal and, unless things change rapidly next year, the Wing's 2020 4th shouldn't be too far off the Knight's 2019 3rd.

As far as the UFA signings, I'd bring back Whitter plus Kronner and Vanek for another year as depth pieces in case of injury. That way we can bring kids up when we want to, not when we need to. Beauty of this plan is in 2020, you have over $25 mil coming off the books leaving plenty of cap space to sign our RFAs and maybe even a couple UFAs. I think this would also put us in pretty good shape for the expansion draft.

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