Trying to make keeping Pietrangelo realistic

Expansion draft isn't until after the 2021 season so cap relief wouldn't come in time to rectify the Pietrangelo situation. To keep Petro, the first move would be trading Allen and finding a sub-$1.5m backup. Then the next (more challenging) move would be to find a home for Bozak that works with his 10-team no-trade list. Then our GM who has no history of dead money would have to buy out Steen to save another $2m or so against the cap (assuming Steen won't waive his NTC). From there, depending on the exact cap hit that Petro signs for, someone like Gunnarsson, Bortuzzo, Sanford, Blais, or Barbashev might have to be moved. It's a lot of moving parts and the reward is a potentially bad contract for the back 9 of Petro's career... will be interesting to see what happens.

Detroit would take both Steen + Allen + lottery protected 2021 first for a mid round pick like a 4th just to remove Buffalo from the equation. Allen could backup Bernier and Steen could be bought out if that’s his condition on waiving.

Allen has actual value, and he'd obviously be Detroit's starter over Bernier.

I think the Sabres would give those terms also while offering Hutton with 50% retained for 1.375 cap hit

Can’t imagine there’s any chance at all that Steen waives his NTC to go from one of the best teams to one of the worst