Probably going to be another quiet offseason on the Island, full of cap shenanigans, low-risk buys and unfortunate departures. The RFAs will be tricky once again, but I do believe the three big ones will be able to be re-signed affordably.
At the expansion draft, I think Nick Leddy would be made available, in hopes that Seattle would be intrigued by an elite transitional defenseman having a resurgent season, as far as point production goes, but ultimately I think they balk at his $7 million salary next season and instead take Kieffer Bellows, giving him in Seattle the opportunity that he never really had in New York. Shortly after that, Leo Komarov is traded to Arizona for cap space, with Sebastian Aho being thrown in as a sweetener. Arizona has two defensemen under contract for next season (3 if you count Soderstrom I suppose), so getting a guy who can play either side, worth less than league minimum and has the tools to be a scary player in the offensive zone makes him an enticing piece for the Coyotes to take back. Maybe they even try him at forward like I’ve suggested in the past, where I think his skillset would be better utilized, who knows.
Finally, the UFAs. Hard to imagine Cizikas leaving, but I don’t know if we have the cap to keep him. He’s 100% the kind of guy who might take a discount to stay, but if the max we can offer him is only around half of what he’s worth, I think he’ll opt to test the market. Travis Zajac can fill his spot on the 4th line for a year or two, I’ve liked him a lot in his short tenure on the Island at I think the 4C role would suit him well. Lots of internal options to potentially fill the 3LW hole, but I think this is a spot where they could opt to get creative. Andrew Cogliano is a name I’ve liked for awhile - still pretty quick, is excellent defensively and is a solid PKer. I think he’d fit great on a line with Pageau and Wahlstrom (assuming 26 doesn’t get a promotion) and as a group they’d be really hard to play against. And then that’s it. We have no more money. Maybe sign some guys to two-way contracts like we did with Czarnik but idk.
So yeah that’s it. Still think this team is pretty good and in a perfect world, this is the group that embarks on our Cup defense lol
Don’t think ARZ can or would want to take on that cap hit regardless of the actual salary they have to pay a healthy scratch type of player. OTT/BUF/DET/LA look like better partners but then Aho isn’t enough payment for this to happen.
I've always enjoyed reading your posts, and once again this is a solid one. I wonder if a Hickey dump combined with a Clutterbuck buyout would be enough to extend Cizikas though.
I've always enjoyed reading your posts, and once again this is a solid one. I wonder if a Hickey dump combined with a Clutterbuck buyout would be enough to extend Cizikas though.
Thank you! I can't see a Clutterbuck buyout with how much they absolutely love the 4th line and wouldn't break it up unless their hand was forced. Hickey on the other hand could be bought out and I think then they might be able to have Cizikas come back. Didn't think about that until afterwards, but I can see how that would work some time.
Of course, the RFAs will likely all be signed after free agency starts, so it's well within the realm of possibility (maybe even more realistic) that they could bring Cizikas back at the start of free agency, without having signed Beauvillier, Pelech or Sorokin. But if that happens, I think you're really rolling the dice with the contract those guys get, especially considering those guys all have arbitration rights
Don’t think ARZ can or would want to take on that cap hit regardless of the actual salary they have to pay a healthy scratch type of player. OTT/BUF/DET/LA look like better partners but then Aho isn’t enough payment for this to happen.
That's definitely possible. I don't really care where he goes, as we don't have to retain and we're not giving up a 1st
McDavid, Connor
$250,000)
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