ACGM for Mattkenn

$5m for Zub, a 1st for Mayo?!

Paying an arm and leg for RD.

Could probably get a better option with that pick (like anyone) and save $1m or so on Zub and Pinto deals

Read "Team Explanation"

I did read it. I was kind of responding to both this and linked thread. I agree with your points on Zub deal. Top-4 defensive defenders go for a bit cheaper than their point-counting counterparts. And Pinto has little leverage, so he could be a 1-year, lower AAV option if they need to go that route.

With cap increase, Zub will have a lot of leverage as one of the top RD in a thin free agent class.

Teams trade contracts not players. If the goal is to have an NHL ready player for below 1M cap hit FOR THE NEXT 2 YEARS... Mayo is your best bet. Tampa set the market for these type of contract. See Goodrow, Coleman, Hagel.

Though, I agree that Ott could save some cap with Pinto on one year deal as he is not arb elligble.

@Xspyrit I dont see Debrincat signing an extension under 9 this year ... He has a 9m QO next year... Even if he doesn't put up as much points this year, he is in no rush. He may as well take his QO and wait until next year to sign an extension. For any ACGM, I think we must assume he will count for 9M next year. Perhaps for the following year, we can keep him below that.

Anyways, your acgm does prove Zaitsev buyout can be an option... but your team doesn't have winning depth and I don't like this tandem.. Forsberg is either a great 2 or 1b.

Could be a good strategy if the goal is to be cup contenders in 2024-2025...

I would not sign DeBrincat long term if he asks that type of money. He's a good top-6 forward but not a difference maker. Tkachuk, Norris, Stutzle and Batherson are or will be all as valuable (if not more in certain cases), can't see myself paying ADB more than them. Trading him for a young talented Top-4 RHD is the way to go IMO. If there's a hole in the top-9, bring back a guy like Connor Brown for example, who should have never been traded in the first place.

ADB has all the rights to play hardball and ask to be traded to a team that will meet his QO but as you probably already know, sometimes players sign BELOW their QOs (see Boeser), so we'll see how much he wants to be part of the solution in Ottawa



What do you mean by "winning depth"?

This is the exact same lineup as yours except :

Center, Place Holder : I have Kastelic in there because he's on a 1-way (you have him as a reserve forward)
RW, Place Holder : I have Crookshank making the team (something he would have done 100% last year if he didn't get injured in camp)
Goalie, Place Holder : I have Hellberg (or like I said in your thread, Talbot or another veteran who will come here for cheap)

Your stance on this is kinda weird to be honest. This is the second time you say this too

Anton Forsberg was a top goalie last season, he had the 11th Goals Saved Above Average. 0.917 SV% on the Sens is nothing short of spectacular.

He has been very good this season too but he's not invincible. He only has 0.898 SV% right now but on Ottawa. On a good team it's more like 0.915


For Zaitsev, well it depends what kind of organization we want to be. Do we want to be true contenders or continue to be a poor team? Teams who are serious about winning would rather spend their UNUSED cap space than dilapidate an asset like a 2nd round pick (or more) to dump Zaitsev