Now How To Keep This Team Together

Well, even at that, it's highly impractical, Bertuzzi signing for so little. Swayman could be offer sheeted for much more. And if the bonuses from 22/23 carrryover into into 23/24, that's even less cap.

Unless swayman feels really team friendly he’s worth more even short term and we have the 4 million overages

Obviously everything is contingent on how much the cap goes up and the bonus carryover. Just working with what we have right now to try to project how this team can work without being dismantled like the 2010 Blackhawks. The hope is that Swayman and Bertuzzi understand the cap situation and the potential major jump in 2024 and sign what basically amount to bridge deals. I also think Bertuzzi will need a "prove it" deal if he doesn't light it up in the playoffs this year. As for Swayman, if he is willing to sign a long-term offer sheet at a price that he's really worth, it probably means at least a first and third are coming back. Or maybe the B's trade him before then for more, who knows. The play of Ullmark and the development of Bussi and Keyser is certainly encouraging if they go that route. But really I don't think Swayman signs an offer sheet for anything less than a long-term deal and is content to stick with the plan of signing his big money deal in 2024 and supplanting Ullmark in 2025.