Edited Mar. 11, 2018 at 3:22 p.m.
Quoting: Hockeyplayer1
You bury him and there is still 300k counting against the cap. What has Gustafsson done to deserve anything more than 900k? He’s not even going to get half a season in the NHL this year and didn’t play an NHL game last year. He’ll be a RFA after this season.
Well, this may have something to do with it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restricted_free_agent#NHL
"Qualifying offers
The current team must extend a "qualifying offer" to a restricted free agent to retain negotiating rights to that player. Qualifying offers are for one year contracts. The minimum salary for the qualifying offer depends on the player's prior year salary.
Players who earned less than $660,000 in the previous season must be offered 110 percent of last season's salary. Players making up to $1 million must be offered 105 percent. Players making over $1 million must be offered 100 percent."
It appears that was the minimum of what Bowman had to offer..... Gusafsson couldn't have been signed for any less.
So for example, Duclair now makes 1.2 so he should get a 2.4 per qualifying offer... Hinostroza makes 700K so he will get a 1.4 million dollar qualifying offer...
So yea, Bowman gave Gustafsson the league mandatory minimum contract he could.