Rantanen, Zadorov, Compher, Kerfoot, Kamenev, Andrighetto & Varlamov all to sign the year after with approx. $9.5 mil space plus whatever the cap goes up by (if it continues to rise) if you planned to sign all of them. The Avs may have cap space at the moment but you just blew most of it on JVR & Perron. Rantanen is going to be at the very least $5mil per year and Zadorov at least $4mil per year if he continues as is, so you're trading Barrie and/or Varly or not re-signing Varly and some of the others the next year? Even if you don't re-sign Alt & Barberio that would still only add another $1.8 mil and you still have to fill their roles.

So as for 'The terms on JVR and Perron might be a little low, but the Avs have the cap space so it wouldn't matter anyway.' Think again!

My own comments first. Not bad, though I think that is a massive overpayment for Perron, who will not duplicate his career year he is having with VGK. He will revert back to the 45-50 point forward that he is, and $6.5M is too much to pay for that. JVR, on the other hand, will continue to be the 55-60 pint power forward that he is, and will command closer to $7M. I think I would rather pass on Perron, pay JVR, and keep Wilson so the following year, his contract is done and all that money is available for the glut of RFAs the Avs will have.

Speaking of.



Not sure where you are getting the $9.5M figure, as the Long Term Outlook shows a cap hit of $55.8M for 2019-20. The cap will be at least $80M by then, so that gives them $24M to sign Varly ($5M), Rants ($7M long term), Zads ($5M long term), Compher, Kerfoot, Kamenev and Ghetto ($1.5M each average). Alt and Barbs roles are filled by Meloche and Makar (though that does make for too many RHD) on ELCs ($1M to make it easy). And that is for a roster of 24 players, one over max...bring it down to 23 and they sit right at that theoretical cap.

Look at the cap space: $4.4 mil, even allowing for a rise of 5 for the fact it's done on this year's figures. That makes $9.5 if we're being generous. Plus Compher & Kerfoot will likely be getting more than 1.5.

You seem to be figuring the 2019-20 cap space based on the 2018-19 figure($4.4M), and adding $5M for inflation, correct? But then you are stating that all these players will needed re-signing in that amount of cap space. But seemingly, you are not accounting for the fact that the $4.4M figure includes all those players' current salaries, which will not exist by then. The $24M figure I stated reflects that.

The $1.5M for Kerfoot and Compher were averages, with Kamenev and Sven. Not sure JTC gets more than that...his comparable is Sven, who last summer got $1.4M after a 24pt/46gm season....JTC just had 23pts in 69 games...a year of development likely brings him in line with what Andrghetto did prior to his contract. Sven himself is getting a slight raise as he stayed consistent, with 22pts in 50 games. Kerfoot might deserve more depending on how he does next year, but looking doubtful that Kamenev will cost even $1M unless he can stick and produce at least at that level next year. Even so, call it $7M for all 4 players. Still makes it a total of $24M for the 7 re-signed players. Add one ELC to bring it to $25M, added to the $55.8M carried over for a total cap hit of $80.8M.

You may not know about it, but if you look just above the row where it lists Player, Salary, etc. (where I am guessing you got the $4.4M figure), you will see a tab layout, one of which says "Long Term Outlook." If you click that, it shows who all is signed for the next several seasons, the totals and Free Agent types. That says that this roster has 15 players signed for the 2019-20 season, for a total of $55.8M. (And sorry if this comes across as condescending, it is not meant to...I am just trying to explain it in one post rather than go at it more tactfully and possibly take many due to my inability to be clear about it.) That $55.8M figure means there is at least $19.2M in cap space, plus the inflation this summer (assumed to be $5M based on reports from the league), and the following summer (being conservative, say $1M to bring the two year average in line with the historical average of $3M/year...though if we go by average growth by %, it is around 6%, so another $5M figure would be closer). Based on that $81M cap for 2019-20, they would have $25.2M to spend on those 7 players and a new ELC. Or even more if the cap goes up by the average % instead ($29.2M). Fits right in with the previous paragraph.

Yes I am well aware of the tabs. Nice attempt but......you're saying that Kamenev has to prove he can stick etc, then taking your basis for Kerfoot, Compher and Andrighetto on this year's stats. Nobody knows what they will do next year, whether sophomore slump or carry on in an upward trajectory. 9.4 mil does indeed include current salary which is what they would be being paid the following season. Your calculations fail to factor in the other signings and re-signings above. The Avs would need to be signing Rantanen, Zadorov, Toninato, Kerfoot, Andrighetto, Compher, Varlamov, Lindholm, Greer, Nantel, Agozzino & Warsofsky (assuming they chose to re-sign them all). Your assumption is also that it climbs again by 5 mil for the next year thus giving 14.4 of extra space. Let's say for argument's sake that Rantanen only gets a raise of 5 to give 6 and Zadorov a raise of 2, there's 7 before we start. Varly you have to guess is going to take at least a raise of 2 if he's still around so that's 9. That leaves us 5.4 and a question of who we consider likely to still be around and on the main roster. 'Kerfoot might deserve more depending how he does next year'......for 'might' read 'will' if he maintains production let alone increases. I fail to make any sense of your argument regarding Compher & Andrighetto. You're likely looking at a 2 mil raise minimum per player in the case of Kerfoot and Compher (avg across the two). That leaves 1.4 to give Sven and Kamenev a raise. You might just about squeak in tight to the cap.

I get it now. You are just going off everyone getting huge raises over their current salaries, and are only counting the raises against that $9.4M figure. Few issues with that. But before I get to that, the $5M raise for next year (2018-19) is coming from reports from Bettman that he expects it to go to $78-82M next year...I split the difference (and the OP did not feel the need to put that in for his mock). And then the following year, I figured another $1M to $5M based on averages ($1M brings the average for the two "guesses" in line with the dollar figure for average increases since the cap went into effect; $5M is the increase is we go by the average percentage increase year to year). But on to the issues:

First, huge raises like $2M per year for guys coming off ELC are not that common. Case in point...Sven Andrighetto. The final year of his ELC, he scored 24 points in 46 NHL games. That earned him $1.4M per for two years. Compher just scored 23 points in 69 NHL games as a 23yo...so a lower rate. (Sven scored 17pts in 44gms at 23yo for comparison). But I am giving JTC the benefit of the doubt that he will close that gap next year...so he gets $1.5M, just like Sven for that next contract. And that is what I mean by them being comparable. The produce at similar rates, therefore the contracts should be similar.

Kamenev has not done squat yet, so we cannot assume anything until he does. He got hurt in his first game, crap luck. But once he came back, he could not crack the lineup over Toninato or Bourque. So unless he goes beast mode this offseason to be able to tear it up next year, then he is not getting a raise over the minimum (which will put him at $1M). I like him, and I expect him to do well, but if he were to sign his extension on July 1st 2018 as soon as he is eligible, it would be for the minimum amount. But I grouped him in that set of 4 players who would average $1.5M each...so $6M total.

So if Kamenev is only getting $1M, along with $1.5M each for Sven and JTC, that leaves $2M for Kerfoot to come out to the average I suggested. Which is not that unreasonable for a one dimensional forward that scores roughly 0.5PPG coming off an ELC. Might be a bit low, so figure $2.5M. And it turns out, I should have taken the time in my initial post to lay out specific salaries for each of them.

Personally, I think he has overpaid Bourque, as well as Perron, but meh.

Varly is not getting a raise. he is a league average starter, with serious injury issues. I figure he gets $5.5M for a couple years on his next contract. And Bernier is another one getting overpaid.

Also, I bolded players you are listing as needing contracts. And you are correct. But unless they are on the Avs active roster, their salaries will not count against the cap....and none of them will be making more than can be buried.

I have created an Avs mock for 2019-20, using all the figures discussed above. Using a $80M cap, and not bringing in any new ELCs (though in reality, there will be one or two...Greer and Makar, maybe Bowers, etc.) I come up with a 23 player roster, and roughly $2.1M in cap space. https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/677623

Regardless of whether he has or hasn't overpaid Perron and Bourque those are the figures we're using. I did also state that we have to consider who will or will not be still around and on the main roster. That would apply to the likes of the Warsofskys of this world being not counted against the cap. I think the main element here is a disagreement on what certain other players who will need re-signing are going to be paid. You opt for the lower end (not accounting for the person you like to use as an example in Andrighetto will have signed his contract some time ago and as the cap goes up then so does a general increase in salaries) and I opt for the higher end because that's where you really need to figure if you're working against a cap. If you can get them under the cap or for lower money then great but you should always work to the worst case scenario. If Varly is not getting a raise then it's likely he's gone (in which case Bernier isn't getting overpaid as a starter) and the subject becomes moot because there is an additional 6 mil to play with.