Quoting: gocaps2004
I think we'll really need to keep kempny. He easily better compliments Carlson than any other defenseman on the team. Djoos is a much more offensive defenseman, and neither he nor carlson are really 'shutdown' defenseman. Also, I hate mentioning this because times are changing, but I think it is important: Kempny is a whole lot bigger than Djoos. Djoos is great, but he is not physical at all and although he is great defensively and positionally, he is scrawny and not that tall. Also Kempny has shown much more than Bowey, and I dont think we can change up the Orlov/Nisky pairing, and Orpik is not a top pairing defenseman.
Also, the overall 15million to Kempny means very little.The AAV is what matters, and should this end up not working out, the contract is easily tradable (unlike orpik's, at least before his pretty good play in the playoffs), and he could also be buried with a small cost in the AHL.
I'm not sure that's how burying contracts works, anymore. I think he'd have a 1.5M cap hit, for years.
If Kempny becomes a top LHD UFA because of Carlson's play in the playoffs, there are better two-way options on the market this summer. He will be upgraded before he gets a 3M/year ballpark long-term deal. Yes, some other team might give him that, to get someone who made the Finals in Washington, but Washington will have twenty guys who made the finals in Washington, next year, and could get Ian Cole who's been to two of them for that, or Kevin Connauton for a lot less, which, if they're keeping Carlson, Wilson, and DSP, is going to be a factor..
Hickey, Thomas NYI UFA 29 D L 68 5 19 24 19 - - - - $2,200,000
Hamhuis, Dan DAL UFA 35 D L 79 3 21 24 -4 - - - - $3,750,000
Cole, Ian CBJ UFA 29 D L 72 5 18 23 14 - - - - $2,100,000
Connauton, Kevin ARI UFA 28 D L 73 11 10 21 3 - - - - $1,000,000
Moore, John NJD UFA 27 D L 85 7 12 19 3 - - - - $1,666,667
Holden, Nick BOS UFA 31 D L 74 4 14 18 -6 - - - - $1,650,000
Manning, Brandon PHI UFA 28 D L 70 7 11 18 -6 - - - - $975,000
Sbisa, Luca VGK UFA 28 D L 41 2 16 18 14 - - - - $3,600,000
Kempný, Michal WSH UFA 27 D L 75 4 9 13 11 - - - - $900,000