Quoting: biglite351
This just.... funny.
Something just clicked for me. The Caps need to shed salary to sign guys this year. The Caps only have 7 F (NHL quality) signed past June. None of their high $ guys are expiring, all low $. Varana and Djoos are going to need new deals and the Caps are at the cap. They are going to need Burakovsky's $3M space just to keep going. He is going to be a cap dump like Johansson was. Johansson was a considerably better all around player than Burakovsky. Johansson got a 2nd and a 3rd so Burakovsky should rate a 3rd and a meh prospect, maybe a 3rd and a 5th type thing. A 3rd would start at #63, so if you get a high winning team who's 2nd will be around #55+, you might be able to squeeze a 2nd for him, that kind of 2nd for Burakovsky + 5th. Maybe.
Nothing "just clicked." You're quoting Caps fan posts from July about issues that are no longer concerns.
Johansson's #'s>>>>Burakovsky's. Burakovsky's skils>>>Johansson's. Johansson played most of his ice time with Ovechkin and Backstrom, because he could keep up with them, speed-wise, but his numbers weren't close to theirs, so other teams gave him the same kind of lowball offers Sheary got. Burakovsky has played with Eller, Beagle, Boyd, whoever. The primary assists on his goals this year come from Eller, Kempny, Niskanen, Orlov, and Vrana. Over the last four years he's in the top 186 forwards in G, A, P, P/G, P/60, ESP, ESG. He's a bona fide top six forward, on his own, not a complimentary scorer on the top line, but someone who gets the puck from the defensemen and puts it in the back of the net. But call us when Johansson scores two goals in a game seven.
Djoos is on IR with 4 points in a third of this season. He'll be back next year, under $1M. Or Siegenthaler will get his spot at 800k, and he'll get traded somewhere that loves advanced stats for a depth player to help out the PK. Not a big concern.
Burakovsky is on pace for 21 points this year. He's not getting a raise, even in arbitration. He's worth more in trade than in salary, which further increases his trade value to teams with actual cap problems.
Fans of other teams are suggesting Vrana and prospects for Parayko, Nylander, maybe even Tarasenko...
Niskanen's scoring like a #1 defenseman at even strength for the third straight year and has five teams listed as exceptions to his NTC. Holtby comes from Alberta, where two teams want starting goalies. The Caps have Samsonov and Vanecek who might each be ready to start next year. Orpik's new contract is expiring and with more injuries and time, he might or might not decide to return.
Even if the Caps give Burakovsky a Q.O. at 3.3x2 and offer Vrana 4Mx6 to 8, they still have cap space to add a couple of depth pieces at the deadline, who are signed through next year, without worrying about their two pending RFA middle six wings.
If I still thought they might have to trade Burakovsky for salary cap reasons, I probably wouldn't be suggesting trading him for three pending free agents with a combined value above $5M? Unless I'm just as happy to let three guys walk as one, and I understand that Colorado, with its own upcoming cap concerns after re-upping Rantanen, would rather just extend Burakovsky at 4M as a middle six wing with a recent ring, than Nemeth at 3M as 3LD, Zadorov at 3M at 4LD, and Bourque at 1M at 14F? Then I'd just have to look at what position I value depth at the most, for one playoff run, and that's defense, so I'm good there.
The Caps finally have two good centers who can elevate whatever wings are stuck with them. Burakovsky, for whatever reason, hasn't earned ice time with either. Vrana has. If it's me, I'm trading Vrana for Senko, and keeping Bura at 3M.