Who adds what?
Joined: Jul. 2017
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And although we've already had the debate on whether Backstrom signs that kind of a term over cap hit deal, I think the salary is allowed to change by 1M a year? So he can end up earning 1M a year in years that essentially become player option years, and in which he might not have any trade protection, but start out making the 8M next year that he's certainly worth, while still leaving the team enough cap space to extend Vrana and Ovechkin the next summer.
So the annual salaries at 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, with an NMC in the first five years, and then after that he can check in with the team about whether they still have cap space, and decide on his own whether to retire or risk being traded. If he retires after five, he's made $30M. The team has kept its best center ever in the lineup at a super-low cap hit, and had room to make other moves.
I thought about asking for a 5th from Detroit, but didn't want to get into too much of an argument about it. If each team gets prospects at positions where it needs depth, then hopefully both can call it a win.