Quoting: CaptainFlynnt
Obviously, everyone knows that's what they would do to defend against an offersheet. I've said that numerous times before.
I want to see what the team looks like, it's easier said than done.
I doubt they can take somebody like Jost back for Killorn, they need like league minimum cheap.
A friendly challenge to you to, make a team, post it, see what it looks like. If they trade killorn and buyout johnson or gourde they have $16.1M to fill 9 roster spots to get to a minimum of 20. That is an average of $1.78M per player. Show me what that would look like. If you somehow get Sergachev and Cirille at a combined $9M there is $7.1M left for 7 guys. Now does Sergachev accept $4.5M or does he want a $7M offersheet? If he wants $7M there is only $4.6M left for 7 guys... which isn't possible since they would need $4.9M.
It's not going to be easy for TB to get their roster figured out with a flat cap unless there guys take cheap contracts. People say Point took a cheap contract, he still got $6M+ on a bridge. Sergachev could ask for the same thing.
Edit:
Add the fact that I doubt TB runs a 20 man roster, so you probably want to add $16.1M / 10 guys, or $1.61M / player.
Tampa will also likely trade Paquette and move Coburn one way or the other as well. Sergachev getting these ridiculous #'s when defenseman that are at the same level or better in Werenski and McAvoy took 5 and 4.9 respectively on their bridge deals. Serg likely takes a bit less so 4.5 is reasonable. I can see Tampa running something like this:
Stamkos-Point-Kucherov
Palat-Cirelli-Johnson
Coleman-Stephens-One of Barre-Boulet, Joseph, Volkov
Maroon-Goodrow-Verhaeghe
Another one of the call ups or cheap signing as 13th F
Total is around 46 to 46.5 million with Cirelli at 4.25 and Maroon at 900k to 1 mill.
Hedman-Rutta
McD-Cernak
Serg-Foote
Gaunce/Schenn/Bogo as a 7
Total is around 24 with Serg at 4.5, Cernak at 2 and Rutta at 1.45.
Vasilevskiy
McElhinney
Total 10.8
22 player roster at approx 81 million, so with a flat cap and a cbo it can work. It's even better if JBB convinces one of Gourde/Johnson to waive the ntc and then uses the cbo on the other which would then allow them to keep Killorn. In any case, Tampa can make it work with a few non core losses in this scenario.