I think a short-term deal coming in between $3.5M and $4M is going to be most likely. Holtby hasn't been good enough to earn a long-term deal, and the flat cap makes it hard for a team to overpay for him. A shorter deal to either re-establish his good name or to get beyond the flat cap era and cash in is probably best for all parties involved.

1 year 5 mill with Chicago

Hypothetically, could a 2 year $4mil aav deal with the leafs make sense if the leafs were to move Andersen for other assets?

Also while he won’t be young, he’ll still only be 32 when he’s eligible to sign another contact, therefore young enough for a team to commit a decent amount of money.

No better place to improve your value (if you play well) than under the microscope in Toronto.

I don't think Toronto has the cap space available to maintain a competitive roster and invest that much in a short-term Holtby, even if they do move Andersen. The only way I see the Leafs committing real dollars to a goaltender is if he's signed for long-term, and even then it'll be some sweetheart deal in the $4.5M range over 4-5 years.

I think Calgary makes more sense in terms of Canadian clubs. I have a suspicion that their ownership is ignoring the on-ice issues they actually have in favour of sniffing playoff revenue. If they think Holtby is an upgrade to Talbot, I think they pull the trigger. Someone mentioned Chicago, I think there'd be a considerable fit there.

Really wondering what will be his asks and how much (more than he should) he'll want. Around the AAV you said is fine but I don't know why, has a feeling he'll ask/someone might offer him $5-6M for a stupid reason.

I think the flat cap is going to temporarily save general managers form themselves. As many as 20 teams are reporting some form of internal salary cap.

How cool would it be if he announced on July 1st he wants to stay in DC for 1 year, $1M, and then re-evaluate?