expansion protection: expiring UFA's don't need to be protected if they're likely to sign back with their old club. ELC's are safe, too. So this team only needs to protect a few guys

forwards: Backstrom, Kuznetsov, Eller, Wilson, Vrana, Hathaway, and one of Dowd/Wennberg. Expose: Oshie and one of Dowd/Wennberg

Defense: protect Carlson, Orlov, and one of Siegenthaler/Jensen. Expose one of Siegenthaler/Jensen.

Goalies: protect Vanecek. Expose Copley.

Give Seattle one of Siegenthaler/Jensen to pick Oshie. Team has 16M in cap space. Ovechkin gets a 1.5M raise to 11Mx3 (after the expansion draft). Vrana gets a 4M raise to 7Mx8 (yesterday). Samsonov gets what he earns, but likely the same bridge deal Korpisalo just got. Team has 8-9M to spend. Might just be able to lure Dougie Hamilton with that.

Cant see any of those 5 UFA vets signing for as low as that, but then you're over the cap to pay them any more.

But why does Ceci sign for 700k to sit in the AHL? Shattenkirk just put up a show in the playoffs and signs for 1.75mil when he gets twice that amount in UFA? Grabner for just 1mil?

Just cant see it from the UFA standpoint.

Okay. So take the best available players at those price points. Under a flat cap, there are more UFAs than buyers.

The caps only have two RHD under contract, and should have four with NHL experience in case of injuries. I think Ceci takes that offer to make $700,000, especially if the Caps aren't able to sign Shattenkirk. Then it gives him a shot at the Cup.

True point, but you think for pretty much league minimum you'll fill 1st line wing, 2nd pairing on defense, number 7 dman and backup goalie with that quality? You'll be able to fill with league minimum vets, but not quality.

As for Ceci, theres no way he takes 700k, after last years salary, and theres probably 6-7 better options to get a cup than Washington that'll more than offer league minimum

I think guys who feel they were underutilized on their old teams might see the role being offered as more important than the salary, especially with the chance to join a contender that's basically intact from the 2018 championship.

As an outsider, do the trades look fair? Arizona gets younger and cheaper guys, who I think are pretty good. Columbus ends up with slightly less cap hit from Wennberg than if they buy him out, maybe, as a 26 year old, but the pick and Hagelin compensate for the extra money they pay him, compared to a buyout. Reasonable?

The amount of retention on Wennberg's contract makes that a no-go from the Jackets.

I think theres 6-7 better locations for those QUALITY vets to go than washington especially if they're willing to do it for league minimum.

As for the trades, not too bad, but cant see Arizona wanting Panik or wanting to deal the shorter term contracts before the long term ones, especially without replenishing their picks, or getting much younger guys. I like Hagelin, hes a pain in the butt player to play against, but not sure CBJ would want him. I could see hagelin going to a team like PHI or CGY that are close to contenders but like grit. But neither deal is outside of the realm.

Overall nice ideas, but youre going to have to move another 3+ mil contract to fill those roster spots with quality

Thanks. This only happens if the league treats his buyout as if he's 26, now that he's 26, and would leave 2/3 of his cap hit on Columbus' cap, six years out. So I figure the Jackets spend slightly more money to get rid of him faster, at a lower cap hit, but I threw in the pick swap for the extra cash. How would you change that to make it interesting?

That makes sense. Hagelin also outscored Wennberg at even strength this year, and shorthanded, and I figured Columbus likes scoring points more than they like having young guys with high draft position.

I could certainly see Arizona holding out for some late picks, but the rumor is they are late on paying their players this offseason and need to save money, so I could just as well see them saying: better cheaper players? Yes, please.

If the league does do that, it'd of some interest (after all appeal options are exhausted). But as I understand it, the League is sticking to a "as of June 30" rule for determining such things.

Thanks. My mistake. WSH definitely has to sweeten the above, then, even though Hagelin had a better offensive season than Wennberg, and is 300x better defensively. With the difference in age, and with asking for big retention inside the division, Caps add a 2nd, CBJ dumps three minor league contracts to balance the salary.

eta: I checked and the Jackets don't have three expensive old minor leaguers like most teams. But I don't think Nutivaara lived up to expectations this year, falling from 20 pts to 9 after signing at 2.6M. Moving him opens up a spot for another prospect to develop on the third pair, while the team still has its excellent top-four. If Nutivaara looked like a sunk cost of $5.2, then from Columbus' perspective, this reduces the total cost of Wennberg to $2M, at the above retention. But I'd have to try building the team to see if WSH can make it work. Might be tough to extend Ovechkin next summer.

Mmmmmaybe. The idea of moving Nutivaara to get rid of Wennberg is a little disagreeable on principle (he's more in the "see if we can get good picks for him" category), but obviously it depends on how the proposal works out. I wouldn't even try to poke at it as I don't know Washington's priorities well enough, tho.

They want to win now, and then give ginormous raises to Ovechkin, Vrana, and Samsonov next summer, so the better fit would actually be WSH paying fair value for an RD with 1 year left. Not even sure if Savard is available, but I am sure he has significant positive value if he is.

I think after the Isles' dirty hit on Backstrom, Washington looked a little thin up the middle, so adding an okay 3C at a good cap hit should be something they take a look at this summer. Can be through UFA or trade, or promoting a prospect. I moved Kuznetsov to the wing above because he'd score more goals and get more breakaways there, but also because that allows the Caps to keep four or five other guys ready to play center, and then if there's an injury, the replacement is Kuznetsov, who can play 1C just fine. I think that's kind of the system in Tampa, with Stamkos at wing, and it works okay for them.

No idea whether the IRL caps agree with me on any of this, though.