Edited Apr. 18, 2021 at 9:43 p.m.
Quoting: futurehofer
Paraphrasing what he said, basically Guerin could think of exposing Dumba as possibly trading Dumba for $6 million in free cap space. In a flat cap environment where any Dumba trade would likely require money coming back, getting $6 million to work with would be quite valuable. Brodin's extension is kicking in, Kaprizov/Fiala/Eriksson Ek raises are coming, and whatever he tries doing to fix our center depth will all require cap space. Depending on how long the cap stays flat, the more money we have, the better.
I am more than acutely aware of what Russo says... I listen to him religiously, but he's only said that a couple times and only within the last couple of weeks. So I'm also acutely aware that if Dumba gets taken, it's free cap space. I've made that exact point before in other treads, no less than this one on Monday.
https://www.capfriendly.com/forums/thread/440289?post_id=2265777
It's ironic how you liked
@Outcold13's comment just before the final comment, which is mine, and then the thread dies after I posted.
But here's the main important point I was making in that comment.
Quoting: RazWild
So losing Dumba isn't so much an issue of expansion concerns, as it's an issue of no longer continue affording him with the large contracts due up. At which point its more imperative to maximize return of value lost than for free. People think we lose if that happens, but if we let Seattle take Dumba, we just gained $6M in open cap space.
The point being we're in no rush or will be hurt franchise wise by going either route. Losing him for free would suck, and I can't say I'd enjoy handing Seattle a top pairing RHS OFD for free, but the cap space gained is nothing to sneeze at either.
This doesn't mean Guerin doesn't turn over every rock he can to maximize any possible returns he could get for the guy. He's been pretty vocal about what he wants. Either a 1st or 2nd line center, or top six winger is the most ideal return. But he would settle for a good center prospect who has top six potential, plus picks.
Getting cap space for Dumba being taken is nice and all. But you don't realistically protect the forward core that we have over a legitimate Top Pairing defenseman, you just don't. You protect him, take the hit elsewhere, then move him for max value once the ED is over and teams can't continue to lowball us because of it.
By letting Seattle take someone else at the ED,
then moving Dumba afterwards, you gain both possible max value for Dumba
and even more cap space then just giving up a top pairing defenseman for free.
Funny how that works, no?