The clear option, IMO: Buyout Matt Murray (Cap hit would be $750 k in 23/24-saves $5.5 mil).

That being said, the assumption is that the cap will raise to $82.5 this coming offseason, and potentially to $83.5 the following, so at this point, you'd only be $2 mil over.

I also think you're a bit agressive on Pinto, but I suppose you're locking him up long term. To me, he'd have to show a lot over the next 2 years for that kind of money.

Sticking with your baseline decisions...

I have the combined salaries of Stützle, Pinto, and Norris at $20.5MM, and you have them at $22.5MM, if we say I'm low and you're high, and split the difference, there's $1MM.

I expect the cap to go up by at least $2MM bt 23/24, so about $1MM more.

I think Kleven pushes Mete out, and I expect him to sign for 2nd round money, or about $863K, so removing $1.5 for Mete and inserting Kleven saves another $637K.

$350K above the ceiling, if the cap only goes up $2MM.

Yeah, I went 8 years for Stutzle, Pinto and Norris. And 7 M$ AAV for Norris and Pinto this early is also best case scenario ... I mean look at Batherson and the 6 years contract he just signed. They will most likely sign a deal closer to Bath than Tkachuk... Brady is a special one, first his dad is greedy AF and then you're paying a lot more than you should for leadership, intangibles and overall impact. If Tkachuk wasn't that unicorn mythical power forward captain, his AAV would be more around 6.0

The expiring deals along the way, the buyouts ending, the possibility of buying out another player, the possibility to bridge some RFAs, the possiblity that the NHL cap goes up again... many reasons why the Sens should be able to stay under the cap easily. Worst case scenario, you make a trade. One thing that should help as well is our drafting prowess. If we keep pumping good young players, replacing an expensive player might be possible.

The only problem we have IMO is if there's even more guys who boom and become significant NHL players (Sokolov, Greig, Jarventie, Sogaard)... When Sanderson's extension comes, that could be a problem, but a good one to have because you can trade a player or two for futures and feed your pipeline.

We shouldn't try to see more than 2-3 years ahead anyway because so many things can change quickly



Yeah it's extremely manageable. All we really need is that Melnyk is ready to spend to the max. But I'm scared that we will need results for that to happen...

Just concerning Sanderson, he signs this spring and burns a year, so when his ELC runs out in 23/24, and his next contract is due in 24/25, when Murray and Zaitsev contracts will have expired.

Did you forget about Brannstrom? He could be a good pairing with JDB then you can have Sanderson with Zaitev or Thompson.

I think you under paid Formenton, Also hard to think he will still be on the third line or with the team if he doesn't slide in top 6 somehow the way he is playing. his next contract will have to be in the Paul area I am sure.

Murray should be gone, by that year I still see Gus and Sogard playing as a tandem or competing for the starter spot. My bet and hope is on Sogard, I think he is the Starter when the sens are making playoffs by that year.

Also Greig is not a Center so maybe you slide White on the 3 C, which is an ideal spot for him.

It's not that I forgot, but I forgot to mention he would be used as a trade chip. Some other assets will also be but it's impossible to predict.

What the Sens really need to do is do a quantity vs quality trade, sort of like when they traded for Bobby Ryan. Just have to be careful and not give full term to a guy over his mid 20s

EDIT : Forgot to talk about other points @NDoody

1) Formenton : it's a bridge deal, I don't think he will produce a lot of points this year so gave him 2 years bridge at 1.5. Paul got less than that with 1.35 AAV x 2 years

2) Murray : no point "getting rid" of him now. He has been the Sens best goalie since March 11th

Matt Murray : 0.949 SV% (7 GP)
Filip Gustavsson : 0.927 SV% (11 GP)
Marcus Hogberg : 0.912 SV% (4 GP)
Anton Forsberg : 0.903 SV% (12 GP)
Joey Daccord : 0.885 SV% (4 GP)

Sogaard is still 20 y/o, let's see how he does this year in the AHL, Gustavsson is ready but only 23 y/o as well. Look at his time in NA... He doesn't have a lot of stretches with a SV% over 0.900... I am very high on both but it would be a BIG mistake to NOT be patient with them.

That you like it or not, Sens need a healthy Murray. He got a "bad rep" because of the first impression he made as a Senator. The team defense (Gudbranson, Reilly, Coburn, J. Brown, Stepan, Anisimov, Galchenyuk, Paquette... there was so many detrimental players in the lineup, including pure rookies like Norris, Batherson and Stutzle) was NOT NHL LEVEL at the beginning of 2020-21 season so he got shelled. Hogberg and Daccord got shelled even more, so much that Hogberg's NHL career is probably over. After the team defense improved (personnel changes, work on systems by the coaching staff), Murray then came back from injury and has been stellar since (see the 0.949)

3) a bit early to know what position Greig will play. He has everything you want in a center but needs to gain weight/strength. Like @sensibleguy said, he's a 1st line center in the WHL right now. White is unfortunately not very good on faceoffs. But if he plays with Paul as his LW, then he can be center and Paul takes the faceoffs.

I think Greig makes a better winger than a centre, but he’s currently playing 1C for the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL, 1st in the East division, and leads the team in scoring.

He is playing center in WHL cause he is too good for that league, he should be in AHL, but the transfer rule is there, I will bet he never sees C at the NHL or AHL level.