I might have Middleton over Hatakka

might as well buy Vlasic out at this point, no?

7 mil 5 years, that means we'll be paying him for 10 years, and caps already hurting enough for the next 5 years.

gonna have to buy Kane out, so no.

yeah but it won’t be as much and if we’re scratching him it doesn’t make sense to pay him 7 mil

can you only buyout 2 players?

Knyzhov is a much better player with a higher ceiling who’s younger. I think Middleton might be moved at the deadline to a team needing defensive help. It would be smart asset management and let a younger hungrier defenseman play.

1. I think it’s a maximum of 3 buyouts at one time
2. I’d keep Vlassic as an expensive depth Dman for the next 2-3 years then buy him out. He’s getting paid a lot of bonuses so the buyout would make us stuck with a lot of dead cap. ELCs should carry us through the next 3 years.

Yeah I’d put Knyzhov over Middleton but Middleton over Hatakka. I just don’t think Hatakka is quite NHL ready yet. Yeah I could see Middleton being moved but then I would especially put him in to hopefully boost his value.