Quoting: Xspyrit
Ok but I'm explaining what the OP is doing with this ACGM because your answer in post #4 didn't seem to consider the purpose of this proposal.
I don't personally hate Zaitsev. I thought he played well enough last season to be considered just slightly overpaid. But this season, completely different player (again). It has been a bit better recently so maybe he settles down but I don't know, maybe he still has personal problems that affects his performance.
Quoting: wardbell92
This isnt really about Zaitsev not being an NHL player. This is about being realistic about the money that needs to be spent on Zub, Stutzle and Pinto in two years. They will have the cap space but lets be real, not the internal cap. This trade also allows the right side to be Zub, Braanstrom and JBD/Thomson which I think is also important for 2022-23. Watson is a good bottom line guy but, easily replaceable.
The money is there without needing to move Murray, White, or Zaitsev, the three most often bought out or moved players in these future scenarios.
Yes, Stützle, Pinto, and Zub will need contracts in 23/24. Lets put them at $18MM combined, $9MM, $5MM, and $4MM. I gave Pinto the Colin White contract, and Zub the standard top4D contract.
Stützle $9MM (projected)
Tkachuk $8.2MM
Norris $7MM (projected)
Brown $5MM (projected)
Pinto $5MM (projected)
Batherson $4.975MM
White $4.75MM
Formenton $2.5MM (projected)
Sokolov $1.5MM (projected)
Kastelic $1MM (projected)
Greig $894K
Kelly $762K
league minimum healthy scratch $775,000
league minimum healthy scratch $775,000
Forwards $52,137,381
Chabot $8MM
Zaitsev $4.5MM
Zub $4MM (projected)
Brannstrom $1.5MM (projected)
JBD $1.5MM (projected)
Sanderson $925,000
Thomson $863,333
Defence $21,288,333
Murray $6,250,000
Gustavsson $2MM (projected)
Goalies $8,250,000
==========
Forwards $52,137,381
Defence $21,288,333
Goalies $8,250,000
Dead Cap $1,833,333
Total $83,509,047
Expect the cap to go up in each of the next couple seasons.
The possible lineup
Tkachuk Norris Batherson
Formenton Stützle White
Greig Pinto Brown
Kelly Kastelic Sokolov
Chabot Thomson
Sanderson Zub
JBD Zaitsev
Murray
Gustavsson
==========
I'm not sure what Brannstrom or JBD will get on their next contracts, so they are more of a combined, then divided between them. Some think Stützle wont cost $9MM, but I went high just in case.
So without doing anything, this current team is within 10K of the 23/24 cap, with Zaitsev, White, and Murray remaining.
Moving forward, 24/25, Murray walks and Gus takes over as #1, and Zaitsev walks, as well as the $1,833,333 in dead cap coming off the books, and there's $12,583,333 to add to the expiring contracts of Sanderson, Greig, and Thomson for a grand total of $15,200,666 to resign Sanderson, Greig, and Thomson for 24/25.
24/25 is when Dorion will need to start doing the cap dance, but the money is there until then.
The team likes Zaitsev, and they play him a lot of minutes. Until he's not on the team, he's on this team, like it or not.
Sorry for this being so long, but this is what goes through my mind when I'm evaluating the team. I like to see the whole picture.
BTW, if Dorion trades for an expensive winger, one of those three big contracts will go the other way.