Quoting: Y2J1399
The only problem is that the following season we're in cap hell and have to unload players just to re-sign the likes of Wahlstrom and Barzal.
I don't think it's as terrible as you might think. The team has $15.3M in cap space that offseason, and the players from this lineup that you'd have needing contracts after 2022-23 would be:
Barzal: making $7M in 2022-23, probably resigns for $10M AAV (+$3M, $12.3M left)
Wahlstrom: on his ELC at $894K, can bridge for ~$3-4M depending on how he plays next year (take the high projection and +$3.1M, $9.2M left)
Parise: $750K, bottom 6. Either resigns for a similar amount or you bring up one of your guys from Bridgeport to take his spot (no change, $9.2M left)
Carson Soucy: making $2.75M. Maybe re-sign him to 4x$4.5M? I'd budget a number in that ballpark for him or his replacement (+$4.5M, $4.7M left)
Scott Mayfield: the hardest replacement. He's RD3, so maybe you just bite the bullet and get a veteran UFA for cheap (+$1.5M, $3.2M left)
I've got Johnston & Bellows already signed for 2023-24 as your 13th & 14th forwards, and you shouldn't be paying your 7th D more than $1M, whether it's Hutton, Bolduc, Weatherspoon, or whoever.
That leaves about $2.2M under the 2023-24 cap with everyone signed - plenty of room to maybe go bigger on LD2 and bring a guy in for $5-6M if you want, or if Wahlstrom has a huge season you have room to give him the deal he wants. If you don't use it there, then you have some good space for the TDL if you want to upgrade anywhere else as well.