Signing 13m in ufa certainly doesn't sound like cap he'll to me.

I think this general concept is probably what they do. Of their big three UFAs, it sounds like their closest to extending Nichushkin. I don’t see how they can fit Kadri, and rather than extending Burakovsky I think it makes more sense to spend on a replacement 2C. Trocheck would be a good fit.

On the back end, I’m wondering if they try to keep Jack Johnson or Ryan Murray, rather than spending a little more on a guy they’re less familiar with. MacDermid is also a serviceable option as a rotational bottom-pair D, and I’m curious to see how much opportunity they give Danila Zhuravlyov.

The one wrinkle I could see is extending Manson and then trading Girard for a younger, more long-term solution at 2C. Marty Necas’s name is out there, or a player of comparable age, skill, and upside. I’m not necessarily advocating for that plan, but I think it’s a possibility.

True! just a weird off-season to work around while having enough for a MacK extension, plus signing Byram and Newhook. Although working those two deals wont require a ton of salary in my opinion.

Definitely hoping Nichushkin gets wrapped up soon. There is just no way Kadri would fit in cap-wise... heard he could get in between $8-10 million per year somewhere else so good for him! Win the cup, make the money! I thought about Jack Johnson and Murray as well, which are options for sure. Also, I keep hearing Girards name being thrown around in a trade but the more I look at it he has such a team friendly long term deal, he's young and good so I hope we keep him. For me, Id rather keep Girard over Manson since I think Manson might test FA and sign elsewhere for $5+ million.

I agree that this is the general concept they will probably go for, but I don't think it makes sense to go for a long-term solution at 2C because I think they expect Newhook to be the long term answer there. I think it makes more sense to find some sort of stop gap at a reasonable price for the next 1-3 years. They may need to trade Girard next year depending on how much it'll cost to extend Mack/Byram/Newhook but I don't think there's any downside in waiting a year as Girard will have a chance to have a bounce-back year and potentially increase his value. I'd love for them to extend Manson too, mostly because they gave up a good price to get him but need to be smart and can't overpay. I've been wondering if Compher is a potential guy to trade for futures to free up some money especially because I think there's a good chance they can't afford to resign him next year.