Team: 2024-25 Ottawa Senators

Initial Creation Date: Feb. 14, 2023

Published: Feb. 14, 2023

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

This looks at the options if this (https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolschram/2022/09/27/report--nhl-salary-cap-projected-to-make-4-million-jump-for-2024-25-season/?sh=47e0846b6895) Forbes article is right and the Cap jumps to 87.5 mil in 2024-2025.

As you can see, the Sens can afford to pay Cat 9 mil long-term and give Sanderson a payday. Pinto probably deserves more and Grieg will hopefully play his way into a big contract as well, but 9.4 mil in space on the board means there's clearly room to work with respect to the right side of the defence. I gave Sogaard 2.5 more as a placeholder to have the team spending roughly 5 mil on the goalies total. No predicting how that position will work out two years into the future.

They don't need a top-scoring D-man, but they do need someone who can skate and plays solid defence without being an offensive liability. Hopefully a guy like that costs 4-5 mil, bringing the remaining space down to 4-ish million. A few depth forwards and a 6th and 7th D-man can definitely be hired with that money. This is even easier if Sanderson signs a smaller bridge deal.

In 2025-2026 Giroux's contract ends and you gotta think he'll either retire or take a pay hit to re-sign with the Sens or elsewhere given his age. his 6 mil can then go to the young forwards who can hopefully fill his role (Pinto/Greig).