Sure hope we do better than that
Yikes !

depends on NYR long term cap projections. Goodrow is a buyout candidate this summer (it actually gives them an additional 200k in cap space to spend), but he has a bad year in 26-27 (it's like 3.5M) while the rest is all roughly 1m. Clifton is just 1m for the next 4 years, so if they know they'll be good next year to spend the 1m they'll likely do this and buy out clifton instead.

Isles aren't trading Cizikas for a 4th round pick.

Why not? I'd do this trade in a heartbeat. They can get like 75% of CC's production from a league minimum guy like MacLean or someone similar. Martin and Clutterbuck are both UFA's. Let them walk, trade Zeek, and be done with the "best fourth line in hockey" nonsense, especially since 1) that hasn't been true for several years anyway, and 2) Roy seems to be playing the fourth line actual fourth line minutes so they can get away with lesser players there. If the Isles are going to have cap space to make any improvements in the offseason, it's going to require moving out guys like Zeek, JGP, and/or Palmieri, and possibly even one of Pelech or Pulock.

Yeah, I agree. It's not a bad risk for NYR to take and could provide a softer landing than the Goodrow buyout. Additionally, it's possible NYR kicks the tires on Clifton as a 6/7 Dman in 24'-25'. He could return to form on a better team, but if it doesn't work out, buy out the last year in 25'-26'. One monkey wrench is that I would imagine that BUF is on Goodrow's NTC list so this idea might be impossible from the start. Also, I don't foresee BUF making this trade without an additional small asset going their way. Just something to even the scales a bit on the money.