I’m looking at money out next summer for UFA/RFA and we have Marchand, Lohrei, Ullmark, Frederic, Geekie, Brazzers, Beecher, Lauko , Wotherspoon, and Brown moving out. That represents roughly $30 million in cap, for 8 nightly players/positions (not including Brown) that you need to fill.
Defense is locked in, but leaves you with just four forwards in Pasta, Coyle (1 year remaining), Zacha, and Poitras as signed roster players going into 2025-2026.
Not including a cap increase next summer, that’s almost 50million total to play with in the next two seasons. Kind of changes my perspective thinking about it like that instead of just what we gunpowder we have this offseason. Go get get a big fish or two year, like Guenztel/Lindholm. Heck trade someone off the third line to go with picks/Ullmark/Lysell if someone is enticing beyond the free agents.
Marchand hopefully sticks around a year for league minimum, but could also see him ask for 3-5. Lohrei will be incredibly interesting as we assume he will spend the whole season in Boston and improve. Lauko gone. Beecher could show us he is ready to assume 3c in 2025-2026 with Brazzers on his wing making Geekie and Frederic more expendable/trade bait if they have really good seasons and can ask for 5+ million.
If Poitras settles into 3c fast this year (setting up a 2c takeover the following year) or muscles his way to 2c this year, I’d bet we see a minimum of one of Coyle, Frederic, and Geekie moved by the deadline this year. Doesn’t totally feel right to spend $15mil+ between them two and Coyle.
Excited to see how we transition and spend all this loot. It’s going to be a wild year and a half folks.