Salary Cap: '24-'25 Salary Thread: Crosbicles Volume MMXXVI: Sid is Still Goat

[AuroraBorealis]

Yeah, they don't have a ton to offer. A 27 1st? Dorofeyev is good but I imagine they'd want to keep him. Just hard seeing them able to get Rakell.

I'd take that and run, unless other teams offering a 2026 1st.

 

[SEALBound]

I'd take that and run, unless other teams offering a 2026 1st.

If they're offering Dorofeyev and a 2027 1st for Rakell, I would do that too.

I would aim for a 1st in 2026 in the EK deal. Assuming we get the Rangers 1st in 25, have 2 1sts in the next 3 drafts would be great.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

With all the injuries to Ottawa and them free falling with a lot of pressure to turn the corner and make the playoffs, I think KD should get on the phone ASAP and fleeced them EK back!!

 

[Duffy13]

Being competitive and being a competitive threat is two different things. He's not lying about wanting to be competitive... However, this team just is not. The last 3 games against historic rivals and to lay 3 eggs as big as they did, while not having and ounce of competitiveness is grounds for big changes.

Now if the games were losses and the team showed any fight at all then yeah, great, we can handle losses with a team that tries, hits, fights, gets a highlight reel save, fun stuff!!

We don't get that, this team hits the ice every night and it's almost like they are surprised it's a game day. Holy shit, it's a game? Who are we playing? What are the lines? They are so massively unprepared to play it's nearing scandalous territory.

 

[wej20]

Jack Hughes was good in the final IMO, just falls a lot

Anyway I’d kill for Jack Hughes on this team. Or Mitch Marner.

Phil Kessel was once “not a playoff guy”

They should have had Hughes on a line with someone physical who could help make space fo rhim in the offensive zone. Guentzel - Matthews - Hughes just didn't work.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Jack Hughes was good in the final IMO, just falls a lot

Anyway I’d kill for Jack Hughes on this team. Or Mitch Marner.

Phil Kessel was once “not a playoff guy”

Actually, Phil was a PPG guy in the playoffs.

 

[bomber22]

Like see Gruden and Poulin called up and have 4th line with them two and Imama. A line that it’s actually physical and grit would be nice to see for a change. Instead Disney on ice we have pretty much entire line up the last few years.

 

[Rudy Russo]

Personally, I agree that this summer is too early to pivot. While a full teardown does not offer guaranteed success, I think it's much tougher to thread the needle and pivot quickly. It's doable, but difficult.

I think a quick pivot can be successful ONLY IF Dubas gets very, very aggressive. This summer is one of those opportunities with players like Marner and Rantanen potentially available. If those big ticket players end up signing, then that window closes. But if they make it to July 1, I think it's at least a plausible path.

But, again, Dubas would have to be aggressive and potentially do some things he wouldn't normally do (like retention).

Here's a theoretical route forward that would be an aggressive pivot. The proposed deals are largely placeholders discussed on HFB and that weren't hated, or are just random projections for the hell of it because they only include picks.

DEADLINE DEALS

• Matt Grzelcyk & Noel Acciari to Florida for a 4th round pick
• Anthony Beauvillier to Ottawa for a 5th round pick
• Erik Karlsson ($3 million retained) to Dallas for a 2026 1st round pick, D Lian Bischel, and D Matt Dumba
• Rickard Rakell to LA Kings for a 2026 1st round pick, F Francesco Pinelli, and F Trevor Moore
• Danton Heinen to Columbus for a 6th round pick

DRAFT DEAL

• Either Dallas' or LAK's 2026 1st round pick to Colorado for Casey Mittelstadt

FREE AGENCY

• Sign Mitch Marner to 7-year, $14.5 million per year deal
• Sign Jakob Chychrun to 7 year, $6.5 million per year deal
• Sign Jonathan Kovacevic to a 3-year, $2.5 million per year deal
• Allow Glass and POJ to go to free agency after non-tendering them as RFAs
• Re-sign RFAs Tomasino, Hallander, and Ponomarev, among other AHL guys
• Buy out Ryan Graves
• Demote Jarry to the AHL again

PROJECTED LINEUP
Ignore the projected cap space. That's a PuckPediaGM error.

You have five forwards under 24 on the roster in McGroarty, Koivunen, Ponomarev, Poulin, and Tomasino, with Broz, Hallander, Pinelli, and Hayes in WBS, plus potential draft picks.

You have two defensemen 21 and under in Pickering and Bichsel, both of whom have already played NHL games.

The only players over 30 are Crosby, Malkin, Rust, Letang, Dumba, and Hayes.

You still have flexibility to continue adding young assets thanks to the number of picks you have AND the eventual expiration of the contracts for Bunting, Dumba, Deshairnais, Lizotte, and Hayes.

This would be a huge step forward with the potential to do more the following year.

That said, it's a hell of a lot of moving parts and it is all dependent on guys like Marner and Chychrun being available in free agency.


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Dubas would do that deal with the Kings in a heartbeat but I don't see the KIngs giving up that much.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Like see Gruden and Poulin called up and have 4th line with them two and Imama. A line that it’s actually physical and grit would be nice to see for a change. Instead Disney on ice we have pretty much entire line up the last few years.

That's a perfect line for next year when we're aiming to draft McKenna.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Heinen 3 ES points in 87 minutes.
Nieto 2 ES points in 310 minutes
Acciari 7 ES points in 650 minutes.

We kicked Heinen off the team when he had 20 in 644 mins. Fifth best rate on the team. Tied with Guentzel.

Sullivan honestly deserves to miss the playoffs for the 3rd year running.