Depends on what happens with Mantha this year. If Mantha comes back before the playoffs, that cap space is extremely valuable to add another goaltender or top 6 forward.
It also opens up more cap room for next year. Hagelin and Schultz off the books gives them major flexibility with almost $7 million in cap space between them.
yeah i get the part where we move him to actually get something else, like Fleury, if we want to go that route. But i dont think it adds anything close to a 2nd to make him a part of the deal of that sorts. But just to pay to move him alone for a 2nd seems excessive and unnecessary.
its starting to look like Mantha is coming back, so the space will be hardly limited in either case. Im not sure what kind of a top6 or starter goalie you can really get at 2 millions of space gained from Hagelin. Because if Mantha is activated, thats all the space we have.
In that case it might take moving Schultz instead, or even both if you want to go all in, but how much more are Caps ready to spend if they already paid up a 2nd just to get started.
Off season is a different story, and if there is a plan to be executed i dont think moving Hagelin will be all that hard then. Id think atleast couple teams would find use for a well established veteran NHLer who is widely known and liked, kills PK, and has two stanley cup rings and beautiful hair to show for the rookies.