If we had kept Buch HE would have needed HIS 5.8mil AAV contract and we would NOT have signed Trocheck....
upon what are you basing this?? you're just making it up
Trocheck replaced strome, plus a bit of extra salary headroom which we would have had even with buch signed at his 5.8.
We have had this conversation before, but you keep memory holing James Dolan firing upper management during the f***ing season because of their attitudes towards the Wilson incident and failures to adequately build a team that would defend each other.
It directly led to the offseason edict of getting some Gritty McGrits who aren't very good at hockey which in turn led to there not being money for Buchnevich. These are very connected things.
you are making my point for me. they're absolutely connected.
Buchnevich was traded because his cap room was needed for Goodrow, Reaves, and Nemeth - Grit Gang. His potential salary cap expenditure went to them.
In my opinion that the most grievous FO error is to let your own top line talent go, this was a indefensible. It was also a triple whammy - not only did we let elite talent get away, but the cap room instead went to shitgritters, AND the trade return was dogshit.
when i say "justification doesn't stand up to logical analysis" what i mean is - they traded buch because they signed the shitgritters and this was a BAD IDEA even then.
Never thought we traded Buch for Reeves, Nemeth and Goodrow. Always thought we traded Buch to open up a top 6 RW spot for KK and Krav. The trade was a mistake but have you seen our cap? We do not have Reeves, Goodrow or Nemeth anymore and we still would have a lot of trouble fitting Buch in today. Hindsight being 20-20 I would not do the trade but it isn't about money. Its because KK and Krav did not live up to top 6 RW hopes as of today.
this is also a bad idea. there is no law against having talented players down the lineup. in fact it means you have a *better* team - fancy that!
this team has had good success with Kakko on the 3rd line. With buchnevich on ziba line this would have always been the case.
as far as cap gymnastics, pretty much any overages can all be washed away. what is important is to sign good talent at good value. Buchs 5.8 is a contract you KEEP, not one you move.