Micklebot
Moderator
- Apr 27, 2010
- 55,700
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My expectation is he'll come back playing similar to how he did this past season, but hopefully not blowing out his shoulder again...If we're able to buy him out within the rules I absolutely would. Hoping for him to come back at a 35+g form is just too wishful for a team that needs to make strides and make the playoffs. That $8 million in cap space can make us so much better. Right now, Norris is our 3C or if he's shifted over as a winger, he's a luxury. I'd rather spend his cap hit on a combination of a goalie, RD, or solid bottom 6 guy.
And if any other player gets salty about it, tell them to stfu because this isn't a friends club, its a professional hockey organization where difficult decisions have to be made to ensure on ice success.
So... 16g, 30pts in 50 games, that's a 25g 50 pts pace or thereabouts, certainly not worth a near 8 mil contract, but that's coming off missing camp and all offseason to recovery, you can expect some improvement in future seasons, so lets say 30g 60 pts per 82 is the new Norris.
He's probably worth about 5-6 mil if healthy. That to me suggests buying him out opens up enough money to get a similar player, but without the elevated health risk, so I get the desire to buy him out, it would certainly be the safe play.
What's the upside of keeping him around, well, if he does manage to play up to his past performance, a 45g 70 pts center that's responsible defensively and good at faceoffs is certainly worth the 8 mil contract,