Somebody tell me the flaw in this :
- Trouba and NYR mutually agree to terminate the contract. This is allowed under NHL CBA rules as far as I know, but players never want to do it because they're agreeing to no longer get paid the money they are owed.
- For reference, if we look at actual salary / money and not cap hit, Trouba was due to make $6 million this season and $6 million next season
- Trouba and NYR sign a new contract that is for 2 years and $5 million dollars per season (therefore also $5.0m cap hit). Trouba is losing $2 million here in actual money.
- NYR trade Trouba ($5m cap hit) to the Islanders with 30% retention (NYR pay $1.5m cap hit and Islanders pay $3.5m cap hit) in exchange for Scott Mayfield (6 years at $3.5m cap hit). NYR also send the Islanders a 2nd round pick and either a prospect or another pick.
- NYR open up $3.0m in cap space by trading Trouba (and picks/prospects) out for Mayfield and a 2 year long $1.5m salary retention. Islanders do not add or lose cap space, but they downgrade 6 years of Mayfield for 2 years of Trouba. They are compensated a 2nd round pick and a prospect/pick for doing so. Trouba and his family stay in the NYC area for the next two seasons, which is what's important to them, but at the cost of Trouba losing $1m in salary each season (total loss $2 million).