Markstrom 1-YR deal in 20-21 and then a long term deal with VAN in 21-22

Équipe: 2020-21 Canucks de Vancouver

Date de création initiale: 16 août 2020

Publié: 16 août 2020

Mode - plafond salarial: Basique

What if....

The Canucks sign Markstrom to a 1 year deal for 20-21 at a mega-cap hit (eg, $11,000,000). They have a nudge-nudge wink-wink agreement to sign a long term second contract in 21-22 after the Seattle expansion draft for a much lower AAV (eg 5 x 4.4mm). The two contracts combined would create a cumulative annual structure of 5x5.5m. The purpose of this is two-fold:

(1) It allows the Canucks to maximize the free cap-space in 20-21 and gives Markstrom a mega pay-day, while lowering the team's overall cap hit from 21-22 when the team will begin it's peak window years.

(2) It means the Canucks do not need to protect Markstrom in the Seattle expansion draft, and can instead protect Thatcher Demko.

To do this, the Canucks would need to create cap-space by making the usual cap space trades that you have seen a million of. I've thrown a couple together just to advance the narrative of the Canucks making cap-space one way or another. Let's just assume that they retain salary to trade away Baertschi and they trade away their 1st round pick somewhere to move Eriksson.

I also assume that Jake Virtanen and Troy Stecher will be moved on for assets as the Canucks have better value options in the pipeline for depth than what they would need to pay either Virtanen or Stecher on their next RFA contracts. Let's just assume they get a couple of picks for them to advance the narrative.

The cumulative effect of this would be that the Canucks max-out the salary cap in 20-21, but it gives them much more cap-flexibility going into their peak contention years. Again, the exact value returned for them is just broadly to advance the narrative of them being moved, rather than what I expect a trade will actually look like for them. Let's just assume someone will trade for them and the Canucks will cumulatively get back some picks or prospects or something.

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