Looking to the Future

The only problem I see is Bailey wearing the A and Lou being all about the team, etc. You trade an Alternate Captain, doing him dirty like this; it undercuts the message. But someone's gotta go, so we'll see...

I could see Barzal & Wahlstrom adding up to $12.5M, but I think the split winds up more like $9.5M/$3M unless Wally EXPLODES for 35-40 goals this year(if only!)

I could see Varly resigning cheap, but Mayfield's gotta cash in. I know relatively he makes a ton of money and blah blah blah but I'd honestly be mad at him if he took *another* team friendly deal like this. Go cash in my dude! You've earned it after playing out that 5x$1.45M extension!!

If Tarasenko is still producing at a point per game rate with St. Louis, I would think about a UFA deal but I don't necessarily love 3 years for an age-32 winger with a big recent injury history. I also have no idea where his market goes - do teams go crazy if they cap goes up and push his AAV to something like $8-9M? I don't hate him at 3x$6.5M but I want no part of him at 3x$9M, even with a jump in the cap.

I think for Mayfield the messaging is he will get 4x4 (16M) as a UFA. But after that he is 35, so maybe he gets another 1 or 2 years at 1M per season for a total of 18M left in potential career earnings.

The Isles will offer him 8 years for $2.5M per year to keep the cap hit low but that guarantees him $20M in career earnings, and the contract is front loaded so if you buy him out after 5 years the cost is minimal against the cap.

8x$2.5M? After 5x$1.45M??? The NHLPA is gonna take him aside and ask if this is a hostage situation, lol

He exposed Bailey in the expansion draft