What would JT look like

Tavares will get at-least 10M

We are far from making a run at JT right now.. Even if he accepts 8.5M (which he isn't), it puts us in a major cap bind, with not enough to pay out Doughty's extension, as well as give Kempe, Brickley, Iafallo, Brodzinski, Amadio, Peterson, Fantenberg, etc all new contracts (yes, I know guys like Fantenberg, Brodzinski and Amadio are expendable to us in the long run, but there still isn't enough cap for the remaining 4 players).

We don't know what Doughty's increase is going to be yet and it could be possible that he only has a 3.5-4 mil increase. Coupled with the cap going up 5 this year and maybe 4 next year thats an extra 9million on top of our already ~4.5 million available (Budaj's 1+mil goes down to AHL so Capfriendly number is wrong). Most everyone of those players are going to be RFA's and can get bridge contracts until Phaneuf comes off, plus clifford and Thompson not being re-signed and those roles being filled from the draft. I think its easy to say no way JT comes, but it would be incredibly smart of Blake to try and make it work if it means locking up a star center that is 4 years younger than Kopi.