Good Post. Good thoughts. If we're going to buyout someone, I'd suggest Zach Smith. $2M less this upcoming season year for an extra $1M worse the following??? Not terrible. Shaw, let's see what he wants to do for...really just his life situation. I'd understand if he wants to hang 'em up. I do think that would allow him to be LTIR'd. If Hossa's skin condition is allowable, continued concussions would be too...I'm guessing. DeHaan, similar situation. When he was on the ice, he was a solid contributor and I'd love to have him back if healthy.

You're 100% correct that Seabs is the real question. It's not a huge help (Cap Wise) to buy him out. Year over year the relief is $300k, $3.3M, $300k, $1.8M...Only $300k next year vs just playing him. I think the Hawks are going to keep riding him until his body fully breaks down. Then try to move his LTIR contract. I don't think they can move him now and Stan will likely be to afraid to trade away the pieces required because of Turbo/Bickell. Bickell just went to LTIR anyway. The other reason I think they go this route is because Seabs has been vocal that he still thinks he can play. Ok, go out and play your heart out. At least for this upcoming season. Then see what situation we're in next summer.

If you get a compliance buyout opportunity and you don't buyout Seabrook for whatever reason, Stan needs to be on the phone with other teams to see if he can take on a bad deal to buyout in exchange for picks / prospects. Don't waste it on Smith

I actually was gonna point this out. Exo, it’s not a regular buyout, it’s a compliance buyout that’s being proposed. I’m really sorry, I actually realized that I didn’t make that clear in the first line of the subject. I don’t if that changes your answer, I just noticed you mentioned cap savings. So I wasn’t sure if I made clear it was a compliance buyout.

Oh, then yeah for sure 100% agreed!

I thought that ship passed though? Did the NHL put something out recently? Both the NHLPA and NHL agreed to NOT opt out by the Sept 1st 2019 deadline...meaning the CBA is good until 2022. Are they close to a new CBA for longer than 2022? All this stuff with the virus may throw a few curveballs into what players/owners want in the CBA?

That’s the general consensus. The CBA has nothing to do it, it’s all about the outbreak. There’s a thought that the cap will actually drop, if not just stay at 81.5. If that’s the case, it alters every team’s expectation as to handling their caps. Contracts that were signed last summer and this season were signed expecting the cap to go up. So yea, the NHL and the PA may agree that it’s mutually beneficial for all teams to get a compliance buyout for next year.

Oh wow! Thanks for sharing.