Quoting: LumberJacques
Drop Tatar, bridge KK and you'll be fine.
I just had an identical convo with someone else so I'll repost:
HIM ---------------------------------------
Kotkaniemi: bridge deal
Gallagher: some sort of deal
Danault: dealt somewhere
Tatar: Either dealt somewhere or let walk
Armia: gone unless he’s takes under 2mil
Lehkonen: Probably taken by Kraken
Hudon: who actually f ing cares
Mete: we will see how he does
Backup: Primeau on ELC
All solved. Questions?
ME ---------------------------------------
OK I'll go with what you wrote:
Kotkaniemi: bridge deal ($5,000,000)?
Gallagher: some sort of deal ($7,000,000)?
Danault: dealt somewhere (last years best overall center gone)
Tatar: Either dealt somewhere or let walk (last years top scorer gone)
Armia: gone unless he’s takes under 2mil (last years best 3rd liner gone)
Lehkonen: Probably taken by Kraken (solid middle 6 winger gone)
Hudon: who actually f ing cares (fair enough)
Mete: we will see how he does ($2,000,000)?
Backup: Primeau on ELC ($800,000)?
Total = $15,000,000 spent on 4 players.
** You now have $12,000,000 in cap-space left and 10 more players needed for a 23 man roster ($1,200,000 per player).
** Your center ice is now made up of = Kotkaniemi - Suzuki - Poehling (non of which are proven top-6 centers at this point).
** You're missing your top scorers from the last 2 years (Domi + Tatar) and your top 2-way forwards from the last 2 years (Danault + Armia)
** Price + Weber + Petry will all be 1 year deeper into their mid to late 30's .
** The 10 new guys will have to average close to league minimum salaries.
HIM ---------------------------------------
Kotkaniemi doesn't get a 5 million dollar bridge deal unless he becomes an Elite center, which then there is no need for Danault.
Gallagher at 7 Million is too much. He will likely get 5.5-6 and if not he's gone.
Mete doesn't get 2 million and there's rumours he's being shopped now so.
Do the math and it's not hard to see Montreal can do it with Tatar walking
ME ---------------------------------------
OK I'll go with it again and do the math.
You save $1,500,000 on Kotkaniemi if he signs for $3,500,000.
You save $1,500,000 on Gallagher if he signs for $5,500,000.
You save $1,000,000 on Mete if he signs for $1,000,000.
The team is identical - But now you have $16,000,000 in cap-space with 10 more players needed for a 23 man roster ($1,600,000 per player).
Ten players averaging $1,600,000 million can't be expected to be a very good on average (Ex - If you sign 2 guys at $4,000,000 the rest have to be mins / ELC's).
And those 10 incoming players will be the ones replacing Danault + Tatar + Armia + Lehkonen + Allen.
Even high end prospects will be hard pressed to replace a 70 point guy + experienced 2 way players.
It will be tough to not take a step back.