Where does Tarasenko, Tatar, and Dumba go? They are pretty much the last "big names" on the UFA board

Projecting where each team ends up with their RFA's and filling out a 23 man roster:
Metro
Canes have about $2.6mm in space but a full roster.
Blue Jackets $5.75mm; Flyers $1.8mm
Islanders and Devils are right at the cap
Rangers, Penguins, and Capitals are all over the cap

Atlantic
Panthers $1.6mm
Sabres have $7.0mm
Red Wings $9.0mm
Canadiens $9mm
Lightning, Leafs, and Bruins are all over the cap.

Pacific
Knights $1.80mm (assuming Lehner is LTIR)
Kraken $4.3mm
Sharks $5.6mm and Ducks $13.8mm
Oilers, Kings, and Flames are at the cap
Canucks are over

Central
Avalanche $1.5mm
Jets $2.1mm
Predators $7.9mm
Blackhawks $14.2mm and Coyotes $6.3mm
Blues are at the cap
Stars and Wild are over the cap.

Obviously teams are looking at making cap moves but this is where they stand today.
I used online cap projections for the RFA and only listed LTIR where it was publicly stated they would be out long term into next season (Lehner was the only one without news).

agreed

Poolman to LTIR puts the Canucks just under. Myers may get traded who knows

Tarasenko should sign a 1 year deal with CHI and then CHI can flip him at TDL

Also can apply to ANA

I have heard OTT but I have 0 idea if this guy wants to come to Canada and if he does might = to much money

Tatar should go to OTT on a 1-2 year deal

Dumba potentially multi year deal with ANA as they need Dman rn

I wonder if Tarasenko damaged his own value to a serious point.

I’m not an insider, but the topic has been discussed by stl insiders at various times, such as Andy stricklands podcast. Their claim is essentially Tarasenko was distraught over being skipped for captain and failed to properly rehabilitate his shoulder.

It was interesting the day he was traded: current players and the coach gave statements on his departure. It didn’t feel like they were too upset at all that he was leaving, and there were not many positive statements about his character.

I think they'll all sign 1 year deals with pretenders in hopes to get ship at the TD, then they'll cash out next year. That would be my plan if I was an agent.

You know what I just realized

Carolina now has a 2mill AHL goalie

You’d have to think they’d be looking to trade him.

I think Carolina sees that more as a 2mil injury insurance backup with potential, Kochetkov is still waiver exempt so the Canes aren't worried about losing him and we know Raanta and Freddy probably won't stay healthy so Kochetkov will play games in the NHL

He also needs more games which he'll get in the AHL. He really only has one full season in North America and put up pretty average numbers.

Pittsburgh's goalie situation is a little more perplexing

It’s ridiculous because we wasted 1.5M on a guy who got demoted to 3rd string in Detroit only to then sign their backup in Hellberg for 785k. I am not a Jarry fan so that’s a whole other issue but even if you accept the Jarry contract at 5.375, it’s simply indefensible to waste a combined 3.3M on both Nedeljkovic and Desmith.

Anaheim could legit be interesting to watch next year

They got prospects coming up and have the cap space to add Tarasenko and Dumba.

Both can sign 1 year deals each and then be flipped at TDL

Ooh, Gibson wants out, I still think Gibson is a good goalie but his value’s probably not that high

Didnt we hear this last year and the year before that

Idk will believe it when hes moved

ANA is in an interesting place rn. They have a bunch of young interesting guys coming in. Have the cap to bring in vets like Dumba and Tarasenko and could help some teams with their cap issues.

Well this seems to be an official trade request, I think previous years indicated Gibson wanted out but I don’t think “I’m never playing for the Ducks again” was said before

Gibson to Seattle would be interesting if it happened.

I mean they have Grubauer, Driedger and Daccord, I guess Anahaeim might be fine with taking Driedger/Daccord back but I’m not sure Seattle wants to take the risk on another goalie

That would almost certainly require Grubauer moving and that seems like a tough move.

According to Frank Seravalli, the Canucks and Sharks has a deal in place involving a Myers-Labanc swap. Canucks save 1.25 mil in cap space and the Sharks get an RHD. Both have 1 year left on their contracts

That’s a smart trade for each side.

While it saves us cap space, we would be trading away a position of weakness for a position of strength. We already have a logjam of wingers so I’d imagine that this deal would only go through if the Canucks move out a winger, and I’d Karlsson is traded

I can see Vancouver trading Beauvillier or maybe even Boeser.

If you had to pick between:

Hellebyuck:

30 y/o, 1 year of term at 6.1m, then likely 8+
Rough average 60 starts, .920sv expected on a playoff team
Minimal injury history
Vezina contender

Saros:

28 y/o, 2 years of term at 5m
2 conseq seasons above 60 starts, slightly under .920sv on a mid team
Minimal injury history
Vezina contender

Or

Gibson
29 y/o, 4 years of term at 6.4m
Closer to 50 starts expected, .900sv on a rebuild team
A bit of an injury history but nothing seems bad?
Not a Vezina contender currently

I feel their acquisition costs are maybe all about the same - Gibson is solid to me but the other two I feel are a bit better. But you get term with Gibson whereas the others you have to pay up.

Interesting.

Garland is likely first to go. His play style doesn’t really fit with Pettersson or Miller which is why he hasn’t been getting consistent top 6 minutes. Sucks that they will sell low on him but that’s likely what’s going to happen