Even if Carter retires, we still would have his cap hit on the books

Did you spend any time checking to see if teams can deal with the cap you are sending them??

I’m betting the package Dubas proposed for Karlsson isn’t even that robust. Minnesota has enough cap space to sign Addison and they’re finished. They are not taking Petry, ffs. Carter owes no one any favors except MoRon Hextall for singing him to that albatross of a deal. And he isn’t retiring. I doubt you could get more than a 7th for DeSmith. And Buffalo’s goaltending is set. Terrible. 🤣

Not if he’s traded to another team first…

If a third team (I proposed Anaheim in this post) retains on Petry, and if the Pens take on Fleury’s contract, the cap difference for the Wild is only -$750,000. Granted, the Wild may need to make another trade for a back-up goalie to be cap compliant. Anaheim, SJ, and Buffalo are comfortably under the cap.

Pens should accept a 7th from any team for DeSmith.
You’re right, Carter doesn’t owe the Penguins any favors…poor choice of words. But I do think he may retire and/or accept a trade if Dubas tells him he’ll otherwise be a healthy scratch all year.

Sabres definitely won’t have interest

If Dubas tells Carter he’ll be a healthy scratch for a year Carter files a grievance with the union. And the union will drag the Pens through the mud to the tune of you can forget any good free agents signing there and count on the Pens being on every player’s no-trade list because they now have a well-earned reputation for trying to black ball players.

Because he’s too old and slow to make the line-up?

It would depend on how they tell him. If they say “waive your NTC or else we will just scratch you all season until you do” then yeah. But if they say “we feel 12 other forwards beat you out for a spot in the lineup and if you wanted a trade we would understand and will try our best to send you to a team you’d be willing to go to” then I don’t see that happening. I doubt any gm or coach would ever tell a player to waive or you get scratched until they do.

After watching 78/82 Penguins games last season, I legit don’t think he’s good enough to play in the league anymore…at least not on the Penguins. Not in the starting line-up, and when they have injuries, they should give the young guys in WB a chance. His NMC doesn’t even allow the Penguins to move him to the minors. And that’s how the conversation would start. I’m not suggesting they should threaten to bench him just to get him to waive his NMC. I’m saying he might agree to waive to get traded to a team willing to give him a chance to play if he doesn’t make the Penguins line-up…or if he decides to retire, he might waive first as a favor to the Penguins to allow them to dump his salary for picks/prospects before he retires pre-season.

I accept on ANA’s behalf

I give you points for creativity, but Buffalo declines, they don't need a backup.

MIN declines, even with retention they're to capped out and would need a backup.

I get the Carter idea, but man that's a lot to shed Carter and 2M on Petry. I also just don't think Carter has any desire to retire so it doesn't much matter, he's playing this season.

nope since it's a 35+ contract, even if he retires on another team, we still eat the cap hit