In looking out to next season and beyond there are some interesting scenarios. If we assume that the team ices a 22 man roster (1 extra forward and 1 extra defender), the front office will clearly have to be creative...not necessarily next season, but in the out years (Svechnikov and Necas extensions, for example). I also don't see this team really spending to the salary cap. Our ticket prices will be lower than most and even at 17,000 average attendance plus TV revenues plus licensing, etc., etc.,, etc. Dundon probably only squeaks out a slight operating loss or a slight operating profit. According to
Statistica, the Canes posted an operating loss of about $3.9 million....with the lowest payroll in the league.
As attendance and general interest in the team grows, revenues will creep up. But if we increase payroll by, lets say $10,000,000, it's easy to see Dundon losing about the amount of that increase. Playoffs become very important to the bottom line. Those games would easily add a couple of million in revenues.
All of this is a long winded way of saying that I think Dundon and Co. will spend more money next season, but they won't be spending to the cap. My guess is somewhere between $72 million and $75 million which would put him at or around the "$10 million in losses" that he admitted he was willing to shoulder. Aho's new contract, Turbo's new contract, an anticipated re-signing of J-Willy to a 1 year deal, trading TVR and Faulk, and adding a forward in the $6 million range would put us right in that area.
So next year the team could look like:
Niederreiter (5.25)/Aho (9.5)/Teravainen (5.4)
Saad (6)/Staal (6)/Svechnikov (.925)
McGinn (.975)/Wallmark (.625)/Necas (.895)
Foegele (.747)/Martinook (2)/Maenalanen (1.25)
Slavin (5.3)/Pesce (4.025)
deHaan (4.55)/Hamilton (5.75)
Fleury (1)/Fox (.925)
Mrazek (2.25)
Nedeljkovic (.975)
With Semin's buyout and Darling's buyout included, that's about a $72.7 million payroll. Add another million or so if Aho's ask is higher. If you wanted to find a "real" goaltender, then that's likely another couple of million. Maybe McGinn gets a little more, maybe Mrazek gets a little less. Still, that looks like a fairly competitive team. Adding a forward and a defender to get to 22 adds about $1.5 million. All in all, it basically comes in somewhere around $7 million to $10 million below the anticipated $83 million cap for next season.