They could trade Holtby. But they will have to trade a key player to sign Carlson
Note how he's using the Cap #s from this year when the Cap is going up (from the mouth of the Commissioner) $3-5M.
Let's just do an obvious exercise. The Caps are Cap-Compliant today. They have the following FAs for next season UFAs: Beagle (1.75M) , Chiasson (660K), Carlson (3.97M) Kempny (900K) and Jerabek (925K).
RFAs: Wilson (2M), Smith-Pelley(650K), Boyd (660K), Bowey (703K), and Grubauer (1.5M).
Let's assume the Caps don't retain Beagle (Salary Cap Increase 3-5M +1.75M), Chiasson (+660k), one of Kempny OR Jerabek (+~900K), Smith-Pelley (+650K). And I like many fellow Caps posters assume the Caps will likely trade a G (let's assume) Grubauer (+1.5M). Chiasson, Smith-Pelley, and potentially Beagle can be replaced by players currently in the minors making league minimum (Stephenson and Boyd) and Jerabek/Kempny replaced by (Bowey or Djoos).
The Caps would have 3-5M + 1.75M + 660K + 900K + 650K + 1.5M. Or approximately $8.46M to give a slight increase to Wilson ($1-1.5M), a big increase to Carlson ($3-4M+) and choose to retain either Grubauer if he'll accept (2-3M) or Beagle ($2-3M).
Again, these aren't lies, they are realities. This scenario involves some assumptions on my part, that Beagle or Grubauer will be lost/traded but the Caps can retain Carlson and Wilson without trading anyone even with the minimum Salary Cap increase excluding the NHLPA-elect escalator.
72hockey guy is either ignorant or just innocently an Islanders fan. He could be forgiven for being ignorant but we've passed that juncture long ago. He also seems to think McLellan is our coach and that our coach would have anything at all to do with negotiating and re-signing FAs so take everything you hear from him with a large dose of smelling salt.