Confirmed with Link: Miles Wood resigned 1 year $3.2 million

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

yeah, I am not sure people fully grasp LTIR usage. While its an option, its a risky game to play.

 

[HBK27]

That only works if he misses the whole season. Once he gets cleared medically they can no longer have him on LTIR. There's also some other downsides to LTIR that may or may not affect the Devils.

Bernier missing the whole season is certainly a possibility though. Also, if he is ready to return at some point this season there's a decent enough chance that there will be someone else injured that will allow Bernier to be activated without making any other corresponding moves.

Bottom line is that there's just too much uncertainty now to know how things will play out to worry about it now and make moves ahead of time. We're also so close to the cap is it is (including Bernier's cap hit), that something as small as say waiving someone like Johnnson or Bernier and the minimal savings that come with it may be enough to make it work.

No sense in giving up assets to trade a guy or buying out Tatar (both of which also hurt the team's depth and the latter of which hurts our cap space next season) to solve a potential problem that may never even come to pass.

What are some of the potential downsides that the Devils may face by going LTIR, aside from ELC performance bonuses that may impact next year's cap instead of this years?

yeah, I am not sure people fully grasp LTIR usage. While its an option, its a risky game to play.

What are the risks that I'm missing and what are you suggesting NJ does to avoid them?

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

the risks are that if you start getting injuries, it becomes harder to be able to fill in the lineup, even with cheap call ups from Utica. Look at how the Leafs and Vegas have been operating the past few years as an example.

 

[HBK27]

the risks are that if you start getting injuries, it becomes harder to be able to fill in the lineup, even with cheap call ups from Utica. Look at how the Leafs and Vegas have been operating the past few years as an example.

Those are more extreme examples that what we're facing though.

Again, the question is what are you suggesting the Devils do then?

We're in the spot that we're in, which is that unless you want to risk losing Zetterlund on waivers or rolling 14F / 6D (neither of which I think are good ideas), this team has to utilize Bernier's LTIR to be cap compliant or make another move. So, what are you suggesting be done? You say it's a risky game to play, but I'm not seeing a better option at the moment.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I would try and dump Johnsson on some poverty franchise like ARZ or CHI....maybe Johnsson + 3rd for a 4th or something

or you could always just waive him...someone will probably take him for free

 

[TF1970]

The benefit with johnsson is he is only owed I think $750K in real dollars.

 

[My3Sons]

I would try and dump Johnsson on some poverty franchise like ARZ or CHI....maybe Johnsson + 3rd for a 4th or something

or you could always just waive him...someone will probably take him for free

I'm skeptical that is the case. Good players moved for little this offseason (Pacioretty and Bjorkstrand).

 

[HBK27]

I would try and dump Johnsson on some poverty franchise like ARZ or CHI....maybe Johnsson + 3rd for a 4th or something

or you could always just waive him...someone will probably take him for free

Could maybe see waiving him, but would be surprised if there were any takers. I wouldn't give up a 3rd or 4th round draft pick to get rid of him though. I just don't see the point - what type of scenario are we giving up a reasonably good asset like this in order to try to avoid? Not to mention NJ doesn't even own a 2023 3rd round pick.

I don't recall any other examples of teams using assets to avoid utilizing LTIR when it was a viable option. Nor do I think whatever downsides LTIR might represent that it would be preferable to deal a 3rd or 4th round pick to avoid them. Plus, Johnsson has a 10 team no-trade list, so there's a good chance teams like Arizona and Chicago that might normally accept such a deal would be on it. We'd be paying assets to avoid a potential problem that may never even materialize.

 

[Bleedred]

More so the Schneider buyout, which came a year too early. He would've been off the books now if they had just waived him and sent him to the AHL for a year.

I honestly thought he should have been bought out a year earlier or at the very least been off the NHL team a year earlier. I was very adamant about this. He was pretty much off the NHL team 1.5 months into the next season, aside from a couple call ups later on when Blackwood or Domingue were injured and then when Domingue was traded at the deadline.

It's for the best for us right now that he was not bought out in 2019, as his buyout hit would be on the books until 2025 instead of 2024.

And then of course this past year was a real slapped back down to earth moment when we were shown even worse goalies could be here than Schneider, with Hammond and Gillies leading the parade and likely Schneider wouldn't have done much worse than Blackwood did.

21-22 was the only good pro season Schneider has had since 15-16. He had a .921% in 30 games in the AHL and a .927% in 6 games in the playoffs. He didn't have better than a .903% in the AHL or NHL between 18-19 and 20-21.

 

[My3Sons]

has there been any updated reporting on his injury rehab since we last learned he wasn't skating?

 

[ninetyeight]

What are some of the potential downsides that the Devils may face by going LTIR, aside from ELC performance bonuses that may impact next year's cap instead of this years?

Bonuses yes, but the biggest problem is really how to fit guys coming off the LTIR under the cap. The common misunderstanding about LTIR is that you can just dump guys into it and their salary won't count into the cap. But in reality it's like a salary "pool" that you can use to go over the cap, but not pay bonuses from. The amount you can go over is also not the full salary in lot of cases, but there's a calculation that determines the amount. There's also limitations who you can add into it, I think you have to miss at least 10 games. This all makes it pretty difficult to just bounce guys back and forth on it.

 

[IT0]

now after this.. does this open another buyout window ?

edit,... maybe i shouldve read the team thread first

 

[HBK27]

Bonuses yes, but the biggest problem is really how to fit guys coming off the LTIR under the cap. The common misunderstanding about LTIR is that you can just dump guys into it and their salary won't count into the cap. But in reality it's like a salary "pool" that you can use to go over the cap, but not pay bonuses from. The amount you can go over is also not the full salary in lot of cases, but there's a calculation that determines the amount. There's also limitations who you can add into it, I think you have to miss at least 10 games. This all makes it pretty difficult to just bounce guys back and forth on it.

The obvious wildcard in all this is Bernier's health and if he ever returns this season. Sounds like from Fitz that it's almost certain that the starts the season on LTIR, at which point it would be 10 months since he's played an NHL game. Would more rest and rehab eventually get him back this season? Hard to say given how little information we've gotten on him.

I just don't see any benefit in making a move right now. Johnsson would be the obvious candidate to get rid of, but that will be difficult and cost us.

If Bernier's career is over, then the only issue is bonuses carrying over to next season...though even that may be rectified later in the season if the Devils ship salary out (i.e. Graves, Severson, etc.). If Bernier does return, you'll have some time to prepare for it and can make moves prior to activating him or for all we know there may be another player with a long-term injury that would negate having to make a move at the time.

I think the bigger issue than the cap is that there's currently no room at forward for someone like Holtz. I could see Johnsson getting waived to clear a spot for him versus opening up cap space. On a related note - if Johnsson were to be waived and sent to Utica, does anyone know how much cap space that opens up?

 

[Better Call Sal]

I'm absolutely glad to have him back in the locker room.

 

[MVP Zacha]

This is why I want Miles Wood on this team.

 

[ninetyeight]

I think the bigger issue than the cap is that there's currently no room at forward for someone like Holtz. I could see Johnsson getting waived to clear a spot for him versus opening up cap space. On a related note - if Johnsson were to be waived and sent to Utica, does anyone know how much cap space that opens up?

Yeah I agree. While they could actually make it work without doing anything (They are just barely under the cap right now with 13F 7D and 3G), they need cap flexibility, especially from player development perspective. Zetterlund needs to play in NJ, Holtz needs to get a shot, Thompson, Bahl, Okhotyuk and possibly Foote and Nemec need to get few games in.

LTIR is certainly one option, trades and waivers are another. If he doesn't see Johnsson, Tatar or even Wood part of this team going forward, I don't think moving them is any worse option than LTIR. But I trust Fitz in whatever he decides to do.

 

[My3Sons]

Yeah I agree. While they could actually make it work without doing anything (They are just barely under the cap right now with 13F 7D and 3G), they need cap flexibility, especially from player development perspective. Zetterlund needs to play in NJ, Holtz needs to get a shot, Thompson, Bahl, Okhotyuk and possibly Foote and Nemec need to get few games in.

LTIR is certainly one option, trades and waivers are another. If he doesn't see Johnsson, Tatar or even Wood part of this team going forward, I don't think moving them is any worse option than LTIR. But I trust Fitz in whatever he decides to do.

just send Johnsson to the AHL assuming that he is beaten out by Zetterlund in camp and you don't need him on the fourth line to replace Wood. We still don't seem to have real reporting on Wood's health? If Johnsson in the AHL opens up another $1 mil that should be enough to avoid LTIR to start and bank a bit of space to bring the odd ELC up for a couple of games if need be.

 

[ninetyeight]

just send Johnsson to the AHL assuming that he is beaten out by Zetterlund in camp and you don't need him on the fourth line to replace Wood. We still don't seem to have real reporting on Wood's health?

His salary would still count to the cap, if he isn't claimed, since he has a 1way contract. If we have to pay him I assume Fitz keeps him at least as a 4th liner.

 

[My3Sons]

His salary would still count to the cap, if he isn't claimed, since he has a 1way contract. If we have to pay him I assume Fitz keeps him at least as a 4th liner.

I thought you get some salary cap relief along the lines of about $1 mil?

Edit: According to puckpedia if Johnsson is assigned to the minors NJ would get $1.125 mil in cap relief. The rest of his cap hit would count towards the NHL. Still, that would probably be enough to move up an ELC if needed. All of this probably hinges on whether Wood can actually play.

 

[ninetyeight]

Edit: According to puckpedia if Johnsson is assigned to the minors NJ would get $1.125 mil in cap relief.

Ah, thanks I did not know that!

 

[Jack Be Quick]

This is why I want Miles Wood on this team.

When he's on there's no one on this team who plays anywhere close to his brand of hockey (yes, I'm aware McLeod is fast and will fight).

We just really need to see where that hip is at, be it for solid trade bait at the deadline or a bigger contact next year.

 

[bossram]

Fitz really shouldn't have qualified Wood. This is really an inefficient use of the space here - with all the cap gymnastics proposals in this thread as evidence.

 

[Devils731]

Fitz really shouldn't have qualified Wood. This is really an inefficient use of the space here - with all the cap gymnastics proposals in this thread as evidence.

There may be some non-financial reasons that this makes sense.

Did the Devils push him to return early? Based on other players playing with injuries it wouldn’t surprise me. If so, the Devils would want to qualify Wood for their reputation with the players.

Pure speculation but that’s just 1 scenario I invented where the dollars may not tell the whole story as to the benefit your receive or damage you avoid.

 

[ninetyeight]

 

[bossram]

There may be some non-financial reasons that this makes sense.

Did the Devils push him to return early? Based on other players playing with injuries it wouldn’t surprise me. If so, the Devils would want to qualify Wood for their reputation with the players.

Pure speculation but that’s just 1 scenario I invented where the dollars may not tell the whole story as to the benefit your receive or damage you avoid.

Yes. Bolded. Who knows? Maybe Fitz just has a soft spot for him? Maybe Miles was the one pushing himself to come back early?

I highly doubt what the club does with Miles Wood would have huge repercussions for the Devil's reputation.

What we do know is that the Devils are in a bit of a cap bind for this season, as of now.