At the end of this season we're going to have the greatest amount of turnover we've seen in awhile. We have 2.6 million in cap space as of today. Who should we sign/trade/let go? What should we sign them for? I'll keep this post updated as the season goes along and players sign or get traded.
UFAs
Tavares 5.5 AAV
Bailey 3.3 AAV
Kulimen 4.2 AAV
Chimera 2.25 AAV
de Haan 3.3 AAV
Hickey 2.2 AAV
Seidenberg 1.25 AAV
Halak 4.5 AAV
RFAs (Arbitration Eligible)
Nelson 2.5 AAV
Prince 850k AAV
Quine 612k AAV
Mayfield 863k AAV
RFAs
Pulock 863k AAV
Eligible for Extention July 1st (2 seasons remaining: '17-'18, '18-'19)
Lee (UFA) 3.75 AAV
Beauvillier (RFA) 894k AAV
Eberle (UFA) 6m AAV
Cap remaining: 2.6
This is assuming JT re-signs for $10 million per (he'll realize that he can't max out given how Edmonton is set up with McDavid . . . 8 years times $10 million), also the Salary Cap goes up another $2 million, which has been happening pretty regularly lately.
Bailey is the toughest one to figure out since if this team keeps playing like this and he stays on the 1st line we end up with a similar situation to Okposo, but without the health history. There's a decent likelihood Bailey ends with 70 points this year and maybe more. Then it becomes similar to Lee and you have to offer $6 million per if he hits 70 points.
Seidenberg and Quine can both likely be re-signed for under $2 million total and are likely agreeable to doing so. Mayfield also can come in at around Seidenberg type money.
No point in extending Beauvillier yet but you have to offer Lee at least $6 million per. We have time to assess Eberle, no need to negotiate with him yet. Eberle could be replaced by Ho-Sang eventually but Lee has no replacement part available pretty much anywhere in the NHL.
Nelson needs to be assessed towards the end of the year on production. He's pretty much limited to being a goal scorer, a lot like Bjugstad in Florida, and nothing more than that right now. He's easily replaceable in free agency by a Radim Vrbata type player and the budget for that slot should not be more than $4 million per depending on what line he needs to fill.
Kulemin is not coming back because he won't sign for what he currently is worth, which is about $1.5 million per.
DeHaan will sign elsewhere for more money and we should be glad about that. That spot is pretty much for Toews or Pelech, as Pulock continues to cement his role and eventually becomes the Top 4 pairing we hope for.
Halak will be moving on unless he gets red hot for most of the season and gets us to the conference finals, otherwise we move on.
Prince, Hickey and Chimera are definitely replaceable at their current salaries or less.
So, here's my thoughts:
First line of JT, Lee and Bailey come back together at $22 million total per year, starting in 2019-20 and about $20 million next season. This line can stay together for at least 5 more years and will be worth it as one of the top lines in the NHL
Second line of Barzal, Eberle and Ladd for 2018-19, TBD after that at the current total of $13 million right now
Third line of Ho-Sang, Beauvillier and potentially Nelson for about $ 6 million next season and TBD in 2019-20
Fourth line of Clutterbuck, Cizikas and a possibility of someone in Bridgeport right now or a one year FA for a total of about $ 7 million next year.
That's $46 million for the forwards next year, plus about $2 million for the bench for $48 million
$29 million left to spend
Leddy and Boychuck combine for about $12 million
Pulock and Pelech should combine for $3.5 million
Toews, Mayfield and Seidenberg for about $3.5 million
That leaves $10 million for the rest
Greiss at $3.3 million and whoever fills the goalie slot (Soderstrom maybe but possibly someone outside the organization for $5 million and that's about it.
