And that's what really makes little sense about this deal.
There's no way he's playing in VanCity next year, so unless the Kraken select him, he's earning guaranteed one-way money of $700.000 a season in the second year of his deal playing in Utica.
I realize it's only 700 grand.....but it hardly does anything for your salary cap situation if he's buried in the minors. It's just another 700 grand in cap space that's wasted on a player who can't help you.
But then Benning and the Canucks have a lot of contracts like that.
chatfield and rafferty are both rhd depth guys on similar expiring one way deals. i'd say one of their contract slots had been filled by bowey if he is not claimed. where that puts bowey on the depth chart and geographically we will see. presumably there will be no taxi squad next year.
it does nothing negative to your cap situation whether he is buried or not. if buried, no cap hit. if called up, he's $25,000 over an nhl minimum salary so there is basically no way to save more cap than having this guy called up (other than playing a man down on the roster).
and one of the things the canucks have done fairly generously is sign league minimum one way deals with their better senior ahl guys. no way i am going to criticize aquaman for being willing to do that and giving some of those guys the only big payday they ever see as pros.