Not sure how it’s fantasy. I laid out eight things that will or likely will happen by the end of two seasons from now. Seven of those eight are certainties. Not fantasy. Not guessing. Certainty. Only one that’s unclear/only a likelihood/we actually need to do something proactive (Wennberg buyout).
1) Bobrovsky’s $7.5M contract will be off the books. (Starting next year.)
2) Tyutin’s $1.5M buyout will be off the books. (Starting in 2020-21.)
3) Hartnell’s $3M buyout will be off the books. (Reducing to $1.25M next season, gone completely at end of 2020-21.)
4) Dubinsky’s $6M contract will be off the books. (Or reduced to only $2M.)
5) Nash’s $2.75M will be off the books.
6) Foligno’s $5.5M contract will be off the books.
7) Savard’s $4.25M will be off the books.
Those are all true statements. That’s not conjecture, or working up some crazy trade/scenario. (I’d keep Savard if we have cap room, this hypothetical is just about the notion we sign Panarin and Duchene. Likewise, give Foligno a 50% pay cut. Doubt he’d get much more elsewhere (and he won’t sign elsewhere unless it’s much more). If he does, good for him. Enjoy the final fat contract.) Bobrovsky and Savard replacements would be a drop off, but money will be saved. Foligno would be literally no drop off (besides aging) with money saved. Dubinsky can be replaced by someone SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper at no downgrade. Nash can also be replaced by someone cheaper at no downgrade. Hartnell and Tyutin don’t have to be replaced at all; that’s just money/cap space that becomes available.
Now that that reality is out of the way, let’s look at the lone absolutely impossible fantasy: Wennberg removal. Could require a trade. Or a buyout. Either way, you’re saving either $5M or $4M. Replacing Wennberg would be no downgrade (since he doesn’t play) at SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper cost.
Final total savings: $35.5 million to replace a starting goalie ($5 million), two 4th liners ($3.5 million total), a healthy scratch/depth ($1 million), a 3/4 D (we’d prob just sign a 5/6 D for $2 million if we have Zach, Seth, Murray, Nuti, Gavrikov, Peeke...) and a 3rd lime W ($3.5 million). That’s $15 million total, so just saved $20.5 million at those spots from where we’re at today. Again, we also already have a little cap space and the cap will rise, potentially significantly by the time 2022 hits.
Yeah, you may have to trade one or two of those guys you mentioned and replace with ELC/RFA contracts. No, you wouldn’t have to completely gut the core.