Benning created the seriousness of our coming cap crunch, so he’s going to have to do serious things to resolve it. Using young players, who we have more of at their position, makes logical sense.
We have Marky, so do we really need Demko?
We have Hoglander and Pods coming (and Lind) so do we need Jake?
We have Rathbone, so do we need Juiolevi?
Benning could clear Loui, Sutter, and Baer. Yes it costs us three young players, but it clears 14 million in cap. That cap room has huge value.
All this talk about using players as sweeteners is premature.
The two hardest contracts to move LE and Baer are the ones that I think we see off the books.
I know that certain people here despise Benning and will look for any means to shit on him but the reality for LE is walk away maybe play in Europe or an NHL team closer to Dallas and try to win a gold with team Sweden, or even take a job with the Nucks internally. Or he can play in Utica riding the bus for 2 years to collect 5 million when he's made what 70 million over his career?
When it comes to Baer, the fact he opted out tells me his time is done here and if he wants any chance to get a contract for 21-22 hes going to need a better option then playing in Utica.
That's 9.5 million saved right there more then enough to sign TT, Marky and Tanev. Letting Stech, Fanta and Motte walk is another 4-5 million. Rouselle, Sutter and Beagle could all be moved with at worse some retention. Anyone who thinks there are no team's that would sign those 3 as free agents, is either a Benning hater or is just nieve.
All in all, there are so many options to clear the extra 8-9 million, any talk of Benning being forced to trade high picks or prospects is more of a narrative that the Benning haters spout because well lets face it, hes gotten much better at trades and has managed to sign some team-friendly contracts like the Edler, Myers and Boeser contracts who with the formers both had options for more term or money.
What I find funny is how haters continue actively bitch about Benning when the fact is the moves he made like Sutter Beagle and Rouselle were brought in to be placeholders and allow our young kids to be insulated and not rushed. Plus we have 70 million coming off the books over the next 3 seasons that will be replaced internally, allowing flexibility to not only lock up the core but potentially add pieces as needed.
Any move that is made wont be because we have to get under the cap, it will be dealing from a position of strength, not desperation.