I think I read expansion fees aren't in HRR, so it wouldn't affect the cap.
I just read that from an article posted back in September from Grantland. That seems surprising to me. As creating new franchises directly leads to more games of hockey and other sources of HRR. If true it is great for owners but crappy for players. Being subject to a draft that could uplift your family after signing a contract to play somewhere isn't exactly fun. On the flip side it opens about 46 NHL jobs if you add 2 teams. I'm sure some of the FA's out there would appreciate that now.
But back to the signing, I have to like just about everything about it.
Manson is still on his ELC this season so he can play in SD and be a call up.
Next year being a 1 way deal just means he takes Holzers job for about 75k more. Not a big deal in the scheme of the salary cap. I doubt you see any of our top 6 moved to make room for Manson.
It is interesting the way BM has positioned his Defensive contracts. If you look at them, Stoners deal expires the same year as Fowlers. Essentially BM created the cap/cash cushion he would need for Fowler there. The same could be said for Bieksa and Manson. Interestingly you could add Theodore into that mix as well. By giving those deals he has money put away for the extensions of some key defensive prospects.
As for the extensions of the young guys next summer, there should be enough cap space available for them. Weather or not we spend to the cap will likely determine if we lose one of them. But there is room for them currently. Now if Andersen commands something like Holtby then that would throw a wrench into the Ducks plans I think.
And for expansion, I think there is a clause that players under a certain number of games played or years in the NHL are ineligible for the draft. I could be wrong about that but it could save some of our younger players from having to be protected. This is also why I don't think BM offered the NTC to Beleskey this summer as well. The risk of the expansion draft as it should happen in the middle of his new deal.