They could just squeeze him in if they trade Sorensen for nothing (or somehow involve him in a deal for Killorn. Which would probably suck because Sorensen's value is minimal and would partially defeat the purpose of the Bolts trading him to shed salary and create cap room)
Killorn makes $4.45m
The Sharks currently have $2.99m in cap space with 14 F, 6D, 2G.
Sorensen makes $1.5m against the cap.
Dump Sorensen for... anything that doesn't cost cap space, Sharks cap total increases to $4.49m
Acquire Killorn for no other NHL salary going out, Sharks down to $40,000 in cap space. In theory you could make it more interesting by trading Gambrell to the Bolts for Killorn so they have a sub-league-minimum player to offset the loss of one of their regulars. That would put the Sharks to $740k of cap space. It wouldn't be enough to sign any FAs since the league minimum salary on new contracts is $750k, but they would be able to call up a couple of Cuda defenders who are making $700k to serve as the 7th d-man. But before we do that, let's see where else we can generate some savings.
First, add Marleau to the roster at $750k. I know he was previously reported to get $1m but the team literally cannot afford that in this scenario so let's hope that Patty takes one for the team and for the sake of coming back to chase his record setting GP total in teal. In return, subtract Lean Bergmann, who he replaces in the lineup. Bergman makes $836,667. Net effect is a cap space increase of about $86,667.
New cap figure is $826,667
Next, add Thornton also at the minimum of $750k just because the team needs still all the help it can get against the cap and a cheaper hit makes him more attractive at the trade deadline since, let's be honest, this club as it stands is not competing for anything of substance barring a miracle. Subtract Alex True, who Thornton replaces. True makes $763,333. Net effect is cap space increase of 13,333.
New cap figure is $840,000.
The Sharks still have 13 forwards and just barely enough money to add one more player to the roster: a final d-man to give them 7. Now they can either call up one of the d-men from the Barracuda (Not Pasichnuk, who makes $925,000, or Merkley either off the Cuda or out of the OHL since he's at $863,333, but they can go from Knyzhov at $796,667 to Carrick and DeSimone making $700k (the last two being the ones I alluded to off the top as the guys the team could call up to be the 7th D if they just got Killorn and didn't sign Patty/Jumbo at the minimum). Or they can theoretically sign a defender of the FA market even though the market for decent 3rd pairing guys is kind of garbage now. Seriously, knowing there's no chance at the likes of Pietrangelo, Vatanen, or even Ceci, the remaining options are names such as Jan Rutta, Madison Bowey, or Yanick Weber. Or Tim Heed.
I made the case for Heed as a cheap 3rd pair RHD in my giant post a couple of pages back that was invalid before I finished it, so let's go for him right now at... say... $800k (a pay cut from his last deal, but maybe he takes it if he's promised a real shot at ice time, knowing he was more productive under Boughner last season and the other options aren't terribly attractive and this is very much a "devil you know" situation). Middleton becomes the 7D. Sharks end with $40,000 in cap space to mostly be used as a float for instances where they have to offset salaries if injuries occur and players need to be replaced over the long haul. The other sticky issue in this scenario is that the only waiver-exempt player on the roster would be Gregor. But we'll burn that bridge if and when we come to it.
I would also like to give Handemark a shot, but at $792,500 he is too expensive to replace Kellman or Suomela. The only way he's being added to the roster is at the expense of Gregor and then you lose your only waiver-exempt player, meaning the moment anyone gets hurt and requires a call-up replacement you risk losing a player on waivers for nothing.
So here's our final roster:
Kane - Couture - Meier
Killorn - Hertl - Labanc
Donato - Thornton - Gregor
Marleau - Kellman - Noesen
ex: Suomela
Vlasic - Karlsson
Ferraro - Burns
Simek - Heed
ex: Middleton
Jones
Dubnyk
And $40,000 in pocket change left to spare.
ain't gonna happen though.
EDIT: it took me about 20 minutes to do the cap calcs and research names for the d-man portion of that post. Has anything happened between then and now that would make all of this useless?
*checks hockey twitter, transaction pages*
No? Good. Then all my work is only mostly for nothing, and not entirely so.
