Salary Cap: How will HuGo use our Cap Surplus Next Season?

[ML16]

With Drouin (5.5M), Dadonov (5M), Byron (3.4) and Monahan (6.375M) coming off the books next season and the cap rising around 1M to 83.5M it looks like Hughes and Gorton will have some cap room (21M) to weaponize. (Note: I'm assuming Price is done and remains on LTIR the rest of his career)

Guessing Caufield (7M), Pezzetta (900K), Richard (900k), and Harris (1.5M) will eat up 10M leaving us with 11-12M. Would you prefer to see him go after:

1) Free Agents who can help the team win next year (i.e. Pastrnak, Dumba, Killorn, etc)
2) Free Agents on short term deals that can be flipped at the Deadline (i.e. like Klingberg this season)
3) Take on some short term bad contracts in exchange for prospects/picks (i.e. Monahan)
4) Hold on to the cap space and let the team's play determine if we buy or take on cap dumps closer to the deadline
5) Some other approach

1) Too soon!

2) Circumstancial, but likely not worth the gamble.

3) As long as the « bad contracts » expire by 2023-2024, absolutely. Being a facilitator in 3-way trades might be the Habs’ best asset while the cap remains frozen.

4) I don’t see the Habs becoming buyers any time soon - circumstancially, maybe Dubois by offseason 2024. That being said, if somehow a window opens and they can pull the trigger for a legitimate RHD1 or G1 prospect in a « Dach-like trade » (quantity/non-core assets vs quality/high upside U25), it should definitely be explored!

 

[Scriptor]

I think they will evaluate things month/month and season/season. I don't think they have a locked in plan to sign or not to sign a UFA. They will look for circumstantial moves they can make like the Dach/Romanov flip as well as consider UFA options if it makes sense to our long term success. These types of circumstantial moves tend to come out later that we can't predict today. Who would have predicted the Dach/Romanov flip and the Monahan+1st where Monahan preforms well?

Personally, I don't think they are looking to tank for 3+ years. They want to ice a team that improves and moves up the standings while also focusing on drafting/development.

I don't think Montreal will actually spend to the Cap ceiling and handcuff themselves in the process, being unable to benefit from unseen circumstances that could provide opportunity as the team tries to assemble a perennial contender over the next two or three years.

If, as it appears to be, Price is well done, with a fork stuck in him, and his contract is not a concern, apart from providing LTIR that will make it hard to accrue cap space while the contract is running out, just how much cap space will Montreal have at the end of this season?

Will they flip Edmundson, for example, and gain extra cap space (even if it is only 50% of 3.5M, or 1.75M) next year?

Will they buy out Hoffman and save extra ca space?

Will they unload Dvorak and gain extra cap space?

Just how much Cap space will we have and hw many players will need to be signed?

If opportunity exists, considering that some more Cap space would move out to acquire these players, Montreal could potentially acquire a young, established RHD and Dubois, plus the picks they will have in 2023.

The right side of D would still need further enhancements for the top-4, but don't count pn Mailloux right away as, IMHO, he needs to play games before playing inn Montreal. He missed too much development time over the last couple of years and needs to improve certain aspects of his game before playing in a Habs sweater.

If there are opportunities, HuGo will be in a good position to pounce on them, This narrative of Bergevin having handicapped HuGo is false. Plenty of room under the Cap as early as the upcoming offseason and assets with longer contracts that can be moved; Dvorak, Anderson, Edmundson.

This offseason will be interesting, IMO. Can't wait to see what unravels for the Habs and HuGo.

 

[Scintillating10]

Could we move Price contract? So can spend to cap limit next year? Trade like Weber this year. Take on bad expiring contract.

 

[Scriptor]

I like numbers three and five . Re-sign Caufield long term , acquire a good , young goalie to compete with Primeau , Dobes , Monty etc. , and break in four or five rookie forwards next year similar to our young defensemen this year . We can then weaponize our cap space during the season and at the '24 deadline for more picks and prospects and probably start competing for a playoff spot in the 2024-25 season , at that point # 1 could possibly be an option .

Four or five more rookies next year is much too much, IMO. It's ridiculous as a plan if you want to avoid ruining your prospects' development.

There should be no more than 2 or 3 rookies per year, at the utmost, with two, most often, being plenty.

We will likely see Heineman joining our ranks next season and, then, there ought to be a lot of pressure surrounding Beck making the team because of the position and lack of depth at C.

I'm not sure it is a good idea.

Heineman and Ylonen should be plenty to join the roster as rookies.

Adding a young, established RHD from outside the organization should be a priority. That would be another addition to the roster, but he wouldn't be a rookie.

Beck, maybe.

That's lots of movement - Plenty of movement!

 

[NotProkofievian]

It'll be the last year where we can benefit from the cap rising only $1m, as it is expected to rise quite a bit in the following years. Hopefully, Montreal can take advantage of that.

Another Monahan type trade would be perfect.

Hopefully, Caufield is signed $7.5m x 8 years.
We can definitely afford Dubois too.

This. Good value trades a la Monahan, bring PLD home.

 

[habsfan44]

Four or five more rookies next year is much too much, IMO. It's ridiculous as a plan if you want to avoid ruining your prospects' development.

There should be no more than 2 or 3 rookies per year, at the utmost, with two, most often, being plenty.

We will likely see Heineman joining our ranks next season and, then, there ought to be a lot of pressure surrounding Beck making the team because of the position and lack of depth at C.

I'm not sure it is a good idea.

Heineman and Ylonen should be plenty to join the roster as rookies.

Adding a young, established RHD from outside the organization should be a priority. That would be another addition to the roster, but he wouldn't be a rookie.

Beck, maybe.

That's lots of movement - Plenty of movement!

If I had told you this time last year that we would have four rookie defensemen taking regular shifts on our back end you probably would have dismissed that as ridiculous as well . I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens but someone will have to replace Drouin , Dadonov and Monahan plus others who might be traded , bought out or injured .

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Let's collect all the cap dump for more picks. We have two more years down the standing before we climb back.

 

[Steve Shutt]

Who's your two or three favorite FA's this summer you'd like to see them bring in for leadership, stability, and to flip at the deadline?

 

[70Stang]

Horvat as UFA would be game changer. I personally stay away from PLD ask for him will be to high.

 

[Moose Head]

Zaitsev has an NMC. He may nix any deal to MTL.

Actually it’s a 10 team no trade list.

 

[Habs Halifax]

This. Good value trades a la Monahan, bring PLD home.

There is room to sign Caufield and Harris and do a sign/trade with Dubois and still have around $10M in cap space to take on a Monahan/1st addition.

What top 10 or 15 team is tracking to have cap space issues next year? Panthers? Bob/1st and we send back Gallagher with retention down to $5M .

 

[Vachon23]

They will sign David Pasternak for 8 yrs 92m (11,5m AAV)

Seriously, I think they will wait Summer 24 before spending the money except of they draft Connor Bedard

 

[Habs Halifax]

Could we move Price contract? So can spend to cap limit next year? Trade like Weber this year. Take on bad expiring contract.

We can spend to the cap limit next year regardless with Price. The areas that become tricky is accrued cap space and ELC performance bonuses. It's not ideal to have Price and his LTIR contract but I prefer not to take on a contract to move him (like the Weber/Dadonov) deal. We actually lost cap space in that deal for this current season but it helped us for next season.

3 more seasons with Price on LTIR (after this one). It's not going to hurt us that much if we have to manage around it. These are rebuilding/transition years. Habs will have lots of cap flexibility after this season. It's not the same as the issues we had heading into this season.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Assuming we don’t get Bedard or Fantilli at the draft, I can see us signing PLD as a UFA. I juts hope we don’t trade for him.

 

[Benstheman]

They will sign David Pasternak for 8 yrs 92m (11,5m AAV)

Seriously, I think they will wait Summer 24 before spending the money except of they draft Connor Bedard

Montour and PLD in 2024.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

We can spend to the cap limit next year regardless with Price. The areas that become tricky is accrued cap space and ELC performance bonuses. It's not ideal to have Price and his LTIR contract but I prefer not to take on a contract to move him (like the Weber/Dadonov) deal. We actually lost cap space in that deal for this current season but it helped us for next season.

3 more seasons with Price on LTIR (after this one). It's not going to hurt us that much if we have to manage around it. These are rebuilding/transition years. Habs will have lots of cap flexibility after this season. It's not the same as the issues we had heading into this season.

If we can, I would move Price's contract. It might be possible given the tight cap situation again next season. Not sure there's any team out there who is in the cap mess Vegas was in last summer. That was pretty insane.

Maybe to a team like Arizona who may need help reaching the cap floor. I don't see Coyotes signing any of their UFAs, and none of their RFAs are getting huge contract bumps. Nothing that's going to take them from $43.9m to a $62m. That's $18.1m just to get floor. I'm sure they'll take on some cap dumps.

If the cap goes up $4m-$5m as expected the following year then minimum will jump same amount. There's literally no one for them to sign. Keller, Schmaltz & Crouse are all signed long term already. There's no one else projected to make big money.

 

[Vachon23]

Assuming we don’t get Bedard or Fantilli at the draft, I can see us signing PLD as a UFA. I juts hope we don’t trade for him.

Not sure he will get to the UFA though. I definitely see a team trading for him next summer and extending him

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Not sure he will get to the UFA though. I definitely see a team trading for him next summer and extending him

Then let him go.

If he wants to come here, he can sign as a UFA.

 

[Vachon23]

Then let him go.

If he wants to come here, he can sign as a UFA.

If we don’t draft in the top 3, not sure I would let him go. There is not a lot of opportunities to trade for a player of his caliber and at his age. Especially that he seem to want to play here.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Assuming we don’t get Bedard or Fantilli at the draft, I can see us signing PLD as a UFA. I juts hope we don’t trade for him.

I'm 50/50 on Dubois as a sign/trade or a UFA a year later. It's fluid depending on where the Panthers pick is (after lottery) and what we can get Dubois in a trade. If not the Panthers pick, does other pieces get him where it's better than other teams cause Dubois plays hard ball in the sign/trade with any team not named the Habs. We can only guess.

Then let him go.

If he wants to come here, he can sign as a UFA.

Are you prepared to go years without a good center to pair with Suzuki? Cause we had two top 3 picks in recent drafts with no center from it.

Are you also prepared to pay Dubois more in the summer of 24 vs this summer in a sign/trade? Cost could go from 8x $8.5M to 7x $9M-$10M or more range? Cap will be much higher in the summer of 24 heading into that 24/25 season.

 

[Team_Spirit]

Sell it for more draft capital *laser eyes*

 

[Habs Halifax]

Not sure he will get to the UFA though. I definitely see a team trading for him next summer and extending him

They will try but the feeling I get is Dubois only considers sign/trade with a very small amount of teams and as long as he knows the Habs have interest in him, he will keep his options open IMO. However, he does risk long term injury if he signs one more RFA year deal. Nothing lock in so yeah, things can change.

Avs are the team I worry about. But they are going to be making a move for a 2C before this deadline. Not sure if that is a one playoff solution or not though. Do they add someone that helps this playoffs and search again this summer? That is very possible.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

If we don’t draft in the top 3, not sure I would let him go. There is not a lot of opportunities to trade for a player of his caliber and at his age. Especially that he seem to want to play here.

If we trade for him we won’t draft in the top three almost for sure.

No shortcuts.

Finish low. If he wants to sign here after… great. If not, see ya later.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I'm 50/50 on Dubois as a sign/trade or a UFA a year later. It's fluid depending on where the Panthers pick is (after lottery) and what we can get Dubois in a trade. If not the Panthers pick, does other pieces get him where it's better than other teams cause Dubois plays hard ball in the sign/trade with any team not named the Habs. We can only guess.



Are you prepared to go years without a good center to pair with Suzuki? Cause we had two top 3 picks in recent drafts with no center from it.

Are you also prepared to pay Dubois more in the summer of 24 vs this summer in a sign/trade? Cost could go from 8x $8.5M to 7x $9M-$10M or more range? Cap will be much higher in the summer of 24 heading into that 24/25 season.

We went years without a center because our GM was a moron. He played our worst center in the top line.

Don’t mess with the rebuild. Do it right. Enough f***ing around already.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

If we can, I would move Price's contract. It might be possible given the tight cap situation again next season. Not sure there's any team out there who is in the cap mess Vegas was in last summer. That was pretty insane.

Maybe to a team like Arizona who may need help reaching the cap floor. I don't see Coyotes signing any of their UFAs, and none of their RFAs are getting huge contract bumps. Nothing that's going to take them from $43.9m to a $62m. That's $18.1m just to get floor. I'm sure they'll take on some cap dumps.

If the cap goes up $4m-$5m as expected the following year then minimum will jump same amount. There's literally no one for them to sign. Keller, Schmaltz & Crouse are all signed long term already. There's no one else projected to make big money.

Makes me so sad to deal Price. Man, crazy how he and Subban are already done.