What are you on about?
Lupul- $5.25
JVR- $4.25
Bozak- $4.2
Komarov- $2.9
Kadri- $2.9
Santorelli- $1.5
Winnik- $1.1
Booth- $1
Gardiner- $4
Franson- $3.3
Polak- $2.75
Reimer- $2.3
That's $35 million in those players alone without even counting Phaneuf, Kessel, Robidas or Clarkson.
We've got plenty of ability to clear out cap space if we want.
Isn't the priority to build a winning team, so while granted dumping players does free cap space by their removal the returning player(s) etc to try and improve the team have incoming cap hits to offset the recaptured?.
Gunnarsson @$3.3 + Retained Salary for Polak = No Cap gain for example.
Dumping players like Santo, Winnik, and Booth making just $1-$1.5 mil and replaced internally by Marlies like Nylander $925k, Gauthier $900k and Ashton $850k leaves the cap negligible is terms of free cap space gained. 3 players out and 3 replacement players in to fill and NHL team roster.
I'm sure some players like Kadri, JVR, Franson wouldn't be too difficult to deal but would the return make the team better or worse if the intention if freeing up cap space and not team improvement?. If you hypothetically traded JVR @ $4.25 for ROR @$ 6.0 mil you're adding $1.75 mil and would have to find that extra cap space in addition like say dumping Reimer ($2.3 mil) and replacing him with another goalie making $900k.
If as you mentioned in the other thread the goal is to bring in better players to surround Phaneuf and Kessel then wouldn't you want to keep some of those players on your list to add to the overall team and not subtract to create cap space?
If you're tight against the cap then money OUT $$ has to balance money $$ IN.