Confirmed with Link: Nikita Gusev 1 Year ELC

[mouser]

He can't be offer-sheeted either, right?

Correct.

 

[Vegan Knight]

So Vegas could still get him for cheap on a one year deal this season then trade a big earner, Pacioretty or someone, if he is a star in order to keep him.

 

[GKG18]

He will not be had for cheap. I suspect he will get a deal in the Tuch neighborhood. As for unloading Patches, that would make sense, as he still has some prime years left, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

[Brazen331]

He will not be had for cheap. I suspect he will get a deal in the Tuch neighborhood. As for unloading Patches, that would make sense, as he still has some prime years left, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Yeah, I think many of us would have preferred to keep Suzuki. I could stomach Patches’ cap hit if he was more durable but the guy is always hurt.

When teams know they are probably only getting 60 games from him I think that makes trading difficult.

 

[CupInSIX]

 

[CupInSIX]

 

[ChanceVegas]

This doesn't inspire confidence...

 

[CupInSIX]

It wouldn't make sense for either party. He's a RFA in the offseason if he signs for this year, so they couldn't afford him next season. He won't have a NTC so he'll have no say where he would get traded to.

If he comes over in September, he'll be on a 1 year ELC. That works with the tight cap space, then they can re-sign him to whatever contract he wants in December complete with a partial NTC.

I knew it. They must have known it. So did they really expect the cap to go up to 84m (doubt it) or was it just a ploy to get him over and flip him as an asset?

 

[LadyStanley]

Read Lawless' break down (link in trade thread). They acquired his rights from TBL for picks and to select Garrison in expansion draft. Got even more picks from NJD.

Guessing the team's plans did not have cap going up so little for the 19-20 season along with his decision to finally come to North America, and the team more in a cap crunch than previously.

 

[willy702]

I say explore the trade market and/or let someone offer sheet him and take the draft picks. The guy was a throw in to a deal that could yield some real good futures without being a cap problem now. His trade value probably will never be greater than it is right now. Keep him around a year on an RFA and you lose that theoretical excess value. Plus if he does decently well you risk the wrath of the fan base complaining about not keeping him even though his cost goes way up.

One of the few times I read VGK management's collective mind right.

I feel bad for Gusev, its a hard adjustment to make to the NHL. I watch a lot of KHL games on the computer as background noise and you can just see the difference in defense against scoring wingers. The shot blocking is not there and defenders get wrong footed so much more often in the KHL than the NHL. There aren't as many gritty goals because they don't really need them, talented offensive players can get the time and space they need.