gravey9
Registered User
- Dec 29, 2008
- 2,848
- 5,988
A very oversimplified way to understand the salary cap, or at least the way i choose to view it... If the cap is 80m and you have roughly 20 players to ice. (I know you can have up to 23 on your roster, but ignore that for the sake of this simplicity). 80m divided by 20 players = 4m/player.
For every player you have on your roster that makes over 4m, you need to have one or more players making under 4m. E.G. for every Panarin making 11.6m, you need a whole bunch of players who make substantially less than 4m to make everything fit under the cap.
Right now, the Rangers have 5 players making over 4m -- Kreider, Zibanejad, Panarin, Trouba and Strome.
If you combine those 5 players AAV into one large pot -- they are over that 4m median by about 16.5m . That means the remaining 16 contracts have to average out at about 3mAAV. And if the roster is 22, then those remaining contracts have to average out at 2.6m/year.
With all the current ELCs we are fine. But the minute we start hitting that area where we're at 10 contracts over 4m, and a 2-3 more in that 3m range, money will need to move, and vets will need to be replaced with ELCs or players taking vet minimum.
That's why, it often makes sense to give a guy an extra year if it means getting him at 2.5m as opposed to 3m a year. But if that player is going to become the 7th Dman who only sees spot duty than even that 2.5m becomes very untenable very fast - if you're icing a competitive, deep squad.
In any case, that 4m a year median salary, which really should be like 3.7 with 22-23 contracts, is a good barometer to consider when we look at these depth signings. The closer a given depth player gets to 4m or even 3m, the sooner that contract will force other cap maneuvering decisions.
For every player you have on your roster that makes over 4m, you need to have one or more players making under 4m. E.G. for every Panarin making 11.6m, you need a whole bunch of players who make substantially less than 4m to make everything fit under the cap.
Right now, the Rangers have 5 players making over 4m -- Kreider, Zibanejad, Panarin, Trouba and Strome.
If you combine those 5 players AAV into one large pot -- they are over that 4m median by about 16.5m . That means the remaining 16 contracts have to average out at about 3mAAV. And if the roster is 22, then those remaining contracts have to average out at 2.6m/year.
With all the current ELCs we are fine. But the minute we start hitting that area where we're at 10 contracts over 4m, and a 2-3 more in that 3m range, money will need to move, and vets will need to be replaced with ELCs or players taking vet minimum.
That's why, it often makes sense to give a guy an extra year if it means getting him at 2.5m as opposed to 3m a year. But if that player is going to become the 7th Dman who only sees spot duty than even that 2.5m becomes very untenable very fast - if you're icing a competitive, deep squad.
In any case, that 4m a year median salary, which really should be like 3.7 with 22-23 contracts, is a good barometer to consider when we look at these depth signings. The closer a given depth player gets to 4m or even 3m, the sooner that contract will force other cap maneuvering decisions.
