So you move the contract only to LTIR after the season starts? Use it to be at the cap before the season starts? Seems logical I guess cause the Coyotes did trade for the Hossa contract
Not 100% sure how that works. Can you move them off and on of LTIR each off season? Or once they are on LTIR, they are stuck there unless healthy again?
My understanding is that LTIR only kicks in on day one of the season, but as you know the contract still count against the cap at all time, so the team can only access the extra cap when the season starts. So during the offseason, you can use the 10% "over the cap" and that is it.
I think the league re-assess all players on LTIR and only the one that have been declare unfit to return (like Kesler) may be exempt. I believe the Kucherov had to give regular update on his status to the NHL during the last season.
So Weber to the Coyotes would mean that they get the full cap hit, but dont pay the actual salary as the insurance would do it, and if on day 1 of the season they need to go over the cap they can by the value of his contract (that wont happen due to internal budget).
But MTL only trade Weber if he's never returning..... so he may or may not get the NHL exemption, but he would stay on LTIR or retire if he leave mtl.