Dermott can help himself in a big way financially by having a nice playoff here. Then he can bridge a single year at $2,000,000. The next year he would be arbitration eligible. If he put together a great season next year he could elect arbitration and beat the negotiating in a flat cap stage.
That might not be wisest thing but it could be a option.
I think 5 years @$3,250,000 would be a wise move for his agent and himself. His numbers indicate $2,000,000 per short term like Holl. He is better off going 5 years and so is the team.
Dermott could front load With a nice signing bonus year one and become a UFA right in his prime at his 28 years old year.
5 years seems right or even better 6 @ $3,500,000. Thats a cool $21,000,000 and takes him right through which could possibly be a difficult time for players to negotiate anything good from contracts.
Sign Dermott @ $3,500,000 and trade Kerfoot who makes the same seems right. We could get some draft picks for Kerfoot or a draft pick and prospect. Whatever removes his money fully so Dermott gets signed without moving the cap bar.
I think Spezza can play third line center better right now and that allows us to keep both of Kappy and Johnsson a little longer. Goat can play fourth line center. Kerfoot is terrible on faceoffs too. Getting rid of Kerfoot is the best move to sign Dermott.