This is the last year of cap hell for Detroit.
It really is.
Even with some extensions:
2019-20 roster
1. Larkin, 6.100M
2. Nyquist, 6.000M (EXTENDED)
3. Nielsen, 5.250M
4. Akader, 4.250M
5. Helm, 3.850M
6. Mantha, 3.300M
7. AA, 3.000M
8. Glendy, 1.800M
9. Bert, 1.400M
10. ZADINA, 925k
11. Rasmussen, 894k
12. Svechnikov, 863k
-------------------
13. De La Rose, 900k
14. Ehn, 759k
Vanek, Frk, Witkowski gone.
1. Green, 5.375M
2. DeKeyser, 5.000M
3. Ericsson, 4.250M
4. Daley, 3.167M
5. Cholowski, 894k
6. Hronek, 714k
-----------------
7. Jensen? 1.250M (extended)
1. Howard, 4.25M (extended)
2. Bernier, 3.000M
That's total 77.5M with Franzen + Zetterberg. + Weiss + other extra crap.
5.5M in cap space.
13.8M capspace via LTIR.
Trading Daley or Ericsson at 2019 deadine would open even more space. Daley gone = ~17M of cap space. And dealing Franzen contract away, that would open more summer cap space by 1.7M. Not counting that possibility in here.
***
So, even as a pipe dream, this UFA splash would be possible.
Sign Artemi Panarin for 10M instead of Nyquist 6.0M. (+4M more)
Sign Sergei Bobrovsky for 9M instead of Howard 4.25M) (+4.75M more)
Sign Erik Karlsson for 10M and have him instead of Trevor Daley (traded) 3.167M (6.833M more)
-------------------------
Total added caphits: 16.583M
In theory, these add-ons will fit in on that 17M room, if Daley is gone.
I definitely won't believe that to happen, but just proved how it's mathematically possible. Pretty easy field to work for a GM, imo.