The Zetterberg Era
Ball Hockey Sucks
Kuch and Stamkos have a combined cap hit of $18M, if they both miss 18 games out of 56, it clears $5.8M of cap space. If they miss half the season (28 games), then it clears $9M.
So yes, it does if they both miss about 5 - 6 weeks. If they miss significantly more than that, they would actually have space for a TDL acquisition.
I know they have some good players, but I hope Point is ready for this if it does happen. Man is he going to be a targeted player within our division. I would run him every chance you got as the Wings if the plan is to shelf those two for cap/injury issues and play defensive first hockey. I think they can do it and still win because of Vasy and the top 4 D-man in Tampa. But it is a grinding style of hockey until they can get both back probably.
Coleman can play up the lineup if needed though as can a few of the other guys. Still this hurts them and isn't the ideal way to get to cap compliance at all.
Also our same awful deal for them can be on the table next year where they already have 73 million committed to 13 players and the cap isn't going up from 81.5. That is without Cirelli's and Cernak's new contracts, they are basically pushed up against the cap once you start figuring those likely figures in with 15 players.
Having to figure out which talent to get rid of though are days I miss. Hopefully in five years we are moving on from legit hockey players and making tough decisions like Tampa, that is the nature of the cap.