I'm not sure why you continue with the I wouldn't protect Carlson or we should dump Carlson for salary reasons. It just isn't going to happen. We all know it.
I really don't understand how it's always about Carlson. The only guy you even mention on the negative side is Carlson.
I really don't think Carlson is going anywhere so let's get a bit realistic about salaries to dump.
I would say Oshie or Kuzy go before Carlson.
I think Ovie Backstrom and Carlson are untouchable and play their entire careers here.
Carlson is not going anywhere, but that doesn't mean it can't be discussed as a concept. There are about 8 million reasons a year to consider NOT protecting Carlson.
Which contract moved would give you the most $$$ flexibility in return? The biggest one. For 8 million a year you could get a solid D (in the realm of Dillon & Shulz) and have 4 million left to spend on contracts you need to renew: Sammy's new contract, Ovi's new contract, and about 6 other UFA's next year: Charra if you want him, Lundqvist, Daniel Carr, Sgarbosa, LaDue, Raffl
Having said that, the time and way to move Carlson was last year or years prior in a trade when his trade value was at its highest and the team could reap the most benefit from moving him by getting something in return. (a lot of somethings)
Exposing him and losing him in an expansion draft would serve only the current salary cap issue, but would be short sighted in that you get absolutely nothing for one of your most valuable assets. (another reason it won't happen)
Matt Niskanen was moved for exactly this reason - Caps needed the cap space. I hated seeing him go, but it was a smart and necessary and reaped great benefit. (No I am not directly comparing Nisky and Dylan - just the concept)
The Caps are in a bind financially. The frozen cap completely fucked them, but they were in trouble regardless. They are realistically 4 million over the cap RIGHT NOW - only saving that 4 Mil with Kempney and Lundqvist on LTIR. THey ABSOLUTELY MUST move salary, and ALOT of salary. It has to come from somewhere.
Caps have 8 active roster and Taxi squad players who are UFA after this season, plus 3 RFA players. THey have to resign Ovi and Sammy, and at least a few others.
Ovi is going to probably want 11.5mil, which adds 1.5 more to the cap
Sammy is going to want??? 2.5 Mil? adding 1.5 more to the cap
Let's say you spend only another additional 1 mil resigning the 2 or 3 or 4 others you manage to hang on to. That's a total of 4 mil on top of the 4 mil you are already over the cap now....
which is 8.0 million you need to shed somewhere for next year.
Maybe the Caps get lucky and All 8 UFA's sign for the same money. (I doubt that very much). Ovi and Sammy alone are going to bump it 2+ mil I am hoping that Ovi signs a super friendly deal, but realistically he is going to want a pay raise. He is one of the 5 biggest (more like top 3) draws in the NHL and likely wants to get paid that way.
I hope they leave Orlov exposed and Seattle grabs him at 5.1m. I am afraid Seattle will take....one of our lesser contracts (SHeary, Dowd, Sprong, Raffl, etc) Guys that will shave very little off the cap and leave us with one less player yet still 7+ mil OVER the cap, which would force a bad summer trade to shed salary and lose more draft pics only to end up losing multiple players because of the cap issue.
Needing to shed 8mil in cap money means a big piece or several pieces have to be moved. Oshie is 4th highest paid at 5.75m and is a RW. This team currently on the active roster has 7 players that do or can play RW (not including Ovie)
I am afraid that leaves Oshie as probably one of the most viable to be exposed. Question is....would Seattle want a 35-38 year old Oshie at 5.75m the next FOUR years? That's a bad contract. As much as we love Oshie, it would not be horrible to lose him and that contract in his aging years.
Or you leave Kuzy exposed at 7.8 mil and that's not a horrible contract for a super talented Center in his prime, but the Caps are short on centers already. You move Kuzy and then make Oshie a C, but he is probably only a 3c so you left with an aging Backy at 1c, an aging Oshie, Eller, and Dowd. That's weak at the C, so I don't think Kuzy can be exposed.
IF Kuzy is really in the doghouse, you leave him exposed and get NOTHING for him or more likely you protect him and then trade him over the summer and get something in return as well as shedding some salary.
This team is flush with RW right now and pretty strong on D. Losing Siegs was a mistake I think though. You get Kempny back next year, but at what level? You have Jenson, Dillon, Shulz, Carlson, Orlov, and TVR, but only one of those guys is solid on D (Dillon). Siegs could have been a solid D at a reasonable cost. Who knows what happens with Groot, but I'm assuming he will not be back.
Long and short of it is you need to sign 8 guys (whether current ones or guys brought in) and at the same time drop around 8mil in salary to get under the Cap. Those two things don't add up very easily.
Losing John Q. Carlson's 8.0m salary solves a lot of those issues in one move without tinkering with a whole lot else.
Still won't happen so....I guess it's going to be a whole lot else.
