How does your cap fit Edmonton Part 2 of 30
Posted 12:14 PM ET | Comments 1
So, with the season almost over, everyone will hope to fill needs through the draft, trades and free agency. My love of this season and all it brings gets me thinking what can a team do, so how does your cap fit? Today Edmonton! As per Cap Geek the Oil have 10f 6d and 1 g signed for a cap hit of just over $54,100,000. So around 10 mil to lock up 3-4 f 1 d and a new back up goalie, if you are of the opinion that they will stick with Dubnyk (which I am). First you have to believe that they will resign Gagner, and coming off what may have been his best season with the club, a raise is in order. So lets stay modest and say 3 years at 4.25. Thats a one mill bump. Now before you say too much look at his teammates he wont get 6, but when you consider the market this is not really outrageous. Here is where it gets much more complicated. The talk of another dman got very cloudy with the Streit signing (overpaid). So who do the Oil target? How about Andrew Ference? Boston is going to be slammed up against the cap, resigning Rask as priority number one, so something will have to break, it could be Ference. So lets say 3 years at 3.3 per, thats about it for spending. I cant see the Oil spending right up to the number, the club as it stands comes back, a low end back up goalie Theodore type will round it out. You may have to stomach one more year of Belanger, or he might get buried on the farm. A Horcoff deal seems a bit much unless they find a team in need of making the floor, (wont be the Isles they are loaded at Forward and will spend elsewhere) Maybe Horcoff to Phoenix, who need forwards and $ spent to get to the floor, but before you think of any present dmen, expect a pick back. This could make a Penner, or Horton a possibility. Don't forget Hopkins and Justin Schultz both have extensions coming and neither will come cheap. I cannot see 14-15 cap going up beyond 67.5 that gets spent on only 1 of those two. The Oil are on the right track, and this coming season will be the proving time for all the youth, or next off season one of these high end prospects could find themselves elsewhere! Next up Florida!
Edmonton will always have to overpay to bring in any help they need. Most players would just sign for the same dollars and stay in the US because of the tax situation which translates into more take home pay. This could force them to the cap in short order.