Obviously, but that's not the point. Blah blah it's a business, but there should be an aspect of humanity to it. Just a tiny bit; when your employees are public figures it becomes a different kind of business. It's not like they really plan on competing, so just keep him to hit the cap floor and buy him out next year. See if a sober year makes any difference. It's a bad look for the owner, the guy who wanted to be "the saviour" of the city a few years back.
- cnatch

Perhaps writing a poem about your feelings will help.

okay dude
- twiztedmike

Well played

Well played
- Crushers68

I thought you were totally on point with that.

@Canada cup. Ryan isnt worth 7 mill but why buy him out now especially when you are 20 mill below cap floor before the buyout.......

It would be a major improvement, but far from the best in the NHL. Weber is a bionic man on the wrong side of the aging curve. Behind him and Petry, there isn't much. Krug would be a good add, but he's not going to tip the scales significantly. Look at his numbers this season - not exactly overwhelming and his performance in the postseason was lackluster. Pietrangelo is better, but he's going to cost the sun, moon, and stars. Weber's giant caphit is one thing, but add Pietrangelo to it and you have a ton of cash socked into two D-men, one of whom is almost ready to join AARP.

Best defense in the league right now:

Hedman, McDonagh, Sergachev, Cernak, Shattenkirk, and pick one.

Ok, it's a homer pick I know, but I'd rather that defense over Montreal's - even if they sign Krug or Pietrangelo or both.
- GalacticStone

You missed Luke Schenn

Keep in mind, Shattenkirks gone, Cernak (RFA) Sergachev (RFA) are all free agents along with Ciirelli who'll be up for a big pay day. That D core will not look the same next year.
- Komisaurus Rex

Put Johnson and Gourde on waivers. Someone will take them, then they immediately have $10M in extra cap space.

@Canada cup. Ryan isnt worth 7 mill but why buy him out now especially when you are 20 mill below cap floor before the buyout.......
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Looming expansion draft with a NMC and required protection.

@Canada cup. Ryan isnt worth 7 mill but why buy him out now especially when you are 20 mill below cap floor before the buyout.......
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

You may not agree, but some owners don't have endless money. With no fans, parking, concessions, some of these owners are going to lose a fortune. Buying out Ryan saves the owner almost $4M in actual cash. There are also other ways to make the cap floor. You can find a guy with say a $5M cap hit but is only owed $2M in cash. Boom. Saves another $3M. Again, you may not like it. But that's the reality.

something tells me the Sens are about to get a goalie in the next 12 days

Are we better on D than in years past? ... Yes I think so.
But Top 5 is really stretching it IMO.

We also have some good prospects coming but until they prove what they can do at the NHL level I prefer to reserve judgment.
- Garfield512

Habs D corps is ranked about 9-12 in the league right now. You can't even compare to Dallas, Tampa, Carolina, St-Louis, Nashville, Columbus, Philly. I'd put Colorado as well in front of them. Furthermore, there are other D core that are a lot more talented but doesn't have the same level of cohesion.

Montreal doesn't have an all-star unit but is set to make a really good core if and when they play with cohesion and follow the plan

Now, small issue right now would be for the 3rd pairing. You'll have a pair of 2 LHD with Romanov, Mete and Kulak. I'd chose Kulak and Romanov anytime of the day but we forget that Juulsen was having a good season and progression before getting injured.

I want Hank in NJ. The pain it would cause those horrid Ranger fans to see their beloved King in NJ black and red would almost equal the agony I felt watching the Rangers win this year's lotto.

Keep in mind, Shattenkirks gone, Cernak (RFA) Sergachev (RFA) are all free agents along with Ciirelli who'll be up for a big pay day. That D core will not look the same next year.
- Komisaurus Rex

It would be ironic, that after trading away Sergachev, Montreal offers sheets him to something like 6 years @ 6M which would cost them a 1st and 3rd round pick. Would the Lightning match?

@Canada cup. Ryan isnt worth 7 mill but why buy him out now especially when you are 20 mill below cap floor before the buyout.......
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Ryan had a NMC and would have had to be protected in the expansion draft.....Ottawa didn't actually save that much money, it was just spread out over a longer period. i think this was much more a hockey move than a $$ move

It would be ironic, that after trading away Sergachev, Montreal offers sheets him to something like 6 years @ 6M which would cost them a 1st and 3rd round pick. Would the Lightning match?
- boilermaker100

I believe it would be a 1st, 2nd and a 3rd. the max divisor is 5yrs......36 / 5 = 7.2

$7.2M would be the AAV on an offer sheet

Ryan had a NMC and would have had to be protected in the expansion draft.....Ottawa didn't actually save that much money, it was just spread out over a longer period. i think this was much more a hockey move than a $$ move
- sensarmy_11

Don't confuse cap hit with cold hard cash. This saves the owner millions of actual dollars. As I said there are other ways to meet the cap floor without spending cash to the floor. If there are no fans then some teams will be making moves like this just to survive. Expansion draft is the other consideration. But this is about cash.

Maybe there's a financial aspect I miss aside from the cap hit, but I don't understand buyouts sometimes. Wennberg for instance. You're telling me that rather than being on the hook for six seasons that they're not better off just retaining 50% and actually get some kind of return? I'm sure someone would take him at $2.45M.

And Fleury. Why buy him out? There's definitely takers at $3.5M and they're clean in two years rather than four.

Please, someone explain to me what financial implication that I may not be seeing in the form of actual pay, bonuses, etc...
- Rinosaur

I'm honestly still in the camp of giving him one more chance to get it together, then dealing him to Seattle if he still can't hang. He shows flashes of what he once was, but just has to put it back together. Maybe this is the year.

I want Hank in NJ. The pain it would cause those horrid Ranger fans to see their beloved King in NJ black and red would almost equal the agony I felt watching the Rangers win this year's lotto.
- WayneZ

agrEEd