So lets say Volchie doesn't sign.... then what?

Alright… you may not want to read this, but hear me out here. Lets say B-Murr decide to cut bait with a handful of guys, either via trade, or burying them in the minors (like Cheech). How about this? Volchie will get a HUGE offer on the UFA market and Ottawa will not be able to sign him, and Murray deals his rights at the draft. Where does he go? Who needs him? Talk is Washington, Detroit, and maybe Phoenix. So who comes back? Will it just be a pick, or will the Bryan go after players? Let’s assume it’s a high pick, hell, maybe even a first…. Then, maybe he pulls off another shocker and deals Kovy back to Montreal or wherever. That’s now 7.5M in cap space open. Keep Cheech in the minors? 10.5M. Off load Kelly? 13M. Snoopy? 16.5M. If he doesn’t resign Sutton and Cullen 21.5M. GONE!

All of a sudden, you’ve dumped a bunch of dead weight (except Kelly) and you have a Dung of cap to work with. Now, are you willing to let the young guys take a shot? Let’s say you can get Cullen and Sutton to come back for 2.5 each over two years (reasonable at their age). Foligno and Regin resign for 1.5 each over two years….Your team now looks like this…. At 43M. 13M in cap space would be kind of nice with this team still intact like this. This also assume none of our prospects pull a Carks and force us to keep them (although that wouldn’t be half bad)

Regin – Spezza – Michalak
Fisher – Cullen – Alfie
Ruutu – Foligno – Neil
Winch – O’Brien – Z.Smith

Kuba – Phillips
Sutton – Karlsson
Blee – Carks

Elliott
Brodeur

Discuss amongst yourselves….

Cullen: Only comes back if he can prove to be effective on the wing. He, nor anyone else, no matter how good, will ever get a sniff at playing Center on the 2nd line.

Sutton: A "must" IMO, yet it can only be at a certain price and term.

Foligno: Way too inconsistent. Time to deal this kid, unfortunately.

Regin: Another Center destined to be wasted on the wing or on a checking line. Why bother?

The 4th line should be a no-brainer: Shannon - Smith - Winchester

As for Volchenkov there are too many variables. Who is interested? Would he packaged with one or more pieces? Would he rather play in Ottawa for less?

Even considering the more drastic cuts you are speaking of, what kind of team can be put together with those cap savings. Man I can;t wait to see what happens.

I think Jared Cowen will make a strong push to be in next year.

Karlsson and Sutton should stay a pairing
Cowen and Phillips or maybe karlsson moves with Phillips and Sutton plays with Cowen.
Carkner/Campoli

Lee will be moved I think.

Regin – Spezza – Michalak
Fisher – Cullen – Alfie
Ruutu – Foligno –
Neil
Winch – O’Brien – Z.Smith

Kuba – Phillips
Sutton –
Karlsson
Blee – Carks

Elliott
Brodeur

We're finding it really hard to score goals in the first place, but if you gut the team like that and don't bring anything back, we're dead.

Also, a UFA defensive D-man will get you a 4th round pick at best.

LOL!~! I forgot we still had Kuba. How sad.

We're finding it really hard to score goals in the first place, but if you gut the team like that and don't bring anything back, we're dead.

Maybe so, but with 15+ million in cap space, some scoring can easily be found

SpezDispenser wrote:Also, a UFA defensive D-man will get you a 4th round pick at best.

Sure. Or a UFA from the other team. It's not cut and dried.

If Washington has a poor playoff run due to lack of D, they will pay a premium, specially if there are other suitors. Would they take Volchenkov and Foligno for Fleishmann +, for example? Who knows?

Michael Fisher Portnoy II wrote:
Maybe so, but with 15+ million in cap space, some scoring can easily be found

Hey, you're onto something that I think some of us have been salivating at, but at the same time, I think we'll have to live with one more year of Kovalev - and although I can see Leclaire being moved to a team like Edmonton, I doubt we have an easy time trading him. Waiving Leclaire is a mistake from PR all the way down to morale etc.

Kuba's NTC lifts on July 1 and I can't imagine Murray being pleased with the way he's performed this year. He's a solid D-man - when he plays, which is rare, but I think he might try to move him.

I know it sucks to have to wait, but I would wait until the end of next year, let Kovalev walk, trade Leclaire at the deadline if possible, trade Kuba this summer or next, indoctrinate a young D-man into the lineup - I presume Cowen. Re-sign Sutton and possibly try to use some of the free Volchenkov $$ and perhaps one of our young players to try to bring in a sniper under contract. 50 goals is not a must obviously, just someone who can put the puck in the net. Brad Boyes would be interesting, but I'm not sure what the Blues would want.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Also, a UFA defensive D-man will get you a 4th round pick at best.

Sure. Or a UFA from the other team. It's not cut and dried.

If Washington has a poor playoff run due to lack of D, they will pay a premium, specially if there are other suitors. Would they take Volchenkov and Foligno for Fleishmann +, for example? Who knows?

I wouldn't do that personally. I would trade Volchenkov's rights for Michalek's rights though. Or Gonchar's.

SpezDispenser wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Also, a UFA defensive D-man will get you a 4th round pick at best.

Sure. Or a UFA from the other team. It's not cut and dried.

If Washington has a poor playoff run due to lack of D, they will pay a premium, specially if there are other suitors. Would they take Volchenkov and Foligno for Fleishmann +, for example? Who knows?

I wouldn't do that personally. I would trade Volchenkov's rights for Michalek's rights though. Or Gonchar's.

MFPII brings up Detroit, Phoenix and Washington. I gave you my take on Washington and you basically said what I was thinking on Phoenix. The only fit I can see from Detroit would be Holmstrom and possibly a 3rd or 4th coming our way because of his age.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Also, a UFA defensive D-man will get you a 4th round pick at best.

Sure. Or a UFA from the other team. It's not cut and dried.

If Washington has a poor playoff run due to lack of D, they will pay a premium, specially if there are other suitors. Would they take Volchenkov and Foligno for Fleishmann +, for example? Who knows?

I wouldn't do that personally. I would trade Volchenkov's rights for Michalek's rights though. Or Gonchar's.

MFPII brings up Detroit, Phoenix and Washington. I gave you my take on Washington and you basically said what I was thinking on Phoenix. The only fit I can see from Detroit would be Holmstrom and possibly a 3rd or 4th coming our way because of his age.

Dealing JBo's rights earned FLA a massive 3rd pick + the rights to Jordan Leopold -- which is pretty awful. That's about the high end in terms of what you can expect in exchange for a team trading for the right to negotiate with Volchenkov in June.

You're not getting anything worth talking about if you deal Volchenkov's rights.

Having $15 million in cap space is pointless if you cannot attract premium free agents with it. Ottawa has never been able to do that.

I'd rather a sign and trade ,similar to what Muckler did with Hossa, for Volchenkov. Sign him to say a 4 year deal between 14 and 16 million and ship him off to a team that needs such a player.

SeawaySensFan wrote:
MFPII brings up Detroit, Phoenix and Washington. I gave you my take on Washington and you basically said what I was thinking on Phoenix. The only fit I can see from Detroit would be Holmstrom and possibly a 3rd or 4th coming our way because of his age.

Holmstrom? Okay, I'll do it.