Quote:
Originally Posted by ricardodw
It is the reality of the cap era... The #4 guy playing with any one of 3 guys that s/b norris candidates should be able to step in .... Wotherspoon, Kylington, Hickey or Andersen or Schlemko/Diaz.
Basically every playoff team has at least a #4 by toi that is making less than 2.2M.
Anaheim has 2 Lindholm and Vatanen
Dallas has Demers at 2.2M but highest guy is at 4.6
Chicago has van Riemsdyck @925k
Florida Ekblad 925k, Petrovic 1M
LA Mcnabb @ 650k and now Schenn @1.8
Wash Schmidt 825k
Boston went with Kevin Miller at 800k rather than Hamilton,
It is only the Flames that have 4-7 > 2M
Russell will not get 4M to be a #4 d-man on any team outside the Flames
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Between Hiller, Russell, Wideman, Raymond, Smid, Engelland, Jones, Hudler and Stajan, there is approximately $33m in contracts expiring before 2017/18 (Stajan is 18/19). You're telling me that the Flames can't re-direct $4m of that into a #4 D otherwise the team is essentially doomed to mediocrity?
I'm interested to find out where you think that $33m will go exactly? I see about $15m-18m of that going to Gaudreau, Monahan and Bennett. Another $2m to add to what Ramo makes now with a backup.
That leaves $13m-18m. You sure we can't spend any of that on defense? Are we signing Stamkos or something? LOL, Stamkos AND another top 6 forward perhaps? Cap space is only an asset if you use it (intelligently) and I really don't see any of our young defensemen pushing for it anytime soon. I would love to be wrong about that though.
Like it or not, a team's bottom 6 forwards and bottom 3 defense aren't going to be comprised of rookies on ELCs and veteran reclamation projects, that's just not how it works. I guarantee a few million will be spent on a true #4 guy unless a guy like Kylington or Andersson really surprises. And you know what? It won't be the end of the world.
I agree that you shouldn't spend much more than $3m-4m on your bottom 3 defensemen combined, but a good #4 is very important to a team's success. If you don't have a young kid ready to take that spot, you will have to pay a veteran what the market dictates, or you'll have a below average group of defensemen. We don't have a young kid ready to take that spot IMO, so get ready for that money to be spent on someone who can.