Quote:
Originally Posted by devo22
The Caps paid Brouwer 3.7m themselves. Calgary add just 0.8m to that ... which can be seen as UFA tax.
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That's the thing, isn't it? 0.8m for four years = 3.2m. If you signed an RFA or traded for a player to fill that role, you would have to give up other assets in return. All Brouwer costs is money.
So the question is: The assets saved by not having to trade for a Brouwer equivalent, are they worth more or less than $3.2 million?
Just a year ago, Brouwer was the principal piece in the trade that brought T. J. Oshie to the Capitals. Four years before that, he was traded for the #26 overall pick. Offhand, I would say both those assets are worth a good deal more than $3.2 million, which means the UFA ‘tax’ is not excessive.
Some people seem to think that a player's cap hit is the only cost a team needs to think about. Cost of acquisition matters just as much, and if you reduce that cost to zero, you can afford to give a little extra in other ways.