https://www.capfriendly.com/forums/thread/750275

Sorry mate, just signed him long term

Yeah I just saw that. Bit high of a hit but something Anaheim could afford. Looks like we'll have to keep Granlund if we move Jake.

Either way yinz could still help with that retention but it changes the whole thing; you're trying to compete now, so would prob want Pettersson... in which case we would need some draft capital back too.

Can still make it happen!

I don't see us as a retention partner on Karlsson's contract. Two year left we'd be game, three would be stretching it, but for enough incentive we might. 4 is just too long, that's carrying his contract into our competition window.

Yeah but you have the space, the cap is going up, and the long term books look good. Even if its 1-2M that might be enough. Verbeek has talked about weaponizing cap space. If you can make your team better in the process it seems like something they'd be open to doing.

Weaponizing the space can also mean picking up useful players from teams who are too tight against the cap to keep them. Some of those targets would be Rutta from Pitt, Jarnkrok from Toronto, etc. Since we lost Thrun I would also look into reacquiring Petterson, but given his status as a budget contract for Pitt and win now mode, I don't see him moving out for what Anaheim has to offer.

We also don't want to be saddled with Granlunds deal, we've got kids to try out. Verbeeks additions this off-season show he wants to turn the ship around and start building back a winning culture. We keep tanking and the young stars we have will want out.

I known Dubas wants to make a splash, but I don't see the Ducks playing ball.

Well, Granlund isn't a bad player, per se, so he wouldn't have been a whole dump... he would slot into the top 6/9 there. He does have some upside. And his deal runs one more year, it wouldn't be a long term saddle like the retention on Karlsson. He is apparently a high character guy.

The Pens would def want to keep Pettersson, all things considered, and losing him would kind of suck for balance, but if he is the one piece that'll make the deal work we would have to do it.

So there is value to be had there, because your blue line is also terrible.

Rutta would make sense for both teams, but if they wanted Pettersson we might have to do that instead.

The prospects I would rather us keep, Smith and Nylander, could also be a big boost potentially with more playing time.

Ty Smith is young and can grow into a top 4 role; his offense is legit.

Nylander has shown he has great skill, with more room to play maybe he sticks in a top 6 group.

All that being said, Jeff Petry would immediately become your best D if he was included somehow. He has trade protection, and again I would rather keep him, but if he would waive to go to Anaheim for two years it might be worth exploring.

It would depend on how Anaheim wanted to weaponize their cap space.

Now, another thing to consider! is the haul from Chicago. Maybe we swing a player from that your way, like maybe Anaheim wants a player off their roster and they throw that in to make it work.

All I'm saying! is that yinz have the most cap space in the league by a long shot and your GM has talked about using it to make the team better. A third party deal here where you improve your club in the short term and long term makes a lot of sense for me.

Plus... we want EK !

What other third team has as much short and long term space as yinz?!