Roundtable: Future Salary Cap Implications?

DOLLARS AND SENSE

Both of Edmonton’s star forwards are signed to long term deals. How concerned are you about the salary cap going forward?

Joining us for our final installment of our roundtable discussion along with yours truly are Corey, Pat, Matt, Shona, and old friend Derek.

Q) With Draisaitl scheduled to pull 8.5 next season and McDavid's payday to hit in 2018-19, how concerned are you with Edmonton's cap situation in the coming years?

Corey: I'm concerned, but it shouldn't be the end of the world if management is aggressive in pursuing bargains for complementary roles. Pay the core and search for bargains around them is a winning philosophy, but sometimes I wonder about Chiarelli's vision. The Russell deal is an example of too much cap space dedicated to a non-essential asset. I could've lived with the cap hit for a year, but the term is what really gets me on that one. The Lucic deal hurts a lot too, but that strikes me as more of a miscalculation. That wasn't an overpay for secondary scoring. Chiarelli thought he was a legitimate stud. We'll see how he spends his money once McDavid's deal kicks in. Hopefully his process starts to make more sense.

Pat: Not at all. Top players aren't the deals that hurt you, especially when they're being paid through their prime. There's 16 Million dollars being spent on buyouts, Lucic, Russell and Fayne, to me that's a bit more of an issue but still not devastating. Then again, I'm of the opinion that cap space really isn't as much of a concern as the average fan thinks it is.

There are plenty of ways to work around it, GMs just like using it as an excuse to not make trades. Further more, if you have a problem with this contract but have no issue with Russell's, you have forfeited your right to be taken seriously.

Matt: Far more concerned than anyone in Oilers management and at least 75% of the fanbase. THIS WAS THE YEAR, YOU GUYS.

Shona: Yes, I am. I am worried because we are expecting career years from players like Benning and Caggiula and we won't have money to pay them when they come to the table having had great years. Also Talbot. Need money to pay the goalie at some point.

Derek: As is always the case, incredibly concerned. It's an organization that had cap issues coinciding with 62 point seasons. If they weren't willing to burn so much space on bad contracts, the $2 million overpay wouldn't be bad. I imagine that Hopkins will be sent out to Nashville for a 4th round pick to cover this.

Jeff: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins should go see a taylor in Teaneck, NJ so he can get outfitted for his Devils uniform. Either they deal a pending UFA for a pick (who would do this on a team making a run for the playoffs), or RNH gets his passport stamped.

Thanks to Corey, Pat, Matt, Shona and Derek for participating in our Leon Draisaitl roundtable series.