So I did some number crunching...
 

I had some free time and decided to check out how our cap situation looks for next year. Here's what our current NHL players under contract are :

Forwards :
Gomez, Gionta, Cammalleri, AK, Moen, (Laraque buyout)

Combines for 23 607 142M$ in cap hit

Defensemen :
Markov, Hamrlik, Spacek, Gill, Gorges, O'Byrne

Combines for 19 374 999M$ in cap hit

Goalies :
None under contract

Bottom line :
42 982 141M$ is committed to our 2010-2011 situation with 6 forwards, 6 defensemen and no goalies under contract.
If the cap remains the same (56.8M$), we have 13 817 859M$ to get 6 forwards and 2 goalies under contract.

So let's get our RFAs signed to their cheapest (i.e. qualified)

Sergei K (606 832$), Big Ben (883 575$), Max Lapierre (756 250$), Matt D'Agostini (550 000$), Carey Price (935 000$), Jaroslav Halak (852 500$)

The new cap situation :
Forwards (26 403 799M$), Dmen (unchanged), Goalies (1 787 500M$) = 47 566 298M$

Assuming (and it's not happening) this scenario to be true, we have 10M$ in cap space to sign our number 1 center and a bottom 2 center.

In all realism, our goalies should be signed somewhere from 4M$ to 6M$ as a group (-2M$ to 4M$ in cap space), Sergeï and Big Ben should get around 1 to 1.5M$ each (-1M$ to 1.5M$ in cap space) and Lapierre should be getting around 800 000-900 000$ (barely any difference).

So it's more like we have between 4.5M$ to 6M$ to get 2 centers under contract. And this team will barely have improved and basically have no cap room for call-ups.

This is where I'd like to point out that the options of trading Markov, Plekanec and one of the goalies might be the best course of action. Obviously Plekanec is a more urgent situation. But as is, if we wish to improve this team, we'd need to get young players on their ELCs or cheap contracts (i.e. guys that are bargains) so we can slowly lose the bigger contracts (Gill and Hammer next summer, Spacek and Moen the year after) while have players growing into important roles.

Thoughts on the situation?

I heard the cap may go up a bit next year, which would help. I don't see how trading Markov makes us any better unless it is a huge overpayment, and even then it would have to be a sick overpayment.

I think we are better next year and this year for that matter if our top 6 forwards get/stay healthy, and our top 4 D remain healthy.

I think the situation is in fact worse. You show 11 players under contract, even qualifying the 6 brings you to 17 players. That leaves 6 positions to be filled for a pittance. Yikes.

I would definitely make room (Hamrlik or Spacek out) for cap friendly, right-handed, puck moving D PK Subban!

And, with unmovable Gomez (a good a creative player btw) on board, I would let go Plekanec and use the money to acquire (trade or UFA) a top 6 forward with size.

For instance:

2010-11 combined cap hits


Plekanec and Hamrlik: 9,5 - 11,5M$
Plekanec and Spacek: 7,8 - 9,8M$
Marleau and Subban: 6-8M$
Lecavalier and Subban: 8,7M$
Kovalchuk and Subban: 8 - 11M$
Horton and Subban: 5M$

I much prefer the last four options!

Long story short: if we let go Plekanec and (Hamrlik or Spacek), the Canadiens will have more than enough money to re-sign everyone and deal with (add a top6 and a bottom6 forward with size) its lack of size upfront.

Btw... Price's cap hit is currently at 2,2M$... chances are it will be lower in 2010-11!


PS I know that size is not a panacea but I wish for a more balanced line-up; imo, carrying that many Smurfs upfront is asking for troubles.

PPS this team needs Markov

The weird thing about this, though, is that the Habs have the same 11 players under contract for the same money this year and lo and behold, they managed to ice a full roster. So it's doable.

I'm not TOO worried about the salary cap. The case of a GM that has been completely screwed by the cap is the exception rather than the rule so far. They've done some things they wish they didn't have to do, sure, but I don't think any GM has had to genuinely wreck his team yet.

That Spacek contract is going to come back to haunt us.

What an awful deal. 3 ****ing years. :help:

I think one of Hamrlik or Spacek is going to get traded. It sucks because Hammer has been great for us, but his 5.5M cap hit is really messing things up for us right now. Not as much as Gomez's, but we all know he's not going anywhere.

Spacek only makes 3.5M, it would be a significant increase in cap space but I get the feeling it's Hammer that's going to leave, if only because Spacek was signed last year.

If we're able to dump Hammer without picking up too much salary, it's gonna allow us to re-sign Pleks and that bottom-6 center. I wouldn't mind Moore coming back if he doesn't ask for crazy money like last year, he can win faceoffs and chip in the odd point here and there. I'd sign him for 1-1.5M but we might be forced to downgrade if we can't clear enough cap space.

Anyway, I can't wait to see how Gauthier handles the situation.

not to sound like a nerd, but you should use capgeek

http://www.capgeek.com/charts.php?Team=2

edit: not the link I wanted, it's the one where you can put your own numbers in and it generates the cap-hit .. maybe someone can help find it... way easier to use and read

edit 2: I'm a bit slow today, here it is - http://www.capgeek.com/cap_calculator.php?Team=2

I did.

The cap situation is bad...if we want to retain both goalies and re-sign Plekanec we have to find a taker for Roman Hamrlik, or buy him out at the very least.

you did using the 2nd link on my post?

Paste your results, cleaner to read

I have somethig like this.

Scott Gomez — $7,357,142
Mike Cammalleri — $6,000,000
Brian Gionta — $5,000,000
Tomas Plekanec — $4,100,000
Andrei Kostitsyn — $3,250,000
Travis Moen — $1,500,000
Benoit Pouliot — $1,000,000
Max Pacioretty — $910,000
Sergei Kostitsyn — $850,000
Ryan White — $850,000
Maxim Lapierre — $800,000
Mathieu Darche — $600,000
Tom Pyatt — $500,000


DEFENSEMEN

Andrei Markov — $5,750,000
Roman Hamrlik — $5,500,000
Jaroslav Spacek — $3,833,333
Hal Gill — $2,250,000
Josh Gorges — $1,100,000
Ryan O'Byrne — $941,666
Mathieu Carle — $500,000

GOALTENDERS

* Carey Price — $2,000,000
* Jaroslav Halak — $2,000,000

BUY OUT

Georges Laraque - $500,000

I just used the first page and excel.

2010-2011 MONTREAL CANADIENS
PLAYER BONUS CAP HIT
FORWARDS
Scott Gomez — $7,357,142
Mike Cammalleri — $6,000,000
* Tomas Plekanec — $5,250,000
Brian Gionta — $5,000,000
Andrei Kostitsyn — $3,250,000
Travis Moen — $1,500,000
* Sergei Kostitsyn — $1,150,000
* Benoit Pouliot — $1,000,000
Max Pacioretty — $910,000
* Maxim Lapierre — $850,000
* Tom Pyatt — $850,000
Ryan White ($215,000) $850,000
* Mathieu Darche — $700,000
* David Desharnais — $550,000

DEFENSEMEN

Andrei Markov — $5,750,000
Roman Hamrlik — $5,500,000
Jaroslav Spacek — $3,833,333
Hal Gill — $2,250,000
Josh Gorges — $1,100,000
Ryan O'Byrne — $941,666
P.K. Subban — $875,000
GOALTENDERS
* Jaroslav Halak — $2,775,000
* Carey Price — $2,700,000
BUYOUTS - $500, 000
NONE
LOST VIA REENTRY WAIVERS
NONE
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS
ROSTER SIZE 23
SALARY CAP $56,800,000
PAYROLL $61,442,141
BONUSES $215,000
CAP SPACE $-4,427,141

We can trade Gill, Spacek & Moen this summer, I don't see any problems with that.

The problem is we need to replace them, so we only clear a bit of cap space. And it doesn't mean we're putting better players in their spots.

Which would be the point of trading Pleks, Markov and one of the goalies. In all, we're clearing about 10M$ for this year (and much more if we would have kept all 3 next year), while getting some cheap, but promising players in their spots to counterbalance the overpayment of certain players.

You can work around the Gomez, Cammy and Gionta deals with overachieving players based on their salaries, but we don't have any to put in the spots we're clearing.

The point of this thread was more or less point out we're ****ed if we don't start putting a plan together that'll fix the problem next year, yet make us stronger for years to come.

Assuming (1) an upper limit of 56,8M, (2) Hamrlik and Plekanec out, and using http://www.capgeek.com/cap_calculator.php?Team=2 :



Assuming an upper limit of 56,8M$, our Habs would have 8M$ to acquire a top 6 forward with size and a bottom 6 forward with size => a 22 players roster.

Well... that was easy; no problem here! :)

With these players, you're looking at :

Plek-AK46-Cammy
Gomez-Gionta-Pouliot
Lapierre-MaxPac-SK74
Pyatt-Darche-Moen

Extras : Desharnais, White

Markov-OB
Hammer-Spacek
Gorges-Subban

Extra : Gill

Not that much needs to be chopped off - I'd find a way to get rid of Moen and Gill for sure, at the deadline this year. They both have some value (draft pick) for the playoff run.

Replace them? I was thinking:

Spacek replaced by Weber
Gill replaced by P.K.
Moen replaced by Pyatt or White.

That actually could make us better, of course on my roster Mara is also gone, so we're losing a bit of weight on D.

Edit: roster

$7,357,142 - Gomez
$6,000,000 - Mike Cammalleri
$5,000,000 - Brian Gionta
$4,750,000 - Tomas Plekanec*
$3,250,000 - Andrei Kostitsyn
$0,500,000 - Georges Laraque ( Buyout )
$1,100,000 - Dominic Moore
$0,910,000 - Max Pacioretty
$0,850,000 - Tom Pyatt
$0,850,000 - Ben Maxwell
$0,850,000 - Ryan White
$0,816,000 - Sergei Kostitsyn
$0,803,000 - Benoit Pouliot
$0,687,000 - Maxim Lapierre
$0,600,000 - Mathieu Darche

$5,750,000 - Andrei Markov
$5,500,000 - Roman Hamrlik
$1,100,000 - Josh Gorges
$0,941,666 - Ryan O'Byrne
$0,875,000 - P.K. Subban
$0,875,000 - Yannick Weber
$0,850,000 - Mathieu Carle

$2,875,000 - Carey Price*
$2,875,000 - Jaroslav Halak*

Close enough

Spacek is gone in the summer. I hope

Unless he leaves millions on the table to return home to Europe, we're stuck with his salary (although his play is not that bad). Who would take on his salary now?

A team giving us back a bad contract too?;)

No no no, a bit of optimism here ;)

I bet we could trade Spacek for a low end pick and a mid-range prospect. Timmins does miracles with low end picks anyways, why shun away from this kind of return.

Vinny? :sarcasm::sarcasm:

You still haven't fixed the problem.

Unless you're willing to let go Markov and Hamrlik for cap space, only letting go Hamrlik in that summer will only give you sufficient cap space to re-up AK, Pyatt, Kostitsyn (your cap hit is wrong, since it's this year's and he needs to be qualified at least), Pouliot (same thing as SK), Gorges, O'Byrne and Weber. And even then, we might need more cap space.

Now, even if you fill the holes with youngsters, if they bomb, you have NOTHING to replace them with. You can't add a player via trade because you've got no cap space.

The point of my last paragraph (in the OP) is that we should give up Markov, Plekanec and one of our tenders for a return which should look like a young top 4 D, one or 2 young forwards and a plethora of picks.

It really sucks to have to get rid of such players, but that's the only way to work around the heavy contracts while not consistently losing youngsters because we can't re-up them or have to depend on players that might just not be able to play at a high enough level as it is to keep us contending.