There is going to be a lot of talk about some budget teams taking on extra cap space and getting handsomely rewarded for it. The Florida Panthers were one of those teams, but due to recent success, they want to spend their money on players that are going to be in their lineup, hence the deal to move Marc Savard's LTIR-eligible cap hit and a 2018 2nd round draft pick to the New Jersey Devils, receiving two minor-league forwards, Paul Thompson and Graham Black, in return.
Savard's contract has the 2017 season left on it, with a cap hit north of $4 million, was a pretty big lump to have on the books. In Savard's case, he is still getting paid, as he deals with his post-concussion symptoms and once his contract runs out, he'll officially file his retirement papers.
The Devils are certainly a budget team and may not even need to use the Long Term Injury Reserve, when it comes to Savard's deal or even Ryane Clowe, who is very much in the same boat, so they are able to absorb the cost and they get a pretty good pick in return. Even if the Devils find a way to jump up to the cap ceiling, they will qualify for relief.
By my count, with Savard and Clowe on the books for next season, I have their current counting roster at 12 players, worth $42.4 million. Both players would hit the Injured Reserve at the beginning of the season to open up roster spots, but they will still count against the cap at that point.
The Panthers are going to be an interesting team to watch this Summer, because you get the feeling that this is just the start.
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