LeBrun says that he believes the Canes have kicked the tires on Brent Burns and Jeff Petry as replacements for TDA. Burns is under contract for 3 more years with a $8 million cap hit, but his actuals are lower, $3 million base salary, a $3.5 million SB this year and $2 million each of the next 2. He’ll also be 38 in March. Petry has 3 years at $6.25 million but his actuals are higher for the next 2 years before dropping, $4.5 million salary, $3 million SB then $3 + 2 in the 3rd year. He’ll be 35 in December.
Petry was a train wreck along with the entire Montreal team last year. But was that just the team or is that the beginning of a steep decline?
I mean, sure if there is retention. Just how willing is San Jose to move Burns? How willing is Burns to accept a trade to the Canes? His no trade has him listing THREE teams he can be traded to every July 1st, I suspect the Canes are not on that list (that isn't a probably if Burns is willing to be traded to the Canes of course).
Its hard to get too excited because you hear that the Canes kick the tires on every single option. Hard to tell how close any might or might not get. At least you know that the Canes have backup plans for all scenarios. And its not just 1 backup plan, its plan B, C, D, E....
But again, this is what people who decry the Canes offseason approaches need to remember. The Canes put a value on a player, and rarely if ever will be willing to exceed that value in terms of a contract. However, that doesn't mean that role that the player had on our roster who is on his way out is immediately going to be turned over to a 'lesser' player in the effort to save a buck.
Waddell has said numerous times that a lot of teams are making good players available via trades so the Canes are not all that worried if we lose players to free agency. Petry or Burns as a replacement for TDA is a perfect example of that....
Lot of fans don't want to hear about that. They just see TDA, 2 years $10 million, and 'Canes offers were way less than that and Tony was willing to take less than $5 million on a 1 year deal with the Canes' and immediately jump to "Canes are stupid'. Would you rather pay TDA 1 year, at, say $4 million, or Brett Burns, with salary retained, maybe $6 million AAV (or $4 million), and $4 million (less?) actual cash for the next 3 years?
I appreciate TDA and what he can do out there, but give me an aging Brett Burns for similar terms instead please (every time).