Jamie Benn‘s monster extension with the Dallas Stars has certain implications on the New York Islanders as it relates to John Tavares.
In the world of the National Hockey League, Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn signed an extension with the team for a AAV of $9.5 million.
With New York Islanders star John Tavares set to hit the market next off-season, this should give a good idea of what the club’s GM Garth Snow will be up against.
Benn caught fire for the Stars late in the 14-15 season and stole the Art Ross Trophy right out of Tavares’ hands with 14 seconds left in his season.
Before and since, Benn has established himself as an elite player in the NHL and backed up his career year with better numbers in 2016.
Since, Tavares is on the same, if not higher, level than Benn. Assuming Tavares re-signs, the Benn contract will more than likely put the Isles in a cap bind.
So what can Snow do to help make this easier? Well, first off, he could trade goaltender Jaroslav Halak, who has a cap hit of $4.5 million. He could also find a way to get rid of Mikhail Grabpvski. That can save nearly $10 million.
With goalie Thomas Greiss heading into a contract year, the Isles, assuming he has a similar year to last year, will need to give him his due as well.
But such discussions are subject of next year’s NHL offseason. It’s just something to keep in mind during the season.