In building out the fourth line, the Penny Pinchers wanted to bring a heavy element to the team without sacrificing the speed and skill found throughout the roster. William Carrier LW is a rare fit. One of the most physical players in the NHL, Carrier ranks among the league leaders in hits, playing even bigger than his 6'2", 218 lbs frame. But he's no plodder; Carrier has real wheels, can unload a cannon of a shot, and has flashed real offensive skill when given an opportunity to play with guys with more offensive capabilities, and Nick Bonino immediately becomes the most skilled center he's had the opportunity to play with for any real minutes. The pairing should work well in the defensive zone as well, as Bonino's stellar shot blocking abilities will go well with Carrier's heavy, physical game; opposing forwards are going to have to work hard and get uncomfortable to make plays deep in the zone, and even then their shots may not make it all the way through. And of course, the Penny Pinchers would be amiss if they didn't note that Carrier is signed to one of the friendliest deals in the NHL, having agreed to a mere $1.4 million per year for the next four seasons. That's a good salary for what Carrier is right now. Given all his skill, his relative youth, and his first opportunity to play with skilled teammates, and it could be a gross underpay in a year's time.
Evgenii Dadonov (31) - Nate MacKinnon (24) - Victor Olofsson (24)
Jakub Vrana (24) - Sean Couturier (27) - Bryan Rust (27)
Zach Hyman (27) - Elias Lindholm (25) - Nick Suzuki (20)
William Carrier (25) - Nick Bonino (31) - Open
Rasmus Dahlin (20) - Nate Schmidt (28)
Marcus Pettersson (24) - John Marino (22)
Brayden McNabb (29) - Filip Hronek (22)
Connor Hellebuyck (26)
Open
PK1:
Couturier-Bonino
McNabb-Marino
PK2:
Lindholm-Hyman
Pettersson-Hronek
PP1:
Dadonov-MacKinnon-Olofsson
Dahlin-Schmidt
PP2
Vrana-Couturier-Rust
Lindholm-Hronek
Cap Situation:
Nate MacKinnon $6.3 million (2022-23)
Connor Hellebuyck $6.167 million (2023-24)
Nate Schmidt $5.95 million (2024-25)
Elias Lindholm $4.85 million (2023-24)
Sean Couturier $4.33 million (2021-22)
Nick Bonino $4.1 million (2020-21)
Marcus Pettersson $4.02 million (2024-25)
Evgenii Dadonov $4.00 million (2019-20)
Bryan Rust $3.5 million (2021-22)
Jakub Vrana $3.35 million (2020-21)
Brayden McNabb $2.5 million (2021-22)
Zach Hyman $2.25 million (2020-21)
William Carrier $1.4 million (2023-24)
Rasmus Dahlin $0.925 million (2020-21)
John Marino $0.925 million (2020-21)
Nick Suzuki $0.863 (2021-22)
Victor Olofsson $0.768 (2019-20)
Filip Hronek $0.714 million (2020-21)
Total: $57.912 million
Limit: $81.5 million
Space: $24.408 million