General manager Jeff Gorton did all he could to improve the team’s blueline with the team having little salary cap space to use on free agent players.
He was able to shed some salary by trading veteran defenseman Marc Staal convincing the Detroit Red Wings to assume all of Staal’s $5.7 million he will make for the 2020-2021 season. With a head cap of approximately $81.5 million which includes a $3.95 million “bonus cushion penalty” the club is in a fiscal crisis of sorts as they look for a defenseman to improve the defensive side of the ice.