If this offseason served as any indication, Chuck Fletcher isn’t afraid to trade aggressively to clear cap space. Trading for players like Cam Atkinson and Ryan Ellis reinforces a method to the offseason madness. Fletcher improved the roster while departing from Philippe Myers, Nolan Patrick, and Jakub Voracek. He opened even more cap space, though he sacrificed quality draft capital, by ultimately straying from Shayne Gostisbehere and Robert Hagg in exchange for Rasmus Ristolainen.
Due to the flat cap, Fletcher’s “crazy-like-a-fox” offseason behavior should continue.