Salary Cap Projections Update For Next Season Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk2MDcyNDcyNjA3NDY3NDc3/usatsi_18079482.jpg] The Ottawa Senators traded defenseman Nikita Zaitsev to the Chicago Blackhawks, along with a 2023 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick, in exchange for future considerations. The move is purely a cap dump from Ottawa's side of things, as the Senators now free themselves of Zaitsev's contract that still had one more year left on it after this one at an average annual value of $4.5 million. The Blackhawks, on the other hand, weaponize their abundance of cap space by getting two valuable draft picks in exchange for taking on a bloated deal. With Chicago at the bottom of the standings and still years away from relevancy, GM Kyle Davidson can afford to overpay Zaitsev for one more year if it means acquiring extra draft capital to add to his rebuild. Still, it's uncertain if Zaitsev will make much of an impact in his new home. The 31-year-old hasn't been the same since his promising rookie season in 2016-17, with five assists and zero goals in 28 games this year. Zaitsev has also found himself in the press box as a healthy scratch on a number of occasions this season and is currently averaging the lowest nightly ice time of his career at just over 17 minutes per game. With Zaitsev's deal off the books, the Senators now have almost $18 million in cap space to use ahead of the trade deadline and more than $20.7 million for next season, according to CapFriendly [https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/senators]. The Sens have pending RFAs Alex DeBrincat, Shane Pinto, Erik Brannstrom and Julien Gauthier currently without an extension. Stay tuned. The trades have only just begun.
