With Montreal’s season now over, we now know which prospects officially will see their contract ‘slide’ a year. Here is a look at the five players who, despite being under contract in 2014-15, won’t see their deals officially start until 2015-16 and how much their salary cap hit will drop by as a result.
What is the ‘Slide Rule’?
If you’ve been a regular reader of this site, chances are you’ve seen me refer to ‘slide rule’ players. These are junior-aged prospects who were under contract for the previous season but did not suit up in ten or more games with the NHL team. As a result, their contract slides (gets extended by) an extra year with a corresponding change in their cap hit.
Who was eligible for a slide?
The Habs had a total of six junior-aged prospects under contract this past year. All but one will see their contract extended. Prospects who saw their contracts slide are Zach Fucale, Jeremy Gregoire, Brett Lernout, Michael McCarron, and Nikita Scherbak.
The exception is Jacob de la Rose. As a result of him playing his 10th NHL game back during the season, he burns the first year of his entry-level deal. Also, since he played in his 40th NHL game during the Tampa Bay series, he also has accrued his first season towards unrestricted free agency.
Most players aren’t eligible for UFA status until they’re 27. However, players who have accrued seven seasons of service time are eligible to become unrestricted after that seventh season, even if they’re not yet 27. This means that de la Rose will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in his age 26 year, one year earlier than most. He joins Devante Smith-Pelly in that situation while Alex Galchenyuk will be UFA-eligible at age 25.
How does the cap hit change?
In most instances, the cap hit is reduced by the value of the signing bonus paid in that season divided by the number of years remaining on the contract (which in this case is always three). The players’ NHL salary in the final year of the new deal is lowered by the signing bonus paid out in the season where the contract slid.
There are some exceptions, however. If reducing the players’ NHL salary in that final season by the amount of the signing bonus takes the new salary below the league minimum, said players’ salary for that season will be the league minimum. In those cases, the basic calculation for the reduced cap hit (signing bonus divided by three) doesn’t apply. This comes into play for one of the prospects on this list.
New Cap Hits
Zach Fucale
This is the second straight season that Fucale has seen his contract slide as he signed mere months after being drafted. His cap hit has been reduced by $30,833. Here is his new contract breakdown:
| Season | NHL Salary | Performance Bonuses | Signing Bonus | Cap Hit before Bonuses | Cap Hit with Bonuses |
| 2013-14 | Entry-level slide | $92,500 | $775,833 | $925,000 | |
| 2014-15 | Entry-level slide | $92,500 | $745,000 | $894,167 | |
| 2015-16 | $742,500 | $182,500 | $92,500 | $714,167 | $863,333 |
| 2016-17 | $700,000 | $132,500 | $0 | $714,167 | $863,333 |
| 2017-18 | $700,000 | $132,500 | $0 | $714,167 | $863,333 |
Jeremy Gregoire
This is the first and only time that Gregoire will have a contract slide as he’ll turn 20 next season. However, as the league minimum salary in his bonus year is higher than it was in 2014-15, his cap hit actually winds up going up by $13,333.
| Season | NHL Salary | Performance Bonuses | Signing Bonus | Cap Hit before Bonuses | Cap Hit with Bonuses |
| 2014-15 | Entry-level slide | $70,000 | $620,000 | $646,667 | |
| 2015-16 | $620,000 | $80,000 | $50,000 | $633,333 | $660,000 |
| 2016-17 | $625,000 | $0 | $40,000 | $633,333 | $660,000 |
| 2017-18 | $650,000 | $0 | $0 | $633,333 | $660,000 |
Brett Lernout
Lernout signed his entry-level deal back in December before ‘future contracts’ could be signed (in March). His cap hit gets reduced by $28,333. Here is his new contract breakdown:
| Season | NHL Salary | Performance Bonuses | Signing Bonus | Cap Hit before Bonuses | Cap Hit with Bonuses |
| 2014-15 | Entry-level slide | $85,000 | $685,000 | $850,000 | |
| 2015-16 | $635,000 | $215,000 | $50,000 | $656,667 | $821,667 |
| 2016-17 | $685,000 | $165,000 | $40,000 | $656,667 | $821,667 |
| 2017-18 | $650,000 | $115,000 | $0 | $656,667 | $821,667 |
Michael McCarron
Like Fucale, this is the second straight year (and final season) that his deal slides. His cap hit has been reduced by $30,833. Here is his new contract breakdown:
| Season | NHL Salary | Performance Bonuses | Signing Bonus | Cap Hit before Bonuses | Cap Hit with Bonuses |
| 2013-14 | Entry-level slide | $92,500 | $925,000 | $1,137,500 | |
| 2014-15 | Entry-level slide | $92,500 | $894,167 | $1,106,667 | |
| 2015-16 | $925,000 | $212,500 | $92,500 | $863,333 | $1,075,833 |
| 2016-17 | $832,500 | $212,500 | $0 | $863,333 | $1,075,833 |
| 2017-18 | $832,500 | $212,500 | $0 | $863,333 | $1,075,833 |
Nikita Scherbak
As is the usual custom league-wide, every first rounder gets signed shortly after being drafted so it’s no surprise he’s on this list. As he received a max signing bonus, his cap hit has been reduced by $30,833 as well. Here is his new contract breakdown:
| Season | NHL Salary | Performance Bonuses | Signing Bonus | Cap Hit before Bonuses | Cap Hit with Bonuses |
| 2014-15 | Entry-level slide | $92,500 | $925,000 | $1,125,000 | |
| 2015-16 | $925,000 | $0 | $92,500 | $894,167 | $1,094,167 |
| 2016-17 | $925,000 | $425,000 | $92,500 | $894,167 | $1,094,167 |
| 2017-18 | $832,500 | $175,000 | $0 | $894,167 | $1,094,167 |