Erik Karlsson only available to NHL teams that can do the math

There is definitely a love-hate relationship with math, and numbers in general. They’re either not your thing or a true passion.

NHL management teams can’t avoid them. The salary cap rules. Every single player decision is cap-related, with a ray of hope or a dash of gloom. I’m reminded of that daily.

The questions I get — from fans and those inside the game — often start with a pure hockey bent, then quickly turn to dollars. Or lack of them.

An example is Erik Karlsson and his stellar early-season play in San Jose, as he reminds people of his 2016-17 dominance — an overtime goal away from carrying the Ottawa Senators on his back to the Stanley Cup final. He was among the top players in the game until a series of injuries and a move west. Now with 10 goals and eight assists after 13 games, the 32-year-old defenseman is reminding everyone how good a healthy Karlsson can be.

Then the questions pile up.

“What does Karlsson have left on his deal?” Four seasons later this one.

“What’s his cap hit?” $11.5 million (US)

“Is there any possible way San Jose retains a significant portion in a trade?” (50 percent is the maximum allowed.)

“Could a third team be involved?” (Yes. A contract can be moved twice with 50 percent retained each time.)

“Would he waive his no-move clause?” (It depends on the team.)

“Can we afford that?”

OK, now you’re asking really hard questions.

That was a recent conversation I had in a press box, a reminder of how many hockey questions involved numbers. Call it the salary-cap reminder.

A spectacular player such as Karlsson could certainly put a Stanley Cup contender over the top, if the numbers add up.

I promise not to overcomplicate this — for those who don’t want to hear a cap excuse for why your team isn’t free to wheel and deal (and trade for Karlsson!) — but a bit of a primer might help.

The cap is $82.5 million and 15 teams exceed that amount today, with Vegas leading the way at just over $96 million. That doesn’t mean they have $13.5 million more to spend. It means they have players on long-term injured reserve, a budget item at that point.

Long-term injured reserve is misunderstood by many. It’s not extra money. A player in this category must be on the sidelines for at least 24 days and 10 games. By the letter of the law, the player has to return to the active roster when healthy and there must be enough cap space available under the $82.5-million limit at that point.

(Are your eyes glazed over yet, or do you still want Erik Karlsson!)

One other factor worth mentioning: Each team has a contract limit of 50. Vegas, Toronto and Philadelphia sit at the maximum, so it’s player out, player in for those three.

In a candid conversation with a longtime scout, I asked how the cap affected his day-to-day work. Did he factor it in for every player he watched?

He said it was hard not to, that it was always in the back of his mind and sometimes management asks for trade targets within a specific salary range. But he added that he manages to separate the dollar side from actual scouting, focusing on the player regardless of how much money he makes. It’s up to the cap specialist and management team to work out the financial side. He stressed that the cap was not his job, knowing full well that it was likely the biggest part of the equation.

As we near the mythical importance of American Thanksgiving as an early-season measuring stick for all NHL teams, things are beginning to settle around the league: young players emerging, roles established, injuries factored in, upgrades considered. Numbers will be flying as contenders search for that dream addition to put them over the top — maybe even Karlsson.

Sharpen your pencils. There’s going to be some math involved.

Dave Poulin is a former NHL player, executive and TSN hockey analyst based in Toronto. He is a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @djpoulin20

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