There is always room for a guy like Kovalchuk. If it means trading a guy like Andrei Kost. for a pick and moving Hammer out for a pick...then so be it. The guy instantly makes the team a contender.
Plex is the only guy on the team who's earned a raise so far. And I seriously doubt that Price's new contract will have a cap hit that is much higher than is current 2.something million. Burrying Laraques' contract in the minors is always a possibility too.
The think of contracts coming off the books. Bergeron, Chipchurra, probably D'agostini, Paul Mara, Metro. They're all small contracts but it adds up
Kovalchuk(9) Gomez (7.357) Gionta(5)
Camm(6) Plex(4) Poulliot(.9)
SK(.9) Laps(.9) Pacioretty(.9)
Pyatt(.7) White(.7) Moen (1.5)..........37 million roughly
Markov(5.75) Rookie(.9)
Spacek(3.83) O'Byrne(.9)
Gill(2.25) Gorges(1.1)..........15 million roughtly
Price(2.5)
Sanford(.5)........3 million roughly
That's roughly 55 million in salary! Below the current cap (and there is no proof that the cap will go down). And this is assuming that guys like Laps and SK and Poulliot will get raises, which they probably won't. We can fit the guy in, it just means that we have to get creative