Latest on the Blues, Bruins and Blackhawks, plus updates on Devan Dubnyk and Matt Beleskey.
Hitchcock re-signing could spur changes for the Blues.
Forwards David Backes and T.J. Oshie could be Blues’ trade candidates this summer.
STLTODAY.COM: Following yesterday’s announcement that the St. Louis Blues re-signed head coach Ken Hitchcock to a one-year deal, Jeff Gordon speculated over possible roster changes for the club. Gordon points out the expensive re-signing of superstar winger Vladimir Tarasenko will make it difficult to leave sufficient cap space to woo back Vladimir Sobotka from the KHL. One possible trade target could be defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, though his contract will be difficult to move. Winger T.J. Oshie “seems like an obvious target, given his high trade value, significant salary and unproductive playoff.” So does forward Patrik Berglund, who had an “ineffective regular season.” It’s unlikely long-time Blues defenseman Barret Jackman, who’s an unrestricted free agent, will be re-signed.
TSN 1050 (VIA TODAY’S SLAPSHOT): Bob McKenzie also speculates roster changes could be coming for the Blues this summer, suggesting the possibility one or two of their current core players (David Backes, T.J. Oshie, Patrik Berglund) could be moved.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: If they’re not making changes behind the bench, the Blues must do something to shake up a roster which has significantly underachieved in the playoffs. They don’t have to gut the lineup, but perhaps replacing one or two core players whilst giving younger stars like Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz more responsibility could be what’s needed to get them over the hump. They also need a reliable playoff goaltender. That’s not a knock against Jake Allen, who might be that guy down the road but currently lacks experience. I’ve read suggestions about moving either Kevin Shattenkirk or Alex Pietrangelo, but that’s just crazy talk. They won’t move their top-two defensemen.
Latest Bruins speculation.
CSNNE.COM: Joe Haggerty speculates over potential salary-cap casualties for the Boston Bruins this summer to free up cap space for other moves and re-signings. He suggests Milan Lucic, Loui Eriksson, Chris Kelly, Dennis Seidenberg, Reilly Smith and even Zdeno Chara as trade options. As for trade targets for the Bruins, Haggerty reports of talk around the league Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook will be available this summer as they try to free up cap space. He also lists Anaheim Ducks winger Matt Beleskey as a possible free-agent target.
THE PROVINCE: Ben Kuzma reports Vancouver Canucks management could have an eye on Bruins UFA defenseman Matt Bartkowski, who could be an affordable addition for Vancouver’s blueline corps.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins must shed salary, and I suspect the likely candidate is Lucic, who’s carrying a $6 million cap hit and is a UFA next summer. Sure, they can try to move Chara, but given his age (38), cap hit (over $6.9 million through 2017-18) and no-movement clause, I doubt very much he’ll be dealt this summer. Smith could attract some interest, as his cap hit is $3.425 million for the next two seasons. Forget about prying Seabrook out of Chicago. He, Duncan Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson are the only experienced defensemen they have under contract for next season. They’ll instead try to move wingers Patrick Sharp and Bryan Bickell. As for Beleskey, good luck winning the bidding war for his services. His performance in this year’s playoffs and the lack of depth in this summer’s UFA market will ensure he gets an expensive long-term deal.
Latest on the Western Conference Finalists.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL: James Mirtle believes trading Bryan Bickell and Corey Crawford is the best path for the Chicago Blackhawks out of their upcoming salary-cap hell, though he acknowledges Crawford is a less-likely candidate to move. He speculates veteran winger Patrick Sharp is another likely option to be moved.
SPORTSNET: Doug MacLean believes the Toronto Maple Leafs should target Anaheim Ducks winger Matt Beleskey if he tests this summer’s UFA market. He speculates a “do-it-all” forward like Beleskey could cost between $3 million-$5 million annually.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier this month, Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman quashed the notion of trading Crawford. Bickell and Sharp are the likely trade candidates. The Brent Seabrook trade rumors are wishful thinking for the reason I noted above. Beleskey will likely get an expensive contract if he jumps into the UFA pool, but this season is the only good one he’s had in his NHL career. After making a huge mistake overpaying for David Clarkson two years ago, I’ll be very surprised if the Leafs repeat it with Beleskey. Say what you will about Clarkson, but he at least had a couple of decent seasons under his belt before the Leafs signed him to that crazy, stupid contract. Beleskey could turn out to be a “one-year wonder”.
Updates on the Wild.
STARTRIBUNE.COM: Michael Russo speculates it could cost the Minnesota Wild “well north of $3 million per” to re-sign pending UFA goalie Devan Dubnyk. Russo doubts he’ll accept a two-year deal. A three-year deal means the salary cap hit is more, while spreading it over four or five seasons could make it more comfortable. Russo anticipates the Wild could dangle defenseman Jared Spurgeon as trade bait, while no decision has been made yet for buying out goalie Niklas Backstrom.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild will have to pony up between three-to-five years for Dubnyk if they hope to keep him off the UFA market. I expect it’ll cost between $4 – $5 million annually. They should free up some cap space, so moving Spurgeon and his $3.6 million salary for next season makes sense, especially with Matt Dumba ready to move up among their defense corps.
Doug MacLean realizes the Leafs were lucky, to get out from under one of those “do it all” type guys contracts earlier this year right? They dont need another.
I can’t see the leafs over paying for Belesky, if they even take a run at him.
AND, is Belesleu worth $3-5 million? I don’t think so. If he is, Kings had better offer Tyler Toffoli $5 million.
Couple of the Blues could be worth a look for the Leafs depending on the price and some other moves tho. Tough to say with out knowing who is going and who is staying.
One thing we do know is that there will be changes, third first round exit now from the playoffs? Looks like the Blues are the new Sharks!
I wouldn’t mind taking a look at Berglund, 3.7 mill till 16-17, could be a good fit if we get rid of Bozak and challenge Kadri for top spot? Not the solution at C but hopefully we draft Strome or Marner who are slotted #1’s at C.
At least the Sharks could win a playoff round
What stood out to me about McLeans comments was that this past summer, former NY Rangers GM Neil Smith claimed that, as a former GM, he could predict what players would sign for, within 3% margin. Now Doug McLean guesses Beleskys salary to be within a 25% variance? Is he not a former GM? I should expect a more precise comment than that.
Lyle, 4 – 5 Mill for Dubnyk? Really? Call me crazy but with a decent amount of other tenders available this off season (Niemi, Fasth, Ramo, Neuvirth etc.) I find it crazy that someone, including the Wild would pay that much for a “one season wonder.”
We got everyone pointing to Belesky with only a season under his belt so what’s so different about Dubnyk? His stats are not impressive save for last year with the Wild.
Ehh not saying its a great idea to lock Duby up for that but he did have a couple pretty decent seasons on the Oilers…the inconsistencies would be my worry more than thinking he only had 1 good season.
As Russo noted in his column, Dubnyk was a $3.75 million goalie with the Oilers. Well north of $3 million suggests between $4-$5 million annually. Considering he’s a Vezina Trophy finalist, he could get that much from the Wild or another club in need of a starting goalie.
I agree with Shticky, Dubnyk hasn’t been consistant enough and he’s certainly not worth 4-5 MPY on a long term deal. I guess we’ll see how Fletcher does with this one, hopefully not like he did with Backstrom… I’d take a good look at Ramo too.
Agreed. I offer Dubby 4 to 4.5 on a 2 year deal, 3 max & if he can repeat any where close to his performance over a few seasons then a big raise is coming. Other wise I sign 1 of the UFA`s for less.
While I don’t doubt Dubnyk has more than earned a raise from his salary this season, I myself wouldn’t be comfortable giving him more than 2.5 for two years. This way we get to see if this season really was a flash in the pan, or if he’s actually this good.
I could see how you’re thinking it. Almost a bridge type of deal (where normally a player is RFA) setting up a potential longer deal after that. But Dubnyk and his agent wouldn’t go for it. UFA players always get their money (and it is deserved). Dubnyk take his business elsewhere.
The only low risk situation I could see for the Wild is if Dubnyk would accept a 2 year deal, while getting the money he asks for. That’s mirroring Bishop’s deal (he was also Vezina nominated and had his contract up). The money would still be around $4.5M. That’s what it cost to sign a Vezina nominated UFA in year 2015.
I would guess Dubnyk gets a 3 year at $4.5M.
Beleskey could be the poster boy for an illustrated article on what’s wrong in today’s pro sports when it comes to overpaying. Years ago baseball personality Bill Veeck wrote “it’s not the high cost of the stars that’s ruining baseball – it’s the high cost of mediocrity.” And that will fit Beleskey to a “T” this summer. I usually like Doug MacLean’s insight into the game, but if he thinks someone is going to get Beleskey for “between $3 million-$5 million annually” he’s dreaming. With teams like Arizona and Buffalo needing to spend big time just to get to the cap FLOOR, a guy like Beleskey will get closer to $6 mil – which is insane, but when you have a deep-pockets owner like Terry Pegula who also loves the spotlight you just know he will outbid anyone – including the Leafs. And for that LeafsNation should be grateful because the last thing they need is another Clarkson. Doing well on a line with Kesler and Silfverberg and getting pp time with the likes of Getzlaf and Perry is one thing, repeating that with a rebuilding team is quite another.
No way Belesky is getting that kind of money from anyone. Top end 4.5 & that`s to much but some GM will overpay.
No team in the NHL has cap issues that can`t be resolved easily. Chicago is in the worst position at the top end & moving Sharp solves their cap issue. At the low end is Arizona. 13 players signed at 36.736. Boedker will get in or around 5 as a RFA. His qualifying offer alone is at or near 3. They need to resign Arcobello, Dahlbeck, Moore & Gormley, all RFA`s. Add Domi, Duclair & possibly Perlini to the mix & the cap floor isn`t that far away. Maloney has said he will be active in trading for 2 top 6 forwards. Sharp would be a perfect start & they have what Chicago needs. Young Dman & draft picks. Cap problem solved.
Buffalo is also at the low end with 18 players signed for 50.005 mil. Add Eichel & Reinhart to the cap & boom your comfortably over the floor.
There’s BOOM and then there’s boom. Guys like Domi, Eichel and even McDavid are not starting out at the really big bucks nor will a lot of those RFAs you mention be getting anywhere near huge increases.
Domi’s no, as he was drafted later his cap hit is only 1.363 but top 5 draft picks signed this season carry almost a 4 million dollar cap hit due to bonus money. That’s what Eichel & McDavid will count against the cap when they start playing in the NHL as rookies.
To give you perspective. Ekblad’s cap hit is 3.775 on his ELC. If Reinhart plays in Buffalo this season in Buffalo his cap hit will be 3.575. Bennett’s is 3.225. Drouin’s, 3.194. Draisaitl’s is 3.4.
It’s unfortunate the cap plays such a significant role in hockey but it does. You obviously aren’t a fantasy hockey pool freak or you would have a better handle on the #’s & $. I do this for a living & I can assure you I do. Ha-Ha!
I assume both Eichel & Reinhart play in Buffalo next season. That’s close to 8 million against the cap just to have those 2 in the NHL & gives them Girgensons, Eichel & Reinhart as their top 3 centers. Hard to believe they may dress 2 rookie centers but Buffalo has years of development before they step up to being a playoff contender. 3 years I assume if everyone develops at a normal rate maybe faster if they play better sooner.
so why do sites such as Hockeybuzz show Ekblad’s cap hit as $925,000 next year and in 2016-17? Are they wrong? if so, you might want to drop them a line and set them straight.
I have no idea. His salary is .925 but he has a 2.85 bonus for a cap hit of 3.775.
I use nhlnumbers.com since caggeek ceased to exist. It’s the current standard or 1st best option now.
George. You just quoted hockey buzz as a viable source of information. You just lay your head in shame. Unbelievable.
Ekblads cap hit is 925k and I question (alot ) of the your siging bonus thing…the most a player on their first contract can get is 10 % of the total of their first year. Tthe maximum they can sign for is 925k + a 10 % signing bonus…I have no idea if you are looking at the total of his entry level deal or what but Ekblad or any other player on an ELC is caped at a maximum of 925k their first year
Use general fanager not nhl numbers. Or just google the particular players contract. Youre numbers are way off..
Ya you are looking at the total value of the contract not the hit…a guy who makes a living on these things should probably look in to it a bit more lol
Per the CBA the max value of any enrty level deal is 925k per year and are eligible for 10%signing bonus per year.
even tho ekblad contract is like 925k or whatever, the way it can go up is because he has bonuses available if he hits certain milestones for example, reach a certain amount of points he may get a million more, or plays a certain amount of games. That is how the cap hit can go higher. NHL teams have to calculate the MOST he can make in a year when dealing with the cap hit that entry level players get. I remember reading about it in capgeek back when it was around.
Yes he can have other bonus clauses for calder all star selections and things of that nature but his cap hit is 925 k there are still max contracts I believe the contract max for an entry level deal is 11mill or around about that over 3 years but the cap hit is 925 k.
BrokenHip, from what I’m reading I don’t need to hang my head in shame at all. I have no idea who runs HockeyBuzz – nor do I particularly care. All I know is, an outfit wouldn’t stay in business long if they were publishing blatantly erroneous information. As for Beleskey not getting a huge deal from someone, I have two words – Dave Bolland – $5.5 mil cap hit in Florida for the next 4 years
Lyle. Perhaps you can weight in. Are the cap hit #’s being reported on NHLnumbers.com accurate? Using Ekblad as an example they show his salary at. 925 for each of his 1st 3 years & the bonus money at 2.85 for each of the 1st 3 years for a a total annual cap hit of 3.775.
I’m not wrong & you are free to believe what ever you wish. NHLnumbers.com is now the standard since the loss of Capgeek. I’m not reporting total contract value but annual salary & annual bonus potential. Players on ELC’s have bonus’s available that players signing later don’t. Regardless of whether they earn the bonus or not it counts against the cap, unless over 35 & on a 1 year contract. In that scenario any overage paid to an over 35 player that allows a team to exceed the cap in any given year is clawed back the following season. As happened to Boston with Iginla.
Using Ekblad as an example his annual salary is .925, his annual bonus on his ELC is 2.85 for a cap hit of 3.775.
I am commish & administrator for 7 fantasy hockey leagues; an 8th coming on line next season, 3 that carry cap implications. We used Capgeek but were forced to change. Capgeek reported these contracts the same way it just provided way more useful data as well, particular a tool that allowed you to figure out players waiver eligibility.
Running fantasy leagues works well with my day job as I travel extensively & spend my life, driving, sitting in airports & staying in hotels.
If Bodedker is worth 5 mil someone deserves to get fired.
That’s what 25 year old 20 to 25 goal, 50 to 60 point players cost in today’s NHL. Boedker is a #1 or 2 RW or LW & 1 of the few skilled, NHL developed players on Arizona’s roster. At a bare minimum he’ll cost 4.5 & then only on a 2 year deal max to hit his UFA as early as possible. Leverage.
He’s 2 years away from potentially being a UFA. He has leverage, arbitration rights & an arbitrator will pay him if Arizona doesn’t want to.
He hasn’t yet shown his top end. He’s very close & if not for the state of Arizona’s roster would have put up far more points but that’s tough to do when your forced to play with Hanzal or Vermette as your center. No slight to either of those players but neither are really #1 or 2 NHL offensive centers. Hanzal is a reasonable #2 on a bad team but really a top flight #3.
Boedker is in a very similar scenario & has a very similar skill set to Voracek when he arrived in Philadelphia. It’s amazing what playing with 1 of the best set up centers in the NHL does for your stats. Voracek’s emergency is directly related to his playing time with Giroux. His 1st season in Philadelphia he put up 18 goals & 49 points in 78 games but had Hartnell & Jagr in front of him for quality playing time. His 2nd year Jagr was gone & he moved to Giroux’s line & the rest is history, He shared PP time with Hartnell, Simmonds, Giroux & Schenn & last year Hartnell was moved out giving Voracek even better quality minutes.
Now Arizona doesn’t have a Giroux in the system nor is 1 available to them anytime soon but Boedker will get better regardless. 25 goals & 60 points in the next year or 2 is a very reasonable expectation. In Perlini & should Arizona choose to pass on Hanifin & take Strome or Marner maybe 1 of those 3 will be a legitimate #1 C in 3 or 4 years.
Regardless he’s getting a significant raise over his 2.8 he made last season. His qualifying offer alone has to be 3.08 & if he accepts his qualifying offer Arizona is screwed moving forward with him, as he will wait them out for UFA status & we all know what happens to UFA’s. GM’s roll up the armored car & over pay substantially. See almost any & all UFA contracts.
Mikkel Boedker 383 games played 174 points
Tyler Ennis 345 games played 212 points.
Colin Wilson 368 games played 178 points.
Boedker 2.55 mil 2105
Ennis 4.6 mil 2018
Wilson Nashville 2 mil 2015
Still think Boedker is worth 5 mil ?
Yes.
Well we shall see. Over payment at that price. My guess 4.25. Still high and I would not go long term.
Boedker is in the same situation Ennis was when he signed his 5 year deal at 4.6 except he hasn’t had the same opportunities playing in Arizona until the last season & still not getting the same quantity or quality of minutes that Ennis has had in Buffalo. He had to play behind Doan, Whitney, & Vrbata on the wings. Ennis has played a ton of C but I think he’s a great comparison for contract purposes. Factor in the usual 10% inflation on 4.6 signed by Ennis at the start of last season & I’d say Boedker gets his money.
Ennis’s best season to date is 20 goals & 49 points in 82 games. Boedker’s is 19 goals & 51 points in 82 games.
How much do you think Wilson is going to get as an RFA in Nashville? Nashville some how has away of getting players to sign for reasonable money. Josi, Ellis, Wilson & Smith on their 2nd contracts but that was under the old roll 4 lines keep ice time equal system of Trotz. Laviolette plays a much more top 2 line system & subsiquently players in those role’s score more.
Nashville is a tough read. Wilson seems to be very much under the radar. Until I researched these salaries I would never have included him in the comparison. Wilson should get at least 3.5 ( he should get more ) but Im sure his agent will look at Ennis and whatever Boedker gets and use that. Josh Bailey is signed at 3.3 til 2018 and he has almost 100 more games played and only 4 more goals.
Wilson is very under rated.
I scooped Wilson as a LW in 1 of my positional keeper leagues for Jimmy Hayes RW from Florida who I add dropped before Wilson exploded.
I chart minutes in all situations & you could see the breakout coming for Wilson.
The team that traded him was dying for help at RW & he wasn’t unhappy specifically as Hayes helped but he regrets it now. Ironically that team has Boedker who I was trying to get & pay more for but he wouldn’t bite. He had Nyquist; who I traded to him for Marleau in the off season & a 2nd, Pastrnak & Maroon. Boaedker wasn’t injured at the time.
20 team league, 24 man roster, dress 14, 3 C, 3 RW, 3 LW, 4 D & a G. Essentially a points only league, bonus points for PPG’s, SHG’s & OT’s. Protect 12. 2 C, RW, LW, D a G & 3 wildcards. Were in year 29 & it’s 5K to play.
The Coyotes will not offer Beleskey $6mil. It is ridiculous to say a team needs to “spend big time” to get to the cap floor this year. All they need to do is ice a full roster. If anything, free agents will not be overpaid as long as the NHLPA does not vote in the 5% escalator this next season. The cap is stagnant. This will open up trades. It will be a buyers market heading into free agency. Look for trades during the draft. ELCs and draft picks will be at a premium value-wise.
I just don`t perceive most of these cap issues for these respective teams we keep discussing as serious as others want to imply.
Boston. 16 players signed at 63.474 & 4.007 in cap relief for Savard. That gives them almost 12 million to spend. The wild card here is Hamilton potential be signed to an offer sheet but I think Boston will have him signed before he even hits eligibility to be given an offer sheet. H will have to take a bridge deal for 2 years at 4 to 4.5 or if he wants the big long term deal it will come in around 6 to 6.5 on average. Other than potential being an offer sheet candidate he has no leverage coming off his ELC & either contract is great money for his contributions, age, experience to date & at or near the top end of money being paid to said types of players today. Connolly & Spooner are RFA`s but they will both have to accept their qualifying offers which combined is less than 1.5 mil. Lets say Hamilton gets 6, Connolly & Spooner come in at around 1.5. That`s 19 players signed. Add Morrow at his qualifying offer essentially another mil & your at 20 players. That`s 9 million leaving approximately 3 million to sign a back up goalie & 1 4th line player & 1 number 8 Dman.
Lucic, Krejci, Eriksson.
Marchand, Bergeron, Smith.
Pastrnak, Spooner, Connoly.
UFA or promotion, Kelly, Talbot.
Chara, Krug.
Seidenberg, Hamilton.
Trotman, Miller.
Morrow, UFA or promotion.
Boston`s prospect cupboard isn`t bare. They have Ferlin, Camara, Khokhlachev, Fitzberald, Philips, Griffith, Arnesson, Grzelcyk & Subban. None other than Subban are high end prospects but Boston doesn`t need them to be. Just 4th line checkers & depth Dman today.
Should Boston want more wiggle room they trade Eriksson or Kelly & if Lucic won`t take reasonable money on an extension, they bite the bullet & move him. The return would be significant but I would be shocked if Neely signed off on that deal & lets not confuse who`s really running this team!
I’ve said it before why don’t rival GM’s offer sheet someone just to pardon my french “eff” over another team? All’s fair in love and war!
Simply due to the compensation requirements.
Amount Compensation Due.
$1,110,249 or below None
Over $1,110,249 to $1,682,194 3rd round pick
Over $1,682,194 to $3,364,391 2nd round pick
Over $3,364,391 to $5,046,585 1st and 3rd round pick
Over $5,046,585 to $6,728,781 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round pick
Over $6,728,781 To $8,410,976 Two 1st’s, one 2nd, one 3rd round pick
Over $8,410,976 Four 1st round picks.
These restrictions make in virtually impossible to land a player this way. The picks also need to be your own & not another teams!
Lets use Hamilton as an example. How much would you have to offer him so Boston does not match. Any where under 8 million & they do and even over they probably do regardless. Is any team giving up 2 1sts, a 2nd & 3rd or 4 1sts to get Hamilton!
I’ll give you a reason why (and this was widely “reported” so take it with a gram of salt but. It was reported that prior to Nashville signing Ribeiro last summer. They had a deal with philly for vinny lecavalier (to follow laviolette) however it was nix by management because they were still pissed over the Shea Weber offer sheet. Teams don’t do it often because it could hurt you down the road in negotiations.
A few teams have. Edmonton with Penner, Anaheim declined to match. Edmonton with Vanek, Buffalo matched, Calgary with OReilly, Colorado matched. There have been a few other less significant ones as well.
It just solves nothing.
I felt last season someone should have made an offer to Stepan in NYR for $6,728,781 & paid the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round pick. I do not think NYR could have matched. It would have put them in cap hell & cost NYR 1 of Gilardi or Staal if they wanted to retain Stepan. Stepan is on the verge of putting it all together & being a solid number 1 center.
Stepan was a rfa 2 years ago. Not last year. At that time NY would have had no problems clearing the room to keep him. Girardi,Staal, Mcdonagh, Lundqvist, Brassard were all MUCH cheaper at the time. Brad Richards would have been bought out that year like most people expected.
On a side note, the same year (I believe) Stamkos was eligible for an offer sheet….. that never happened? I would have thrown every dollar possible at that guy!
Sorry correct. Same scenario. Had Stepan received said offer & NYR matched, they couldn’t have kept everyone moving forward. 1 of Girardi or Staal would have had to be let go & not resigned.
NYR is in serious cap trouble now. I think more than any other NHL team currently. 15 players signed for 62.35. 7 forwards, 6 D & 2 G’s. Leaving about 9 mil to sign Stepan, Miller, Hagelin & Fast all RFA’s & that doesn’t even address St.Louis who’s a UFA. Something has to give. Your not getting the RFA’s in under 9 million.
If I’m another NHL team with cap space & my 1st, 2nd & 3rd round picks not picking in the top 10 I offer sheet Stepan at 6,728,780 for 7 years & surrender my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks if NYR decides not to match.
I cannot see any scenario (within reason)that NY could afford to let Stepan go. They are already a center short in the lineup. I also cannot see a GM paying Stepan over 6.5 per. Stepan I’m guessing will sign in the 5.5-.6.5 range. Hagelin 3.0. Miller and Fast have absolutely no leverage. And like every single rfa that has gone through NY’s system, Sather will keep them cost controlled as long as possible. They have plenty of options on freeing up 1-3 million. And watching St. Louis disappear before our eyes , I highly doubt re-signing him is on any kind of priority list in NY. Especially at the cost of Stepan,Miller and / or Hagelin. Yandle and Talbot alone would free up about 4.5 million if necessary. If they could find a taker on Boyle that would free up 4.5 on its own.
Agreed. I see Stepan’s value to NYR as well. My point was related to a remark by Noel about teams making RFA offers if for no other reason than to screw others team cap issues.
That said if I were a GM of another team & I could potentially secure Stepan for nothing more than money & had incurred no development costs I would happily take Stepan at the money quoted & be willing to pay the compensation required.
Stastny signed for 7 million in StL as an UFA, granted with no compensation but I’d far prefer to have Stepan for less, essentially 6.7 mil on longer term; 7 years, & pay the 1st, 2nd & 3rd required should NYR choose not to match.
Stepan is about to pop. He won’t be a superstar but a solid star scoring in or around 70 points.
Had sometime to rehash the thread & when I wrote this, from my perspective, consider the NHL to be in the 2014-15 season. No 1 has won the cup yet so last season was the start of the 2013-14. The off season where I would have made an RFA offer to Stepan.
Don’t forget Bobby Clarke’s offer sheet to Ryan Kesler. You would have thought he’d committed serial murder, judging by the reaction in Vancouver. Clarke had a good handle on Kesler’s upside as it turned out. Too bad that the conditions for RFA offer sheets are so punitive – free agency has become dull as dish water.
Probably because one day it could happen to them. A GM’s career with a team is usually a lot longer than coaches. In time, a move like that could come back to bite you in the ass. Imagine if Colorado looks at some payback next year (for Ryan OReilly) when Gaudreau or Monaghan are RFA in Calgary next year and decide to offer sheet one of them. Exciting for fans, not so much for GMs if they start doing it.
I like your optimism here, but the problem with Boston is that the team stinks. What you have here is basically the same team as last season… so yay? The team needs a shakeup, and if the new management doesn’t do that, might as well just kept the old one.
Lucic and Smith need to go – Chara too but no one is going buy that contract. They key is, what do they get back for it? They have to get GOOD roster players in return that make this team something different.
The only way I see the current roster staying mostly the same is if they get a new coach, which doesn’t appear to be what they are doing. We already know how this roster performs under the current coach, so why do it another season? Doesn’t make much sense.
They missed the playoffs by 2 points. They lost their #1 C for 1/2 the season & their D was decimated with injuries.
They will do very little. 1 player most likely has to be moved; Eriksson or Kelly, so they can try to resign Soderberg but really that doesn’t even need to happen. They have just enough wiggle room to make the cap work to start the season but that will cause problems once injuries hit.
Youth is being served & Boston is still a solid playoff contender if not cup contender in the east. Little has changed from when they won the cup. This isn’t an old team with the exception of Chara. The only other 2 players over 30, Seidenberg & Kelly both are in their early 30’s.
Youth will continue to develop, take on more responsibility & get better for several more years. Hamilton, Krug, Smith; a slight sophomore slump, Patrnak, Spooner, Connolly, Trotman & Morrow.
Wow, looking at your lineups I’d say Bruins have some work to do to catch up in the East!
Maybe. Time will tell. With success comes sacrifice due to cap constraints. We will see if last season was a blip due to injuries or the decline of a very good team that made it to the Stanley Cup twice in 5 years winning it once. Youth is being served & I perceive that as a positive.
In Hamilton, Krug, Spooner, Smith & Pastrnak the future looks bright moving forward. These players have years of growth ahead of them before they are fully developed & are the players they will be. With the core of Krejci, Bergeron, Marchand, Eriksson & Lucic all under 30 at seasons start & Chara & Sedeinberg locked up for 3 more years each, this roster should be a playoff contender if not cup contender in the east.
I say last season was an injury issue. You apparently disagree. Time will tell who’s correct. Perhaps my bias being a Bruin’s fan clouds my judgement. Ha-ha!
The Blues should be trying to unload Paul Stastny. His contract is terrible at $7M/season. Maybe a team that is trying to reach the cap floor might be interested.
It was fair market value for a UFA coming off his career in Colorado. I don’t think Armstrong perceived Stastny as a 3rd line C getting 2nd line power play time when he signed him. Lehtera was a wild card & he ended up where I assume he thought Stastny would end up. Not enough quality or quantity minutes for Backes, Lehtera & Stastny. 1 of those 3 gets the short end of the stick. This season it was Stastny.
That said, Backes is a UFA after this season so maybe Armstong was thinking he wanted a solution in house if he can’t get Backes resigned.
UFA status in the NHL at such a young age is inflationary. That was the trade off for the salary cap by ownership. I don’t like it but accept it.
Stastny won’t be moved. StL. has no cap issue. They have 15 players signed at 56.494. Tarasenko, Allen & Bortuzzo are RFA’s. They need a 4th line LW a spare #13 forward & some bottom end Dman, 5 through 8 currently.
Berglund will be moved. With 2 years left at 3.7 mil for a player 6’3″ 215 lbs capable of playing any forward position & a natural center forced to play out of position as no room at the inn with Backes, Lehtera & Stastny in front of him, there will be many teams willing to take on that contract & the return should be decent. A serviceable 5 or 6 Dman & a 2nd or 3rd rounder or a 2nd rounder & a decent mid flight prospect.
Looch will be tough to move a team trading for him won’t give up very good player or players for him knowing he can bolt next year….His contract will have to be redone if a team trades for him and thats going to cost years and money along with players…..
Agreed to some extent but that will most likely all be addressed prior to Boston even considering moving him. He signs & stays. Signs & gets traded. Gets traded & signs or the compensation is compensatory based on his resigning. Just like TB moving StLouis.
Again I find Lucic moving unlikely but not impossible. I don’t think Boston can afford to let him walk for nothing but nor do I think it comes to that. What I do know is he’s not accepting a trade to Edmonton & not because of the quality of their product on the ice. Few NHL players want to have to live in Edmonton 8 to 10 months a year. That may change if Edmonton becomes a dominant contender over the next few seasons but life style choices are a serious part of the equation for players.
Lucic is from Vancouver. Edmonton isn’t much different weather wise.
Really? Have you been to Edmonton? Where do you live? Hahahahaha. I spend at least 3 days there a month, another 4 or 5 in Calgary, 3 or 4 in Fort Mac. I work in the petroleum industry as a consultant & lived in Vancouver for 17 years, now live on Vancouver Island. I can assure you the weather is significantly different. I didn’t have to shovel snow here once this winter, nor did it really snow, a few minor fluries that melted as fast as they dropped& we had maybe 10 days where it dropped below freezing & only at night time at best, not to mention the look & feel of the 2 cities. I drive around Edmonton & shake my head saying what were the city planners thinking.
like to see the B’s dangle this in front of Lucic ..add years to contract but at the same money, lets see how bad he wants to stay in Boston….He has played well when he has had a his center for a whole year and a big body right-winger on his line
Agreed. Or even at a nominal raise for 5 years. 6.5 maybe or even 7 if the term was shorter say 3 years. He brings a very different bag of skills to the table than most wingers. He is the NHL premier power forward.
Leafs should be targeting either Arizona or St. Louis as trading partners for Kessel. St Louis could offer up Oshie + Bouwmeester, Arizona could package a group of NHL ready prospects/picks. Both are in need of a top 6 forward, and offensively Kessel is a top 3, so the phone should be ringing on Shanny’s desk. Leafs should also revisit signing Franson. There isn’t a lot available defenceman this summer, and they were better with him than they were without.
The AZ Coyotes will not trade for a player making $10 mil next season.
Armstrong isn’t moving those 2 players for Kessel nor does StL. need Kessel. Kessel has warts not the least of which is motivation to be the best. He’s over weight & out of shape & can still score 35 goals & 70 points. If he had a heart he would be a top 5 player in the NHL.
St. Louis can roll out 3 scoring lines now & has more kids coming with high top end offensive skills in Jaskin, Barbashev, Fabbri, & Rattie.
This is a top 5 NHL roster that just can’t get over the hump in the playoff’s. The fact you have to get through the likes of Anaheim, Chicago, LA, SJ, Minnesota, etc doesn’t help.
I think StL’s failures have more to do with playing in the west, sub par goaltending; Allen will solve that issue in time just not quite ready yet, & some mistakes by Hitchcock with personal decisions & this isn’t meant to slight Hitchcock. He’s 1 of the best NHL coaches ever but some of his decisions make me raise my eyebrows & shake my head.
The Steen, Backes, Oshie line dominates when they play together yet they did so sparingly this season, nor do I like the 2 power play configurations. I use the same 10 personal just in different configurations. Although in the regular season StL. had the 4th best power play & that was with Shattenkirk injured for a significant period of time but they struggled in the playoffs.
Oshie and Boumeester ??
Arizona offering NHL ready prospects ? Why ? They are not going anywhere soon.
Wow.
Get a grip man, Arizona has already stated numerous times now that they are REBUILDING! They are not going to give up NHL ready picks and prospects for anyone let alone Kessel. If you haven’t figured it out yet, they are going after Austin Mathews next year and would love nothing more than to have him develop along side other top prospects like Domi and Duclair.
is oshie able to play the lw..whether he can or not maybe a deal to philly and reunite him with hakstol…..
I wouldn’t mind seeing Bouwmeester in Edmonton. Not on an overpay though.
Bouwmeester to Edmonton for Klefbom, Oilers 2nd and 3rd round picks?
I could see J-Bo in Edmonton, I brought this up a few weeks back. I dont see them giving up Klefbom to do it. Was thinking more along the lines of Pitts 1st in this year draft and maybe a marginal prospect. Stl gave up something similar to get him.
Barret Jackman is another defenseman who can play on my team. He would be perfect for a team with a young defense, he probaly won’t take alotta term, maybe 2 years. Honest defenseman, a little slow for today’s game at this stage in his career. that’s Ok
Agreed. Add Michalek, Oduya & Hejda to that list as well.
Now that we are one month away-I am intrigued on how the top of the draft will shake out. Flyers need a winger-anybody think Mitch Marner will still be there?
Possibly. At #7 Philadelphia is close. I see Marner as a center taken no later than 6th. I like Crouse to Philadelphia. A huge LW at 6’4″ 212 lbs & still growing & filling out but he may be gone as well.
Teams don’t go off the board often in the top 5 & the top 5 looks set with McDavid, Eichel, Hanifin, Strome & Crouse. Followed by Marner. If those players all go in the top 6 there are a ton of solid D on the board or you start looking to the European players like Ratanen or Sacha who although from Czechoslovakian played in Sarnia as a C.
I see Strome going #3 to Phoenix. I like Crouse as well. But Marner brings the skill level up.THN has Zacha as a probable winger over centre in the NHL.
With Nylander already in the fold I can’t see the leafs picking Marner.
Agreed. It’s the rare situation where maybe you pass on the 3rd best player in Hanifin at D as Strome is exactly what you need. Factor in you have a bunch of great young Dman playing in the NHL in Ekaman-Larsson; top 5 in the NHL, Stone & Murphy, as well as more coming in Gormley & Dahlbeck. add Moore to the mix & the D looks set for the next decade.
I take Strome if I’m Maloney.
You would think if that plays out-the leafs take Hanifan?
No idea. You can never have enough young stud Dman & I can’t see Hanifin dropping out of the top 5.
Building from the net out is a great way to build a winner.
If the leafs want a forward it could get interesting. Similar to Seth Jones-someone at 5/6/7 could get a surprise and have Hanifan sitting there later than expected.
Agreed. Although the 3 teams that picked prior to Nashville still got studs in McKinnon, Barkov & Drouin.
The more shocking 1 for me was 2010 when Fowler was ranked 5th & slipped to 12th. The 5 teams that made alternate choices, NYI, TB, ATL, NYR & Dal must be scratching their heads today saying what the F— were we thinking. They choose respectively Niederrieter; 5th,, Connolly; 6th, Burmistrov; 8th, Mcllrath; 10th & Jack Campbell; 11th!
Who would you prefer to have today Folwer or Gubranson? Gunbranson went 3rd that year behind Hall & Seguin. The other picks ahead of Fowler that year were Johanssen at 4th, Skinner 7th & Mikael Granlund 9th.
Several of those players still have just had a cup of coffee in the NHL or are early in their careers as well & will or may have bright futures. In the meantime Fowler is developing into a stud Dman with 345 games of NHL experience at the tender age of only 23 & just keeps getting better. If he doesn’t pop next season he will the season following. A legitimate #1 Dman with 55 point potential.
What were the so called experts thinking!
NYR’s went down /off the board for Mcilrath. At that moment I was thinking …WTF? But oddly they choose a guy they hoped at the time would be a career 6th-7th d-man. As it turns out he looks more like a career ahl’er. But they also had Girardi, Staal, Mcdonagh, MDZ, Sauer Roszival, Gilroy. So while I’ll never understand not taking the best player on the board, I can give them a mulligan on that pick. At that time, they had a ton of guys they thought would fill the top 6 needs. I can’t blame them for not seeing Sauers career ending concussion problems….although it seems to run rampant in the Sauer family.
Come on NYR4life. No 1 drafts a player in the 1st 2 rounds, never mind the top 10 hoping he’ll be a 6th or 7th Dman some day. That’s what the later rounds & the bottom feeder free agents are for.
I get your a Rangers fan but really, surely you can’t believe that & I can assure you you can’t sell it. Ha-ha!
Probably not as he is under 6 feet tall so that means the Leafs will probably be hot after him. Hunter and Shanny like the short guys. Kadri, Rupert. Nylander. Skill yes, but how will they match up against a Getzlaf, Kopitar?
Crouse is not as good as people think. He’s a reach and strictly based on size. Mediocre offense. People think he’s gonna turn into a Lucic but more likely a Zach Kassian.
Maybe but bigger players take significantly longer to develop. I look at the 2 primary scouting bureau’s, listen to likes of MacKenzie & Button who expend hours trying to figure this prospect draft sh– out, read Hockey’s Future, listen to XM 218 when ever in my car which is always & have 6 sites I read year round religiously, Spectors being 1 of them. I have no idea really as I rarely get to see junior players play except during the WJC or when they start playing in the NHL. With the Royals in Victoria I’m seeing more but still only maybe a dozen games of WHL hockey a year. I do see 50 plus NHL games live per season between, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Dallas & the annual hockey road trip. Myself & a few buddies do a 10 day run through some where, 4 to 6 teams seeing 1/2 a dozen games.
Kassian is still no where near fully developed. Only 24 years old with 198 games of NHL experience. It takes big players his size about 400 games to show thier true colors. Although if I’m Vancouver I need to be concerned as it’s been a rocky road. There are still numerous teams that would be willing to take a chance on Kassian if the cost were right. Players with his particular set of skills are a fairly rare commodity & few & far between.
The NHL loves size & they love size & skill even more & according to the experts Crouse has an intriguing combination of both or wouldn’t be sitting so high on the draft charts. Time will tell.
did u miss him raping teams in the wjc?
He a monster
I’m really exited to be a Sens fan this season with the knowledge they are willing to increase spending a bit this year (not close to cap though) and with so many teams looking to dump salary. I think the Senators can pull from their deep stock of younger roster players/prospects and go after a top 6 forward (Oshie, Sharp, or Lucic) and then use a goalie + a cheaper roster defenseman to maybe bolster their defense as well.
If Ottawa can use their 1st, a young prospect, and say Colin Greening to land a top 6 forward and then flip Lehner, Phillips/Gryba, plus a pick to upgrade their defense a bit they could be in for a really good year.
I hear Matt Ellison is available from the flyers for Patrick Sharp.
Chicago did give up a 3rd in that deal as well but lets not forget Philadelphia also got the great Eric Meloche back in that deal as well! HAhahahahahahaha
Pardon me I meant Chicago got the great Eric Meloche as well. Haahahah
Vancouver doesn’t need Matt Bartkowski as they have plenty of 3rd pairing D-men already. They need a big mean mother who will punish anyone who comes near their goal (Barry Beck, Chris Pronger, etc.)
Agreed. A puck clearing Dman that will punish people in front of the net in the Willie Mitchell mode. If 1 can be found or possibly Jackman, Oduya, Hejda or Michalek.
Kessel to NYI is a solid match. NYI has prospects, young players and cap space. They also have a new building and will want to make a splash. Kessel would look good next to Tavares and getting someone in return like Nelson would be a good deal for the Leafs. FYI I don’t like the Leafs (not really, just their fans. Not as bad as Vancouver though.)
Agreed. NYI would be a great fit for Kessel & have the types of assets that Toronto could use. There is a potential fit there & Kessel could provide NYI with the solid consistent goal scoring winger they need. I’m concerned about his influence on younger players. He’s not the role model for developing youth but Kessel could potentially make NYI a legitimate contender & getting him out of the spot light might help. Playing in a non hockey market would potentially benefit Kessel. He hasn’t had that luxury yet in his career. Toronto is the center of the hockey universe; tongue in cheek, & even in Boston you don’t go unnoticed.
I think Kessell and Phaneuf are good players. Kessell does some back checking but if he puts up 50 I wouldn’t care if he checks. Phaneuf is overused but would be a good #2 if a team has a #1.
Kessell for Strome, Dell Colle and a 2nd or add Bozak and change the 2nd into a 1st and the Leafs may have to take a contract back? Kessell and Traveres would light the league up because Kessell is as good a playmaker as scorer. He could be challenging for the Rocket Richard? Nothing gives a player more incentive than winning and playing with equally talented players.
Would like to see Phaneuf go to Detroit for Mantha or their 1st, Sheehan and if they take Weiss back a 3rd. Imagine Kronwall and Phaneuf together.
These are legitimate returns for Kessell and Phaneuf considering how they would fit into the new teams not how they played this year.
Agreed. I like both Kessel & Phaneuf for who they are. 1 of the best goal scorers in the NHL & I also see Phaneuf as a soft #1 or solid #2 Dman.
There is a potential fit there in both those trades with those respective teams but I don’t discount Kessel or Phaneuf in trade. I get fair market value & as Toronto is rebuilding & potentially want to finish high in the draft would eat a bad contract to make that trade more appealing for the other team but not in players & picks nor eating any of Kessel or Phaneufs contracts unless the other team provided a sweetner to do so.
I must apologize. I don’t usually participate in the chat room so extensively in 1 day but I’m stuck in Houston with nothing to do for the day. My meeting was cancelled & I fly out late tonight. Had the Astro’s been playing I would have made time for that but they were in Baltimore losing.
Well they won 1. Lost the other 2 unfortunately.
And isn’t much of Houston up to its armpits in flood waters?
watch out for Matt Bartkowski I’ve seen 80% of the Bruins games this year he gives up the puck a lot in his own end & for his size he dosen’t use his body the way he should….if not for injuries he’s in the minors
Agreed. He’s a border line NHL player. A #7 or 8 Dman, a depth player who will essentially play for the minimum NHL salary.