Carolina Hurricanes captain Eric Staal could be seeking big bucks on his next deal, plus the latest trade speculation on Philadelphia Flyers forward Brayden Schenn and New Jersey Devils center Travis Zajac.
Staal seeking big bucks to stay in Carolina?
Is Eric Staal seeking $9 million annually from the Carolina Hurricanes?
NBC SPORTS: Mike Halford cited a report from Le Journal de Montreal’s Renaud Lavoie claiming Eric Staal is seeking $9 million per season in contract talks with the Carolina Hurricanes. Halford points out that this could merely be an opening bid on Staal’s part, noting Calgary’s Mark Giordano reportedly sought $9 million annually before settling on $6.75 million per season. He also speculates that could be Staal’s way of deliberately pricing himself out of the Hurricanes’ comfort zone.
YAHOO! SPORTS: Greg Wyshynski also noted the Lavoie report, following up by citing TSN’s Bob McKenzie claiming Staal not only hasn’t sought that much, but that no numbers have been exchanged by the two sides. He notes Staal is currently making $9.5 million in actual salary this season on a contract paying him $8.25 million per season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I have considerable respect for Lavoie and don’t doubt his sources on this, but McKenzie’s the most-connected insider in the business, so I’ll defer to him on this one. From all previous reports, talks between the Staal camp and Hurricanes management have been cordial but there’s yet to be anything substantive regarding term and dollars. Both sides could wait to see how this season plays out before getting down to serious bargaining. That could take until the New Year, with the trade deadline only weeks away (Feb. 29), to set up a boundary for both sides to get a deal in place or to consider other options.
Brayden Schenn to the Blues?
TODAY’S SLAPSHOT: Chris Nichols cites TSN’s Darren Dreger suggesting Philadelphia Flyers forward Brayden Schenn could be moved at some point this season. He feels new coach Dave Hakstol will want to evaluate Schenn’s performance to determine what he has. Dreger believes the St. Louis Blues are a team looking for a top-nine forward, but feels Schenn’s salary ($2.75 million) could be too much for the Blues or other clubs.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schenn’s salary isn’t that expensive, but a number of teams (like the Blues) have limited cap space to start the season. If the Flyers move him, they won’t want any salary back, as they’ll be looking to make room for a player within their system. It could take some time to move Schenn, and if he steps up his play this season, the Flyers could think twice about dealing him.
No Zajac to the Leafs.
TSN.CA: Travis Yost dismisses the possibility of the Toronto Maple Leafs acquiring New Jersey Devils center Travis Zajac, citing his declining production, age (30) and high salary as factors working against such a move.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Yost points out, such a move makes no sense for the rebuilding Leafs.
I really dont understand how the Zajac to the Leafs thing gained such momentum…Shanny Lou and the gang have been like pro poker players keeping their cards close to the vest and not really revealing any info about things of this nature, 6nlike Nonis who I think talked to Dreger and others in the media more than he talked to his wife.
Indeed, I don’t think anything leaked from the Leafs side. This would be coming from the Devils trying to create a market or possibly the agent.
AND IT COULD MAKE SENSE.
You can’t simply dismiss it by saying that Zajac is overpaid and in decline. All this means is that he has negative value for this year and next.
Now, the Leafs are going to be terrible this year and next year so it doesn’t hurt them any.
What would entice them to make the deal? How about one of those young studs on the back end plus a player going back the other way to balance it out.
Zajac + Severson for Bozak plus/minus picks
Zajac + Larsson for Kadri plus/minus picks
Sorry Dan, that’s just….not good. Zajac isn’t a terrible player and he doesn’t have a terrible contract and the devils don’t need to get rid of him. If they wanted him gone, I’m sure they could get an OK return without having to add to just him. They could put him on waivers and he’d likely be claimed. There is no way the devils would give up one of their best young defenders to get rid of Zajac. I honestly could see the leafs going after him though, not because they’d get compensated for taking him but because he’s a decent vet that the team is going to need around during a rebuild. If Lou is high on the guy, there has to be a reason. I could see Zajac + maybe a pick or mid prospect for Kadri + a maybe a pick or mid prospect.
Show me the team taking all Zajacs contract on withoutiut moving salary…no one is taking zajac off waivers
I’m of the opinion of Shticky. 6 years at a cap hit of 5.75, more in real money & no way he’s being claimed off waivers. It’s moot as NJ wouldn’t wave him regardless. If NJ trades Zajac a great defensive C man with limite doffesive abilities they eat at least 2 mil in salary or take back a toxic contract.
Zajac scored playing with Parise back in 08-09 & 09-10 but with out him he’s been a #2 to #3 C that can’t even hitb 50 points leading his team in icetime for forwards & getting 1st & or 2nd line PP time.
the reason why I don’t see a devils leafs trade is because they are both rebuilding maybe a lupul for zajac makes sense but these teams shouldn’t be moving draft picks! and dan Larsson or severson are not being moved for bozak or kadri cmon man
There is no team that would take Zajac’s contract straight up. I’m not saying my trades are likely, but if the Devils have made the determination that they simply can’t afford to keep him for the remaining term out to 2021, then they probably understand they’re going to have to package up something sweet with him.
Bigbear is right, it doesn’t make a lot of sense in a rebuild to add Zajac. But if you get Zajac plus one of their stud D then you have to look at it.
I looked up the buyout potential and it’s basically $2.1m for the next ten years. Would the Leafs do that? It would certainly be an ‘out of the box’ move…
I kinda question how much of a rebuild is actually going to hapen in NJ. No doubt they will be looking for younger plaayers but Im not sure how long or how empty that shiney newer arena becomes if they become the irrelevant in that market. I could see them being pretty interested in a JVR or Kadri.
Neither JVR nor Kadri is going to put bums in the seats. Anywhere. If filling that new site becomes THE priority – and I don’t think it will come to that – NJ will go after big fish – not minnows.
NJ hasn’t drawn well as a % of capacity even when they were good & winning cups. Sure they drew well in the playoffs those cup years but their regular season attendance was at or near the bottom of the league. Again as a % of capacity. People don’t like to pay big money to watch the brand of hockey NJ was selling.
I am not saying Kadri or JVR alone would put bums in seats but players of that age if they could get a few are more of what I see NJ trying to accomplish in order to kinda remain competitive rather than sitting thru years of developing picks and prospects. That age of player could fit in with the Larssons Schneider severnsons.
“Shanny Lou and the gang have been like pro poker players keeping their cards close to the vest …”
When the cards you’re holding is a 4-card straight what else can you do but keep them close to the vest. The ONLY tradeable commodities they have at this stage are Rielly, Van Riemsdyk and maybe Kadri. Lupul, Phaneuf and Gardiner are simply untradeable at this point and the rest will bring back nothing that is going to help them for the next 4 years – at least. Babcock wasn’t kidding when he said he hopes the Blue Jays go into November since it will keep the focus away from the Leafs until then anyway.
If a player is number 45-50 on my hockey pool list, good chances he ain’t worth $9mil +. Staal is declining not rising.
McKenzie provided the smackdown on those ridiculous rumors – end of story.
I completely agree with this. McKenzie is the person to listen to when it comes to…anything hockey related. And as for the Giordano was asking $9 million per, that’s a joke. He’s already come out and said that those numbers were completely fabricated. I think it’s a case of a reporter taking a shot in the dark on what they think the player will get and if that player does, the journalist looks good, if not they’ll say it was a “starting point”. Staal knows where he is in his career and I can’t see him asking anything close to that. If anything, I can see him taking a “hometown discount” just to stay in Carolina.
Question for anyone. Before the season starts, is there a website that shows what players will be playing the full season? I am doing my pool on Sunday and theres a few players I am wondering if they will be staying or have the potential to be sent down.
No sites do that. Bloggers, journalists & guys like us prognosticate or hypothesis but to some extent it’s anyone’s guess with the bottom 3 or 4 players on an roster. There are certain guarantee’s though. Players on 1 way contracts who require wavers are most likely staying up. The exception being players that just aren’t that good & teams don’t care if they potentially lose them.
This is a business & many teams make decisions based on contract & money issues. Detroit being a perfect example. Numerous of their prospects have been ready to play in the NHL in many cases more than a year before they finally get the chance.
Most teams have very little space for young players on their 1st year ELC’s but as J.J. Richards liked to say. “There is always room at the top.” Young stud players can steal jobs if truly ready.
Throw out a list of the players your interested in & those that frequent the site here will weigh in for you.
Well I wanted to pick Sam Bennet, Draisitil, Dylan Strome have a shot at staying up or NO WAY? I like to take gambles in my pool because when they have worked out in the past, fellow pools though I was a Genius.
Sam Bennett, Draisitil, D strome
Since B Schenn is a UFA at the end of the year-I can see the flyers holding back salary for this year to accommodate a trade. Biggset issue with Schenn is he hasn’t developed into the consistent scorer as hoped-but is expecting a big increase in his salary as a RFA.
Clarify-Schenn will be a RFA
And the dog and pony show begins in TO.. Whose in charge!????
It should only cost 9 million to own the entire staal family.. Those numbers are ridiculous.
It’s funny to hear the leaf fans trash NJ players..
We could take all your comments about Zajac and just swap in bozak or phaneuf!!!!! Think about it
Would love to see Flyers move Braydon Nogivashitz.