Updates on Steven Stamkos, Milan Lucic, P.K. Subban and many more in your NHL rumor mill.
Latest from TSN’s Insiders.
Stamkos
TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman wants to re-sign pending UFA Steven Stamkos and reiterated that to Stamkos during their end-of-season meeting. LeBrun believes it’s up to Stamkos whether he re-signs or not. Bob McKenzie wonders what that could take, noting the only offer the Lightning are known to have made was $8.5 milion per season for “five or six years”. McKenzie speculates they’d prefer it to be $9 million or less and even then there’s no guarantees.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: While Stamkos is likely to dominate the rumor mill throughout this month, thankfully his status will be resolved one way or the other in a month’s time.
Datsyuk
Darren Dreger claims the Detroit Red Wings are looking at Stamkos as a UFA option but they must move out Pavel Datsyuk’s $7.5 million cap hit if he plays next year in the KHL. He claims Wings GM Ken Holland is working hard to move that contract to a team that needs to reach the salary-cap floor next season, but suggests names like Tomas Jurco or Teemu Pulkkinen must be attached as a sweetener to move that contract.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s also been suggested it could only cost the Wings a draft pick or two (no higher than a second) to move Datsyuk’s contract.
Kings winger Milan Lucic could be open to offers from the Canucks or Oilers.
Lucic
LeBrun believes there’s a mutual willingness between the Los Angeles Kings management and pending UFA left wing Milan Lucic to get a deal done, but there hasn’t been much to report since their late-season contract discussions. He claims Lucic has grown open toward the possibility of going to market. LeBrun expects the Vancouver Canucks could make an offer and he thinks Lucic would be open to an offer from Edmonton Oilers general manager (and former Boston Bruins GM) Peter Chiarelli. Right now, he’d still like to stay with the Kings.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lucic is within his rights to consider testing the market, but revealing he’s open to offers from other clubs also puts pressure upon the Kings to re-sign him.
Leafs first-overall pick
McKenzie thinks the Arizona Coyotes could make a courtesy call to the Toronto Maple Leafs regarding the availability of the first-overall pick, but he doesn’t believe the Leafs have any interest in giving up that pick, which they will use to select Arizona native Auston Matthews. He doesn’t believe the Coyotes would move any of their young foundation players (such as forwards Max Domi or Dylan Strome) as part of the deal. They have the 7th and 20th overall draft picks plus prospects such as Christian Dvorak, but he doesn’t believe those would interest the Leafs.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trading the first-overall pick to the Coyotes is a possibility, but everything I’ve heard and read indicates the Leafs intend to keep that pick and select Matthews.
New York Rangers
McKenzie considers the New York Rangers “wide open for business”. Apart from Henrik Lundqvist and perhaps captain Ryan McDonagh, the Rangers could be talking to a lot of teams about a lot of players in a bit of a retool. Whether it is Rick Nash, Derek Stepan, Derick Brassard, McKenzie said they’re not going to give those players away, but those names and just about everyone on the roster could be wide open for discussion.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Doesn’t sound like Rangers management wants to blow up the roster but they certainly seem keen to shake things up. Lundqvist isn’t available and I doubt they’ll part with McDonagh. But I think they’ll certainly try to move Dan Girardi and/or Marc Staal, and I don’t rule out shopping Nash, who now has a 12-team no-trade list.
Radulov
Dreger claims the Detroit Red Wings are comfortable offering Alex Radulov a one-year deal between $4-$5 million, but a couple of NHL sources claim Radulov seeks a two-year deal at $7.5 million per.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Radulov’s dreaming if he thinks he’s getting $7.5 million per season from anyone in the NHL. If the Wings are willing to ink him for a year at between $4-$5 million, he better jump on it.
Subban.
LeBrun claims one team contacted the Montreal Canadiens about P.K. Subban, whose no-trade clause kicks in on July 1. He doubts the Canadiens move him.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: As do I.
Canucks and Barrie
ESPN.COM: LeBrun also believes the Canucks priority is to add a winger through free agency, the draft or via trade. He believes they could target Lucic or Boston Bruins right wing Loui Eriksson. He also believes the Colorado Avalanche could trade defenseman Tyson Barrie if unable to re-sign him, suggesting the Edmonton Oilers could be among the bidders.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s widely assumed Canucks GM (and former Bruins assistant GM) Jim Benning covets Eriksson, and I certainly believe he’d pursue Lucic if the Kings winger is interested in returning home to Vancouver. As for Barrie, if the Avs shop him, I think the Oilers will pursue him.
Islanders.
TSN 690 (VIA TODAY’S SLAPSHOT): McKenzie believes the New York Islanders could make moves via trade or free agency if right wing Kyle Okposo and center Frans Nielsen depart via free agency.
Trouba
McKenzie can’t say unequivocally that the Winnipeg Jets will trade RFA defenseman Jacob Trouba as they could very well get him re-signed. However, he expects there will be teams calling the Jets to express interest in Trouba.
Shattenkirk
McKenzie doesn’t rule out the St. Louis Blues trading defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk but doesn’t rule out the possibility he returns with the Blues next season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the Blues can’t find a suitable return for Shattenkirk this summer they could try moving him later next season, perhaps near the trade deadline.
Ducks.
McKenzie feels finances are driving the Anaheim Ducks situation with pending RFA defensemen Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm. It may be they cannot afford to re-sign both and could be forced to move one of them this summer.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve read and heard some folks claim the Ducks aren’t a budget team, but every knowledgeable insider (such as McKenzie) claims they cannot afford to re-sign both Vatanen and Lindholm. I’d also add Frederik Andersen, though that seems more a case of choosing between he or John Gibson going forward. If it comes to a choice between those two defensemen, I think they keep Lindholm and move Vatanen.
Oilers.
McKenzie believes the Edmonton Oilers are open to trades. Possibly center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins could be moved, possibly right wing Jordan Eberle or maybe something can be done with the fourth overall pick.
“McKenzie doesn’t rule out the St. Louis Blues trading defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk but doesn’t rule out the possibility he returns with the Blues next season.”
A classic “hedging your bets”!!
No way Hitch comes back for one more year if Shattenkirk is traded before then.
Hitch is in it to win it, not to endure succession planning and budget planning.
I hear Toronto is waiting in the weeds for Shattenkirk to go to free agency next summer. Having said that, a lot changes in a year by way of needs, wants and performance.
You “hear” that where? Hasn’t Toronto been the destination for just about every bleeding UFA worth his salt?
MacKenzie isn’t hedging his bets he’s simply reporting what he hears. MacKenzie rarely speculates & doesn’t generate rumors like many other broadcasters & journalists. He reports in his own words the information he acquires from multiple sources. He may not be 1st as he reports facts not assumptions.
Best in the business bar none. Educated, reputable, well connected, sound hockey mind.
StL will move Shattenkirk if they get the right offer. If not he won’t be moved solely for the sake they may lose him as a UFA following next season nor will they allow that to effect their hockey decisions. StL is a contender. They are right on the cusp of potentially winning the hardest championship trophy in sports. They won’t be giving up Shattenkirk solely for money or fear of him walking as a UFA. If it doesn’t improve StL chances of winning the roll the dice on next season just like TB has with Stamkos.
That’s what Mackenzie is saying. No hedge.
When someone says something like “I may buy a car tomorrow – then again I may not” – to me that’s “hedging their bets” which, in most dictionaries, is defined as “to protect yourself against loss by supporting more than one possible result or both sides in a competition” – in this case the “loss” being shown to be wrong by settling on one or the other.
Sorry to dump on one of your journalistic heroes – but that’s the way I read it.
Mackenzie isn’t making an opinion so not hedging his bets. He’s reporting what other’s are stating. Otherwise we’re in full agreement.
What I’m saying is Mackenzie doesn’t make up rumors. He’s a reporter, an accredited journalist who went to University & took sports journalism, not a rumor monger as are the majority of the people we discuss on this site.
He will on often say if I had to make an educated guess I would assume the following but in this instance he is simply reporting what he’s gathered. It’s not his opinion but the opinion of others.
Which all adds up to they may trade him or they may not! Whoop de doo.
Pittsburgh will win tonight….. Or they will not.
LOL. There ya go. You’re as informative as McKenzie with that one.
George O, you do understand that this is the rumor mill section of the site don’t you?
I told you the Penguins would NOT win last night!!!
Uh, Ray Bark, you DO understand that “they may … or they may not” is generic to ANY frikken situation?
Re: Ducks
Its’ more than finances driving the Ducks to make trades. They also need to look a year ahead and try and move early who likely they would lose in expansion draft. They are not trading Lindholm, he is the best D-man they have and getting better each year. Vatenen is the guy going as Ducks have two offensive d-men in AHL ready to take the leap in Theodore and Montour and two more 2 years or so down the road.
I’d give Anderson a 80% shot at the one being traded and Gibson 20% but Ducks have NO replacement so Bob Murray just might hold on to both if he cant’ get back what he wants. My guess is that Ducks want draft picks back. Draft picks do not have to be protected in expansion draft which is what is driving this, and getting draft picks helps the finances for a year or two. Also Ducks need to refill the pipe line with kids as a lot of them from past are now with Ducks or a year or so away and lastly drafting and developing is what the Ducks do a good job at.
What’s driving Anaheim is the FACT they won’t spend to the cap.
Very true
As long as they can field playoff teams they have no reason to. There is no big TV contract here, and what market there is for hockey is shared with LAK 25 miles away. This is not Toronto whereas the closes NHL team is BUFF and Leafs can “BUY THEIR WAY OUT OF BAD CONTRACTS” such as Clarkson trade for Horton and then just pay Horton. Anaheim & others like Columbus, TB have to do it the old fashioned way, spend the resources as wisely as they can
There’s nothing like being filthy rich!
George
Filthy Rich, have no experience with that. Will say this,
for the rich it’s all about using other peoples money and let them take the risk and let the little guy take the hit.
Really. I know lots of rich people. I work & consult for them everyday, went to school with them & know none that made their fortunes using other peoples money. Many were born into it but their families worked their asses off to build their wealth & took a ton of risks with their own money. People don’t lend money to people unless they have faith in their abilities & have a significant investment themselves in the venture. Pretty nieve.
Well numerous people get swindled by the shisters of the world but 1000’s of idiots are born everyday.
If your implying Henry Samueli built his empire on other peoples money you couldn’t be further off the mark.
Wikipedia.
“Samueli’s parents, Sala and Aron, were Polish Jewish immigrants who survived the Nazi occupation of Europe and arrived in the United States with almost nothing.[4] Samueli stocked shelves in his family’s Los Angeles liquor store and graduated from Bancroft Junior High School and Fairfax High School.[4] Samueli became interested in electronics when he took a shop class at Bancroft.
Samueli attended UCLA, where he received his bachelor’s degree (1975), master’s degree (1976), and Ph.D (1980), all in the field of electrical engineering. His Ph.D. advisor was Alan N. Willson Jr. and his Ph.D. dissertation is entitled “Nonperiodic forced overflow oscillations in digital filters”.
I full self made billionaire; 2.4 according to Forbes richest Americans, with over 70 registered patents in his name. He runs the Anaheim Ducks as a business. It lives & dies on it’s own revenue stream as do many numerous other NHL franchises & so it should.
Not all NHL teams have the advantage of being in interrelated businesses like the Flyers; Comcast, or NYR; MSG Sports & Entertainment, etc, making 100’s of millions of dollars annually from their sports empires there by being willing to lose money potentially to fund hockey operations.
Striker
I am not implying anything about rich people in general or
the Ducks owner in particular. The bottom line is that sports is a business just and like any other businesses they need paying customers. I see NO REASON that the DUCKS should have to pay to the top of the cap just because they are owned by a rich person. To run any business you can’t over pay or other wise it comes back to bite you at some point. Also it is the little guy who funds sports, whether it be direct ticket sales or buying products from a corporation who buys luxury suites or who buys radio and TV advertising during games, it is the individual person who ends up paying the bill. Now that’s ok, the system works and if a business owner makes BAD decisions and individuals stop buying his products (tickets) and stops watching the TV games, revenues go down and stock holders will take a hit. This insane spending more and more in many cases hamstrings teams down the road in making prudent decisions.
It is up to each of us individuals to decide if they want to fork out the cash to see a game or buy a product, it’s up to the company to spend that money how they (company) sees fit. If they make wise choices and give value for what I am spending there, I’ll come back and spend more, if they degrade the product or get greedy or don’t plan for the future, well then I and maybe others will stop buying their product and they will suffer the blowback so in the final say, it is all of us little folk who makes or breaks sports. If every one of us woke up tomorrow morning and said, I’ve watched my last game, how long would any sport last ?
STRIKER, it’s ok to defend the rich but don’t be doing so by calling down other.Well numerous people get swindled by the shisters of the world but 1000’s of idiots are born everyday.
You know nothing of these individuals, or what circumstances they find themselves. Don’t need to come on here and brag be happy for what you have and try to keep in mind those who are less fortunate. They don’t need those who think there better to look down on them. They need support not ignorance.
Caper.
I though alforducks was implying that the owners of the ducks were cheap & made their money fleecing others. The problem with texts, posts, etc. You may not get the persons meaning. Sorry alforducks.
I employ tons of less fortunate & we run a program with the US penitentiary system to put ex cons back to work & give them a chance at recovering their lives.
You took me as wrong as I took alforducks. I was coming to the defense of the Samueli’s. It annoys me when people say that these rich owners should be prepared to lose money to run their sports empires. Most didn’t get rich making such stupid business decisions throwing good money after a bad cause.
My dad was a Sargent in the Canadian air force, my mom as we moved every 2 years, 3 if we were lucky, a substitute teacher when she could get work as your teaching certification isn’t excepted federally only provincially so not able to teach full time in other provinces with out recertification. I grew up with nothing, youngest of 4, my parents didn’t own their 1st home until long after I was in university. Paid my own way.
Nor was I implying that the weak shouldn’t be protected. Most of the people I know who have lost significant money to a shister did so as they invested in a can’t miss get rich scheme & the majority of the time with a close family member or friend.
This is a long way from hockey & will Malkin be traded, or Nash or will Stamkos stay or go. Ha-ha!
I may be strong willed, opinionated, & have my own views on wrong & right but I have a heart, as crazy as it sounds I vote Green in Canada, my protest vote. I contribute 10% of my gross income to charity; not a Mormon, I do so by choice & as my means allow, & have taught my kids to make charitable contributions as well; taking a portion of their 5% of their allowance to be contributed to a charity of their choice at Xmas & my oldest now working well in his final year of high school continues to donate a small portion of his income; 250 to 300 dollars to charity at christmas. A couple hundred bucks a year is better than nothing. I will teach my other 2 boys to as well. I have taught my boys to come to the defense of the weak. To stand up to bully’s, when others can’t. Don’t back down, being afraid is normal but it only hurts for awhile & when fighting becomes a last resort anything goes, no weapons.
#31 and choice of a young Marlie for Anderson. Brown, Percy, Kapenen etc
Otherwise wait until expansion shakes the goalie tree and see what falls out as the year progresses. Time is on their side and Bernier plays better when there is none of this “compete for your job” crap being thrown at him.
Number 30 and choice of young Marlie for MAF?
I see him testing free agency if TB doesn’t offer more than 9M. Interested teams should try and obtain his rights to give them any advantage of the extra year.
How about for Stamkos rights a team offered to take on Carle’s contract and return a lower cap hit d-man and a conditional 2nd (maybe a 3rd RD is enough) pick if Stamkos signs?
Emelin + condition 2 in 2017 for Stamkos rights and Carle
TB gets $1.4MM in cap savings and 2nd RD pick if Habs can sign Stamkos
Habs would need to move out salary to make room for Stamkos
Likely would have to be Eller, Plekanec, and DD
Habs need a goal score to add to top 6. I see 2 years with Price at 6.5M after that there cap situation will become hard to fill out a competitive roster. They need to be aggressive the next two years and I know they had a horrible season but with a healthy Petry, Gallagher, and Price and a high end goal scorer added to the top 6 I think they can be very competitive in the East. Galchenyuk looks to be ready to have a great year and overall team speed is there. TB and PITS obviously will be hard to unseed.
Dreaming Habs fan….
From what I have come to hear behind the scenes, Stamkos is serious about playing in Toronto. That being the case, I sense a trade before the July 1 deadline to enable him to be at the draft. Stamkos & Matthews roll out new Leaf Jersey as the 100th anniversary party starts early for the organization. Just floating the trade idea but I do strongly believe he made up his mind ages ago despite being advised against it by those close to him.
There you go again! Hear where? Pubs and bar talk?
Uh huh, I’d like to know that as well. We all know what they’re like, probably just another made up story from a Leaf fan.
Mel’s cousin, Stone Rockpile, is friends with the wife of Stamkos’s neighbors gardener, who got it from the poolboy, who got it from pillow talk after a night with Stamkos’s wives hairstylist. Duh.
you mean liker murray with the sens
?
I beleive the leafs are about to celebrate their 7th anniversary. That being the case I guess 25 years after signing Stamkos he can celebrate the 100th with them.
75th
Predictions
Stamkos will not sign in TB
Datsyuk will play in KHL and Detroit will miss playoffs for first time in a billion years
Lucic signs with a west coast team not named the Kings
Easy one… Yes leafs keep 1st overall pick and take Matthews.
Rangers do not trade Nash but do trade Staal. Rangers struggle to make playoffs next year.
PK Subban will not be traded.
Jets trade Trouba.
Ducks Vatinan is traded as well as Andersen
L Eriksonn signs in Vancouver
Shattenkirk gets moved at the draft
Oilers move the 4th, Yak, RNH.
I wonder if Tampa uses the state no tax as an incentive for Stamko’s who could offer less but in actual take home $$ be more then what another could offer; unless Florida jumped into the fray, now wouldn’t that be interesting. I agree with most of your list. Trouba will be interesting because of what was reported as his midseason request was and who is agent is.
Jim Benning’s saving grace is Jim Rutherford. I, among others, hammered away at that man (J.R.) for his seeming incompetence and now am forced to eat crow after every game.
For those of you who feel Benning’s performace as a GM is beyond comprehension lets not attach a “Mike Milbury” label on him just yet.
Besides don’t ever discount the influence of ownership on the direction a G.M. takes with his team. Look at the Leafs for generations.
Jim Benning is easily the most inept GM I have ever seen. Worst asset management ever bar none. Having ownership interfering in hockey operations certainly doesn’t help but their owners so entitled I guess but a good GM stands his ground & gets fired when ownership tries to paint him as the bad guy. See Gillis.
Quick example if Stamkos signed for 9million in NYC vs Tampa. He saves 1.1 million in state/local taxes in Florida.
And am I correct that if he played in Canada his total taxes are almost 50% his salary where as in the states his federal is about 30%?
It’s even worse in Quebec … and Ontario is closing the gap fast – with the plethora of “tax-and-spend” administrations running the provinces and cities.
The last major UFA to sign in MTL or QC was Gomez? ;-0
And the last one to sign in TO was either Belfour or Joseph.
Oh, and by the way, Gomez was not signed as a UFA by Mtl. He was dealt there by the Rangers on June 30, 2009 together with Tom Pyatt and Michael Busto for Chris Higgins, Doug Janik, Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko. And don’t they wish they had McDonough now.
Believe it or not Clarkson was a sought after ufa…
Yes he was – but I would never confuse him with high-end UFAs like Stamkos!
42.5%
I don’t hear anything about Andrew Ladd, maybe it’s a foregone conclusion that he is signing in Florida.
Lyle or anyone know which site is accurate cap friendly or general fanager? Cap Friendly has Chara contract at $6.5 this and next year whereas General Fanager has it at 6.9 this and 4 next, something in the cba that states when a player hits a certain age his salary becomes his cap hit.
Neither can be guaranteed to be accurate as it’s somoen extrapolating the CBA & representing the data neither are official NHL sources & the NHL doesn’t see the value in providing us this data acurately.
That said Generalfanager is correct. The CBA allows for a players salary to drop to his actually salary following his 40th year. The reason for the drop to 4 shown.
Thanks Striker
Stamkos, I’m not sure what he is going to do. Yzerman wants him back but with the contracts of several key players coming due, I’m not sure Stammer fits anymore. Will he end up in Toronto ? I believe its a possibility but a long shot. If he gets to UFA status someone will give him what he wants. I said before STL is my dark horse in this race, if BAckes, Brouwer leave and Shat is traded it opens up the cap space. They replace Shat with a cheaper UFA.
I honestly don’t know but an excited for the draft and FA to get here.
On a side note R.I.P. to the Greatest of all Time Muhammad Ali.
I don’t care if or where Stamkos goes or what he gets to be honest. I do know that TB can’t justify paying him more than 8.5. The only reason he’s going to get that & more as a UFA is leverage, the ability to auction himself off to the highest bidder; never underestimate the ability of GM to spend money foolishly, Stamkos isn’t 1 of the 15th best players in the NHL today but due to being the youngest superstar UFA to ever hit the market he’s going to be paid in the top 5 if not the highest in the NHL very soon. If I’m a GM I don’t even bid.
In this cap world you can’t afford to overpay any player & expect to be a serious cup contender, it will come back to bite you in the ass. I pay players what they are worth in the current market trying to factor in future assumptions. Had Chicago not signed Toews & Kane in early July on 2014 & waited until later in the season they risked potentially losing them but the Canadian dollar took it’s serious hit following altering the market but now those contracts have essentially set the current market yet were signed in a completely different 1 as were all players signed when the Canadian dollar was doing well.
LA knowing the market when addressing Kopitar’s demands tried to reason with Kopitar’s agent but was left with no option but to give Kopitar the same money as leverage was to the players advantage both as a UFA but as LA had no replacement for Kopitar.
TB now finds themselves in a terrible spot with Stamkos. Zero leverage as they mismanaged his contract when they had leverage allowing for him to hit UFA status at 26. Toronto just made the same mistake with Rielly. Coming out of his contract in 6 years he will have serious leverage to extort an unreasonable contract.
The cap solved a great many financial issues for the NHL, unfortunately the trade off was UFA status coming down twice in both negotiations; 04-05 & again in 12-13. Nothing has been more inflationary in the NHL than UFA status potentially as early as 26.
TB doesn’t need Stamkos as crazy as that sounds. I say save the money let him walk & become someone else’s cap problem.
Striker that would be silly on Chicago part if they signed there players hoping the Canadian dollars is going to stay strong or close to par with the American dollar. That is not good business management. More to the point, the only way this league grow is with TV revenue and to do that it must become more relevant in the states.
Actually I think the biggest gain in revenue for the NHL is going to come through internet revenue by bypassing conventional broadcasting. The NHL will be selling their product; games, NHL Center Ice to individuals by passing conventional markets at least in income. This medium will generate a ton of revenue in other ways as well.
The days of TV as we know it are gone. My family doesn’t even have basic cable at home, all our services are provided by our internet provider who where we live also happens to be a broadcast carrier for conventional broadcasters, Shaw. Netflix, Crave TV, Movies 1,2,3, NHL Centerice, etc are all being carried over band width sent wirelessly all over our home so you can watch what you want when you want how you want.
Again you miss understood me. Had Chicago waited a little bit longer before renewing Toews & Kane they may have been signed cheaper. Doing what the did locked them up & protected the assets but would they have cost any more the following summer facing UFA tatus like Stamkos? Would they have left? How are these 2 contracts going to effect Chicago moving forward? Especially now that it’s looking very probable that the NHL salary may be stagnant & god forbid if the players don’t vote for the escalator as if they don’t it’s going down. Then what is Chicago going to do?
Having won 3 cups in 6 years I say it was all worth it but the penalty for doing so will come to bare eventually.
What I find interesting is that the Canadian dollar was projected to decline long before it actually did & the NHL would have experts advising the NHL teams that, these experts who are very good at projecting these things & have been for over 4 decades & done so very effectively were stating such. Why some of these teams got caught unaware is odd. I can only assume they didn’t care or didn’t believe. 10.5 per for Toews & Kane per season in a run away cap world may have been sustainable. In this cap world not a chance.
The effect won’t be felt in the short term, the next 2 or 3 seasons for Chicago as all the core is locked up but retaining players outside that core coming up for contracts will be virtually impossible & god forbid Hossa doesn’t complete the final 5 seasons remaining on his contract or the recapture penalties will be significant.
These are interesting times in hockey. Exciting, confusing & certainly strange but these issues are allowing the weaker teams a great opportunity to acquire talent at a significant discount.
Good God, ds, how can anyone claim to be an informed human being if they are not steeped to the eyeballs in the minutia of hockey’s greatest franchise – ie ours, in Habville!
Gomez was NOT a Free Agent signing.
He was the centerrpiece of one of the worst Montreal trades in history.
Hit the Net for details if you wish.
Matched perhaps by the Leclair trade.
Sheesh!
Getta life, man.
Now, concerning Stamkos going to Toronto………
Could we go theough that just one more time?
Those deals weren’t as bad as trading away legend Doug Harvey in 1961 to the bottom-dwelling Rangers because they were pissed at him for being among the group organizing the NHLPA. all he did was win yet another Norris, staying with them through to 1963. I can’t recall, but I do wish he entered the HofF wearing Rangers colours.
And then there’s Roy to Colorado.
You’re right of course George, really, but on the other hand the Harvey trade and the Roy trade were not strictly hockey trades, per se, as there was an “agenda” that was beyond “the good of the team” behind each of them.
NYR works hard to try & move Nash. Solves a ton of problems, he’s seriously overpaid now for his contribution but they may need to eat some salary but not a ton & or possibly take a salary back. They will also look to move Staal or Girardi but with NMC’s they have to want to go.
Anaheim will trade Vatanen & Andersen. The return will be 1 top 6 winger on a decent contract the rest will be futures, prospects & or picks.
Jim Nill’s Dallas Stars will barely make the playoffs next season if he can’t find a #2 & 3 Dman, they will slide in some where between 5th & 8th but the difference in points in the standings will be nominal & very tight in 5 through 11.
Stamkos will be traded if his contract demands exceed 9 million. If he accepts 9 or less he stays & Bishop goes as does another forward to allow for Hedman to be extended.
Drouin stays as preached repeatedly unless the offer is to good to refuse. Is that hedging? If so let me be clear. He isn’t being moved as that offer isn’t coming.
Expansion is happening with play starting in 2017-18 for both Las Vegas & Quebec City. Neither of these teams built NHL specific arenas with out some form of assurances from the NHL they would be getting tenants. If Quebcor doesn’t care about they 500 million US fee rest assured the NHL doesn’t.
Carolina will end up in Seattle balancing out the NHL conferences. Carolina’s lease expires in 2024 but they will break it & be playing in Seattle by 2021-22. The issue will be is it a basketball specific arena or hockey. Unfortunately the 2 don’t really work well as dual facilities today. In the old days they were built dual purpose but it just doesn’t really work today.
Striker, agree with all, but the expansion.
I think Stamkos will stay in TB. Right at the the 9M, or 8.75. He won’t be getting over 10 anywhere.
I think the UFA’s will get less than some are predicting, the exception being right shot Dmen. IE Eriksson will get less than 6 years and less than 6M. I will set the O/U at $5M and 5 yrs. And would likely bet under.
Fact is no CDN teams in playoffs is killing playoff ratings and the dollar will not start moving up in any significant way until 2017. It will follow commodity prices.
Oil isn’t going up to where it needs to to for at least a year, and CDN teams will not be contending until then either.
For that reason I don’t think Quebec will get a team as quickly as you predict, while I wish they would. Many owners don’t want to fund under performing teams anymore. TV revenue is also an issue there so I don’t think they can generate enough dollars to not bleed during these type of times. Which will come and go as they always do.
I can actually see the cap staying flat or even going down slightly over the next couple years. Which should help my beloved Bruins if they play their cards right, as they did after the cap initially came in.
Interestingly enough the reason you say Quebec won’t get an expansion team is 1 of the reasons I say they will. At least 1/2 the teams in the NHL need the money that giving Quebec a team as well Las Vegas will provide. To many teams are still losing money under this system. Nothing like before 04-05 & it improved significantly again in 12-13 CBA but still seriously flawed.
I agree with all your other points & have made these arguments often. I hope the NHLPA votes against the escalator. I hope the cap stays flat or better yet goes down. I’m tired of the have teams spending like drunken sailors, no slight to sailors, just a metaphor; thought I should get that in there before I get slagged for my view on sailors. I have nothing against sailors.
This whole escrow claw back system is insane. Having cap dollars & real dollars is insane. Here’s a unique concept. The money paid to a player in the year earned is charged against the cap. Why we need a system that allows for what is essentially cheating the rules although allowed under the rules is insane. The league constantly has to make changes & close loops holes as teams figure out ways to skirt the cap. Keep it simple. Only lawyers can think this crap up.
These long term contracts which are now normal are structured to get cap hits down but in the majority of these contracts the player is going to benefit as it nears it’s completion not the team. The team that pays them can’t hope to get value as they near the end of these contracts. This is a seriously flawed system. It ties into UFA status at such a young age. People complain about the cap but the players appear to me to have befitted far more to me than the NHL owners with a few minor exceptions. The really rich teams which are in the minority.
Linking two of the topics above, the only way I see the leafs trading the #1 pick is for PK Subban.
PK would be HUGE in the “centre of the universe” media market and maybe the one player for whom Leaf fans would accept dealing Austin Matthews. Beyond the willingness of the two teams to deal either player, Habs would need more than just the #1 back as Petry is the only other legit top 3 defenceman for the Habs (Markov is now a solid #4 and PP guy, no more), likely Reilly.
Ive been a leaf fan for 50 years. If the leafs trade for Soupcan I will never watch another leafs game, ever. He is over-rated and not particularily a great teammate.
Where have we heard that “I’ll never watch them again” mantra before?