NHL Rumor Mill – August 3, 2020
Check out the latest on Joe Thornton and Jake Virtanen in today’s NHL rumor mill.
SPORTSNET: During the “Headlines” intermission segment on Saturday’s “Hockey Night in Canada” broadcast, Elliotte Friedman reported Joe Thornton could play some games in Switzerland this fall before returning to the San Jose Sharks.
San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton (Photo via NHL Images).
“Every August, he goes to Switzerland. We know the Sharks won’t be playing until December,” Friedman said. “The NHL and NHLPA have allowed players to sign overseas with clauses to come back then. Does Joe Thornton sign overseas in Switzerland to play and be ready, in better shape even, to return to the NHL for his 23rd season?”
The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz followed up on Friedman’s report:
Regarding @FriedgeHNIC report yesterday that Joe Thornton could play some games in Switzerland in fall — not that Elliotte needs confirming, but my understanding is that’s true. Joe in Switzerland now with family and plans to start skating again soon. No concrete plans yet, tho
— Kevin Kurz (@KKurzNHL) August 2, 2020
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Thornton, 41, is an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. He’s expressed interest in continuing his NHL career. It could be with the Sharks on a one-year, bonus-laden deal. They’re pressed for cap space, carrying over $66 million invested in 13 players for next season. Nevertheless, if there’s a way to bring back Thornton for another season, Sharks general manager Doug Wilson will probably consider it.
Playing overseas during the NHL’s off-season might not be a bad idea for some of the players on the seven non-playoff clubs. Their last meaningful games were in mid-March when the pandemic derailed the regular season, and they’re now facing a longer-than-usual off-season period. If they can find teams willing to sign them to one-year contracts with NHL out-clauses, some of them (including Thornton) could pursue that option.
Jake Virtanen’s future with the Vancouver Canucks remains uncertain.
“I just get the feeling they’re done with Jake. This is his 1st opportunity to play in a postseason, and this happens. Travis Green has seen Virtanen since 2014, he doesn’t believe in him. He’s seen his act. Are they going to commit to him? No way”@DonTaylor5 @DonnieandTheMoj pic.twitter.com/DJ99yqFPdu — TSN Radio Vancouver (@TSN1040) July 30, 2020
SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 18 goals and 36 points in 69 games, Virtanen seemed to be enjoying a long-awaited breakout performance this season. Nevertheless, it seems like the Canucks coaching staff has grown disenchanted with his efforts.
The 23-year-old winger has been criticized for inconsistency and indifferent defensive play. He’s a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in the off-season. With the Canucks looking to shed salary to re-sign Jacob Markstrom and perhaps Tyler Toffoli and Chris Tanev, Virtanen could be a trade candidate.
I do not get to see too many Canucks games, is Virtanen really that inept defensively? I just don’t know what they could get for a player with that reputation.
Kevin,
The talent is there, but the willingness to use it isnt.
The Sharks will not win as long as they play these sentimental games with Thorton and Marleau. MOVE ON!!!
Found it ironic that Matthews called out local reporter for doing his job at a time in which Matthews failed to do his. The Petulance continues.
The only thing more boring than watching hockey without fans in the stands is listening to Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson. ZZZZZ. Chris Cuthbert where are you?
Sooner or later the Leafs will learn that experience counts for something. On the ice, behind the bench and in the GM’s office. By that time our window may have closed. Torts will toy with Keefe. No disrespect to Keefe.
Fair to say that building from the net outwards keeps Columbus competitive? Watching Cody Ceci is like a Pens fan watching Jack Johnson. PAINFUL.
Lets debate something……Marner to Flames for Tkachuk.
Well, for starters in the debate, why would Calgary do that?? No disrespect to Marner – I really like his game – but I lie Tkachuk’s overall game much, much better.
And I believe the Flames see it the same way. So why on earth would they take on a $10,893,000 cap hit to 2025-26 for one that costs them only 7 mil to 2022-23, at which point he’s still an RFA??
See..now I see it the other way. Each and every player that plays a regular shift with Marner has a CAREER YEAR. I don’t trade a guy that can elevate his linemates like that for BOTH Tkachuks…..
Agree about hughson not a big fan, and torts Did outcoach Keefe last night. Got to hand it to the jackets they did what everyone said they were going to do and shutdown the leafs offence. Jones is a beast!
I am probably in the minority, but I actually really like Hughson. I guess it was playing EA NHL 2001 (or another year he was on it) and hearing his voice; I always felt like it was a big game if he was announcing (now I assume I’ll be banned from this site forever!).
I do, however, miss Bob Cole.
BBB,
Zero surprises from the Jackets. Leafs unprepared or unwilling to do what it takes to win.
Again.
Hi Soupcan
Re: “ Watching Cody Ceci is like a Pens fan watching Jack Johnson. ”
Nope ; nope ; nope and more nope
I’m a dual Leafs and Pens fan…. born and raised in the GTA ; Leafs fan since as long as I can remember hockey… I remember sitting on my late father’s knee watching Leafs hoist the ‘67 Cup
Been a Pens fan since Mario joined
In the last 1/2 decade ; I may have missed but a handful of all of Leafs and all of Pens games
I can tell you clear as day…. Ceci is Bobby Orr next to JJ. Plain and simple.
There is not a single player in the NHL now ; or in the last 50 years; and likely EVER; that has been more detrimental to the success of teammates and team as JJ . All Pens players’ stats are much better when JJ is on the bench.
He is that brutal
I posted yesterday a response to Big Bear to illustrate what I have put up with re JJ; but I will share it again below to emphasize my anguish:
…….
“To add insult to injury ; just after friggin NFI (Nightmare from Indianapolis) causes that first goal all by his lonsesome; I get a What’s App call… my cousin who now lives in Montreal and was always a Habs fan; had his twin 4 year old granddaughters call me… these cute little girls are in their Habs Jammies, singing “We want Jack, We want Jack” giggling and smiling
Below please see a cut and pastes of just some of the texts I received during the game from friends of mine that are Habs fans (in some of them I’ve eliminated my real name so that I’m not letting everybody here know my real name). Others were not , shall we say, appropriate to post here
“Heh ….. just wanted to thank you for having Jack Johnson playing. It was so nice of him to give us a goal. Is he on drugs? Seriously, is he?”
“Please make sure Sullivan plays Jack more; we need another goal”
“Yo >>>>> Jack Johnson is my hero. He’s winning us the game”
“We’ll let you play with 6 skaters and a goalie for the entire game and series if you can guarantee that Jack boy plays the full 60 minutes. What a clown. People in Pittsburgh must be pulling their hair out. He’s got to be the worst player in the history of hockey PERIOD; not just the NHL”
“Jack gives us two goals and we winnnnnnnn….. Nah Nah Nah Nah; Nah Nah Nah Nah; heh heh; good bye … Jack is the best. I’m buying him a beer; nah make it a 40 of Glenfiddich , he has outdone himself. Has his wife asked for a divorce?”
“Price playing awesome. Johson even better. We must have him on payroll. Thanks for getting Rutherford hooked on heroin the night before he signed this wonderful bucket of love. He is just making my day. Merci Beaucoup from the absolute bottom of all of our hearts. La Belle Province is in debt to Rutherford for a long time”
10 seconds after JJ’s buffoonery caused a penalty shot in OT…. “hugs and kisses from every habs fan, everywhere, current, past and present”
Just after he “assisted” on the winning goal; I got a call… they were singing “For Jack’s a Jolly Good Fellow, for Jack’s a Jolly Good Fellow….”
This is what I have to put up with . Not only does he gift goals to the opponents; and individually lose the game for the Pens; I have to live through his humiliation vicariously.
Sullivan absolutely MUST sit him for the rest of time. He is just friggin God Awful.“
You know very little regarding the Pittsburgh penguins … Jacques Martin runs the defense, not Mike Sullivan … there’s very little depth on defense because Lemieux & Burkle tell JR to go for it every year and the pens are up against the cap every year … instead of shoring up the D he signs Tanev to all that dough and Sullivan plays him on the 4th line … what do you think it would be like if John Marino hadn’t turned into a stud? Funny how you never rag on Letang who is one of the biggest turnover machines in the NHL … I cringe every time he has the puck … but does it really matter? With that defensive corps, Matt Murray’s non-existant glove hand and the fact that the Pens are small and not physical do you really believe we are going anywhere? Yes, we, I am a diehard fan but this team isn’t built very well at all. The Pens wouldn’t stand a chance in the west, those teams are big, fast and physical. For some reason Mike Sullivan has an aversion to physical hockey. Oscar Sundvqist and a First rounder for Ryan Reaves, arguably the toughest player in hockey and it doesn’t take long for him to end up in Sullivan’s doghouse. Then he’s traded for a weak Derrick Brassard who never accepted his role. Ian Cole also ended up in the doghouse and the defense hasn’t been the same since. This will sound like whining and complaining but I have nothing to complain about. I have seen 5 Stanley Cup championships, most recently back to backs where most other fans/teams are still looking for their first. Yes, Jack Johnson is weak but it’s not all on him. There is a disconnect between JR & Sullivan that won’t be fixed until one of them is gone.
And to comment about an earlier post, why in the world would Calgary trade Tkachuk for Marner? Matthew Tkachuk is the type of player that every team in the league needs. Fast, tons of skill, physical and plays on the edge. Reminds me of me when I played 🙂
Good Morning Ed, can you explain how you became a Penguin fan? I understand that you finished you playing career in Pittsburgh, but you are in the Flyer hall of fame and only played a few games in Pit.
Hi Ed
I can’t challenge your devotion to Pens or your knowledge of them.
However your assertion of “You know very little regarding the Pittsburgh penguins “ is unfounded and wholeheartedly untrue.
You may know more about them than I ; I don’t know you so I certainly can’t hazard an opinion on that. However, I am extremely familiar with the Pens
I don’t challenge you at all re Pens size and overall make up and the “go for it” mentality that has them up against the Cap and with a threadbare prospect pool.
Yes JM runs the defence but Sully makes final decision on roster for every game. Remember it was JM and Gonch that lobbied; begged and pleaded with Sully last playoffs to sit JJ. Fans wrote letters to the Pens. Media begged and pleaded. Sully finally acquiesced for game one and Pens completely dominated the play. Lehner stands on His head for probably Ten different 10 Bell saves; Isles get three multi bounce ping pong weird goals and win in OT. Just a weird one ; but Pens had several prolonged onslaughts. Again JM and Gonch asked that JJ not return for game 2. Fans asked that he stay benched. Sully insisted JJ play🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬😡😡😡😡😡😡😭😭😭😭😭
Game 2…. completely lost due to JJ… directly responsible for two of the goals ; two penalties; including one for interference as he exits the box the first time. Both penalties boneheads and unwarranted. Just prior to JJ’s back to back stupid penalties; Pens were on fire pounding shots in ; then JJ flubs a cross ice pass nullifying the onslaught.
Later; GoodB scores in the second; Pens have energy…. and loads of pressure….then JJ does his usual unforced icing… … face off in Pens end; JJ leaves his man uncovered; does full eclipse on Murray. Goal. Then later he almost completely duplicates that play…. leaves his man , full eclipse on the PK in the third…. Bailey scores.
Again JM and Gonch beg Sully not to have JJ play game three… Media does full dump on Pens playing JJ. Fans apparently calling in and leaving very angry messages. Sully insists… JJ in game 3… minus 2; directly caused 1 goal and was jointly responsible for another 😡🤬😭😡🤬😭
JJ repeated his antics on Saturday against Habs😡😭🤬😡🤬
I fully agree Sens not built for physical play and for sure Sully favours the “hands” players over the “grit” players.
I agree that there are different times were Tanger can be turnover prone ; but overall I like his game. Do I cringe at times… you betcha… but the good certainly outweighs the bad; and to me ; by a wide margin
Yep… Marino a Godsend
Agree that Sully playing Tanev (and I’m pro on Tanev) 4th line for the $Cap spent after GMJR acquired him to be middle six is tragic. I certainly wouldn’t have acquired Marleau. Tanev in on 3rd line; not acquiring Marleau ; and Rodrigues playing with ZAR and Teddy would have been my choice
Yes with you re the Sully treatment of Reeves… puzzling at best
Yes completely with you re “. I have seen 5 Stanley Cup championships, most recently back to backs where most other fans/teams are still looking for their first.”… so yes I’m selfish wanting more….. however wanting more is one thing; losing a series against Habs (and they may) because Sully is too stubborn to admit he’s wrong by putting JJ’s name on the game sheet; is another thing
Sat’s win by Habs was all due to two things…. Price being the Price he can be; JJ being same old sAme old
I truly and honestly believe that JJ sitting from now on and Pens will then have a very good shot at getting to ECF. If they get to ECF (again sans JJ) they can match up against Bolts or Bruins and in a 7 game series; a win by Pens is not an unrealistic outcome
Sully has the far superior Riikola in his bad books …. I don’t know why . It is puzzling to put it mildly. Czuczman is also a far superior D man that won’t negatively impact all other Pen’s performances as JJ does. Yet Sully has Sat JJ but one game …. ever… that’s it.
Pens (again with JJ not dressed) IF they got to SCF; can match up against Avs but size would be a big factor if it’s Blues. Pens/Knights ….. mmmmm toss up IMHO
I have fingers; toes and eyes crossed for tonight’s game
🤞🙏 No JJ
GO PENS GO
Hey. Pengy. Howd you like sullys press conference.
Full confidence in jj and schultz. Blamed the goals on the forwards.
Chrisms
Please tell me ur joking
I have not seen the presser
If true (and it better not be)…. how does Sully explain JJ blowing a poke check ; followed by ploughing over is own player (ZAR) and the blasting the Habs player into Pens net so that Murray has to deal with a flying 200 lb player knocking him into net AND trying to stop the puck…. how is that the forwards mistake?
Maybe ZAR was encouraging JJ to knock him over… I couldn’t hear him
You have to be Sharding me Chrisms
Truf
No need to copy/paste that whole bag of wind from yesterday, all we needed was a few more “Me Thinks this or that” quips.
Maybe you need to acquire a 4th or 5th favorite team as well, then you can broaden your spectrum of ranty dribbles…
Look, the players had a long lay off. In my opinion the rust will affect the teams with skill that try the generate a ton of offense far more so than teams who can sit in a tight box and play D all day and hope on a PP goal like Minni’s only 2 goals or to beat a tender who hasn’t played meaningful hockey in sometime like Columbus’s 1 goal.
Vancouver was most evident last night. They may very well be a perimeter team but they could not complete a pass. Puck always bouncing, slightly behind or ahead of target.
It’s a very wise move to fall back and play the defensive game by tight. Makes it easier to defend when you playing a skilled teams who’s timing is off.
Saw this in the Pittsburgh, Minni and columbus series. Time will tell if the inexperience of players like Petterson, Marner and Suzuki are truly a factor or will the teams get it together and flip the short series.
I wouldn’t group Marner with those other two – he has enough playoff experience to contribute a lot more than he did last night. He’s one of the Leafs that really needs to step up and get involved in Game 2.
For those who say the Leafs lack the experience at all levels of the organization to compete with Columbus, I’ll refer them to the Tampa Bay Lightning last year.
Columbus are just really solid, especially in the first round. Toronto needs to accept the challenge and play hard.
This is how I see it as well, Jeff.
Marner has plenty of experience disappearing come playoff time.
Bc you can’t compare the jackets from last year to this year, last years tea was much better look at the players they lost
I don’t think the Flames would touch Marner with a 10 ft pole. His salary makes him almost untradable in this flat cap era unless the leafs retained a pile of money
Tkachuk will be a flame for many years.
Montreal really screwed up when they took kotkemeni over Tkachuk.
Wrong tkachuk lol the flames lucked out playing the jets if they get by the jets they will be out next round
Wrong draft year unless you meant a Tkachuk lol.
BBB
I know he meant Matthew Tkachuk from the Flames.
I just added the reference to Brady Tkachuk that Ottawa drafted to show both Tkachuk brothers are essential to their teams success. These types of players don’t grow on trees and are almost impossible to trade for or draft..
The only other player that comes to mind would be Brad Marchand, and I don’t think the bruins would ever consider trading him.
As far as going into the next round, depending on who they play you are probably correct it will be hard for them to advance.
The only team I think the Flames could beat is Dallas.
After reading my last post it was not clear
Simpson man he’s like described video
Take a listen to NESN sometime it gets a rap as homer and course is from a bruin’s fan perspective BUT
There is humour thanks to Jack Edward’s who also makes fun of himself and knowledge of both teams and of the finer points of the game thanks to Andy Brickley
Sorry but Chris Cuthbert is at the bottom of the list when it comes to my preferred play by play people. His voice is annoying enough but I don’t think he really gets this game. Most won’t agree i am sure but please give ne anyone but…..
I like Gord Miller best.
My vote is Gord Miller as well
Weren’t we assured a few days ago that Virtanen would be “out of the press box” and on the ice for the Canucks first game?
Looks like Green has other ideas. He may be a candidate to be moved, but I don’t see too many teams lining up to take him on as I think the days of gambling away cap money to see if they can “reform” a problem are at least in limbo for quite a while.
Besides, how, exactly, would that alone free up cap space to re-sign their remaining RFAs and UFAs like Tofolli? Virtanen only cost $1,250,000 off the cap and, even though he has arbitration rights, I can’t see an arbiter awarding more than a bridge-like $2.5. They need more than that.
He mightnot get a big salary from arbitartion. But could be used a sweetener to move a bigger salary. Sven or Loui come to mind.
I wouldn’t touch either of those combos with the proverbial 10-foor pole – and I’ll bet no NHL team does either.
George,
Totally agree.
I have never been a Marner guy though a long time Leaf fan. One of my buddy’s asked who would trade for Marner and how much of his salary would the Leafs have to eat?
Teams that need to reach the cap floor and who need entertainment value during the season and don’t expect play off wins. Teams that have real money issues would trade for him. Are there any such teams. I suspect there are teams with dollar in dollar out problems . What salary would the Leafs have to eat. Maybe a million after next season’s last bonus is paid out.
This is one of Dubas’s real naive errors. You can’t have frat boy attitude when men are playing for big money. As the saying goes they will “take you lunch”.
This is not a reaction to last night’s game. Those of you who have read me over the years will remember I have been stubbornly non Marner, This team is not structured to win in the play offs. But it does have tradeable talent that can get some of that structure.
Does it have the management and/or Board to get this job done. Dubas has yet to show he has the right stuff. Some of the Board members have shown it in the business world. Something has to give.
OBD, those Blue Jackets must have some real tough business men on their board.
Come on, man!
BC Leaf Fan:
The Leaf Board needs to demand a team that can win in the play offs. They need to do it as Dubas can’t or won’t. I hated the Kadri trade as he brought in 2 softies for someone with drive. I submit that Dubas is the only GM that when he already has a soft team…..trades value for more softness.
The Colombus Board ( if they have one….they may be a single owner team) does not need to as the GM already works from the D out with big forwards.
It has been written by many contributors the Leafs have
too many small players….
too many soft players….
too much of their $ invested in forwards….
I agree with this….you may not. And you may be right.
But tell me if management can’t or won’t work on a winning formula….what is the Board supposed to do….watch the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. I blame the Board as they hired Shanahan who hired Dubas. IMO Dubas was not ready for prime time….
OBD, let’s see – was Brian Burke experienced enough for you, how about Randy Carlyle, Ron Wilson, all those great draft picks, all that truculence? What a team they were then.
Bc you can’t really use that defence shanny and management haven’t made it out of the first round
Yes BBB the Leafs teams BC Fan was talking about made the playoffs a bunch of times and past the first round and right over a cliff. Ya sure we can’t compare one team playing about the 100pt pace season after season and one 69ing it all over the place…yes experience makes all the difference.
Curious to know when Thornton would need to sign here to be eligible for playoffs? Could wait and sign late in season for a contender. At 41, I don’t think he’s worth keeping around. His wife is Swiss and they spend their summers there. Maybe covid plays into his decision. Cali not doing well and probably safer for his kids to attend school overseas.
Jake Virtanen has 18g 18a 36pts in 69 games played.
He was on pace to score 21 goals; I don’t believe Vancouver will have any issue trading him; however they have reduced his value on the trade market.
You can’t teach goal scoring, send him to Boston we will give him a shot at 2nd line RW and see if Chara can beat the defensive side of the game into him.
Would take him as a “sweetener” along with Loui Eriksson??
George O NO, been there done that.
Wonder what the cost would be?
Caper, LOL. Only reason I posted that was because Andy, above, seems to think some team would take Eriksson off their hands with Virtanen tossed in as a “sweetener.” Never happen.
And moving Virtanen alone does nothing for their cap issues – so what would be the point?
If they want to move someone with a cap hit that helps them re-sign their RFAs and UFAs Toffoli (and maybe Tanev), and interest teams with lots of cap space who are looking for a good not-too-old player in that category with term and no NM/NT restrictions, it would need to be someone like Miller.
Benning has his work cut out for him this off-season.
1 week away from end of play in round and phase 2 of lottery! Rumors will really pick up after that.
Toronto:
Please be advised that the 2020 Pond Hockey season has concluded and the Mens Hockey Tournament has begun.
Ronald, I hereby nominate you for “Comment of the Month” ! I like it, and it’s so true.
I don’t want to pound on the Leaf s but it should be painfully obvious that they are not structured for playoff hockey. I hope they address this issue before next season. If someone needs to be traded to do so, then so be it.
And before someone chimes in with “this is a play-in and not playoffs” … note the big Stanley Cup at center ice in both venues.
Crazy Canuck,
No need for you to pound on the Leafs. The Jackets are doing it for you.
Virtanen has what I call pedigree. Number one bantam pick into the Western Hockey League, number 6 overall in the NHL entry draft. First few years and even last year of junior shoulder issues.
18 goals is nothing to sneeze at. It must have been a conditioning issue or attitude or something along that line coming into the Covid Cup camp. They will have no trouble moving him. The Canucks will need every dollar and a couple of mil will help regardless.
Harman Dayal of The Athletic, in discussing why Travis Green wants no part of him, says that his greatest weaknesses include winning puck battles along the boards, and making better breakout passes from his own end.. Thomas Vrance, a senior writer with the same outfit, offered this recent observation on Virtanen
“While Jake scores five on five, the team doesn’t score more with him on the ice than they do with your average bottom-six player. The other part of it is every line that Virtanen spends a lot of time on tends to fair worse by the underlying two-way metrics with him than without him.”
With every cap dollar more important than ever (as you correctly point out), why would any team relinquish anything of consequence for him as they are almost assuredly aware of the facts cited in that observation. Why would they think it would any different on THEIR team? Based on the fact he was picked # 6 overall?
And if Vancouver indicated they’d accept nothing of consequence (e.g. a mid-range prospect or a mid-round pick) just to potentially free up the couple of million he might get as an RFA, wouldn’t that willingness alone set off alarm bells?
There’s a whole slew of Top 10 picks – including some # 1s – proving that being a high pick alone proves nothing.
So, based on his stats in a partial season, he might have potted 21 goals had it gone to 82 games. OK – but by then he would have had about 290 game in the NHL and seasonal average of 14g 14a 28 pts.
Heck, Jonathan CheeChoo scored 56 goals for SJ when he was 25. 7 years later he was in the KHL because he could not – or would not – work to improve his two-way game or come into each new season in top shape.
Virtanen might yet turn things around with consistency – but he isn’t going to do it anywhere but Vancouver.
Just some examples of being a relatively high pick not in and of itself guaranteeing anything
2008 – Like Schenn (5th) – Nikita Filatov (6th)
2009 – Scott Glennie (8th) Jared Cowan (9th)
2010 – Nino Niederreiter (5th) – Alexander Burmistrov (8th)
2011 – Duncan Siemens (11th)
2012 – Nail Yakopov (1st) – Alex Galchenyuk (3rd) – Derek Pouliot (8th)
2013 – Jonathan Drouin (3rd) – Valeri Nichushkin (10th)
2014 – Sam Bennett (4th) – Michael Dal Colle (5th)
Several of those who layers turned out to be solid nhlers. Eventually.
Solid of the type that went in the 2nd round and beyond … but nowhere near where they were picked.
Re Virtanen
It’s obvious that he’s having trouble getting TG’s confidence in him
He has size and the talent is there if it can be harnessed
This is one of those situations we’re the likelihood of a location (and therefore personnel and coaching) change could very well be a spark that ignites a breakout that is percolating under the surface
Some team will take the “gamble” and get him reasonably (the situation has lately diminished his potential trade return) and could very well be rewarded nicely in return “outbreak” performance …. possible
Would I like to see Vitanen in Blue and White ; or Black/White/Gold? For the right trade ask… yep
What is it going to cost in trade?
Is there another RFA in the league that also is not performing at his own raw talent level that could certainly benefit from a change of scenery?…. flipping RFA’s??
Is it possible that Jim B says to hell with it and tries to rid the Loui Cap hit by including JV in a multi player deal…. Loui now only owed $5 M cash total for the balance of his contract…. that’s $2.5 M per ; but Cap of $6 M per for 2
Loui & JV for a third or B prospect?
Strange times; who knows
There is absolutely NO way any team is taking Eriksson – unless the Canucks used Petersson as the “sweetener” … and that ain’t about to happen. Not in this new and ultra-cautious era. Forget “asset management” in this context Pengy. It no longer translates into “sound hedges” against the future – or at least nowhere near the potential financial catastrophe of being saddled with a stiff. Or two.
That kind of thinking may have held water pre-Covid-19 – now the bucket is full of holes.
Virtanen is done in Vancouver. He’ll likely be traded to a team (NJ, BUF, OTT) with cap space and holes up front. I dont think though he will be used as a sweetener in a Eriksson trade. A potential return for Virtanen could look like a 2nd round pick and a C prospect.
Hi George
I know you and I don’t see eye to eye on this but it’s only $5M cash over 2 years then off the books; and if a GM is very pro on the JV upside…. then a deal like that is worth it…. if they conclude as Green dies that he’s fodder…. Nyet Nyet Soviet
You are correct that things post Covid are extremely different but opportunities are out there
I believe that if a GM with space can have the gumption to make the move (multi player taking short term crap to gain with sweetener) …. it’s worth it
As you’ve said before …. times have changed; there are tons of teams pressed to Cap that have to make moves; so the Yzermans and Dorions of the world can sit back and see what offers (and there should be plenty) come their way
Will a team take on Loui…. to gain an asset…. more unlikely than not….but it is certainly not impossible
I think Dorion and Stevie Y need to listen with big ears and think long and hard on all proposals
Neither team IMHO is cup bound before 22/23 …. so “saving” Cap space for the next two years is irrelevant
Another point is that any “crap” acquisition with high Cap and low cash can be used as one of the “exposed” players in next June’s expansion draft
That’s a negotiable call to Ronny F…. take my high cap low cost crap (only one yr left) and I’ll give you a 2nd …. leaving all the young precious up and coming players to be exposed but safely staying on the team
RF’s Kraken use up Cap for low cost and gain a pick… a rationalization I’m sure that RF will consider
There will be tons o’ speculation over the next 10 months
Exciting times ahead
George. I am mostly in agreement with you. But I think you overestimate how much power the cap Havers have over those without cap. Teams will absolutely be able to get good deals from teams looking for space. But it’s not the bfg of guns you make it out to be. At some point the scales tip vs cost to trade money vs cost to let players walk or buy them out. I think teams like ott get good trades. But I don’t think they are gonna fleece anyone either.
Can we congratulate NY Rangers 1st overall pick? OR should we wait for Pens?
You know the NHL had this figured out all along. The worst team in the play in round has a 12.5% face value of winning lottery, but we all know a big market team up against the cap will win it. Its the way of Bettman….
The way of Bettman- support american teams: Chicago, his beloved Pitt, NY Rangers, Devils, and from Canada hated by most- Toronto.
So basically we know who got 1st. Rangers last year 2nd, this year even better.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pbIR51_J_qY
Chrisms, I never used the word “fleece” when describing how I see it unfold. With the flat cap for at least the next two seasons, I just look at the number of teams that MUST clear space simply to re-sign their key RFAs and UFAs they’ like to retain (e.g., Hall in Arizona and Toffoli in Vancouver to name just two). There are at least 21 of the 31 in that cartgory, with maybe 3 having some limited space and 7 with varying levels of what can be termed “loads of space” – some a lot more than others.
Maybe I’m totally wrong, but the way I see it, those latter teams won’t be approaching the others to try and low-ball – or fleece – them, on deals. Nor will they be looking at adding “maybes” in the form of prospects who have yet to show they can play in the NHL, by taking on high-priced albatrosses those cash-strapped teams would love to unload.
You can bet that any of the 7 GMs who are asked to take on an Eriksson or Turris is going to demand a quality established player with term along with them. And I just can’t see that happening.
No, those 7 will sit back and wait for the other GMs to come to them, knowing that those 21 GMs know there is a limit to what they can take on, meaning not all will be able to gain cap space through those deals. The 7 have no pressing need to panic – certainly not at the same level as the 21. They just wait for first of the 21 to blink first and bite the bullet on a trade that would never have happened in “normal” times.
And you can bet the owners of those 7 are telling their GMs to be ultra-cautious when spending since NO team is looking at live gates for quite some time to come – or merchandise sales even close to previous years thanks to a depressed economy – so any income from national TV rights will mean all 31 are receiving around the same amount.
This is also one way for those 7 GMs to get back at free-spenders like the Leafs who, in the past, had no compunctions about tossing huge up-front amounts to players like Tavares to entice them to sign – something most teams simply cannot do.
No, they won’t try to “fleece” them – but they won;t be gentle with those short hairs either. Why should they?
Gms ain’t out to “get back” at other gms. Fans are. And the 7 as you dub them… catchy by the way … will have lots of negotiating room. But using Pettersson as an example… even one you said was an exaggeration… is showing a bit that you have drawn the lines a bit to wide. Enjoy the off season “the 7”. But you ain’t scoring a top 3 forward or top 2 d man (or likely ones) with that cap space. Gms will figure out ways around that.
That’s where “time will tell.” And anyway, I never mentioned anywhere a top 3 F or a top 2 D. All I’ve ever said was “a solid, established NHLer with term and enough of a cap hit to make it a worthwhile cost-saving move” – as opposed to a maybe prospect who has yet to prove anything at the NHL level .. or more bloody picks.
knock off the long posts!! it’s NOT your board, it belongs to all of us! you waste space. if you want to yap like this, please exchange it on email or somewhere. you guys bring up some interesting stuff sometimes, but setting it up as a chat between the two of you is disrespectful at the very least. wish there was a 150 word max on here.
Who died and elected you King? You don’t like long posts? Simple, Scroll down to something else which takes all of 4 seconds. No one here is twisting your arm and making you read anything.
If Lyle tells us to cut back on length we’ll do it. But then it becomes a series of “Gee, ain’t so-and-so great?” Or “did you see that save so-and-so made.” Or a series of idiotic crystal-ball predictions. Is that what you prefer?
There is a word maximum to these comments, Bob. Everything that’s been posted here is within those parameters. And no, I’m not shortening it.