2014 CBJ Offseason Thread III (All proposals, "blog" rumors, speculation in here)

blahblah

Registered User
Nov 24, 2005
21,327
972
Thoughts on Dustin Penner? He wasn't great with LA in the regular season, but everywhere else he's been a ~40+ point per season guy. He'd probably also come pretty cheap (no more than 3.5m AAV would be my guess).

Is there anything to make you believe that he's going to add a forward during FA? Or anyone for that matter. We already have 12 forwards (once our RFA's are signed). You completely ignored Boll as if he isn't on the team and you ignored Tropp who I think was qualified. We may not like these players but they exist. It's also clear that JK wants a forward spot open for a kid.

At least look at trades.
 

CBJRzeznik

Registered User
Mar 8, 2014
237
3
You cherry picked the contracts you wanted to prove your point. I listed some earlier in the thread that were pretty decent.

Oh and on the Stastny deal, that term was good. I would have signed him for that in a heartbeat.

Sorry Blah but you have to "cherry pick" to find contracts that aren't overpaid in $ or term this year....so we'll agree to disagree. As I said, I really like Statsny, the 4 years is fine (agreed) but you want to pay $7 mil/yr for a 2nd line center. Glad you're not the GM.
 

CBJRzeznik

Registered User
Mar 8, 2014
237
3
:huh: There's a lot more risk on the Hartnell and Horton acquisitions than there is in either the Vrbata or Stastny deals (both short term). I'm not sure what you're saying.

I'm saying, since you always have to drastically overpay FA and this year is a weak FA group, I like both of the Horton and Hartnell acquisitions better than virtually anything on the FA market this year. I'm also saying I disagree with those clamoring for us to have been active in this market. Pretty straight forward...not much head scratching about it major.
 

CBJfan4evr

Registered User
Mar 8, 2008
1,097
19
New Albany
i have a thought for a maybe cheap bottom 6 guy... Lee Stempniak...
Yep should have picked him up at the deadline last year; Ecklund had us as a possible destination then, who knows might have flipped the result on the Pittsburgh series.
 

blahblah

Registered User
Nov 24, 2005
21,327
972
Sorry Blah but you have to "cherry pick" to find contracts that aren't overpaid in $ or term this year....so we'll agree to disagree. As I said, I really like Statsny, the 4 years is fine (agreed) but you want to pay $7 mil/yr for a 2nd line center. Glad you're not the GM.

He's perfectly capable of being a top line center. Not an elite top line center, but a first liner. This guy is fairly close to a PPG player over his career and has 2 or 3 more years before he starts his decline.

Are you saying the Blues screwed up? Who is their top line center there? They did a great job with that deal. Mock me if you will, but the Blues are not known for bad contracts which is illustrated by the fact they have no buyouts currently on record. That contract was maybe a million, if that, more than it should have been. Based on market he is worth six million or more.

Agree to disagree? Please. I illustrated that there were decent contract to be found because someone else did the same thing you did; try and indicate there was nothing to be found in this FA pool at a reasonable price. I never tried to say that there weren't overpriced contracts. In other words you weren't representing both ends of the spectrum.

An example, the Hemsky deal was pretty good and right in line with what I wanted to offer him.
 

CBJfan4evr

Registered User
Mar 8, 2008
1,097
19
New Albany
so day 2 finds guys like Vrbata, Grabo, Kulemin, and Olli Jokinen with contracts


essentially no top 6 talent left in the FA pool, but the possibility remains for trades still

however, Legwand, Derek Roy, Penner, Stempniak, etc. remain as pretty decent bottom 6 options

Slim pickings from Boston Globe yesterday; Maybe something happens via the trade route??

BOSTON HERALD: The pickings are slim following the frenzy of free-agent signings yesterday. Among the notables still available are Radim Vrbata, Dany Heatley, Mike Ribeiro, David Legwand, Mikhail Grabovski, Ville Leino, Nikolai Kulemin, Steve Ott, Olli Jokinen and Martin Brodeur.
 

CBJfan4evr

Registered User
Mar 8, 2008
1,097
19
New Albany
Sorry Blah but you have to "cherry pick" to find contracts that aren't overpaid in $ or term this year....so we'll agree to disagree. As I said, I really like Statsny, the 4 years is fine (agreed) but you want to pay $7 mil/yr for a 2nd line center. Glad you're not the GM.
Scary part is that it gives Joey some ammunition on dollars/not term...
 

blahblah

Registered User
Nov 24, 2005
21,327
972
BOSTON HERALD: The pickings are slim following the frenzy of free-agent signings yesterday. Among the notables still available are Radim Vrbata, Dany Heatley, Mike Ribeiro, David Legwand, Mikhail Grabovski, Ville Leino, Nikolai Kulemin, Steve Ott, Olli Jokinen and Martin Brodeur.

And a few of those are gone now. Wasn't Ribeiro the one that got bought out because of issues in the locker room or off the ice?
 

CBJRzeznik

Registered User
Mar 8, 2014
237
3
He's perfectly capable of being a top line center. Not an elite top line center, but a first liner. This guy is fairly close to a PPG player over his career and has 2 or 3 more years before he starts his decline.

Are you saying the Blues screwed up? Who is their top line center there? They did a great job with that deal. Mock me if you will, but the Blues are not known for bad contracts which is illustrated by the fact they have no buyouts currently on record. That contract was maybe a million, if that, more than it should have been. Based on market he is worth six million or more.

Agree to disagree? Please. I illustrated that there were decent contract to be found because someone else did the same thing you did; try and indicate there was nothing to be found in this FA pool at a reasonable price. I never tried to say that there weren't overpriced contracts. In other words you weren't representing both ends of the spectrum.

An example, the Hemsky deal was pretty good and right in line with what I wanted to offer him.

Wow...just a tad defensive aren't we. Lighten up and take a breath. First, Statsny was the best player available in FA and can be a 1C. However, C depth is a strength and he would not have been 1C here so he isn't worth 7 mill to CBJ. Second, I never said anything about the STL. Great organization. However, unlike CBJ, C is a position of need for them and they are in "now contender mode" (see the Miller trade deadline deal). Statsny is a perfect fit for them and $ well spent. That 7 mil wouldn't have been as well spent by CBJ w/ their current C depth. Third, I stand by my statement that I don't feel any of the available FA playing positions of need are worth the investment this year. I don't believe Hemsky, Cammy, et al. will provide enough impact to warrant the contracts they are getting. So you didn't illustrate anything...you have an opinion and I don't share that same view. So Fourth, Yes...we agree to disagree on that opinion....Really take a Xanax, do some yoga, whatever it takes to relax man. I would rather save the cap space for if/when a top line W or top 4 D becomes available for trade and by not being a big player in FA we are well positioned to do that. I am fine not being active in this market. It's called difference of opinion....I don't plan on trying to convince you to change your mind and you won't change mine. Got it? Good!
 

EspenK

Registered User
Sep 25, 2011
15,842
4,446
Sorry Blah but you have to "cherry pick" to find contracts that aren't overpaid in $ or term this year....so we'll agree to disagree. As I said, I really like Statsny, the 4 years is fine (agreed) but you want to pay $7 mil/yr for a 2nd line center. Glad you're not the GM.

Great another keeper of the $. The Blues got substantially better with this signing. They overpaid by at most a mill. The cap is going up. They have a couple of guys left to sign and have 9 mill in cap space. They are fine from a cap perspective. The object is to win and I think the Blues are going to do just fine in that department.
 

Fro

Cheatin on CBJ w TBL
Mar 11, 2009
25,316
4,994
The Beach, FL
the Hockey News review of FA

Columbus: No signings, no trades, no big deal. The Blue Jackets’ biggest concern this off-season is how they handled Ryan Johansen. He wants a long-term deal, they want a bridge contract like what P.K. Subban did with Montreal. Other than that, this team is in a pretty good zone where they can play with patience. Next summer, Sergei Bobrovsky will be an RFA, while Brandon Dubinsky and Nick Foligno can become UFAs, so this team can’t be spending like crazy on Kuly 1. Especially since they’re already paying Nathan Horton and Scott Hartnell a combined $10-plus million against the cap. Those are there big spends right now. Status quo sometimes counts for something. GRADE: B+
 

CBJRzeznik

Registered User
Mar 8, 2014
237
3
Great another keeper of the $. The Blues got substantially better with this signing. They overpaid by at most a mill. The cap is going up. They have a couple of guys left to sign and have 9 mill in cap space. They are fine from a cap perspective. The object is to win and I think the Blues are going to do just fine in that department.

I absolutely am...thanks for defining me that way it's a complement. See Fro's recent post on our need to sign Joey this year and Dubi, Bob, Foligno next year. Yes I am firmly in the camp that having $ to spend on retaining those assets and having the space to make an acquisition for a "bigger fish" when one comes available later this year is far preferable. So we should overspend because the cap is going up. Sounds like solid planning :sarcasm: BTW....the object is to win...Really? Thanks for the newsflash. Here's some 411 for you...sometimes not misspending $ on secondary assets, which this year's crop of FA largely was comprised of, is exactly how you win.
 

blahblah

Registered User
Nov 24, 2005
21,327
972
Wow...just a tad defensive aren't we. Lighten up and take a breath. First, Statsny was the best player available in FA and can be a 1C.

Get a grip bud, you started off with the "glad you're not our GM" garbage. You threw the first punch, don't pretend you are innocent and wounded here. It's comical when people do that. They throw out insults and are surprised when someone reacts. What's even funnier is that I didn't even insult you in the response. All I did was defend my position.

So first you throw out there that he's not a top line center and now you back off and say that and can be one?

What you are saying is that you are ok with having a lesser 2nd line center? Dubinsky is pretty decent, but he'd be better off as our 3rd line center or moving him to wing like I suggested. What happens when Johansen is injured? We're going to leave this team to Dubinsky and AA as the top 2 centers? No thanks. If you had Stastny, Dubinsky could move back to center and you are still in good shape.

I think you are missing the point, we would suddenly have one of the top center pairings in the East. Not Pittsburgh quality, obviously, but for the most part right up there with the rest of the best and much better than most of what the East can throw out there. It would have been even one of the better ones in the West.

That is a position of strength. The elite teams have that. Stastny would also give us more of a playmaker and a different look. Johansen is a goal scorer, we could use more of a playmaker to go along with wingers.

Don't get me wrong, I love them both but I've made this case on numerous occasions. Maybe in 2 or 3 years we'll get there when if a guy like Wennberg can maybe show his stuff - but he'll still be very green.

You also have Dubinsky coming into FA at the end of the season. What kind of contract is he going to be looking for? He's coming up on his decline years. Are we going to have to shell out six million over 5 years for him?

I have thought this through on many occasions.
 

CBJRzeznik

Registered User
Mar 8, 2014
237
3
Get a grip bud, you started off with the "glad you're not our GM" garbage. You threw the first punch, don't pretend you are innocent and wounded here. It's comical when people do that. They throw out insults and are surprised when someone reacts. What's even funnier is that I didn't even insult you in the response. All I did was defend my position.

So first you throw out there that he's not a top line center and now you back off and say that and can be one?

What you are saying is that you are ok with having a lesser 2nd line center? Dubinsky is pretty decent, but he'd be better off as our 3rd line center or moving him to wing like I suggested. What happens when Johansen is injured? We're going to leave this team to Dubinsky and AA as the top 2 centers? No thanks. If you had Stastny, Dubinsky could move back to center and you are still in good shape.

I think you are missing the point, we would suddenly have one of the top center pairings in the East. Not Pittsburgh quality, obviously, but for the most part right up there with the rest of the best and much better than most of what the East can throw out there. It would have been even one of the better ones in the West.

That is a position of strength. The elite teams have that. Stastny would also give us more of a playmaker and a different look. Johansen is a goal scorer, we could use more of a playmaker to go along with wingers.

Don't get me wrong, I love them both but I've made this case on numerous occasions. Maybe in 2 or 3 years we'll get there when if a guy like Wennberg can maybe show his stuff - but he'll still be very green.

I have thought this through on many occasions.

I love it! I am not remotely wounded by your wit (or lack thereof as the case may be) so get over yourself. You frequently "throw the 1st punch" in discussion and then get defensive. Therapy may help. We disagree on how the team handled FA. Deal with it.... Case closed. I'm sure there are several areas we can find agreement on CBJ related aspects so just chill dude.
 

Double-Shift Lasse

Just post better
Dec 22, 2004
34,651
15,880
Exurban Cbus
Happy to accommodate any folks who'd like a thread ban for continuing to address the poster instead of the post or continue to engage in a flame war in anticipation of the holiday weekend.

tl;dr -- Knock it off.
 

Fro

Cheatin on CBJ w TBL
Mar 11, 2009
25,316
4,994
The Beach, FL
sorry Sam

Chris Johnston ‏@reporterchris 1m
BREAKING: The #leafs have agreed to a one-year deal with Finnish centre Petri Kontiola. Story upcoming on sportsnet.ca.
 

CBJx614

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
May 25, 2012
16,324
8,337
C-137
Can we just start the season so everyone will quit with all the *****ing and whining. You may not agree with everything Jarmo does, but there's a reason he's there and your not.

It seems some people could use a week or two away from the forums, myself included.
 
Last edited:

IHeartZherdev*

Guest
Great another keeper of the $. The Blues got substantially better with this signing. They overpaid by at most a mill. The cap is going up. They have a couple of guys left to sign and have 9 mill in cap space. They are fine from a cap perspective. The object is to win and I think the Blues are going to do just fine in that department.

The Blues are in the West, we are in the East - so who cares if they addressed their need at center? We aren't competing against them for a playoff spot.

With Johansen/Jenner/Dubinsky/Anisimov center was not a need for us.

The Blues got embarassed and knocked out in the first round last year, not sure how you could make the argument that they are ahead of us at this point. Especially considering how much better our goalie is than Brian Elliot.
 

Doug19

Registered User
Oct 14, 2008
6,542
222
Columbus, OH
I never really thought we'd be players in FA, I still remain firm though that we will see a trade that upgrades a top 6 winger. Atkinson or Anisimov will not be here next season in my opinion. I will say though, with the loss of Mckenzie I don't think it's likely we see Anisimov on the move unless the front office is confident one of the young guys could anchor the fourth line center position with Letestu moving to the third line. We have to remember the fourth line in Columbus isn't a traditional fourth line as this team generally prefers to roll four lines 5 on 5 and have the bottom 6 people pk specialists. Happy so far with the offseason as unless the cap goes up we are going to have a lot of young core guys in the next 2-3 years that are going to be getting pay raises upwards of 2mil per contract. The cap space will be needed badly if we are to keep intact the core.
 

WannabeFinn

Beloved One
May 31, 2014
6,474
1,039
Columbus
simulationhockey.com
Is there anything to make you believe that he's going to add a forward during FA? Or anyone for that matter. We already have 12 forwards (once our RFA's are signed). You completely ignored Boll as if he isn't on the team and you ignored Tropp who I think was qualified. We may not like these players but they exist. It's also clear that JK wants a forward spot open for a kid.

At least look at trades.
I didn't completely ignore Boll or Tropp, I mentioned [insert here] as in either of those. Assuming we sign Tropp and Johansen we have exactly 12 forwards. Throw in an FA signing and we have 13. Not a big deal if we rotate Boll/Tropp in and out of the lineup IMO, or if Tropp went to the AHL.

What makes me believe he'll add a forward in FA
 

EspenK

Registered User
Sep 25, 2011
15,842
4,446
I absolutely am...thanks for defining me that way it's a complement. See Fro's recent post on our need to sign Joey this year and Dubi, Bob, Foligno next year. Yes I am firmly in the camp that having $ to spend on retaining those assets and having the space to make an acquisition for a "bigger fish" when one comes available later this year is far preferable. So we should overspend because the cap is going up. Sounds like solid planning :sarcasm: BTW....the object is to win...Really? Thanks for the newsflash. Here's some 411 for you...sometimes not misspending $ on secondary assets, which this year's crop of FA largely was comprised of, is exactly how you win.

Play around with the cap for next year- I see Dubi at 6 (max), Joey at 5.5, Bob around 6.5-7.0 and Foligno around 4.5 (max or he is gone imo).

That is about 5 million more than this year where we look to wind up 8 mill or so under the cap(with Joey at 5.5 or so in that number). Throw in another 3-4 mill in combined raises for CAM & Calvert. That basically gets us to this year's cap.

Where is the problem?. And where pray tell is that "bigger fish" later in the season coming from? Pens going to dump Malkin? The Hawks Kane or Toews?

Although it is irrelevant now, we could have fit a suitable FA under the cap this year and not jeopardized our ability to re-sign the guys next year.
 

major major

Registered User
Feb 18, 2013
14,598
1,669
Play around with the cap for next year- I see Dubi at 6 (max), Joey at 5.5, Bob around 6.5-7.0 and Foligno around 4.5 (max or he is gone imo).

That is about 5 million more than this year where we look to wind up 8 mill or so under the cap(with Joey at 5.5 or so in that number). Throw in another 3-4 mill in combined raises for CAM & Calvert. That basically gets us to this year's cap.

Where is the problem?. And where pray tell is that "bigger fish" later in the season coming from? Pens going to dump Malkin? The Hawks Kane or Toews?

Although it is irrelevant now, we could have fit a suitable FA under the cap this year and not jeopardized our ability to re-sign the guys next year.

You're right, we definitely have more than enough $$ to resign all the players we currently have, and enough to add a top talent to that group. What not spending it on UFA's this year allows us is the flexibility to sign a UFA from next years crop.
 

Ad

Ad

Ad