GDT: 2018 Free Agency: Jay Beagle 4 x 3M, Antoine Roussel 4 x 3.25M, both w/ limited NTCs

[y2kcanucks]

Hasn’t the “bottom 6” narrative died

You don’t have to play unskilled grinders in your bottom 6 anymore

Third lines around the league are all skilled lines pretty much

People who don't follow what other teams do at all won't know this. There's also a high correlation between those people and people who think Benning is a good GM.

 

[Peen]

I actually enjoyed Leipsic. He either was the worst player on the ice or a legitimate top six forward.

If we can get consistency out of him that's a middle six left winger who is feisty as hell.

You know this free agency has been disappointing when even the posters who are willing to give this regime more optimism and the benefit of the doubt at most times are questioning WTF we are doing.

Didn't acquire a pick at the deadline or draft, and now are rumored to be taking on bad contracts in a day or two.

Questionable.

 

[iceburg]

Beagle and Roussel - if they sign - do make our forward group better in the short term. Both are capable bottom six players who can fill roles on most teams in the league.

Throwing too much money and term at such players is counter intuitive to a rebuild if (and when) their presence starts to block the development of younger players, and/or their cap hits prove prohibitive in bettering the team. I'm not saying one or both of those things happen this fall, but the longer the deal, the more likely one or both of those scenarios end up playing out.

In one year, Boeser will need a new contract, Del Zotto and Edler will be up (probably end up re-siging Edler)
In two years Gaudette will need one, Gagner's will be done
In three years who knows? Pettersson? Virtanen? Hughes?

Signing two year contracts for UFAs is manageable, three years is a big risk.

 

[iceburg]

Actually Gudbranson should probably be closer to $1M. Sutter probably closer to $2M. Nilsson probably closer to $1M.

I honestly don't like any of those contracts. On a short, 1-year deal okay, but those players (except for MDZ and Nilsson) are/would be signed to multi-year deals. That's why the Canucks are as bad as they are. Benning has loaded up on a lot of bad players and spent a lot of money to do so.

They're as bad as they are because they failed to recognize four years ago that the core was done being competitive. These overpaid contracts are a consequence of that strategy rather than the cause of being bad.

 

[y2kcanucks]

I actually enjoyed Leipsic. He either was the worst player on the ice or a legitimate top six forward.

If we can get consistency out of him that's a middle six left winger who is feisty as hell.

You know this free agency has been disappointing when even the posters who are willing to give this regime more optimism and the benefit of the doubt at most times are questioning WTF we are doing.

Didn't acquire a pick at the deadline or draft, and now are rumored to be taking on bad contracts in a day or two.

Questionable.

What I want to know is why anyone expected different? This is the 5th free agency period for this regime. Fool me once, shame on you...but fool me five times? Really?

 

[Cupless44]

This is why I laugh at people who point to Linden and Benning and say they're rebuilding now because they say they'll take on bad contracts to acquire more draft picks. I've said this before and I've been proven right again (as have others). What Linden and Benning say, and what they do have always been two completely different things.

Will the Canucks be adding bad contracts this summer? Yes. Of course. But they will be signed directly with the player, and won't be acquiring draft picks or prospects to take on those bad contracts.

That's the fear.

The other concern I have with Beagle for 3 years or Roussel for 4 years is that while they might add some grit and leadership next year, in the ensuing years they take up roster spots from young prospects to take jobs.

What if Dahlen comes to camp and earns a job or what if after a year in the AHL Gadjovich suprises and is ready to play a physical role a year from now but these veterans and their expensive contracts are blocking the way for 3 years?

The only veteran UFAs they should be looking at is short term that they can flip at the deadline.

 

[MS]

They're as bad as they are because they failed to recognize four years ago that the core was done being competitive. These overpaid contracts are a consequence of that strategy rather than the cause of being bad.

They're both.

 

[xtra]

And for a player like Archibald, he needs that intensity all the time.

Can you clarify this point for me, do you mean that all bottom 6 players (granlund,beagle,roussell,sutter etc) need to play with intensity all the time otherwise they are useless or is it just big bodied players like archibald that need to play with intensity all the time?

Just so later on in the year when you go to defend these bottom 6 players for lack of intensity I can understand your point.


On topic here, if we are gonna be competitive in 3/4 years wouldn’t we want to be signing the ufa that have good bottom 6 value rather than dealing with the 35year old beagle struggling to go up the ice? Save the cap room, acquire good players or cap dumps that don’t hamper you past this year. The difference in production on the ice between rousell and archibald is t worth hamstringing us inyears 3//4 of that contract.

 

[iceburg]

They're both.

If you took all of the overpayments and bought one player. It would make this team marginally more competitive but not a playoff team let alone a contender.

 

[Peen]

What I want to know is why anyone expected different? This is the 5th free agency period for this regime. Fool me once, shame on you...but fool me five times? Really?

Eh, I think it's due to the lack of obviously terrible moves. (Although, just by standing pat with our heads up our asses while other teams make rebuilding moves is just a f***ing joke and equally as bad.)

They've said the right things, and outside of extending Gudbranson.. the last two years have been more in tune with the right mindset going forward.

However, their execution has been so so so poor.

And in regards to an earlier comment, before they would never lie about what their intentions are. In fact, they were overly open and it was predictable. This is the first time during their regime where they've been claiming rebuild rebuild, now they just aren't executing properly.

Either way they've needed to be moved on for a while.

Also losing Archibald for nothing is so disgustingly cringe.

I really don't understand how you can sign an objectively terrible fake tough guy in Gudbranson to a multi year contract at 2nd pairing money when he's been injured more than Tanev.

Gambling on sautner and Archibald + a big FA on a one or two year contract to flip ->>> Gudbranson and Roussell

 

[Cupless44]

Rick Dhaliwal‏ @DhaliwalSports 4m4 minutes ago
More
Update : Despite the market driving up the price, the #Canucks are very very much in the race to land Beagle. This is a player they really like.

Awesome. We are in a bidding war for soon to be 33 year old Jay Beagle

 

[y2kcanucks]

They're as bad as they are because they failed to recognize four years ago that the core was done being competitive. These overpaid contracts are a consequence of that strategy rather than the cause of being bad.

It's a consequence and a cause. You can't say that the players they're targeting aren't making this team worse. When you bring in bad players your team is going to be bad.

I also don't think, for example, when you sign Jay Beagle to $2.5M and Antoine Roussell for $3M on multi-year deals that you're projecting them to be on your 4th line either.

 

[y2kcanucks]

Rick Dhaliwal‏ @DhaliwalSports 4m4 minutes ago
More
Update : Despite the market driving up the price, the #Canucks are very very much in the race to land Beagle. This is a player they really like.

Ugh

Give him $4M per year for 4 years. Do it Benning! Do it! I'd love to see how people explain that one.

"...but he's learning"

 

[y2kcanucks]

If you took all of the overpayments and bought one player. It would make this team marginally more competitive but not a playoff team let alone a contender.

Because you're not accounting for the quantity of crap they've brought in.

 

[timw33]

Good to know we're doing our due diligence on low cost high upside skill players.

 

[sting101]

You need a mix of fast checkers and bigger bodies that can win puck battles. Archibald and Gaunce were both very effective last year and have a role to play. So does Sutter.

The problem is the guys who are soft, slow, and contribute nothing. Granlund being the biggest culprit and he should have been fired out of a cannon.

maybe so.

Gaunce Granlund Gagner Boucher Archibald .....would love to see better players for all these guys. In fact if they really want to send a message i would love to see any or all them cut loose. For the first 3 if they dont make significant improvements strting this October i would prefer to see them gone. And i know you like Gaunce but he has to be able to do more before its worth clinging to his defensive play. One dimensional defenseman are hard enough to employ i find it more agregious when the player is a winger.....just my 2C and bythe way i feel like he's smart enough and technical enough to do it but we cant be waiting till he's 28

 

[Fire Benning]

The Beagle contract can’t possibly be more than 2.5x3 can it?

 

[iceburg]

Can you clarify this point for me, do you mean that all bottom 6 players (granlund,beagle,roussell,sutter etc) need to play with intensity all the time otherwise they are useless or is it just big bodied players like archibald that need to play with intensity all the time?

Just so later on in the year when you go to defend these bottom 6 players for lack of intensity I can understand your point.
.

Did I say Archibald was useless? Inaccurately attributing extreme rhetoric to a post then saying the poster is wrong, isn't all that helpful. Though I acknowledge that it happens here all the time.

What I am saying is that for Archibald to earn a free agent contract and, as a 28 year old, take up a roster spot of a younger player, he needs to bring his best game all the time. To avoid any confusion what I mean by that is that he needs to bring it most nights. Everybody has off nights and are sometimes dealing with injuries.
As for Granlund, Roussel, Beagle etc I would say exactly the same thing. Otherwise guys like Gaunce, and Leipsic should be given the ice time - at least they still have a little development time left.

 

[petrishriekandgo]

Rick Dhaliwal‏ @DhaliwalSports 4m4 minutes ago
More
Update : Despite the market driving up the price, the #Canucks are very very much in the race to land Beagle. This is a player they really like.

Awesome. We are in a bidding war for soon to be 33 year old Jay Beagle

Elliotte Friedman‏Verified account @FriedgeHNIC 1m1 minute ago
Elliotte Friedman Retweeted Rick Dhaliwal
Sounds like they are, again, the team.

 

[timw33]

Elliotte Friedman‏Verified account @FriedgeHNIC 1m1 minute ago
Elliotte Friedman Retweeted Rick Dhaliwal
Sounds like they are, again, the team.

Lol we're going to win an all out bidding war for a 33 year old 4th line player.

Unreal how many times Benning gets so obsessed with a player that he will pay a big premium to acquire them.

 

[petrishriekandgo]

Did I say Archibald was useless? Inaccurately attributing extreme rhetoric to a post then saying the poster is wrong, isn't all that helpful. Though I acknowledge that it happens here all the time.

What I am saying is that for Archibald to earn a free agent contract and, as a 28 year old, take up a roster spot of a younger player, he needs to bring his best game all the time. To avoid any confusion what I mean by that is that he needs to bring it most nights. Everybody has off nights and are sometimes dealing with injuries.
As for Granlund, Roussel, Beagle etc I would say exactly the same thing. Otherwise guys like Gaunce, and Leipsic should be given the ice time - at least they still have a little development time left.

I think they're looking at these bottom 6 spots as 'veteran grit/glue' roles and as such are looking to fill them with Beagle, Roussel, Granlund rather than relative NHL rookies like Archibald. Here's hoping they don't have egregious contract lengths though...

 

[Cupless44]

Lol we're going to win an all out bidding war for a 33 year old 4th line player.

Unreal how many times Benning gets so obsessed with a player that he will pay a big premium to acquire them.

Vegas and Anaheim in the mix. Please someone take him away!

 

[Peen]

As MS has said, I don't understand how you can justify Sutter and Beagle. That's a lot of money for two guys who will not produce any offense.

 

[Cupless44]

BTW who are those saying Beagle is gritty and physical? He had 28 pims last year.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

In one year, Boeser will need a new contract, Del Zotto and Edler will be up (probably end up re-siging Edler)
In two years Gaudette will need one, Gagner's will be done
In three years who knows? Pettersson? Virtanen? Hughes?

Signing two year contracts for UFAs is manageable, three years is a big risk.

I don't particularly like Roussel on 4 years..thats too long for a guy that is essentially Burrows...

The Canucks are not going to be in any kind of cap trouble..Guddys only on a 3 year as well,..Sutters will be gone by that time (plus he has a modified NTC after this season,ands teams are interested)..We don't have any superstar contracts yet,unlike Edmonton and Chicago with their top heavy salary structure.