Rumor: 2023-2024 Trade Rumors and Free Agency: Off-season is in full swing

[Chiarelli]

That’s way too small of a sample size to say Rants is good at center.

 

[henchman21]

Mikko only lasted at center for 4 games before they put him back on wing.

Per the game logs, that doesn't seem to be true. Looks like at least 8-9 games... now some of them he played with ERod which may have moved around. They also condensed and put him with JTC in some games.

The good ol' Rantanen at center discussion

We thought that the last time he was UFA and he got 4.5M X 2

I never thought that.

 

[Murzu]

Mikko played his best hockey in the fall of 2018. Dude was Jagr lite out there, scoring at an absurd rate.

 

[henchman21]

That’s way too small of a sample size to say Rants is good at center.

It is true there is too small of sample size. A player of his caliber and having played center a lot in his developmental years, also way too early to say he'd be just mediocre.

In the end, it doesn't matter as it simply isn't going to happen. RyJo is the 2C here for the next two seasons. Which might be the same amount of time that Mikko is around.

 

[Toothless Legend]

Mikko at C was a midseason experiment borne out of necessity. Wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to treat him like a C in training camp and preseason to see how things go. Having the flexibility certainly would be nice when injuries start to become a thing.

 

[RockLobster]

It is true there is too small of sample size. A player of his caliber and having played center a lot in his developmental years, also way too early to say he'd be just mediocre.

In the end, it doesn't matter as it simply isn't going to happen. RyJo is the 2C here for the next two seasons. Which might be the same amount of time that Mikko is around.

Well now you've f***in done it, way to go...

 

[JH21]

We don't have the cap space for Tatar, unless your trade includes Girard...in that case we need an additional dman on top of Lyubushkin.

We are at 2.8 under right now with Olofsson and MacDermid or Meyers on the 4th line.

 

[JH21]

The good ol' Rantanen at center discussion

We thought that the last time he was UFA and he got 4.5M X 2

Well he can go to a team like Anaheim for 3m or sign here as a 3rd liner for 1.5m with a chance to win the cup. His choice.

 

[Balthazar]

Well he can go to a team like Anaheim for 3m or sign here as a 3rd liner for 1.5m with a chance to win the cup. His choice.

Considering his playoff performance history I'd say he likes money better.

I never thought that.

A lot of people thought Tatar would be cheap because he signed late in the summer and he ended up not being cheap at all.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

I think Mikko can work as center. I think it's a shame with all the opportunities we had last season, we didn't explore that more fully. Now the reason each Mikko stint at center is so short has to be because either Bednar or Mikko wants it that way.

I would be very interested in knowing which one it is.

 

[Murzu]

It is true there is too small of sample size. A player of his caliber and having played center a lot in his developmental years, also way too early to say he'd be just mediocre.

In the end, it doesn't matter as it simply isn't going to happen. RyJo is the 2C here for the next two seasons. Which might be the same amount of time that Mikko is around.

 

[henchman21]

 

[Murzu]

 

[henchman21]

Mikko when Matthew's contract drops:

 

[LOFIN]

Mikko when Matthew's contract drops:

Toronto lives in its own world bubble. Mikko won't get more than MacK, even if Marner would.

 

[henchman21]

Toronto lives in its own world bubble. Mikko won't get more than MacK, even if Marner would.

 

[Miri]

Not really. Pittsburgh is going to suck the second Crosby is retired. That team needs to put all their chips into competing so long as Sid is still playing like an elite 1C.

Obviously, the prudent thing to do from an organizational standpoint would have been to trade all of Crosby, Malkin, and Letang for as large of hauls as you could acquire when they were soon-to-be UFAs. That didn't happen, so here we are.

I actually think Pittsburgh makes a ton of sense. They don't need SJ to retain at all because they can include Petry and Granlund, who both have 2 years left vs Karlsson's 4. It's a 250K difference.

Now, where Pittsburgh may be hesitant is adding picks/prospects to satisfy SJ.

No doubt about it though, adding Karlsson while subtracting both Petry and Granlund would make the Penguins a MUCH better team.


Drouin is not a centre. It has been tried and tried. He is a winger. Always has been, always will be.

Pittsburgh are 2007 Avs at this point. desperately clinging to their aging core, even though the writing is on the wall.

i dont blame them. I remember being so happy back then, when we traded to get Footer back alongside Forsberg returning, hoping for last one hurrah - it felt so right.

 

[LOFIN]

Yeah I'm pretty sure about that. If we re-sign him for a long term deal that is.

 

[henchman21]

Pittsburgh should get EK. Ownership won't allow them to get rid of Malkin, Crosby, or Letang... so going hog wild for ~3 years makes a ton of sense. Maybe you catch lightning in a bottle... more likely you have an entertaining team that still kinda sucks.

 

[henchman21]

Yeah I'm pretty sure about that. If we re-sign him for a long term deal that is.

I don't see it. When Mikko starts his next deal, MacK will be on year 3 of his. If we go by the dictated 5% maximum increase per the CBA, that'll be the year the cap is at 92m (90-92 is a fair guess). Matthews will have broken the $13m barrier and maybe close to $14m. Drai and Marner may have their extensions in hand already and might also be pushing $14m.

Mikko will be 13+m. ~13.5m seems like the most likely landing spot. Pretty much zero chance he's below 12.6m IMO.

 

[Murzu]

My uneducted guess is that Mikko will get an identical contract with MacKinnon. Sounds fair to me; MacK is the better player whose deal was signed in a slightly lower cap era. Don't see him getting over 13M personally.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

I don't see it. When Mikko starts his next deal, MacK will be on year 3 of his. If we go by the dictated 5% maximum increase per the CBA, that'll be the year the cap is at 92m (90-92 is a fair guess). Matthews will have broken the $13m barrier and maybe close to $14m. Drai and Marner may have their extensions in hand already and might also be pushing $14m.

Mikko will be 13+m. ~13.5m seems like the most likely landing spot. Pretty much zero chance he's below 12.6m IMO.

If he goes the entire season on his own line like a big boy, he'll be worth that. But if he continues to get placed next to MacKinnon for long stretches, that's just entirely too much cap on one line, especially when you factor in Makar and Toews playing with them.

 

[LOFIN]

I don't see it. When Mikko starts his next deal, MacK will be on year 3 of his. If we go by the dictated 5% maximum increase per the CBA, that'll be the year the cap is at 92m (90-92 is a fair guess). Matthews will have broken the $13m barrier and maybe close to $14m. Drai and Marner may have their extensions in hand already and might also be pushing $14m.

Mikko will be 13+m. ~13.5m seems like the most likely landing spot. Pretty much zero chance he's below 12.6m IMO.

By your logic Rantanen should've gotten over 10mil last time since Matthews and Marner already broke that barrier.

Toronto is on an island of itself. They screwed over their cap structure, and it will continue to be inflated above the rest of the league until one of their stars (as in Matthews) takes a discount. And while I personally think center as a position is overrated and one of the biggest hoaxes in the sport, people still value centers more than wingers so forget about the comparables to Draisaitl as well.

For me, the comparables MacFarland should use are Pastrnak and MacKinnon. Somewhere between those two contracts.

 

[henchman21]

My uneducted guess is that Mikko will get an identical contract with MacKinnon. Sounds fair to me; MacK is the better player whose deal was signed in a slightly lower cap era. Don't see him getting over 13M personally.

I put $13m as the floor personally.

If he goes the entire season on his own line like a big boy, he'll be worth that. But if he continues to get placed next to MacKinnon for long stretches, that's just entirely too much cap on one line, especially when you factor in Makar and Toews playing with them.

He'll be worth it compared to the market and what players will be getting paid. Whether it ends up being a good value or not is a question.

By your logic Rantanen should've gotten over 10mil last time since Matthews and Marner already broke that barrier.

Toronto is on an island of itself. They screwed over their cap structure, and it will continue to be inflated above the rest of the league until one of their stars (as in Matthews) takes a discount. And while I personally think center as a position is overrated and one of the biggest hoaxes in the sport, people still value centers more than wingers so forget about the comparables to Draisaitl as well.

For me, the comparables MacFarland should use are Pastrnak and MacKinnon. Somewhere between those two contracts.

Rants got strong armed last time. Held out as long as he could without going into the regular season. The Avs don't have that leverage this time around. Many teams will line up to offer him over 13m on July 1, 2025.

 

[Murzu]

Pittsburgh should get EK. Ownership won't allow them to get rid of Malkin, Crosby, or Letang... so going hog wild for ~3 years makes a ton of sense. Maybe you catch lightning in a bottle... more likely you have an entertaining team that still kinda sucks.

At least it would be entertaining. I agree that Pittsburgh would be a decent destinaton for EK.