Rumor: 2024-2025 Trade Rumors and Free Agency Talk | The Slow Crawl to the Season

[henchman21]

I guess, but I don't think they are a team that can't afford to take risks. This is why you always need to look at context with deals, and not just at the money/term and go "that's terrible value for that player". Well, not for every team. That's why UFAs are overpaid in general.

Teams that are not a surefire playoff team should be the ones taking risks.

I don't think it is unjustified for them, but it is certainly a risk. They lined up 9m in a defensemen who hasn't played 82 regular season games and has less than 15 points. Including playoffs he is just barely above 100 games and still less than 20 points. I'd say that is a pretty risky deal. I get the why they should do it (lack of defensive talent in the pool, bet on a former top 10 pick who is just off his best performance as a pro)... but this could easily end in Broberg in the AHL in 25-26 and disgruntled.

Holloway is less risky in that he at least looks like he established himself in the NHL and his floor is probably an overpaid 4th liner with the likelihood of being a 3rd liner being pretty solid. I don't think there is the upside with with Holloway (I don't see 2nd liner in his game), but he should at least be in the NHL during and after his contract.

 

[GoNordiquesGo]

That 2nd year is a killer. Even if they could find a way to squeeze them in this year, it won't next year. How long is the no trade? 1 year or until specific date of the following year?

 

[LOFIN]

I don't think it is unjustified for them, but it is certainly a risk. They lined up 9m in a defensemen who hasn't played 82 regular season games and has less than 15 points. Including playoffs he is just barely above 100 games and still less than 20 points. I'd say that is a pretty risky deal. I get the why they should do it (lack of defensive talent in the pool, bet on a former top 10 pick who is just off his best performance as a pro)... but this could easily end in Broberg in the AHL in 25-26 and disgruntled.

Holloway is less risky in that he at least looks like he established himself in the NHL and his floor is probably an overpaid 4th liner with the likelihood of being a 3rd liner being pretty solid. I don't think there is the upside with with Holloway (I don't see 2nd liner in his game), but he should at least be in the NHL during and after his contract.

Offer sheets are always overpayments if they are legit and work out, and thus they are by nature "risky". I guess my point is that the Blues can afford to take the risk. If it's the worst case scenario, well they were not going to be contenders anyway. If it works out, they might actually become a playoff team.

A contending team cannot afford a risk like this, unless they have very unique cap situation like Carolina did in 2021 with Kotkaniemi.

 

[Toothless Legend]

Wonder if there's a verbal commitment to Broberg that he can join the "St. Louis blueline NMC club" after this deal is up.

 

[henchman21]

Offer sheets are always overpayments if they are legit and work out, and thus they are by nature "risky". I guess my point is that the Blues can afford to take the risk. If it's the worst case scenario, well they were not going to be contenders anyway. If it works out, they might actually become a playoff team.

A contending team cannot afford a risk like this, unless they have very unique cap situation like Carolina did in 2021 with Kotkaniemi.

I'd say an argument could be made that Kotka didn't work out hurt the Canes in the longer run.

I totally get the why they did it, just don't think it is without risk. They bet pretty large on two players they have lined up for impact roles. If it works, they upgraded their team a good deal. If it doesn't, they spent a ton of cash and extended risk on their own RFAs (Hofer and Neighbors especially). If Hofer plays as the starter next season and at a similar level... teams will line up to pay him the max of a 2nd rounder and probably even into the 1st and 3rd territory.

 

[LOFIN]

I'd say an argument could be made that Kotka didn't work out hurt the Canes in the longer run.

I totally get the why they did it, just don't think it is without risk. They bet pretty large on two players they have lined up for impact roles. If it works, they upgraded their team a good deal. If it doesn't, they spent a ton of cash and extended risk on their own RFAs (Hofer and Neighbors especially).

Oh that's not even an argument. It obviously hasn't, and even I was defending that extension earlier, thinking it would eventually look at least decent.

BUT, the issue with Kotkaniemi was the extension, not the original offersheet in itself. Sure they paid a first, but a late round 1st is not a big price to pay for a potential #2C. They should've extended him to a shorter term to still figure out what he was, instead of giving him a straight 8 year deal lol.

And I guess we'll change my original sentiment of "no risk for the Blues" to "it's a risk worth taking".

 

[Balthazar]

Kotkaniemi with the Canes: 1 X 6.1M then 8 X 4.82M...but the Carolina story is interesting.

The offer sheet AAV (6.1M) was obviously outrageous for the player he was but it was only one year...

The thing is that whole 1 year thing came back to bite them in the ass. Since he only had one year, after that year there was still hope that he could improve which led to the 8 year offer.

Had the contract been 2 years (like Broberg), the Canes would have likely realized that it isn't a good idea to give that guy an 8 year deal and avoid the fiasco.

That offer sheet was cursed.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

 

[expatriatedtexan]

We have had Landeskog in the same situation for two years now.

But Landeskog is actually injured and has not mysteriously "gotten well" the second the cap no longer applies to teams.

 

[LOFIN]

I guess all the GMs were just watching the Olympics and are now back to work

 

[dahrougem2]

Boy Vegas sure f***ed up moving Suzuki in that Pacioretty trade instead of Cody Glass, who's turned into a pretty bad NHL player.

 

[AslanRH]

Going to be cool when Kane refuses to just go on LTIR and follows through with being ready for camp.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

Going to be cool when Kane refuses to just go on LTIR and follows through with being ready for camp.

I hope he does... but his injury sounds legit.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1823474633804521748

 

[Pokecheque]

I haven't drank a Frasca in a really long time.

 

[dahrougem2]

I hope he does... but his injury sounds legit.

Given the Oilers were reportedly quite upset at Kane disclosing his injury publicly last season, I'd have to imagine he and the org aren't on the best of terms.

I've no doubt he is sick of Edmonton by now and wants out.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Yup... going to get a hefty return for it too (he'll probably 'retire' with ~25% of the team and still make 10x). One of my favorite factoids about Vinik is that there is one suite that Tampa has that most owners would sell season tickets for (15 prime seats). At >90% of the games, he sits in there... alone... to watch the game. Dude loves his team and any owner there has a massive shadow.

Why aren't these freaking cool stories told more by the media? The dude is so into the game, he reserved his own section and told everyone else you need to own >50% of the team to sit in it.

I haven't drank a Frasca in a really long time.

I thought they had quit producing it. Haven't seen it or Mellow Yellow in a month of Sundays.

The last 10 or so years, the wife and I have been hankering for snacks and drinks from our childhood (70s). She's missing the hell out of the old McDonalds Fruit Pies. Back when they used to deep-fat fry them, and then hand you a tasty treat whose internal temperature was greater than the sun's core. For me, I found one place in town I can get a Big Red, and that's Lane's Quickie Taco's. Dude's from San Antonio and as a fellow expatriated texan, he keeps me going by ensure he always has a stock of Big Red, unsweet sun tea, and the dude even does barbacoa tacos! It's getting hard to find folks using beef cheek, but the flavor profile is just...damn.

 

[AvsMakar08]

Blues just moved up a couple notches in my books! The organization at least, not the fans

Pierce, it's not always fine and dandy as you think. Usually the other team might come back in the near future and offer sheet back or tell the other Canadian teams not to deal with Blues. It's not always a smooth sailing if you do what the Blues did.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

We have had Landeskog in the same situation for two years now.

Landeskog never went on LTIR in 2022-23. One of the reasons that team was kind of a cluster.

 

[dahrougem2]

Pierce, it's not always fine and dandy as you think. Usually the other team might come back in the near future and offer sheet back or tell the other Canadian teams not to deal with Blues. It's not always a smooth sailing if you do what the Blues did.

Who and with what money will the Oilers offer sheet anyone on the Blues?

 

[AvsMakar08]

Who and with what money will the Oilers offer sheet anyone on the Blues?

I am not talking about today or tomorrow or this season but if the Oilers will start their rebuild in two years then they will remember what the Blues did to them. Blues have like the most underrated prospect system in the the whole NHL.

 

[AvsFan4]

Landeskog never went on LTIR in 2022-23. One of the reasons that team was kind of a cluster.

I want more clarification on this than I’d want to know what the plan with Nichushkin is. We’ve been told he’s making a comeback this year. So like October/November or February/March?? Well probly know a little closer to camp or start of season. If his timeline remains accurate for recovery, I feel like it’ll be November or December.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

I am not talking about today or tomorrow or this season but if the Oilers will start their rebuild in two years then they will remember what the Blues did to them. Blues have like the most underrated prospect system in the the whole NHL.

Shouldn't be a problem as long as the Blues can take care of their own business. This shouldn't have been a problem for Edmonton either. But they've had other priorities than signing these two guys I guess.

 

[henchman21]

Why aren't these freaking cool stories told more by the media? The dude is so into the game, he reserved his own section and told everyone else you need to own >50% of the team to sit in it.

I don’t think it is quite that, but ends up that way. Also the media isn’t really in the habit of making the billionaires look good.

I legit hadn’t seen Big Red in years until I was in the Colorado Bucees.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

I don’t think it is quite that, but ends up that way. Also the media isn’t really in the habit of making the billionaires look good.

I legit hadn’t seen Big Red in years until I was in the Colorado Bucees.

I was surprised by how strongly I reacted to it. There is just something about both Big Red soda and Zero candy bars that teleport me instantly back to an 8 year old version of myself. Just completely happy and not a care in the world and for some reason, I can recall mental images of me and siblings and neighborhood kids at play that normally stay locked away for some reason. Like I can actually remember the faces of kids I haven't seen in over 40 years.

Food is crazy and weird.