Speculation: Armchair GM - 2026 CBJ Offseason Roster Moves, Rumors, and Discussion

[Banana duck]

I suppose thats why he's an Ex-GM.

On record though I do find the "stop negotiating while my client is on vacation" thing to be weird and potentially a problem.

It probably Doug Maclean. He says dumb stuff all the time.

 

[cbjthrowaway]

It’s going to be longer, they won’t walk him to UFA

could’ve sworn he had one more year but nope you’re right.

tbh a one year deal is probably best for everyone then. he gets to bet on himself, they prevent a fantilli offer sheet squeeze.

portzline said he wants a short term deal anyway.

if they’re buying UFA years he’ll get into the 5-6m range and things get hairy with fantilli

 

[cbjthrowaway]

I suppose thats why he's an Ex-GM.

On record though I do find the "stop negotiating while my client is on vacation" thing to be weird and potentially a problem.

the vacation thing screams “team-side leak to make it look like they player is the one holding things up”

i mean… his agent isn’t on vacation. docusign exists. he has an internet connection because he keeps posting wakeboarding videos.

 

[Fro]

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

Don’t threaten me with a good time.

 

[Indy18]

I feel like there's a good reason "EX" is in there. The league would come down so hard on that team threatening a contract that way.

 

[Crede777]

I feel like there's a good reason "EX" is in there. The league would come down so hard on that team threatening a contract that way.

I don't think the league would care. It doesn't violate the CBA and I have heard of teams threatening offersheets in the past.

The problem here is that's a clear bluff. What usually happens is the team threatens to offersheet the player they want unless you trade that player to them at a slightly reduced cost. Threatening an OS on a different player makes no sense. If you were willing to pay Fantilli that and give up the picks for him, you would do what Briere did and send the offersheet. The threat carries no weight.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

There might not be anything more 2026 than hockey fans wondering why a budding star player can post wakeboard videos from his vacation but not communicate with his agent and negotiate a new contract.

 

[KJ Dangler]

It’s like these people don’t understand we don’t have to be under the cap until the season starts

 

[SC Cannon]

That is absolutely a fair deal for him in a 100m+ cap but there would still be a meltdown here.

And here...we....go

 

[MissADD]

Now with Cole signed. according to puckpedia Jackets have just under 15 million in cap space. Plenty of space to sign Fantilli.

 

[majormajor]

I don't think the league would care. It doesn't violate the CBA and I have heard of teams threatening offersheets in the past.

The problem here is that's a clear bluff. What usually happens is the team threatens to offersheet the player they want unless you trade that player to them at a slightly reduced cost. Threatening an OS on a different player makes no sense. If you were willing to pay Fantilli that and give up the picks for him, you would do what Briere did and send the offersheet. The threat carries no weight.

Yes it's definitely a bluff. If a team wanted to sign Fantilli to a $17m+ OS they would just do it. They don't make it conditional on whether we trade them Voronkov first.

 

[Jovavic]

There's a reason why Doug is a one off GM that never got hired again, he's a f***ing moron.

 

[Crede777]

Yes it's definitely a bluff. If a team wanted to sign Fantilli to a $17m+ OS they would just do it. They don't make it conditional on whether we trade them Voronkov first.

It's also easy to talk a big game as an Ex-GM on the radio. Put him in a room with other GM's and I guarantee he's a lot more meek.

 

[koteka]

Yes it's definitely a bluff. If a team wanted to sign Fantilli to a $17m+ OS they would just do it. They don't make it conditional on whether we trade them Voronkov first.

Plus, in a situation that we needed cap space to match an offer sheet, we can choose who we want to trade and to which team and for what return.

 

[Banana duck]

Plus, in a situation that we needed cap space to match an offer sheet, we can choose who we want to trade and to which team and for what return.

“Oh no we better trade Voronkov! Miles Wood is WAY too important”

 

[KJ Dangler]

I’m anticipating another move or 2 after Fantilli is signed …

“I believe that it is possible that Don Waddell could have a deal in place for Jake DeBrusk. However, he did not want to complete the deal until all 3 RFA’s were signed. If DeBrusk was acquired prior to signing any of the RFA’s, the potential of an offer sheet signing (particularly for Fantilli) could materialize and really put the CBJ in a bind (see the Anaheim Ducks).

Now, even with $20 million in cap space, both Sillinger and Fantilli will eat up most of that money. So if DeBrusk is acquired, the CBJ will have to fit his $5.5 million salary under the cap. I would expect a player or two with a similar AAV to be going back to Vancouver in return. Could a deal for DeBrusk be made around Dmitri Voronkov ($4.175 million), Miles Wood ($2.5 million), and a draft pick or prospect? The money would work for both teams.”

 

[Banana duck]

I’m anticipating another move or 2 after Fantilli is signed …

“I believe that it is possible that Don Waddell could have a deal in place for Jake DeBrusk. However, he did not want to complete the deal until all 3 RFA’s were signed. If DeBrusk was acquired prior to signing any of the RFA’s, the potential of an offer sheet signing (particularly for Fantilli) could materialize and really put the CBJ in a bind (see the Anaheim Ducks).

Now, even with $20 million in cap space, both Sillinger and Fantilli will eat up most of that money. So if DeBrusk is acquired, the CBJ will have to fit his $5.5 million salary under the cap. I would expect a player or two with a similar AAV to be going back to Vancouver in return. Could a deal for DeBrusk be made around Dmitri Voronkov ($4.175 million), Miles Wood ($2.5 million), and a draft pick or prospect? The money would work for both teams.”

How would that make us better? Voronkov didn’t even play the entire season and still had 17 goals. Debrusk turns 30 in October.

 

[Fro]

I don't believe anything from U&B

 

[CBJW]

DeBrusk ship sailed when we got Nichushkin. Literally makes no sense

 

[KJ Dangler]

How would that make us better? Voronkov didn’t even play the entire season and still had 17 goals. Debrusk turns 30 in October.

He put up 48 and 42 points on a very bad Vancouver team in past 2 years would probably be the logic

 

[3074326]

I feel like there's a good reason "EX" is in there. The league would come down so hard on that team threatening a contract that way.

Sounds like an ex-GM who spends all day on the main boards of HF. A true dumbass.

 

[hockey17jp]

I don't believe anything from U&B

Genuinely Fro, you and I could get together and start brainstorming random ways to twist haphazard NHL rumors that hit our Twitter and Reddit timelines and we could become a legitimate hockey source. It's all BS.

As long as you tweet a couple of times a day some random people will think you know what you're talking about. Even the most reputable hockey sources (Dreger, Serevalli, etc) clearly are talking out of their asses... what's stopping us?

 

[Fro]

Genuinely Fro, you and I could get together and start brainstorming random ways to twist haphazard NHL rumors that hit our Twitter and Reddit timelines and we could become a legitimate hockey source. It's all BS.

As long as you tweet a couple of times a day some random people will think you know what you're talking about. Even the most reputable hockey sources (Dreger, Serevalli, etc) clearly are talking out of their asses... what's stopping us?

I'd end up being that Hockey Rumors site...reposting everyone else's stuff bc i enjoy my friendships with who I know and have stopped sharing what I'm told bc I enjoy their friendship more than the info I get

 

[cbjthrowaway]

I don't believe anything from U&B

yeah this particular one is really funny when you think about it for more than a second

“trade in place but making sure he has room for the RFAs” but the trade in place means the jackets reduce their overall cap hit since wood + voronkov = 6.7m and debrusk makes 5.5