Around The League 2018-19 Offseason edition

[Cult of Hynes]

In my opinion it seems like a lot of people in here think we can be a cup contender if we sign one of the top free agents! And then we just need to trade severson or santini for a even better puck moving D man!

What we don't want to do is spend our cap on wrong people because we don't have the patience to build the franchise back up the right way.

After one hell of a season I think the right way to go is proceed as we are with the same guys. Maybe add a D and a forward and let's go on from here. Let the guys build on last year and create even more chemistry with each other.

Let's save all those dollars till next year when the real offseason gets important. Then we are also closer to see which players would need what kind of money.

One, Tavares is a franchise centerman in his prime. He would make this team a hell of a lot more dangerous. He is the type of player worth spending money on.

 

[BomaLightDevils]

In my opinion it seems like a lot of people in here think we can be a cup contender if we sign one of the top free agents! And then we just need to trade severson or santini for a even better puck moving D man!

What we don't want to do is spend our cap on wrong people because we don't have the patience to build the franchise back up the right way.

After one hell of a season I think the right way to go is proceed as we are with the same guys. Maybe add a D and a forward and let's go on from here. Let the guys build on last year and create even more chemistry with each other.

Let's save all those dollars till next year when the real offseason gets important. Then we are also closer to see which players would need what kind of money.

Sorry it Went in the wrong thread can a mod move it to the thread about our team!? Thanks

 

[Zezel22]

I am shocked the Devils aren't one of the teams meeting with Tavares. Absolutely shocked.

Can't understand the shock. There has been absolutely no smoke around the Devils and Tavares at any point in time. Again, as spoken last week, big UFA's have smoke around them. When the Devils were in on Shattenkirk last year there was talk around the league for months that connected them to him, and it turned out to be accurate. The Devils are not in on Tavares and have never been in on Tavares.

 

[Nubmer6]

Can't understand the shock. There has been absolutely no smoke around the Devils and Tavares at any point in time. Again, as spoken last week, big UFA's have smoke around them. When the Devils were in on Shattenkirk last year there was talk around the league for months that connected them to him, and it turned out to be accurate. The Devils are not in on Tavares and have never been in on Tavares.

Probably just because it seems like a perfect fit. We have the cap space, the need, what looks like a good supporting cast, and are trending up. Several writers also mentioned us as one of, if not the best fit.

 

[Burner Account]

Conspiracy theory: I think the Leafs meeting with Tavares is mostly a PR move.

They need to pay Nylander now, and Matthews and Marner next year. Even without Tavares, I think they'll eventually want to trade Marner. Signing Tavares makes that more obvious and lowers Marner's value in a trade IMO.

Toronto media and fans would go bananas if they knew the Leafs didn't make an attempt to sign Tavares. So in order to avoid that and because I don't think signing Tavares is prudent for them, I think the meeting is just for optics.

 

[JrFischer54]

Conspiracy theory: I think the Leafs meeting with Tavares is mostly a PR move.

They need to pay Nylander now, and Matthews and Marner next year. Even without Tavares, I think they'll eventually want to trade Marner. Signing Tavares makes that more obvious and lowers Marner's value in a trade IMO.

Toronto media and fans would go bananas if they knew the Leafs didn't make an attempt to sign Tavares. So in order to avoid that and because I don't think signing Tavares is prudent for them, I think the meeting is just for optics.

you want to talk conspiracy theory. i was listening to nhl radio today and caught the tail end of it but this is what they were saying to do if you are the leafs and want JT. sign him to a 1 year 15 million contract. then on july 2nd you extend him on an 8 year contract that is lower total dollars and thus cap hit. pretty clever way to get around the "home" team being able to offer 8 years.

 

[Billdo]

The Bruins are a surprising addition to the JT Sweepstakes.

 

[NJDevs26]

It’s not that people don’t want to spend to the cap but spending to the cap for the wrong players is worse than just being patient.

The teams that spend up to the cap and are successful build from within, pay their own guys then supplement, they don’t build with second tier guys and cap dumps.

 

[Zezel22]

you want to talk conspiracy theory. i was listening to nhl radio today and caught the tail end of it but this is what they were saying to do if you are the leafs and want JT. sign him to a 1 year 15 million contract. then on july 2nd you extend him on an 8 year contract that is lower total dollars and thus cap hit. pretty clever way to get around the "home" team being able to offer 8 years.

But cap space!!! They have to resign Matthews and Marner!

 

[OmNomNom]

isles have a good goalie coming up in sorokin. we have.... macblack.

caps, flyers, and isles have such bluechip goalie prospects, that i'm jealous.

 

[NJDevs26]

We’re not debating Devils ownership in the ATL thread, move on

 

[Nubmer6]

Well it's a fact that the Devils were in on Shattenkirk, Shero acknowledged it, but the extent of their offer is unknown.

Of course, it sounds good to say the reason you never spend money is because things are too expensive and it may be legitimately true... or it may be that you just cant/dont have the money. We cant really know that, we can just speculate.

But one thing that is becoming noticeable is that good teams in the NHL - teams at the top of the standings, teams playing deep into spring consistently - are usaually up at the top of the cap. And everyone always says "oh well their reckoning is coming, they will be in cap trouble" and then guess what? They make moves to get out of cap trouble. The Sharks, for example, are pressed on the cap. They make some moves, flip mike hoffman around a few times and look at that - they are resigning Evander Kane, they are at the table with Tavares. How about that?

The Caps just won the Cup but they cant sign Carlson cause they are up against teh cap. But look - they just flipped Orpik out and now they have cap! So they retain Carlson. How about that.

Last year, the rangers who are mocked on here all the time for being a cap mess wanted Shattenkirk - they were laughed at here cause they had no cap. They flipped Derek Stepan and guess what, they got cap, plus a top 10 pick, and they got Shattenkirk (who the Devils wanted (a good miss as it turns out - but not the point)... and thru all of this the devils and fans have been sitting watching this and saying "we have cap space, we have cap space"... I mean thats great. But its starting to seem like the teams who dont have cap space don't have it cause they are paying good players... and then when they are done using it for that, they create more cap space to get more good players, doesn't it?

Doesn't it seem that way?

My opinion is that good teams spend to the cap because they have good players worth spending on. The money they spend on free agents is to really tweak the team, not build it. It doesn't mean they don't make mistakes and give out bad contracts, but they correct it by trading away bad contracts at the expense of draft choices and young players, but if you're rebuilding a team you can't afford to give the future up.

BTW, the Rags are probably a bad example since clearing that cap space for Shattenkirk contributed to the wheels falling off. It was foolish to trade away Stephan when they had no-one else left to play center. I also think Shattenkirk will work out better than he did this year. I don't think it was a bad contract, and even if it was, it was worth the gamble.

 

[NJDevs26]

Trading Stepan was the first part of their rebuild and I said so at the time. You’re not a win now team when you trade a top 6 center under 30 for futures.

 

[Zezel22]

Trading Stepan was the first part of their rebuild and I said so at the time. You’re not a win now team when you trade a top 6 center under 30 for futures.

They made that trade and used the space on Kevin Shattenkirk.

 

[NJDevs26]

They made that trade and used the space on Kevin Shattenkirk.

And? They still traded Stepan, traded McDonaugh with a year left on his contract, etc...Shatty wanted to play there, they could get him at a reasonable price and they needed to spend on someone while trading everything else not bolted down.

 

[Burner Account]

And? They still traded Stepan, traded McDonaugh with a year left on his contract, etc...Shatty wanted to play there, they could get him at a reasonable price and they needed to spend on someone while trading everything else not bolted down.

I don't think they were knowingly beginning a rebuild when they traded Stepan. They signed Shattenkirk and expected to compete. IMO they underachieved and then decided to blow it up.

 

[NJDevs26]

I don't think they were knowingly beginning a rebuild when they traded Stepan. They signed Shattenkirk and expected to compete. IMO they underachieved and then decided to blow it up.

If you’re trading Stepan to compete now and need cap space you trade him in a Brassard-type deal, for a younger, cheaper player who’s still NHL caliber. If they were trying to compete now it was foolish to trade off Stepan for four years of Shatty and futures that aren’t going to help till the end of his deal.

They weren’t going to completely blow up till the deadline but Gorton’s mandate was different than Sather’s. They couldn’t wait till announcing they were blowing it up after the All-Star break and it’s not like they were 50 points out then.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

If you’re trading Stepan to compete now and need cap space you trade him in a Brassard-type deal, for a younger, cheaper player who’s still NHL caliber. If they were trying to compete now it was foolish to trade off Stepan for four years of Shatty. They weren’t going to completely blow up till the deadline but Gorton’s mandate was different than Sather’s. They couldn’t wait till announcing they were blowing it up after the All-Star break.

In retrospect, signing Shattenkirk had nothing to do with whether the Rangers were committed to rebuilding or not at the time. He was a free asset that cost them nothing but cap space that they anticipated they would have a lot of in due course. People forget also that the Rangers can still trade him, which will be pretty easy to do considering his contract isn't brutal.

 

[None Shall Pass]

 

[Nubmer6]

So like... 1/3 of the league pretty much

 

[Billdo]

So you're saying there's a chance.

 

[JrFischer54]

So you're saying there's a chance.

lol the nhl probably told him to add that list sentence so that the other teams fans feel like their team has a shot. good pr move

 

[NJDevs26]

The NHL or his agent? It’s good business more than PR

 

[NjDevsRR]

Weird that Dallas is on that list.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Imagine Vegas gets at least a phone meeting. I assume Shero is at least trying to worm his way in there.

I actually think location might have killed us with him. My guess is if he leaves Long Island he wants to get out of the area.