Around the League - 2022-23 season thread part I

[MasterofGrond]

Even Slafkovsky isn't lighting it up in Montreal. These are kids. It's more rare than people assume for someone to jump right into the NHL and produce at a high level. It's part of why I hated when the NHL/NHLPA moved the UFA to age 26. It's too soon. You spend 3-4 years developing a player and get 3 years of them nearing prime. 31 was too late, probably, but 28 would be nice.

Now get off my lawn.

Should be even lower. Labor solidarity forever.

If you want them longer, sign them longer. Don’t artificially constrain their options and depress their salaries to do it.

 

[Nubmer6]

Haha, part of my fingertip literally fell off because I played almost a whole game in net with a shattered finger and picked up a drug-resistant infection. The bone was literally showing so it was pretty urgent, but I still made it home in time for the draft.

Life before limb.

Hockey is life.

 

[Guttersniped]

There were not many people openly hoping for Kakko, but I think there was some fear that Kakko would step into the NHL and dominate immediately and Jack would take years to fill out his frame, and that Kakko would win the head to head matchups because of his size and strength.

But most people agreed that Jack’s scoring numbers were just too bonkers to pass up, even if they were NTDP. And despite his diminutive size, it was easy to see where the success was coming from in terms of skating, vision, handles, etc.

The anxiety intensified when Kakko scored some highlight reel goals in the World Championship and led Finland to a gold medal over team Canada. We laugh now about the “against men!” stuff, but to be fair, what he did in his draft year in the Liiga, and against Canadian NHLers, was f***ing incredible. His lack of success four years into his NHL career is honestly shocking. And I actually still think it’s coming.

I really wanted NJ to sign him to a Kotkoniemi style offer sheet, I was sure he was going to break out this year.

We didn’t have much cap space ourselves or our own 3rd, and I didn’t see this team risking a unprotected 1st, so I never understood what offer we were going to make to Kakko that the Rangers couldn’t afford.

Even Slafkovsky isn't lighting it up in Montreal. These are kids. It's more rare than people assume for someone to jump right into the NHL and produce at a high level. It's part of why I hated when the NHL/NHLPA moved the UFA to age 26. It's too soon. You spend 3-4 years developing a player and get 3 years of them nearing prime. 31 was too late, probably, but 28 would be nice.

Now get off my lawn.

It’s not 26, 27 or 7 years in the NHL and that seems plenty of indentured servitude to me.

 

[Oneiro]

Evolving-Hockey

evolving-hockey.com

Good one.

 

[Brodeur]

The Wright movies only make sense if there's significant bad blood between Kingston and Wright.

I don't think it's anything with Kingston per se. It's awkward with Wright being a healthy scratch, but he'd probably prefer collecting an NHL paycheck and practicing against pros for a couple months over riding buses in the OHL.

Listening to today's 32 thoughts podcast and Jeff Marek mentioned that there's some trade restrictions within the OHL if a guy is dealt before January 1st, so that might be another reason why Wright wouldn't officially be sent down until after the new year / WJC.

-------------

Edit: Friedman mentions that Ottawa and Vancouver have talked about a Zaitsev for Myers type deal. Ottawa gets a player they'd use, Vancouver would open up some cap space.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

I don't think it's anything with Kingston per se. It's awkward with Wright being a healthy scratch, but he'd probably prefer collecting an NHL paycheck and practicing against pros for a couple months over riding buses in the OHL.

Listening to today's 32 thoughts podcast and Jeff Marek mentioned that there's some trade restrictions within the OHL if a guy is dealt before January 1st, so that might be another reason why Wright wouldn't officially be sent down until after the new year / WJC.

Sure because he thinks he's going to eventually get in there and never leave the lineup. Seems like the FO/coaching staff believes he doesn't belong in an NHL lineup and won't at all this year (I haven't seen him play this year but seems likely). They should prioritize his development, but my guess is Kingston is off limits. Tons of guys that went early in the draft went back to the CHL, it's not unusual for a guy like Wright to do so.

I believe he's going to be traded and maybe that OHL trade restriction rule is the finish line they are trying to get to. I don't know what Wright is thinking, my guess (based on absolutely nothing) is he's sour about not going 1st overall and thinks he dropped in part because he was misused in Kingston, and doesn't want to go back there. Purely conjecture.

 

[Oneiro]

Sorry if this has been posted already but Seider, ridiculous.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

Sorry if this has been posted already but Seider, ridiculous.

Oh wow that is going to happen a LOT more now. PP QBs everywhere practicing it.

 

[Oneiro]

Oh wow that is going to happen a LOT more now. PP QBs everywhere practicing it.

Exactly my thought.

 

[Saugus]

Oh wow that is going to happen a LOT more now. PP QBs everywhere practicing it.

You just know that Dougie is going to spring the opposing forward on a breakaway the first time he tries this move.

 

[Blender]

Wow

 

[Blackjack]

We didn’t have much cap space ourselves or our own 3rd, and I didn’t see this team risking a unprotected 1st, so I never understood what offer we were going to make to Kakko that the Rangers couldn’t afford.

Oh it was never going to happen. For reasons I don't understand, the smartest kind of offer sheet - where you offersheet a player with big potential but little to show for it, never happens.

We could have, for example, offered Kakko $4 million for 1 year. We would have been out a 2nd round pick, or NY would have been forced to pay him $4 million instead of $2 million. Maybe then they can't afford Trocheck. Meanwhile, if Kakko breaks out, NJ has him for three more years of team control, and if he doesn't, it's just a 2nd round pick. It makes a lot of sense for Kakko too, as it boosts his earnings much earlier in his career.

I just like to talk about it because it's fun, but it just doesn't ever happen. Kakko wasn't the only one I wanted. I also wanted to offer sheet Liljegren. It is (or at least should be) a great weapon against top heavy teams contract wise. We talked about several other players that would've been good targets for this. 2022 offseason had an unusual number of offer sheet eligible RFAs that signed small dollar contracts.

 

[Xirik]

The Guy is a Ranger fan but he's so correct about the leafs here. They did the exact same thing when they faced us. I don't understand how their coaching staff haven't just pointed to every other team in the league and said "do that!"



Marner, Mathews, and Nylander play like its an Allstar game out there.

 

[Brodeur]

We could have, for example, offered Kakko $4 million for 1 year. We would have been out a 2nd round pick, or NY would have been forced to pay him $4 million instead of $2 million. Maybe then they can't afford Trocheck. Meanwhile, if Kakko breaks out, NJ has him for three more years of team control, and if he doesn't, it's just a 2nd round pick. It makes a lot of sense for Kakko too, as it boosts his earnings much earlier in his career.

I just like to talk about it because it's fun, but it just doesn't ever happen. Kakko wasn't the only one I wanted. I also wanted to offer sheet Liljegren. It is (or at least should be) a great weapon against top heavy teams contract wise. We talked about several other players that would've been good targets for this. 2022 offseason had an unusual number of offer sheet eligible RFAs that signed small dollar contracts.

To some degree, it's a step short of collusion in that you don't want to set a certain bar for your upcoming RFAs. If you give Kakko 4 million, then what is Dawson Mercer's agent asking for when he's RFA?

I'm curious if there's quietly any annoyance by Martin Necas who had to settle for a two year, 3 mil AAV deal. Carolina offer sheeted Jesperi Kotkaniemi for 6.1 mil then gave him a 8 year extension for 38.5 mil. Necas' next contract negotiation might be an interesting one if they don't give him the same red carpet treatment.

It wasn't an offer sheet, but I'm also reminded of when the Pegulas first took over the Sabres. They went on a spending spree for Christian Ehrhoff and Ville Leino while also giving Tyler Myers a fat extension. Apparently the locker room turned sour as other longer tenured Sabres felt underpaid/underappreciated.

And naturally you put a bit of a target on your back. The Kotkaniemi offer sheet was retaliatory from when Montreal signed Sebastian Aho. Vancouver offered sheeted David Backes back in the day. St. Louis matched and sent a nuisance offer sheet for Steve Bernier that Vancouver had to match (they had given up a 2nd+3rd to get Bernier from Buffalo, they would have only gotten a 2nd if they didn't match).

I'm a little surprised we don't see offer sheets on goalies more often. Ie, a team might have a hard time matching if they're already paying #1 money to somebody. Apparently Florida was worried about this scenario unfolding next summer with Spencer Knight so they gave him a healthy extension already.

Years back, San Jose gave up a 1st for Martin Jones but they could have offer sheeted him (and given up a 2nd) and Boston would have had a difficult time matching. Doug Wilson had previously offer sheeted Nik Hjalmarsson, so he had broken the seal previously.

 

[mdj12784]

Even Slafkovsky isn't lighting it up in Montreal. These are kids. It's more rare than people assume for someone to jump right into the NHL and produce at a high level. It's part of why I hated when the NHL/NHLPA moved the UFA to age 26. It's too soon. You spend 3-4 years developing a player and get 3 years of them nearing prime. 31 was too late, probably, but 28 would be nice.

Now get off my lawn.

Makes me wonder if he’d be more productive here with this team. We’ll never know though.

 

[Oneiro]

Okay, Brock Nelson, I see you.

 

[HBK27]

Campbell took a puck to the face while sitting on the bench last night and has a broken nose. I noticed maybe halfway thru the game that he wasn't on the bench and wondered what happened to him.

 

[FooteBahl]

Campbell took a puck to the face while sitting on the bench last night and has a broken nose. I noticed maybe halfway thru the game that he wasn't on the bench and wondered what happened to him.

Aren’t goalies basically ninjas? This should not happen to them on the bench lol

 

[HBK27]

Aren’t goalies basically ninjas? This should not happen to them on the bench lol

I think Campbell is just used to pucks flying by him versus being hit by one.

 

[Ripshot 43]

Campbell took a puck to the face while sitting on the bench last night and has a broken nose. I noticed maybe halfway thru the game that he wasn't on the bench and wondered what happened to him.

On the feed I was watching they mentioned it right away and showed him rushing down the tunnel. If I remember correctly it was one of his guys dumping the puck in and a Devil deflected it into their bench.

 

[MasterofGrond]

yeah campbell can't see pucks coming while intentionally trying to stop them. no way he was getting out of the way of a deflection into the bench

 

[Jack Be Quick]

Should be even lower. Labor solidarity forever.

If you want them longer, sign them longer. Don’t artificially constrain their options and depress their salaries to do it.

 

[Nubmer6]

On the feed I was watching they mentioned it right away and showed him rushing down the tunnel. If I remember correctly it was one of his guys dumping the puck in and a Devil deflected it into their bench.

Ya. I think Hamilton was in front of their bench and tried to knock the puck out of mid air. He ended up deflecting it into his face.

 

[glenwo2]

Even Slafkovsky isn't lighting it up in Montreal. These are kids. It's more rare than people assume for someone to jump right into the NHL and produce at a high level. It's part of why I hated when the NHL/NHLPA moved the UFA to age 26. It's too soon. You spend 3-4 years developing a player and get 3 years of them nearing prime. 31 was too late, probably, but 28 would be nice.

Now get off my lawn.

Yeah.

Not everyone can be this guy :

 

[Guttersniped]

On the feed I was watching they mentioned it right away and showed him rushing down the tunnel. If I remember correctly it was one of his guys dumping the puck in and a Devil deflected it into their bench.

Ya. I think Hamilton was in front of their bench and tried to knock the puck out of mid air. He ended up deflecting it into his face.

Hamilton knocked the puck into his face?