Tidbits: Around the League: NHL News - 2024-25

[Obvious Fabertism]

My two cents, and this probably isn't the right topic for this discussion, but for Kaprizov, the money won't be the issue, its a matter of convincing him the team can win. Guy has won at every other level, you know he desperately wants a cup to finish it off and while the team isn't expected to be a true contender this year, progress likely will need to be made in order to keep him interested in staying. I expect that if he does sign, that it ends up in the realm of $12-$13MM, and that is still workable for the Wild IMO.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Yurov/Ohgren/Buium/Wallstedt should all be making contributions at that point. It will not be the end of the world.

Yurov isn't even here, so it's hard to determine if he will be the next Russian superstar or not. No one is afraid of Ohgren and I have never seen Ohgren take over the game like Kaprizov can. Buium and Wallstedt play different positions, so who knows their impacts on the forwards.

Kaprizov hasn't had the best supporting group going into the playoffs either.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Yurov isn't even here, so it's hard to determine if he will be the next Russian superstar or not. No one is afraid of Ohgren and I have never seen Ohgren take over the game like Kaprizov can. Buium and Wallstedt play different positions, so who knows their impacts on the forwards.

Kaprizov hasn't had the best supporting group going into the playoffs either.

I didn’t say any would individually replace Kaprizov. I said they would be making contributions. Participating in the team’s success at that point. Buium and Wallstedt will certainly be playing a role in how the team does as they are projected to be a top pairing dman and starting goaltender. Yurov as a top 6 forward. Ohgren as a middle 6 forward. Even if none of them pan out, that’s prime time for the tank crowd to finally get their wish.

Let’s reverse your argument: How would Kaprizov expect to get a good supporting group if he is taking up so much of the cap space?

 

[Waiver Draft]

"Leon Draisaitl’s recent eight-year mega-deal likely has positive implications for Kirill Kaprizov as he kicks off extension negotiations with the Wild, Friedman posits. Kaprizov’s deal runs for two more seasons, and he isn’t eligible to sign an extension until July 1, 2025, but there’s already a sentiment building around the league that Draisaitl’s $14MM cap hit is a 'needle-mover' for contracts handed out to superstars, Friedman said. After winning the Calder Trophy during the shortened 2020-21 season, Kaprizov has emerged as one of the league’s most consistent scorers, topping the 40-goal mark for three years in a row. He’s still owed $17.5MM on the five-year, $45MM deal he signed as a restricted free agent in 2021." - PHR

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I'm just assuming that he gets Zuccarello's $4M tacked onto his $9M, so I have $13M as his floor, which is probably going to be pretty close to Rantanen's and Pastrnak's respective cap hit %'s.

So now it's just a matter of how nice he and his agent feel, and if he actually wants to still be here at all.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Let’s reverse your argument: How would Kaprizov expect to get a good supporting group if he is taking up so much of the cap space?

Good rookies and veterans taking a little bit of a discount? Look at Florida. Two of their forwards and their goalie took up a good chunk of their cap. Ek and Boldy already took a discount.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Good rookies and veterans taking a little bit of a discount? Look at Florida. Two of their forwards and their goalie took up a good chunk of their cap. Ek and Boldy already took a discount.

I don't think either of these are true. Ek signed after 30 points in 56 games and Boldy was promising but by no means proven. Both of those were bets on the future by the team, and the player locking themselves into life changing money.

 

[themilosh]

I don't think either of these are true. Ek signed after 30 points in 56 games and Boldy was promising but by no means proven. Both of those were bets on the future by the team, and the player locking themselves into life changing money.

Similar to Slaf in MTL.. this is how the wise GMs are gambling.

 

[Digitalbooya]

I'm just assuming that he gets Zuccarello's $4M tacked onto his $9M, so I have $13M as his floor, which is probably going to be pretty close to Rantanen's and Pastrnak's respective cap hit %'s.

So now it's just a matter of how nice he and his agent feel, and if he actually wants to still be here at all.

Disagree that $13M is the floor. I think it will likely be in the “compromise” zone between the Wild camp and the Kaprizov camp.

Good rookies and veterans taking a little bit of a discount? Look at Florida. Two of their forwards and their goalie took up a good chunk of their cap. Ek and Boldy already took a discount.

Florida isn’t paying anyone on their team anywhere close to $15M per season. Their highest winger is $9.5M. At the time of the signing it represented 11.52% of the cap ceiling or the equivalent of ~ $10.6M for a $92M cap ceiling.

Florida is the perfect example of why you shouldn’t pay top of the market for players. It enables you to get good depth players because you have the cap space to do so. Bob is their only bad contract, hammering home that paying top of market for a position is not the best way to do things.

 

[57special]

Disagree that $13M is the floor. I think it will likely be in the “compromise” zone between the Wild camp and the Kaprizov camp.

Florida isn’t paying anyone on their team anywhere close to $15M per season. Their highest winger is $9.5M. At the time of the signing it represented 11.52% of the cap ceiling or the equivalent of ~ $10.6M for a $92M cap ceiling.

Florida is the perfect example of why you shouldn’t pay top of the market for players. It enables you to get good depth players because you have the cap space to do so. Bob is their only bad contract, hammering home that paying top of market for a position is not the best way to do things.

Yup.

If you look at most Cup winning teams, they win BEFORE their star players get their big contracts. In the Bruins case, they never really had big contracts till Pastrnak's, which was way after their last Cup win.

 

[saywut]

If Trenin-Foligno end up our 4th line wings with Gaudreau in the pressbox that's a much bigger cap problem than Kaprizov's number. At least double the cap I'd want to spend in those 3 spots.

 

[TaLoN]

So, we knew Johnny's brother's wife was pregnant when they were killed... now it's come out that Johnny's wife is apparently 9 week's pregnant as well, she recently announced to her family at the double funeral.
As if the story wasn't tragic enough.

Johnny Gaudreau's Wife Meredith Announces She's Pregnant with Their 3rd Baby During Funeral

Speaking at her late husband Johnny Gaudreau's funeral, Meredith Gaudreau announced she is pregnant with their third baby, just days after he and his brother Matthew were killed in a bicycling accident.

people.com

"John and I had the best six months as a family of four. These will forever be the best six months of my life," Meredith Gaudreau said, according to ABC News. "There's specifically one week that I will cherish forever — it will be my favorite week of my life out of those six months. We're actually a family of five. I'm in my ninth week of pregnancy with our third baby."

Meredith said her late husband "was beaming and so excited," according to ABC News. "His reaction was just immediately kissing me and hugging me,” she said, noting the pregnancy was a “total surprise” to them. The couple had just welcomed their second child, Johnny, in February.

 

[AKL]

I'm glad Crosby extended with the Penguins and it seems like he'll retire there. It would be such a cheap, lame way to end a long career with one team by going somewhere like Columbus or something and playing like 7 games or something small like that.

 

[MuckOG]

I'm glad Crosby extended with the Penguins and it seems like he'll retire there. It would be such a cheap, lame way to end a long career with one team by going somewhere like Columbus or something and playing like 7 games or something small like that.

Agreed. But my speculation is that Crosby has enough self-awareness (and money in the bank) to want to protect his legacy of being a Penguin for life. I tend to think he would retire before signing with another team. I could be wrong, of course.

 

[Waiver Draft]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1836112967500181762

 

[Waiver Draft]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1836438890573402213

 

[Waiver Draft]

James Hagens in pole position for top spot at 2025 NHL Draft | TSN

The Boston College freshman centre is the near-unanimous choice for No. 1 on Bob McKenzie's annual Pre-Season Ranking for the 2025 draft.

www.tsn.ca

 

[Digitalbooya]

James Hagens in pole position for top spot at 2025 NHL Draft | TSN

The Boston College freshman centre is the near-unanimous choice for No. 1 on Bob McKenzie's annual Pre-Season Ranking for the 2025 draft.

www.tsn.ca

Logan Hensler at #9 on the list

 

[57special]

Dewar weighed in at 192 lbs. at the Leaf camp, 16 lbs heavier than he was last year. It's normal for players, especially young ones, to lose weight during the season, but 16 lbs is a lot for a 5'10" guy.

He must look thick as hell.

 

[Waiver Draft]

2025 NHL Draft Rankings: Preseason top 40

James Hagens, Porter Martone and Matthew Schaefer are among the top names hoping to get selected next June.

www.dailyfaceoff.com

 

[BagHead]

I really hope McQueen gets drafted by Tampa. I also hope he's sort of slow skating.

 

[Sweetnut]

I really hope McQueen gets drafted by Tampa. I also hope he's sort of slow skating.

I think a guy with that name should play for Kings

 

[AKL]

I really hope McQueen gets drafted by Tampa. I also hope he's sort of slow skating.

Yes, and should be contractually obligated to wear #95

 

[Puhis]

Yes, and should be contractually obligated to wear #95

Or #20.

 

[AKL]

And the team should definitely wear these to the arena when he makes his debut

(they light up)