ChicagoBlues
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- Oct 24, 2006
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That’s a totally fair take. I’m a little indifferent toward Dubas, but he should be able to develop within an organization known for winning.
Around the NHL 2022-2023 *Mod warning in effect pg145
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Brian39
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- Apr 24, 2014
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I will say that I like the contract for Morgan Rielly. All UFA years at $7.5M isn't bad and getting it structured so that it is plausible to escape from in the last couple years is decent work. That one definitely could have been worse, especially since everyone knew that letting him walk wasn't an option. The Nylander contract aged nicely and he looks smart for letting the player sit out instead of caving to all demands.
I also think he did a good job of bringing in quality support guys on cheap deals to support the highly paid stars. That was out of necessity, but that team had better depth than it could/should have had most years. He has also demonstrated an ability to shed bad money (some of which was his own doing).
The good news for the Pens is that right now their biggest priority is to put a supporting cast around Sid/Malkin/Letang. Guentzel needs a new deal, but other than that the goals are shedding money and bringing in good depth. A secondary goal is to get a good scouting/development team in place for when the inevitable rebuild comes. That's his wheelhouse.
Dubas overpaid for RFA years. He blew the prior market expectations out of the water in resigning his RFAs. I still don't really know what his defense of those decisions is.
I don't have a problem with any of his trades in terms of value in/out. I don't think Tavares was the right acquisition. But it could be been if they'd parlayed one of the other offensive star players into an upgraded defense.
Is he going to be President AND GM in Pittsburgh? I assume so. Its a sinking ship, but I'd still rather that that job right now than Toronto's, especially if it comes with full autonomy.
pens are apparently going to hire GM under him later this summer, but Dubas will have the real power.
BrokenFace
Registered User
I audibly laughed today when I heard that Matthews had a NTC that kicks in on July 1st this year. How do you lose so badly on term and money on a contract and STILL give a guy a NTC for the last year of it? Matthew's contract sounds like it was his agent's opening offer and the Leafs just agreed without negotiating.
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Likely the only way he could get him to buy 1 year of UFA status was by offering this. I don't think he contact is that bad. Had the cap continued to rise at the rate it did and we had no Covid, alot of these contracts signed prior would look like very solid deals and maybe even team friendly.
Covid and the stagnant cap for the past 3 years really hurt of lot of contact perception.
BrokenFace
Registered User
That cap hit isn't a problem by itself for Matthews. The problem is, for that significant of a cap hit, the Leafs absolutely should have been able to get him for 7 or 8 years.
Brian39
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The contract was a massive loss for the franchise the instant it was signed. The 5 year term coupled to a top 3 salary was miles away from what the RFA market had been over the preceding decade. The flat cap made it worse, but only getting 5 years instead of 8 significantly reduced the benefit you expect to get from cap growth.
The Leafs needed to draw a hard line in the sand on some aspect of the deal and they failed to do so. If Matthews was going to become the 3rd highest paid player in the league, then they had to demand that the contract would be a max term deal. If Matthews wasn't willing to sell 4 UFA seasons, then they had to demand that he not receive superstar UFA money.
At the time he signed his deal, every single forward in the NHL with an AAV of $7M+ got their contract by signing away 3 or more UFA years.
Steven Stamkos is the only player in the preceding decade who became a top 20 paid forward in the NHL without signing away 3+ UFA years. He signed a 5 year deal (with a NMC in year 5 just like Matthews did. However, his $7.5M AAV was 11.66% of the cap while Matthews' $11.6M AAV was 14.64% of the cap. Stamkos was tied for the 8th highest paid forward in the NHL and it is worth noting that he already had a Rocket Richard trophy (and a 2nd place finish) while Matthews had a 2nd place finish and no other top 5 finishes. Stamkos was a more accomplished player than Matthews at the time they signed their 5 year deals but the Leafs paid a significantly higher premium. The Stamkos $7.5M would have been the equivalent to $9.27M at the time Matthews signed his extension.
That was the absolute most player-favorable comp of the last decade and it was 8 years old. Even if the Leafs had allowed the agent to ignore the most recent 7 years of the RFA market and demand that Matthews be paid like the most favorable comp from the last decade, this had to be the line in the sand on a 5 year deal. Hell, round it up to $9.34M AAV to get the player's number into the AAV and give him bragging rights over Stamkos. That would have been an exceedingly reasonable line in the sand to draw on a 5 year term. If the player balked and kept demanding the $11M+ AAV, then you counter by saying that you're happy to go there, but only on an 8 year term. Eichel had recently gotten $10M (13.33% of the cap) and it took 8 years to get it. McDavid recently got $12.5M (16.67% of the cap) and it took 8 years to get it. Meeting in the middle ($11.25M or 15% of the cap) would have been plenty reasonable if the player took the same term that they got.
Giving Matthews the best of both worlds (and structuring it to be essentially all signing bonus) was a massive loss in negotiations. It was feasible to build around the AAV given the skill of the player, but it potentially shrunk the competitive window by 3 years. If it doesn't shrink the window by 3 years, then it means that the team will have to absorb an even bigger cap hit for those 3 years to avoid the player from walking. Because he sure as hell is going to get a raise starting in 2024/25.
CBJ apparently hiring Babcock. What a clown show that franchise is.
No kidding. I'll just politely say I'm not a Babcock fan, the Blue Jackets could have done better.
PocketNines
Cutter's Way
Pietrangelo attempting to become very likely (unless we are talking the old Mud Bunson era then who knows) the only NHL player ever to lead two different teams in ice time to win the Cup.
Guys like Messier and Niedermayer and Pronger are the names in the conversation who almost did it.
Guys like Messier and Niedermayer and Pronger are the names in the conversation who almost did it.
Vegas would have to win for that to happen and Tkachuk is the dominant force in this finals.
ChicagoBlues
Terraformers
- Oct 24, 2006
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hill, the Vegas goalie can punch someone with blocker + stick but if Binny does it he gets suspended? Seems fair.
haha f*** you Vegas.
haha f*** you Vegas.
ScratchCatFever
Registered User
- Oct 14, 2018
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Watching the Vegas pregame hype routine comes off as the kid in highschool who always just tried way too hard..
Thallis
No half measures
Snubbed4Vezina
Registered User
- Jul 9, 2022
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PocketNines
Cutter's Way
Bobby Orrtuzzo
Ya know
Lol, Barbashev just levelled Gudas!
What a hit by Barbashev.
Damn, sucks we won’t get him back. Hopefully Sunny comes home though.
Damn, sucks we won’t get him back. Hopefully Sunny comes home though.
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