Speculation: Brayden Point Mega Thread

[DFC]

I don't think he's quite as legit anymore as he used to be because Yzerman is no longer GM. I really think his sources are/were more dependent on a relationship with Yzerman and not so much when it comes to knowing what JBB is thinking/doing. At least, that's 'my sense' of things.

I agree, BUT we all kind of thought this wouldn't be a difficult negotiation. Lebrun's the guy reporting that it is, and we've got crickets on actual signing news. So, he's been pretty right so far. I don't doubt that he had better connections when Yzerman was here, because, personally, I believe Yzerman WAS his source (and Lebrun was very careful with it), but he still seems pretty connected to me. Nobody else is saying anything at all about TB, until Lebrun says it, which is par for the course.

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

I agree, BUT we all kind of thought this wouldn't be a difficult negotiation. Lebrun's the guy reporting that it is, and we've got crickets on actual signing news. So, he's been pretty right so far. I don't doubt that he had better connections when Yzerman was here, because, personally, I believe Yzerman WAS his source (and Lebrun was very careful with it), but he still seems pretty connected to me. Nobody else is saying anything at all about TB, until Lebrun says it, which is par for the course.

Yeah, you could be right. Hopefully we'll hear something concrete ( like an announcement) sometime soon.

 

[vanarchy]

We almost need an "RFA's ain't signin nothin" mega-thread of despair.

Except for Marner. He gets his own hate coalition.

 

[DFC]

The simple facts of the Tampa Bay Lightning are that Kucherov, Hedman, Vasilevskiy, and some would argue Stamkos are all better/more important to the success of the team than Point. To think that someone with no leverage like an RFA without arb rights can hold the team hostage and get paid more than ANY of those guys is laughable. I'd be happy to see him sit out the entire year as opposed to seeing my team set that precedent. We're going to win whether he plays or not. He's a great player, don't get me wrong, but he is not the straw that stirs the drink. Not on this team.

RFAs have leverage now.

You can say "Not on this team" until they start leaving for teams that will pay them at earlier ages. Our window isn't limitless. Point makes it much, much longer. He's an important component here.

 

[bukwas]

TB needs Yzerman back

I'm getting tired of all these RFAs though, this is getting crazy

If it's anything like last season(Nylander) they won't matter much once the puck drops to start the season. They then become an after thought.

 

[BeingTheThunder]

RFAs have leverage now.

You can say "Not on this team" until they start leaving for teams that will pay them at earlier ages. Our window isn't limitless. Point makes it much, much longer. He's an important component here.

I'm not trying to say he isn't an important component. I'm just saying to these young RFAs what my dad used to say to me, "You're gettin' too damned big for your britches".

 

[42]

There is a lot of details leaked about what Marner has been offered but none about Point. Insiders aren't digging hard enough. Or the Leafs management is leaking more than the Bolts'

 

[AndreRoy]

I don't know how fair a bridge that is for Tampa. the He could then force a one year deal in arbitration at around $10m and become a UFA after 4 years.

In three years Palat will be off the books (possibly along with Killorn and/or Johnson) and we’ll be able to pay Point whatever he wants. Sure, next year’s RFAs will be coming off their bridges at or around that time and needing new deals as well, but by then we’ll have more cap flexibility and more options with which to replace some of them internally if needed. So bridging Point for three years would actually work for us.

 

[DFC]

Yeah, you could be right. Hopefully we'll hear something concrete ( like an announcement) sometime soon.

Yeah. All I mean is, I've seen a lot of insiders, Bobby Mac included, be flat wrong about TB (He reported there was nothing close on MSL to NYR about 5 minutes before the deal happened, which, ironically, he broke, I believe). I've yet to see it with Lebrun. Until I do, I'm gonna give credit to him.

So this does worry me. I don't think we're at the point where negotiations are ugly. But we're definitely at the point where him staying unsigned is starting to matter. A little bit more every day.

People like to downplay his value because he finished the season on one of his first ever real slumps (which may or may not have been due to a bad hip), and that makes it easy to forget how good he is, and has proven to be, at both ends of the ice.

 

[DFC]

In three years Palat will be off the books (possibly along with Killorn and/or Johnson) and we’ll be able to pay Point whatever he wants. Sure, next year’s RFAs will be coming off their bridges at or around that time and needing new deals as well, but by then we’ll have more cap flexibility and more options with which to replace some of them internally if needed. So bridging Point for three years would actually work for us.

The only report we have to go on, which isn't much, says this is the sticking point. Point wants something longer, but we really don't have the ability to meet a realistic salary ask at 5-8 years.

 

[DFC]

There is a lot of details leaked about what Marner has been offered but none about Point. Insiders aren't digging hard enough. Or the Leafs management is leaking more than the Bolts'

Welcome to TB. Nothing leaks. I think Lebrun is the only one with quality information, but I think he only gets that quality information because he keeps it confidential until after the fact, when sometimes he'll give solid details.

But yeah. We're always in the dark until concrete news breaks.

All we're going on here is "JBB wants 3 years; Point wants 5 or more," and that's about two months old now. We don't even know what kind of salary is being talked about. We only know the team currently has 8.4 in space.

 

[BeingTheThunder]

Yeah. All I mean is, I've seen a lot of insiders, Bobby Mac included, be flat wrong about TB (He reported there was nothing close on MSL to NYR about 5 minutes before the deal happened, which, ironically, he broke, I believe). I've yet to see it with Lebrun. Until I do, I'm gonna give credit to him.

So this does worry me. I don't think we're at the point where negotiations are ugly. But we're definitely at the point where him staying unsigned is starting to matter. A little bit more every day.

People like to downplay his value because he finished the season on one of his first ever real slumps (which may or may not have been due to a bad hip), and that makes it easy to forget how good he is, and has proven to be, at both ends of the ice.

I think I am just being a little resentful right now because I didn't expect him to miss the start of camp. I was confident his desire to be on this team would motivate him to take a team friendly deal. I guess he still might end up doing that, of coure we don't know what's being offered. The first day...the first weekend when it's testing and public relations type of stuff I am not concerned. When all of the real work starts next week, if he misses that, then I will start to get really worried.

 

[LMFAO]

Not a chance... not getting more than Kucherov. That is pretty obvious

Then why would point sign an 7-8 year deal ?

 

[42]

Then why would point sign an 7-8 year deal ?

He won't.

 

[DFC]

I think I am just being a little resentful right now because I didn't expect him to miss the start of camp. I was confident his desire to be on this team would motivate him to take a team friendly deal. I guess he still might end up doing that, of coure we don't know what's being offered. The first day...the first weekend when it's testing and public relations type of stuff I am not concerned. When all of the real work starts next week, if he misses that, then I will start to get really worried.

Agreed. And I'm probably not as resentful because I'm in Canada, so the stories about the rest of the RFAs are there every time I turn on the TV. And pretty much all of them are worse than our situation with Point. So I can see his side, if his side even IS what I assume it is. Because yeah, we have no clue what the numbers are. For all we know they haven't even talked money because they're stuck on term, which would be best case scenario. I don't think any length would be disastrous for this player, if we could make the money work.

Also with Point, I always go back to 2018 vs. Boston. I know it's just one series, but it shows that Point, with solid support from his wingers, can shut down an elite NHL scoring line. And that's a great weapon to have in the holster, even if we don't always use it.

That said, I don't think either side wants him missing camp. So you're right, this gets extra serious when pre-season games start up. At that point both sides are gonna feel pressure, because it's in everybody's best interest if Point is at 100% come April, which sometimes doesn't happen if a guy's not putting in the work in September.

 

[CupsOverCash]

I think I am just being a little resentful right now because I didn't expect him to miss the start of camp. I was confident his desire to be on this team would motivate him to take a team friendly deal. I guess he still might end up doing that, of coure we don't know what's being offered. The first day...the first weekend when it's testing and public relations type of stuff I am not concerned. When all of the real work starts next week, if he misses that, then I will start to get really worried.

Im worried that hes not in camp right now and Im worried that he might be a little late to the party as far as regular season goes. What Im not afraid of is him sitting out or us not getting a deal done. He will get a deal done its just a matter of when. I also dont see this getting bad between the teams. Id be surprised if it did. I think in the end, Point will be Point when it matters and if hes not, we can "POINT" to this holdout for sure. But even if that happens, what should the Lightning have bended over for him? Maybe you make the argument that they should have but I dont see that as a something they should do after having this program with the previous stars wanting their deals. I dont see them doing that at this point. Theyve done things a certain way and I dont see that changing until they have to.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Then why would point sign an 7-8 year deal ?

Maybe he won't. How do we know?. Nobody knows what his agent and the team is discussing. If he wants more than Kucherov then he will have to sign a bridge deal and then after that, he can cash in massively if he keeps getting better.

Not a chance he will make more money than arguably the best player in the league last season that is only 26 years old that he just signed his deal over a year ago and this season is the first year of his deal. If Kucherovs deal was signed like 4 years ago, then I could possibly see Point getting more just cause contracts have gone waaaaay up

 

[DFC]

He won't.

We'd have to make a seriously creative trade to even entertain it, most likely.

 

[AndreRoy]

Maybe he won't. How do we know?. Nobody knows what his agent and the team is discussing. If he wants more than Kucherov then he will have to sign a bridge deal and then after that, he can cash in massively if he keeps getting better.

Not a chance he will make more money than arguably the best player in the league last season that is only 26 years old that he just signed his deal over a year ago and this season is the first year of his deal. If Kucherovs deal was signed like 4 years ago, then I could possibly see Point getting more just cause contracts have gone waaaaay up

Yeah, no way we pay Point more on his first post-ELC deal than we paid Kucherov on his second (after having taken a team-friendly bridge, no less.) That would be a complete slap in the face to Kuch. Point is a great player and he will be well paid but we aren’t giving him more than we just gave the best player in the league.

 

[tony d]

Figured he would have signed by now. I think there's going to be a lot of holdouts come opening night.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Kucherov: (2017: 85pts [1.15ppg], 2018: 100pts [1.25ppg]) = $9.5M x8

B. Point: (2018: 66pts [.8ppg], 2019: 92pts [1.16ppg]) = $8.5M x6? That should getr done.

Point is also a center and capable of matching versus top lines.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Yeah, no way we pay Point more on his first post-ELC deal than we paid Kucherov on his second (after having taken a team-friendly bridge, no less.) That would be a complete slap in the face to Kuch. Point is a great player and he will be well paid but we aren’t giving him more than we just gave the best player in the league.

McDavid doesn't play for Tampa....

And times change. Contracts are different as the years go by.

 

[Gizmo Tkachuk]

All these entitled Millenials ruining the RFA market.

Point is technically Gen Z

 

[Krewe]

McDavid doesn't play for Tampa....

And times change. Contracts are different as the years go by.

Yet . Seems like there's a chance we might end up with an unexpected surplus in cap space.

 

[God King Fudge]

Just because Kucherov isn't paid at his fair value, doesn't mean Point has to take a discount too. Two wrongs don't make a right

It's principal. Kucherov took huge discounts for the team. They will not pay Point, who has one exceptional season while riding shotgun with Kucherov, more than that. It won't happen.

I'm not trying to insinuate that Point is a product of Kucherov, because I don't believe he is, but he cannot justify that payday on this contract. He just can't. Marner can do it because of the precedent set by the Matthews payday. If Brayden Point plays for Tampa this year, it will be at or below Kucherov's number and that is an absolute 100% guarantee. I don't think Tampa will ever have a player make more than Kucherov's 9.5