Confirmed with Link: Canucks sign forward Yan-Pavel Laplante to a three-year entry-level contract

[VanJack]

Because you need to outbid other teams, and if you want the payer you saw a glimmer of hope in, you've got to make a competitive offer.

Obviously the 'Yotes thought enough of him to expend a third-rounder on him....then career got derailed by injuries....worth the gamble I guess.....obviously over the last three years in the Q, Jimbo and the Canuck scouts have probably seen a lot of him.

 

[F A N]

As far as Laplante goes, his contract isn't ideal and the Utica argument could hold except since we own Utica, we could've signed him to a Utica contract (saving a contract slot). Unless there was competition for him (unlikely but i guess all it takes is 1 other team), there really isnt a need to sign him to a ELC. Remember zalewski only had a AHL contract until we called him up last year and we could've done the same thing with Laplante. Not everyone in Utica needs to have a contract with us, this is just another example of iffy management signing someone to a NHL contract when odds are they are for the AHL with virtually no competition for signing them (i google'd when we signed him and couldn't find another team linked to him).

I get what you mean but Zalewski was signed to an ELC and was actually given a couple of NHL games right off the bat. Some people here magically assume that just because there weren't many teams or even any other team offering an ELC that you can just invite him to camp or get him to sign an AHL contract. The thing is you can invite him to camp but so can other teams. The Comets' season was over by the time Laplante was signed so the PTO option doesn't come into play this season. Quite frankly, if Benning sees Laplante as a project, the 3 year ELC is just right.

 

[Archangel]

Looks very marginal. Barely broke 1 PPG in his overage year in the Q. Will likely see him in Kalamazoo next year.

Another somewhat warm body for the system.

 

[denkiteki]

I get what you mean but Zalewski was signed to an ELC and was actually given a couple of NHL games right off the bat. Some people here magically assume that just because there weren't many teams or even any other team offering an ELC that you can just invite him to camp or get him to sign an AHL contract. The thing is you can invite him to camp but so can other teams. The Comets' season was over by the time Laplante was signed so the PTO option doesn't come into play this season. Quite frankly, if Benning sees Laplante as a project, the 3 year ELC is just right.

Like i said, i doubt any other team was really that interested in Laplante to offer him an ELC. He doesn't exactly project all that well. It does only take 1 other team interested but i couldn't find any other team interested in him except for us so i really don't see another team offering him an ELC. Also i was never suggesting a PTO rather a SPC (standard player contract). That's basically a ECHL/AHL contract like Zalewski signed last summer after his ELC expired.

 

[mrmyheadhurts]

Wrong thread for this Sutter/Bonino debate folks, I'll move what I can to the GM discussion thread but let's stick to the signing from here on out.

 

[biturbo19]

Agreed and he should. Grenier also happens to be the only RFA of the bunch. That's one reason why I said you need prospects like Laplante in the system. Like you said, guys like Friesen are pretty much done as a prospect and it's time to try develop someone else.

Exactly. You want to have organizational depth. And that means variety and different skillsets in the developmental projects you've stashed away on the farm.

As Bad Goalie so abundantly makes clear...Utica isn't just an afterthought, it's an actual team. One which this organization wants to develop into a perennial contender as well. And that requires all types. There simply isn't room in Utica to develop a whole bunch of the same rookie Top-6 or bust skill guys, or whatever it may be, all at the same time. Some players need prime offensive minutes to thrive, others can make their impact felt with lesser minutes, defensive minutes, PK minutes. The latter being where Yan-Pavel Laplante hopefully slots in - if he can hack it.

And there are specific rules on top of that, in terms of how many AHL vets/developmental players a team has. A player like Laplante can hopefully fill a "developmental" slot, without actually playing in a premium NHL developmental slot. He shouldn't be taking offensive opportunities or PP minutes away from Canucks prospects with legitimate scoring role upside.

Not something to get overly excited about, or overly upset about. It's just...organizational business as usual for pretty much every team in the league. Signing some depth with a bit of upside. See what happens.