Confirmed with Link: [COL, CAR, CHI] Rantanen-Hall to CAR, Necas-Drury-25 2nd-26 4th to COL, Chi 25 3rd to Chi (Ret 50% on Mikko)

[AllAboutAvs]

We'll see how it goes, but there is a very good chance that Necas will end up costing something in the same ballpark, at least over 10M. Depends on how he performs in the post season, and how smart him and his agent are.

Still, it's important that he's still cheap for next year. Next year was going to be very tough still. The cap should go up, so that helps. Obviously Makar will take a huge chunk out of that too.

But there will be two differences:
1. the cap will be higher by then so we should be able to handle it if he doesn't try to bleed the Avs for every penny.
2. He knows now what can happen if he pushes for too high an AAV. He saw how the Avs didn't hesitate to trade Mikko. If he is happy here that will weigh into his decision.

 

[a mangy Meowth]

We'll see how it goes, but there is a very good chance that Necas will end up costing something in the same ballpark, at least over 10M. Depends on how he performs in the post season, and how smart him and his agent are.

Still, it's important that he's still cheap for next year. Next year was going to be very tough still. The cap should go up, so that helps. Obviously Makar will take a huge chunk out of that too.

It's true to some extent, though I think Necas has a lot less of a case to make for 12M. I think he'll be like 10.5 and I am hoping that CMac keeps it reasonable.

I do think it's important to note that Necas is just playing with way more fire than Rantanen had been here. We needed some hunger! That part makes me way more comfortable with the contract potential

 

[AvBuff]

I dunno. The truth is somewhere in the middle. Hockey players go through physical hell and back - equal to and perhaps worse than NFL guys - while getting paid a fraction of the money that NBA/MLB/NFL guys get. So I don't blame these guys for holding out and getting as much as they can as soon as they can. It's an unforgiving sport with a salary cap and (relatively) low wages.

That said, I compare the Mikko saga to the Toews extension - DT likes it here, wanted to stay here and told his agent to get the best deal he could and get the deal done. No drama, minimal tension.

As a lawyer, I negotiate a lot of similar deals. It's my job to take my clients requirements and desires and read the room to determine how much of those wants and desires is attainable. And to know when to gamble and know when to take what's on the table. With no inside knowledge, I don't believe Mikkos agent did a very good job of that.

I don't blame Mikko for chasing as much money as he can. But signing with Dallas was a pretty large middle finger to the franchise that made him a star - and a Star. I hope Manson body checks him into section 120 on his first shift.

As an Avs fan, I save real my ire for the spineless and incompetent weasels in the Carolina front office.

 

[Ararana]

I think that Dallas-series last year was kinda eye-opener. We were destroyed down the middle.

And after the implosion of Mittelstadt and the ongoing contract talks with Rants CMac really started to like the option to really shake up things and do something wild. Or something no one in the league saw coming....

Sometimes you have to sacrifice one player to improve the rest of the team... And CMac decided that Rantanen is the odd man out.

Something Dubas could not in Toronto, btw..

And he found a team and GM willing to dance. And he made out like a bandit in the end.

I wish I could say cMac finally learned his lesson - even if it was 1 -2 years too late, but the truth most likely is he was forced into it because Mikko wouldn't sign.

 

[flyfysher]

I dunno. The truth is somewhere in the middle. Hockey players go through physical hell and back - equal to and perhaps worse than NFL guys - while getting paid a fraction of the money that NBA/MLB/NFL guys get. So I don't blame these guys for holding out and getting as much as they can as soon as they can. It's an unforgiving sport with a salary cap and (relatively) low wages.

That said, I compare the Mikko saga to the Toews extension - DT likes it here, wanted to stay here and told his agent to get the best deal he could and get the deal done. No drama, minimal tension.

As a lawyer, I negotiate a lot of similar deals. It's my job to take my clients requirements and desires and read the room to determine how much of those wants and desires is attainable. And to know when to gamble and know when to take what's on the table. With no inside knowledge, I don't believe Mikkos agent did a very good job of that.

I don't blame Mikko for chasing as much money as he can. But signing with Dallas was a pretty large middle finger to the franchise that made him a star - and a Star. I hope Manson body checks him into section 120 on his first shift.

As an Avs fan, I save real my ire for the spineless and incompetent weasels in the Carolina front office.

Everyone is making Mikko’s agent out to be the bad guy. I'm fairly certain Mikko was kept well apprised of the potential outcomes and had approved the negotiating strategy. I’m also confident that the agent had fully apprised Mikko of the potential for being traded. It was a miscalculation on Mikko and his agent’s part. Anyway, that’s business.

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

As a lawyer, I negotiate a lot of similar deals. It's my job to take my clients requirements and desires and read the room to determine how much of those wants and desires is attainable. And to know when to gamble and know when to take what's on the table. With no inside knowledge, I don't believe Mikkos agent did a very good job of that.

are you telling us this while billing a client for $500 an hour?

 

[AvBuff]

are you telling us this while billing a client for $500 an hour?

Today, it's $250/hr. And I'm sitting in a Panera waiting for my client to show up for a 9;30 meeting.

 

[a mangy Meowth]

Everyone is making Mikko’s agent out to be the bad guy. I'm fairly certain Mikko was kept well apprised of the potential outcomes and had approved the negotiating strategy. I’m also confident that the agent had fully apprised Mikko of the potential for being traded. It was a miscalculation on Mikko and his agent’s part. Anyway, that’s business.

Instead of firing the agent, he's gonna pay him a little less than $4m of his new mega contract.

I'd say he seems pretty happy with what the agent did.

 

[LOFIN]

Everyone is making Mikko’s agent out to be the bad guy. I'm fairly certain Mikko was kept well apprised of the potential outcomes and had approved the negotiating strategy. I’m also confident that the agent had fully apprised Mikko of the potential for being traded. It was a miscalculation on Mikko and his agent’s part. Anyway, that’s business.

I said after the trade, that Mikko and his agent saw how this played out with Landeskog. And probably thought it would go the same with them. How much of it was them stubbornly believing that was the case and thinking CMac is just bluffing, or how much of it is on CMac for not being able to convince Mikko that this is our final offer and we will actually go down the trade path if you don't sign this offer? I guess only Rantanen and his agent know that.

I think in the end, deep down Rantanen was fine not being with the Avs next season. Obviously his commitment to Dallas shows that. He was still going to be able to pick whatever destination he wanted in free agency, and he was going to make a lot of money. He would've prefered to stay in Colorado, but Dallas was also a very good option for him and he took it.

 

[AvBuff]

Everyone is making Mikko’s agent out to be the bad guy. I'm fairly certain Mikko was kept well apprised of the potential outcomes and had approved the negotiating strategy. I’m also confident that the agent had fully apprised Mikko of the potential for being traded. It was a miscalculation on Mikko and his agent’s part. Anyway, that’s business.

Agreed. If Mikko really wanted to stay in Denver and was simply looking for the best number possible from CMac . . . it was a total misplay by him and his agent.

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

Today, it's $250/hr. And I'm sitting in a Panera waiting for my client to show up for a 9;30 meeting.

 

[flyfysher]

I’m retired, will that suffice?

 

[LOFIN]

Apparently Brind'Amour was on some local radio show yesterday, and said that Rantanen pretty much immediately said upon arrival that there are 4 teams where he would like to land, and you (as in Carolina) are not one of them.

Would be interesting to find out what those 4 teams were. Dallas obviously, by the looks of it Toronto as well? I wonder about Edmonton, there were reports that they made a pitch, but was it more to the Canes and not necessarily to Rantanen? Playing with McDavid would probably be nice, but Edmonton is not that glamorous of a city to live in and apparently that really was a major factor in his decision.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Apparently Brind'Amour was on some local radio show yesterday, and said that Rantanen pretty much immediately said upon arrival that there are 4 teams where he would like to land, and you (as in Carolina) are not one of them.

Would be interesting to find out what those 4 teams were. Dallas obviously, by the looks of it Toronto as well? I wonder about Edmonton, there were reports that they made a pitch, but was it more to the Canes and not necessarily to Rantanen? Playing with McDavid would probably be nice, but Edmonton is not that glamorous of a city to live in and apparently that really was a major factor in his decision.

Dallas
Vegas
Florida
Tampa Bay

In my opinion.

 

[LOFIN]

Dallas
Vegas
Florida
Tampa Bay

In my opinion.

I doubt Tampa was ever in on Rantanen. Swap them out for Toronto, that's what I believe could be close.

 

[Ararana]

Apparently Brind'Amour was on some local radio show yesterday, and said that Rantanen pretty much immediately said upon arrival that there are 4 teams where he would like to land, and you (as in Carolina) are not one of them.

How the f*** do you trade Necas/Drury/2nd/4th and not even know what teams are on the guys short list?

If I were a Canes fan, I'd be absolutely livid.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

CMac has a reputation of being a straight shooter, no nonsense GM so the fact that the agent didnt suggest to Mikko to take the final offer is on him. Hopefully we dont have to play this game with Necas/his agent.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

I doubt Tampa was ever in on Rantanen. Swap them out for Toronto, that's what I believe could be close.

Your post said Rantanen stated there’s 4 teams he would like to land, not who was in on him.

I’d believe Tampa would be one of the 4 spots he would have liked to land.

I don’t think Mikko was ever interested in a Canadian team.

 

[Grigowski]

Apparently Brind'Amour was on some local radio show yesterday, and said that Rantanen pretty much immediately said upon arrival that there are 4 teams where he would like to land, and you (as in Carolina) are not one of them.

That Tingle-Tangle-Bob of a GM should have been fired on the spot for this.....

Too bab Jim Nill seems to have saved his ass......For now.....

If i am Brind'Amour i would be livid as hell. His GM singlehandly killed their season or hopes for contending.

 

[cccoltsicehockey]

I think the value of trade was great. It remained a question mark and still does how well Necas replaces Mikko's production. So far, looks great. Remains to be seen how he fares in the playoffs.

To put a bow on this saga, I think it was really a compilation of unfortunate circumstances that lead to this. The onus is more on the Rantanen camp, especially with his agent. But I don't think they necessarely did that much wrong in thinking they had an upper hand in the negotiations. The Avs did something very bold, that doesn't usually happen. And the Avs didn't go down this path with Landeskog, they watched that thing go down to the wire. So I understand why his camp thought that the Avs were bluffing, and that they would eventually come to an agreement.

And in the end, both parties are probably fine with the end result. The Avs maybe didn't lose a ton of on-ice value, we'll see down the line but there is chance they even got better. Mikko got himself a pretty nice deal, and Dallas is a good place for him. Yeah, sucks as an Avs fan but it's probably a good fit for Mikko. The Dallas system, all the Finns in that team, the contract itself and his significant other probably will also enjoy Dallas, I think it's probably up there in terms of desirable markets in the NHL.

A fascinating side product by this saga is how it affects the Marner discourse in Leaf land.

I don't think it would have went into the decision at all but I also like the fact they went to the last minute with Landeskog but went bold with Mikko. It should help in future negotiations with being on both sides of the spectrum.

 

[shadow1]

How the f*** do you trade Necas/Drury/2nd/4th and not even know what teams are on the guys short list?

If I were a Canes fan, I'd be absolutely livid.

It bears repeating, Friedman said in his post-deadline podcast:

• Colorado let Carolina talk to Mikko/his camp a week before the trade
• Carolina asked if he'd be willing to sign with them, he said Yes
• However, Mikko thought it was a pressure tactic by Colorado, didn't think he would actually be traded there

This is corroborated by an interview Sebastian Aho gave at the Four Nations. He said he talked to Mikko a week before the trade about the possibility he was heading to Carolina.

 

[avalanche_country]

I think Mikko and his agent are made for each other. Couple of morons.

 

[LOFIN]

Your post said Rantanen stated there’s 4 teams he would like to land, not who was in on him.

I’d believe Tampa would be one of the 4 spots he would have liked to land.

True

I don’t think Mikko was ever interested in a Canadian team.

I got the impression from some of the reports that Toronto had permission to inquire to Rantanen camp, and he showed positive signs for an extension. But talks obviously never got any deeper, because the trade itself with the Hurricanes didn't work out.

I don't think Rantanen would've had an issue with signing to a Canadian team. He seems to enjoy media and the attention, Toronto is up there in terms of cities to live in for a hockey player and his family (if you like the attention), and there is no political aspect of not being fond of Canadian markets with Finnish players.

 

[Ararana]

It bears repeating, Friedman said in his post-deadline podcast:

• Colorado let Carolina talk to Mikko/his camp a week before the trade
• Carolina asked if he'd be willing to sign with them, he said Yes
• However, Mikko thought it was a pressure tactic by Colorado, didn't think he would actually be traded there

This is corroborated by an interview Sebastian Aho gave at the Four Nations. He said he talked to Mikko a week before the trade about the possibility he was heading to Carolina.

So Mikko lied, showed up in Carolina and pulled the lol jk?

What a f***ing dick.

 

[AllAboutAvs]

I said after the trade, that Mikko and his agent saw how this played out with Landeskog. And probably thought it would go the same with them. How much of it was them stubbornly believing that was the case and thinking CMac is just bluffing, or how much of it is on CMac for not being able to convince Mikko that this is our final offer and we will actually go down the trade path if you don't sign this offer? I guess only Rantanen and his agent know that.

Agree with this however I would argue , as I said before, that CMac didn't even want to convince him it was the last offer. They only wanted him to THINK the final offer was a strategy. They knew he would still refuse and come back with a counter-offer. The 11.75M offer was just to look like they wanted to re-sign him. I am convinced they didn't even want to sign him over 11M. There is a reason why they stopped at 11.75M. That number showed the world they wanted to re-sign him and was the perfect number to bait him in thinking it wasn't really their last offer. Then Boom! They use their refusal as an opportunity to do what they wanted to do in the first place: trade him to use the cap space to re-balance the roster. That is why Mikko was so surprised. He thought he still had until the TDL to negotiate. Necas' breakout was key to that new direction though.

That's my theory and I am sticking to it.