Rumor: Colin White in play (Bruce Garrioch)

Boud

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Dec 27, 2011
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The pros on Colin White:
1. Highly effective possession player - year after year, he is above average and one of the Sens best in almost all possession metrics and has solid expected goal differential #s.
2. Effective around the net - a huge portion of his points come from quick plays around the net. He can play this role at ES and could be a very good piece on a PP2, and even a viable piece on a PP1.
3. Above average in transition.
4. Beloved teammate.
5. Can play C/RW.

The cons:
1. Not strong enough and below average physically.
2. Not dynamic offensively - no above average skills besides net play & straight-line speed.
3. Below average on face-offs.
4. Average defensively.

All this adds up to a player who is difficult to find a role for. But, with the right role and the right teammates, I do think he can be a $3m + player and has the potential for more. He will have a solid, long career if he can stay healthy.



Sens could buy White out, spread out over 6 years, for less than Dadonov is owed next year. On top of that, White is back in the lineup & healthy. 7pts in 15 games since his return.

Have you watched the games though?! 5 of these 7 points have come on the PP, now he'll be off the 1PP since Batherson is back. These totals are deceiving at best. He's been poor and hasn't been a difference maker in any of the games. He hasn't created anything 5 on 5 in these 15 games and that really is just the way he usually plays.

He's soft on the puck and rarely wins puck battles, he's not fast, not good defensively, not a good shot, an average passer. He's really just riding the Mark Stone wave still but he looks like a 4rth liner 50% of the time. He was even a healthy scratch to begin last season in favour of the dead corpse of Artem Anisimov. He's effective around the net but that's indeed the only place where he can score from since he has a poor shot, poor checker, poor playmaking ability. He has confidence issues as well.

He can play C but shouldn't, he doesn't distribute the puck very well or carry the puck well either. From watching him every game since he's in the NHL, he's a 3rd line RW but he doesn't have a bottom 6 skillset. If I was GM of another team I would never consider trading for him unless it was as a cap dump. Always injured and always leaves you wanting more. He's been given a lot of opportunity since in Ottawa but he's just not delivering.

Best case scenario for Ottawa is to buy him out or otherwise to trade him to a team like Arizona who could potentially offer more playing time.
 
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The Devilish Buffoon

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Dec 24, 2018
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That's a fairly accurate report from someone who is a Devils fan (or else?)



This I don't understand though, why would Ottawa do this?
I'm a Sens fan. Just re-branded ;)

I think Ottawa does it because TJ is owed just 8.5m over 2yrs and will either be covered by insurance or a decent depth player. I guess the bet is, can we find a better player than TJ for $1-$1.5m/year? If he's healthy, I would guess not. He hasn't had horrible injury issues and I know we went after him last summer. I think its the type of deal Ottawa would welcome... better optics than a buyout, too.
 
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The Devilish Buffoon

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Dec 24, 2018
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Have you watched the games though?! 5 of these 7 points have come on the PP, now he'll be off the 1PP since Batherson is back. These totals are deceiving at best. He's been poor and hasn't been a difference maker in any of the games. He hasn't created anything 5 on 5 in these 15 games and that really is just the way he usually plays.

He's soft on the puck and rarely wins puck battles, he's not fast, not good defensively, not a good shot, an average passer. He's really just riding the Mark Stone wave still but he looks like a 4rth liner 50% of the time. He was even a healthy scratch to begin last season in favour of the dead corpse of Artem Anisimov. He's effective around the net but that's indeed the only place where he can score from since he has a poor shot, poor checker, poor playmaking ability. He has confidence issues as well.

He can play C but shouldn't, he doesn't distribute the puck very well or carry the puck well either. From watching him every game since he's in the NHL, he's a 3rd line RW but he doesn't have a bottom 6 skillset. If I was GM of another team I would never consider trading for him unless it was as a cap dump. Always injured and always leaves you wanting more. He's been given a lot of opportunity since in Ottawa but he's just not delivering.

Best case scenario for Ottawa is to buy him out or otherwise to trade him to a team like Arizona who could potentially offer more playing time.
Yes, I watched the games and my evaluation of him is not just off of 15 games. The team as a whole has struggled at 5v5. Fact is, he's been good on the PP - he has created many of the goals he's gotten pts on - and good in transition & possession. Nowhere did I say he's been good at creating offence, in fact I said the exact opposite. I don't know why you're responding saying his shot, defense, passing, board battles aren't good when I said all of that in my post. I would buy him out if he cant be dealt. Doesn't mean he doesnt have any good NHL attributes.
 

Neiler

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Jul 16, 2006
2,195
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The pros on Colin White:
1. Highly effective possession player - year after year, he is above average and one of the Sens best in almost all possession metrics and has solid expected goal differential #s.
2. Effective around the net - a huge portion of his points come from quick plays around the net. He can play this role at ES and could be a very good piece on a PP2, and even a viable piece on a PP1.
3. Above average in transition.
4. Beloved teammate.
5. Can play C/RW.

The cons:
1. Not strong enough and below average physically.
2. Not dynamic offensively - no above average skills besides net play & straight-line speed.
3. Below average on face-offs.
4. Average defensively.

All this adds up to a player who is difficult to find a role for. But, with the right role and the right teammates, I do think he can be a $3m + player and has the potential for more. He will have a solid, long career if he can stay healthy.



Sens could buy White out, spread out over 6 years, for less than Dadonov is owed next year. On top of that, White is back in the lineup & healthy. 7pts in 15 games since his return.
Great post. Really well said.

As for other posts in this thread, this dude is like a million and change overpaid. I do not understand the hate he gets. That $1M isn't stopping them from winning a cup. He's a 3rd liner who can play 2nd line when needed and the power play. Yeah the contract isn't perfect but he probably won't be here for all of it.

"All his points are on the power play": I don't care if he scores from the parking lot, if it makes the team win then so be it. Honestly I feel like sens fans would rather keep Tierney at 3.5M over White at 4.75M at this point the way they trash the guy.
 

MDCSL

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Jun 9, 2016
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This contract turned out predictably bad, I remember at the time people were freaking out about Ottawa being cheap and demanded they pay him like a top line guy or they’d be sellers for eternity. Wrong player to give that contract to, they shouldnt have caved to the pressure and bridge deal’d him.
 

HuGort

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Jun 15, 2012
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This contract turned out predictably bad, I remember at the time people were freaking out about Ottawa being cheap and demanded they pay him like a top line guy or they’d be sellers for eternity. Wrong player to give that contract to, they shouldnt have caved to the pressure and bridge deal’d him.
Ottawa has gave a lot of bad contracts
 

AKL

Danila Yurov Fan Club President
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Dec 10, 2012
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That plus should hurt Ottawa if true. In which case, I'd stay away and just buy out White.

I would see Guerin thinking White has positive value at 50%, and the plus not being as big as you'd think.
 
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McJedi

Registered User
Apr 21, 2020
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Colin White for Tyler Johnson?
Why would Ottawa do that? Tyler Johnson is an AHL level player and has been for a while. Dude is 1 goal in 15 games. -8. He’s a healthy scratch. Also injury prone. He’s barely a shell of the guy he was a few years ago. Colin White is a negative value contract but he’s still NHL level.

Tyler Johnson should be riding buses to games at this point. He’s totally washed and Chicago was idiotic to trade for him.
 

Gaylord Q Tinkledink

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Apr 29, 2018
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I think Chris Johnston said there was a rumor that a trade between MTL and OTT around white was being talked
Habs and sens were close but Montreal backed out. Dreger said this the day after the trade deadline if you're looking for where Dreger said it. I heard it on the team 1200
 

TkachukNorris79

Registered User
Jan 27, 2018
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Why would you retain 50% on White when you can buy him out for 33%?
OR they trade him at 50% retained (obviously more to the trade) and that team buys him out, they split the 33% buyout ($437.5k each for 6 years)....:popcorn:

Then Ottawa brings him back on a better contract. :laugh:
 

biturbo19

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Jul 13, 2010
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He's not as useless a player as a lot of people seem to make him out to be. But he's been allergic to staying healthy, and that hasn't really helped give teams a good read on just how overpaid he is.

Realistically though, this seems like if something gets done, it's probably a "Melnyk Special". Bringing in a not great contract from somewhere else, that is shorter or has less actual cash dollars remaining on it. That another team might even just bring in purely for the "cheap buyout" potential.

If that sort of things happen, i think interest in Colin White really kicks up as a Free Agent. There'd be a bunch of teams willing to go with him on a short-term "prove it" type deal at a lesser price. Still young, with some flashes of potential to be some sort of complementary Top-9 forward if he can stay healthier.
 

Neiler

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Jul 16, 2006
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He's not as useless a player as a lot of people seem to make him out to be. But he's been allergic to staying healthy, and that hasn't really helped give teams a good read on just how overpaid he is.

Realistically though, this seems like if something gets done, it's probably a "Melnyk Special". Bringing in a not great contract from somewhere else, that is shorter or has less actual cash dollars remaining on it. That another team might even just bring in purely for the "cheap buyout" potential.

If that sort of things happen, i think interest in Colin White really kicks up as a Free Agent. There'd be a bunch of teams willing to go with him on a short-term "prove it" type deal at a lesser price. Still young, with some flashes of potential to be some sort of complementary Top-9 forward if he can stay healthier.
Interesting point. A cap-strapped team could take him on in exchange for relief of a larger contract with the sole intention of doing the buyout. Maybe he fits as part of a potential Fiala deal this way? I doubt they want yet another buyout on the books but this one would be low.
 

biturbo19

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Jul 13, 2010
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Interesting point. A cap-strapped team could take him on in exchange for relief of a larger contract with the sole intention of doing the buyout. Maybe he fits as part of a potential Fiala deal this way? I doubt they want yet another buyout on the books but this one would be low.

I don't really see why Fiala would be part of the sort of deal i'm thinking about. An expiring deal that's easy to walk away from isn't the intent there. It's cheaper for the Wild to just let him walk, rather than buying out Colin White.

I'm talking about it from the perspective of a team with an older player on a contract they don't want, with a year or two left. Ideally a "back diving" sort of deal, without big money left on it.

An example might be someone like Sean Monahan. From a Flames perspective...Instead of just riding out Monahan's last year @ $6.375M...maybe they ship him to Ottawa for White. Then immediately buy out White. So instead of paying the $6.375M cap hit for Monahan next year, they're paying $875k which is a pittance. Even compared to buying out Monahan themselves @ $2.375M this year and $2.0M the next. It's sort of...kicking the can down the road because you're paying White for a bit longer. But that $875k is super easy to work around, and it even seems like there's a year of actual cap credit mixed in there. Competent GMs can do that in their sleep with player shuttling and LTIR parlor tricks. That's vet minimum money that they find as spare change in their proverbial GM pockets.

From a Sens (Melnyk) perspective...Instead of spending over $20M on Colin White over the span of the contract, or even the $5.25M of cash for the "cheap" buyout to have a player NOT play for him team (which we well know he despises doing)...It allows Melnyk to spend close to the same $6M for one year of Monahan actually playing for his team (sorry Sens fans), help hit the cap floor, hope he miraculously turns it back around somehow, and can pretend to look like his team is "doing something" to improve.


Someone like Milan Lucic could also work from the Flames, if he were movable to Ottawa. Would free up almost $4M in cap wiggle room next year, if the Flames feel like they're close. At again, a very reasonable long term penalty that is easy enough to work around, and GMs don't think that far down the line anyway. From the Ottawa end, Melnyk pays like $4M (maybe only $1M depending on how the Signing Bonus payments work relative to the Buyout window for White).


Some other candidates just perusing around the league might be:

Patrick Hornqvist, FLA (could stand to shave off their cap next year to keep people).
Kyle Okposo, BUF.
Tyler Myers, VAN (definitely searching for cap flexibility).
Tanner Pearson, VAN.
Jonathan Drouin, MTL (have been rumored to be looking to completely retool cap-wise).
David Savard, MTL.
Jason Zucker, PIT (with some interesting cap decisions coming up to keep everyone).
Tyler Johnson, CHI (stuck in limbo between rebuild and push to contend and could use the flexibility).
James Van Riemsdyk, PHI (obviously looking to try to shuffle around and reallocate cap space somehow).


Those are the kind of players i could see being involved in a Colin White deal. Older guys, limited years remaining on their deals. Some of them less than cap hit in actual dollars paid out. Guys the Sens could plug into the roster for a year or two and maybe contribute something, or at least let Melnyk feel like he's paying for A Player rather than paying someone to play for another team.

But with some potential cap flexibility benefits to those teams, for spending the money on Colin White's "Cheap Buyout" instead of paying their existing old player, buying them out themselves, or paying draft capital to move them to a cap storehouse like Arizona.


It's at that point, with Colin White as a UFA after being bought out on the cheap...that i could see Minnesota actually getting involved as a likely landing spot for him. On a cheaper, 1-year "prove it" deal. Where given the Wild's new reputation as an "island of misfit toys" and the fact that if healthy, White could actually plug in pretty viably to exactly the sort of role he could succeed in with the Wild's roster and Center depth questions...I could actually see it working out really well.

But i don't see how Fiala fits into that picture.
 
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NorthCoast

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May 1, 2017
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I know this sounds crazy to say, but the sens will actually need the cap room over the next 2-3 years.

At least 3, if not 4, out of White, Formenton, Brown, Pinto, Joselph, will be in the bottom six when sens are competitive. All could warrant 3-4 mil. You simply cannot have that much money in the bottom 6. White is clearly the odd man out. Sens have a lot of picks that they don't really need as much as cost controlled supporting players if the team is actually entering a competitive window.

White is a good fit on any team that is rebuilding, has cap space, and wants more picks. There should be a deal out there that works for both teams and expect it likely happens before the draft.
 
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