Waived: Engvall, Fasching, Foudy, Karlstrom, Bolduc, Hutton, Hogberg, Skarek

[Rehabguy]

Come on now. Dipietro? Yashin? Ladd?

All who played more than 1 year into their contracts before being waived. If you are not sure what your future may hold or what your options may be (as Lou readily admitted Tsyplakov acquisition changed things) you keep your options open by signing shorter contracts OR at the very least you try to sign a proven 1st or 2nd line player for that long a term and not roll the die like they did with Engvall and hope he turns into one. This is just terrible cap management.

 

[miscs75]

He’s clueless on how to make space or find the open space. Brett Hull wasn’t the fleetest of foot, but knew where to go.

You mean you’re not supposed to watch Barzal navigate the whole zone before he loses the puck due to your inability to get open?

 

[IslesNorway]

The Engvall deal was a complete brainfart and the whole world except Lou knew that. Who on earth gives a middle of the road plugger with no defensive or physical attributes a seven year deal?? Three years? Sure. But even Engvall himself must've been shocked at that. He will be back in the NHL shortly though. Once the injuries hit, he will be recalled and has hopefully learned enough to improve his game,

 

[Bronson]

Certainly not ideal but depth is a good thing to have.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

The Engvall deal was a complete brainfart and the whole world except Lou knew that. Who on earth gives a middle of the road plugger with no defensive or physical attributes a seven year deal?? Three years? Sure. But even Engvall himself must've been shocked at that. He will be back in the NHL shortly though. Once the injuries hit, he will be recalled and has hopefully learned enough to improve his game,

Having followed Engvall a bit while coming up in Sweden and then seeing how he forced himself into becoming a topic for Toronto in a system that was chock full of bubble prospects of a similar ilk, and having seen the highlights along the way where he had had a few special moments where he basically moved through defenses like a truck to score or set up a goal, I really think Lou acquired him - and was then inspired enough after his 24-game debut - to believe he was going to be a long-term 20-25-45 complimentary winger on a 2nd or 3rd line for a good half a dozen years.

A risky move, no doubt.

And yes, I think we've all seen a few things from him to understand that gamble (I mean, you've gotta take a few along the way), even if we can all recognize that he has a game that plenty of fans and pundits out there don't really have any time for.

But it's a gamble. It was a gamble before the ink was dry.

And we all know that both his and Mayfield's contract lengths (but especially his) led to raised eyebrows everywhere in the hockey community, although we should all recognize that we're in an age in this business where if GMs want to keep their middle-range players at average prices, about the only decisive incentive is adding job security in the form of years on the contract.

***
This will all prolly be a cap-compliance blip on the radar.

Don't get too used to seeing him off the roster, even if we can hope that Dubas was enough of a fanboy or Columbus could envision him being an answer in light of their cap space and (unfortunate) situation (even after adding Labanc).

ASIDE:
I'd add that it seems like there are several trades every season that first take place after players safely make their way through waivers. You'll often here voices saying "What? Why didn't they just take this guy for free off of waivers?", but that's not taking into account that such a move only makes sense if you have that roster spot open for him in the here and now AND you you're not keen on jetisoning another contract in order to acquire that guy.

 

[IslesNorway]

Having followed Engvall a bit while coming up in Sweden and then seeing how he forced himself into becoming a topic for Toronto in a system that was chock full of bubble prospects of a similar ilk, and having seen the highlights along the way where he had had a few special moments where he basically moved through defenses like a truck to score or set up a goal, I really think Lou acquired him - and was then inspired enough after his 24-game debut - to believe he was going to be a long-term 20-25-45 complimentary winger on a 2nd or 3rd line for a good half a dozen years.

A risky move, no doubt.

And yes, I think we've all seen a few things from him to understand that gamble (I mean, you've gotta take a few along the way), even if we can all recognize that he has a game that plenty of fans and pundits out there don't really have any time for.

But it's a gamble. It was a gamble before the ink was dry.

And we all know that both his and Mayfield's contract lengths (but especially his) led to raised eyebrows everywhere in the hockey community, although we should all recognize that we're in an age in this business where if GMs want to keep their middle-range players at average prices, about the only decisive incentive is adding job security in the form of years on the contract.

***
This will all prolly be a cap-compliance blip on the radar.

Don't get too used to seeing him off the roster, even if we can hope that Dubas was enough of a fanboy or Columbus could envision him being an answer in light of their cap space and (unfortunate) situation (even after adding Labanc).

ASIDE:
I'd add that it seems like there are several trades every season that first take place after players safely make their way through waivers. You'll often here voices saying "What? Why didn't they just take this guy for free off of waivers?", but that's not taking into account that such a move only makes sense if you have that roster spot open for him in the here and now AND you you're not keen on jetisoning another contract in order to acquire that guy.

True, and you often see players just waived traded for one another, or AHL players moved for players just waived. It's a numbers game at this point. Every year good players pass through waivers and there are strange pickups nobody saw coming. The Engvall case is interesting because of the length of his deal. Would he stick it out in Bridgeport for six more years in the hope of resurrecting himself and making tons of money setting him up for life, or does he go to Europe and have a decent career without all the money? I think he sticks arund for this season, but after that, who knows?