GDT: Free agency part III-toed sloth slow

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

Murray was a guy I thought the Canes might poke around for depth. He was cheap enough. I suppose there will be some clarity on Gardiner soon and that will likely determine whether or not they bring in a vet LD.

I bet there will be a rash of scrap-heap signings/PTOs right after Labor Day:

Grain-of-salt rumors aside, the FO certainly is acting either as if Gardiner believes that he's ready to return to the NHL or as if they believe that Lajoie is an NHL-quality bottom-pairing defenseman. Murray IMO was the best lefty available in UFA. Rangers are the leaning favorites for DeKeyser and the Nucks for CDH, I think.

 

[spockBokk]

Thank goodness

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

Good for Vancouver fans, honestly, because much like JohnnyHockey to Columbus or Huby/Kadri to Calgary, it puts to bed long-false views of the NHL fandom that such locales are considered undesirable locations to play in.

 

[A Star is Burns]

I didn't care about us trying to get Miller one way or the other. Happy that it's over and it's over with him staying in the West.

 

[Chrispy]

Thank goodness

 

[bleedgreen]

Good for Vancouver fans, honestly, because much like JohnnyHockey to Columbus or Huby/Kadri to Calgary, it puts to bed long-false views of the NHL fandom that such locales are considered undesirable locations to play in.

I’ve never taken Vancouver as a place people don’t want to play in.

 

[MinJaBen]

I bet there will be a rash of scrap-heap signings/PTOs right after Labor Day:

Yep, you called it:

Thank goodness

 

[HisIceness]

I’ve never taken Vancouver as a place people don’t want to play in.

It's been awhile but I remember reading something once that Vancouver is typically the highlight of Western Conference road trips. I'm sure it's expensive as shit to live in but if you're in the NHL you can make it work. Just try not to lose game 7 of the Finals, the locals don't take too kindly to that

 

[WreckingCrew]

It's been awhile but I remember reading something once that Vancouver is typically the highlight of Western Conference road trips. I'm sure it's expensive as shit to live in but if you're in the NHL you can make it work. Just try not to lose game 7 of the Finals, the locals don't take too kindly to that

That's why it's so expensive...gotta rebuild the city after burning it down

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

I’ve never taken Vancouver as a place people don’t want to play in.

It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world to live if you can afford it. Had been working there from this past October until April and the travel gets to be a bit much but otherwise it’s a great place to be.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Vancouver is awesome.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

 

[ClarkBolzano]

I also think we're a contender, obviously. It's crazy that the rest of the league thinks so. It feels like I just woke up one morning in 2014 after another shitty defensive performance lead to a loss, and all of the sudden our defense is great, we won the Jennings, have made the playoffs in 3 consecutive seasons, and most fans put us in the top 3 choices to win the cup. It's insane. Pinch me.

We're absolutely built to go the distance. Our biggest weakness right now looks to be a ? at 2nd line C, but at least we have 3 contenders for the position (Kotkaniemi, Stastny, and Necas in that order). Drury technically as well. We also have ?s on the third pair, but we have several options.

Our goalies are excellent, our forwards are excellent, and our top 4 looks pretty damn good as we stand today.

Our worst contracts are either on LTIR (Gardner), or one year of Jordan Staal or 2 years of Jordan Martinook. We have all our draft picks and one extra 2nd in 2024. We have a top 10 prospect pool, and we have the second coming of Scott Morrow in Scott Morrow. And we also have a coach who players go through the wall for.

Lastly, it's crazy that our only contracts that are still going past 23-24 are Slavin and Burns (for one year), Svechnikov, and Kotkaniemi. For better or worse, we have more flexibility than any team in the league right now.

I Hope you are right that WE are built For the distance. Some of Our top Guys now are very experienced which IS a good Thing but at the Same time Dangerous. When you Play so Long at a high Level after so many Games Played in your career its much More easy to get injured. This offseason they added Talent for sure but IT seems that WE are talking about a Prime Burns or a Prime Pacioretti. They are Not in their Prime anymore. I am Not ruling Out that they can have a great year. But its only a possibility. Imagine If Patch is Not ready For the end of the regular Season, If Kase gets injured again, If Burns does Not do the Things everybody Here IS expecting. I dont See US better than last year. Last year WE lost Our Number 1 goalie otherwise i think WE would have reached the conference Finals. I dont know If adding all those Veteran Players,good ones For sure, was the right choice.

 

[bleedgreen]

Grain-of-salt rumors aside, the FO certainly is acting either as if Gardiner believes that he's ready to return to the NHL or as if they believe that Lajoie is an NHL-quality bottom-pairing defenseman. Murray IMO was the best lefty available in UFA. Rangers are the leaning favorites for DeKeyser and the Nucks for CDH, I think.

I think they are full on expecting Jake to be a every day player for us this season, until his health proves he can’t be. They probably have a plan b, but it won’t show itself until training camp I would bet. I could see them offer a pto to cover that issue. I don’t think theyre going to outbid for anyone from that list at this point. Best available who will take a pto as they head to camp gets one.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

FO just finds 0 value in paying to move a player especially at this year’s prices. Stuck with Gardiner not faith he can be an everyday guy.

 

[LakeLivin]

Grain-of-salt rumors aside, the FO certainly is acting either as if Gardiner believes that he's ready to return to the NHL or as if they believe that Lajoie is an NHL-quality bottom-pairing defenseman. Murray IMO was the best lefty available in UFA. Rangers are the leaning favorites for DeKeyser and the Nucks for CDH, I think.

I don't see that as being a huge stretch, maybe as a plan B. He's got the equivalent of almost a season of NHL time and I don't believe he looked out of place in the 5 games he played with the Canes last year. At 6'1" he's not big, but not small, either. He turns 25 in 2 months and could be just coming into his own. At $750k, if he could hold down a 3rd pair spot that would leave cap space that could be applied elsewhere.

 

[emptyNedder]

Our biggest weakness right now looks to be a ? at 2nd line C, but at least we have 3 contenders for the position (Kotkaniemi, Stastny, and Necas in that order). Drury technically as well. We also have ?s on the third pair, but we have several options.

This seems to be a huge hole compared to other contending teams. For several of the teams in the east the 3C is as good or better: Point/Stamkos/Cirelli; Barkov/Bennett/Lundell. Then teams like Toronto and Pittsburgh have 1Cs at 2C. In the west teams like Calgary, Edmonton, and St. Louis are strong down the middle.

For the Canes to win more than two rounds it will be the D leading the way.

 

[bleedgreen]

Unless Koko really develops this year we appear weaker down the middle, and it’s a position you can’t be weak at. We have quantity more than quality at the position, I don’t think it’s going to hurt us that much in the regular season but I think it could negate other additions and leave us about the same as a contender. Close but likely not quite there, but you never know once the playoffs start.

 

[NotOpie]

This seems to be a huge hole compared to other contending teams. For several of the teams in the east the 3C is as good or better: Point/Stamkos/Cirelli; Barkov/Bennett/Lundell. Then teams like Toronto and Pittsburgh have 1Cs at 2C. In the west teams like Calgary, Edmonton, and St. Louis are strong down the middle.

For the Canes to win more than two rounds it will be the D leading the way.

Yes, I know I'm probably unreasonably optimistic, but I think that Kotkaniemi is going to prove more than adequate as the 2C. Where I believe we're going to be challenged is on the PK where Trocheck played an outsized role. We don't have the right-handed draw guy in the PP either, but I believe they will work with both Jarvis and Necas to try and fill that void.

Still, I think the net loss of Trocheck is going to be adequately ameliorated by Jesperi. I am also very comfortable with having Drury as 4C. I think he may even end up on Staal's wing.

Lastly, I think there's one more move to be made, just not sure if it's on the front end or the back end.

 

[AD Skinner]

I don't know if its the direction they'll want to go to start out with but couldn't Stastny play 2c if kotkaniemi just wasn't cutting it?

Turbo Aho Jarvis
Svech Stastny Necas
KK Staal Fast
Martinook Drury Kase

Something like that seems like itd work without anyone feeling too out of place

 

[spockBokk]

Yes, I know I'm probably unreasonably optimistic, but I think that Kotkaniemi is going to prove more than adequate as the 2C. Where I believe we're going to be challenged is on the PK where Trocheck played an outsized role. We don't have the right-handed draw guy in the PP either, but I believe they will work with both Jarvis and Necas to try and fill that void.

Still, I think the net loss of Trocheck is going to be adequately ameliorated by Jesperi. I am also very comfortable with having Drury as 4C. I think he may even end up on Staal's wing.

Lastly, I think there's one more move to be made, just not sure if it's on the front end or the back end.

If Gardiner ends up on LTIR, I wouldn’t doubt they’d try another move, Sandin, Hague or Chychrun come to mind. Whether or not they could actually consummate a deal is a whole ‘bother thing entirely.

I think they’re done up front except for an inevitable Stepan signing. If there are any more moves, I’ll keep on saying it’s likely to be for a veteran LD via UFA or higher end LD via trade.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I don't know if its the direction they'll want to go to start out with but couldn't Stastny play 2c if kotkaniemi just wasn't cutting it?

Turbo Aho Jarvis
Svech Stastny Necas
KK Staal Fast
Martinook Drury Kase

Something like that seems like itd work without anyone feeling too out of place

They've tried KK on the wing and finally gave up on that experiment. While it's still possible they try him there again, I'd be a bit surprised if they do.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Yes, I know I'm probably unreasonably optimistic, but I think that Kotkaniemi is going to prove more than adequate as the 2C. Where I believe we're going to be challenged is on the PK where Trocheck played an outsized role. We don't have the right-handed draw guy in the PP either, but I believe they will work with both Jarvis and Necas to try and fill that void.

Still, I think the net loss of Trocheck is going to be adequately ameliorated by Jesperi. I am also very comfortable with having Drury as 4C. I think he may even end up on Staal's wing.

Lastly, I think there's one more move to be made, just not sure if it's on the front end or the back end.

Trocheck was the 3rd center behind Staal and Aho on the PK and only 30s more per game than Necas. I really don't see that as overly difficult to replace, other than maybe the RH face-off. Stastny also played only 20s / game less than Trocheck did on the PK. There are plenty of options and in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Drury easily replaces what Trocheck brought on the PK.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

As long as Kotkaniemi is good 3C level we should still be strong down the middle with Aho, Staal, Kotkaniemi, Statsny, and Drury.

We could be dangerous if Kotkaniemi is lower end 2C level or better.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Good for Vancouver fans, honestly, because much like JohnnyHockey to Columbus or Huby/Kadri to Calgary, it puts to bed long-false views of the NHL fandom that such locales are considered undesirable locations to play in.

Uh, Canada is not all the same, dude. There's a huge difference between Calgary and Vancouver. Someone re-signing in Vancouver does not say anything at all about the desirability of living in Calgary.

The average *high* temperature in Calgary in January is 27 degrees. The average *low* temperature in Vancouver in January is 37 degrees. Calgary's nightlife is best described as "big cowtown"; Vancouver's nightlife is best described as "insanely awesome".

Sure, Calgary can safely say "we're cooler than Edmonton or Winnipeg", but Vancouver is one of the coolest cities in North America.