Kraken 2024 Offseason chatter

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kihei

McEnroe: The older I get, the better I used to be.
Jun 14, 2006
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Toronto
Don't like the price or the length on the Stephenson contract. He'll eventually just clog things up for the kids, no? Could have lived without this signing real easy.
 
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RainyCityHockey

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Dec 24, 2019
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WTF?

Also, Stephenson
giphy.webp
 

Fuhrious

Registered User
Feb 3, 2004
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Well, Francis talked about playing McCann at wing and finding a way to do so.
So I guess him bringing in a center isn't that much of a surprise.

Though, the term and AAV aren't great at all.

And I guess Wright becomes the ä4C?

Also, JFresh does not like the Stephenson deal and I agree.
Thanks for that, I really like JFresh's content. Although in this case, it makes me like the signing even less...

Just musing about what the cap might look like 7 years from now. Anyone care to speculate with Utah likely poised to generate way more revenue than what Arizona ever brought in?

Not the question you asked, but I had been musing that I think it's very likely Utah leapfrogged Seattle with their draft day moves combined with savvy signings like Stenlund.
 

Fuhrious

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Feb 3, 2004
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Oof also just realized Lindholm got the same term and only $1.5m more AAV than Stephenson? I'd take Lindholm 100 times out of 100 if given the choice. Huge bummer.
 

Fuhrious

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Feb 3, 2004
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Hunting for postives, Stephenson immediately becomes the team's best FO%. That's a team (and Beniers) weakness I know I've groused about in the past...
 
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Scomerica

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Aug 14, 2020
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Oof also just realized Lindholm got the same term and only $1.5m more AAV than Stephenson? I'd take Lindholm 100 times out of 100 if given the choice. Huge bummer.
Being a new and somewhat middling franchise i'm guesisng we need to overpay a bit to attract top players and guys like Lindholm might not be interested in coming.

Got to be consistently good to not have to overpay

On the plus side, at least there is discussion points good or bad. Last years was so dull in comparison.
 

The Marquis

Moderator
Aug 24, 2020
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Washougal, WA
I understand the AAV for both of these guys, I do think they are both fair. The term though... Hmmm. It REEKS of desperation by Francis. Looks a lot like he got a vote of confidence from ownership. He's banking on immediate results while putting the team in a likely poorer position in 5 years.

If he's been given the type of pressure that would make him do that, there is likely to be 1 of these 2 truths. Kraken ownership doesn't know how to deal with these sorts of things effectively so that their GM doesn't go throwing potential out the window 5 years from now... They made the pressure too high. OR... Francis doesn't handle that type of pressure well. I can't imagine the latter being true. He's a hockey hall of famer, Stanley Cup winner. One of the greats. Pressure is his thing. I CAN imagine Kraken ownership playing too many chips to Francis. Overstressing the need by giving him a firm ultimatum. That worries me going forward.

It makes me nervous that Skinner is still sitting around out there...

I think there's a right number for the guy, but MY number is probably lower than he'd accept.
 

kihei

McEnroe: The older I get, the better I used to be.
Jun 14, 2006
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Toronto
The problem is it seems that any GM that we have is going to run up against the same ownership constraints: win now. It looks like that proviso trumps all other options.
 

RainyCityHockey

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Dec 24, 2019
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Being a new and somewhat middling franchise i'm guesisng we need to overpay a bit to attract top players and guys like Lindholm might not be interested in coming.

Got to be consistently good to not have to overpay

On the plus side, at least there is discussion points good or bad. Last years was so dull in comparison.

I'm pretty sure you could get a decent center for an OK price in a trade.

That Stephenson deal's just awful.
Who the F thinks this makes any sense.

Seems a bit like the old boys thing of the......"he's a winner, won the cup"....crap

@The Marquis
Yeah, it does reek of desperation by Francis which probably is thanks to the pressure of ownership to "win now".
 

Fistfullofbeer

Moderator
May 9, 2011
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I understand the AAV for both of these guys, I do think they are both fair. The term though... Hmmm. It REEKS of desperation by Francis. Looks a lot like he got a vote of confidence from ownership. He's banking on immediate results while putting the team in a likely poorer position in 5 years.

If he's been given the type of pressure that would make him do that, there is likely to be 1 of these 2 truths. Kraken ownership doesn't know how to deal with these sorts of things effectively so that their GM doesn't go throwing potential out the window 5 years from now... They made the pressure too high. OR... Francis doesn't handle that type of pressure well. I can't imagine the latter being true. He's a hockey hall of famer, Stanley Cup winner. One of the greats. Pressure is his thing. I CAN imagine Kraken ownership playing too many chips to Francis. Overstressing the need by giving him a firm ultimatum. That worries me going forward.



I think there's a right number for the guy, but MY number is probably lower than he'd accept.
Agree with your assessment on why Francis made these moves. Management pressure as well as not needing to expend crazy assets on these guys.
 

RainyCityHockey

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Dec 24, 2019
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If we are now up against the cap does that mean they cant get a deal done for Beniers now?

It means we have to trade out some guys before training camp in order to fit everything under the cap.

During the offseason you can go over the cap and I think that's 10 - 20%.

Though, looking at the number of guys already on the roster we've got to trade guys away anyways.
 

The Marquis

Moderator
Aug 24, 2020
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Washougal, WA
I'm pretty sure you could get a decent center for an OK price in a trade.

That Stephenson deal's just awful.
Who the F thinks this makes any sense.

Seems a bit like the old boys thing of the......"he's a winner, won the cup"....crap

I think the AAV for Stephenson is fine. I think he's a terribly underrated player and never gets the credit he deserves. That said... the term is not great. I can't imagine there was somebody out there willing to give him 6x6.5m. Hell, I'd have been surprised by 5x6.5m. I think the Kraken could have gotten that. It's back to that desperation, but maybe I'm wrong.

HOWEVER, to look forward and be positive, Stephenson is a significant upgrade for the Kraken and we need to remember that. His "bad" season with Vegas last year is still a pretty substantial improvement over what we had last season. He'd have been our highest scoring Center by 14 points (He had 51). He's a very good player who was overshadowed because he was playing on a VERY VERY good team with plenty of guys to overshadow him. He's a hard worker, a pest and an irritant. I like his style because I would hate playing against him. He's our replacement for Wennberg, who couldn't buy a goal or an assist all season (He had 30 points). Wennberg is superior defensively, unquestionably, but he's also a natural 3rd line type center we had playing on the 2nd line, which really doesn't fit. Stephenson is a well rounded player who will suit the team well for the next 3-4 years. That's fine.
 

Scomerica

Registered User
Aug 14, 2020
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Seattle, Wa
It means we have to trade out some guys before training camp in order to fit everything under the cap.

During the offseason you can go over the cap and I think that's 10 - 20%.

Though, looking at the number of guys already on the roster we've got to trade guys away anyways.
So likely Gourde, one of Oleksiak/Larsson and maybe Tanev?
 

Fuhrious

Registered User
Feb 3, 2004
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So likely Gourde, one of Oleksiak/Larsson and maybe Tanev?
I think part of the problem becomes every other GM in the league knows Francis has to move people, and therefore anybody he calls is going to lowball the piss out of him.
 

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