Kraken 2024 Offseason chatter

[Sombastate]

Just arguing with some friends of mine:

Do you guys think Matty B is a lifelong center? A few friends of mine think that with Catton, Wright and the current roster, that it's only a matter of time until Matty becomes a winger.

What are the thoughts of the fanbase?

 

[The Marquis]

Just arguing with some friends of mine:

Do you guys think Matty B is a lifelong center? A few friends of mine think that with Catton, Wright and the current roster, that it's only a matter of time until Matty becomes a winger.

What are the thoughts of the fanbase?

I think of the guys you listed that Matty is the most likely to remain a center.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

I think of the guys you listed that Matty is the most likely to remain a center.

Agreed. In order of likelihood of staying a center:

Beniers
Catton
Wright

 

[Interior Cascadian]

Just arguing with some friends of mine:

Do you guys think Matty B is a lifelong center? A few friends of mine think that with Catton, Wright and the current roster, that it's only a matter of time until Matty becomes a winger.

What are the thoughts of the fanbase?

I do. I’d say his best asset is how well he reads the ice and plays developing in front of him. I think his lack of production last year stems from getting bullied off the puck and hesitating to go into dangerous areas. He’s still awfully light and lanky, so hopefully he’s been pumping a lot of iron and pounding protein shakes.

 

[Sombastate]

I do. I’d say his best asset is how well he reads the ice and plays developing in front of him. I think his lack of production last year stems from getting bullied off the puck and hesitating to go into dangerous areas. He’s still awfully light and lanky, so hopefully he’s been pumping a lot of iron and pounding protein shakes.

What’s his defensive game like?

 

[gstommylee]

Just arguing with some friends of mine:

Do you guys think Matty B is a lifelong center? A few friends of mine think that with Catton, Wright and the current roster, that it's only a matter of time until Matty becomes a winger.

What are the thoughts of the fanbase?

Beniers is not an offensive minded center. Hes more of a defensive minded center. Playing him on the wing will not generated the offensive people think he will.

 

[gstommylee]

Agreed. In order of likelihood of staying a center:

Beniers
Catton
Wright

Why does wright have to switch to winger and why canton only has to play at center. I don't understand. its all about playing the best talent at the highest line they are capable off.

Also Wright and beniers are taller/bigger players than catton is. Its better to have catton play as a winger and take advantage of other talent like beniers/wright etc. It would be a mistake to have catton play at a lower line just to stay at center. Also Seattle listed catton as a forward when we drafted him not as a center. Catton may have potential to be a top line player but being at a top line center in the NHL is a completely differnet thing than playing as a 1C in the WHL. Wright and beniers are in my opinion better capable at playing defense at the NHL level than catton will be specifically at center role.

 

[Fuhrious]

Laine to MTL in a straight salary dump, MTL even gets a 2nd rounder for their trouble.

That's the 2nd or 3rd order effect of throwing shopping carts worth of cash at players like Montour, Stephenson and Schwartz in obvious overpays. : An opportunity like this comes along and GMRF is unable to take advantage because he's run himself out of cap space.

Hard to believe he couldnt have put together a better offer than that? Oleksiak and just about anything? Really growing more and more unimpressed with Francis as this off-season durdles by...

 

[The Marquis]

It’s better than last off season.

 

[Interior Cascadian]

What’s his defensive game like?

He works his ass off.

 

[Irie]

Why does wright have to switch to winger and why canton only has to play at center. I don't understand. its all about playing the best talent at the highest line they are capable off.

Wright doesn't HAVE to move to wing, but it will all depend on how each of the three players play at each position as they develop. Saying Wright is a center in the NHL with all certainty is just as premature as saying Wright is a definite winger at the NHL level.

So far, Wright's reads, both offensively and defensively have not impressed me all that much, so I do wonder if he won't be a more effective winger eventually in the NHL, but the kid is so young and so talented that he may very well develop into a very good top line center. There is a good chance that we won't know what position he should ultimately play at least for another year or two at the earliest.

 

[Hocktopus]

On my phone so can't post a link but Matty B has been resigned: 7 years at 7.14 per season...does this put is over the cap now?

 

[Scomerica]

So 2c eventually 3c money if the cap keeps going up. Seems okay

 

[The Marquis]

That’s great. Pretty much right about what we all expected. And just like that, we’re over the cap, so something has to happen. Glad he’s sticking around for a while.

 

[Scomerica]

That’s great. Pretty much right about what we all expected. And just like that, we’re over the cap, so something has to happen. Glad he’s sticking around for a while.

Whats likely to happen? Someone gets traded or cut?

Hopefully he puts on some muscle next

 

[Interior Cascadian]

Great term at a great price. That’s going to age nicely.

Edit: On the topic of the cap, does this signal the end of Tanev’s time in Seattle?

 

[kihei]

Great news. Sounds like a fair deal all around.

 

[majormajor]

It's a fine deal. I thought they could have waited until the next contract and it wouldn't raise the price much, but it's an okay contract and great to get the commitment taken care of.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

Laine to MTL in a straight salary dump, MTL even gets a 2nd rounder for their trouble.

That's the 2nd or 3rd order effect of throwing shopping carts worth of cash at players like Montour, Stephenson and Schwartz in obvious overpays. : An opportunity like this comes along and GMRF is unable to take advantage because he's run himself out of cap space.

Hard to believe he couldnt have put together a better offer than that? Oleksiak and just about anything? Really growing more and more unimpressed with Francis as this off-season durdles by...

Well, Ron doesn't do "cap dumps" and values his cap flexibitlity.

At least until you can sign 30 year old Chandler Stephenson(and 30 year old defender) to a seven year deal.....

----but I don't think this is an intelligent way to try and build your roster...

Especially if you're the Kraken, field a mediocre(at bast) roster and are now cap strapped....

It’s better than last off season.

Well, at least for us and our offseason activity on these boards....

 

[sigma six]

I thought Grier trading for Askarov was a pretty savvy move for them. Might not work out, because goalies, but it's a risk well worth taking for SJ in my mind. If he does come in and prove why he was a first rounder that's a major puzzle piece they no longer have to worry about.

 

[GrungeHockey]

I thought Grier trading for Askarov was a pretty savvy move for them. Might not work out, because goalies, but it's a risk well worth taking for SJ in my mind. If he does come in and prove why he was a first rounder that's a major puzzle piece they no longer have to worry about.

I agree. He looks potentially great so he could be a cornerstone piece for the rebuild along with Celebrini. If he becomes as good as some of those other high profile Russian goalies they have their guy for years to come. Smart move.

 

[gstommylee]

Laine to MTL in a straight salary dump, MTL even gets a 2nd rounder for their trouble.

That's the 2nd or 3rd order effect of throwing shopping carts worth of cash at players like Montour, Stephenson and Schwartz in obvious overpays. : An opportunity like this comes along and GMRF is unable to take advantage because he's run himself out of cap space.

Hard to believe he couldnt have put together a better offer than that? Oleksiak and just about anything? Really growing more and more unimpressed with Francis as this off-season durdles by...

If we had any interest it would been back during when FA opened up and he wasn't available at the time since he was still in the players assistant program. We couldn't afford him now with out several players just to have enough to afford him re-sign beniers and fill out the rest of the roster with out CBJ eating some of that salary. Its not that simple of just move guys you still need to have cap space in order to fill those spots and the rest of the roster.

 

[majormajor]

If we had any interest it would been back during when FA opened up and he wasn't available at the time since he was still in the players assistant program. We couldn't afford him now with out several players just to have enough to afford him re-sign beniers and fill out the rest of the roster with out CBJ eating some of that salary. Its not that simple of just move guys you still need to have cap space in order to fill those spots and the rest of the roster.

There is somewhat of a timing issue there where if Laine is your one reclamation project that you'd be interested in, you can't talk to him yet on July 1st. There is some risk there.

The bigger issue is that our strategy is to commit our cap right away on long term deals that will likely not age well. That's a much bigger risk. That's why this board is not happy. If you had instead just waited until Laine was available, you either get his two year experiment or you don't get him and then you have all that cap prepared to take advantage of the next opportunity.

 

[PocketNines]

I tend to agree with the criticism of Francis that he locked up too much cap too early.

We have the other side of it. Got a GM who is really sharp in a number of areas (double offer sheet summer up in here) but he has a blind spot with knowing what players make up a championship defense and it's cost the franchise years recovering from him crashing the plane into the side of the mountain with one single, monumentally indefensible decision.

 

[Fuhrious]

Just had a complete stranger in a dentist’s waiting room (I'm wearing an Ottawa Senators t-shirt) ask me if I had heard about the “hockey player that was killed”. Told him I hadn’t, pulled out my phone and went to ESPN.com…no words.

Condolences to the Gaudreau family, can’t even imagine the heartbreak and pain this creates.

Loved watching Johnny in Calgary, the most exciting player to watch wear the flaming C since Theo Fleury. RIP