Ron Francis and his Free Agency signings
- Thread starter Fistfullofbeer
- Start date
RainyCityHockey
Registered User
Well, it just shows you that going big in free agency isn't a great idea.
Of course unless you're really close, need a guy and don't care about at least the second half of his contract.
It's just that Stephenson(and potentially Montour) are signed during a time when we're not close to winning it all, while they also don't get us that much closer to it.
Anyways, it is what it is and I think it showed that Francis is under pressure by the ownership group after missing the playoffs two out of three years and also being allowed to fire a coach that had his new three year contract kicking in ten days ago.
It also shows, IMO, that the ownership knows they have to be more relevant(win more games) in order to built the fanbase with the NBA being close to coming back and announcing it(probably this year).
BTW: Larsson was a good value signing, Oleksiak I think is still OK and I think Burakovxky could be too, if he could ever stay healthy.
Of course unless you're really close, need a guy and don't care about at least the second half of his contract.
It's just that Stephenson(and potentially Montour) are signed during a time when we're not close to winning it all, while they also don't get us that much closer to it.
Anyways, it is what it is and I think it showed that Francis is under pressure by the ownership group after missing the playoffs two out of three years and also being allowed to fire a coach that had his new three year contract kicking in ten days ago.
It also shows, IMO, that the ownership knows they have to be more relevant(win more games) in order to built the fanbase with the NBA being close to coming back and announcing it(probably this year).
BTW: Larsson was a good value signing, Oleksiak I think is still OK and I think Burakovxky could be too, if he could ever stay healthy.
Subtract Grubauer (given the wisdom of hindsight) and I'd give him a solid "B" overall, especially given the realities of ownership pressure. And in RF's defense, it's worth remembering that Grubauer, a former Vezina Trophy finalist, seemed a real coup at the time.
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Fistfullofbeer
Moderator
Yeah. I have to say, I was pretty happy about having a more established goalie than Driedger who was also a Vezina candidate at one point.
Unfortunately, it just didn't work out.
I did like the Burakovsky signing but not really the Schwartz one as much.
I'm probably in the minority, but I liked the Montour signing. I am also not that hard on the Stephenson signing because Francis did what was needed to make the team more competitive today. I was talking about this before FA as well, but Francis could not afford not to make the team better and more competitive this year. Well, he could, but he would be out of a job. He made the best of the situation he was in.
The Marquis
Moderator
This UFA class was a bummer for “win now”. In light of everything, it didn’t end up that bad. Last year over again would have been bad.
GrungeHockey
Registered User
- Sep 14, 2021
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- 364
It's an interesting question trying to weigh up owner expectations against hockey guy team building. I think there was a fair bit of pressure to make early moves and try to be a playoff team asap to fire up a new fanbase. They did that, they made the playoffs, they even pulled off a nice run, but that sort of thing isn't sustainable. There had to be a fall off.
So did the owners pressure him to try to get back in the playoffs now rather than building slowly? Possibly. I don't think the money/term was well spent this off season. Makes the team a bit better for now, but not really all that much better and these will be bad contracts down the line.
Owners vs. managers, always a difficult thing, and I'd guess Francis is under pressure to get results now.
So did the owners pressure him to try to get back in the playoffs now rather than building slowly? Possibly. I don't think the money/term was well spent this off season. Makes the team a bit better for now, but not really all that much better and these will be bad contracts down the line.
Owners vs. managers, always a difficult thing, and I'd guess Francis is under pressure to get results now.
Grubauer - A somewhat baffling amount of term, especially since the team didn't set out to be as best as possible in other respects. Possibly the one move more than any other that led folks to question what Francis was actually trying to do. And then of course Grubauer has been kind of bad or very bad for most of his deal.
Burakovsky - It's an understandable contract given our need for high end talent, unfortunately our gamble on his health failed.
Schwartz - A bafflingly long deal for a player who was already walking wounded in St. Louis. I still don't know what they were thinking.
Oleksiak - Having a look at what other veteran big defenders like him are making around the league now, even if those players have spent much of their careers on the third pair, this one is fine.
Larsson - Very good value deal.
Schultz - He was a fine stopgap.
Dumoulin - Dumo was terrible when we signed him and started terrible for us before turning it around last year. Maybe the scouts knew he still had it.
Stephenson - Not a particularly good player right now. So I can't get behind anything 5+ years for him, much less 7?
Montour - It's a big gamble for a player with elite tools but a very spotty track record. I can get behind this risk though, I like the potential payoff.
Overall it's a poor record. But we're also in a strategic bind where Francis has a mandate to win now even though we won't be contenders until the last half of these super long deals.
Burakovsky - It's an understandable contract given our need for high end talent, unfortunately our gamble on his health failed.
Schwartz - A bafflingly long deal for a player who was already walking wounded in St. Louis. I still don't know what they were thinking.
Oleksiak - Having a look at what other veteran big defenders like him are making around the league now, even if those players have spent much of their careers on the third pair, this one is fine.
Larsson - Very good value deal.
Schultz - He was a fine stopgap.
Dumoulin - Dumo was terrible when we signed him and started terrible for us before turning it around last year. Maybe the scouts knew he still had it.
Stephenson - Not a particularly good player right now. So I can't get behind anything 5+ years for him, much less 7?
Montour - It's a big gamble for a player with elite tools but a very spotty track record. I can get behind this risk though, I like the potential payoff.
Overall it's a poor record. But we're also in a strategic bind where Francis has a mandate to win now even though we won't be contenders until the last half of these super long deals.
I think Francis was put on a tough spot from the start. Vegas managed to build a great team because other teams were not as prepared for an expansion draft as they were with us. Vegas also did so well with their start in the league that Francis got more pressure from the first day on from the fans and probably from the owners too.
The thing with the free signings nowadays is that you usually have to pay more than you should and the players are in position to ask for really long deals. I think Francis has done an average job with the free agency. Since I follow closely for several other teams too there aren't too many general managers that can boast having done a great job for the last three years.
It is always easier to be a Monday morning quarterback.
The thing with the free signings nowadays is that you usually have to pay more than you should and the players are in position to ask for really long deals. I think Francis has done an average job with the free agency. Since I follow closely for several other teams too there aren't too many general managers that can boast having done a great job for the last three years.
It is always easier to be a Monday morning quarterback.
The issue is that there are too many contracts that look obviously like bad ideas from the beginning.
Fistfullofbeer
Moderator
There was no way Stephenson was signing anywhere for under 5M AAV. I agree that the term is too much but the AAV is only slightly over what I had guessed, 5.5M AAV.
i don't think any one that would be considered top 6 or higher forward wise was gonna sign for less years and less $$$ to a team that's not close to contending for the cup.
That's fair, and I'd be good with that salary over three maybe four years. I do like that FO% is bound to improve.
RayMartyniukTotems
Registered User
- Jul 8, 2022
- 5,877
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Now that GMFrancis has signed Stephenson and Montour what does he do with Gourde,Tanev and maybe The Schwartz...some room has to be made for the youngsters...I imagine with regards to Yanni and Brandon perhaps they play and then get peddled at the deadline for some decent draft choices maybe a 2nd and 4th rounder for Gourde and 4th rounder for Brandon...They are heart and soul guys and on a Cup contender and could give that added Impetus to Win it all...if it gets done sooner like before the 2024-25 season starts can GMFrancis please bring back Sprong for the 3rd-4th line and PP2 where the guy was very effective or have I beat this to death inquiry minds should tell me
RayMartyniukTotems
Registered User
- Jul 8, 2022
- 5,877
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In a few years when Seattle's youngsters mature this team will be formidable...Vegas just picks up other teams scraps and I predict some down years for them especially when the Ol' guard ages together and badly in the next couple-few seasons while the Kraken just keep stockpiling scoring Forwards galore and Netminding...next the Defense...
Beniersgeron
Release the Kraken!
Stamkos isn't worth the deal he signed. Just a PP specialist at this point, he's basically what we'd get if we took Jared McCann and made him much worse at 5v5.
Renopucker
Registered User
Yup. H
Yup. His 5v5 stats are pretty rough. Bolts fans (including me) hated to see him go, but Guentzel is a GREAT acquisition and will be a big add to the top 6.
Beniersgeron
Release the Kraken!
That's still an awfully expensive ticket for a player/coach. I'm glad we passed on him.
Beniersgeron
Release the Kraken!
Fuhrious
Registered User
- Feb 3, 2004
- 1,373
- 1,209
Yeah man, extra credit if he makes sure they cant pay Beniers because he boat anchored the team's cap to watch the last fumes of Stamkos' career. That makes a ton of sense.Its not our moneyI wanna see a legend in a Kraken jersey
Beniersgeron
Release the Kraken!
Ohhh I did not have that insider information that had the Kraken sign Stamkos would mean they have to be forced to trade Beniers eventually because they cant afford to sign him. This changes everything, now Im happy the Kraken only sign Montour and Stephenson. Man this give me nightmares of how close the Kraken would eventually lost Beniers had they signed Stamkos.Yeah man, extra credit if he makes sure they cant pay Beniers because he boat anchored the team's cap to watch the last fumes of Stamkos' career. That makes a ton of sense.
Is this actually true, though? I mean Edmonton signs both McDavid and Draisaitl, the Pens sign Crosby and Malkin, the Leafs sign four mega- contracts, and we can't sign Beniers and Stamkos?Yeah man, extra credit if he makes sure they cant pay Beniers because he boat anchored the team's cap to watch the last fumes of Stamkos' career. That makes a ton of sense.
Don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic we passed on Stamkos, but this argument has me shaking my head.
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