Sorry... family issues to deal with... where were we...
1) I don’t think Little will play again. That injury looked bad and has apparently done serious damage. I think he’ll either call it a career or if he needs/wants money, get put on LTIR for a season before retiring.
2) Little isn’t a healthy player and definitely falls into the definition of LTIR
3) Little is not a 2C, or at least not on the Jets. He might be elsewhere, but for what he’s brings in Winnipeg, he’s overpaid.
Yes it would likely cost to move him, or at least we would get less in return, but to clear up his cap and open the roster spot for a player that can do the job we need him to do... it’s worth it.
As long as Little is here, Maurice will play him on the 2C.
4) Why buy him out? That should be the absolute last resort!
I’d rather get a 7th round pick than buy a player out and we could get at least that for both Little and Perreault.
5) Kulikov is not better than Beaulieu.
6) Sbisa sucks. If he didn’t it would have cost more to get him and he’d be getting payed more. Anyone can gave a good few games, but if you look back at their prior history you can see trends,.. I’m not saying Beaulieu is great, by any means and if we could get better, then sure, I’m all for it. But Kulikov and Sbisa are not better. At best they’re equal, and then I’d still choose Beaulieu.
7) yes
8) I’d take DeMelo over Pionk any day. I like his game and his style more. I think Pionk is hugely over rated on here.
I agree, if we get a true partner for Mo, that everyone wouldn’t just slide. Personally, I’d trade Pionk and keep DeMelo to partner with Samberg.
9) This team needs to stop living in the past and look and move forward. This isn’t the Atlanta Thrashers. We should hold no loyalty to that team or the players that played there just because they did.
10) nothing to write here, I just hate ending a list on #9
1 & 2) I'm on the fence whether Little will play again or not. Apparently he was getting close to coming back, but decided to shut it down for the surgery. There is no guarantee that surgery will be successful enough to allow him to play again - but it might. If it does, I think there is a good chance he comes back. If it does not, then he would qualify for LTIR. But if he is passed as fit to play but chooses not to risk further injury he cannot honestly be LTIR'd.
That would be a tough spot for him. Retirement means losing a lot of money. The fact he is already a millionaire doesn't carry a lot of weight. There are not many like Buff. But he could follow that path. Refuse to report until they come around to cancelling his contract by mutual agreement. He probably gets at least some money that way.
3) That's a conclusion that does not fit the facts. He was playing well when he got hurt. He played up to 2C level the preceding 2 years even though the Jets wanted better for the PO. He was not a high end 2C. He was not a good fit with Ehlers and Laine. He should not have been playing with Ehlers and Laine. That is not his fault.
The price we would need to pay to move him -
if he is as bad as you say, would use up the assets we would need to acquire a replacement.
The best solution is for him to come back and play well with whatever linemates he gets. He might play on the 3rd line and be a little overpaid for that role. Barring that, LTIR would be the next best option.
4) Buy him out if he can't play well enough and he can't be LTIR'd. When all the other options are gone what's left becomes the best option. Retirement is not an option that the Jets have. That needs to be his decision. I think it is extremely unlikely that he would walk away from that money. Trading him
if he can't earn his contract, or at least come close, would cost us a 1st, at least. So it is not on the table, IMO.
Buying him out costs:
2.6 vs 5.3
.85 vs 5.3
2.1 vs 5.3
3.1 vs 5.3
1.5 vs 0
1.5 vs 0
1.5 vs 0
1.5 vs 0
an actual saving of 6.25 mil and a cap saving of 6.25 mil with the rest spread out over 8 years.
I think that is a very long time to be carrying that cap hit but it gives us more than half of his cap hit freed over the first 4 years and what will be a pretty small amount to pay over each of the last 4.
I'm not recommending buying him out. I hope it won't come to that. But it is a viable option.
5) Yes he is. Beaulieu is probably, but not certainly, better than Bitetto. We don't know about Dahlstrom since he got injured just when he was starting to play well. Sbisa and Kulikov are both clearly better than Beaulieu. You can take my word for it or we can just agree to disagree.
6) Beaulieu sucks. If he didn't it would have cost more to get him and he'd be getting paid more. You can choose Beaulieu all you like. He is seriously bad - and I am giving him full credit for fighting. Obviously we disagree but I think people are forgetting how well Sbisa played for us this year before getting hurt.
7) He earned - and got - a big raise last year. I think he has played better than his sv% indicates. He has been the victim of horrible support. But he has not played up to the contract he earned last year. He will be lucky to get that much again next year with this year's stats on his back. That's the life of a backup goalie. A series of 1 year contracts, always paying you for last year. If the Jets are feeling generous, they offer him another year at the same salary.
8) That is an opinion. I like DeMelo. I think he is making our whole D corps better. If it is up to me I sign DeMelo and don't spend either $$$ or player assets on a further upgrade to the RD. He has a quiet, reliable defensive game. He has very little offense. Pionk is a better puck mover, better offensively and almost as good defensively. But if we did acquire a true top pair RHD, I leave Pionk where he is and move DeMelo down to the 3rd pair. But it is close. I think they are both legit 2nd pair D.
If we have someone better than either Pionk or DeMelo on the top pair and the two of them elsewhere on the right side we don't have any more problems at RD.
9) I have no idea what you are talking about. Really.
10) Good idea.