Rumour, Trade & Free Agent Discussion

[surixon]

That might be the smartest thing to do but it wouldn't be easy.

Freeze the cap and increase the escrow by a lot to accomplish the same thing. Then adjust to 50% HRR after next season ends. With luck, the players get a lot of that escrow money back. They will then have reasonable data to set the cap for the following year.

The players hate escrow but it is a good tool. Under these circumstances, I could see escrow at 33.33%. The players would be screaming but they would have to learn to understand. They get all they have coming to them in the end. It just isn't the number they thought they had signed for.

That is.definitely a other way to go about it. Just optically it might easier to stomach getting the full face value on the cheque and getting a bonus payment at the end of the year, then getting a cheque that has a high face value but then there is a significant escrow deduction.

 

[Whileee]

DeMelo is definitely a higher priority. How much do you expect him to get?

If we can't afford Eakin, then how are we going to afford Cirelli, or any other C?

Hard to know. I think they would move Roslovic, but if the cap is flat and Little is back then they'd struggle to afford Cirelli at more than around $5.5M. EH estimates something in the range of $2.9-3.3M for 3-4 years for DeMelo, assuming a cap of $81.5M.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Frenchy can be moved without a sweetener. Might only get a 6th or 7th, but anything is better than nothing.
If Little is injured, he stays on the LTIR, saving us his cap. If he returns, we move him. He would might need a sweetener, depending on his health status after returning, though I could see a team being willing to take him for a 7th.
I’d rather get a 7th round pick then buying a player out

I don't think either Little or Perreault is tradeable without a too large sweetener.

If Little is healthy, I think we might be able to trade him with a lot of retention. The same might possibly work with Perreault but I think he is a buy-out candidate. 1.458 the 1st year and 1.333 the 2nd.

I'm not sure yet that either is necessary though. Haven't crunched enough numbers.

OK, I did some arithmetic. Keeping both DeMelo and Eakin at 4 mil, I needed to buyout Perreault. I also kept Brossoit at the same 1.2 mil as this year. We have a little more than 600k left if the cap stays at 81.5. We could possibly save a few bucks by keeping Bowloo at 1.2 instead of Kuli at 1.5.

Little $5,291,666 Wheeler $8,250,000 Shaw $750,000 Scheifele $6,125,000 Ehlers $6,000,000 Laine $6,750,000 Connor $7,142,857 Copp $2,280,000 Lowry $2,916,666 Roslovic $2,250,000 Appleton $800,000 Harkins $950,000 Eakin $4,000,000 13 Forwards $53,506,189 Morrissey $6,250,000 Pionk $3,000,000 DeMelo $4,000,000 Poolman $775,000 Sbisa $1,000,000 Kulikov $1,500,000 Samberg $1,175,000 Dahlstrom $850,000 8 Defense $18,550,000 Perreault buyout $1,458,333 Hellebuyck $6,167,000 Brossoit $1,200,000 2 Goalies $7,367,000 23 Players Total Cap Hit $80,881,522 Cap $81,500,000 Difference $618,478 [TBODY] [/TBODY]

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[Whileee]

I don't think either Little or Perreault is tradeable without a too large sweetener.

If Little is healthy, I think we might be able to trade him with a lot of retention. The same might possibly work with Perreault but I think he is a buy-out candidate. 1.458 the 1st year and 1.333 the 2nd.

I'm not sure yet that either is necessary though. Haven't crunched enough numbers.

OK, I did some arithmetic. Keeping both DeMelo and Eakin at 4 mil, I needed to buyout Perreault. I also kept Brossoit at the same 1.2 mil as this year. We have a little more than 600k left if the cap stays at 81.5. We could possibly save a few bucks by keeping Bowloo at 1.2 instead of Kuli at 1.5.

Little $5,291,666 Wheeler $8,250,000 Shaw $750,000 Scheifele $6,125,000 Ehlers $6,000,000 Laine $6,750,000 Connor $7,142,857 Copp $2,280,000 Lowry $2,916,666 Roslovic $2,250,000 Appleton $800,000 Harkins $950,000 Eakin $4,000,000 13 Forwards $53,506,189 Morrissey $6,250,000 Pionk $3,000,000 DeMelo $4,000,000 Poolman $775,000 Sbisa $1,000,000 Kulikov $1,500,000 Samberg $1,175,000 Dahlstrom $850,000 8 Defense $18,550,000 Perreault buyout $1,458,333 Hellebuyck $6,167,000 Brossoit $1,200,000 2 Goalies $7,367,000 23 Players Total Cap Hit $80,881,522 Cap $81,500,000 Difference $618,478 [TBODY] [/TBODY]

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Keeping Eakin and buying out Perreault would be a bad idea.

 

[Adam da bomb]

Keeping Eakin and buying out Perreault would be a bad idea.

Why do you say that? It’s not like we can play Perrault at centre on our second line.

 

[10Ducky10]

We buy out MP for about 2.9m and pay his replacement .7m for a saving of 525k.

 

[Hunter368]

Nylander, Poehling (he's coming off a not great year), Strome, Nuge, who else out there could be a 2C & possibly available?

 

[BatVader]

Nylander, Poehling (he's coming off a not great year), Strome, Nuge, who else out there could be a 2C & possibly available?

I like Nuge.
Strome, not so much.

 

[Adam da bomb]

Nylander, Poehling (he's coming off a not great year), Strome, Nuge, who else out there could be a 2C & possibly available?

Can’t believe they asked for Morrissey for Nylander. That’s like saying Reilly for Connor.

 

[surixon]

Nylander isn't a center so I see zero reason to go for him.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

His agent will likely try to get 2 to 2.5 million on a show me deal. Back to back seasons of third line production before this season is likely what they will be basing it on. Can't say that isn't in the ball park of what most bridge deals are for that level of production get.

Now Philly could play hard ball, but as a prior lottery pick and likely a player they view/viewed as a cornerstone piece they probably don't want to poison the relationship by taking a real hard line stance due to the migraine issue this past year.

You could be right about them not wanting to poison the relationship. But if they are thinking that way and willing to pay him that much they would want a lot more than I would pay to trade him.

I think he still has great upside but is such a long shot that he really is not worth much.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

That is.definitely a other way to go about it. Just optically it might easier to stomach getting the full face value on the cheque and getting a bonus payment at the end of the year, then getting a cheque that has a high face value but then there is a significant escrow deduction.

But how do you manage the pay cut idea? It is another scenario that would require re-opening the CBA and rewriting all of the contracts. Even if the PA accepted it in principle it would be full of legal land-mines. The high escrow is a so much easier way of getting to the same destination.

 

[10Ducky10]

Can’t believe they asked for Morrissey for Nylander. That’s like saying Reilly for Connor.

and JMo is better than Reilly and KC is better than Nylander.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Hard to know. I think they would move Roslovic, but if the cap is flat and Little is back then they'd struggle to afford Cirelli at more than around $5.5M. EH estimates something in the range of $2.9-3.3M for 3-4 years for DeMelo, assuming a cap of $81.5M.

I guessed 4 mil for DeMelo. I like the EH number better. With DM at 4 and Eakins at 4 I got to nearly 81 mil, after buying out Perreault. If we are going to do much, we will need to make some room somewhere.

Even with a flat cap I wonder if TNSE will be willing to spend to the cap if it is going to be tough to sell tickets and the $C stays down. I noticed today that it had recovered somewhat. If that holds, it will help. Not saying they won't spend, but it is an area of uncertainty.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Keeping Eakin and buying out Perreault would be a bad idea.

How so?

 

[10Ducky10]

How much would the cap hit be if MP was sent down to the Moose?

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

We buy out MP for about 2.9m and pay his replacement .7m for a saving of 525k.

MP's cap hit would be 1.458 the 1st year, 1.333 the 2nd. 4.125 - 1.458 - 750k = almost 2 mil in cap saved the 1st year and just over in the 2nd.

I've always been a big fan of Matty P, but we are going to need some cap space. We might trade him for 50% retention. Save 2.0625 - 750k for a replacement = a cap saving of 1.3125. That has the advantage of being for only 1 year ..... if we can find a trading partner.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Nylander isn't a center so I see zero reason to go for him.

He's played well at C when he has been used there. Not being able to break into TML's top 6 at C doesn't mean a player is not a good C.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

How much would the cap hit be if MP was sent down to the Moose?

About 3 mil.

 

[10Ducky10]

MP's cap hit would be 1.458 the 1st year, 1.333 the 2nd. 4.125 - 1.458 - 750k = almost 2 mil in cap saved the 1st year and just over in the 2nd.

I've always been a big fan of Matty P, but we are going to need some cap space. We might trade him for 50% retention. Save 2.0625 - 750k for a replacement = a cap saving of 1.3125. That has the advantage of being for only 1 year ..... if we can find a trading partner.

How are we saving 2m in the 2nd year?

 

[jgimp]

About 3 mil.

Would hope someone picks him up off waivers

 

[surixon]

He's played well at C when he has been used there. Not being able to break into TML's top 6 at C doesn't mean a player is not a good C.

How often has he been used at C? To the best of my knowledge he's played the vast majority of his career at winger.

 

[Hunter368]

How often has he been used at C? To the best of my knowledge he's played the vast majority of his career at winger.

His play outside the NHL has always been at C and a significant number at C even with the Leafs. Plus he takes faceoffs on the Leafs on a regular basis. IMO if we could get him at a winger cost, he would be a good fit at 2C, of course the cost to get him has to be compared to other options out there. Leafs need to make some cap space as it stands today.......someone is going to be traded.....one of their young wingers.

 

[Oilpeg]

He does have some talent and could take off in pro season 2. Or not. We couldn't afford to pay much for him on slim hope.

That's why I think Niku could be good value. From the Jets standpoint, they're giving up a player who seems to be blocked and not living up to his potential for a player in the same situation in Montreal, may as well see if he can flourish in a bigger role. No big loss if he doesn't. From Montreal's standpoint, you said it yourself, he's blocked behind Domi, Danault, Kotkaniemi and Suzuki, so if he's at best a 4th line center, then maybe they can turn him into a top-four D. That's if they see Niku with that type of potential. Where would Niku fit on Montreal's depth chart? I think after Weber and Chiarot, he'd probably play with Petry on the 2nd pair, and Petry's UFA this summer. After that there's guys like Mete, Kulak, Reilly and Fleury, (I don't know much about their prospects)...I think Niku makes them better. But that's my opinion of course, I'm not a Canadiens expert.

If both of these players are bottom half of the lineup players on their current teams, but could potentially be a top half of the lineup player on a new team, it's a win-win for these teams. Am I overstating Niku's value? Yeah, I probably am. Are you understating it though? Yeah, I think you might be.

For me, it's this type of deal that I'm looking for. Not necessarily Poehling specifically, even though that's where we've kind of went with this, but it's a young center who's blocked on another team who has potential and can fit with our group. I don't want to give up major assets if we don't have to. I think some of the proposals for Cirelli, Domi, Strome, they're just too much. If a player LIKE Poehling can be had for an asset like Niku, then that's the deal I want to make.

 

[surixon]

His play outside the NHL has always been at C and a significant number at C even with the Leafs. Plus he takes faceoffs on the Leafs on a regular basis. IMO if we could get him at a winger cost, he would be a good fit at 2C, of course the cost to get him has to be compared to other options out there. Leafs need to make some cap space as it stands today.......someone is going to be traded.....one of their young wingers.

Didn't know that. I just didn't want a Drouin type situation where you bring in a talented winger who looks like they might be able to play C but then can't convert.