Speculation: The Off-Season Thread Part VI - Are we there yet? (Grabovski to Caps, 1 yr)

[RangerBoy]

From: @JimCerny
Sent: Aug 26, 2013 11:51a

Dan Girardi now wearing visor on his helmet...probably bc of what happened to good buddy Marc Staal last year...

sent via TweetCaster for Android
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/JimCerny/status/372023623462445056

 

[NYR Viper]

From: @JimCerny
Sent: Aug 26, 2013 11:51a

Dan Girardi now wearing visor on his helmet...probably bc of what happened to good buddy Marc Staal last year...

sent via TweetCaster for Android
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/JimCerny/status/372023623462445056

Good. I would hope all of the Rangers d-men will be wearing them.

 

[Blueblood 2]

Team Canada management is mad at Giroux for skipping the camp. Giroux decided to stay in Philly to rehab his injury. The Flyers suggested Giroux skip the camp.

Rehab in Philly is seldom a good thing and Flyer medical advice is legendary!

 

[GAGLine]

Henrique re-signed, 6 years 24 mil. Bad move Lou.

 

[Thirty One]

At Team Canada's ball hockey camp Nash was skating running with Toews and Eric Staal and Marc Staal was paired with Doughty.

 

[Thirty One]

Henrique re-signed, 6 years 24 mil. Bad move Lou.

Yeah, buys only two UFA years.

 

[Fongule]

Girardi wearing a visor

Per Jim Cerny on twitter: Dan Girardi now wearing visor on his helmet...probably bc of what happened to good buddy Marc Staal last year...
11:51am - 26 Aug 13. Good news ( ( https://mobile.twitter.com/JimCerny/status/372023623462445056

 

[Blue Blooded]

Yeah, buys only two UFA years.

Henrique re-signed, 6 years 24 mil. Bad move Lou.

Giving Henrique 6 years is a stupid risk to take. Sure he had an impressive rookie season, but he played a lot with Parise and Kovalchuk. Then he followed it up with a bad season after Parise left. Now Kovy is gone as well. Seems like a prime candidate for a "prove it" bridge deal.

Wasn't he considered a marginal prospect before he broke out as well? Or do I have that one wrong?

 

[Tawnos]

Unless the Olympics are in North America,the NHL shouldn't be involved. Its a travel nightmare to get to Sochi. South Korea will be another nightmare. The NHL is shutting the league down for 2-3 weeks. They receive zero financial benefit. The Americans and Canadians were too cheap to spend $1.2M to insure the players. NHL teams have billions of dollars invested in these players. The NHL and NHLPA have discussed the return of the World Cup of hockey. They sponsor the event played mostly in NHL builldings. The money goes into the NHL pot. Not the IOC pot.

The Olympics are important to the overall growth of the sport, including in the US. There is not another time when hockey is the centerpiece to a major event like the Olympics, which draws viewership from more than just hockey fans. While the NHL sees no direct financial benefit and definitely takes on some risk, it's a bigger picture issue. The benefits to the game overall outweigh the financial risk to the league.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

The Olympics are important to the overall growth of the sport, including in the US. There is not another time when hockey is the centerpiece to a major event like the Olympics, which draws viewership from more than just hockey fans. While the NHL sees no direct financial benefit and definitely takes on some risk, it's a bigger picture issue. The benefits to the game overall outweigh the financial risk to the league.

How exactly does playing games half way across the world in the middle of the night benefit the NHL?

 

[GAGLine]

Yeah, buys only two UFA years.

The concern is that he may never be worth more than 4 mil per year. So why give him that money now? He's certainly not worth that much right now.

I guess it comes down to which season was the fluke, his rookie season or last season. Though I guess if a guy like Bozak can get 4.2 per year, it can't be all that hard for Henrique to outperform his contract at least in the last 2 years. I just see it as an unnecessary gamble, particularly after the way Zajac played last year after signing his big deal.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

The Olympics are important to the overall growth of the sport, including in the US. There is not another time when hockey is the centerpiece to a major event like the Olympics, which draws viewership from more than just hockey fans. While the NHL sees no direct financial benefit and definitely takes on some risk, it's a bigger picture issue. The benefits to the game overall outweigh the financial risk to the league.

But there's little carry over from the Olympics to NHL viewership. Maybe people pay attention to hockey because it's a novelty they enjoy every four years. I don't seek out gymnastics or figure skating, but I'll certainly watch them during the Olympics.

Personally, i feel if the NHL was concerned with growing the sport, they wouldn't have had two prolonged work stoppages in a decade.

 

[LORDE]

Unless the Olympics are in North America,the NHL shouldn't be involved. Its a travel nightmare to get to Sochi. South Korea will be another nightmare. The NHL is shutting the league down for 2-3 weeks. They receive zero financial benefit. The Americans and Canadians were too cheap to spend $1.2M to insure the players. NHL teams have billions of dollars invested in these players. The NHL and NHLPA have discussed the return of the World Cup of hockey. They sponsor the event played mostly in NHL builldings. The money goes into the NHL pot. Not the IOC pot.

Do you think the NHLers who are non-US/Canadian feel that way?

Maybe we should take their opinions into account? There are quite a few of them.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

At Team Canada's ball hockey camp Nash was skating running with Toews and Eric Staal and Marc Staal was paired with Doughty.

I find it absolutely hilarious that this post is 100% factual. Great mental image. Maybe Keenan can teach them the knuckle puck out there.

 

[GAGLine]

But there's little carry over from the Olympics to NHL viewership. Maybe people pay attention to hockey because it's a novelty they enjoy every four years. I don't seek out gymnastics or figure skating, but I'll certainly watch them during the Olympics.

Personally, i feel if the NHL was concerned with growing the sport, they wouldn't have had two prolonged work stoppages in a decade.

The availability of those other sports outside of the olympics is minimal. It's a lot easier for a casual fan to find hockey on TV than it is gymnastics or figure skating. But what the actual benefit is in growing the sport, I have no idea. I know the 1980 olympics did a lot to grow the sport, for obvious reasons, but NHL players didn't participate.

I think this is one of those "keep the players happy" kind of things. Can you imagine the backlash if the NHL chose not to participate? The Russian players would revolt if the NHL told them they couldn't play in the olympics in their home country. Given the emergence of the KHL, I don't think that's a fight worth fighting.

I suppose the NHL could leave it up to the teams to decide whether or not their players can go, like they do with the WJC, and just have a lighter schedule during the olympics so those who participate won't miss that many games. But that may result in some bad blood between players and teams.

There's probably no ideal solution.

 

[Raspewtin]

wow that Henrique contract is ****. He had one good season and in his sophomore year it became clear how much Parise had to do with his production. I see him as nothing more than a fringe second line center.

 

[RangerBoy]

Derek Stepan spoke to Steve Zipay at the U.S. camp today

Unsigned NYR Derek Stepan, asked if he'll be at training camp Sept. 11: "I don’t expect either side expects me not to be.." (more)

Stepan: "These things take time. Both sides are working at finding the right number and a fair deal for both sides."

McDonagh on college pal Stepan: "He’ll be there (at camp). It’s a unique situation for him but ultimately, he’ll be a Ranger…"

https://twitter.com/stevezipay

 

[eco's bones]

Unless the Olympics are in North America,the NHL shouldn't be involved. Its a travel nightmare to get to Sochi. South Korea will be another nightmare. The NHL is shutting the league down for 2-3 weeks. They receive zero financial benefit. The Americans and Canadians were too cheap to spend $1.2M to insure the players. NHL teams have billions of dollars invested in these players. The NHL and NHLPA have discussed the return of the World Cup of hockey. They sponsor the event played mostly in NHL builldings. The money goes into the NHL pot. Not the IOC pot.

Absolutely agree. The NHL winds up condensing its schedule as well. Personally I think it was best when left to the amateurs.

 

[Tawnos]

How exactly does playing games half way across the world in the middle of the night benefit the NHL?

Are you being purposefully dense? Hockey still draws a large amount of viewers for tape delayed games whether the games are in Canada, Italy or Japan.

Participation of the best players in the world is good for the sport as a whole, which is intrinsically good for the NHL. It can't be quantified, nor should it need to be. This is one of those situations where obsessing over numbers interferes with common sense. There are things that are bigger than the NHL.

 

[eco's bones]

But there's little carry over from the Olympics to NHL viewership. Maybe people pay attention to hockey because it's a novelty they enjoy every four years. I don't seek out gymnastics or figure skating, but I'll certainly watch them during the Olympics.

Personally, i feel if the NHL was concerned with growing the sport, they wouldn't have had two prolonged work stoppages in a decade.

I watch soccer during the World Cup. Other than that not a lot.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

I watch soccer during the World Cup. Other than that not a lot.

Yeah, that's probably a better analogy than the gymnastics/figure skating is.

 

[RangerBoy]

Do you think the NHLers who are non-US/Canadian feel that way?

Maybe we should take their opinions into account? There are quite a few of them.

The NHL benefits from a game played in the middle of the night or in the early morning at the Olympics?

In 1998,Canada lost in a shootout to the Czech Republic. Nagano,Japan. How many people saw that game? It was played in the middle of the night here.

In 2006,Sweden won the gold medal in Torino. The game was played in the middle of the morning on the east coast.

The NHL isn't based in Europe. Those players play in the NHL.

 

[Tawnos]

You guys seem unfamiliar with how Olympics viewership actually works..

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Are you being purposefully dense? Hockey still draws a large amount of viewers for tape delayed games whether the games are in Canada, Italy or Japan.

Participation of the best players in the world is good for the sport as a whole, which is intrinsically good for the NHL. It can't be quantified, nor should it need to be. This is one of those situations where obsessing over numbers interferes with common sense. There are things that are bigger than the NHL.

Id love for you to provide some evidence that the Olympics possess some longterm benefit for NHL viewership. Until then, I'd say you are the one being dense about this.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

You guys seem unfamiliar with how Olympics viewership actually works..

I don't think it's a question of people watching hockey during the Olympics. The better measure is the carry over effect to NHL viewership after the Olympics are over. NBC has both the Olympics and the NHL. I'd love to see if there's a spike in the first Game of the Week after the Olympics. And if so, does that spike sustain?