Confirmed with Link: Will Smith signs ELC

[TheBeard]

You can't really blame him though. He got in one little fight and his mom got scared.

His mom is now advocating for us to re-sign Kunin.

 

[The Nemesis]

His mom is now advocating for us to re-sign Kunin.

Plot twist: His mom is David Quinn's sister.

 

[Patty Ice]

He's moving with his auntie and uncle in Bel-Air

At least it's closer than Boston.

 

[Star Platinum]

I trust Sheng, but is it okay if I contain my excitement until this actually happen?!

No. This is an enthusiasm mandate.

 

[Star Platinum]

Agreed, but mid-level UFAs should be obtainable with overpays given that Sharks offer plenty of playing time

The #1 rule for a rebuilding team is DON'T OVERPAY mid-level free agents.

 

[DG93]

The #1 rule for a rebuilding team is DON'T OVERPAY mid-level free agents.

If it's on 3 year deals, it's fine. The only time cap will matter is in 3 years when it's time to pay all the core pieces

 

[weastern bias]

The #1 rule for a rebuilding team is DON'T OVERPAY mid-level free agents.

If it's on 3 year deals, it's fine. The only time cap will matter is in 3 years when it's time to pay all the core pieces

Agreed here, the mistake isn't necessarily overpaying free agents, it's committing to overpay those free agents long term

We have so many holes to fill and so much cap space that throwing 1 or 2 million over market value at a middle-6 F or 2nd pair D is actually a decent idea, you just have to limit it to a 4 year maximum on term so you're not screwed if a prospect breaks out in a big way and you can extend them long term and not be forced to bridge them unnecessarily

 

[Star Platinum]

Agreed here, the mistake isn't necessarily overpaying free agents, it's committing to overpay those free agents long term

We have so many holes to fill and so much cap space that throwing 1 or 2 million over market value at a middle-6 F or 2nd pair D is actually a decent idea, you just have to limit it to a 4 year maximum on term so you're not screwed if a prospect breaks out in a big way and you can extend them long term and not be forced to bridge them unnecessarily

I'd love to hear a practical example of a team that managed to do this successfully.

 

[jMoneyBrah]

I'd love to hear a practical example of a team that managed to do this successfully.

What’s the sample size of cap era teams that can sign all their worthwhile free-agents, fill out a 21 man roster, have 30 million in cap-space, an owner who will spend, and with only Eklund, Zetterlund, and Mukhamadullin types who might need raises in that three year window? Oh, they also have about $10 million in dead cap that will progressively fall off their cap sheet over that time.

I don’t think is all that hard. The idea is to bring in some short term solutions to just raise the quality of players in key spots on the roster. Add one legit top 6 forward, maybe one middle six forward (depending on Couture’s health), and one/two top 4 dmen.

What’s different now, than in previous free agency periods, for the Sharks is they don’t need to think long term with the signings. So they don’t need be competing with all the other teams for the marquee 26/27/28 year old UFAs looking for big paydays. Instead the 31/32/33/34 year old UFAs who teams aren’t knocking down the door to throw 5,6,7 year contracts at are who we should be looking at. And unlike previous Sharks teams we aren’t cap starved trying to squeeze every penny for value. The only big ticket contracts on the team are for two players that are not in the Sharks future plans, Couture and Vlasic. Both players’ contracts will expire before Celebrini and Smith will need raises. So if we need to strategically add a fourth year to a contract offer it can be accommodated without straining the future cap too much.

Lastly, GMMG has got to do something to improve the roster. He simply cannot run it back again with the same group they ended the season with + Celebrini and Smith. IMO, the Sharks shouldn’t be in the mindset of trading quality OR quantity to acquire long term pieces. Grier should be patient, continue to acquire assets and young players, and leverage the one resource he has in abundance to provide a fruitful environment for the young players to actually get puck touches and develop. Perpetually alternating between chasing the puck in their own end, chipping it out of the zone, or dump and change possessions doesn’t help young players develop.

 

[TheBeard]

I'd love to hear a practical example of a team that managed to do this successfully.

Obviously worse teams will have a different standard for what constitutes a middle 6 or middle pairing player.

 

[CanadienShark]

Would you prefer Couture with Smith or Celebrini? Personally I’m leaning Celebrini but not firm on that.

Smith for me.

 

[Star Platinum]

What’s the sample size of cap era teams that can sign all their worthwhile free-agents, fill out a 21 man roster, have 30 million in cap-space, an owner who will spend, and with only Eklund, Zetterlund, and Mukhamadullin types who might need raises in that three year window? Oh, they also have about $10 million in dead cap that will progressively fall off their cap sheet over that time.

I don’t think is all that hard. The idea is to bring in some short term solutions to just raise the quality of players in key spots on the roster. Add one legit top 6 forward, maybe one middle six forward (depending on Couture’s health), and one/two top 4 dmen.

What’s different now, than in previous free agency periods, for the Sharks is they don’t need to think long term with the signings. So they don’t need be competing with all the other teams for the marquee 26/27/28 year old UFAs looking for big paydays. Instead the 31/32/33/34 year old UFAs who teams aren’t knocking down the door to throw 5,6,7 year contracts at are who we should be looking at. And unlike previous Sharks teams we aren’t cap starved trying to squeeze every penny for value. The only big ticket contracts on the team are for two players that are not in the Sharks future plans, Couture and Vlasic. Both players’ contracts will expire before Celebrini and Smith will need raises. So if we need to strategically add a fourth year to a contract offer it can be accommodated without straining the future cap too much.

Lastly, GMMG has got to do something to improve the roster. He simply cannot run it back again with the same group they ended the season with + Celebrini and Smith. IMO, the Sharks shouldn’t be in the mindset of trading quality OR quantity to acquire long term pieces. Grier should be patient, continue to acquire assets and young players, and leverage the one resource he has in abundance to provide a fruitful environment for the young players to actually get puck touches and develop. Perpetually alternating between chasing the puck in their own end, chipping it out of the zone, or dump and change possessions doesn’t help young players develop.

Every team I've ever rooted for since free agency became a thing in pro sports has had a period where they've been horrible and has tried overpaying mediocre players and not once did that team ever manage to overpay players with a shorter term deal. The bad team always gets bent over for the maximum amount of years and salary both. What you guys are discussing is a rosterbating fantasy that doesn't exist in reality. The Sharks likely will sit on the sidelines and be one of the last teams to sign players once there are fewer options of places to sign and players get a little more desperate and it means that the guys they get will probably be minor, rather than major upgrades to the guys they had last year. And that's appropriate for the situation they're in.

If they actually manage to pull off this "three year overpay contract", I'll happily say that I was dead-ass wrong on this. I sincerely doubt I have anything to worry about in that regard though. If they want to overpay a guy for a one year deal, I have no issue with that. I don't care about owner profit margins. But I do care about having guys on the team that are trade assets and not albatrosses. At every deadline, Sharks should be looking to move expiring deals until they're actually a semi-competitive team.

 

[mogambomoroo]

I was hoping everyone returned to College/Juniors and bring up both Bords and Guschin in slightly limited fashion to see what the Sharks have. Then pickup a couple of cap liabilities, Max two years of term, for something like a high 4th for a mid 2nd one this year one next year for value to move up or add to prospects. Then get two very high picks next year in the lottery.

I would have liked that idea for Gusch and Bords too, to be honest if we didn't draft #1 this year that would have been the plan probably with Smith staying another year in college. But the caliber of prospects we have in #1 pick Celebrini and Smith is going to bring a lot more pressure to start building a winning culture asap.

That's the other side of rebuilding where some of the prospects we've followed for years (Bords, Gusch) eventually don't ever get the chance we envisioned, because of better prospects coming through (which is great). I still would like to see Gusch and Bords get a middle 6 time next year, but I'm not gonna hold my breath on that.

 

[CanadienShark]

Eh. At this point we have exactly two young players that have shown they can be viable NHL pieces going forward - Eklund and Zetterlund. Everyone else is a crapshoot. Highly touted guys don't pan out as often as they do Kakko is practically a healthy scratch in NY. Kent Johnson is underwhelming, Drysdale, Dach, Turcotte etc. We have a lot of picks still even if we move 14 and a future first. I'd still put protections on it and frankly if we're still picking bottom 5 two years from now with Brady, Celebrini, Ek, Smith etc. then something has gone horribly wrong.

If I had the choice of 10 dollars and 10 dollars in lotto tickets, I'd take the 10 dollars every time.

Aside from serious injury concerns, Dach has been fantastic for Montreal.

 

[CanadienShark]

He's moving with his auntie and uncle in Bel-Air

If there is a player named Carlton in the draft, we simply have to select him.

 

[weastern bias]

I'd love to hear a practical example of a team that managed to do this successfully.

Chicago did it this year with Foligno and Perry, neither of those guys were worth $4M on the open market but they took more for one year from a bad team in free agency

Those aren't huge additions, but they undoubtedly improved the Blackhawks roster, which is the kind of signing I think we can realistically look for, veteran depth players who will fill holes for us, not legitimate difference makers, those will arrive in the draft

 

[Boy Hedican]

I'd love to get Brady Tkachuk, but I don't see that happening unfortunately unless they will accept #14, Vegas 1st, and a few other not great assets, which I doubt happens

absolutely not. lol.

WE'RE STILL REBUILDING FOLKS. Dont give away any high pics. Not unless it moves us up in the draft to get our guy. Otherwise, no.

 

[Jargon]

It’s HAAAPPENING

 

[weastern bias]

It’s HAAAPPENING

Hell f***ing yeah, dude

 

[Alaskanice]

I’m hoping it happens today!!

 

[Gecklund]

It’s HAAAPPENING

Pagnotta is a hack. Think when Sheng said it, that should have been the indicator. Wouldn’t be surprised if Pagnotta just saw Sheng’s quote and reworded it.

 

[STL Shark]

Very curious how the rest of the roster is built out. Right decision to get Will to SJ, but makes lineup building tough in terms of spreading out the skill/size/youth ratably instead of overwhelming a line with multiple young slightly built players.

If we're going to get the bigger, faster, tougher to play against identity, I think guys like Bordeleau, Gushchin, and Zadina have to go because you can't add meaningful pieces in the forward group with those guys taking up spots while also not packaging a line with 2-3 super young guys.

Trying to assemble lines makes me realize just how much we're lacking true F1's on this roster right now (Zetterlund, Kunin, and Kostin are the 3 and 2/3 should be 3/4 line tweeners with the Zetterlund being a 2/3 tweener). Hopefully find a way to add some forechecking size and speed to get the puck and allow guys like Smith to make plays with it.

 

[anthonyyy]

If there is a player named Carlton in the draft, we simply have to select him.

I read this as Catton, so I guess let's make that happen.

 

[Jargon]

Pagnotta is a hack. Think when Sheng said it, that should have been the indicator. Wouldn’t be surprised if Pagnotta just saw Sheng’s quote and reworded it.

It does sound like an announcement is coming today so Pagnotta definitely had that scoop.

 

[Gecklund]

It does sound like an announcement is coming today so Pagnotta definitely had that scoop.

I mean Sheng just posted an article yesterday where Smith was walking about coming to SJ. Semantics obviously but Pagnotta is not a reliable source.