apuszczalowski

When do we stop building for the future and start building for now? Are 4 20+ picks really worth saving for players who will probably never be as good as Marner? At some point they need to make moves to make the team better now. They have enough youth right now, and it's not like they are going to get older by brining in a player like Marner, they will still be a very young team. He can also make a guy like Sam expendable and might be able to get some picks or prospects back in return to restock Rochester

It makes sense in those teams needing the extra boost, but typically the good playoff teams are already close to the cap and couldn't make a big offer unless they are losing one of their top players and it could become a wash if they actually improve or not. For the bottom tier teams, they typically are the ones with the cap space but also would fear that they end up in Ottawa's situation this year where they almost gave away the #1 overall pick. I don't think it's a bad move for the Sabres to offer sheet him, even if it is for 4 1sts. He doesn't make them worse then last year where they drafted 7th, adding him makes the forwards better. And he is an upgrade over Reinhart so if they move him to recoup some of what they gave up they are still good. As for the 2 C spot, they should be looking for decent veteran C that would sign a 2-3 year deal to fill the gap and hope Middlestat ends up taking the job before that contract is up.

They aren't necessarily wrong, if he decided to play recklessly leading to taking head shots, or played through concussions, or hid symptoms to keep playing, etc. he would hold some fault for his health before dying. Many players, especially fringe or lower level ones would play through injuries and not disclose symptoms to stay in the lineup and not risk losing a roster spot. Not saying that's necessarily what happened here since none of us know his medical history and what injuries he may have had

But if he wanted $9.5 for 5 years, and they knew no team was going to offer that because of the draft pick compensation, he did let the other GM do the negotiating for them if it was their plan to match any offer that was less than that. They gambled that no one would give up 4 1sts (or 2 1sts a 2nd and a 3rd or whatever for him) and they let him negotiate with another team for a lesser offer he wasn't accepting until he was able to negotiate elsewhere. It's a risk that there's another GM out there willing to be crazy that they took. But it let Aho have the opportunity to test his market and see if someone would give him what he wanted while also giving the Canes the ability to get compensation back if someone agrees with what he wanted.

Montreal probably didn't want to give up the extra picks for him while also having to pay more. They could always take those picks and use it in a deal with another team in a cap crunch looking to move someone and get a good player at possibly a lower salary. With RFA offer sheets, the GMs/teams also have to factor draft pick compensation into their offer of what they are comfortable paying a young player without a long track record. The Canadians probably felt that the best move to make to get Carolina to pass was to make the owner have to spend a ton of cash in the first year that he may not have to give It does seem stupid/crazy to basically be in a position where you let other GMs negotiate a deal for one of your star players for you, but this owner is different and doesn't necessarily sound like he is very good with money (he did invest a big chunk into a football league that was about to fold and then did fold a few weeks later) he seems like one of those guys who makes a ton of money quickly and easily and thinks the gravel train will keep rolling so he throws it away doing things for fun. He isn't your typical team owner and just wants to do things his way/the fun way which usually leads them to bankruptcy very quickly.....

They expand the league to grow the game. Would Austin Matthews be the player he is without the Coyotes? How many more kids are being exposed to hockey in the southern US because of some of these teams expanding there? As for the owner and the team, at times he does sound cheap and then he throws a ton of money into a failing football league that folds a few weeks later (and has now asked for that investment back). I don't know if he is necessarily cheap, seems more inexperienced and a little dumb with his money. Sounds like someone who either was given the money or got rush to quick and didn't have to work hard to earn it. He wants to have fun but doesn't appear to know what's needed to run a team. It also seems like he is the small fish in a big pond, having enough money to acquire the team and run it, but not enough to really invest in it and have money laying around From their response to this offer, it appears like they tried to make an offer thay was a bit of a low ball offer and then just decided to let another GM do the dirty work for them and negotiate a deal that they would just have to match. If the Canes make a deal, they are looking at big money and full term, if someone else makes the offer as a RFA, they will be looking at something not overly crazy (very few teams are going to give up 4 1st rounders and a huge contract) which is probably going to limit the term to him being able to be a FA as soon as he is eligible. Financially this wasn't a horrible move for them (unless the owner doesn't have the liquid cash to pay his bonus), but PR wise it was bad because it looks bad on the team and players may not be accepting of how they went about this.....

Funny, I was reading somewhere else where they were saying the AVS won this deal. There was some beleif that Ceci could be flipped now. There's always teams out there willing to help out.......

I think it has more to do with Varlamov having a better track record then Lehner having a career year. Varlamov has shown he is a good goalie, Lehner has to show last year wasn't a fluke and that he can stay clean. It's probably why he took the one year from Chicago cause it allows him to try again next offseason if he puts up good numbers again.

Probably less money, he said before that he just wanted to deal with them and stay there, but they seemed to have no interest in keeping him unless it was cheap. The Islanders seemed to have had more interest in swapping out their guys for other guys. Sounds like resigning Lee was a plan B if they didn't get Panarin, and they weren't sold on Lehner yet

From all of his comments, it sounds like he is looking after himself first, which is funny cause he is from the area and all you ever hear around here is that all the local kids dream every day of having the chance to play for the Leafs

Guess a tandem starter situation?

Well their young stars have said it was a good things for them and they have been in the playoffs. They didn't want to get rid of him but he asked to go back closer to home and the Leafs needed more cap space to sign one of their young stars

Then he doesn't want to be there and your wanting to change the system so that teams get to force people to play where they don't want to.

But that's why theres such a high draft pick compensation for a high priced deal. Whether your a rich team or not, draft picks are the same and many don't want to give up a bunch plus pay a huge salary for someone who isn't a superstar. It's why it's rare that it happens

Easy solution for the other team, sign them to an extension before they get to this point. No sympathy for the Hurricanes from me, they had the chance to sign him but wanted him cheap. Talent costs money....

And yet teams are always able to get out of being screwed. In 5 years $10 mil a year isn't going to be as bad as it seems today. It also won't be so bad if it improves your team and your making the playoffs with the income from that

Worry about it then. Either he backs up Knight or they find someone to take him as a salary dump or even a buyout.

Very few first rounders outside the top 10 start right away, goalies usually take longer to develop and start. They now have someone to take the reigns now with a very good prospect to eventually back him up and take over. 5 years with a NMC, by then knight should be ready to take over

Or fans of hockey teams that are 'trying to win'......

I'm talking about FA, which started today, that's how he's relevant

Who said anything about a trade from last season?

I guess, Gilmour was #50 on a top 50 list of UFAs

Back to dumpster diving in the discount bin...... Remember when 'Hockey Heaven' was going to be a player because Terry could just 'Drill another Well'?

Not if you talk to the young core of that team who thought of him as a mentor and father figure. I don't think the Leafs regret it if it had any kind of positive impact on Matthews, Marner and the rest.....

Well their approach since then has worked so well by avoiding anyone with talent and loading up on minor league depth.....