kas23

In light of his on-ice production, his off-ice attention is becoming a headache. I didn't say he's doing anything illegal. He may or may not be, but the dude has to learn how to act like a professional athlete. I don't think they'll be many suitors.

I see the goal posts moving now.

That's not what he wrote though. He said that we can't fault Vesey for wanting to maximize the money he'll get due to his increased production.

How has he increased his value? He's still limited by the maximum you can get in an ELC. And I'm sure Nashville would've given him that maximum considering they told him he would be a top-6 forward. Saying he would've got less is anyone's guess because he flat out refused to negotiate with Nashville b You know, for someone who is grossly informed, your post was long-winded and bordering on insulting.

A lot of NHL players apparently have Daddy issues. Lemieux and Vesey immediately come to mind.

It would hope an NHL GM wouldn't be so petty as to shy away from getting a player he really wants from a team just because the team offer sheeted him a few years back. That, plus we tried to trade for Fowler apparently and were rebuked anyhow. But, of course we have zero details about that potential trade and what really went down.

I'm not interested in giving up so much for a forward, especially if Vesey signs. As for offer sheeting Lindholm, I'll jump on that bandwagon.

Oh boy do I hate this argument. Some people don't realize the NHL/NFL/NBA season is zero sum game. Not everyone wins. For every winner, there has to be a loser. Sort of like the stock market and mutual fund managers. Index funds have been proven to outperform most actively managed (by a professionals nonetheless!) funds.

Correct. I'm sure GMTM isn't sitting on his hands, Russ Brandon wiping his tears for him, wondering what will he ever do now.

Makes you wonder if we could've gotten him on the cheap though. Surely Pysyk for Hall was discussed, I hope.

If he actually hit FA, he definitely would have been offered more than 8.5 per season, likely around 11. And the tax savings really aren't that great. Only half his salary would've been not taxed. And as we all know from doing our taxes, state taxes pale in comparison to federal taxes.

It's baffling he would leave so much money on the table.

Sign and trade???

I totally agree with the beginning of your post, but am completely opposed to what you say at the end.

Imo, offer sheets aren't used enough in this league. They definitely make things interesting. Just imagine if we let EDM take Vanek. Oh, we can only dream...

First, poor examples. Not a day goes by on here where someone is not complaining about Moulson's contract. He's the perfect example of bust (outside of Leino). Then there's Kane. Again, not worth the money we pay him and some think we should either trade him or send him to the 3rd line. But, that's immaterial. The biggest question is: what Stamkos will we get? The 25 goal scorer or the 60 goal scorer? Considering I don't think anyone will score 60 in the near future, coupled with him getting older, my compromise is 30-35 goals per season. Is it worth it? Sure, for the next 3-4 years it definitely is. But what happens when we have to pay BOTH Samson and Jack? You willing to let one of them walk because we need to pay Stamkos the last 3 years of his contract?

I'm pretty sure I know how contracts work (more so than I wish), but that's neither here nor there. I guess we'll see how this plays out.

No doubt they'll be looking to do this. If they want to drive their price up, Buffalo is the perfect tool to do this. Plus, it makes zero sense for him to sign with Buffalo when his hometown team also wants him. Zero. That said, if Toronto wants to give him 12+ million every year for the next 7 years, due to us, I'll drive him to Toronto to sign his name. That'll be a crippling contract for them with only a slim chance he ever lives up to that contract. Newport is under a legal obligation to do what's in the best interest of their clients, not the negotiating GM. Getting the very best contract for their clients trumps any relationships they may have with GMs.

After Vesey signing on the 1st, it'll be great to see him suit up.

Yes. I don't want to overpay for Okposo just because we can.

He'll need to bulk up, but if he's molded correctedly, I'm sure he'll make a big splash.

I agree with this. But it could be a boom or bust moment for us. And the bust would be a bad one. At least I don't want GMTM going after JT wingers. Waste of time and money.

I don't think anyone is arguing we should rely on "all home grown talent". Our team should be significantly better even if we make no moves. If Kulikov works out and Vesey signs and is decent, I think we'll be fine. They aren't home grown. Next offseason, we can reassess where we are, how far away from a SC run, and then act according by adding more non-home grown talent.

Not to mention to ensure the opposing team win.

That is a great article. Everyone should be proud.