AROUND THE LEAGUE - 26-27

[BoS]

Yeah I think the conditional picks based on performance are a good alternative to perhaps having to retain a bunch of salary!

I think Van is going to have to take a warm body back who still has 2-3 years of significant salary, as an alternative to retention.

[Aaronp18]

Yeah I think the conditional picks based on performance are a good alternative to perhaps having to retain a bunch of salary!

I think Van is going to have to take a warm body back who still has 2-3 years of significant salary, as an alternative to retention.

Likely, which is fine if that’s the term. We won’t need significant cap space for another 3 years anyways!

Could make the trade even more palatable as well perhaps getting other assets in return for that salary.

[donlever]

Apparently (allegedly) the Mintyukov offer sheet is imminent and the Ducks have been advised it is incoming.

Edit...and Verbeek heads this one off at the pass with a 5x7.2.

[Megaterio Llamas]

[donlever]

Yeah....the little ball of hate is no fun to be around these days I'm sure......

[BoS]

Apparently (allegedly) the Mintyukov offer sheet is imminent and the Ducks have been advised it is incoming.

Edit...and Verbeek heads this one off at the pass with a 5x7.2.

From which team? Was it reported?

[donlever]

No word yet that I've seen...multiple allegedly

[Hockey Widow]

Wolanin signs one year with Avs. It's a 2 way deal paying $850,000 in the NHL and $400,000 in AHL. Guess we let him go as well. Always liked him but he could not do enough to stay in the NHL.

[UWSaint]

No word yet that I've seen...multiple allegedly

Just feels like teams are circling the blood in the water.

Anaheim walked two of their core players into RFA and had a "Broberg" level third guy.

The team decides it is done with Mason McTavish, a secret to no one. And they aren't quiet about their displeasure with the player (including the scratches). Because it was not a secret, the player goes from a guy teams have been putting soft inquiries into for years (big bodied young center whose been producing as a 2C!), when Anaheim has all the leverage, to Anaheim (effectively) making the calls for best offers and everyone knowing a deal will be done and its best not to negotiate against yourself..

And they take the best offer in isolation of the their situation -- a 15th overall pick and a 29th overall pick (in an okay but not great class) -- but they use their own 4th rounder to move from 29 to 28 OA to get a player that it doesn't really look (to this untrained eye) like a guy materially better than the guys that get drafted after. But in the context of their situation -- a decimated blue line (presumably they know that Trouba and Carlson aren't resigning by now) -- it's a missed opportunity. Like San Jose, seemingly unable to get out of an acquire-for-the-future disposition, the Ducks miss a tremendous opportunity to acquire a cost controlled second pairing defenseman. They are in the mindset their asset was a flawed NHL pivot, and they gave off those vibes. Instead, the vibe should have been "he's young, a proven 2C with more upside, we love him, but we are in greater need of someone reliable on the back end." 2Cs are in shorter supply than solid defensemen. *Play the market, don't let it play you.*

So they don't solve a single problem when they trade McTavish, and they don't solve a single problem before July 1 that McTavish can't help. (The aforementioned core RFAs and Minty.)

Then they sign Minty at $7.2M -- buying a single UFA season as part of the deal. Presumably that means that he was getting $7.16M offer sheets -- the highest compensation for a 1st and 3rd return. (They aren't offering more than 5 year, because it is the total contract value divided by the number of years or five, whichever is lower, that determined the compensation). So you match that offer, but are unable to extend into any meaningful free agency years -- and maybe you are hesitant because you aren't exactly confident with the player and you can't buy into UFA seasons 2 or 3 because of cap concerns. My view is that he's way too young to write off to think that his third pairing ability is his ceiling, but he's really not in a better overall position than Broberg was when he came into his deal (which was the compensation level below -- just a second rounder). And you really can't afford to lose him because you have no defense. And yet what you've also done is the thing that you are scared of doing by matching Philly's offer -- you've set an unsustainable precedent for your own RFAs.

The Anaheim Ducks had everything going for them. The failures here were blocking and tackling. Never play around with core players while you have control of them and walk them to a point where you don't have full control. Even if you keep control over the RFA years, some players have long memories. Marner is reportedly still bitter over having hardball played with him regarding his ELC bonuses.....

The Ducks are in a pickle. If they match the offer, they can't build a balanced team and may have to choose between Sennecke and Gauthier. If they don't match the offer, they don't have a center as part of the core and are destined to be mediocre -- unless they can turn these future assets into present and near future help. But that means getting down the middle strength -- something in shortish supply. I think that's probably their best option. And they should get on that. Once they fire Verbeek.

I love it.

[Topper]

They are in the mindset their asset was a flawed NHL pivot, and they gave off those vibes. Instead, the vibe should have been "he's young, a proven 2C with more upside, we love him, but we are in greater need of someone reliable on the back end." 2Cs are in shorter supply than solid defensemen. *Play the market, don't let it play you.*

You just described the previous Canuck management's penchant for slagging the asset for weeks before trading.

[donlever]

They could take the picks and trade for Larkin in the mean time I suppose.

But yeah.

Verbeek has made a mess for himself.....

Funny eh....both Verbeek and Grier looking like up and comers with their shit together and set up for a decade of success.

And then the glaring fumbles.....

[UWSaint]

They could take the picks and trade for Larkin in the mean time I suppose.

But yeah.

Verbeek has made a mess for himself.....

Funny eh....both Verbeek and Grier looking like up and comers with their shit together and set up for a decade of success.

And then the glaring fumbles.....

Its strange, we've got a few GM's out there who will just not give into reality (e.g., Darche, Drury, Yzerman) and these two who have done the hardest part (compare with Chicago) but are flaccid now that its time to perform. I don't think San Jose's performance anxiety is fatal -- its just a failure to optimally capitalize -- but Anaheim's issues might truly kill the baby in the crib. Because if the best case scenario for them to flip those future picks for current assets, they are going to be assets that aren't on the same timeline and surely won't yield them a better 1C for a window than Leo Carlsson. I mean Larkin is the best thing they can get, and all he could do was keep Detroit in purgatory.

[BoS]

They could take the picks and trade for Larkin in the mean time.

They could have peddled McTavish for Larkin, unless Stevie had no interest.

I say let Leo walk, and move a few of the picks for a highly skilled centre with cost certainty.

Is Elias Pettersson available?

[donlever]

Nemec gets basically the same contract as Mintyukov....

[Meds]

They could take the picks and trade for Larkin in the mean time.

They could have peddled McTavish for Larkin, unless Stevie had no interest.

I say let Leo walk, and move a few of the picks for a highly skilled centre with cost certainty.

Is Elias Pettersson available?

That would be devilishly shrewd of RJ to swoop in and score a 1st rounder (plus) if Philly ultimately has to pay the piper because Anaheim doesn’t match but Verbeek scrambles to try and save his job as Carlsson boards a flight for Broadstreet.