AROUND THE LEAGUE - 26-27

[donlever]

Friedperson putting Pittsburgh and Pettersson together now.

Throwing shit at a wall presumably.

[Lancer]

The Free Agency hoopla has come and gone. We're just getting into the dog days of the offseason. Friedperson needs to generate content before he goes on vacay. The Dickless Swede is unofficially on the market, and it was a weak FA crop. Sure. Why not?

Just get the fucker gone already.

[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.

From which team? Was it reported?

Allegedly the team in question was Carolina.

Apparently (allegedly) Verbeek and Mintyukov were talking 3x3.1 ahead of the CARLSSON offer sheet which subsequently threw a fuck into the defenseman negotiations timing wise.

Apparently (allegedly) Verbeek offered Carlsson 12.5 and Leo's agent countered at 15 which Verbeek was sitting on when the 18 from Philly came in.

Apparently (allegedly) Verbeek assumed (when told it was incoming by the league) that the offer would be more in the 15 mill range (to match what was being asked from the players side) so the 5x18 threw a big hitch into his get along....

[Lancer]

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?

Allegedly the team in question was Carolina.

Apparently (allegedly) Verbeek and Mintyukov were talking 3x3.1 ahead of the CARLSSON offer sheet which subsequently threw a fuck into the defenseman negotiations timing wise.

Apparently (allegedly) Verbeek offered Carlsson 12.5 and Leo's agent countered at 15 which Verbeek was sitting on when the 18 from Philly came in.

Apparently (allegedly) Verbeek assumed (when told it was incoming by the league) that the offer would be more in the 15 mill range (to match what was being asked from the players side) so the18 threw a big hitch into his get along....

Isn't it nice to watch other teams' management do questionable things in the offseason?

[BoS]

Friedperson putting Pittsburgh and Pettersson together now.

Throwing shit at a wall presumably.

If there is one team that Pettersson could regain his form with, it would be Pittsburgh. To slide onto a club that has two first ballot HoF’s with tremendous work ethic and leadership ability, Petey could put his head down and just go to work and torment Tocc and the Flyers.

Ruck twins and some picks, getter done.

[Megaterio Llamas]

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?

Allegedly the team in question was Carolina.

Apparently (allegedly) Verbeek and Mintyukov were talking 3x3.1 ahead of the CARLSSON offer sheet which subsequently threw a fuck into the defenseman negotiations timing wise.

Apparently (allegedly) Verbeek offered Carlsson 12.5 and Leo's agent countered at 15 which Verbeek was sitting on when the 18 from Philly came in.

Apparently (allegedly) Verbeek assumed (when told it was incoming by the league) that the offer would be more in the 15 mill range (to match what was being asked from the players side) so the 5x18 threw a big hitch into his get along....

There was supposedly a Swedish report last summer that Carlsson was willing to sign for $9 or $9.5 back then, but Verbeek stonewalled the negotiations.

[donlever]

Lol.

Had not heard that one but would not surprise me if true.

He did a similar thing to Zegras.

Him I sort of get but Carlsson??

As I've commented on several times dude could be Mats Sundin.

No need to fuck around with that player.

Make an everybody is happy deal and move on...

Where was Verbeek when Ren and Stimpy signed ScooterDoodle?

Could have used a "little ball of hate" like attitude back then....

Edit....lots of chatter out there that Carlsson is more likely to be a Flyer than a Duck next week.

[Meds]

Him I sort of get but Carlsson??

As I've commented on several times dude could be Mats Sundin.

No need to fuck around with that player.

Why not? What did Sundin ever win?

Fuckin Swedes.

[BoS]

Why not? What did Sundin ever win?

3 World Championship gold medals, and an Olympic gold medal with Sweden

[Meds]

Why not? What did Sundin ever win?

3 World Championship gold medals, and an Olympic gold medal with Sweden

Which is worth what, exactly, in the NHL?

[donlever]

Meh...semantics.

Sundin was a horse, a great player, a Hall of Famer.

Not his fault he played for the Leaves.

If Mats played with Sakic instead of Forsberg the Avs still arguably win those Cups.

Some great players don't win Cups (Dionne for instance among many others, Ignila, Thornton et cetera).

If everyone won a Cup a Cup wouldn't mean anything.

[Meds]

Quit harshing on my harshing.

[theman]

Wasn’t sure where to put this but apparently Sportsnet 650 is dead.

Media thread: viewtopic.php?p=617922#p617922

[UWSaint]

Most free agents are swept up in the first day, some on day 2. And they there are those who last longer. They fall into the categories of the pickers and choosers (Ehlers last year), the complementary guy lower on lots of lists but needs were met elsewhere and thus are often the best deals of silly season (Suter when the Canucks grabbed him), the reclamation projects, and those who could be looking at Europe or a PTO if they want to try to keep playing.

Here's a list with a couple guys in each category who are still UFA's nearly a week out: and with a prediction...

The pickers and choosers

Patrick Kane: At this point, like recently resigned Giroux, Kane still has playmaking value -- until he doesn't. I think he knew that Detroit wasn't likely a place to win another Cup; maybe he's changed his mind and wants that now? That's what the insiders are now saying. Which makes me think he stays in Detroit.

Anthony Mantha: After years of what could have been, Mantha had a great season last year and surely was looking to turn that into a big payday. But he's a couple years older than Ehlers was last year, and my guess is that the hang up has been term. He's had consecutive show-me contracts, and surely doesn't want that again. If he readjusts his term expectation to 3-4 years, he will have a good pool of potential suitors. Five or more? I'm guessing Seattle.

The "Suters"

Logan Stanley: The line between being Tyler Myers and signing a 5 by 6 and missing the frenzy is very thin. Its the line between being a 4-5 player (Myers) who can be pushed into the 4 category if signed by a team with better depth, and being a 6-7 player who enjoyed circumstances making you a 4-5 player the year before. There were a few moves for left defensemen this offseason that indicate a trade was a better option that signing Stanley, and I don't think there's any team out there who isn't rebuilding and sees Stanley as a "top 4" upgrade. So he's shopping in the third pairing zone -- that's not shell out the cash, and the acquiring team is going to get value from this signing ($2M for a $3M player) whereas for months we thought he'd be the signing with severe upside down value ($6M for a $3M player). My prediction? Anaheim doesn't match Carlsson, and signs Stanley.

Vlad Taresenko: Tarasenko has found himself in the reclamation category in the past, but he's one of those players who took a big step down from being an impact player and but then plateaued and maybe even bounced back a step last year in Minnesota. The "disappointment" tag is sort of following him around, and he's gone from being a overrated (but good) player to an underrated not too bad player in the past few years as he's bounced between 6 teams in 4 years. I think he's best suited as a middle six secondary scorer on a bubble-to-good team, though while his profile isn't one that usually has a return at the deadline, he's been traded twice at the deadline and so there could be some interest from the rebuilders as well. I think Tarasenko is in the Suter zone (team's might have been willing to pay him more on July 1 but its now a buyer's market), and the chances of getting hired at last year's salary is becoming unlikely. And at 34, he's probably too old for a show me contract -- so who's going to give him 2 years? Edmonton. Everyone gets two years in Edmonton.

The Reclamation Projects

Patrik Laine is far removed from that second overall 40+ goal guy. Questionable work ethic, injury problems, seeming indifference to anything other than shooting the puck. The mysterious "core" surgery may destine him to PTO status, but I think some desperate team will want to sign a big name, and risk will be minimized in the form of a show me contract with a small base and more available in the form of achievable if healthy bonuses. Patrik Laine is going to Detroit....

Eeli Tolvanen. Does a player ever have to be good to be "re" claimed? Tolvanen is one of those guys who seemed on the edge of being a top 6 winger, but then never took off. Things got so bad he was waived by Nashville -- a team that at the time (December 2022) wasn't exactly bursting with success. Things were slightly better in Seattle, but also static and regressed last season, with just 12 goals. Personally, I think Tolvanen was miscast from the beginning as a scorer (because he has a wicked wrister), but is better imagined as a two way player where the goals are a bonus, and not the feature. If Tolvanen is to be "reclaimed," it will be by being part of a third line that's hard to play against, not as a guy brought in to solve scoring woes. Look for him to be signed by Minnesota -- and look for the Wild to move Gustavsson before the start of next season.

Europe or the PTO ... the former Canucks

Carson Soucy (PTO in Philly, signs with St. Louis)
Tanner Pearson (PTO in LA, no contract offered, retires)
Ben Hutton (the NHL looks best from the press box, but the seats are taken; he signs to play in Europe).