AROUND THE LEAGUE - 26-27

[Hockey Widow]

We have come a long way from where players hit FA 27-28 and got paid for what they did whereas RFAs stilled toiled away, waiting for FA. And I agree what it means is that most FAs will have a smaller pool of money to compete for. Players will get paid big bucks for their prime years, presumably where they are most productive, at least for consecutive years. Just a re-adjustment going on perhaps??

[Hockey Widow]

Rumours out there is that the Ducks have approached Vancouver about taking Vatrano's contract. The negotiation is on what the sweetener would be.
He is just shy of 4.7 for the next 2 years. If we could move Debrusk for a decent return, or fair return, and get a sweetener for taking Vatrano I'd be all for it. Depending of course on what the sweetener was. I'd want a 2nd round pick at least.

[donlever]

Read a bunch of stuff about teams cool on DeBrusk due to term of deal combined with streaky game.

Decent term and dollar investment on a guy you never know when you can count on.....

[Picker of Cherries]

4.7m cap dump for two years has to be a first rounder, even if he plays well and they can retain and flip him for another pick at this or next trade TDL. In a rebuild, they aren’t adding players like him to be part of the core.

[Hockey Widow]

Read a bunch of stuff about teams cool on DeBrusk due to term of deal combined with streaky game.

Decent term and dollar investment on a guy you never know when you can count on.....

Why the Bruins let him walk in FA. He is inconsistent and streaky. But a guy who will get you 25-30 goals and is decent on the PP has value for secondary scoring and the cap is just right for that type of player. But ya, the return won't be as high as I'd like.

[Hockey Widow]

4.7m cap dump for two years has to be a first rounder, even if he plays well and they can retain and flip him for another pick at this or next trade TDL. In a rebuild, they aren’t adding players like him to be part of the core.

No but we don't have a lot of forward prospects who will be ready to suit up this year. Maybe next year.

[Meds]

The worst part of this situation is that now any pending RFA's may gamble on themselves in their final season. Which sorta ties management's hands into a damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Curious, Mëds, as to why the normative “worst” description? If RFAs start to get firmer with their limited rights, all it means is a little bit of distribution from the UFA age group to the RFA age group. It’s a hard cap, zero sum world. Things would be different, but how is it worse? It is worse for management to pay squat to RFAs, but is it really harder to build a good team given the downstream effect this will invariably have on the UFA group? It’s really good for young good players, is that normatively bad for the league or the fans?

I suppose I was meaning the worst part in the sense of the worst-case scenario in reference to the idea that GM's have to lock up talent early instead of being old school.

I mean, in this case, Verbeek tried to get a young player to sign for a decent contract. Frankly $12+M (rumoured) for a guy, who has not yet scored 82 points in a season, is more than fair. Now the agent was doing his job and trying to gobble up more by projecting what Carlsson should become over the duration of the contract, so Verbeek fucked up. If the rumoured ask was $15M and the rumoured offer was $12M, then Verbeek should have stepped up and offered $13.5M to meet in the middle. He didn't, and Briere lost his marbles.

So sure, don't play the old-school hardball, but now we are entering an era (potentially) where we might watch GM's try to do the right thing only to have agents and players reject offers in hopes of grabbing an offer sheet.....and then those GM's will get crucified by fans. If that plays out, then why no play hardball?

[Meds]

4.7m cap dump for two years has to be a first rounder, even if he plays well and they can retain and flip him for another pick at this or next trade TDL. In a rebuild, they aren’t adding players like him to be part of the core.

For a first I would add him if they can move Petey somewhere else.

[Picker of Cherries]

Read a bunch of stuff about teams cool on DeBrusk due to term of deal combined with streaky game.

Decent erm and dollar investment on a guy you never know when you can count on.....

Why the Bruins let him walk in FA. He is inconsistent and streaky. But a guy who will get you 25-30 goals and is decent on the PP has value for secondary scoring and the cap is just right for that type of player. But ya, the return won't be as high as I'd like.

The guy can’t accept or send a pass. He’s paid like a top six player, but the Bruins usually had him in the bottom six. That’s where he should be, chipping in a few goals here and there on individual effort in front of the net, mostly on the PP. He doesn’t work well with top six skilled players. That’s not his game. Crap signing - 5.5m for a third liner. I’m not at all surprised he’s hard to move.

[donlever]

New webz chatter has Verbeek talking to Dubas about Killorn and Vatrano on a "sweet deal" to help the Pens fuck over the Flyers by strengthening their line up.

[BoS]

I would take Killorn over Vatrano. Dunno about the Italian, but at least Killorn brings leadership and experience, and could be shipped out in 6 months

[UWSaint]

I mean, in this case, Verbeek tried to get a young player to sign for a decent contract. Frankly $12+M (rumoured) for a guy, who has not yet scored 82 points in a season, is more than fair. Now the agent was doing his job and trying to gobble up more by projecting what Carlsson should become over the duration of the contract, so Verbeek fucked up. If the rumoured ask was $15M and the rumoured offer was $12M, then Verbeek should have stepped up and offered $13.5M to meet in the middle. He didn't, and Briere lost his marbles.

So my understanding from an interview with an nhl insider is that Carlsson wasn’t at $15 million *until he had the offer for $18 million*. Carlsson (or agent) went to Verbeek that morning and said, “I have this offer. I haven’t signed it. I will stay here for $15 million a season.” And the insider understood that $15 million a year deal was for 8 years, not 5.
Verbeek said he wouldn’t move above 12, and good luck.

I don’t know where the parties were before July 1, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Carlsson had made an offer less than $15M at some point in their negotiations.

So think about this disloyal, money grabbing never a point a game Swede. Willing to play for the club who drafted him and give up $3M a year in the process. (Well, with Cali taxes, even more). And Verbeek, the poor manager caught in a rock and a hard place with a player who turned down skimpy offers and walked to rfa, choosing to pay $18M instead of $15M so as to, ummm, not get pushed around?

[UWSaint]

Read a bunch of stuff about teams cool on DeBrusk due to term of deal combined with streaky game.

Decent term and dollar investment on a guy you never know when you can count on.....

You just need one team hot on him….

The Canucks traded two guys that produced as middle 6 wingers last year, Garland and Sherwood. Garland also had a long term; Sherwood was a rental. Garland returned a 2d and 3d; Sherwood two 2ds. The three players are similar in age and all have different plus factors to their games. Jake’s is scoring in tight. Garland was an ice tilt stabilizer, crafty stick checker and phone booth puck handler. Sherwood was hard forechecker, played physically. Pretty good on the pk; shit on a power play.

Garland is just as streaky production wise as DeBrusk, but the thing about it was that when he wasn’t scoring, his play was still noticeable (and positively so). Same with Sherwood. Not so with DeBrusk. When he disappears, he can really disappear.

[Meds]

I mean, in this case, Verbeek tried to get a young player to sign for a decent contract. Frankly $12+M (rumoured) for a guy, who has not yet scored 82 points in a season, is more than fair. Now the agent was doing his job and trying to gobble up more by projecting what Carlsson should become over the duration of the contract, so Verbeek fucked up. If the rumoured ask was $15M and the rumoured offer was $12M, then Verbeek should have stepped up and offered $13.5M to meet in the middle. He didn't, and Briere lost his marbles.

So my understanding from an interview with an nhl insider is that Carlsson wasn’t at $15 million *until he had the offer for $18 million*. Carlsson (or agent) went to Verbeek that morning and said, “I have this offer. I haven’t signed it. I will stay here for $15 million a season.” And the insider understood that $15 million a year deal was for 8 years, not 5.
Verbeek said he wouldn’t move above 12, and good luck.

I don’t know where the parties were before July 1, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Carlsson had made an offer less than $15M at some point in their negotiations.

So think about this disloyal, money grabbing never a point a game Swede. Willing to play for the club who drafted him and give up $3M a year in the process. (Well, with Cali taxes, even more). And Verbeek, the poor manager caught in a rock and a hard place with a player who turned down skimpy offers and walked to rfa, choosing to pay $18M instead of $15M so as to, ummm, not get pushed around?

Well I wasn't faulting the player, they have every right to pursue the offer sheet.

I was faulting Briere and Verbeek. The players and agents will simply play in the sandbox that the owners and GM's create.

Prior to this, I don't recall many crazy offer sheets that were massive overpayments.

Broberg and Holloway in 2024. St. Louis poached them from Edmonton, but they were pretty minor considering.

Carolina went after Kotkaniemi and got him (Montreal is now laughing).

Montreal went after Aho and Carolina matched.

Philly went after Weber and Nashville matched.

Edmonton went after Vanek and the Sabres matched.

Edmonton stole Penner from the Ducks way back in the day.

There have been others, but they've been largely inconsequential salaries that haven't moved the needle.

That's 7 in 20 years.....it just hasn't been a thing.

Verbeek is a complete retard and should be chased from the game if that information regarding Carlsson willing to sign for $15M is true and he would commit to 8 years at that price instead of signing the offer sheet.