NHL 2010/2011

[Gabriel]

To be fair, with the amount of money you already have locked up, if you want someone who can fight you can't really afford McGratton.

Well, we have to move a defenseman. Ian White is going to get signed and Adam Pardy is ready to play full time. Regehr and Sarich become expendable, and worst case scenario, you move one or both of those guys and grab a few first or second round picks in the upcoming draft.

Moves have to be made anyways to free up spaces on the roster, so that will free up cap space.

It seems like Sutter is making changes for the sake of making changes. He's let Higgins and Nystrom go already, McGratton is probably gone too, and Jamal Mayers hasn't been re-signed.

Instead of moving pieces who weren't performing, he's just letting guys go who WERE performing, and replacing them with guys who are more expensive AND bring less to the table.

I understand that it's sometimes hard to move the pieces who don't perform because of contract numbers and so forth... but if you can't make positive changes, then don't make any changes at all.

...at least the Leafs look like they'll be a much better team this season.

EDIT: Matthew Lombardi signs with Nashville, 3 years at $3.5 per season. There's another former Flame that Sutter could have brought back instead of Jokinen. Lombardi is heading into the prime of his career, and it's not too far fetched to assume that Jokinen's best days are way behind him.

Edited July 2, 2010 by Gabriel

[Toe]

In the end, it could all work. Right now, however, I would not be happy if I was a Flames fan.

[Toe]

Sounds like Kovalchuk is going to re-sign with the Devils for 7 years.

[Draevyn]

Sounds like Kovalchuk is going to re-sign with the Devils for 7 years.

I haven't been keeping up with much besides the Pens in the off season but didn't the Devils already use up most of their cap space already?

[TGWL]

They'd be over for sure, but they still have until Oct to get that sorted out. Rumor has Devils signing him and then trading him lol. I love rumors.

[Toe]

I believe a more plausible move would be the Devils trading one of their big contracts like Zubrus, or burying a contract in the minors. Lou has done it before, so it could happen.

On a sadder note, Bob Probert has died.

[Gabriel]

If Kovalchuk signs in New Jersey, I fully expect Zach Parise to be on the market. He's a restricted free agent after this season, I believe, and that puts him in a position where he becomes expendable to the team. First, because Kovalchuk is a goal scorer. Second, because re-signing him as an RFA would be hell after adding Kovalchuk's salary to the books. So instead of losing him for nothing after the season, I would expect Parise to be on the market.

Possible destinations according to me:

Toronto, where he would be able to play alongside Kessel on the first line, and likely sign an extension...

Boston, who may still be trying to unload Savard. Savard to Jersey, with term on his deal and a set price of $4.5 (IIRC), and Parise gets to go to Boston, where an extension is again possible, and the Bruins free up the center position for Seguin...

Calgary, who are really just looking to dump some salary right now. Jersey takes on a defenseman or two, allowing for Ian White's re-signing in Calgary, and the Flames pick up a rental player for the season...

Chicago, same deal as Calgary. Salary dump for a rental player...

Florida, where Tallon is still likely looking to move several pieces out, and has done a really good job of bringing in quality pieces this summer...

Los Angeles. The Kings missed out on the Kovalchuk sweepstakes apparently, but if Parise's on the move, I say they could end up with a better player out of the whole thing. Parise's a good leader and teammate with good scoring ability. Much more valuable to the Kings than a Kovalchuk, in my mind...

Pittsburgh, where they're always looking for a winger, but because of the Atlantic Division rivalry, I would be shocked to see that happen.

Where I think he would fit best though, is in Colorado, where he'd be able to come in as a young guy with experience and leadership abilities, play a role on the first line and help the Avs' young players with their progression and growth.

[Plubby]

If you wouldn't mind playing fantasy Lou (no, not that Lou, SDM) for a moment, Gabriel. I'll play the role of fantasy Goofy Greg Sherman (trademark).

You've signed Kovy, and now i'm contacting you regarding the availability of Parise. Who would you be interested in from the Colorado ranks?

(not that I disagree with you, and i'd do a backflip if we could get Parise...just interested is all)

[Gabriel]

Assuming he would waive his no movement clause to go to a team who is closer on paper to a Stanley Cup contender for the upcoming season, I believe Milan Hejduk would be a good swap. He may not bring exactly what Parise did, but he's good for around 15-20 goals, brings a veteran presence and will be gone at the season's end, which clears up any trouble with the cap in future years for New Jersey. Of course, the Devils would still have to move some other numbers around, but Zubrus could even be packaged with Parise to dump some salary, with Colorado giving up some picks or prospects to even the deal out a little.

So, ideally, we would see this:

To New Jersey:

Milan Hejduk

2nd Round Pick

Prospect

To Colorado:

Zach Parise

Dainius Zubrus

Both teams come out of the deal okay. Jersey loses Parise, but only because they're going nuts with Kovalchuk and his cap hit. Teams know that they're in a pressure situation to make the numbers work, and that's why an aging Hejduk is the main piece of the puzzle returning to them. Aging or not, however, Hejduk will provide secondary scoring on the wing for the season, and won't complicate matters past the 10/11 season.

The Avalanche pick up a young player who is going to be a franchise type player, underappreciated by most fans because of the system he's played his whole career in. Parise will take the leadership role in Colorado and run with it, teaching the young guys how to grow into their roles and become better NHL players. Zubrus is strictly to make the money work. The Devils should be looking at him as target number one to move because of his subpar numbers on the Atlantic coast, but nobody in their right mind would trade specifically for him. So, you want Parise, you take Zubrus. Fortunately for the Avs, it's a worthwhile gamble, as they are currently sitting with plenty of money to play with, and the chance to extend Zach Parise's stay with the team is worth the risk of taking on an underachieving Zubrus.

[Cactus Drags]

I don't ever want to lose The Duke.

And if some hockey blogs are right, the Avs are taking cap hits buying out contracts (Tom Preissing) just to hit the floor without spending money, doesn't sound good.

[Plubby]

That's an interesting proposal, and one i'd take on EHM - but in the real world, I don't think Hedgy's influence on our young forwards - Stewy, Yipper and even the centremen like Dutchy and Radar - can be overstated.

I don't imagine that we'd have an issue taking on Zubrus's contract to help take the pressure off, but I don't know if Hejduk would go as part of the deal. A re-signed Marek Svatos (who would make less than Hejduk thus more cap relief), along with the second and maybe a prospect like Kyle Cumiskey (who I would hate to lose, but we have Shattenkirk, Elliott and the like to fill the void) would be interesting, but it remains to be seen if Svats would be of any interest to the Devils.

[SeanDMan]

The only problem with that deal is that Fantasy Lou isn't real. In reality we have Boring Math Lou, who somehow manages to find ways to bury guys in the AHL, trade for dudes with long term injury concerns, and otherwise write off salary so that he can somehow, inexplicably, stay under the cap.

The man is like the Dark Lord of the Salary Cap.

[SeanDMan]

I don't ever want to lose The Duke.

And if some hockey blogs are right, the Avs are taking cap hits buying out contracts (Tom Preissing) just to hit the floor without spending money, doesn't sound good.

I missed this post originally.

This isn't per se a bad thing, actually. The Avalanche are in the unique position where the majority of their best players are young and vastly underpaid. I don't think they want to be at the Salary Floor because they don't have the cash, I think they have to be at the salary floor but don't feel like overpaying for players who aren't any better than the current crop they have right now anyway. I mean, realistically, would you want to spend money on buying out players who can't make your team, or would you want to jump in on the Derek Boogard sweepstakes?

I don't think this has anything to do with profitability, either. The Avalanche always fill their building, so unless they reinvested a shitload of money banking on the Denver NBA team to become a dynasty and are waiting for that investment to be paid back, I have no doubt that they do just fine, money wise. They're just in a unique situation with their overabundance of young talent.

[Plubby]

The only problem with that deal is that Fantasy Lou isn't real.

Stop shitting on our Fantasy General Managing, Sean

[SeanDMan]

So Nikolai Zherdev wants to come back to the NHL, and he's looking for a multi year deal worth four million dollars a season.

In related news, Nikolai Zherdev will be in the KHL next season.

[Plubby]

We'll take him at four per. Then deal straight-up for the Sedins, claiming Zherdev is a FA defensemen. The Nucks won't be able to keep their hands off.

#FantasyGeneralManagerPlubby

>_<

[SeanDMan]

We've only signed one free agent defender this off season, thank you. We've signed, and coincidentally, need more forwards.

[Juce734]

I've been a Red Wings fan my whole life. Bob Probert passing is really sad.

RIP Probert!

[TGWL]

Zherdev isn't a bad player and probably would be worth 4 mil if he ever decided to care.

[SeanDMan]

Using that logic though the Olli Jokinen signing makes sense.

When you talk about players with fragile egos and superstar complexes that outweigh their (undeniable) talent, you can't lock up 4 or 5 million dollars into that guy, because it creates an artificial singularity of suck whereby all his anti-motivation saps the will to play out of his teammates when they realize that no matter how hard they try, this priss will get all their icetime and all their money just because he can presumably contribute if he ever decides to stop just meandering and spending his money in his head while skating.