Blues Discussion Thread 2018-2019

[Brian39]

Not trying to beat a dead horse on the LH LW issue. I was legitimately curious why the majority were opposed to it, hence my initial question a few posts up. All valid points have been presented. I may be in the minority but I personally wouldn't rule out upgrading LW, despite the lack of depth we have at other positions. I wasn't proposing an either or scenario. I want all of the above. Try to minimize as many of the ? marks going into next season as possible.

Anyone got any ideas for C and RW upgrades? Pretty slim pickings in FA for RW.

I hope the Blues take a serious run at trading for Tyler Johnson from Tampa. Tampa can make the cap work with him next season, but then Kucherov and Point are due huge raises and McDonagh, Coburn, Stralman, and Girardi all hit UFA at the same time. I don;t think they can afford Johnson beyond next season, so I'd be making a big push to get him now. I like him because he is a RHS, plays a fairly speedy game and has performed both at C and RW. If you get him at the draft, it greatly increases your flexibility for the rest of the summer since you can plug him either at 2C or 2RW.

 

[EastonBlues22]

Not trying to beat a dead horse on the LH LW issue. I was legitimately curious why the majority were opposed to it, hence my initial question a few posts up. All valid points have been presented. I may be in the minority but I personally wouldn't rule out upgrading LW, despite the lack of depth we have at other positions. I wasn't proposing an either or scenario. I want all of the above. Try to minimize as many of the ? marks going into next season as possible.

Anyone got any ideas for C and RW upgrades? Pretty slim pickings in FA for RW.

Upgrade is a generous word, as it implies that the Blues already have a viable alternative in place.

There have been a number of names floated around in the rumor mill, but who knows what's truly available (both in the literal sense of the word, and in terms of a realistic/reachable asking price).

I think we can all generally agree that center and right wing are more pressing matters than left wing, though, and it seems reasonable to assume Armstrong will be working from the same premise. If we upgrade LW and don't address the other concerns, I don't think it will have any significant impact on this team's status as a potential contender.

 

[MissouriMook]

I hope the Blues take a serious run at trading for Tyler Johnson from Tampa. Tampa can make the cap work with him next season, but then Kucherov and Point are due huge raises and McDonagh, Coburn, Stralman, and Girardi all hit UFA at the same time. I don;t think they can afford Johnson beyond next season, so I'd be making a big push to get him now. I like him because he is a RHS, plays a fairly speedy game and has performed both at C and RW. If you get him at the draft, it greatly increases your flexibility for the rest of the summer since you can plug him either at 2C or 2RW.

Another point on the Tyler Johnson front is that his NTC kicks in on July 1. Any good GM can get around an NTC if he really wants to move a player, but it's not nothing either. Yzerman may be inclined to move him this summer rather than waiting until next even though he doesn't need the cap space yet.

This is just my $0.02 and I have no inside information, but I wouldn't be 100% shocked to see Kucherov moved this summer. He would fetch a King's Ransom, and I'm not sure it is a path we could go down with much success, but I have a funny feeling about something I've heard several times this spring. It has never been presented as a direct quote from the player (perhaps it was from his agent) but I've heard the comment several times that "the Lightning used the weight of the CBA in its negotiations with him on his current contract and he will certainly use the weight of the CBA in his negotiations with the team for his next contract."

That team has been built by Yzerman with the cooperation of their players taking solid, yet "team friendly" deals. If Stevie Y feels like Kucherov isn't going to make the same concessions, he may feel it is better to move him this offseason rather than getting backed into a corner by a guy looking for a huge deal that upsets his salary structure. He is still an RFA after next season but he only has one more year of control after that as he has accrued 5 seasons of service this season.

 

[WeWentBlues]

I hope the Blues take a serious run at trading for Tyler Johnson from Tampa. Tampa can make the cap work with him next season, but then Kucherov and Point are due huge raises and McDonagh, Coburn, Stralman, and Girardi all hit UFA at the same time. I don;t think they can afford Johnson beyond next season, so I'd be making a big push to get him now. I like him because he is a RHS, plays a fairly speedy game and has performed both at C and RW. If you get him at the draft, it greatly increases your flexibility for the rest of the summer since you can plug him either at 2C or 2RW.

His NTC clause kicks in July 1. Yzerman may be motivated to sell given the NTC and the reasons you point out above.

EDIT: I see I was too slow on my reply as someone pointed out above.

 

[WeWentBlues]

What do people think about Grabner as a fit?

 

[Brian39]

Another point on the Tyler Johnson front is that his NTC kicks in on July 1. Any good GM can get around an NTC if he really wants to move a player, but it's not nothing either. Yzerman may be inclined to move him this summer rather than waiting until next even though he doesn't need the cap space yet.

This is just my $0.02 and I have no inside information, but I wouldn't be 100% shocked to see Kucherov moved this summer. He would fetch a King's Ransom, and I'm not sure it is a path we could go down with much success, but I have a funny feeling about something I've heard several times this spring. It has never been presented as a direct quote from the player (perhaps it was from his agent) but I've heard the comment several times that "the Lightning used the weight of the CBA in its negotiations with him on his current contract and he will certainly use the weight of the CBA in his negotiations with the team for his next contract."

That team has been built by Yzerman with the cooperation of their players taking solid, yet "team friendly" deals. If Stevie Y feels like Kucherov isn't going to make the same concessions, he may feel it is better to move him this offseason rather than getting backed into a corner by a guy looking for a huge deal that upsets his salary structure. He is still an RFA after next season but he only has one more year of control after that as he has accrued 5 seasons of service this season.

I meant to include the NTC info to explain why Yzerman may try to move him this summer instead of waiting for the cap crunch to hit and just completely spaced. Thanks for bringing that up (also thanks to SteveR85).

I'd be surprised if they moved Kucherov unless they absolutely can't get him signed. He just scored 100 points after scoring 85 the year before. He's a top 10 scorer in the league and a huge reason the Lightning are legit contenders. Stevie Y has been shrewd about his contracts and may not like the money he will have to give up, but losing Kucherov would make that team demonstrably worse.

 

[Dbrownss]

What do people think about Grabner as a fit?

He was a ranger anomaly. Completely useless in NJ

 

[simon IC]

What do people think about Grabner as a fit?

I have always liked him. RW, although a LHS. He is very fast, good defensively, and can PK. I don't know what happened to him in NJ. Might be a coaching issue? I would like him on the Blues, but the question is, does he warrant the big contract he undoubtedly is looking for? I have also read that he wants to stay in the NYC area, but this is of course, unsubstantiated rumour.

 

[EastonBlues22]

What do people think about Grabner as a fit?

I'd prefer having him over Sobotka, for sure, and quite possibly Berglund as well depending on roster composition otherwise. Berglund has more utility as an all-around player, but Grabner is more dangerous and dynamic in his particular niche.

I don't think we have much chance of getting him, though. There will be a good amount of demand for his services. He'll get a premium contract for his role, especially given the way the league is current trending, and I'm not sure he would want to come here anyway.

 

[Chojin]

I'm trying to imagine a scenario in which we don't start the year with both Gunnarson and J-Bo on the roster, but I just can't.

Here's what I think are pretty much guaranteed moves (using @Cane_Matt's salary projections) as a base:

FORWARDS (11)
Right wing: D. Jaskin ($1,200,000) - V. Tarasenko ($7,500,000) - C. Thorburn ($900,000)
Centre: B. Schenn ($5,125,000) - I. Barbashev ($741,667) - P. Berglund ($3,850,000) - K. Brodziak ($1,500,000)
Left wing: J. Schwartz ($5,350,000) - R. Fabbri ($1,250,000) - A. Steen ($5,750,000) - Z. Sanford ($875,000)

DEFENSE (7)
Right: A. Pietrangelo ($6,500,000) - C. Parayko ($5,500,000) - R. Bortuzzo ($1,150,000)
Left: J. Edmundson ($2,500,000) - V. Dunn ($722,500) - J. Bouwmeester ($5,400,000) - C. Gunnarsson ($2,900,000)

GOALTENDER (2)
J. Allen ($4,350,000) - V. Husso ($847,500)

DETAILS
Roster Size: 20
NHL Salary Cap: $78,000,000
Bonus Overages: $150,988
Cap Hit: $64,062,655
Cap Space: $13,937,345

RFA	YEARS	CAP HIT
Edmundson, Joel	2	$2,500,000
Fabbri, Robby	1	$1,250,000
Jaskin, Dmitrij	2	$1,200,000
Schmaltz, Jordan	1	$700,000

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

UFA	YEARS	CAP HIT
Brodziak, Kyle	2	$1,500,000

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

This assumes that Sobotka is traded for futures or perhaps a cheaper depth option, which I think is more likely than Berglund as the former has no trade protection. That would leave around $14m (assuming a $78m cap) for three forwards, less if we go long-term with Edmundson (likely) or Fabbri (very unlikely).

We could, of course, fill those spots with the likes of Blais, Kyrou, Thomas, and Thompson, but I think that's highly unlikely, so we'll obviously have a lot of space to maneuver. Obviously Tavares is plan A, but I think some likely plan B's would be Nash, Neal, and Grabner, none of whom should cost more than around $5m. I don't see us sitting on like $8m in cap space to start the year, though, so if we miss out on Tavares (which I think is likely), I really don't know what we're going to do. It'll be an interesting offseason, that's for sure.

 

[BlueDream]

I'm trying to imagine a scenario in which we don't start the year with both Gunnarson and J-Bo on the roster, but I just can't.

Here's what I think are pretty much guaranteed moves (using @Cane_Matt's salary projections) as a base:

FORWARDS (11)
Right wing: D. Jaskin ($1,200,000) - V. Tarasenko ($7,500,000) - C. Thorburn ($900,000)
Centre: B. Schenn ($5,125,000) - I. Barbashev ($741,667) - P. Berglund ($3,850,000) - K. Brodziak ($1,500,000)
Left wing: J. Schwartz ($5,350,000) - R. Fabbri ($1,250,000) - A. Steen ($5,750,000) - Z. Sanford ($875,000)

DEFENSE (7)
Right: A. Pietrangelo ($6,500,000) - C. Parayko ($5,500,000) - R. Bortuzzo ($1,150,000)
Left: J. Edmundson ($2,500,000) - V. Dunn ($722,500) - J. Bouwmeester ($5,400,000) - C. Gunnarsson ($2,900,000)

GOALTENDER (2)
J. Allen ($4,350,000) - V. Husso ($847,500)

DETAILS
Roster Size: 20
NHL Salary Cap: $78,000,000
Bonus Overages: $150,988
Cap Hit: $64,062,655
Cap Space: $13,937,345

RFA	YEARS	CAP HIT
Edmundson, Joel	2	$2,500,000
Fabbri, Robby	1	$1,250,000
Jaskin, Dmitrij	2	$1,200,000
Schmaltz, Jordan	1	$700,000

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

UFA	YEARS	CAP HIT
Brodziak, Kyle	2	$1,500,000

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

This assumes that Sobotka is traded for futures or perhaps a cheaper depth option, which I think is more likely than Berglund as the former has no trade protection. That would leave around $14m (assuming a $78m cap) for three forwards, less if we go long-term with Edmundson (likely) or Fabbri (very unlikely).

We could, of course, fill those spots with the likes of Blais, Kyrou, Thomas, and Thompson, but I think that's highly unlikely, so we'll obviously have a lot of space to maneuver. Obviously Tavares is plan A, but I think some likely plan B's would be Nash, Neal, and Grabner, none of whom should cost more than around $5m. I don't see us sitting on like $8m in cap space to start the year, though, so if we miss out on Tavares (which I think is likely), I really don't know what we're going to do. It'll be an interesting offseason, that's for sure.

Pretty obviously, they will make a trade.

 

[Captain Creampuff]

What do people think about Grabner as a fit?

Always been a fan of Grabner but he almost never plays a full season.

 

[wannabebluesplayer]

I'm trying to imagine a scenario in which we don't start the year with both Gunnarson and J-Bo on the roster, but I just can't.

Here's what I think are pretty much guaranteed moves (using @Cane_Matt's salary projections) as a base:

FORWARDS (11)
Right wing: D. Jaskin ($1,200,000) - V. Tarasenko ($7,500,000) - C. Thorburn ($900,000)
Centre: B. Schenn ($5,125,000) - I. Barbashev ($741,667) - P. Berglund ($3,850,000) - K. Brodziak ($1,500,000)
Left wing: J. Schwartz ($5,350,000) - R. Fabbri ($1,250,000) - A. Steen ($5,750,000) - Z. Sanford ($875,000)

DEFENSE (7)
Right: A. Pietrangelo ($6,500,000) - C. Parayko ($5,500,000) - R. Bortuzzo ($1,150,000)
Left: J. Edmundson ($2,500,000) - V. Dunn ($722,500) - J. Bouwmeester ($5,400,000) - C. Gunnarsson ($2,900,000)

GOALTENDER (2)
J. Allen ($4,350,000) - V. Husso ($847,500)

DETAILS
Roster Size: 20
NHL Salary Cap: $78,000,000
Bonus Overages: $150,988
Cap Hit: $64,062,655
Cap Space: $13,937,345

RFA	YEARS	CAP HIT
Edmundson, Joel	2	$2,500,000
Fabbri, Robby	1	$1,250,000
Jaskin, Dmitrij	2	$1,200,000
Schmaltz, Jordan	1	$700,000

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

UFA	YEARS	CAP HIT
Brodziak, Kyle	2	$1,500,000

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

This assumes that Sobotka is traded for futures or perhaps a cheaper depth option, which I think is more likely than Berglund as the former has no trade protection. That would leave around $14m (assuming a $78m cap) for three forwards, less if we go long-term with Edmundson (likely) or Fabbri (very unlikely).

We could, of course, fill those spots with the likes of Blais, Kyrou, Thomas, and Thompson, but I think that's highly unlikely, so we'll obviously have a lot of space to maneuver. Obviously Tavares is plan A, but I think some likely plan B's would be Nash, Neal, and Grabner, none of whom should cost more than around $5m. I don't see us sitting on like $8m in cap space to start the year, though, so if we miss out on Tavares (which I think is likely), I really don't know what we're going to do. It'll be an interesting offseason, that's for sure.

Brodziak was paid 900,000 last season. He's not getting a 600,000 pay bump. I'd guess more around a million to 1.2 million will be his AAV next season. If Jaskin is signed for more than he got last year, Armstrong should be fired on the spot. Jaskin is worth about 800,000, not a million. But because of current NHL salaries, he'll get around a million. If he wants 1.5 or more, he's not worth it. We already have underperforming players on much higher contracts. Edmundson won't sign for 2.5 million AAV. It will be at least 4 and probably closer to 5. Neal would be a decent addition. Grabner would be a good Sobotka replacement, but I fear a Magnus Paajarvi situation if he actually came here. Rick Nash is no longer the Rick Nash we'd need. I don't see that happening. If Grabner or Nash are our wing options, I could see a trade being more likely.

 

[Brian39]

Brodziak was paid 900,000 last season. He's not getting a 600,000 pay bump. I'd guess more around a million to 1.2 million will be his AAV next season. If Jaskin is signed for more than he got last year, Armstrong should be fired on the spot. Jaskin is worth about 800,000, not a million. But because of current NHL salaries, he'll get around a million. If he wants 1.5 or more, he's not worth it. We already have underperforming players on much higher contracts. Edmundson won't sign for 2.5 million AAV. It will be at least 4 and probably closer to 5. Neal would be a decent addition. Grabner would be a good Sobotka replacement, but I fear a Magnus Paajarvi situation if he actually came here. Rick Nash is no longer the Rick Nash we'd need. I don't see that happening. If Grabner or Nash are our wing options, I could see a trade being more likely.

Brodziak almost certainly won't be here next season if our offer is just $1-1.2 mil.

He had 33 points last year despite starting in the defensive zone 69% of the time (2nd most defensive role on the team by .3%). He was our 6th highest scoring forward (5th highest still on the roster since Stastny is gone) and he was pretty good on the dot. His offensive production was 60% higher than his production right before we signed him and he demonstrated that he can be more than just a replacement-level 4th line center. He's not going to make replacement-level 4th line money. He's probably going to get an offer closer to $2 mil than $1.5 mil from someone around the league and $1.5 is completely fair. I'm not sure if the Blues will be willing to pay fair value for Brodz, but there is no reason for him to take a 30-50% pay cut to play here.

Jaskin's qualifying offer is $1 mil and that's about the going rate for replacement-level NHL talent. He'd get that as a UFA and we only retain his RFA rights by qualifying him at $1 mil. I don't think he should get much of a raise (if any), but firing a GM over $200k on a contract is absurd, especially since that slight raise would be for a 2 year deal instead of 1.

Edmundson will get that money if the contract comes with term. If the Blues insist on signing him to a 2 year bridge deal, then $2.5 mil is probably in the ballpark. A 2 year deal would take him to UFA for a big payday, whereas going to arbitration would lead to the Blues selecting a 1 year contract that would cause us to negotiate again next summer while he is still an RFA. I don't think he'd get much more than $3 mil in arbitration since a lot of his best attributes don't really make it on to the stat sheet and arbitration rewards are generally fairly low since they don't include UFA years. Subban's bridge deal was $2.85 mil after two 35+ point seasons as a 21 and 22 year old. Dumba's bridge deal was $2.5 mil after a 25 point season as a 21 year old. Trouba's bridge deal is $2.8 mil. Playersdon't have much leverage on a 2 year deal out of their ELC. I think itis short sighted to bridge Ed unless we land Tavares and it is absolutely necessary to make the cap work. But if we go that route, $2.5 mil is right in the ballpark for a short term deal that takes him right to UFA as a 27 year old.

 

[Dbrownss]

I personally wouldn't bring Brodziak back at a high cap hit, even though he earned it. He outperformed himself, and seems like a candidate for regression. He looked so gassed at times, I'm not sure how much he really has left in the tank.

 

[Brian39]

I personally wouldn't bring Brodziak back at a high cap hit, even though he earned it. He outperformed himself, and seems like a candidate for regression. He looked so gassed at times, I'm not sure how much he really has left in the tank.

I'd bring him back at $1.5 mil, but I'd let him walk if he wants more. He's definitely a candidate for regression, but he can still anchor the 4th line better than a replacement-level guy if he regresses. We have a ton of question marks we have surrounding Fabbri's knee, young guys earning spots, improving the top 6 via trade/UFA, and presumably shedding a contract or two. Some of that should be addressed in the next couple months, but our lineup is still going to be up in the air at the start of camp. Given all those question marks, I think it is worth spending an extra $300-400k for a 4C who has demonstrated an ability to play good defensively and slide up the lineup in short spurts as needed. IMO, that is money well spent.

 

[Majorityof1]

I personally wouldn't bring Brodziak back at a high cap hit, even though he earned it. He outperformed himself, and seems like a candidate for regression. He looked so gassed at times, I'm not sure how much he really has left in the tank.

At $1.5-2M, I pay it for the penalty kill. We are almost definitely letting Uphall walk. We probably aren't getting Stastny back. Sobotka isn't the player he once was. Soshnikov might not return. Sundqvist will hopefully not be a 4th line regular. Who is going to PK for us? Schwartz, Berglund, Sobotka and Steen? They all can do it, but none really excel at it (at least not anymore). And do we really want two of our current top 6 getting worn out on the PK? Its worth the extra half mil for Brodziak to make sure we have at least one really good PK specialist in our bottom 6..

 

[Ranksu]

I think Steen is going to have even bigger regress next season compare to Brodziak. He has showed 2-3 years he's hanging on the cliff and couple last season his skating has take deep hit and he isn't anymore the player who can carry the line and with that cap hit and performance isn't that good fit for 3rd line.

I would rather see youngsters take that spot if they show they can do it at camp. If not kids can't do it then its good to throw slow arse Steen, Berglund, Jaskin and Sobotka out there.

So saying Brodziak is regressing while him performing his best season last year, btw last time he has more then 33 points was 7-years ago and not giving him contract for just assumption -"yeah he's going to regress instead of he should be first guys who gets contract".

Somethimes Bluesy board way of thinking is worst of kind. I feel like i'm taking crazy pills when reading Tavares thread and now ppl are hardballing their one the best performing forward. f*** this.

 

[Dbrownss]

I think Steen is going to have even bigger regress next season compare to Brodziak. He has showed 2-3 years he's hanging on the cliff and couple last season his skating has take deep hit and he isn't anymore the player who can carry the line and with that cap hit and performance isn't that good fit for 3rd line.

I would rather see youngsters take that spot if they show they can do it at camp. If not kids can't do it then its good to throw slow arse Steen, Berglund, Jaskin and Sobotka out there.

So saying Brodziak is regressing while him performing his best season last year, btw last time he has more then 33 points was 7-years ago and not giving him contract for just assumption -"yeah he's going to regress instead of he should be first guys who gets contract".

Somethimes Bluesy board way of thinking is worst of kind. I feel like i'm taking crazy pills when reading Tavares thread and now ppl are hardballing their one the best performing forward. **** this.

#trollnation

 

[Dbrownss]

At $1.5-2M, I pay it for the penalty kill. We are almost definitely letting Uphall walk. We probably aren't getting Stastny back. Sobotka isn't the player he once was. Soshnikov might not return. Sundqvist will hopefully not be a 4th line regular. Who is going to PK for us? Schwartz, Berglund, Sobotka and Steen? They all can do it, but none really excel at it (at least not anymore). And do we really want two of our current top 6 getting worn out on the PK? Its worth the extra half mil for Brodziak to make sure we have at least one really good PK specialist in our bottom 6..

1.5 would be fine, I would also add that if he's not thrust into a higher roll at ES, he won't wear down nearly as fast. Which is one my criticisms

 

[wannabebluesplayer]

At $1.5-2M, I pay it for the penalty kill. We are almost definitely letting Uphall walk. We probably aren't getting Stastny back. Sobotka isn't the player he once was. Soshnikov might not return. Sundqvist will hopefully not be a 4th line regular. Who is going to PK for us? Schwartz, Berglund, Sobotka and Steen? They all can do it, but none really excel at it (at least not anymore). And do we really want two of our current top 6 getting worn out on the PK? Its worth the extra half mil for Brodziak to make sure we have at least one really good PK specialist in our bottom 6..

I agree with this a lot more than paying him because of point production. I wouldn't balk at him getting 1.5 million but if he's going to get 2, then he can absolutely walk. Brodziak played well and played up the lineup out of necessity last season, but he is a clear candidate for regression. He deserves more than Jaskin, but I don't know if I'd want to see him making more than 1.5 at max.

Jaskin's qualifying offer is $1 mil and that's about the going rate for replacement-level NHL talent. He'd get that as a UFA and we only retain his RFA rights by qualifying him at $1 mil. I don't think he should get much of a raise (if any), but firing a GM over $200k on a contract is absurd, especially since that slight raise would be for a 2 year deal instead of 1.

Jaskin should be on a year prove it deal again this year. His metrics are great but outside of that, he's not exactly a world beater of a 4th line player. With some of his recent extensions and contracts, I could see Armstrong giving Jaskin more than 1 million on a 1 year deal and I do think it could be fire worthy based on his previous extensions to bottom 6 players not paying dividends.

Edmundson will get that money if the contract comes with term. If the Blues insist on signing him to a 2 year bridge deal, then $2.5 mil is probably in the ballpark. A 2 year deal would take him to UFA for a big payday, whereas going to arbitration would lead to the Blues selecting a 1 year contract that would cause us to negotiate again next summer while he is still an RFA. I don't think he'd get much more than $3 mil in arbitration since a lot of his best attributes don't really make it on to the stat sheet and arbitration rewards are generally fairly low since they don't include UFA years. Subban's bridge deal was $2.85 mil after two 35+ point seasons as a 21 and 22 year old. Dumba's bridge deal was $2.5 mil after a 25 point season as a 21 year old. Trouba's bridge deal is $2.8 mil. Playersdon't have much leverage on a 2 year deal out of their ELC. I think itis short sighted to bridge Ed unless we land Tavares and it is absolutely necessary to make the cap work. But if we go that route, $2.5 mil is right in the ballpark for a short term deal that takes him right to UFA as a 27 year old.

I just don't see Edmundson signing a bridge deal unless the money or term isn't there for a larger one. He may get one, but I don't see it, especially with Bouwmeester and Gunnarsson being in the last years of their deals. Armstrong would want more than Dunn signed beyond the 2019/2020 season for LHD. Plus, Edmundson has become a very recognizable part of the current core of players and as evidenced by his absence last year, he's pretty important. Again, you may be right that Edmundson could get a bridge deal, but I don't see it.

 

[WeWentBlues]

I just don't see Edmundson signing a bridge deal unless the money or term isn't there for a larger one. He may get one, but I don't see it, especially with Bouwmeester and Gunnarsson being in the last years of their deals. Armstrong would want more than Dunn signed beyond the 2019/2020 season for LHD. Plus, Edmundson has become a very recognizable part of the current core of players and as evidenced by his absence last year, he's pretty important. Again, you may be right that Edmundson could get a bridge deal, but I don't see it.

7 years 4-4.5M sounds good to me

 

[Ranksu]

#trollnation

 

[Majorityof1]

 

[Brian39]

I agree with this a lot more than paying him because of point production. I wouldn't balk at him getting 1.5 million but if he's going to get 2, then he can absolutely walk. Brodziak played well and played up the lineup out of necessity last season, but he is a clear candidate for regression. He deserves more than Jaskin, but I don't know if I'd want to see him making more than 1.5 at max.



Jaskin should be on a year prove it deal again this year. His metrics are great but outside of that, he's not exactly a world beater of a 4th line player. With some of his recent extensions and contracts, I could see Armstrong giving Jaskin more than 1 million on a 1 year deal and I do think it could be fire worthy based on his previous extensions to bottom 6 players not paying dividends.



I just don't see Edmundson signing a bridge deal unless the money or term isn't there for a larger one. He may get one, but I don't see it, especially with Bouwmeester and Gunnarsson being in the last years of their deals. Armstrong would want more than Dunn signed beyond the 2019/2020 season for LHD. Plus, Edmundson has become a very recognizable part of the current core of players and as evidenced by his absence last year, he's pretty important. Again, you may be right that Edmundson could get a bridge deal, but I don't see it.

I hope we don't bridge him. I agree that he is a big part of the D and we should be able to get good term with a reasonable AAV. I just brought up the bridge b/c the projected cap situation that we were talking about pegged him at a $2.5 mil on a bridge deal. My point was just that this would be reasonable for a bridge contract, not that the bridge contract is the best plan. I only want to entertain a bridge deal if we win the Tavares jackpot and are suddenly having to get creative with the cap. I think we could move enough salary to get Tavares and get term out of Ed, but that's not a sure thing. Bridging Ed is an acceptable 'worst case scenario' for signing Tavares IMO, but I wouldn't be okay with a bridge if it is done just to fit a guy like Hoffman.

I wouldn't have much problem with at Jaskin at $1.2 mil. It certainly wouldn't be my favorite move, but it is a far cry from Army's other unsuccessful contracts. I don't expect a $1.2 mil player to light up the score sheet and Jaskin does enough well that he is an above average bottom 6 players IMO. He can anchor a shutdown line and (while he doesn't produce himself) doesn't really drag down skilled guys. Schenn and Schwartz were scoring in bunches with him doing the dirty work on their line and I'd argue that that pairing was at their best with Jaskin than any other RW on the team. I'm not advocating to put Jaskin on that line long term, but an extra hundred grand or two isn't a big deal to me since we are thin at his position and he can slide up the lineup without destroying the offense of better players. Barring a noticeable improvement in his game, I expect that Jaskin will be made redundant in a year or two, but I don't think our roster is there yet. I don't think we could replace what he does from outside the organization for less than $1.1 mil and I'm not sold that we have the internal depth to replace him on the cheap without taking a hit to our depth. I fully expect there to be at least 2 rookies on our healthy lineup next season, with a chance that there are 3. They will be cheap and I'm fine spending a tiny amount extra to ensure that the bottom 6 has some veteran guys to help them along and ensure that we aren't icing 5+ rookies/prospects when we see a wave of short term injuries.

Barring a Tavares signing or a number of offseason moves that drastically alter our lineup, we are not in a position where we need to pinch every possible cap penny. We currently have $12.8 mil in cap space with 18 guys on the roster. Stevens, Reinke, Thompson, and Barby are all included in those numbers and aren't locks to make the roster. However, if they aren't on the roster, their spots will likely be replaced with similarly priced guys. The cap is increasing by $3-5 mil and I'd wager that this run by Vegas has boosted merchandise sales enough that it will be on the high end of that range. It seems likely that at least 1 contract will be shed over the summer, so we're talking about a huge amount of cap space. We don;t need to downgrade our bottom 6 in order to pinch pennies to improve the top 6.