Around the League XXXIV: Offseason

[BK]

It wasnt intended as an 'I told you so' to you or anybody here.

More of a 'well yeah, what else is new, Price has been papering over obvious problems for years'

The first paragraph and second paragraph are essentially the same. “I told you so” and “Duh” come off the same way.

It yes, Price has masks some huge issues for a long time. Imagine him with an average D...

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

I think you're inferring something that isn't there BK.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Remember when the Leafs were crushing everything in their path? A bad defense and average goaltending is holding that team back. I love Zaitsev and Reilly/Gardiner are really nice puck movers, but that team badly needs a top pair guy that's more mountain than Tornado.

 

[JaegerDice]

Toronto fans are going to be so unbearably obnoxious when it happens, but I honestly could see them getting either Doughty or Karlsson.

Of all the hometown kids that were supposedly going to come home to Toronto, only Doughty has been out there publicly saying things like 'every ontario kid dreams of playing for the Leafs'.

And Ottawa won't pay Karlsson what he wants or other teams are willing to, they have an internal cap. Meanwhile Toronto can back up the brinks truck and bury what contracts they need to on Robidas island.

 

[TheSting]

Price looks real bad. I watched the highlights and half those goals vs. Minnesota were softies with Price way out of position. CC let's in those types of goals the Crawford haters on this board would be all over him, LOL.

Price is feeling the pressure of that contract

 

[x Tame Impala]

Toronto fans are going to be so unbearably obnoxious when it happens, but I honestly could see them getting either Doughty or Karlsson.

Of all the hometown kids that were supposedly going to come home to Toronto, only Doughty has been out there publicly saying things like 'every ontario kid dreams of playing for the Leafs'.

And Ottawa won't pay Karlsson what he wants or other teams are willing to, they have an internal cap. Meanwhile Toronto can back up the brinks truck and bury what contracts they need to on Robidas island.

Sallllllaaarrryyyy Cap. TML can't fit either of them

 

[JaegerDice]

Sallllllaaarrryyyy Cap. TML can't fit either of them

I think they can. None of the contracts that are actually on their cap are unmoveable. All their players are fairly priced to performance, or their contracts are up within the next 2 years.

If it comes to it, they would certainly move one of the upcoming Nylander or Marner contracts to accomodate either of those Dmen, though I doubt it will prove necessary.

 

[ChiHawks10]

I think you're inferring something that isn't there BK.

I actually have to agree. JD can be a bit condescending at times, but this wasn't one of them, IMO.

 

[LordKOTL]

He's got ten points in twelve games. Hardly struggling.

He's just not Peter Bondra anymore. He needs to be Havlat.

I think everyone would be happy if he didn't LTIR himself by jumping over the boards.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

I'm just happy that the era of superstar players getting mega contracts as soon as possible is happening now and not back at the start of our sovereignty run. Having Toews and Kane locked down at $6.3 million apiece was crucial for our second and third championship runs. Had they been at $10ish million from the get go, we wouldn't remotely have had the flexibility needed.

That's going to hurt Edmonton's and Toronto's chances for one championship, much less multiple.

 

[ChiHawks10]

I'm just happy that the era of superstar players getting mega contracts as soon as possible is happening now and not back at the start of our sovereignty run. Having Toews and Kane locked down at $6.3 million apiece was crucial for our second and third championship runs. Had they been at $10ish from the get go, we wouldn't remotely have the flexibility needed.

Yep.

 

[JaegerDice]

I'm just happy that the era of superstar players getting mega contracts as soon as possible is happening now and not back at the start of our sovereignty run. Having Toews and Kane locked down at $6.3 million apiece was crucial for our second and third championship runs. Had they been at $10ish million from the get go, we wouldn't remotely have had the flexibility needed.

That's going to hurt Edmonton's and Toronto's chances for one championship, much less multiple.

Yeah.

Both have advantages, assuming the Oilers and Leafs follow-through on the underlying philosophy of 'pay your stars through their prime, pay them less on their next contract'. If the Oilers and Leafs re-up these guys for 10mil+ after these contracts are finished, they'll have got the worst of both options.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

I'm just happy that the era of superstar players getting mega contracts as soon as possible is happening now and not back at the start of our sovereignty run. Having Toews and Kane locked down at $6.3 million apiece was crucial for our second and third championship runs. Had they been at $10ish million from the get go, we wouldn't remotely have had the flexibility needed.

That's going to hurt Edmonton's and Toronto's chances for one championship, much less multiple.

It changes the game for sure. I almost feel bad for them.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Yeah.

Both have advantages, assuming the Oilers and Leafs follow-through on the underlying philosophy of 'pay your stars through their prime, pay them less on their next contract'. If the Oilers and Leafs re-up these guys for 10mil+ after these contracts are finished, they'll have got the worst of both options.

In eight years when Matthews is 29 and a ppg talent, he's not taking a paycut. The salary cap structure is changing. The middle class will feel the squeeze.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Yeah, superstars will get two paydays instead of just one going forward. If you're a bottom line or pairing guy willing to work for the league minimum, you're going to be in demand so long as you're functional in the coming years.

 

[JaegerDice]

In eight years when Matthews is 29 and a ppg talent, he's not taking a paycut. The salary cap structure is changing. The middle class will feel the squeeze.

Well, McDavid is special.

But I would definitely NOT pay a guy the same or more money from ages 29-37. Not when it's clear that peak performance among the majority of forwards is 24-26.

Unless they're generational freaks, let'em walk. Let other GMs pay top dollar for decreasing returns.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

In theory, sure. In reality, nobody is letting Matthews hit free agency at 29. Full stop.

 

[JaegerDice]

In theory, sure. In reality, nobody is letting Matthews hit free agency at 29. Full stop.

Probably not.

In which case they're dumb to pay him that money up front. But what can you do, I guess.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

McDavid got paid upfront. Eichel got paid upfront. Matthews will get paid upfront. That's the new standard for superstar franchise players, like it or not.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

It's a fluid market. There's no more RFA discount until somebody plays hard ball with a star, and that's never a war a team wants to have. The second third and fourth tier guys will have to absorb the hit, or be willing to sign short term deals.

 

[JaegerDice]

McDavid got paid upfront. Eichel got paid upfront. Matthews will get paid upfront. That's the new standard for superstar franchise players, like it or not.

I agree. I'm just interested to see how all their next contracts are handled.

That said, I think the Eichel contract was nuts. You didn't win a Hart, you didn't win a Calder, your team hasn't even shown any significant improvement since you've been there, and you pretty publicly got your coach fired (not that he shouldn't have been fired anyway, but a player basically going public with his refusal to play for a coach is...something).... here's 10mil.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Watching the Sens-Knights game and they're talking about a 3 way deal that fell apart last night with Duchene to the Sens Turris to Nash and futures to the Avs.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Good thing it fell apart

 

[BobbyJet]

It now appears that Carey Price was possibly playing hurt? Hrudey just outlined his movement: side to side as slow, and his lack of focus at times .... and he isn't dressed tonight.

 

[BK]

It now appears that Carey Price was possibly playing hurt? Hrudey just outlined his movement: side to side as slow, and his lack of focus at times .... and he isn't dressed tonight.

He is also very off balance.