Speculation: Trade Ideas and Free Agency VIII - 2014 Free Agency Edition

[nickschultzfan]

Backstrom is here to stay unless the Wild is willing to take back a really bad blueline contract (because they can't even accept a bad forward contract at this point). And I can't even think of somebody who would make sense right now.

 

[Avder]

Nugget from Russo:

I really hope his agent finds a way to make it happen. We ARE going to need him at some point this season. Kuemper is holding out, and we were planning on going in with 3 goalies on the roster anyway. I say sign him and let Kuemper stew for a while.

 

[TaLoN]

I really hope his agent finds a way to make it happen. We ARE going to need him at some point this season. Kuemper is holding out, and we were planning on going in with 3 goalies on the roster anyway. I say sign him and let Kuemper stew for a while.

Exactly my thoughts. Bring Ilya back in and see how valuable Kuemper still thinks he is.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Maybe if the Wild super overpaid Buffalo for Myers could Backstrom be sent back the other way. And that would still take the Wild sending Zucker/Dumba/Tuch at a minimum.

 

[Avder]

What teams still need to make the cap floor before opening night?

 

[rafterman]

What teams still need to make the cap floor before opening night?

That would be a short list:

(none)

 

[Avder]

Well crap. There goes that possibility.

 

[JudgeJimmie]

Aside from the fact that no team is currently under the cap floor for this season and needs the cap hit, no one is going to take on $7.75mil in essentially dead future salary for a 3rd round pick.

To call Backstrom dead weight isn't entirely fair.. He is a very capable goalie who tore a stomach muscle which was more than likely due to being overplayed (in the lockout season), and that injury wasn't rehabbed properly so he had issues again.

There's really no reason to say Backstrom won't come back and be a solid goaltender.. On the other hand, I don't see any team paying the $7.75 mil for a backup goalie either.. Just a pipe dream. All in all the Wild are in a good position goal-tending wise with three guys we could confidently throw between the pipes! Some teams don't even have 1!

 

[tomthestone*]

To call Backstrom dead weight isn't entirely fair.. He is a very capable goalie who tore a stomach muscle which was more than likely due to being overplayed (in the lockout season), and that injury wasn't rehabbed properly so he had issues again.

There's really no reason to say Backstrom won't come back and be a solid goaltender.. On the other hand, I don't see any team paying the $7.75 mil for a backup goalie either.. Just a pipe dream. All in all the Wild are in a good position goal-tending wise with three guys we could confidently throw between the pipes! Some teams don't even have 1!

Yes it is. He sucks. He couldn't hack a .900 save percentage last year before he got hurt -- again. That's absolutely brutal in the National Hockey League. Backstrom is never going to stop pucks at a .920 clip again, and he's always going to be at least a little banged up. Sadly the best thing for the Wild would be some kind of surgery forcing him to LTIR until that ugly deal expires.

I remember the last time I was excited Backy only had two years left on an ugly cap figure. Three years later at half the money, I want him gone twice as bad. Go figure.

 

[nickschultzfan]

There are free agent goalies that are as good as Backstrom that would sign NHL deals for 1/3 of his contract. That means Backstrom has negative value. Fletcher would have already traded him if he could.

 

[Jarick]

I like Bryz, but I can't see it happening unless Backstrom gets traded. The Wild have to carry three goalies this year because Kuemper can't be put on waivers and Harding is a medical risk.

If they do trade Back and keep half the salary, they come out ahead if Bryz signs for less than $1.7m, which he probably would. But Backs has never been a distraction, so it would have to be because of Backs' injury history.

On the other hand, maybe they buy out Backs next summer. That would save $2.5m against the cap, and if they can sign Bryz for $1.5m or so, they end up saving $1m. Of course that $1m comes back the year after that.

 

[ThatGuy22]

I like Bryz, but I can't see it happening unless Backstrom gets traded. The Wild have to carry three goalies this year because Kuemper can't be put on waivers and Harding is a medical risk.

If they do trade Back and keep half the salary, they come out ahead if Bryz signs for less than $1.7m, which he probably would. But Backs has never been a distraction, so it would have to be because of Backs' injury history.

On the other hand, maybe they buy out Backs next summer. That would save $2.5m against the cap, and if they can sign Bryz for $1.5m or so, they end up saving $1m. Of course that $1m comes back the year after that.

They will be able to send Kuemper to the AHL at the beginning of the season. He has 13 games left prior to no longer being waiver exempt.

 

[Victorious Secret]

On the other hand, maybe they buy out Backs next summer. That would save $2.5m against the cap, and if they can sign Bryz for $1.5m or so, they end up saving $1m. Of course that $1m comes back the year after that.

And Harding will be off the books by then. So, Backstrom's last buyout year of $1.33M could be the 'third goalie'. And then it'll be Kuemper and Gustafsson by that point (2016-2017). Interesting move. I like it.

 

[Avder]

They will be able to send Kuemper to the AHL at the beginning of the season. He has 13 games left prior to no longer being waiver exempt.

This. When the season starts our three goalies should be Backs, Harding, and Bryz, with Kuemper waiting in the AHL for Backs and Harding to both go down, which inevitably they will.

What's league minimum for a player of Bryz's experience and age? He's getting paid by the Flyers forever, so I'm pretty sure he'd take minimum.

 

[J22*]

This. When the season starts our three goalies should be Backs, Harding, and Bryz, with Kuemper waiting in the AHL for Backs and Harding to both go down, which inevitably they will.

What's league minimum for a player of Bryz's experience and age? He's getting paid by the Flyers forever, so I'm pretty sure he'd take minimum.

There is no way you even consider Bryzgalov if you cant find a way to make one of Backstrom or Harding go away. The love for Bryz on this board is baffling, guy is a decent backup at best.

 

[BigT2002]

Darcy needs a little reality check.

 

[Avder]

There is no way you even consider Bryzgalov if you cant find a way to make one of Backstrom or Harding go away. The love for Bryz on this board is baffling, guy is a decent backup at best.

There are a couple of reasons I'd love to see it happen.

First of all, one or both of Backstrom or Harding going down isn't an if, it's a when.

Secondly, it was our plan all along to go into the season with three goalies on the roster.

Third, Kuemper is holding out and is likely counting Backs and Harding's fragility as leverage. Signing Bryz tells Kuemper he's not irreplaceable and it's on him to come down rather than the Wild coming up. We can also start him in the AHL as he's 13 games or so from being waiver ineligible. Once we sign him, if we don't have room, we can just stick him there until he needs to back up Bryz.

Fourth, Bryz was developing good chemistry with our team and I maintain that he was only getting better as the playoffs went on. The longer he gets acclimated to the defense and the longer he works with Mason means he will be at least a little better than he was, if not a lot better.

Finally, who else is on the free agent market that you would want ahead of Bryz?

 

[Victorious Secret]

We have plenty of space and there can't be THAT much of a gap.

 

[J22*]

There are a couple of reasons I'd love to see it happen.

First of all, one or both of Backstrom or Harding going down isn't an if, it's a when.

Secondly, it was our plan all along to go into the season with three goalies on the roster.

Third, Kuemper is holding out and is likely counting Backs and Harding's fragility as leverage. Signing Bryz tells Kuemper he's not irreplaceable and it's on him to come down rather than the Wild coming up. We can also start him in the AHL as he's 13 games or so from being waiver ineligible. Once we sign him, if we don't have room, we can just stick him there until he needs to back up Bryz.

Fourth, Bryz was developing good chemistry with our team and I maintain that he was only getting better as the playoffs went on. The longer he gets acclimated to the defense and the longer he works with Mason means he will be at least a little better than he was, if not a lot better.

Finally, who else is on the free agent market that you would want ahead of Bryz?

1st. Fletcher saying that he would carry 3 goalies if he had to does not make it "the plan". Adding another goaltender to the pile makes zero sense.

2nd. Nobody knows what's going on with Kuemper as far as contract talks go, but I cant see how signing an inferior 34 year old goalie would scare him.

3rd. Saying that he was only getting better as the playoffs went on, doesn't mean much to me when he was absolute garbage against Colorado. No chance the Wild get past the AVS if Bryz plays the whole series. Bottom line is Bryzgalov played 8 playoff games and won 2.

4th. I wouldn't even consider a Free agent goaltender unless one of Backstrom or Harding goes away. I am not interested in signing average at best players just for precautionary reasons. Judging from the comments that his agent made, I would guess that there isn't a whole lot of interest in Bryzgalov anyway.

 

[Billy Mays Here*]

I suppose at this point it seems management is fine with letting training camp playing out to decide on whether or not to acquire a d-man.

 

[tomthestone*]

1st. Fletcher saying that he would carry 3 goalies if he had to does not make it "the plan". Adding another goaltender to the pile makes zero sense.

2nd. Nobody knows what's going on with Kuemper as far as contract talks go, but I cant see how signing an inferior 34 year old goalie would scare him.

3rd. Saying that he was only getting better as the playoffs went on, doesn't mean much to me when he was absolute garbage against Colorado. No chance the Wild get past the AVS if Bryz plays the whole series. Bottom line is Bryzgalov played 8 playoff games and won 2.

4th. I wouldn't even consider a Free agent goaltender unless one of Backstrom or Harding goes away. I am not interested in signing average at best players just for precautionary reasons. Judging from the comments that his agent made, I would guess that there isn't a whole lot of interest in Bryzgalov anyway.

Haha yeah I think it's safe to say Ilya is just hovering over his phone hoping it'll eventually ring. Even in the worst-case scenario, it's going to take a couple months for the Wild to have to reach outside the organization for help in net. Maybe Bryz is no longer there when the Wild get desperate -- in which case somebody of similar ability will be. Totally agree there's no reason to sign a contingency plan ahead of time. It's not like some huge opportunity will be missed by waiting until the injury bug actually gets here.

 

[Nharris31]

I suppose at this point it seems management is fine with letting training camp playing out to decide on whether or not to acquire a d-man.

You neve know who could get put on waivers. I'm pretty sure they won't try for one unless they think it will help the team.

 

[Victorious Secret]

I think it just depends on whether Blum/Folin decide are put in the NHL defensemen conversation. Or whether they need more AHLing.

 

[Gaps]

Nugget from Russo:

I can believe he wants to come back, he got to play on a good team, seemed to be accepted in the locker room and the media wasn't as aggressive as in Philly. But it just isn't in the cards right now, we'll see at Christmastime how many (if any) of our goalies are still standing.

 

[DeuceMN]

I agree with Avder that it's only a matter of time until one of Harding, or Backs, or both go down and that is the eventuality we should plan for.

Darcy still needs to develop more so I do not like the idea of relying upon him for two or more months.

Bryz did alright for us last year. And he did seem to be getting better as he had more time with the club and he is consistent.

Plus he likes bears. Anyone who likes bears is good in my book

We could use more stability in G and he would provide us that.