Value of: UFA John Carlson. Does he walk or Caps will lock him up?

[Filthy Dangles]

Barzal is a franchise C
Lee is a 30g wing
Eberle is a good player entering his prime
Tavares might stay
Shot at Dahlin
High 1st from Calgary
Sorokin top 3 goalie prospect, reports he's coming over soon. Many consider him a top 10 prospect.
Josh Ho Sang
Calvin DeHann could be a top pairing defender
Leddy is a beast, even if he's having a bad defensive year.

In my opinion, that team has a bright future. I think they contend for a P/O spot next year and build on a good forward core. I think you put an average goaltender on that team and suddenly it changes.

And we say stuff like this about the Islanders almost every year and year after year they let their fans down

 

[StephenPeat]

Barzal is a franchise C
Lee is a 30g wing
Eberle is a good player entering his prime
Tavares might stay
Shot at Dahlin
High 1st from Calgary
Sorokin top 3 goalie prospect, reports he's coming over soon. Many consider him a top 10 prospect.
Josh Ho Sang
Calvin DeHann could be a top pairing defender
Leddy is a beast, even if he's having a bad defensive year.

In my opinion, that team has a bright future. I think they contend for a P/O spot next year and build on a good forward core. I think you put an average goaltender on that team and suddenly it changes.

Let's assume neither of those things happen (as one of them was explicitly stated as a condition that allowed the signing of Carlson). Then what? You're future is the Oilers past?

 

[135ace]

Why would he not sign in NJ? So the Islanders. Detroit, Edmonton make zero sense.

Islanders if they sign JT wont have the space, if they dont sign JT will not be desireable - esp if NJ is same thing geographically with much better trajectory.

I'm a Devils fan so I'm biased, but I don't see any reason for someone to sign for the Isles over NJ, assuming the money offered is the same. Even ignoring the team trajectory and just going by the location, NJ has a better arena/practice facility situation, is closer to Manhattan, and is honestly a much more desirable place to live than Long Island. Even if a player wants to live in NYC, the Devils practice facility and arena are much more convenient to get to than the Islanders. As for raising a family, North Jersey has places like Millburn, Livingston, Alpine, etc, which are amongst the wealthiest communities in the country and all very close to the Devils facilities. For young players Hoboken and Jersey City offer great access to NYC with less taxes (Hall, Nico, Zacha, and Coleman all live in JC or Hoboken). Hell, downtown Hoboken is already more expensive than many parts of Manhattan due to how desirable it is.

Edit: I hope people realize I'm not trying to trash the Islanders. I don't really care much about them. I do hate the Rangers though, but I can at least understand why a player would want to play for the Rags. I cannot however for the life of me understand why anyone would chose the NYI over NJ or even the NYR (assuming the $$ offered is similar).

 

[Jumptheshark]

he will have his pick of places to play

 

[StephenPeat]

he will have his pick of places to play

Yes, he will be an UFA that is indeed how it works.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Yes, he will be an UFA that is indeed how it works.

let me rephrase it

as long as he does not over price himself there will be 31 teams trying to get his name on a contract and he will have his pick of where he wants to go