Winning attracting FAs

[Stej]

I doubt Winnipeg would ever be the choice for any FA with options in front of him.

I would agree if you are talking about FAs that have never played in Winnipeg (aside from Perreault, Jokinen, Kulikov, Tanev and a few others who did choose Winnipeg while being on the open market). Retaining players, however, has proven to be quite easy for the Jets, despite those players having “options in front of them”.

 

[LeafFever]

Lord help whoever signs JVR for 7 years and gives him a lot more ice-time due to the big salary.

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

We don't have the cap room long term.

 

[cgf]

Hopefully Tavares is watching this Colorado-Nashville series and imagining the damage he could do with the MacKinnon line taking attention away from him. The team is flush with cap space and by far our biggest hole is another star Center to anchor the second line with Jost & Ghetto.

Landy - MacK - Rantanen
Jost - Tavares - Andrighetto
Nieto - Soderberg - Wilson
Greer - Kerfoot - Compher
( Kamenev | Toninato )

Zadorov - Barrie
Girard - Johnson
Nemeth - Barberio
( Meloche | Timmins | Makar )

 

[AvatarAang]

I would agree if you are talking about FAs that have never played in Winnipeg (aside from Perreault, Jokinen, Kulikov, Tanev and a few others who did choose Winnipeg while being on the open market). Retaining players, however, has proven to be quite easy for the Jets, despite those players having “options in front of them”.

Out of curiosity who are these players that you insist the Jets have been able to retain quite easily?

I'm sure you're not talking about RFA's who have little leverage while negotating.

 

[thejaf7]

Stastney is the perfect example.

 

[Stej]

Out of curiosity who are these players that you insist the Jets have been able to retain quite easily?

I'm sure you're not talking about RFA's who have little leverage while negotating.

Ladd (year 1), Enstrom, Wheeler, Little, Byfuglien, Bogosian, and Kane all extended either as upcoming UFAs or gave up substantial UFA years to re-sign. Scheifele and Ehlers just gave up future UFA years to re-sign. There have been many others.

I’ll flip this on you. Name the players the Jets wanted to re-sign but couldn’t. I’ll give you one - Ladd last year (thank heaven!). Good luck building a list.

 

[Kale Hulls]

Honestly, who wants UFAs? That's not how you win. Look at the results. They are horrific.
If they don't want to consider you it's good.

Unless it's Chara or Neidermayer

 

[Cellee]

NTC could be in play (for example: Paul Stastny). I don't really care about higher priced FAs anyway.

 

[libertarian]

Hopefully Tavares is watching this Colorado-Nashville series and imagining the damage he could do with the MacKinnon line taking attention away from him. The team is flush with cap space and by far our biggest hole is another star Center to anchor the second line with Jost & Ghetto.

Landy - MacK - Rantanen
Jost - Tavares - Andrighetto
Nieto - Soderberg - Wilson
Greer - Kerfoot - Compher
( Kamenev | Toninato )

Zadorov - Barrie
Girard - Johnson
Nemeth - Barberio
( Meloche | Timmins | Makar )

Wow if the Avs could pull this off and get Tavares that would put them in contender territory for the cup.

As a Jet fan I would not like this because it would make getting out the Central even harder then it already is now.

You could possibly see the three top teams in the NHL all in the Central.

 

[cgf]

Wow if the Avs could pull this off and get Tavares that would put them in contender territory for the cup.

As a Jet fan I would not like this because it would make getting out the Central even harder then it already is now.

You could possibly see the three top teams in the NHL all in the Central.

Life in the central is just always going to be hell

...especially after the Hawks get Dahlin (since Dallas was the central's lotto-winner last year & STL doesn't have their own pick to be the division's lotto-winner this year), and a compliance buyout for Seabrook TBH I'm half expecting them to get Tavares to, before dumping Toews' contract on someone like Montreal

...which is part of why my more realistic dreams for the avs are Stastny on a 3-4 year deal; or a big trade for someone in our core groups' age range like Draisaitl using that Ottawa unprotected 1st & Timmins (unless Barrie wants silly money to re-sign) as the foundation of our package. With further picks, young nhlers like Andrighetto and Kerfoot, and a cap dump as needed.

Cause I really like our u25 depth chart at most spots other than the goalies & the very top end forwards. After MacK, Mikko, Gabe & Jost, I think Shvyryov is our best bet at an internal dynamic scorer...and I'm very skeptical over whether we'll ever actually be able to get him to leave his hometown team and the opportunity to play with his idol. Bowers, Greer, Compher, Andrighetto, Kamenev, Morrison, Kerfoot, etc. are kids I like, but they're all middle-6ers or third-wheel-on-a-scoring-line type guys; and we need one more major scorer to team with Jost to ensure our second line can tear it up with the attention MacK's line gets.

Granted with two 1st next year in a draft filled with dynamic forwards we could probably just wait and draft our way to depth; but after this Nashville series & Nate's huge year, it'd be hard to see them do nothing to bolster that 2nd line for next season if they miss out on JT & Staz.

 

[ImNeverWrong]

Getting ufas are fine as long as you are not addressing a core need. You don't want to be saddled with a massive contract for a player past their prime that's taking up an important role. Extremely rare that a ufa lives up to past play. I think Tavares is one of the few guys that may be worth the price he gets as he's a franchise talent and still has many elite years ahead. It's the final years of the long term deal he gets that maybe the issue, but he should be a star for at least the next 5 seasons. I don't see him dropping off a cliff.

 

[cgf]

Getting ufas are fine as long as you are not addressing a core need. You don't want to be saddled with a massive contract for a player past their prime that's taking up an important role. Extremely rare that a ufa lives up to past play. I think Tavares is one of the few guys that may be worth the price he gets as he's a franchise talent and still has many elite years ahead. It's the final years of the long term deal he gets that maybe the issue, but he should be a star for at least the next 5 seasons. I don't see him dropping off a cliff.

It's worth it for the elite guys like Tavares, Hossa or Radulov on the rare occasions that they hit the market.

Where UFA kills you is with old guys getting paid for what they've done in the past (especially PWFs & stay-at-home blueliners) the non-elite guys who capitalize on being the "best on the market"...your Okposo's & Ladd's, those kind of scoring line forwards who are going to get paid like elite guys but never were, are how you commit cap suicide.

 

[ImNeverWrong]

It's worth it for the elite guys like Tavares, Hossa or Radulov on the rare occasions that they hit the market.

Where UFA kills you is with old guys getting paid for what they've done in the past (especially PWFs & stay-at-home blueliners) the non-elite guys who capitalize on being the "best on the market"...your Okposo's & Ladd's, those kind of scoring line forwards who are going to get paid like elite guys but never were, are how you commit cap suicide.

Yup exactly. These are the types of players that make ufa shopping a major problem. They're not stars...they're passengers. Teams have to pro scout and learn the difference. Teams are much better off looking at internal options than over paying one of those passenger types. Save the money for keeping your core star players and maybe give yourself some room when a real star becomes available...like JT, Karlsson or even doughty.

 

[BrindamoursNose]

UFAs are still helpful if you get the right ones, of course.

 

[valet]

you'd probably have better luck finding guys that can help on waivers than in the ufa market these days

 

[cgf]

UFAs are still helpful if you get the right ones, of course.

Sure, but the right ones basically boil down to 2 categories: the elite guys who are worth big money, and the bargain guys who give you good bang for your buck.

 

[BrindamoursNose]

Sure, but the right ones basically boil down to 2 categories: the elite guys who are worth big money, and the bargain guys who give you good bang for your buck.

Yup. 2 pretty useful categories.

 

[cgf]

Yup. 2 pretty useful categories.

True lol. But why so many GMs decide to shop in any other categories will forever baffle me.

 

[DrJustice]

I think losing is a bigger detractor than winning is an attraction.

Teams can go on a run to make the playoffs and look decent but it doesn't make them much more attractive than any other middling team.

A team that is a dumpster fire and missuses players is for sure going to turn away a lot of players.

 

[cgf]

I think losing is a bigger detractor than winning is an attraction.

Teams can go on a run to make the playoffs and look decent but it doesn't make them much more attractive than any other middling team.

A team that is a dumpster fire and missuses players is for sure going to turn away a lot of players.

You don't think a young team like the Oilers & Leafs last summer, or the Avs & Jets this summer will be more attractive to UFAs than if they had ended up on the outside of the playoff bubble looking in? For an older team I agree with you more, but I think it makes it much easier for GMs of younger teams to sell players on the idea that this is a young team that has already started to arrive.

 

[DrJustice]

You don't think a young team like the Oilers & Leafs last summer, or the Avs & Jets this summer will be more attractive to UFAs than if they had ended up on the outside of the playoff bubble looking in? For an older team I agree with you more, but I think it makes it much easier for GMs of younger teams to sell players on the idea that this is a young team that has already started to arrive.

It makes them more attractive options I agree. I just think it more helps teams get a seat at the table than it does separate them from the pack so to speak.

Higher end free agents will be more likely to consider teams like the Avs now, but I still believe playing/financial opportunity is what ultimately dictates what these players decide.

However losing in the fashion of a Arizona or Buffalo removes you from consideration completely.

 

[TheNumber4]

I doubt Winnipeg would ever be the choice for any FA with options in front of him.

Which makes their dominance that much more impressive.

 

[Moon Man]

Out of curiosity who are these players that you insist the Jets have been able to retain quite easily?

I'm sure you're not talking about RFA's who have little leverage while negotating.

Stej also didn't mention Perreault. Everyone we've wanted to retain, we've retained. I'm as well, eager to hear your list of, "Name the players the Jets wanted to re-sign but couldn’t. I’ll give you one - Ladd last year (thank heaven!). Good luck building a list."

 

[Bumpus]

Winning can certainly help with NTC's, but UFA's almost always go for the money.