2014 off-season predictions.

[cbjfaninmo]

Cammaleri would be a good add if the money worked, but he will mostl ikely want big bucks. No thanks

I would pass on him too.

 

[Sore Loser]

Why? Cammalleri has pissed folks off before, but I don't know if he's just an unpopular teammate or a sourpuss or what. Or if you have an entirely different complaint for him. What is clear is that he is the best sniper who will probably be available in the summer.

Have you gone through the "Armchair GM" style simulations, on capgeek or elsewhere? If I try to be thrifty I end up with $7 million or so left over for a premier top line winger and none of the plausible free agents are all that enticing for that. We can guess that the marginal benefit is going to be low whether we sign one of the top free agents or re-sign Gaborik, its all a question of whether ownership wants to spend it.

Premier top line winger? Are you still talking about Mike Cammalleri? What I see is a guy who's had two exceptional seasons; three or four RJ Umberger type seasons, and has played his way off of at least two NHL teams.

Again, no interest here. We have a good thing going with our group, and Cammalleri is known to be a locker room cancer. I say, spend our $6+ million (as he will likely command) elsewhere ... like locking up a Johansen long-term.

 

[major major]

Premier top line winger? Are you still talking about Mike Cammalleri? What I see is a guy who's had two exceptional seasons; three or four RJ Umberger type seasons, and has played his way off of at least two NHL teams.

Again, no interest here. We have a good thing going with our group, and Cammalleri is known to be a locker room cancer. I say, spend our $6+ million (as he will likely command) elsewhere ... like locking up a Johansen long-term.

Like I said he's not all that enticing for the money. But we've got the money even if we sign Johansen for a long term deal worth $6m plus, resign Skille, Comeau and D-Mac for a million each and a couple million for a good backup goalie. Add in $1-2 million for each of Prout, Savard, and Erixon, and that's $63million for a 22 man roster, and about $8million to spare.

Where does that $8million go? Perhaps keep it available to take salary during the year. Free agency is crap, we were one of the few teams last summer that came away happy with it.

 

[Sore Loser]

Like I said he's not all that enticing for the money. But we've got the money even if we sign Johansen for a long term deal worth $6m plus, resign Skille, Comeau and D-Mac for a million each and a couple million for a good backup goalie. Add in $1-2 million for each of Prout, Savard, and Erixon, and that's $63million for a 22 man roster, and about $8million to spare.

Where does that $8million go? Perhaps keep it available to take salary during the year. Free agency is crap, we were one of the few teams last summer that came away happy with it.

Nothing wrong with entering the year with flexibility. We've spent up near the cap before (see: Jeff Carter acquisition) and it didn't help us much. My thought process is, if we're going to bring people in, let's bring in guys with character that match and will fit in with what we already have. Cammalleri simply doesn't fit that mold ... and remember, there have already been rumblings about whether or not Marian Gaborik was fitting in with our style.

 

[Theo Von]

And OP forgot to include Nikitin in the UFA list. I think we either trade him or let him walk. Although with Richards' love for Erixon it might not play out that way.

Ah. Good catch! Just edited it.

 

[blahblah]

Statsny was one I considered but I think he will be too expensive and he hasn't justified his current contract imo much less a higher one, although he is playing better this year under Roy.

Stastny is an excellent center that is worth quite a bit more than Callahan at wing. A Stastny/Johansen pairing at center and this team is beyond set. I'd give him another contact at around his current dollar amount, but his term will be an issue if he goes UFA.

Having said that, I doubt the Avs let him walk. If he makes it to FA, he should be on of the top two in demand players out there. I haven't looked at the list closely

Let's keep in mind what they gave Horton and Stastny would be worth more than Horton.

Let's take care of business. Finish strong and make the playoffs.

 

[Mayor Bee]

Contract statuses for next year:

Returning forwards - 17
Josh Anderson (three years left; contract slid this year)
Artem Anisimov (two years left)
Cam Atkinson (last year)
Jonathan Audy-Marchessault (last year)
Oliver Bjorkstrand (three years left)
Jared Boll (three years left)
Matt Calvert (last year)
Michael Chaput (last year)
Ryan Craig (last year)
Brandon Dubinsky (last year)
Nick Foligno (last year)
Nathan Horton (six years left)
Boone Jenner (two years left)
Mark Letestu (last year)
Lukas Sedlak (two years left)
Dalton Smith (last year)
RJ Umberger (three years left)

Returning defensemen - 6
Jack Johnson (four years left)
Thomas Larkin (last year)
Austin Madaisky (last year)
Ryan Murray (two years left)
Fedor Tyutin (four years left)
James Wisniewski (three years left)

Returning goalies - 2
Sergei Bobrovsky (last year)
Anton Forsberg (two years left)

RFA forwards (pending qualifying offer) - 6
Sean Collins
Oliver Gabriel
Jake Hansen
Ryan Johansen
Spencer Machacek
Corey Tropp

RFA defensemen (pending qualifying offer) - 7
Anton Blomqvist
Tim Erixon
Ilari Melart
Blake Parlett
Dalton Prout
David Savard
Will Weber

RFA goalies (pending qualifying offer) - 1
Jeremy Smith

UFA forwards - 5
Cody Bass
Blake Comeau
Marian Gaborik
Derek MacKenzie
Jack Skille

UFA defensemen - 3
Patrick McNeill
Nikita Nikitin
Frederic St. Denis

UFA goalies - 2
Curtis McElhinney
Mike McKenna

 

[JacketsDavid]

RFA - Bring them all back.

UFA - Gabby is only one with a unique skill set but doesn't sound like either side is happy. Maybe pick one of the goalies IF the free agent crop doesn't look loaded. I like MacKenzie but he's replaceable, plus it's doubtful (in my mind) that even if you let him test free agency that anyone will overwhelm him with a multi-year and/or big $$$ contract. Sign him to a one year deal - but likely in CBJ fashion they will sign another 4th line forward to a multi-year deal at a premium.

 

[pete goegan]

RFA - Bring them all back.

UFA - Gabby is only one with a unique skill set but doesn't sound like either side is happy. Maybe pick one of the goalies IF the free agent crop doesn't look loaded. I like MacKenzie but he's replaceable, plus it's doubtful (in my mind) that even if you let him test free agency that anyone will overwhelm him with a multi-year and/or big $$$ contract. Sign him to a one year deal - but likely in CBJ fashion they will sign another 4th line forward to a multi-year deal at a premium.

What have you heard, David, indicating that Gaborik is unhappy?

 

[JacketsDavid]

What have you heard, David, indicating that Gaborik is unhappy?

Most of the team is a "gang/band" and stick together from top to bottom. Gabby is big exception. He does his own thing, obviously doesn't like to play D.
On Gabby's end he would rather be in a big market - just doesn't fit with Columbus.

Nothing earth shattering.

 

[Roadman]

Most of the team is a "gang/band" and stick together from top to bottom. Gabby is big exception. He does his own thing, obviously doesn't like to play D.
On Gabby's end he would rather be in a big market - just doesn't fit with Columbus.

Nothing earth shattering.

Do you have a source or something to back this up?

Or is it just conjecture on your part?

 

[Matt]

I understand Marian spends a lot of time with Calvert and Atkinson.

 

[Derby]

Can't believe I'm jumping into this but...
https://twitter.com/bluejacketsnhl/status/415318423556476929

And

https://twitter.com/bluejacketsnhl/status/415316545099665408

Sounds like a team guy to me.

 

[NotWendell]

Unrestricted Free Agents for the Jackets following this season:

- Marian Gaborik (either gets traded at the deadline or gets a one year contract from the CBJ)
- Derek MacKenzie (stays)
- Blake Comeau (stays)
- Curtis McElhinney (goes)
- Mike McKenna (he might stay and become the starter in Springy)
- Nikita Nikitin (traded)

Restricted Free Agents for the Jackets following this season:

- Ryan Johansen (gets a payday - and not the candy bar kind)
- Corey Tropp (stays)
- Tim Erixon (stays)
- David Savard (stays)
- Dalton Prout (stays)

 

[Dednimnepo]

What I like about this situation is if we lost all of out UFA's the only things I would worry about is not having a backup goalie. MacKenzie I want to keep for one maybe two more years for his solid defensive play. (I think he would have made the difference in Philly) Skille is ok, if he continues on the up swing through the playoffs this year, sign him.

Now summer 2015 after winning the Cup, we have a lot of guys to try to hold onto.

 

[Dumais]

Keep Johan, Skille, Prout, Erixon & Nikitin.

Trade the rest or let them walk.

Edit: And sign Johan @ 4.5m per till 27yo.

 

[Columbus Jack]

Can't believe I'm jumping into this but...
https://twitter.com/bluejacketsnhl/status/415318423556476929

And

https://twitter.com/bluejacketsnhl/status/415316545099665408

Sounds like a team guy to me.

I think it's easy to pass off a top player with compete problems at times as possibly unhappy. To me, I want to believe in the case of Gaborik, its complete ********. Whether people think he doesnt fit in with our style or not, he is another dangerous goal scorer other teams have to pay attention to. Our team has depth, everyone knows this. One thing we do not have enough of is game changing forwards that can score goals. With Horton coming into the mix along with Gabby, our team could be very dangerous. Not to mention Bobrovsky getting back to his old self which I know will happen. I understand Jarmo is a very due diligence kind of guy and is going to think about signing Gabby long and hard, but he should resign him. Who else are we going to throw money at in FA that will actually come here? Gabby is already here, we might aswell try to keep him. If Marian comes back and lights it up, I think Jarmo will do everything he can to try and sign him. It is nice to see he is supporting his team mates, the guy is a wanted asset.

 

[major major]

Keep Johan, Skille, Prout, Erixon & Nikitin.

Trade the rest or let them walk.

Edit: And sign Johan @ 4.5m per till 27yo.

Why not sign him to $1million a year! Then we'll have enough money left over to sign Mario Lemieux in free agency.

 

[major major]

Unless Patty Marleau pulls a Horton and decides to ditch SJ for Columbus, our choices in FA aren't going to be great. I count $7-$9 million left over after we take care of our consensus resignings and fill out to 22 men. From there we could

1) Resign Gaborik
2) Sign some other FA (Cammalleri is a real sniper, but has problems, other FA's don't improve our scoring, etc...)
3) Hold the money into the year. More players will be available at times in the year.

 

[DJA]

Most of the team is a "gang/band" and stick together from top to bottom. Gabby is big exception. He does his own thing, obviously doesn't like to play D.
On Gabby's end he would rather be in a big market - just doesn't fit with Columbus.

Nothing earth shattering.

Complete nonsense.

 

[JacketsDavid]

Do you have a source or something to back this up?

Or is it just conjecture on your part?

Part of the CBJ organization, in the locker room.
Won't use the guys name.
no need to trust me, I likley wouldn't either.

 

[db2011]

I think it's easy to pass off a top player with compete problems at times as possibly unhappy. To me, I want to believe in the case of Gaborik, its complete ********. Whether people think he doesnt fit in with our style or not, he is another dangerous goal scorer other teams have to pay attention to. Our team has depth, everyone knows this. One thing we do not have enough of is game changing forwards that can score goals. With Horton coming into the mix along with Gabby, our team could be very dangerous. Not to mention Bobrovsky getting back to his old self which I know will happen. I understand Jarmo is a very due diligence kind of guy and is going to think about signing Gabby long and hard, but he should resign him. Who else are we going to throw money at in FA that will actually come here? Gabby is already here, we might aswell try to keep him. If Marian comes back and lights it up, I think Jarmo will do everything he can to try and sign him. It is nice to see he is supporting his team mates, the guy is a wanted asset.

This is pretty much what I'm thinking, too. It's not exactly a bumper year for FA's and given that landscape I like Gabby over the rest. Especially since he wouldn't exactly be coming in as an FA since he's been here for a season-plus. That's provided he wants to be here and is a good fit in the room.

As far as on the ice, I don't at all mind having a change of pace player who fits in as a kind of wild card for the other team to have to adjust their Jackets-related strategy to stop. Some Rangers fans think the Nash trade may have turned out better if they'd kept Gabby, too, so the two in tandem would be hard to adjust to. Who knows if that's true or not, Rangers fans will believe anything and Nash's struggles in NYC are hard to dismiss at this point. But it's not boring to think of Horton and Gabby in this lineup giving other teams fits.