2014 UFA's

[PredsHabs]

I have this list of 2014 UFA's I would not mind seeing on this team. I have it in the order of need to the Predators(my opinion). I know most will not make it to free agency, so it may take a trade to get the player we need.

1. Which would you like to see added to the team either by trade or Free Agency?
2. How would your list look? Anyone I missed.
3. What would it take through trade to get who you want?


1a.Vanek
1b.Kessel
3.Pominville
4.Thornton
5.Stastny
6.Phaneuf
7.Cammalleri
8.Kulemin
9.Grabovski
10.Ott
11.Vrbata
12.Legwand
13.Seidenberg

Click to read more...

 

[predwings]

Shore up legwand, make attempt at Stastny, or Grabo, or KEssel, or Thornton, or Vanek

 

[NoNecksCurse]

too bad we blew so much money on hendricks, gaustad, nystrom

 

[PredsV82]

too bad we blew so much money on hendricks, gaustad, nystrom

I think you are making assumptions based on old data(ie formerly cheap owners)

do you have any reason to believe that the owners wont keep the wallet open next year? the cap will almost certainly go up, so we will have the cap space.

 

[NoNecksCurse]

I think you are making assumptions based on old data(ie formerly cheap owners)

do you have any reason to believe that the owners wont keep the wallet open next year? the cap will almost certainly go up, so we will have the cap space.

we won't have the space to sign a guy like vanek, thornton, kessel, ect unless we let a guy like legwand walk .. we have almost zero contracts coming off the books the next 2 years. the 9 million dollar 4th line is gonna keep us from signing anyone other than maybe a Daniel briere 2.0

 

[Roman Yoshi]

too bad we blew so much money on hendricks, gaustad, nystrom

That was my exact thought as well. We don't have the cap space anymore. Poile's stupidity this summer is really going to come to roost next offseason.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

we won't have the space to sign a guy like vanek, thornton, kessel, ect unless we let a guy like legwand walk .. we have almost zero contracts coming off the books the next 2 years. the 9 million dollar 4th line is gonna keep us from signing anyone other than maybe a Daniel briere 2.0

It would be fairly optimistic to think any of those guys would consider signing here even if we had the cap space.

 

[NoNecksCurse]

It would be fairly optimistic to think any of those guys would consider signing here even if we had the cap space.

very true too

 

[101st_fan]

It's optimistic to think any player might go to a team. 75% of those guys probably don't hit the open market. The remaining 25% then get the choice to either chase money, look for the media spotlight (or escape it), go someplace for personal/family reasons, or the "chance of winning" theory.

The cap for next year is completely unknown. The Preds still have a compliance buyout this summer if needed. September is a bit early for the woe is us free agency mentality even around here.

 

[Soundgarden]

we won't have the space to sign a guy like vanek, thornton, kessel, ect unless we let a guy like legwand walk .. we have almost zero contracts coming off the books the next 2 years. the 9 million dollar 4th line is gonna keep us from signing anyone other than maybe a Daniel briere 2.0

Unless there is a two team expansion coming.

 

[PredsV82]

That was my exact thought as well. We don't have the cap space anymore. Poile's stupidity this summer is really going to come to roost next offseason.

im sorry but youve got some serious issues with overconfidence in your own abilities if you call a guy who is perennially a GM of the year nominee "stupid"

Legwands cap hit can go away if needed, and we still have a compliance buyout that could be used... plus the expectation is that the cap will go back up to around 70M... so we will be fine, and I think there is no way Poile loses out on anybody due to cap space...

or to put it another way.. if by some miracle Vanek wants to sign with us next summer, Poile will find the money for him...

 

[Roman Yoshi]

im sorry but youve got some serious issues with overconfidence in your own abilities if you call a guy who is perennially a GM of the year nominee "stupid"

Legwands cap hit can go away if needed, and we still have a compliance buyout that could be used... plus the expectation is that the cap will go back up to around 70M... so we will be fine, and I think there is no way Poile loses out on anybody due to cap space...

or to put it another way.. if by some miracle Vanek wants to sign with us next summer, Poile will find the money for him...

Poile is only human. He makes mistakes you know.

 

[StarvinArvyn33]

Poile is only human. He makes mistakes you know.

his recent signings havent even played an NHL game for the club yet and people are already bashing them as mistakes and that they are keeping us from FAs who are trying to come here desperately....

 

[glenngineer]

his recent signings havent even played an NHL game for the club yet and people are already bashing them as mistakes and that they are keeping us from FAs who are trying to come here desperately....

I did the research and while the Cullen and Stalberg signings were market value for their type of production, Nystrom and Hendricks are overpaid. Not saying they are mistakes or aren't but the stats, plus production plus analyzing guys in their production/salary ranges tell me they're mistakes.

Now, seeing the game Tuesday night in person, I see what they were trying to accomplish by bringing those guys in. Problem I have is how many grinders do you need in a lineup? When Stalberg is back, who sits? Is it Clune? Hendricks? Nystrom? Smith? Spaling? I get the need for role players and guys that are good on the PK so you're other guys are more rested for their regular shifts but rumor has it that Nystrom is going to be on the wing with Fisher at center and Forsberg on the other side. Really? I get the need for protection of a young and talented kid but Fisher should be able to handle that role on the ice so why not have someone who might actually produce some offense on that line with them? Granted, it's Sunday and we have no idea what the lines will be when Thursday actually hits but you don't draft good young offensive talent to put a Nystrom on their line. It is very similar to when we had Foppa and Fiddler on the same line. Just not a great use of personnel IMO.

 

[Roman Yoshi]

We have an overfilled roster of redundant pieces. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out. Yes we have depth, but it takes more than depth to be a successful hockey club. It takes offensively talent too.

I'm sorry, it's mismanagement of assets. We are paying a fourth line a combined $9M for the next two years. That's asinine. Add in Spaling's contract who looks like a scratch at this point and you gotta shake your head. There were different options in FA that I would've targeted (granted, not everyone wants to come to Nashville) but fielding offers to someone like Gilbert or Brunner I think have more impact for around the same cost of Hendricks and Spaling.

Buyouts should not even be a consideration for this franchise. I know that we aren't like bottom of the barrel in the red, but we don't have the luxury of tossing money out like Pac Man Jones on a Saturday night. We have one left and that's true, but these actually do cost us. Stalberg and Cullen I get. They are market value for what they bring. Cullen is a power play expert, Stalberg is a work in progress.

The only thing I can really fathom is Poile knowing the league is expanding and wants to saddle that team with Nystrom, Hendricks, Goose, or Spaling. Other than that, these moves beat the tar out of me. We don't even have room for our young guys like Beck and Watson to contribute to any great degree this year. It just seems like Poile cobbled together a line up for this season to put bandaides over deep cuts in this team. Adding Jones and Forsberg are good starts, but we needed to get younger not older.

 

[NoNecksCurse]

couldn't agree more yoshi. well said. and its the truth, whether folks around want to see it. way too many redundant pieces and horrible terms.

 

[TootooTrain]

Out of those listed, there are three that I think are a large enough upgrade on offense that would warrant a hefty contract. In other words, enough money that would make them think about it long and hard. Vanek, Statsny, and Pominville. To a lesser extent Grabovski and Cammelleri. Those two are more support players than difference makers.

 

[BigFatCat999]

Ok you state over redundant pieces, I say depth. If there is an injury, and there will be you will need that depth to keep up

 

[PredsHabs]

Out of those listed, there are three that I think are a large enough upgrade on offense that would warrant a hefty contract. In other words, enough money that would make them think about it long and hard. Vanek, Statsny, and Pominville. To a lesser extent Grabovski and Cammelleri. Those two are more support players than difference makers.

If there is some way on Gods green Earth we could get Pominville and Vanek and put them with Wilson It would be awesome. Before you say I know it is a dream but it does not hurt to dream.

I noticed you named Statsny over Kessel. Do you really believe he is better or are you just a fan of his or something?

 

[PredsV82]

Poile is only human. He makes mistakes you know.

Yes but its one thing to look at the data available, make a choice and have it turn out wrong (see Pickard, Chet)

Its quite another to imply that Poile made a series of willfully unintelligent moves this summer.

 

[Dave is a killer]

Yes but its one thing to look at the data available, make a choice and have it turn out wrong (see Pickard, Chet)

Its quite another to imply that Poile made a series of willfully unintelligent moves this summer.

Always the bridesmaid, never the Bride

 

[glenngineer]

Yes but its one thing to look at the data available, make a choice and have it turn out wrong (see Pickard, Chet)

Its quite another to imply that Poile made a series of willfully unintelligent moves this summer.

And by research that I have done and posted for everyone to see, he overpaid mightily for Hendricks and Nystrom for the type of players they are. Cullen and Stalberg's contracts were spot on for what they bring to the team.

 

[PredsHabs]

too bad we blew so much money on hendricks, gaustad, nystrom

we won't have the space to sign a guy like vanek, thornton, kessel, ect unless we let a guy like legwand walk .. we have almost zero contracts coming off the books the next 2 years. the 9 million dollar 4th line is gonna keep us from signing anyone other than maybe a Daniel briere 2.0

I am tired of hearing about the 9 mllion dollar 4th line the only player on that line that I have a problem with is Gaustad and that contract was done to try and keep Suter here and if he would stay healthy I might not mind it.

Lets say for argument sake that the cap will go up to 70 Million. If Gaustad has another injury year we could buy him out with compliance buy out next year. So this all together would give us per cap geek $20,832,024 in cap space with the following list of Free agents of our own.

UFA: David Legwand, Carter Hutton

RFA: Nick Spaling, Taylor Beck, Simon Moser, Ryan Ellis, Mattias Ekholm

I see no problem with spending some money on Free Agents. I am listing the cap hit for each this year along with their age now.

1a.Vanek-$7.142857 29
1b.Kessel-$5.4 25
3.Pominville-$5.3 30
4.Thornton-$7.0 34
5.Stastny-$6.6 27
6.Phaneuf-$6.5 28
7.Cammalleri-$6.0 31
8.Kulemin-$2.8 27
9.Grabovski-$3.0 29
10.Ott-$2.95 31
11.Vrbata-$3.0 32
12.Legwand-$4.5 33
13.Seidenberg-$3.25 32
14. Niskanen-$2.3 26
Now that I have done this I am going to update my list because some will be older than I thought next year plus I added one more player.

1a. Kessel- top line guy who can score need I say more plus he is still young
1b. Vanek- top line guy, scorer, he is good, love this guy but Kessel took over 1a because he is alot younger
3. Pominville- would look nice beside Wilson
4. Phaneuf- If we cannot get any offensive people here could you imagine a Weber-Josi, Jones-Phaneuf top four
5. Statsny- decent option if others will not come here
6. Thornton- older but still has something left
7. Grabovski- depends alot on what he does this year. I think Caps will be happy with him a the #2C
8. Cammalleri- decent second tier player
9. Kulemin- could be a good player to have on the team if he rebounds this year
10. Ott - a possible Gaustad replacement if he is bought out. I like him alot
11. Legwand- as long as he wants to be a Pred let him as long as it is Cap friendly.
12. Seidenberg- Solid Veteran
13. Vrbata- decent second tier player
14. Niskanen- good solid defenseman


Depending on what we do with our own Free Agents we could Easily get 2-3 players off this list.
Give Legwand a cap friendly cap deal around 4 years that will only be around $3 million. Ellis and Ekholm all depend on this year. Ellis will probably demand more money due to time on team. Moser if good enough this year we can re-sign and not break the bank. Beck will be here unless traded but will not get a big raise. Spaling and Hutton ????? If Hellberg is ready next year Hutton can walk, unless he does really really great this year. Plus Watson should be ready next year. If we re-sign everyone we plan on keeping for less than 6-7 Million cap wise we will still have around 13-14 Milliion to through at Free Agency. So who knows what will happen.

 

[NoNecksCurse]

predshabs - you're so far from reasonable when it comes to us acquiring star forwards. your proposals lead me to believe you aren't realistic in who we could actually acquire. and if you have no problem with our overpaid fourth line then that's your opinion. i think we will all regret some of our off-season moves fairly quickly. aside from cullen. stalberg is a coin flip.

 

[PredsV82]

And by research that I have done and posted for everyone to see, he overpaid mightily for Hendricks and Nystrom for the type of players they are. Cullen and Stalberg's contracts were spot on for what they bring to the team.

and a guy like Poile might realize that despite the cost, what they bring is what we need, and so overpaying for them is better than not getting them and keeping the money.

like I have said repeatedly, I dont see any way these moves keep us from signing anyone we need in the future. we still have cap space now, and we will have more next summer.