2018-2019 Around the league thread #2

[Iceberg]

Pettersson is a ****ing animal.

Makar better be Erik Karlsson good.

 

[Pokecheque]

Makar better be Erik Karlsson good.

Sure.

 

[Piestany88]

 

[Balthazar]

Robert Bortuzzo and Zach Sanford

 

[The Abusement Park]

Makar better be Erik Karlsson good.

That’s a good expectation to set...

 

[Pokecheque]

I mean if you're already expecting a kid who has played zero NHL games to be a generational talent at his position out the gate because some other kid taken later in the draft who has nothing to do with him and the organization is putting up insane rookie numbers, g'head! I'm glad I don't share that particular mentality though.

 

[Iceberg]

Sorry, i forgot the sarcasm emoji.

 

[Balthazar]

Can anyone explain why the Leafs signed Zaitsev to a 7 years extension after a single OK (just OK) season in the NHL at age 25? Usually when teams sign bad contracts there is a reasoning behind it. That's Jeff Finger level of a head scratcher.

 

[PAZ]

Can anyone explain why the Leafs signed Zaitsev to a 7 years extension after a single OK (just OK) season in the NHL at age 25? Usually when teams sign bad contracts there is a reasoning behind it. That's Jeff Finger level of a head scratcher.

Decent track record in the KHL, showed a lot of potential in his first season. I Imagine they were hoping he would get better and it would be a steal like Klingberg's contract.

 

[Foppberg]

Can anyone explain why the Leafs signed Zaitsev to a 7 years extension after a single OK (just OK) season in the NHL at age 25? Usually when teams sign bad contracts there is a reasoning behind it. That's Jeff Finger level of a head scratcher.

That's the risk of going for those long term potential based signings. Sometimes you get steals like Josi, Klingberg, sometimes you get goose eggs.

 

[henchman21]

That's the risk of going for those long term potential based signings. Sometimes you get steals like Josi, Klingberg, sometimes you get goose eggs.

Yup... and why you should be completely sure a player is a long-term part of the team before signing that sort of deal.

 

[Foppberg]

Yup... and why you should be completely sure a player is a long-term part of the team before signing that sort of deal.

Ekblad is another example. Signed him to that massive contract, maybe he'll turn it around but it isn't looking like he'll be worth 7.5M.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Ekblad is another example. Signed him to that massive contract, maybe he'll turn it around but it isn't looking like he'll be worth 7.5M.

With Ekblad I get it. Former 1oa and had a monster rookie year. No way he wasnt gonna be a core player, so that contract was always gonna be offered, or a long term one at least. Zaitsev is a far riskier contract than someone like Ekblad but overall yeah those contracts can be risky.

 

[Pokecheque]

I think the other half of that lesson is to never, ever give non-puckmoving defensemen massive long-term deals. That kind of contract would've been fine some 10-12 years ago, not now. Zaitsev's production is beyond laughable, I'm pretty sure even Roman Polak has scored more in fewer games.

 

[Foppberg]

With Ekblad I get it. Former 1oa and had a monster rookie year. No way he wasnt gonna be a core player, so that contract was always gonna be offered, or a long term one at least. Zaitsev is a far riskier contract than someone like Ekblad but overall yeah those contracts can be risky.

That early though? Waaaay too soon.

 

[Balthazar]

Ekblad's contract wasn't bad at the time. Nothing in common with Zaitsev.

 

[The Abusement Park]

That early though? Waaaay too soon.

How many players drafted 1oa aren’t core players for their team? Basically Yakupov is the only one and he did nothing to prove he should get a long term contract. Ekblad won a Calder and looked like a future 1D. Totally makes sense to lock him long term imo.

 

[Balthazar]

Ekblad looked like a future Norris winner after his rookie season and had the pedigree to become one. I don't think it's fair to compare him with Zaitsev, an overaged one dimensional KHL player who proved nothing.

 

[Foppberg]

Eh, was still huge coin for a guy that didn't even put up 40 points yet.

 

[dahrougem2]

pretty sure the Canucks had Makar #1 and would've given up 5th + picks

but yeah thank god, league dodged a bullet there

Forsberg Sakic and Jagr

If I'm not mistaken, the Canucks had Pettersson at #1.

 

[Balthazar]

If I'm not mistaken, the Canucks had Pettersson at #1.

You're mistaken.

 

[dahrougem2]

Ekblad looked like a future Norris winner after his rookie season and had the pedigree to become one. I don't think it's fair to compare him with Zaitsev, an overaged one dimensional KHL player who proved nothing.

No, Ekblad never looked like a future Norris winner.

 

[Balthazar]

No, Ekblad never looked like a future Norris winner.

Panthers' ownership, GM, fanbase, and 90% of HF at the time disagree.

 

[The Abusement Park]

No, Ekblad never looked like a future Norris winner.

Looked like a future 1D though.

 

[henchman21]

Ekblad was a manchild and was beyond ready for the NHL. He was the classic case of a player jumping in ready to go, but didn’t have a much higher ceiling. IMO he was always going to be a 2 or a 3 defensemen, but a pretty sure thing. Florida got overzealous, but orgs tend to over project their young players. Don’t blame them for the deal, but signs were around him.