NHLN using him probably just means he's the only one they know of readily available for those spots. It's not like there's a lot to choose from around these parts. Even if he does have respect around the industry, there are plenty of them who still do a poor job. The fact that he is consistently getting scooped just shows how good of a job he really does. Sheng Peng came in here and scoops him routinely. His views on hockey are antiquated and his form for arguing is lazy and antagonistic. Fine for a forum poster but for a writer and a public figure, they're supposed to have higher standard and Kurz fails to live up to that. Which is sad because he actually does have potential to be a good reporter. I've seen some potential in his writings but he's been here about 8 years and has very little growth to show for it from a quality perspective.
Speculation: 2019-2020 Sharks Roster Discussion, part quattro
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NHLN using him probably just means he's the only one they know of readily available for those spots. It's not like there's a lot to choose from around these parts. Even if he does have respect around the industry, there are plenty of them who still do a poor job. The fact that he is consistently getting scooped just shows how good of a job he really does. Sheng Peng came in here and scoops him routinely. His views on hockey are antiquated and his form for arguing is lazy and antagonistic. Fine for a forum poster but for a writer and a public figure, they're supposed to have higher standard and Kurz fails to live up to that. Which is sad because he actually does have potential to be a good reporter. I've seen some potential in his writings but he's been here about 8 years and has very little growth to show for it from a quality perspective.
Fistfullofbeer
Moderator
Honestly I think a lot of his personality is due to his Philadelphia ties. Philly is a rough town in the sports world, often completely ruthless. Have to develop a thick skin in those parts. Not giving him an excuse or justifying being an ass but I think that's where it comes from. I do think he is knowledgable and does an admiral job asking the difficult questions, he's just a jerk while doing it.
Fistfullofbeer
Moderator
Part of the problem is that he does not have a thick skin.
I think Kurz's writing is above average. But his investigative/reporting skills are sub-par and his combative and confrontational personality makes him unlikable at times. I think if he just ignored criticism of his work instead of getting defensive and argumentative, people may not get too mad at him.
ChompChomp
Can't wait for Sharks hockey to return someday
There has to be a team where we can do a three way (Martin Jones style) and third team won't just want to keep him, right?
Internazionale
Registered User
Gusev honestly scares me. Has proven zero, zilch, nada in the NHL and people are talking about him like he's the second coming.
Dicdonya
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- Jul 21, 2011
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Why are some people so impatient about our roster right now?
We have like two openings if we sign Thornton/Marleau. We have a couple prospects that might fill the top 6 hole, and tons of prospects that might be able to fill the bottom 6 role. Why are we trying to trade our most talented/highest ceiling prospect of like the last decade to get Kreider before we know if we really even need him.
Also, Burns and Karlsson do not make Merkley expendable if we are actually looking ahead rather than focusing on July of 2019 only. Burns has the very real chance to decline based on age before his contract is up, and Karlsson could potentially be injury prone or decline early as well. If Merkley hits his potential he could be better than one of those two within the next 6 years of Burns contract, and if he’s isn’t oh well, unless he completely busts he’s probably is worth more in a year or two than now anyways.
Merkley was passed up by a ton of teams, the chance we get value for him based on his potential is nil, it does not make sense to trade him before he’s proven anything because until he does I’m sure the same GMs who refused to draft him wont suddenly want him as the main prospect in a trade.
We have like two openings if we sign Thornton/Marleau. We have a couple prospects that might fill the top 6 hole, and tons of prospects that might be able to fill the bottom 6 role. Why are we trying to trade our most talented/highest ceiling prospect of like the last decade to get Kreider before we know if we really even need him.
Also, Burns and Karlsson do not make Merkley expendable if we are actually looking ahead rather than focusing on July of 2019 only. Burns has the very real chance to decline based on age before his contract is up, and Karlsson could potentially be injury prone or decline early as well. If Merkley hits his potential he could be better than one of those two within the next 6 years of Burns contract, and if he’s isn’t oh well, unless he completely busts he’s probably is worth more in a year or two than now anyways.
Merkley was passed up by a ton of teams, the chance we get value for him based on his potential is nil, it does not make sense to trade him before he’s proven anything because until he does I’m sure the same GMs who refused to draft him wont suddenly want him as the main prospect in a trade.
So long as McPhee and company don't add conditions to the trade regarding him being dealt again, or dealt to a specific conference/division.
Kurz’s interactions with us and all fans are a choice he makes. It’s his choice to be irritable and condescending. It’s his choice to mistreat and alienate potential readers. It was his choice to work in public arena that is open to criticism. Don’t make excuses for him. How he conducts himself is all on him.
Dicdonya
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For 4 mil though over a short term, that’s not a terrible experiment to make though.
tony d
New poll series coming from me on June 3
SpaceCoastShark
Look what the cat dragged in
Remember when everyone argued that Tomas Plekanec was better than Pavelski?
knu
Registered User
Dicdonya
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True, obviously depending on the return it makes the trade more or less risky.
However Vgk literally has to trade him, they can not afford him in any way so his trade value is rather low. The bigger question would be how much another team would want for him to complete the three way trade, assuming vgk wouldn’t trade him to their main competition.
Really though my point was more that although some seem to be treating him like some superstar, with no idea if he actually will be, he atleast seems to have a reasonable contract demand for a guy that is a darn good player in Russia, but who realizes he hasn’t proven anything in the nhl.
AgentCooper
Registered User
I think Kurz is a good enough reporter. His recaps of signings, games, series, etc. are, for the most part, totally acceptable. He's a good writer with a knack for an interesting hook, a telling soundbyte, and generally good structure to his articles. Overall his Sharks coverage at the Athletic is perfectly fine, and some of his articles are actually pretty good.
That said, I think he's a terrible speculator when it comes to roster and FA decisions, I think his knowledge is really lacking when it comes to ... pretty much any other team in the league (that problem is closely related to the previous one), he is pretty open about his disinterest in prospects/the minor leagues (I suppose it isn't really his job, but people often ask him about our prospects and he clearly has no interest in learning enough to be able to answer said questions), and I think he holds onto some pretty outdated opinions on roster construction and how to win in today's NHL. That's where we, as mega-fans, butt heads with him. He's pretty clearly writing for casual fans, the ones who are impressed with just about anything it seems, and certainly uses his podium to take cheap shots at those (us) who pester him and demand more of him.
Cappuccino
Registered User
I agree. I do think however Merkley is not worth as much today as he may be in the future, so the return in the future would be higher than today. However the Sharks can't afford to wait it out, if the right trading partner comes along wanting Merkley as return.
Cappuccino
Registered User
Maybe he just jumped on the ice everytime a goal was scored
Who needs ideas? We have a hype machine instead! For reals, though, we didn't get any fireworks the first week of UFA season, the big names are off the board, the RFAs seem to be shaking out mostly as expected, and...I, for one, am bored. Therefore, I will select a random 2/3 tweener every fortnight and describe him as if he and he alone is the difference between us winning the cup and finishing behind Ottawa in the standings. Tomorrow, I'm going with Anthony Beauvillier!
A second rounder and a meh prospect + sweetener for the team facilitating the trade if we need a 3rd party isn’t bad
STL Shark
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- Mar 6, 2013
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Have you not watched any of the past 5 years of Sharks hockey? PDB will not put a rookie in the top 6 and trust him under just about any circumstance. Any position that a youngster is fighting for is going to be a bottom 6 spot. You don't make guys like Labanc take $1 mil contracts to not have something bigger up your sleeve, it just makes zero sense.
You have $5.4 mil in cap space that will turn into about $3.2 mil after signing Jumbo and Patty. Given any proposed deal would see salary going the other way, that is ample space to make a very good addition and to do it before someone else takes the player you want. The cost in assets is greater at the TDL and you get the guy for even less time. Doesn't make sense to handicap yourself for 4+ months and then pay more.
Also, Merkley is hardly anywhere close to the most talented prospect we have had in the last decade. That's a major exaggeration and some serious recency bias playing into that assessment. If either Burns or Karlsson fall off significantly, it won't matter what Merkley is because we will be royally screwed regardless because of the amount of cap space they are taking. That is the least of my worries. Additionally, the fact that there is potential for those guys to fall off is even more reason why DW needs to be all in RIGHT NOW in terms of winning a Cup. Can't sit and use a year for the youngsters to get nice and cozy because that is one less year of guys like Burns, Karlsson, Couture, etc. being in their primes and guys like Thornton and Marleau being able to play productive hockey for severe discounts.
Maybe he just jumped on the ice everytime a goal was scored
Vlasic, is that you?
Patty Ice
Straight to the Banc
It has been reported that Vegas has been receiving offers like that and it is not enough. Apparently, McPhee and Foley are of the mind that the rest of the league should do them the favor of helping them out at no cost.
https://www.tsn.ca/report-underwhel...gas-golden-knights-rfa-nikita-gusev-1.1335913
Nolan11
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- Mar 5, 2013
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Well, Dzingel and Ferland (really wanted his hitting on our side, and not on nuckleheads) are now both off the market, and each under 4 M. Either of their contracts would have fit under the cap for us. I don't see any UFAs worth signing (other than jumbo and maybe patty at near minimum). Anyone else out there we should be hoping for (but won't sign)?
Fistfullofbeer
Moderator
There are a few FA options out there that could work as tweeners but I am really not sure if we should sign any of them.
Justin Williams
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