Speculation: 2019 Off-Season Thread

[HoseEmDown]

Killorn has a modified NTC next summer, so he has to give a list. We'd need Johnson or Palat to waive a year early, but Johnny might want to go to Seattle so it works out. Miller will have a modified NTC too so it is possible to make the money work.

If we just move Callahan this year and only add cheap defenders we can make money work this year, we could even have Miller on the 3rd line with Joseph on the 4th and Stephens still in Syracuse proving he can stay healthy. Next year I don't worry too much because outside of Vasilevskiy I don't know how much guys like Cirelli, Cernak, Sergachev or Joseph will be needing for a raise. None of them unless they really blow up should be getting more than 2.5 - 3 on a bridge deal.

 

[JAY7791]

If we just move Callahan this year and only add cheap defenders we can make money work this year, we could even have Miller on the 3rd line with Joseph on the 4th and Stephens still in Syracuse proving he can stay healthy. Next year I don't worry too much because outside of Vasilevskiy I don't know how much guys like Cirelli, Cernak, Sergachev or Joseph will be needing for a raise. None of them unless they really blow up should be getting more than 2.5 - 3 on a bridge deal.

I agree. For this summer we just need Cally gone and Gourde or Miller. Trade both Cally and Gourde draft day and we have enough for Point, Karlsson, Erne and Paquette.

 

[These Are The Days]

If Karlsson truly wants us as his team then he's as good as ours. I think it's intuitively understood he's gonna have to sign for a friendly figure to do so no different than any player here ever has. If we can retain Stralman we can field one of the best defenses in the league

Hedman-Karlsson
McDonagh-Cernak
Sergachev-Stralman

The good news is Callahan had his best season in years and Gourde/Miller are perfect draft day trades to move up with.


If that godforsaken sweep taught us anything it's that anything is possible no matter how unlikely we would have thought it to be

 

[Todd1a]

If Karlsson truly wants us as his team then he's as good as ours. I think it's intuitively understood he's gonna have to sign for a friendly figure to do so no different than any player here ever has. If we can retain Stralman we can field one of the best defenses in the league

Hedman-Karlsson
McDonagh-Cernak
Sergachev-Stralman

The good news is Callahan had his best season in years and Gourde/Miller are perfect draft day trades to move up with.


If that godforsaken sweep taught us anything it's that anything is possible no matter how unlikely we would have thought it to be

Stop dreaming guys Karlsson is not coming here wake up

 

[These Are The Days]

I agree. For this summer we just need Cally gone and Gourde or Miller. Trade both Cally and Gourde draft day and we have enough for Point, Karlsson, Erne and Paquette.

Provided a friendly bridge by Point i.e nothing bigger than $7 million AAV

 

[JAY7791]

Provided a friendly bridge by Point i.e nothing bigger than $7 million AAV

I did the calculations and we can have Point at 7.5 or Karlsson at 9, or Point 7 and Karlsson 9.5 to have enough for them and to resign our other guys (Paquette 1.25 and Erne 900k).

 

[JAY7791]

Stop dreaming guys Karlsson is not coming here wake up

It's more than possible lol, really not hard to see. He wants us, we want him. Trade Cally and Gourde draft day and its done.

 

[Felonious Python]

My hot take on the team. I don't expect any of Palat, Johnson or Killorn to waive so we are stuck with them. But we need to freshen up the forwards and bring up some Crunch kids. I would be willing to trade Erne and Paquette. I also would move Domingue while his value is at it's highest.

Erne had just 6 points in his last 38 games. Paquette had a good goal scoring year but his point totals aren't that great. Domingue had 21 wins but his save % and GAA were pretty average at best. We don't really have the hitters like Paquette or Erne in Syracuse but neither of those players did much difference in the playoffs. We can run a Volkov - Verheaghe - Stephens 4th line which would probably be better than Erne - Paquette - Callahan. We can also find a backup goalie who makes similar to Domingue for the same money, someone like Cam Ward for 1 year. We can use those 3 players as bait to dump Callahan or acquire picks that we can then attach to Callahan.

Cooper is an idiot when he thinks he's the smartest person in the room. He got lucky with the triplet line for one year and has been living off that and the fact Kucherov became an MVP player. He needs to hold players accountable for their play and demote them to where they belong. Gourde and Point had great chemistry but he broke them up, Palat sucks but him and Johnson do well together but he broke them up, he always is trying to find the next trio instead of just keeping a strong duo and switching in a new 3rd to find one that fits. This is how I would do my lines.

Gourde - Point - Kucherov
Killorn - Cirelli - Stamkos
Palat - Johnson - Joseph
Volkov - Verheaghe - Stephens

Kucherov can work with almost anyone. Stamkos needs to suck it up and move to the wing, keep the Killorn - Cirelli duo. Palat and Johnson go to the 3rd line where the were good before and where their current play is, Joseph can adapt to them and has speed like Johnson to make that line dangerous. The 4th line isn't a traditional one but 3 hungry kids with good two way games and energy should add another threat for us.

TB needs playoff grit, IMO. I don't see how this lineup accomplishes that.

Chara is 41 and was never mobile to begin with, he is still carrying the load for Boston. Theyre also not signed for 10 years but you get my point, theyll be late thirties, still will be elite.

I get what you mean, but any 41-year-old defenseman is an exception to the youth of the league.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Karlsson is not better than Kucherov or even Hedman when he is healthy. So I definitely wouldn't pay him more than 9.5 like Kucherov and would tell him to take less than Hedman at 7.88. but would go a little higher since Hedman is underpaid but stop at the 8.5 like Stamkos.

As for Point why are we bridging him at 7 -7.5? That's not bridge money that's long term money, a bridge should be 5-5.5. if he wants 7+ then he gets 7-8 years.

 

[JAY7791]

Karlsson is not better than Kucherov or even Hedman when he is healthy. So I definitely wouldn't pay him more than 9.5 like Kucherov and would tell him to take less than Hedman at 7.88. but would go a little higher since Hedman is underpaid but stop at the 8.5 like Stamkos.

As for Point why are we bridging him at 7 -7.5? That's not bridge money that's long term money, a bridge should be 5-5.5. if he wants 7+ then he gets 7-8 years.

I agree for the most part but times have changed, we can also thank the god himself acording to leafs fans in Dubas. Matthews got 11 or so per for 5 years. SO Point's agent will use that in bargaining. I'd say 7.5 at 4 years is fair for us and Point.

 

[These Are The Days]

I did the calculations and we can have Point at 7.5 or Karlsson at 9, or Point 7 and Karlsson 9.5 to have enough for them and to resign our other guys (Paquette 1.25 and Erne 900k).

I came up with the same. It'll be interesting to see if it shakes out that way

 

[HoseEmDown]

TB needs playoff grit, IMO. I don't see how this lineup accomplishes that.


I get what you mean, but any 41-year-old defenseman is an exception to the youth of the league.

They scored 8 goals in the 4 games vs Columbus, after the 1st period of game 1 it was 5 goals. They had only 4 forwards with 2 points in the series, Stamkos and Kucherov didn't get there's till the last game too. Playoff grit means Jack when you can't score, we need more playoff scoring.

 

[These Are The Days]

Stop dreaming guys Karlsson is not coming here wake up

Todd my man it's just as important to manage those expectations as it is to realize this guy left an 8th year on the table. The only certainty I have is that he does in fact want to hear our offer because he has waited this long. Or... they're waiting for the playoffs to end and they'll do a deal then. Whatever happens from there is between God, the Lightning, Karlsson, the Sharks and all the GM's and agents. The only declaration I'm making isn't based in wishful thinking. It's based on the fact that Erik Karlsson is gonna do whatever he wants. What's the hurdle? JBB gets cold feet after Point has openly said he's open to whatever deal? Trading Callahan after his best season in years is too hard? Nevermind a Karlsson trade we need to be thinking about forward trades anyway because of the sweep. We're gonna be dangling 20 goal forwards here.

Yeah, I can't pretend to know what Karlsson wants. I don't know what he wants. But if he WANTS to come to Tampa then why would he not do it? I can wish for the moon and stars and him not doing what he wants is never gonna make sense. All we can do is wait to find out whether or not if it's gonna happen. If it doesn't oh well.

 

[Felonious Python]

They scored 8 goals in the 4 games vs Columbus, after the 1st period of game 1 it was 5 goals. They had only 4 forwards with 2 points in the series, Stamkos and Kucherov didn't get there's till the last game too. Playoff grit means Jack when you can't score, we need more playoff scoring.

But what's the process of getting scoring in the playoffs? The Jackets clogged the neutral zone, limiting TB's preferred game.

 

[Cmac66]

So someone posted on a thread that a New York ranger writer stated that they would be looking at free agents forwards and could potentially offer sheet point. Is that really a good move for them to give up maybe 4 1st rounders when they are still in a rebuild mode?

 

[JoVel]

So someone posted on a thread that a New York ranger writer stated that they would be looking at free agents forwards and could potentially offer sheet point. Is that really a good move for them to give up maybe 4 1st rounders when they are still in a rebuild mode?

Rangers finished 6th last in the league this season... That would be dumb and a huge risk.

 

[Todd1a]

Todd my man it's just as important to manage those expectations as it is to realize this guy left an 8th year on the table. The only certainty I have is that he does in fact want to hear our offer because he has waited this long. Or... they're waiting for the playoffs to end and they'll do a deal then. Whatever happens from there is between God, the Lightning, Karlsson, the Sharks and all the GM's and agents. The only declaration I'm making isn't based in wishful thinking. It's based on the fact that Erik Karlsson is gonna do whatever he wants. What's the hurdle? JBB gets cold feet after Point has openly said he's open to whatever deal? Trading Callahan after his best season in years is too hard? Nevermind a Karlsson trade we need to be thinking about forward trades anyway because of the sweep. We're gonna be dangling 20 goal forwards here.

Yeah, I can't pretend to know what Karlsson wants. I don't know what he wants. But if he WANTS to come to Tampa then why would he not do it? I can wish for the moon and stars and him not doing what he wants is never gonna make sense. All we can do is wait to find out whether or not if it's gonna happen. If it doesn't oh well.

If Karlsson comes here that would be great but I'm fully not expecting him to sign with the lightning.

 

[HoseEmDown]

But what's the process of getting scoring in the playoffs? The Jackets clogged the neutral zone, limiting TB's preferred game.

Clogging the nuetral zone and being physically outplayed aren't the same. Boston took care of Columbus with ease because they were coached better, we got out coached against Columbus, Cooper had no answers. Last year Boston tried to play their game against us and we crushed them, Cooper actually coached a good seriers there but he was against a rookie coach who learned from that this year. Cooper isn't good at changing his style on the fly so if someone throws something different out there he can't respond. We were just as physical with Columbus as they were with us, they just took advantage of poor defensive play in Stamkos and Kucherov became an idiot.

 

[Todd1a]

Clogging the nuetral zone and being physically outplayed aren't the same. Boston took care of Columbus with ease because they were coached better, we got out coached against Columbus, Cooper had no answers. Last year Boston tried to play their game against us and we crushed them, Cooper actually coached a good seriers there but he was against a rookie coach who learned from that this year. Cooper isn't good at changing his style on the fly so if someone throws something different out there he can't respond. We were just as physical with Columbus as they were with us, they just took advantage of poor defensive play in Stamkos and Kucherov became an idiot.

sounds to me then cooper sucks and should be fired ?

 

[The Gongshow]

Karlsson eint coming to Tampa, he's seeing the success San Jose is having and will most likely remain there.

 

[Todd1a]

Karlsson eint coming to Tampa, he's seeing the success San Jose is having and will most likely remain there.

I think he signs with a Eastern team but it won't be tampa

 

[JAY7791]

Karlsson eint coming to Tampa, he's seeing the success San Jose is having and will most likely remain there.

Take a read through the thread and the reasoning, thanks.

 

[Felonious Python]

Clogging the nuetral zone and being physically outplayed aren't the same. Boston took care of Columbus with ease because they were coached better, we got out coached against Columbus, Cooper had no answers. Last year Boston tried to play their game against us and we crushed them, Cooper actually coached a good seriers there but he was against a rookie coach who learned from that this year. Cooper isn't good at changing his style on the fly so if someone throws something different out there he can't respond. We were just as physical with Columbus as they were with us, they just took advantage of poor defensive play in Stamkos and Kucherov became an idiot.

The grit is to instill an identity of sacrifice and doing whatever it takes. It makes the team more well-rounded. It also happens that gritty players dumping-and-chasing effectively can outwork a well executed neutral zone trap.

How is Coop supposed to be able to have answers if the roster doesn't have versatility?

 

[The Gongshow]

Take a read through the thread and the reasoning, thanks.

you're welcome

 

[DFC]

The grit is to instill an identity of sacrifice and doing whatever it takes. It makes the team more well-rounded. It also happens that gritty players dumping-and-chasing effectively can outwork a well executed neutral zone trap.

How is Coop supposed to be able to have answers if the roster doesn't have versatility?

We do have players with grit though. They're just not playing in the top-six.