GDT: 2020 Free Agency Part II: Embrace the Grind

[shadow1]

Yeah even those that know a bit about every team don't know enough for that kind of stuff.

The Hockey Guy on Youtube mock expansion draft is a good example of that:

(In blue are the players exposed in his opinion). Looks like he didn't know that Saad, Cole and Calvert will be UFA.

He says in the video that he knows Saad is a UFA, but mentioned how Saad has already expressed interest in re-signing with Colorado.

For some comments below, he immediately addressed EJ's NMC, basically saying - as with the Tyler Johnson situation in Tampa Bay - we can't just assume players will waive their NMC.

But later in the video he addresses Johnson moving it, and speculates they'd protect Toews.

 

[Foppa2118]

They'll find a way to not protect EJ but that hypothetical handshake deal thing with Landy isn't realistic at all.

I don't know. I haven't been promoting that idea, but if they were planning on signing Landy this off season I think you may be right, but at this point it feels like it won't happen before the season.

So that leaves either Landy signing around the deadline or after the season as the most likely times.

I've had a feeling that Sakic wanted to see how Landy's health held up in his last season. If there's an injury that causes him to miss a lot of games, that would have an effect on his value on a long term deal, given he already has hip issues.

So if they end up waiting until after the season to resign Landy, why wouldn't they just wait another month or so until after the expansion draft?

 

[Foppa2118]

He says in the video that he knows Saad is a UFA, but mentioned how Saad has already expressed interest in re-signing with Colorado.

For some comments below, he immediately addressed EJ's NMC, basically saying - as with the Tyler Johnson situation in Tampa Bay - we can't just assume players will waive their NMC.

But later in the video he addresses Johnson moving it, and speculates they'd protect Toews.

He's not comfortable assuming EJ will waive, but he's comfortable assuming Saad will resign before expansion?

 

[shadow1]

He's not comfortable assuming EJ will waive, but he's comfortable assuming Saad will resign before expansion?

He talks about this later in the video.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Do the Avs need to protect Makar for expansion? The rules say that you don’t have to protect first, or second year players, so I guess it depends if they count the playoffs. I assume none of Timmins, Byram, Newhook, or Kaut would need protection.

I would be willing to trade an asset to protect the following players:

MacKinnon, Makar, Landeskog, Rantanen, Girard, Burakovsky, Toews, Kadri and Grubauer.

To me, those are guys I’m not willing to lose. Unless Burakovsky takes a big step back next year.

If Seattle has eyes on any other player I would let them take them without giving up an asset.

 

[Avsboy]

Makar has to be protected

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Makar has to be protected

Gotcha. Thanks for confirming.

In that case. Seeing as they’ll have to protect EJ because of his no-move clause I would definitely be trading an asset to ensure the golfed players I mentioned above were not taken by Seattle.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Do the Avs need to protect Makar for expansion? The rules say that you don’t have to protect first, or second year players, so I guess it depends if they count the playoffs. I assume none of Timmins, Byram, Newhook, or Kaut would need protection.

I would be willing to trade an asset to protect the following players:

MacKinnon, Makar, Landeskog, Rantanen, Girard, Burakovsky, Toews, Kadri and Grubauer.

To me, those are guys I’m not willing to lose. Unless Burakovsky takes a big step back next year.

If Seattle has eyes on any other player I would let them take them without giving up an asset.

If he didn't play against CGY he wouldn't need to be protected, that was his first pro season.

 

[Hasbro]

He says in the video that he knows Saad is a UFA, but mentioned how Saad has already expressed interest in re-signing with Colorado.

Which will be hard to do under the flat cap. He might want to explore his options first anyway, since we're talking about around $4M being available to him.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Do the Avs need to protect Makar for expansion? The rules say that you don’t have to protect first, or second year players, so I guess it depends if they count the playoffs. I assume none of Timmins, Byram, Newhook, or Kaut would need protection.

I would be willing to trade an asset to protect the following players:

MacKinnon, Makar, Landeskog, Rantanen, Girard, Burakovsky, Toews, Kadri and Grubauer.

To me, those are guys I’m not willing to lose. Unless Burakovsky takes a big step back next year.

If Seattle has eyes on any other player I would let them take them without giving up an asset.

I get all the logic on getting EJ to waive and all but until they do I’m not assuming that it’s just a non-issue in regards to expansion. It’s a very delicate matter and the Avs do things old school sometimes.

Grubauer needs to sign first in order for him to get protected. If he does then he probably will be protected.

If the EJ situation isn’t resolved I think they go 8 skaters to protect Toews assuming he’s in the realm of what they expected bringing him in. He’s the one they’ve committed to. Burky is one year to UFA at that point. He’s nice to have but he’s also not irreplaceable if he gets taken and the Avs can use his cap hit to go shopping in the UFA market of these guys who all took one year deals.

If it took up to say a third to steer things exactly how the Avs want then maybe there’s a deal there but really they are in fine position and can replace whoever is taken.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

 

[UncleRisto]

Crazy that it's been six years. I remember him coming in. I'm not supposed to be that age.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

Especially if we say, win the cup this year or get even further than the last two years, he's not going to want to go. He's our captain, he's going to get paid and by all accounts loves it here and the team.

You don't screw around with your core guys like Landeskog. St. Louis screwed around with Pietrangelo and look where it got them. He was their captain, won a Cup, and loved the city. The Blues though screwed around with him and didn't make him a priority. He decided to find a team to make him a priority and is now in Vegas. You treat Landeskog how he deserves to be treated and deal with your other business. Holding onto Compher or Graves or even Burakovsky at the risk of losing Landy isn't worth it.

 

[Hasbro]

You don't screw around with your core guys like Landeskog. St. Louis screwed around with Pietrangelo and look where it got them. He was their captain, won a Cup, and loved the city. The Blues though screwed around with him and didn't make him a priority. He decided to find a team to make him a priority and is now in Vegas. You treat Landeskog how he deserves to be treated and deal with your other business. Holding onto Compher or Graves or even Burakovsky at the risk of losing Landy isn't worth it.

In fairness, Denver is a lot easier to love than Saint Louis.

 

[PAZ]

You don't screw around with your core guys like Landeskog. St. Louis screwed around with Pietrangelo and look where it got them. He was their captain, won a Cup, and loved the city. The Blues though screwed around with him and didn't make him a priority. He decided to find a team to make him a priority and is now in Vegas. You treat Landeskog how he deserves to be treated and deal with your other business. Holding onto Compher or Graves or even Burakovsky at the risk of losing Landy isn't worth it.

I don't think Pietrangelo was ever as vocal about wanting to stay in St. Louis and finding success there than Landeskog has in Colorado. IMO, the Avs would have to screw around Landy similar to how the Sens screwed around Alfredsson for him to leave.

 

[dahrougem2]

You don't screw around with your core guys like Landeskog. St. Louis screwed around with Pietrangelo and look where it got them. He was their captain, won a Cup, and loved the city. The Blues though screwed around with him and didn't make him a priority. He decided to find a team to make him a priority and is now in Vegas. You treat Landeskog how he deserves to be treated and deal with your other business. Holding onto Compher or Graves or even Burakovsky at the risk of losing Landy isn't worth it.

I see your point, and there's some merit to it. However, at the end of the day if a player wants to be somewhere, the player will make it happen.

I don't believe for one second that Alex Pietrangelo wanted to remain a St. Louis Blues player.

 

[SaltySkywalker]

You don't screw around with your core guys like Landeskog. St. Louis screwed around with Pietrangelo and look where it got them. He was their captain, won a Cup, and loved the city. The Blues though screwed around with him and didn't make him a priority. He decided to find a team to make him a priority and is now in Vegas. You treat Landeskog how he deserves to be treated and deal with your other business. Holding onto Compher or Graves or even Burakovsky at the risk of losing Landy isn't worth it.

Not the same thing. Blues screwed around with him and didn't make him a priority as you said. Oh, Gabe will be a priority, just saying you go about it in a different way with an unwritten agreement. Either way, I'm not advocating for it, just saying it's not all that crazy as maybe some think.

 

[henchman21]

IMO you lose any hometown discount possibility if you let Landy get anywhere near the market. Don't forget that if Landy is a UFA, Seattle can legally talk to him before the expansion draft and work on a contract. What better way to grab a face of the franchise than to grab the captain of the Cup winners in the expansion draft? Especially when he's a complete man rocket! Who cares if you're paying him $10m? You don't have to have any bad contracts and he's about as prime of culture setter as you can reasonably get.

 

[shadow1]

Not the same thing. Blues screwed around with him and didn't make him a priority as you said. Oh, Gabe will be a priority, just saying you go about it in a different way with an unwritten agreement. Either way, I'm not advocating for it, just saying it's not all that crazy as maybe some think.

This.

And lest we forget, during the 2018-2019 season there was smoke that the Blues offered Pietrangelo to Toronto for William Nylander. Then, St. Louis doubled down that off-season by trading for RHD Justin Faulk and then giving him a 7-year contract, despite already having RHD's Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko cemented as their top two righties.

It was a divorce you could see coming from a mile away.

 

[dmac7719]

IMO you lose any hometown discount possibility if you let Landy get anywhere near the market. Don't forget that if Landy is a UFA, Seattle can legally talk to him before the expansion draft and work on a contract.

Obviously things may be different because of the timeline this season, but wasn't last expansion draft before free agency? So would it be that if Seattle were to select him they would be the only one able to negotiate with him up until the start of free agency? Definitely would seem like a way worse situation.

What better way to grab a face of the franchise than to grab the captain of the Cup winners in the expansion draft? Especially when he's a complete man rocket! Who cares if you're paying him $10m? You don't have to have any bad contracts and he's about as prime of culture setter as you can reasonably get.

Nice.

 

[Avsboy]

When is Mack getting the C though?

 

[dahrougem2]

IMO you lose any hometown discount possibility if you let Landy get anywhere near the market. Don't forget that if Landy is a UFA, Seattle can legally talk to him before the expansion draft and work on a contract. What better way to grab a face of the franchise than to grab the captain of the Cup winners in the expansion draft? Especially when he's a complete man rocket! Who cares if you're paying him $10m? You don't have to have any bad contracts and he's about as prime of culture setter as you can reasonably get.

****in eh, pal.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

$5.75M in dead money

 

[henchman21]

$5.75M in dead money

It'll end up on LTIR and really only impacts their banking ability... but if he really files and forgoes his final salary, all that cap will come off the books.