Speculation: Acq./Rost. Bldg./Cap Part LXI ‎(FA sorta-Frenzy 2015) (Ward to SJ)

[g00n]

Who is paying $100 a night or more to watch a NASA person do their job? Don't get me wrong I appreciate their work but I am not shelling out to watch them. There also aren't major networks bidding over showing what they do. If the players all took 500k a year or something you are fooling yourself if you don't think the owners would just pocket the difference. This is a business. Ticket prices are set by how much they think they can charge. And if they still think they can get $100 a night from us then they will charge that.

Resentment over what they make is the result of ignorance or jealousy or both. I totally get laying into a guy who makes too much for what he contributes like Laich. He got paid and didn't produce anywhere near his contract. But for a guy like Holtby who is top 5 or 10 in the league at his position I don't get it unless he falls apart later. If he comes in at 5.5 that is a damn bargain. Whether we think is it wise to pay goalies that much is another business thing.

And there are sports out there for less. Minor league sports are far cheaper. Why? Because there is far less demand for it. The only way pro hockey or pro any sport gets less expensive is if lots of people stop watching or going to the games. And that isn't happening.

These questions have largely been answered already. It's why player unions formed, and why free agency in pro sports came about in the 70s.

There are some bloated contracts out there but by and large a lot of what's happened on the labor front has benefitted the players filling out the lower rungs. The less the big boys get and the more power the owners have, the easier it is to pay non-guaranteed, small contracts to bit players and dispose of them whenever convenient including in the case of injury. Unless the union is so bad it doesn't plan for this.

 

[hockeykicker]

Fehr, tlusty and Weiss would be top three
HM to boyes

 

[hockeykicker]

Jamal Mayers
@jamalmayers
.@miklasz @stltoday Why wait until @TJOshie77 is on way out of STL to question his character? You only had 7 years to do it?

Former teammates not happy with article on oshie it seems

 

[usiel]

Galiev has to clear waivers?

I believe yes he does have to clear waivers.

 

[g00n]

Jamal Mayers
@jamalmayers
.@miklasz @stltoday Why wait until @TJOshie77 is on way out of STL to question his character? You only had 7 years to do it?

Former teammates not happy with article on oshie it seems

Stay classy, St. Louis.​

 

[Raikkonen]

I still think Johansson has value, but what we expected him to grow into and what we continue to see are two different things. [...] When we drafted him and in his early years, I expected him to compliment our primary scoring so much more..

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=6225

I don't think many projected him as a source of primary scoring. Guy was just a fast swedish playmaking center. He had some leadership qualities in juniors but perhaps he was just stronger than his peers at the time. He had some edge to his game, AFAIR, at junior level.

Shot wasn't ever his main weapon, IIRC.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

All UFA Centers that made $1M+ last year:

Tlusty, Fehr and Sheppard are my picks. Sheppard is a former 9th overall pick and had a very strong junior career in Cape Breton, he was real good. I think he wen't to Minnesota and had issues with the team, followed by his accidental injury. Traded to S.J and was better there. Given the chance to play a solid 3C position, I'd think he would do better then Fehr. I just think he was never given the chance and from seeing his earlier career, I know he's got real skill. Not a risk signing IMO, NYR scratched him until the Hobbit took an arrow to the helmet and played him on the 4th line...

Edit: I think Sheppard is just the result of a mismanagement that can be salvaged.

 

[strungout]

I believe yes he does have to clear waivers.

Oh...well poop. Thats not good. Figured he had another season to go.

Not sure he'd get claimed...but his PP presence could make him attractive to some teams looking for that kind of specialized help.

 

[MiKE5889]

Bergenheim or Boyes. I would like a Center though.

I still like Oduya but he isn't coming here for 1/1 and the D is set.

Bergenheim would be a very interesting possibility, assuming that he would sign for cheap. Much like Ward, Bergenheim seems to always lift his game in the playoffs.

 

[Raikkonen]

If they're talking trades... there are exactly 2 candidates for that: Laich and Johansson. Maybe Chimera but it doesn't make much sense (only as salary dump).

Only good things could happen out of that.

Btw, what I like about GMBM is that he has a ring, and it kinda shows.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=6225

I don't think many projected him as a source of primary scoring. Guy was just a fast swedish playmaking center. He had some leadership qualities in juniors but perhaps he was just stronger than his peers at the time. He had some edge to his game, AFAIR, at junior level.

Shot wasn't ever his main weapon, IIRC.

I should of used secondary instead of complimentary. Sounds like I referred to him as primary scoring option but he wasn't/won't be. We had OV and Semin at the time and I was hoping he would turn into a more consistent complimentary scoring option behind OVs 50 and Semins 25-40.

 

[Roughing]

I know this has been beaten to death, and Trotz disagrees with me so I'm wrong, but I still think MoJo is a Center. At least, I'd rather he serve as 3C than anywhere else on this team. Since I know they are going to play him at Wing it sours me on the guy. He has talent, and I don't dislike the person, but after five years of waiting I just think we could make better use of the $4M, plus he might be an interesting trade piece to someone who views him higher than I do. If he's here, and that seems very likely, I'll root for the guy, but, for example, we can have Mojo or Tlusty-AND-Bergenheim. I'd take the later.

Berge-Tlusty-Wilson
Chim-Beagle-Laich
(Latta,Galiev)

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

Stay classy, St. Louis.​

The article in question:

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...f50-5a24-b2d7-33be636e610c.html?mode=comments

There's really not much substance there. Couldn't even get a teammate to comment anonymously. Sounds a lot like the frustration around these boards...Oshie is addition by subtraction because the team needs a shakeup.

All I can say is enjoy Brouwer if these are some of the things you don't like about Oshie.

 

[hockeykicker]

So im guessing the reports earlier of trotz wanting one more guy and that the team is still exploring trades is for the 3C? Or could they maybe even look at another top 6 addition (even though we probably dont need it)

 

[Zoidberg Jesus]

I know this has been beaten to death, and Trotz disagrees with me so I'm wrong, but I still think MoJo is a Center. At least, I'd rather he serve as 3C than anywhere else on this team. Since I know they are going to play him at Wing it sours me on the guy. He has talent, and I don't dislike the person, but after five years of waiting I just think we could make better use of the $4M, plus he might be an interesting trade piece to someone who views him higher than I do. If he's here, and that seems very likely, I'll root for the guy, but, for example, we can have Mojo or Tlusty-AND-Bergenheim. I'd take the later.

Berge-Tlusty-Wilson
Chim-Beagle-Laich
(Latta,Galiev)

Tlusty gets listed as a center in a lot of places, but I'm pretty sure he hasn't actually played it, at least at the NHL level. He hasn't taken more than 18 faceoffs in any single season.

 

[strungout]

So im guessing the reports earlier of trotz wanting one more guy and that the team is still exploring trades is for the 3C? Or could they maybe even look at another top 6 addition (even though we probably dont need it)

From the Langway post a few posts back...

Right. He's UFA in two years. It's most likely just a matter of when he leaves.

@alex_prewitt: Trotz said both free agency and trade routes were being explored.

@ianoland: In an interview with @EITMonline, head coach Barry Trotz lumps Eric Fehr with the other Caps UFAs that will not be back next year

‏@ianoland: Trotz also says the Caps are also looking to add another UFA to a one-year deal for the bottom 6

Someone around $1M makes sense and there ought to be quite a few UFAs that end up settling for around that (like Brodziak did).

It'll be bottom six help for sure.

 

[895]

Btw, what I like about GMBM is that he has a ring, and it kinda shows.

Oh come on.

I'll agree that his moves this summer so far have been good but it has nothing to do with his ring as a player. That's straight out of the Kevin Lowe school of GMing.

 

[MiKE5889]

I'm telling you, if BMac manages to acquire Hanzal at a fair prize, I will have an altar built inside my house in his honor, and prey by it for an hour every day, yelling the words; Kali Ma!!!

 

[hockeykicker]

From the Langway post a few posts back...

It'll be bottom six help for sure.

Thats where it confused me. It said also add another bottom 6 player

Also? Sounds weird to me

 

[Zoidberg Jesus]

The article in question:

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...f50-5a24-b2d7-33be636e610c.html?mode=comments

There's really not much substance there. Couldn't even get a teammate to comment anonymously. Sounds a lot like the frustration around these boards...Oshie is addition by subtraction because the team needs a shakeup.

All I can say is enjoy Brouwer if these are some of the things you don't like about Oshie.

I've just gotta put this quote up from the article.

The physical and mentally tough Brouwer has three 20-goal seasons, and will trade his pain for the grubby goal that wins close games. Brouwer ranks high on the charts for hits and blocked shots, and wins more than 50 percent of his faceoffs.

And though his postseason stats are ordinary, Brouwer scored four goals in the 2010 tournament to help the Chicago Blackhawks win their first of three Stanley Cups under coach Joel Quenneville.

That’s all I need to know. Brouwer may not be the most dazzling performer, but he’s an honest player who understands what it takes to prevail during the NHL’s mean season. It’s that special time when the weather and the pressure heat up, with contenders falling to the side as a hardened champion emerges.

That's just... wow. And this guy gets paid to write about hockey?

 

[hockeykicker]

To clarify what i meant, trotz said he would like another peice but then another post said he would also like another bottom 6 player.

Maybe im reading too far into it but that also is throwing me off

 

[strungout]

To clarify what i meant, trotz said he would also like another peice but then another post said he would also like another bottom 6 player.

Maybe im reading too far into it but that also is throwing me off

Its twitter. Someone tweets it one way...another tweets it another.

Best best would be to listen to the interview.

 

[hockeykicker]

Its twitter. Someone tweets it one way...another tweets it another.

Best best would be to listen to the interview.

Fair point haha. Ill have to look it up

 

[peterthegreat12]

I suppose I am on the only one who wouldn't mind a 1 year redemption type contract for Mike Richards? If he could find his game he could still be a good third line center.

 

[Hivemind]

I suppose I am on the only one who wouldn't mind a 1 year redemption type contract for Mike Richards? If he could find his game he could still be a good third line center.

If Richards can't cross the border freely, he can't play in this league. No amount of short-term "redemption" contracts will change that.