News Article: Any thoughts on Jiri Hudler...??

[Rickkins]

As per TSN article....

http://www.tsn.ca/talent/the-case-for-signing-jiri-hudler-1.536740

If I told you one of the league’s better 5-on-5 scorers was still available in unrestricted free agency, would you believe me?

Such is life right now for veteran winger Jiri Hudler, who seems to be feeling a bit of the salary cap squeeze as he pursues his next contract.

Hudler, now 32 years old, has undoubtedly seen his best hockey years come and go. But he is still a player who has produced at tremendous rates over the last few seasons. At even strength, we are talking about a guy who has sat top-20 league wide, sandwiched between the likes of Joe Thornton, Rick Nash, Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone. That’s pretty great company, and for the record, pretty well-paid company.

Hudler is one of those players who fly under the radar as an offensive threat. He doesn’t have a booming shot or the sleekest brand of skating, and he isn’t the type to stickhandle his way out of a phone booth. I can understand why management groups might undervalue or underestimate what he can do for a team.

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[Patty Roy]

Hudler or Vermette....either guy could help the Habs. If either one is willing to sign a 1 yr 1 million contract with us then i'm all for it.

 

[Help]

I can't believe he's still on the market. If the Habs could get him, I'd be stoked

 

[Frk It]

Good offensive player, but very, very one dimensional. There is a reason the Wings let him walk, and then the Flames dealt him after a 70 pt season.

Could be a good bargain pickup though. Play him with the right players and he can produce for sure.

 

[Sterling Archer]

Hudler or Vermette....either guy could help the Habs. If either one is willing to sign a 1 yr 1 million contract with us then i'm all for it.

Ditto.

Either is a batter option than DD who's also probably the reason we haven't signed either. Mind you, maybe Habs are in on Vesey which would also explain why they haven't made any moves with the $2-2.5M we still have.

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

Hudler or Vermette....either guy could help the Habs. If either one is willing to sign a 1 yr 1 million contract with us then i'm all for it.

Can the team afford them both if it buys out a certain vertically and kinematically challenged player?

 

[Tim Raines]

Ditto.

Either is a batter option than DD who's also probably the reason we haven't signed either. Mind you, maybe Habs are in on Vesey which would also explain why they haven't made any moves with the $2-2.5M we still have.

With all due respect, I don't understand why anyone wants Vermette. No, he is not an upgrade on anything anymore. Yes, as recently as two years ago he may have been, but he is done.

It's like the people still clinging to hope that a guy like Mike Richards will re-discover his form. Vermette is now a poor man's Torrey Mitchell.

 

[Patty Roy]

Ditto.

Either is a batter option than DD who's also probably the reason we haven't signed either. Mind you, maybe Habs are in on Vesey which would also explain why they haven't made any moves with the $2-2.5M we still have.

It seems so simple really. A DD buyout would save us $2.33 this year and could allow us to sign BOTH Hudler and Vermette to 1 year deals. Sure we'd be hit with a 1.16 cap hit the following year but that's not too tough a pill to swallow.

Pacioretty-Galchenyuk-Radulov
Hudler-Plekanec-Gallagher
Andrighetto-Vermette-Shaw
Carr-Danault-Mitchell/Farnham/McCarron/Byron

Such an improved line up!

 

[Patty Roy]

With all due respect, I don't understand why anyone wants Vermette. No, he is not an upgrade on anything anymore. Yes, as recently as two years ago he may have been, but he is done.

It's like the people still clinging to hope that a guy like Mike Richards will re-discover his form. Vermette is now a poor man's Torrey Mitchell.

38 points last year to DD's 29. He's got half a foot and 25 lbs on DD. How is that not an upgrade for this season?

 

[Tim Raines]

38 points last year to DD's 29. He's got half a foot and 25 lbs on DD. How is that not an upgrade for this season?

I'm not defending DD. He has to go.

I'm just saying Vermette is a lot worse now than many seem to realize. He couldn't be trusted at all against top-6 players anymore and his best asset (speed) is trending the wrong way. From a pure points standpoint, he'll get as many as DD. But he is a liability in so many other ways.

 

[Sterling Archer]

With all due respect, I don't understand why anyone wants Vermette. No, he is not an upgrade on anything anymore. Yes, as recently as two years ago he may have been, but he is done.

It's like the people still clinging to hope that a guy like Mike Richards will re-discover his form. Vermette is now a poor man's Torrey Mitchell.

This... Remeber this isn't Vermette in a vacuum. It's who'd you rather have as a 3rd line centre and who's better prepared to move up the lineup in case of injury to chucky or plex.

I'd say Vermette is a hands down better choice for that role, in particular, as a 3rd line centre where he's bigger and more talented than DD is.

38 points last year to DD's 29. He's got half a foot and 25 lbs on DD. How is that not an upgrade for this season?

It seems so simple really. A DD buyout would save us $2.33 this year and could allow us to sign BOTH Hudler and Vermette to 1 year deals. Sure we'd be hit with a 1.16 cap hit the following year but that's not too tough a pill to swallow.

Pacioretty-Galchenyuk-Radulov
Hudler-Plekanec-Gallagher
Andrighetto-Vermette-Shaw
Carr-Danault-Mitchell/Farnham/McCarron/Byron

Such an improved line up!

That looks like a very talented lineup. Much better than what we currently have and much deeper and expereinced. Not to mention a little bigger with Vermette as a centre over DD and Hudler on LW over Lehkonen a wash on size but a huge upgrade in terms of established NHLer over a true blue rookie.

 

[BatVader]

I don't think Hudler is on Bergevin's radar.
I have a feeling MB is still working on prying Shipachyov out of the KHL and that's why he hasn't signed Vermette yet. Why else would he not jump at an ex-Hawk who won a cup with that team.

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

I don't think Hudler is on Bergevin's radar.
I have a feeling MB is still working on prying Shipachyov out of the KHL and that's why he hasn't signed Vermette yet. Why else would he not jump at an ex-Hawk who won a cup with that team.

Do you have a link? That sounds exciting as well. I hope that a buyout of said vertically and kinematically challenged player _is_ on the radar.

 

[MXD]

Do you have a link? That sounds exciting as well. I hope that a buyout of said vertically and kinematically challenged player _is_ on the radar.

I hope it's not on the radar, because it would go against the CBA provisions.

 

[Patty Roy]

I'm not defending DD. He has to go.

I'm just saying Vermette is a lot worse now than many seem to realize. He couldn't be trusted at all against top-6 players anymore and his best asset (speed) is trending the wrong way. From a pure points standpoint, he'll get as many as DD. But he is a liability in so many other ways.

Ok well i think we are on the same page here....i'm not looking at Vermette as any kind of saviour, just as an upgrade as 3C over DD for 1 year. It's an easily doable swap i'd think too.

 

[Sterling Archer]

The fact we have a couple f million in cap and there seems to be very little in the way of activity leans to that we along with several other teams are waiting for things to happen before they react. Vessey is a huge unknown and a lot of teams are on hold and the consequences of him signing will have a big affect on the market. If he signs with Buffalo, they'll move to trade E. Kane. If he signs with Pitts, they'll have to clear a ton of cap etc etc.

Has to be why so many solid NHLers are still on the market.

 

[ThaDevilGirl]

Do you have a link? That sounds exciting as well. I hope that a buyout of said vertically and kinematically challenged player _is_ on the radar.

Habs can't buy out anyone this summer.

 

[Patty Roy]

Habs can't buy out anyone this summer.

Really? Why is that?

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

I hope it's not on the radar, because it would go against the CBA provisions.

Habs can't buy out anyone this summer.

Forgot about that missed deadline. Well, he can be buried in the AHL, can he not?

 

[CGG]

Can the team afford them both if it buys out a certain vertically and kinematically challenged player?

It seems so simple really. A DD buyout would save us $2.33 this year and could allow us to sign BOTH Hudler and Vermette to 1 year deals. Sure we'd be hit with a 1.16 cap hit the following year but that's not too tough a pill to swallow.

Pacioretty-Galchenyuk-Radulov
Hudler-Plekanec-Gallagher
Andrighetto-Vermette-Shaw
Carr-Danault-Mitchell/Farnham/McCarron/Byron

Such an improved line up!

Habs can no longer buy anyone out.

Really? Why is that?

Because the deadline for this was June 30. There would be another window if anyone had filed for arbitration, but that didn't happen. So no buyouts. Burying in the minors is an option (but will only save $950k). Buyout, not an option.

 

[ThaDevilGirl]

Really? Why is that?

The buyout period is at the beginning of the summer. The second buyout period is for team who have a player in arbitration.

Forgot about that missed deadline. Well, he can be buried in the AHL, can he not?

He can, but we only save 900k or thereabouts in cap space.

 

[Patty Roy]

Habs can no longer buy anyone out.



Because the deadline for this was June 30. There would be another window if anyone had filed for arbitration, but that didn't happen. So no buyouts. Burying in the minors is an option (but will only save $950k). Buyout, not an option.

Ok thanks....i just looked it up!

But sure we could bury DD in the minors and the savings ($950K) would be enough to likely sign one of Hudler/Vermette. Still an upgrade in my eyes.

 

[Treb]

Really? Why is that?

The buy-out deadline passed weeks ago.

https://www.capfriendly.com/buyout-faq

Buyout Period
The buyout period begins the later of June 15 or 48 hours after the Stanley Cup Final ends. It concludes on June 30 at 5 pm EST.

Why Vermette could be bought out:

Buy-outs Outside the Regular Period
Clubs whom have 1 or more arbitration filings may be permitted to perform a buyout outside of the regular window. This gives teams another opportunity to become cap compliant following an arbitration case.

 

[MXD]

Forgot about that missed deadline. Well, he can be buried in the AHL, can he not?

Oh he can. For 900 or 950K in cap savings (can't remember the exact amount).

I don't see Hudler signing for so little, and I don't see what makes Vermette a better player than Desharnais at this point. Better at faceoffs and taller. That's it.

Besides, WTF is that PIM amount for Vermette last season?

 

[zzoo]

Is Vermette a better player than DD ?