Confirmed Signing with Link: [ARI] Drake Caggiula signs with the Coyotes (1 year, $700K)

[MomoSissokko]

Gambadoro means Goldenleg

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

He’ll score some goals, bring some energy, and hopefully not get his brain rattled any further. Really easy player to like in your bottom six.

 

[CookiesAndMilk]

Really good signing. Missing the Drake in Edm.

 

[Vitto79]

At worst taxi squad

 

[rt]

When asked about the signing, GM Bill Armstrong mentioned Caggiula’s friendship and former playing chemistry with fellow Coyote forward Nick Schmaltz. That’s an interesting aspect of the deal I hadn’t thought about. I could see them playing together on either side of Derek Stepan.

 

[Sweetpotato]

Great pick up at that price

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I think it is hilarious Darke Caggiula has a contract but Granlund and Hoffman don't.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

When asked about the signing, GM Bill Armstrong mentioned Caggiula’s friendship and former playing chemistry with fellow Coyote forward Nick Schmaltz. That’s an interesting aspect of the deal I hadn’t thought about. I could see them playing together on either side of Derek Stepan.

He’s not a guy you want playing that high in the lineup.

 

[rt]

He’s not a guy you want playing that high in the lineup.

That’s true of the entire Coyotes lineup. Lol.

 

[Fatass]

I think it is hilarious Darke Caggiula has a contract but Granlund and Hoffman don't.

Would those other two accept 700k?

 

[Name Nameless]

He’s not a guy you want playing that high in the lineup.

That’s true of the entire Coyotes lineup. Lol.

Take my angry like.

 

[SpaceCoyote]

Say what you want about Chayka and the prospect scandal/Hall trade, who knows how much control/involvement he had in those two situations. However, at least he took this team to their two best seasons in the last 7 years. Year after year of progressive improvement in winning percentage from gutsy trades. From what I've seen from BA so far, collecting a bunch of 4th liners, no meaningful trades and keeping RT on board for another season, I'm not impressed. Hearken back to the DM era, hopefully I'm wrong.

 

[rt]

Say what you want about Chayka and the prospect scandal/Hall trade, who knows how much control/involvement he had in those two situations. However, at least he took this team to their two best seasons in the last 7 years. Year after year of progressive improvement in winning percentage from gutsy trades. From what I've seen from BA so far, collecting a bunch of 4th liners, no meaningful trades and keeping RT on board for another season, I'm not impressed. Hearken back to the DM era, hopefully I'm wrong.

Cashing in two years worth of draft picks, and maxing out the cap with players we can't give away for free just to be utterly humiliated in the playoffs isn't impressive.

Some trades Chayka made involving former, current and future 1st and 2nd rounders (keeping it to guys 25 or younger at the time of the trades, that actually still had real trade value and weren't total busts at that point-so leaving out guys like Henrik Samulesson, as an example):

2016 2nd for Anthony DeAngelo*
2011 1st (Connor Murphy) for Niklas Hjalmarsson
2017 1st and Anthony DeAngelo for Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta
2012 2nd (Jordan Martinook) for Marcus Kruger*
Marcus Kruger for Vinny Hinostroza*, Jordan Oesterle, and Marian Hossa
2013 1st (Max Domi) for Alex Galchenyuk*
2015 1st (Dylan Strome) and 2014 1st (Brendan Perlini) for Nick Schmaltz
2017 1st (PO Joseph) and Alex Galchenyuk for Phil Kessel
2020 1st, 2015 1st (Nick Merkley), 2018 2nd (Kevin Bahl) for Taylor Hall*
2020 2nd and 2021 1st sanctioned by the NHL for cheating

This means that Chayka has:

1. Niklas Hjalmarsson
2. Derek Stepan
3. Antti Raanta
4. Jordan Oesterle
5. Nick Schmaltz
6. Phil Kessel

...to show for:

1. 2016 2nd
2. 2011 1st
3. 2017 1st
4. 2012 2nd
5. 2013 1st
6. 2015 1st
7. 2014 1st
8. 2017 1st
9. 2020 1st
10 2015 1st
11 2018 2nd
12 2020 2nd
13 2021 1st

...in other words....

NINE 1st round picks and FOUR 2nd round picks for Hjalmarsson, Stepan, Raanta, Oesterle, Schmaltz, and Kessel

Hjalmarsson can't be traded. Kessel has immensely negative value. Oesterle is waiver fodder. Neither Stepan nor Raanta will be re-signed and neither is worth more than a 3rd round pick.

John Chayka is easily one of the worst GMs in the NHL of the last 20 years.

 

[CanadianCoyote]

Say what you want about Chayka and the prospect scandal/Hall trade, who knows how much control/involvement he had in those two situations. However, at least he took this team to their two best seasons in the last 7 years. Year after year of progressive improvement in winning percentage from gutsy trades.

If "progressive improvement" means "luck into a playoff appearance and get absolutely slaughtered", then sure. Had the season not paused when it did, we'd have backed out of the playoffs with how things were going.

We lost 13 PICKS for a Hjalmarsson contract that's basically untradeable, a Kessel contract that's become an enormous anchor, part of a season of a mediocre Taylor Hall, an Oesterle who's decent at best, waiver fodder at worst, a Stepan who's similarly just average and the glass man known as Annti Raanta. Oh, and he also cheated and lost us some more picks, on top of all the other f***ing picks he traded away.

Those picks would've been REALLY goddamned useful right now, a lot more than Hall or Kessel have been. All we have to show for it is one playoff slaughtering at the hands of the Avalanche.

 

[PaPaDee]

Really good deal.

 

[hbk]

I think it is hilarious Darke Caggiula has a contract but Granlund and Hoffman don't.

Well if Hoffman will sign for league minimum he too could be a coyote.

 

[Zenos]

I think it is hilarious Darke Caggiula has a contract but Granlund and Hoffman don't.

Not really sure what one has to do with the other two, or why this is "hilarious"...

Caggiula is a depth piece, willing to sign for cheap. The other two are legit NHL players who have a history of putting up top-6 points.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Not really sure what one has to do with the other two, or why this is "hilarious"...

Caggiula is a depth piece, willing to sign for cheap. The other two are legit NHL players who have a history of putting up top-6 points.

That would be why it's hilarious in no world should Drake Caggiula have a contract before Granlund and Hoffman, Drake Caggiula isn't the caliber of player either guy is, yet he got a contract before both and Hoffman still doesn't have one.

 

[SpaceCoyote]

Cashing in two years worth of draft picks, and maxing out the cap with players we can't give away for free just to be utterly humiliated in the playoffs isn't impressive.

Some trades Chayka made involving former, current and future 1st and 2nd rounders (keeping it to guys 25 or younger at the time of the trades, that actually still had real trade value and weren't total busts at that point-so leaving out guys like Henrik Samulesson, as an example):

2016 2nd for Anthony DeAngelo*
2011 1st (Connor Murphy) for Niklas Hjalmarsson
2017 1st and Anthony DeAngelo for Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta
2012 2nd (Jordan Martinook) for Marcus Kruger*
Marcus Kruger for Vinny Hinostroza*, Jordan Oesterle, and Marian Hossa
2013 1st (Max Domi) for Alex Galchenyuk*
2015 1st (Dylan Strome) and 2014 1st (Brendan Perlini) for Nick Schmaltz
2017 1st (PO Joseph) and Alex Galchenyuk for Phil Kessel
2020 1st, 2015 1st (Nick Merkley), 2018 2nd (Kevin Bahl) for Taylor Hall*
2020 2nd and 2021 1st sanctioned by the NHL for cheating

This means that Chayka has:

1. Niklas Hjalmarsson
2. Derek Stepan
3. Antti Raanta
4. Jordan Oesterle
5. Nick Schmaltz
6. Phil Kessel

...to show for:

1. 2016 2nd
2. 2011 1st
3. 2017 1st
4. 2012 2nd
5. 2013 1st
6. 2015 1st
7. 2014 1st
8. 2017 1st
9. 2020 1st
10 2015 1st
11 2018 2nd
12 2020 2nd
13 2021 1st

...in other words....

NINE 1st round picks and FOUR 2nd round picks for Hjalmarsson, Stepan, Raanta, Oesterle, Schmaltz, and Kessel

Hjalmarsson can't be traded. Kessel has immensely negative value. Oesterle is waiver fodder. Neither Stepan nor Raanta will be re-signed and neither is worth more than a 3rd round pick.

John Chayka is easily one of the worst GMs in the NHL of the last 20 years.

Most of these picks were never drafted by Chayka and didn't retain anything close to the original value of the pick itself. Chayka inherited years of poor drafting done under DM, (aka draft any player with a parent or sibling with NHL ties) and Chayka still managed to improved the team's record year over year. To say the current cast of players are worthless or untradeable is disingenuous. Chayka left because he said he lacked control, AM was likely pulling most of the strings during the last year. I'm sure Chayka had a plan for moving and replacing our vets this off season or prior and given his history would have likely been much more active than BA is currently.

The only egregious errors as I mentioned are the Hall trade and the prospect gate situation. Without anyone having access to real background, one can only speculate one way or the other. The Hall trade could has easily been the breaking point between Chayka and AM. It's possible he never wanted Hall in the first place or wanted to flip him at the TDL. Hence AM meeting privately to attempt to resign Hall without Chayka. Also it seems strange given the league's investigation into the illegal prospect testing, that they would still give the team itself such a harsh penalty after Chayka already left. Which would make me believe, he wasn't directly involved.

Again, all speculation but at the end of the day winning in this league is more important than a timeline of draft picks from 8+ years ago. Without the Hall trade or the prospect scandal the team still would be in good shape with up coming draft picks.

 

[rt]

Most of these picks were never drafted by Chayka and didn't retain anything close to the original value of the pick itself. Chayka inherited years of poor drafting done under DM, (aka draft any player with a parent or sibling with NHL ties) and Chayka still managed to improved the team's record year over year. To say the current cast of players are worthless or untradeable is disingenuous. Chayka left because he said he lacked control, AM was likely pulling most of the strings during the last year. I'm sure Chayka had a plan for moving and replacing our vets this off season or prior and given his history would have likely been much more active than BA is currently.

The only egregious errors as I mentioned are the Hall trade and the prospect gate situation. Without anyone having access to real background, one can only speculate one way or the other. The Hall trade could has easily been the breaking point between Chayka and AM. It's possible he never wanted Hall in the first place or wanted to flip him at the TDL. Hence AM meeting privately to attempt to resign Hall without Chayka. Also it seems strange given the league's investigation into the illegal prospect testing, that they would still give the team itself such a harsh penalty after Chayka already left. Which would make me believe, he wasn't the directly involved.

Again, all speculation but at the end of the day winning in this league is more important than a timeline of draft picks from 8+ years ago. Without the Hall trade or the prospect scandal the team still would be in good shape with up coming draft picks.

Chayka was a fool and was exposed. He laid waste to the team’s future and left them with absolutely nothing in the way of flexibility and one of the worst rosters in the NHL. Complete lack of hope. He’s the worst GM the league has seen in many, many years.

 

[SpaceCoyote]

If "progressive improvement" means "luck into a playoff appearance and get absolutely slaughtered"

No, I mean what I wrote 3 words after progressive improvement. The last two seasons, 52% possible points are the best two seasons this team has had since 2013.

 

[SpaceCoyote]

Chayka was a fool and was exposed. He laid waste to the team’s future and left them with absolutely nothing in the way of flexibility and one of the worst rosters in the NHL. Complete lack of hope. He’s the worst GM the league has seen in many, many years.

You act as if Chayka was run out of town. If it wasn't for the disagreeable/interfering actions of AM, Chayka wouldn't have left. Also as far as performance, we just beat the predators in a playoff series and were in 1st in our division up until December last season. Not close to the worst roster in the league, bubble team with the best goalie trio in the league. Not to mention, the team is about to have 31mil in cap space open up next season speaking of flexibility with 5 of it's 6 oldest players on expiring contracts. In the meantime, I think the current group has earned one last shot at a shortened season (preferably with a new coach, but BA won't let go).

 

[rt]

“You act as if Chayka was run out of town. If it wasn't for the disagreeable/interfering actions of AM, Chayka wouldn't have left. ”

You’ve got your facts wildly mixed up.

 

[CanadianCoyote]

Also as far as performance, we just beat the predators in a playoff series and were in 1st in our division up until December last season.

And then we plummeted off the face of the Earth so badly we would've missed the playoffs entirely had we not had the season get stopped where it was.

We got matched against a declining Predators squad and then got ripped to shreds as soon as we faced a legitimate playoff team. Had the season not been abruptly ended, we'd likely have missed the playoffs entirely with how we were trending.

And looking at the contracts all those players were signed to...
Hjalmarsson: $5m x 2.
Kessel: $6.8m x 2.
Raanta: $4.25m x 3.
Oesterle: $1.4m x 2.
Stepan: $6.5m x 4.

Besides Hjalmarsson and maybe Oesterle, not a single one has been completely worth their cap hits. Kessel is a boat anchor, Raanta seems to spend more time on IR than in net and Stepan is decent depth but "decent depth" does not a 6 and a half million dollar player make.

I wonder why we're so hard up against the cap? Could it be all these bloated contracts Chayka both signed people to and brought in?

 

[SpaceCoyote]

“You act as if Chayka was run out of town. If it wasn't for the disagreeable/interfering actions of AM, Chayka wouldn't have left. ”

You’ve got your facts wildly mixed up.

Which facts are those?

"The past four years have been the most enjoyable of my life. In Arizona, I became a husband and a father, while working as hard as possible to make the Coyotes a Stanley Cup contender. I love our players, coaches, staff and fans and I very much wish I could be with the team in Edmonton. Sadly, the situation created by ownership made that an impossibility. " - Chakya

"'Chayka has chosen to quit on a strong and competitive team, a dedicated staff, and the Arizona Coyotes fans, the greatest fans in the NHL,' said the Coyotes" - Team press release

He wanted to be with the team and ownership situation made that impossible. The team itself said he quit, not that he was fired or "run out of town". He was just signed to an extension and AM was praising him, obviously something happened between AM and him in the interim that made Chayka want to explore other options.