Armchair GM III

[Seth Lake]

Given some of the contracts being handed out, somebody should have signed Haula by now. I don't want another forward for us. We have enough already and if we sign 1 more we actually have to get rid of somebody to make room. But the way Haula battled in the second half for us last year... if he plays like that, he's a real good player relative to some of the crazy contracts some of these guys are getting.

Depth and competition is something that is never a bad thing.

Honestly, I think it’s 1 for 1 or 1 for 2 at this point in terms of bringing in one more forward and moving out one or two more vets.

I don’t see a spot for Grimaldi on the roster.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Depth and competition is something that is never a bad thing.

Honestly, I think it’s 1 for 1 or 1 for 2 at this point in terms of bringing in one more forward and moving out one or two more vets.

I don’t see a spot for Grimaldi on the roster.

I think that argument worked last year. That's why we signed all the guys we did.

The cool thing about this year though is that I think we are starting to enter an era when we have legit NHL players in Milwaukee. Competition may already be present internally, considering we are already expecting to start guys like Pitlick, Novak, Afanaseyev, Parssinen in the minors.

 

[Seth Lake]

I think that argument worked last year. That's why we signed all the guys we did.

The cool thing about this year though is that I think we are starting to enter an era when we have legit NHL players in Milwaukee. Competition may already be present internally, considering we are already expecting to start guys like Pitlick, Novak, Afanaseyev, Parssinen in the minors.

Pitlick is the only one of those guys that I could see making the roster out of camp, but that should take beating out someone for a spot in the lineup, not sitting on the bench.

 

[herzausstein]

Given some of the contracts being handed out, somebody should have signed Haula by now. I don't want another forward for us. We have enough already and if we sign 1 more we actually have to get rid of somebody to make room. But the way Haula battled in the second half for us last year... if he plays like that, he's a real good player relative to some of the crazy contracts some of these guys are getting.

I'm ok with a 1M special or two. I'd like to have strong competition for the roster spots. Make everyone work for it, etc.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Pitlick is the only one of those guys that I could see making the roster out of camp, but that should take beating out someone for a spot in the lineup, not sitting on the bench.

Right, but we have 14 forwards already if you count Tomasino and Glass. And we only need 13. So signing another guy, when we already have our replacements/competition (like Pitlick) in Milwaukee is unnecessary.

I don't think the others can be declared "Ready" yet either... but nor did we think all the guys who stepped up last year were... but they are going to be good enough to push players in training camp and to come up for injury-replacement cameos during the season. We don't need to sign more players to accomplish that.

 

[Scoresberg]

I wouldn't mind if we're done now, except the backup goalie.

We have five top-six spots filled, with one of them going to Glass/Tomasino/Tolvanen. Two of them will form the third line with a veteran Sissons or Cousins. The Herd Line will be the fourth line again. Pitlick and Grimaldi are depth forwards.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I'm ok with a 1M special or two. I'd like to have strong competition for the roster spots. Make everyone work for it, etc.

It's only helpful if you are legitimately willing to send them to Milwaukee if they aren't better than Glass/Tomasino. If you feel like you have to keep them around just due to seniority instead, welll.... no thanks.

And anyway, NHL coaches will always think they ARE better than Glass/Tomasino, for a given depth role at least. So if you sign those guys, you are sending Glass/Tomasino to Milwaukee. If that's what you want, ok.

 

[herzausstein]

It's only helpful if you are legitimately willing to send them to Milwaukee if they aren't better than Glass/Tomasino. If you feel like you have to keep them around just due to seniority instead, welll.... no thanks.

And anyway, NHL coaches will always think they ARE better than Glass/Tomasino, for a given depth role at least. So if you sign those guys, you are sending Glass/Tomasino to Milwaukee. If that's what you want, ok.

That's why the 1M special. Their contract is free to be buried.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

That's why the 1M special. Their contract is free to be buried.

Like Richardson was.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

I'm ok with a 1M special or two. I'd like to have strong competition for the roster spots. Make everyone work for it, etc.

Absolutely. If a Cousins, Haula, Grimaldi, Sissons, Trenin, Jeannot, Olivier are blocking a player like Glass, Tomasino, or Tolvanen then they aren't ready or they're just not good enough. None of that first group are of a caliber that should be preventing a true top 6 quality young player from earning playing time.

 

[Seth Lake]

Right, but we have 14 forwards already if you count Tomasino and Glass. And we only need 13. So signing another guy, when we already have our replacements/competition (like Pitlick) in Milwaukee is unnecessary.

I don't think the others can be declared "Ready" yet either... but nor did we think all the guys who stepped up last year were... but they are going to be good enough to push players in training camp and to come up for injury-replacement cameos during the season. We don't need to sign more players to accomplish that.

I’m looking to move on from Grimaldi and Cousins. If they re-sign Haula or go for a guy like Heinen, I would look for them to move out a guy in correspondence to each move.

Those are two spots I believe we can find more production from.

 

[Seth Lake]

Rittich to Nashville done.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I mean, that contract really kills us, right? We are now a mere $11.7M under the cap with 1 player left to add (likely Glass or Tomasino at 925k).

Forsberg ($6M) - Johansen ($8M) - Duchene ($8M)
Tolvanen (RFA - ?$2M?) - Granlund ($5M) - Kunin ($2.3M)
Trenin ($0.725M) - Sissons ($2.857M) - Jeannot (RFA - ?$1M?)
Cousins ($1.5M) - X2 - Grimaldi ($2M)
Olivier (RFA - ?0.750M?)

Josi ($9.059M) - Fabbro (RFA - ?$2M?)
Ekholm ($3.75M) - Carrier ($0.733M)
Harpur ($0.800M) - Myers ($2.55M)
Borowiecki ($2M) - Benning ($1M)

Saros (RFA - ?$4M?)
Rittich ($1.5M)

Buyouts
Turris - $2M
Santini - $0.275M

TOTAL: $69.8M

Whups, Rittich only got $1.25M!!!

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

I mean, that contract really kills us, right? We are now a mere $11.7M under the cap with 1 player left to add (likely Glass or Tomasino at 925k).

Forsberg ($6M) - Johansen ($8M) - Duchene ($8M)
Tolvanen (RFA - ?$2M?) - Granlund ($5M) - Kunin ($2.3M)
Trenin ($0.725M) - Sissons ($2.857M) - Jeannot (RFA - ?$1M?)
Cousins ($1.5M) - X2 - Grimaldi ($2M)
Olivier (RFA - ?0.750M?)

Josi ($9.059M) - Fabbro (RFA - ?$2M?)
Ekholm ($3.75M) - Carrier ($0.733M)
Harpur ($0.800M) - Myers ($2.55M)
Borowiecki ($2M) - Benning ($1M)

Saros (RFA - ?$4M?)
Rittich ($1.5M)

Buyouts
Turris - $2M
Santini - $0.275M

TOTAL: $69.8M

Nervous about scoring with that lineup. Tolvi and Kunin are really going to need to stay healthy and have breakout seasons.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Nervous about scoring with that lineup. Tolvi and Kunin are really going to need to stay healthy and have breakout seasons.

I'm pretty confident about Kunin. Tolvanen is more the wildcard to me. But even past those two, man, we are going to need a lot more from the big-salary "1st line" guys too. It's A LOT to ask for based on the last 2 seasons... not impossible... but yeah, for sure I think we have reason to not get tooooo optimistic about our chances next year.

 

[Enoch]

Rittich to Nashville done.

Good call

 

[herzausstein]

Good call

I like it. Hopefully Ingram can come back next season and tear up the AHL then if Rittich struggles we can replace him.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I like it. Hopefully Ingram can come back next season and tear up the AHL then if Rittich struggles we can replace him.

And conversely if Ingram can't get back on track and we find we like Rittich, he's 28, we can always string him along for another year after this one too. We're covered.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Nervous about scoring with that lineup. Tolvi and Kunin are really going to need to stay healthy and have breakout seasons.

Agreed. I would still really like to see us with another middle 6 forward in the mix (and dump/waive someone as needed).

 

[jumb0]

We signed Michael McCarron and Anthony Richard to 1 year, 2 ways

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

We signed Michael McCarron and Anthony Richard to 1 year, 2 ways

Can't say as I expected McCarron. But as a non-NHL/non-Taxi Squad body in Milwaukee, no real harm I guess.

 

[JustaFinnishGuy]

Did Saros accept our qualifying offer?

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Those guys are getting most of these right... Haula to Boston?

 

[BigFatCat999]

Depth and competition is something that is never a bad thing.

Honestly, I think it’s 1 for 1 or 1 for 2 at this point in terms of bringing in one more forward and moving out one or two more vets.

I don’t see a spot for Grimaldi on the roster.

Agreed

 

[Seth Lake]

Did Saros accept our qualifying offer?

No. They are negotiating a contract, but he is still Preds property.