Confirmed with Link: Blake Comeau re-signs with Stars (1 year x 1M)

[Captain Awesome]

I know my posts get a little long, but uh, I proposed an alternative right in there that gets you your expansion draft needs while not tying up a roster spot. Also, Spezza just signed on for $750k. We couldn't get him to sign that because of how he left here, but just an example that with the flat cap sometimes good players get squeezed. It's not the year where free agents have much leverage. There could be more useful guys for $1M, out there. Don't think Comeau is going to be moving the needle much either way to warrant priority. I think Nill signed him because the team likes him and not out of necessity, though, so it's moot on that front.

 

[Troy McClure]

I know my posts get a little long, but uh, I proposed an alternative right in there that gets you your expansion draft needs while not tying up a roster spot. Also, Spezza just signed on for $750k. We couldn't get him to sign that because of how he left here, but just an example that with the flat cap sometimes good players get squeezed. It's not the year where free agents have much leverage. There could be more useful guys for $1M, out there. Don't think Comeau is going to be moving the needle much either way to warrant priority. I think Nill signed him because the team likes him and not out of necessity, though, so it's moot on that front.

But the only players available to sign now are the Stars pending UFAs. I also don't think Dowling played enough games to fill out the final forward on the expansion draft list.

I'm not too worried about Comeau's usage. He was played third line minutes last season even with some big injuries.

 

[Ub the Bub]

I also don't think Dowling played enough games to fill out the final forward on the expansion draft list.

Actually he did, doubly so. The criteria is either 27 games in the last season or 54 in the last two combined. And Dowling played exactly 27 games last season and 56 in the last two. He would have fit the criteria just fine.

 

[serp]

Actually he did, doubly so. The criteria is either 27 games in the last season or 54 in the last two combined. And Dowling played exactly 27 games last season and 56 in the last two. He would have fit the criteria just fine.

He's also a worse player. Comeau is still an everyday NHL player , Dowling is not . Kero got a contract already. No need to sign both Dowling and Kero who both shouldn't be on an NHL roster unless major injuries happen.

 

[BfantZ]

He's also a worse player. Comeau is still an everyday NHL player , Dowling is not . Kero got a contract already. No need to sign both Dowling and Kero who both shouldn't be on an NHL roster unless major injuries happen.

But a two way deal would be better as it won’t count against the cap when he’s sent down . We have just over 15m in cap space to sign oleksiak , miro , Kiviranta , Maybe Dickinson . An extra mil would be nice . At the same time though I believe he has a major locker room presence and does bring a lot of playoff grit to the team so I think that’s more the reason they signed him than anything .

 

[serp]

But a two way deal would be better as it won’t count against the cap when he’s sent down . We have just over 15m in cap space to sign oleksiak , miro , Kiviranta , Maybe Dickinson . An extra mil would be nice . At the same time though I believe he has a major locker room presence and does bring a lot of playoff grit to the team so I think that’s more the reason they signed him than anything .

The guy didn't get an 'A' for nothing. He's big part of the vocal group in the lockerroom from everything you read.

Not to mention how likely is it Comeau will not be one of the 13/14 best forwards on the Stars ? Pretty unlikely. He won't be send down.

By the way if he's send down he still doesn't count against the Cap. $1,125,000 is the number for next year . Anything below that doesn't count if someone is send down .

He's getting full NHL salary though. Two-way deals just means less salary when send down not less caphit.

 

[Captain Awesome]

The 2-way for Dowling is just more palatable for sending someone down, as you mentioned, since the real money gets cut to AHL levels. We know Dowling does fine as a scoring center down in the AHL, so it just seemed like a sensible alternative to free up a roster spot in case something better comes along than signing Comeau, who isn't getting any better or younger.

It's really not that big of a deal in a vacuum, I'd just rather see who is left out there for cheap after the first day of UFA signings than committing to Comeau for a roster spot. I don't think he's worthy of even being a 3rd liner, and on a good team he'd probably play on the 4th line. The salary reflects that, I'm afraid the usage will not. Also, if for some reason a guy like him is blocking up AHL callups like Damiani, then it's even worse. Also, our billionaire owner is hurting (lol), so he probably wouldn't send down Comeau because he doesn't want to pay the extra salary.

 

[BfantZ]

I was talking about dowling on the two way deal .instead of comeau on a one way .

 

[MrHeiskanen]

I'm surprised a little by some of the posts not really like this for one reason or another.

At the end of the day, do you want Comeau or Gardner, Caamano, Kero playing in the lineup?

I'd rather pay Comeau 2.5/yr to never see those three hit the ice again.

 

[Captain Awesome]

I was talking about dowling on the two way deal .instead of comeau on a one way .

Ah, my bad, I'll go back and cut that down.

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

....... a sensible alternative to free up a roster spot in case something better comes along than signing Comeau, who isn't getting any better or younger.

......I'd just rather see who is left out there for cheap after the first day of UFA signings than committing to Comeau for a roster spot.

.......Also, if for some reason a guy like him is blocking up AHL callups like Damiani, then it's even worse. Also, our billionaire owner is hurting (lol), so he probably wouldn't send down Comeau because he doesn't want to pay the extra salary.

As to the first two points, there is no rational reason to believe that a second day UFA forward willing to work cheaper than a million would be any better than Comeau, is there? We would probably just bitch that Nill was nuts to go cheap again. This team doesn't need to shuffle deck chairs on the Titanic (i.e, shuffle the lower lines a lot) what they really need is 1-2 more top 6 forwards, pushing everyone else down the line a bit.

And, I do believe that if a youngster merits playing time, they will have no problem sitting BC down. They will be under pressure to return to the playoffs, so the best players play. But, inserting Ty D didn't supplant anyone, and the most likely scenario is they use TyD and BC on a rotating basis if the performances are even close, with the hope that TyD quickly becomes an NHL player, unlike last year, when he just wasn't ready.

 

[AveryStar4Eva]

To me this signing was a no brainer. The young players didn’t do enough to push him out of the lineup. He brings grit and physical play to the bottom six. Still useful on the PK. Worst case scenario you can bury his full contract in the minors

 

[The Tourist]

I think he's also the locker room DJ. Those guys are tough to replace.

 

[JesusNPucks]

I'm surprised a little by some of the posts not really like this for one reason or another.

At the end of the day, do you want Comeau or Gardner, Caamano, Kero playing in the lineup?

I'd rather pay Comeau 2.5/yr to never see those three hit the ice again.

Agree with everything but the “2.5/yr” part. But I get why you said it.

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

Looked it up to make sure B C wasn't a 2nd day signing by Nill, but he was a day 1 guy, who said he didn't even want to talk to other teams than the Stars. Nill probably remembers that. Also, BC once took a 50% UFA pay cut with the Flames to stay there, which is unusual, probably tipping the scales over Cogs for Nill, whose overall plan was to rebuild his fairly successful checking line gradually or on the fly, rather than wholesale changes while hoping for the best. Really an intelligent GM move, no matter what the peanut gallery experts have to say.

 

[Magic Mittens]

The only surprising part about this signing is how much you guys are talking about it lol

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

I get why some dislike him. After all, he has been with 6 teams. 4 of those chose not to resign him as a free agent, and 2 (Flames and Stars) resigned him at a huge discount. That suggests a true journeyman of medium ability, which is true (although he once played on a line with Crosby)

That said, what kind of back story do we expect from a 34 year old journeyman? Or should we expect a 20 goal scorer on the 3-4th lines?

My simplest take - not the best player we might have there, not the worst. I think of him as a placeholder until a reliable younger player can replace him, and as a player who won't lose his position without putting up a fight. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if they asked, and he agreed to be a mentor to the young player set to replace him. I had forgotten that they made him an alternate captain, which tends to signal a team player kind of guy.