Confirmed with Link: Canucks qualify Baertschi, Clendenning, Corrado, Markstrom, Grenier

[Ainec]

If our GM was anyone but Benning I might buy the stealth tank theory but no, not with him and Linden

 

[StrictlyCommercial]

If you give a two year deal it has to be for under $1-million. Don't want to trap yourself with the cap hit if you end up sending him to the AHL.

 

[Horse McHindu]

Any new news on Baertschi? Surprised it is taking this long to sign him.

I can't help but wonder if Baertschi's agent is deliberately playing hardball. Benning has proven (for better or for worse) that he does not like any "lingering issues," and that Benning WILL act fast (for better or for worse) as to avoid any lingering issues affecting the lockerroom.

I wouldn't be surprised if Baertschi's agent is thinking, "meh, Benning will eventually say ahhh **** it, lets just give Baertschi what he wants and lets get on with this."

Personally, I think Baertschi should be given a similar contract to Emerson Etem, but the Baertschi camp will likely argue that Baertschi will play a bigger role in Vancouver as opposed to Etem on the Rangers.

 

[Ainec]

Makes him a good agent. I think his bet will pay off, Baertschi will get his terms

 

[Horse McHindu]

jurco signed for 2 years 1.8 million. 900,000 AAV.

that should be the ballpark for Sven since they are similar players in similar situations.

I agree with this. I think the only thing that Baertschi camp will argue, is that Baertschi will likely play on the Top 6 while Jurco probably will not. I don't know.......

But yes - the Jurco comparison is a good one.

 

[Horse McHindu]

Makes him a good agent. I think his bet will pay off, Baertschi will get his terms

That's kind of what I fear. Absolutely full marks to Baertschi's agent, but this will only further expose Benning if this happens (i.e. a GM that is so committed to having a lockerroom with no issues, that he'll try and expedite the process, be it trades or signings). For the record - I'm not entirely sure if this is what happened with Zack Kassian or Eddie Lack (i.e. an attempt on Benning's part to "expedite" the process.....as Benning did state that they considered all offers for those players multiple times), but Benning does seem to be developing a bit of a reputation for "moving fast" (for better or for worse).

 

[arsmaster*]

That's kind of what I fear. Absolutely full marks to Baertschi's agent, but this will only further expose Benning if this happens (i.e. a GM that is so committed to having a lockerroom with no issues, that he'll try and expedite the process, be it trades or signings). For the record - I'm not entirely sure if this is what happened with Zack Kassian or Eddie Lack (i.e. an attempt on Benning's part to "expedite" the process.....as Benning did state that they considered all offers for those players multiple times), but Benning does seem to be developing a bit of a reputation for "moving fast" (for better or for worse).

That's what Trevor loves about him, and likely why he was hired.

 

[alternate]

Not sure Baertschi qualifies as a potential locker room distraction though.

 

[Ainec]

He doesn't and this is not a big deal

It just doesn't seem like JB wins on anything.. except for Radim who wanted to play with the Sedins, that was a no brainer

 

[arsmaster*]

Not sure Baertschi qualifies as a potential locker room distraction though.

I'd say it's more about keeping the kid confident, instead of haggling over a measly $300-400K.

Not sure, he'd be a locker room distraction as much as being seen as "unwanted" or "under-valued" could hurt his "confidence" or "work ethic".

At least that's my interpretation of the conversation.

 

[canucksfan]

I can't help but wonder if Baertschi's agent is deliberately playing hardball. Benning has proven (for better or for worse) that he does not like any "lingering issues," and that Benning WILL act fast (for better or for worse) as to avoid any lingering issues affecting the lockerroom.

I wouldn't be surprised if Baertschi's agent is thinking, "meh, Benning will eventually say ahhh **** it, lets just give Baertschi what he wants and lets get on with this."

Personally, I think Baertschi should be given a similar contract to Emerson Etem, but the Baertschi camp will likely argue that Baertschi will play a bigger role in Vancouver as opposed to Etem on the Rangers.

Oh ya I agree. Benning has a track record of overpaying contracts. Quite a few people, myself included, stated that this will hurt him in further negotiations and it appears this is the first one.

 

[Jyrki21]

1983-84 Penguins, 1992-93 Senators, 2014-15 Sabres - I'm playing devil's advocate, but there are exceptions.

The 1992-93 Senators were an expansion team back when the quality of exposed expansion draft players was significantly worse than it is today. They didn't have a hope from the get-go... I don't think there's any proof that management "wanted" to lose. The Lightning were marginally better and the Sharks were about as bad -- all to be expected.

 

[MarkMM]

Oh ya I agree. Benning has a track record of overpaying contracts. Quite a few people, myself included, stated that this will hurt him in further negotiations and it appears this is the first one.

Yup, the cascading effects of over-paying, hard for Baerstchi to accept less when guys like Vey get a pay raise and Sbisa got a massively overpaid contract when neither proved anything...if you get big money and in Sbisa's case term for "potential" then Baertschi deserves ka-ching according to Benning's precedent.

 

[biturbo19]

Oh ya I agree. Benning has a track record of overpaying contracts. Quite a few people, myself included, stated that this will hurt him in further negotiations and it appears this is the first one.

The thing is though, Baertschi's camp isn't negotiating based on "what Benning gave other completely different players in different situations" or the "perception of Benning not finding value".

I think that's painting contract negotiations like buying a used car...just two guys sitting down at a table one afternoon trying to haggle over a price. Which is quite clearly not the way these deals get done.


Guaranteed Benning is not going into these negotiations unprepared. Teams have a staff for a reason, it's not just one dude making every single decision in all the minutia of every single contract agreement.


Not to mention, we have hard evidence of Benning and Co. hammering out basically a trio of "hardball" contracts for more or less the minimum on guys in Baertschi's situation...on the cusp of graduating the AHL into the bigs. Corrado, Kenins, Clendening...these guys didn't get big "unnecessary" raises. Vey last summer after being traded for, signed a cheap minimum-type deal just to get a chance to break in to the NHL here. Guys who haven't proved a thing in the NHL by staying a full season. And in that, Vey's contract this summer is largely immaterial to what Baertschi is after now, when he's in essentially the same position as Vey last season. Clearly there was some hardball played when it came to the protracted J.Subban negotiations that sent so many here into nervous fits of anxiety.

I think it's foolish and naive to portray Benning's "negotiating prowess" as the sole factor here. Especially when this idea of "Benning overpays" is grounded pretty firmly in what he's done with established NHL player contracts. Whereas the evidence seems to pretty strongly lean toward this regime getting "on the cusp" guys signed to very reasonable deals.


I'm entirely curious as to what it is that they're planning with Baertschi that requires some sorting out of other things. But i wholly disagree with the notion that "Benning overpays habitually so every agent is going to bend him over in the future". I think that's an incredibly simplistic notion, that ignores a number of strong counter-examples.

 

[me2]

Vey had 18 games last summer, Sven has 69 which is more comparable to Vey this off season. Vey has 29 points in 94 games, Baertschi has 30 in his. Neither are defensively sound.

 

[biturbo19]

Vey had 18 games last summer, Sven has 69 which is more comparable to Vey this off season. Vey has 29 points in 94 games, Baertschi has 30 in his. Neither are defensively sound.

Neither Vey last summer, nor Bae this summer had managed to put in a FULL NHL season to date, going into contract negotiations. That's entirely worth noting.


And that's still completely and totally ignoring the 3 more directly relevant comparables our very own organization has had this summer. And the fact that Vey played his "more proven" last season for us at like $700k.

 

[DL44]

Also the Chaisson ruling of $1.2 should help put a ceiling on his value a bit...

 

[arsmaster*]

Also the Chaisson ruling of $1.2 should help put a ceiling on his value a bit...

Why would Chaisson even come into it at all?

He's played two full NHL seasons.

The comps are already out there....Etem, Miller, Vey last year.