Confirmed with Link: Chris Stewart

[Lord Flashheart]

At some point in building a contender you pass the mark of low risk signings like this one and step into the sure-fire signings. I just hope it happens sooner rather than later as Getzlaf, Perry and Kesler don't have many seasons left.

I personally hoped we were past that line, guess not...

 

[91Fedorov]

At some point in building a contender you pass the mark of low risk signings like this one and step into the sure-fire signings. I just hope it happens sooner rather than later as Getzlaf, Perry and Kesler don't have many seasons left.

I personally hoped we were past that line, guess not...

Any "sure fire" signings would have asked for more money and term. Those contracts would put us in a bind cap-wise and potentially cause us to lose some of our key players with expiring contracts next year. Personally I like the moves. I'd prefer to not have to begin dismantling the great young core we seem to be developing.

 

[Exit Dose]

This is the thing I meant to reply to Exit Dose with. So ED, this is for you. You mentioned that the top 6 hole is a separate issue, but it's not when you consider the roster is chock full of forwards now, there's no more room. I feel like Murray moved the guys he was in the mood to move so I don't think any other holdovers are going, and the rest of the forwards are new to the team. So, that's it.

I'm personally also still hoping for a 3C but it's a huge longshot and I'm the only one still beating that drum anyway.

Nope. The hole being filled here is not in the top six. You're just transposing it to excuse the complaining. Someone would have to be leaving if we added to the top six - Maroon most likely. This was true before Anaheim signed Stewart.

 

[Duck Off]

Nope. The hole being filled here is not in the top six. You're just transposing it to excuse the complaining. Someone would have to be leaving if we added to the top six - Maroon most likely. This was true before Anaheim signed Stewart.

I don't think that's accurate. Unless you're implying that someone like Maroon would be required by the other team? Roster wise though, I don't think we would have had to move anyone before Stewart was brought in.

____ - Getzlaf - Perry
Hags - Kesler - Silfverberg
Sekac - Rakell - Cogliano
Maroon - Thompson - Jackman
Horcoff/Wagner

 

[Exit Dose]

I don't think that's accurate. Unless you're implying that someone like Maroon would be required by the other team? Roster wise though, I don't think we would have had to move anyone before Stewart was brought in.

____ - Getzlaf - Perry
Hags - Kesler - Silfverberg
Sekac - Rakell - Cogliano
Maroon - Thompson - Jackman
Horcoff/Wagner

Someone would be leaving either as part of the trade or a later trade. You're just jamming Cogliano to the other side to force it into being. That wouldn't have been done.

 

[Duck Off]

Someone would be leaving either as part of the trade or a later trade. You're just jamming Cogliano to the other side to force it into being. That wouldn't have been done.

Didn't Cogs play the right side for parts of last season? I don't think someone would have to go, especially since Thompson is going to be out until Thanksgiving most likely.

 

[Ducks DVM]

Didn't Cogs play the right side for parts of last season? I don't think someone would have to go, especially since Thompson is going to be out until Thanksgiving most likely.

He played the right when he played with both Silfverberg and Winnik.

 

[Exit Dose]

Didn't Cogs play the right side for parts of last season? I don't think someone would have to go, especially since Thompson is going to be out until Thanksgiving most likely.

Cogs can play right wing, but he has primarily been a left winger. He's the best player in our bottom six, and there is no way that they would move him there on a permanent basis at this point. There's even less reason to do it on that particular line. Stewart isn't just a warm body.

 

[Duck Off]

Cogs can play right wing, but he has primarily been a left winger. He's the best player in our bottom six, and there is no way that they would move him there on a permanent basis at this point. There's even less reason to do it on that particular line. Stewart isn't just a warm body.

There's no such thing as a permanent basis on Bruce Boudreau team. Cogs played well on the right side in the past. I agree, he's our best bottom 6 forward, but I also don't think moving him to the right side changes that. My point was that, IMO, if we didn't add Stewart, and just traded futures for a top 6 LW. I don't see any reason why a player would have had to be shipped out. I

I also never said Stewart was just a warm body. Who knows where he ends up. Logic suggests the 3rd line RW spot, but it's no secret that Bruce and Murray are often NOT on the same page, so really, we have no idea where he's going to slot in.

 

[Exit Dose]

There's no such thing as a permanent basis on Bruce Boudreau team. Cogs played well on the right side in the past. I agree, he's our best bottom 6 forward, but I also don't think moving him to the right side changes that. My point was that, IMO, if we didn't add Stewart, and just traded futures for a top 6 LW. I don't see any reason why a player would have had to be shipped out. I

I also never said Stewart was just a warm body. Who knows where he ends up. Logic suggests the 3rd line RW spot, but it's no secret that Bruce and Murray are often NOT on the same page, so really, we have no idea where he's going to slot in.

It is no accident that we just added a right winger, with a career shooting percentage of 12.8%, to a line that saw a lot of offensive zone time but couldn't finish a single chance. Cogliano would not be the choice to do that. Nor would any of the other players available. Considering that Boudreau still felt comfortable using that line in the third period of games, something that hadn't been happening in prior series, then I'm guessing that this is one area that they see eye to eye on.

I don't care what your point was. Mine was to address Spicy marrying your point with his. That convergence is it. I don't care about the trade idea that you concocted.

 

[Duck Off]

It is no accident that we just added a right winger, with a career shooting percentage of 12.8%, to a line that saw a lot of offensive zone time but couldn't finish a single chance. Cogliano would not be the choice to do that. Nor would any of the other players available. Considering that Boudreau still felt comfortable using that line in the third period of games, something that hadn't been happening in prior series, then I'm guessing that this is one area that they see eye to eye on.

I don't care what your point was. Mine was to address Spicy marrying your point with his. That convergence is it. I don't care about the trade idea that you concocted.

What line are you referring to?

 

[Exit Dose]

What line are you referring to?

Rakell's line.

 

[Duck Off]

Rakell's line.

Rakell's line was fairly sheltered against Chicago.

Regardless, what you're saying may be valid. It makes sense if you consider Murray's tendency to just hope a young player, or a bottom 6 player sticks with Getzlaf and Perry. IMO, finding someone for them should have been priority. It's quite possible he looked, didn't find anything, and just settled on upgrading the bottom 6.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Didn't Sekac come advertised as being able to play both wings?

 

[Ducks DVM]

Lineup talk moved to the lineup thread

 

[Duck Fan]

The life of a GM is not easy. It is easy to say that BM doesn't know what he is doing by signing Stewart as a replacement for Beleskey.
BM's major problem is the cap.

He was forced to let Beleskey and Beauch sign elsewhere as he would have possibly lost a major core of the team next year. He has to extend contracts and/or sign the following players next year or risk losing one or more of Kesler, Lindholm, Vatanen, Despres, Silf and Hagelin because of the cap. His hands were tied and he had to let Beleskey and Beauch go, all because of the cap.
He is confronted with the fact that he has a whole to fill and he is not in the position of signing a top six winger. He did the second best thing, i.e., keeping his cash options open and hoping to fill the void of Beleskey, Palmeiri and Etem by signing Stewart for only 1.7 mil.

 

[bumperkisser]

Why is this still a rumour..??

 

[Duck Off]

The life of a GM is not easy. It is easy to say that BM doesn't know what he is doing by signing Stewart as a replacement for Beleskey.
BM's major problem is the cap.

He was forced to let Beleskey and Beauch sign elsewhere as he would have possibly lost a major core of the team next year. He has to extend contracts and/or sign the following players next year or risk losing one or more of Kesler, Lindholm, Vatanen, Despres, Silf and Hagelin because of the cap. His hands were tied and he had to let Beleskey and Beauch go, all because of the cap.
He is confronted with the fact that he has a whole to fill and he is not in the position of signing a top six winger. He did the second best thing, i.e., keeping his cash options open and hoping to fill the void of Beleskey, Palmeiri and Etem by signing Stewart for only 1.7 mil.

Sorry, but this isn't accurate. Not with Beauchemin anyway. Bieksa's cap hit is .5 million less than Beauchemin's for the same amount of term.

 

[Quack Shot]

Sorry, but this isn't accurate. Not with Beauchemin anyway. Bieksa's cap hit is .5 million less than Beauchemin's for the same amount of term.

Nope, salary is only 2.5 this year, then 4 and 4. So cap hit is .5 less the last two years, but the upcoming season is significantly less salary in a season where cap hit doesn't matter nearly as much.

 

[Duck Off]

Nope, salary is only 2.5 this year, then 4 and 4. So cap hit is .5 less the last two years, but the upcoming season is significantly less salary in a season where cap hit doesn't matter nearly as much.

Did you read the post I was replying to? He said "cap hit" was the reason, and I pointed out that he's wrong. In fact, Bieksa's cap hit is higher than Beauchemin's this year. If anything, actual salary is less relevant this coming season because of the bargains we have on some of the RFA's. The next two years, when cap hit, and actual salary are more important, the difference is only .5 million.

The idea that Beauchemin was let go for cap/budget reasons is BS. If Murray is seriously fretting about .5 million a season, he's a moron. The reason Beauch was let go is because they didn't want him for 3 more years. I can get on board with that notion, but when you give almost the same coin, and identical term to an inferior player, that's... odd, but oh well, it's done. Regardless, cap, had nothing to do with Beauchemin leaving.

 

[Quack Shot]

Did you read the post I was replying to? He said "cap hit" was the reason, and I pointed out that he's wrong. In fact, Bieksa's cap hit is higher than Beauchemin's this year. If anything, actual salary is less relevant this coming season because of the bargains we have on some of the RFA's. The next two years, when cap hit, and actual salary are more important, the difference is only .5 million.

The idea that Beauchemin was let go for cap/budget reasons is BS. If Murray is seriously fretting about .5 million a season, he's a moron. The reason Beauch was let go is because they didn't want him for 3 more years. I can get on board with that notion, but when you give almost the same coin, and identical term to an inferior player, that's... odd, but oh well, it's done. Regardless, cap, had nothing to do with Beauchemin leaving.

He said cap I know, but figured he was referring to the internal cap cuz ducks haven't been close to a cap team since 07 and back then the cap was like 50 mil.

 

[Duck Off]

He said cap I know, but figured he was referring to the internal cap cuz ducks haven't been close to a cap team since 07 and back then the cap was like 50 mil.

I gotcha.

Even then though, next year, our actual salary is going to be low compared to the next 2 years. I don't think salary had much to do with the decision personally. I think it came down to this:

Bieksa @ 3 years > Beauchemin @ 3 years. I don't agree with this, but looking at the evidence given, I think it's safe to say this is the reason for the decision.

 

[Quack Shot]

I gotcha.

Even then though, next year, our actual salary is going to be low compared to the next 2 years. I don't think salary had much to do with the decision personally. I think it came down to this:

Bieksa @ 3 years > Beauchemin @ 3 years. I don't agree with this, but looking at the evidence given, I think it's safe to say this is the reason for the decision.

We got Kesler to re-sign next year and a few other guys too. So BM is thinking save some now for later probably and yeah I think he believes bieska at 3 yrs is better than Beauch at 3 yrs. Also, that "tagging" crap I have no clue about and can't understand for the life of me maybe has something to do with it haha.

 

[Duck Off]

We got Kesler to re-sign next year and a few other guys too. So BM is thinking save some now for later probably and yeah I think he believes bieska at 3 yrs is better than Beauch at 3 yrs. Also, that "tagging" crap I have no clue about and can't understand for the life of me maybe has something to do with it haha.

I don't think re-signing Kesler or the other FAs affected this decision either. Reason being the difference is so small.

Tagging is definitely an issue this offseason, but not in this decision. Once again, the reason being that the money and term are almost identical.

I'm no expert, but to give you an idea of how tagging is affecting us, it has kept us from signing FA's to more than 1 year deals. I've ran the numbers, and after giving estimated raises to our RFAs next year, we are at about 70 million. This is why Murray doesn't want to add anyone significant with term. It would make him susceptible to an offer sheet.

Still guessing here, but I believe Murray's next step is re-signing a few of the key players. Lindholm and Kesler will be priorities 1 and 2 IMO. After that I imagine he's going to go for Despres. I believe Vatanen will be the most difficult. The reason for this, is if Vatanen's agent is even remotely smart, he will hold off on wanting to sign an extension. Unfortunately, stats for defenseman talk, A LOT. With Beauchemin gone, more young players are going to step up. Sorry, but Bieksa isn't going to replace Beauchemin's role. This, along with the 3 on 3 format, should allow Vatanen a chance to raise his stock (and salary) higher than what he could get now.

IMO, this will result in one of two things happening:

1. He'll trade Vatanen after this season.

2. He'll trade Fowler and use the savings to re-sign Vatanen.

I hope to god it's not number 2.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

I think letting Sami play out next year is a plus for the team as well. If he has the year that prices himself out fo town, we should get a better return for him. If his season is more disappointing than hoped for, he still has decent trade value (obviously, not as much) but also may be signable to a reasonable contract. Can't see any downside to letting him play it out.