News Article: Coyotes Sign Ekman-Larsson to Six-Year Contract
- Thread starter Howler Scores
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Doan wasn't going anywhere as his life is in Phoenix. If you ignore the RFA signings you really just have Vrbata. The gratitude offer holds some water but speaking from my own personal experience knowing where you are going to be based out of for you and your family is a huge consideration. Keep in mind a move to Quebec would result in a huge pay cut in cash flow/take home pay. This coupled with what a 20% escrow is big money. Smith is at the age where this may be his last opportunity to get a long-term big money deal. I don't disparage him for being concerned. I would.
DesertDawg
Registered User
Vrbata left and was traded back to the 'Yotes. Doan went to free agency because of the ownership saga and was convinced that it would be over soon. So I don't understand the negative response to Smith. I can understand if it was in response to his on ice antics, but not about his contract negotiations (or lack of).
...And without Maloney and Tippet, it would be a different team...
$4 m in Arizona nets out at a much higher number than $4 m in Quebec. It's the main reason I would strongly prefer this franchise stay where it is or relocate to a US market (if it comes to that).
You can say it doesn't matter at those kind of dollars but quite frankly the more money you make merely means the more you spend. Watch the documentary on nfl players who declare bankruptcy within a year or two of retirement. This is about setting your family up for life and that is a huge deal.
If you go BK after a year or two after retirement, well that is just plain stupidity, and probably deserved. You mean to tell me that if someone gave you 4 mill. you would think twice about moving? At that amount I don't care what the taxes are. Don't forget, there is already a team in Quebec, players get traded to and from Montreal and you don't hear crying about the taxes.
Exactly.
Smith is debating between re-signing with a franchise that could move and he would take an immediate 20% pay cut. He can choose that or potentially wait things out and get $5 million over maybe more years where he won't run the risk of taking the same sort of haircut. It's a $3-$5 million decision for Smith. That's why he's thinking twice.
Shepard
Registered User
- Apr 13, 2012
- 1,342
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Possibly. I won't pretend to know what goes on in their locker room, but this tidbit from the Coyotes' site seems relevant:
http://coyotes.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=660457&navid=DL|PHX|home
I guessed he was the typical humble swede. Good to hear that he is. So the Lidstrom comparisons work off the ice too.
It still hasn't quite hit me yet. I mean, I've been a fan of this team since the inaugural season. OEL is probably, quantifiably, the best player to play for the team in Phoenix. If not now, for sure in a few seasons. And he was drafted by the Coyotes. Outside the top 3. They finally did it. They hit on a player in a major way. I guess it's sort of fitting that it's a D that plays a quiet game. The franchise could really use a Tavares type 1C right about now. But I'm happy with OEL.
Looking back, everyone ahead of the Coyotes at that draft has to be happy too. Really, the 09 draft was amazing 1-7. I don't remember if it was well hyped at the time, but those first seven guys really turned out great. I am happy that the Coyotes walked away with what may be the best player not named Tavares out of that draft. Long overdue.
Vip
Coyotes/Cardinals/Jazz/RSL
- Jul 25, 2010
- 14,460
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OEL is just making my man crush on swedes even bigger 
Such awesome humble hockey players.. for the most part.
I said it before and noticed some of you guys mentioned it, but I do believe OEL will be our future captain. None of us know what goes on in the locker room but I just have that gut feeling.
Love this kid. Changing my avatar to him in honor of the new contract.
Such awesome humble hockey players.. for the most part.
I said it before and noticed some of you guys mentioned it, but I do believe OEL will be our future captain. None of us know what goes on in the locker room but I just have that gut feeling.
Love this kid. Changing my avatar to him in honor of the new contract.
Blubba Jenkins
Not that Insightful
OEL was good drafting. I believe at the time he was pretty under-the-radar and he was by no means the consensus pick like Turris, Boedker, and Gormley were. I remember lots of people were upset that we didn't take MPS.
Vip
Coyotes/Cardinals/Jazz/RSL
- Jul 25, 2010
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He was the 4th ranked European skater. Pretty sure it caught a lot of people off guard when we selected him.
Yes and no. OEL was definitely a late riser. Everyone also was keenly aware that he would be our pick at 6. Keith Gretzky had already told everyone on our drafting intentions.
TheLegend
Megathread Gadfly
Doan was offered a lot more money elsewhere (Vancouver was offering $6M/yr which was similar to some other rumored offers) so it isn't always about the money.
mouser
Business of Hockey
There was an initial surprise/disappointment mainly I think because OEL hadn't had nearly as much visibility pre-draft. Besides playing in Europe, he was a late riser up the draft board during the season so most fans hadn't heard that much about him. I would say most of folks initially unhappy with the pick changed their views within days after the draft reading the various articles and scouting reports on him.
Nostalgia lane, OEL draft selection thread:
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=655322
Some gold in that thread. Interesting to see that Maloney was high as a kite on OEL and never wavered. Wonder who was responsible for that pick?
BUX7PHX
Registered User
- Jul 7, 2011
- 5,581
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He was on team's radars between about 10-16 in the draft. A few teams worked him out, and someone in the 7 or 8 pick was going to take him. Maybe we were even thinking about trading out of that pick to 9 or 10 if we didn't have that information, but knowing that, we reached for OEL, which turned out to be a great reach.
Our first-rounders in the past 5 or 6 years have turned out better and better. We at least got assets for Turris and Mueller that have helped given our situation (Wolski was great for us after the deadline, invisible the next year and Rundblad is contibuting at the NHL level when given the chance).
Boedker, OEL, Gormley have been hits so far, although I don't have much on Gormley's progression. His game hasn't regressed or walled off at this point. Visentin was another "good" reach, IMO. Not sure what's going to happen with Murphy's injury history, and Samuelsson is progressing at an even better pace than thought.
That makes two NHLers, and three prospects that are gaining the skills to play in the league one day. Some are getting better at a faster rate than others. Injuries are the only thing holding us back from having 4 prospects in that range.
That's looking like 5 out of 6 picks from the 1st that we haven't traded away are going to be in the NHL in some capacity within the next three-five years.
Really happy for OEL - huge piece to our future.
Hitting on top 10 picks shouldn't be applauded. It's required. Outside the consensus, going against the grain or late round picks that turn into stars are far, far more impressive. Samuelsson was a groaner at the time, though no one really doubted he'd be, at worst, a useful utility player in the NHL someday. It's looking now like he might have a little offensive flair to his game, which is what you hope for when you pick him at that spot.
The jury is still out on those guys, though. OEL, Boedker and Hanzal are more than worthy of where they were taken. Turris? Probably still top 10. That draft was weak in high end talent. The Mueller draft, 06, is where it really burned to be outside the consensus. EJ, J. Staal, Toews, Backstrom, Kessel. The Wheeler pick, in hindsight, isn't actually all that bad.
It's the 2nd and 3rd rounders that have killed this team.
The jury is still out on those guys, though. OEL, Boedker and Hanzal are more than worthy of where they were taken. Turris? Probably still top 10. That draft was weak in high end talent. The Mueller draft, 06, is where it really burned to be outside the consensus. EJ, J. Staal, Toews, Backstrom, Kessel. The Wheeler pick, in hindsight, isn't actually all that bad.
It's the 2nd and 3rd rounders that have killed this team.
Kaibur
Registered User
I still point out that Briere ('01-02) and Mueller ('07-08) are the only two Yotes to be drafted by the team and then score at least 20 goals in a single season in a Yotes' uniform. That's unacceptable.
We draft and develop defensemen quite well. We are horrible at developing scoring forwards. So either we start trading some of our developed defensemen for talented, developed young forwards, or we change our development system and start properly training forwards so that they can score for the NHL club.
We draft and develop defensemen quite well. We are horrible at developing scoring forwards. So either we start trading some of our developed defensemen for talented, developed young forwards, or we change our development system and start properly training forwards so that they can score for the NHL club.
Scoring talent usually makes it through the developmental system on that strength. Tippett believes that players who make the Coyotes should be 'complete' players. Well, I hate to break it to him, but nobody turns into a complete player NHL player by playing in the AHL. I feel like he did his best to ruin Boedker, but Boedker succeeded in spite of him. I mean, is it really so surprising that the only two usable forwards the Coyotes have drafted played a two way game before they joined the big club?
I think the philosophy has to change. That, or start drafting and trading to Tippett's strengths. The good news is that those players tend to be cheaper. The bad news is that they are almost always a peg lower on the offensive totem pole compared to their peers. Sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy feedback loop.
I think the philosophy has to change. That, or start drafting and trading to Tippett's strengths. The good news is that those players tend to be cheaper. The bad news is that they are almost always a peg lower on the offensive totem pole compared to their peers. Sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy feedback loop.
