New York Islanders: Eberle Agrees to 5-year Contract, $5.5M AAV

[Beastrt]

Pretty fair deal IMO. 2nd line RW money. Would Dzingel or Nyqvist been an upgrade? Don't know about that. Told K. Weeks during the phone interview he went into the playoffs knowing he had something to prove. Really liked that.

Priorities - Goalie, Fix PP, Figure out the Lee piece.

Agree about Dzingel or nyqvist. I like them but you can still sign one in edition if you can’t get someone via trade or a bigger name free agent but it will probably cost more then a 5.5 cap hit. I originally thought they wouldn’t resign him, but at that cap hit who are you really get you will have to overpay and may strike out. It seems like the move if resign everyone and worry about fixing the cap issues later.

 

[Uncle Duke]

My thoughts...

1. I'd say "wow" to this, but that implies we thought Eberle was gone. We did, but why did we? Because certain media members who we thought had information told us so. Yeah turns out they didn't. Now we know... Eberle wanted to stay, Lou wanted him to, and they've been working on it since the end of the season.
2. Speaking of...Your boy Staple knows NOTHING. Literally just on Monday he wrote, "All indications are Eberle is headed for the open market unless he’s willing to take a short-term deal...And he has no reason to do so." He did even worse with Nelson. I mean Jesus. There's not being in the know, and then borderline making things up. I know he must continually produce content for The Athletic, but man is he in a tough position when news doesn't come out and he has to make blind predictions and pass them off as inside information.
3. Did you see who broke this story...? The Islanders Official Twitter account. Just like we've come to expect - They're the only ones we can trust for news.
4. The most shocking part of this deal is the AAV. 5.5M is 500K less than Eberle was making per year on his last contract. Do you know how rare it is for a top-6 winger still in his 20's to take less? Zero doubt in my mind Eberle left money/term on the table...And didn't even want to hear a sales pitch from any other team - Even to use as negotiating leverage. That tells me he really wants to be here (same with Nelson).
5. Lee has got to be feeling some pressure now. Two key UFAs left money on the table because they WANTED to stay. No question the Isles "won" both the Nelson and Eberle negotiations and they'd probably make it 3 if Lee resigns. Now we'll see how bad he wants to be here because no doubt the Isles have a (team friendly) offer on the table for him.
6. ...Or maybe Lee is ready to accept a deal, but Lou wants to flesh out Panarin first to see if he can land him and if so, then he would let Lee walk.
7. Perhaps most interesting in this deal is the fact that Eberle gets the first 2 years with a full no trade clause, and after that he eliminates 16 teams. Nelson got the same thing and to me when you see two identical things you see a pattern. So wondering why the Isles wanted to structure it this way? Feels like it might have something to do with Belmont. Like Lou/the Isles just want some stability until then and then they can have options when the building opens.
8. You can't help but wonder...If Tavares' contract ended this summer how much more likely would it be that he stays?
9. Still waiting for Lou to make a move where it feels like Garth Snow still isn't doing things in the front office.
   
10. Overall this is positive. Players want to stay here. The message is out. The Malkin/Ledecky era is starting to fix all that the wang/snow era destroyed. Bring it on.

Excellent post though I don't agree that AL is feeling any added pressure as a result of this signing. Also, while I get where you're coming from, I don't think the #9 shot was warranted. Yet.

Good read.

 

[periferal]

I had the same suspicion and posted something similar. The NTC timing may not be a coincidence.

There's no question it's NOT a coincidence, but what it does mean we don't know yet.

 

[periferal]

Excellent post though I don't agree that AL is feeling any added pressure as a result of this signing. Also, while I get where you're coming from, I don't think the #9 shot was warranted. Yet.

Good read.

Honestly #9 was warranted because it's not a "shot" at Lou at all...It's honestly how I feel. I mean there's no question that Trotz has put his stamp on this team from a coaching perspective, but thus far Lou has not from a GM perspective. No move he's made yet makes me feel like snow wouldn't have done the same thing.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

At your price of 11M per, he better be way better than Eberle.

I'm saying the team needs a player way better than Eberle. To be better.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

The team does need a better player than Eberle. But they also need Eberle. St. Louis runs through Taresenko and O'reilly. We run through Barzal. But they have Schenn, Perron and Schwartz and Bozak etc. So we need Nelson, Eberle and Lee and Bailey.

I hope we get Duchene or Panarin.

 

[Uncle Duke]

Honestly #9 was warranted because it's not a "shot" at Lou at all...It's honestly how I feel. I mean there's no question that Trotz has put his stamp on this team from a coaching perspective, but thus far Lou has not from a GM perspective. No move he's made yet makes me feel like snow wouldn't have done the same thing.

Even Garth was not so inept that he couldn't make 'boilerplate' type moves. They are just part of the GM job. That Lou has had to do so as well in the early going of his tenure is no reason to equate him -even tangentially - with a man almost universally viewed as a villain in these parts.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

I'm saying the team needs a player way better than Eberle. To be better.

Or players. 11M will get you 2, 5.5M dollar players, or 1, 5.5M and 2, 2.75M dollar players. There are more ways to skin a cat that to put all your eggs into 1 basket.

 

[Newsworthy]

My thoughts...

1. I'd say "wow" to this, but that implies we thought Eberle was gone. We did, but why did we? Because certain media members who we thought had information told us so. Yeah turns out they didn't. Now we know... Eberle wanted to stay, Lou wanted him to, and they've been working on it since the end of the season.
2. Speaking of...Your boy Staple knows NOTHING. Literally just on Monday he wrote, "All indications are Eberle is headed for the open market unless he’s willing to take a short-term deal...And he has no reason to do so." He did even worse with Nelson. I mean Jesus. There's not being in the know, and then borderline making things up. I know he must continually produce content for The Athletic, but man is he in a tough position when news doesn't come out and he has to make blind predictions and pass them off as inside information.
3. Did you see who broke this story...? The Islanders Official Twitter account. Just like we've come to expect - They're the only ones we can trust for news.
4. The most shocking part of this deal is the AAV. 5.5M is 500K less than Eberle was making per year on his last contract. Do you know how rare it is for a top-6 winger still in his 20's to take less? Zero doubt in my mind Eberle left money/term on the table...And didn't even want to hear a sales pitch from any other team - Even to use as negotiating leverage. That tells me he really wants to be here (same with Nelson).
5. Lee has got to be feeling some pressure now. Two key UFAs left money on the table because they WANTED to stay. No question the Isles "won" both the Nelson and Eberle negotiations and they'd probably make it 3 if Lee resigns. Now we'll see how bad he wants to be here because no doubt the Isles have a (team friendly) offer on the table for him.
6. ...Or maybe Lee is ready to accept a deal, but Lou wants to flesh out Panarin first to see if he can land him and if so, then he would let Lee walk.
7. Perhaps most interesting in this deal is the fact that Eberle gets the first 2 years with a full no trade clause, and after that he eliminates 16 teams. Nelson got the same thing and to me when you see two identical things you see a pattern. So wondering why the Isles wanted to structure it this way? Feels like it might have something to do with Belmont. Like Lou/the Isles just want some stability until then and then they can have options when the building opens.
8. You can't help but wonder...If Tavares' contract ended this summer how much more likely would it be that he stays?
9. Still waiting for Lou to make a move where it feels like Garth Snow still isn't doing things in the front office.
   
10. Overall this is positive. Players want to stay here. The message is out. The Malkin/Ledecky era is starting to fix all that the wang/snow era destroyed. Bring it on.

Best thing about your post is #9.
Finally someone with honest conviction.

 

[crasherino]

I'm saying the team needs a player way better than Eberle. To be better.

It would be real interesting to get a sense of what Lou’s grand plan is here. He and Trotz fully know that they need more jam up front. Trotz came out and explicitly said that in the post season conference.

I can’t really figure out the plan in light of the Eberle signing. He seemed like the natural one to upgrade from. And we probably could have gotten him on the same deal come July 1st if our other attempts fell flat.

We still can be pursuing FAs and trades but those are far from certain and would have benefitted from having the flexibility to fall back on Eberle if it didn’t work out (although I do acknowledge Eberle would not have been a sure thing if we approached 7:1). Now our options are more limited as we already have Eberle and his contract inked in.

 

[Uncle Duke]

Best thing about your post is #9.
Finally someone with honest conviction.

Written by a man who believes elite NHL talent is as easy to acquire as a pack of gum and at about the same cost.

 

[PK Cronin]

Written by a man who believes elite NHL talent is as easy to acquire as a pack of gum and at about the same cost.

And that they need to play for free because if you want to be paid what you're worth, then you don't care about winning!

 

[Uncle Duke]

SERIOUSLY, WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM DUDE?
Don't respond to my post if you don't like my opinion.
Go kick rocks.

Unless one of us has hard news to share, what we do here is express opinions and respond to opinions. If you do not wish to have your opinions responded to, perhaps you should not post them.

 

[Newsworthy]

The team does need a better player than Eberle. But they also need Eberle. St. Louis runs through Taresenko and O'reilly. We run through Barzal. But they have Schenn, Perron and Schwartz and Bozak etc. So we need Nelson, Eberle and Lee and Bailey.

I hope we get Duchene or Panarin.

We could really use both.

 

[YearlyLottery]

We could really use both.

You want Duchene and Panarin? So essentially you will be annoyed with whatever happens this offseason?

 

[Lame Lambert]

You want Duchene and Panarin? So essentially you will be annoyed with whatever happens this offseason?

Yes because Lou is in charge

 

[periferal]

It would be real interesting to get a sense of what Lou’s grand plan is here. He and Trotz fully know that they need more jam up front. Trotz came out and explicitly said that in the post season conference.

I can’t really figure out the plan in light of the Eberle signing. He seemed like the natural one to upgrade from. And we probably could have gotten him on the same deal come July 1st if our other attempts fell flat.

We still can be pursuing FAs and trades but those are far from certain and would have benefitted from having the flexibility to fall back on Eberle if it didn’t work out (although I do acknowledge Eberle would not have been a sure thing if we approached 7:1). Now our options are more limited as we already have Eberle and his contract inked in.

I love the point of this post. It's like, snow's teams never won anything and were horribly flawed...So why try to keep them together?

I think Lou is in a very tough spot. If the team faltered last season then he would've been justified to trade Lee/Nelson/Eberle/etc and really start an earnest rebuild. However now that we see we have the best hockey coach/staff in the world, having a crap season wasn't in the cards.

Therefore with an elite coach, but a flawed roster that would never earn a lottery pick, Lou had no choice but to push forward with this current group. It's like Lou is trying to get across the Atlantic Ocean to England with holes in his boat, but doesn't have enough gas to get back to America, so he's going to patch the boat as best as he can hoping he can reach the other side.

Once the Isles were in playoff position at the trade deadline, right at that moment the trajectory of what to do with this team changed. When Lou couldn't trade Lee/Nelson/Eberle that became 3 good (top-6) assets that were going to leave for nothing if he didn't resign them. And if he didn't the center position would have been in disarray.

With Tavares leaving last year, the threat of Nelson doing the same now, and zero legit center prospects in the entire system, there was almost zero choice for Lou but to resign Nelson at least. Duchene was never coming here and even if Kevin Hayes did, it would have been for Nelson money at least and probably a bit more to not know how he fit into Trotz's system.

The fact that Lou just resigned Eberle (for a reasonable deal) helps give him options. Where we stood to lose 3 top-6 players and, assuming none were signed in free agency, that would have required more good assets than we have to replace in trades. Now with only Lee to resign, if Lou used Leddy and/or a 1st round pick/Wahlstrom/etc he could easily add one (1) legit top-6 forward and maybe even a game-changer.

The same way that none of us expected this team to do anything last year, by the time we reached the playoffs it was like we were playing with "house money" - Not to say we all didn't want to win, but given the realities of this team it felt like any success the team had would have been an added bonus.

Likewise if Lou brings back Lee/Lehner then that keeps the holes in the boat patched for now and we can add from there. We can hope Leddy is traded for more scoring help. We can hope Dobson makes the team. We can hope that a miracle happens and someone like Panarin or Pavelski is added in free agency.

This team isn't a franchise like Winnipeg that is deep both on the ice and in their farm system, just needs tweaks, and has tons of assets to make those tweak. There are some significant changes that need to happen with the Isles, but first we need stability, and Lou is making the not ideal, but necessary moves to provide that.

Now it's about hitting on all draft picks and trades so that he can build this team into a legit and perennial Cup contender. I hope he does.

We already know how amazing our coach is. Starting this week and going forward we'll see if our GM can match him.

 

[Newsworthy]

You want Duchene and Panarin? So essentially you will be annoyed with whatever happens this offseason?

All I said is we could use both but I don't see Duchene coming here.

 

[Costigan77]

We could really use both.

So could most teams.

Hopefully you arent upset when it is Brassard or Boyle

 

[bigtim1988]

I would have been shocked if you told me a year ago that Eberle and Nelson would be the first guys to re-sign with the Isles. Up until last season, I thought Nelson hated being here, and would leave as soon as he could.

This isn't a bad deal to keep Eberle; it seems to be beneficial to both parties, and term/salary is very fair.

 

[LeapOnOver]

Still can't believe Eberle took a pay cut to stay here....cannot emphasize enough how important that is. I don't think you guys realize that there is a really good chemistry bond forming with this team....they just need to keep adding to it. Rookies coming in will want to be part of it and it's a recipe for success. I don't care about people's feelings on Eberle as a player, but this is a great sign from a chemistry standpoint.

 

[Uncle Duke]

Still can't believe Eberle took a pay cut to stay here....cannot emphasize enough how important that is. I don't think you guys realize that there is a really good chemistry bond forming with this team....they just need to keep adding to it. Rookies coming in will want to be part of it and it's a recipe for success. I don't care about people's feelings on Eberle as a player, but this is a great sign from a chemistry standpoint.

What does the highlighted even mean? Ebs is a proven 20+/50+ player who had a slightly off year under a new coach and a new system. I think most of us are pretty excited he's staying for the number he did.

As for the team chemistry in general, what, in your opinion, happens if Lee and/or Lehner leave?

 

[LeapOnOver]

What does the highlighted even mean? Ebs is a proven 20+/50+ player who had a slightly off year under a new coach and a new system. I think most of us are pretty excited he's staying for the number he did.

As for the team chemistry in general, what, in your opinion, happens if Lee and/or Lehner leave?

I agree, but there is at least one guy who bashes him every chance he gets. It was pretty much directed at that small crowd.

I think if Lee leaves the team chemistry might take a hit, but at this point it'd be guessing who the key cogs are in the chemistry pool. More important who replaces him as captain. They have a pretty solid core in place with Bailey, Boychuk, Cizikas, Nelson, Eberle and Martin that seem to enjoy playing with each other. Two of them have taken discounts to stay. Then factor in the relationships with the younger guys like Barzal and Beau and it's shaping up to be a team that can thrive with good chemistry. I'm sure LL is keenly aware of how that affected the season and will be looking to continue to add talented character pieces and avoid guys that might spoil that. As far as Lehner is concerned, I'm not really worried about losing him for chemistry purposes. Goalies are strange creatures and they rarely contribute to the lockerroom environment and most players are scared to talk to them, lol.

 

[Rehabguy]

Good for Eberle! So happy with this signing. It was the right move a very Garthian move. Lou is beginning to make me a believer! Stay the course Lou!

 

[Uncle Duke]

I agree, but there is at least one guy who bashes him every chance he gets. It was pretty much directed at that small crowd.

I think if Lee leaves the team chemistry might take a hit, but at this point it'd be guessing who the key cogs are in the chemistry pool. More important who replaces him as captain. They have a pretty solid core in place with Bailey, Boychuk, Cizikas, Nelson, Eberle and Martin that seem to enjoy playing with each other. Two of them have taken discounts to stay. Then factor in the relationships with the younger guys like Barzal and Beau and it's shaping up to be a team that can thrive with good chemistry. I'm sure LL is keenly aware of how that affected the season and will be looking to continue to add talented character pieces and avoid guys that might spoil that. As far as Lehner is concerned, I'm not really worried about losing him for chemistry purposes. Goalies are strange creatures and they rarely contribute to the lockerroom environment and most players are scared to talk to them, lol.

Chemistry is certainly important, and make no mistake, you cannot win without it, but I think you are overselling it. Regardless of how much competent NHL players like each other and want to go to war for each other, there still has to be a core of really good ones and a couple of elite ones on any team that wants to compete for the big prize. We're not there. Beau is a perfect example. I don't care how much he and Barzy are buddies or how much personal chemistry they have, he has more than 200 NHL games under his belt and is heading into his fourth full season, he has to start producing consistently and being a far more complete player than he has been (and Barzy can't do it for him). As to Lehner, while you are generally right about goalies, not in his case. It could be argued that after Zeeker, Lehner was the catalyst and emotional leader of the Isles last season, both on the ice and off. I would hate to see him go.