Confirmed with Link: Filppula signs with Tampa 5 years 5m per year (post #16)

[Run the Jewels]

Vinny is worth close to 7.7 per season or whatever he made. Maybe 1 mil overpaid or little more, that wasn't the issue.

He wouldn't have bought out Vinny if the contract would have ended in 3 or 4 years.

But it lasted for what, 2019, 2020 season? at 7.7 mil cap hit? Too much of a risk there as Vinny has slowed down and suffered his share of injuries.

It definitely was Stevie's call, he said it himself. Said that he struggled for over a month with it.

Yeah, that's a good take. The compliance buyouts are a short term thing and it made complete sense to take one for Vinny since that deal was just awful. It also gives the Bolts more flexibility cap wise when it comes to trades or free agent signings. I just can't get behind criticizing Stevie for killing a terrible contract he had no part in crafting.

 

[Bench]

Yzerman's hands were tied on the Vinny thing. Not his fault. Cruise over to the Tampa board and there's lots of excellent explanations why.

There's a handful of things you can criticize Yzerman for, but that's not one.

 

[detredWINgs]

People are quick to forget that Filppula was never able to do at center what he could do on the wing.

 

[sarcastro]

People are quick to forget that Filppula was never able to do at center what he could do on the wing.

On DATSYUK'S wing, specifically. He never did anything with any other center, or centering any combination of other players. He only made hay when he was playing with Pavel. And he hasn't always produced well in those spots, either.

 

[RedWingsNow*]

On DATSYUK'S wing, specifically. He never did anything with any other center, or centering any combination of other players. He only made hay when he was playing with Pavel. And he hasn't always produced well in those spots, either.

This is totally untrue.
We've had Flip have two strong starts to the season alongside Franzen, only to have the lines torn up because the top line wasn't working.

 

[silkyjohnson50]

On DATSYUK'S wing, specifically. He never did anything with any other center, or centering any combination of other players. He only made hay when he was playing with Pavel. And he hasn't always produced well in those spots, either.

Fil's best season from an offensive standpoint came on the Filppula-Zetterberg-Hudler line.

He did often show good chemistry with Datsyuk when they were given a chance together, but Babcock didn't play them together often enough IMO.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

On DATSYUK'S wing, specifically. He never did anything with any other center, or centering any combination of other players. He only made hay when he was playing with Pavel. And he hasn't always produced well in those spots, either.

Flip was actually pretty terrible with Datsyuk, not God awful but really his worst partnership with the other top end or scoring talents on the team.

Was better with all of Zetterberg, Franzen, and (gulp) Hudler.

 

[RedWingsNow*]

Flip was actually pretty terrible with Datsyuk, not God awful but really his worst partnership with the other top end or scoring talents on the team.

Was better with all of Zetterberg, Franzen, and (gulp) Hudler.

Early in his career, Flip got called up to the Datsyuk line and for the first time, showed he had some offensive chops -- averaging close to a point per game for a month or so.

Flip has been good with Datsyuk.
But last year's line of Flip-Datsyuk-Bertuzzi was really stupid.

One one line you had Franzen-Z-Brunner -- three guys who shoot the puck.
On the other line you had three guys who refuse to shoot

Flip did have good chemistry with Hudler, and I suspect a Flip Datsyuk Hudler line would have produced.

I think Babcock really missed the boat in 09 when he went Datsyuk-Hossa. Z-Franzen and Flip on line 3.

Franzen-Flip-Hossa would have been a dynamite second line.And, of course, he never should have torn apart D-Z.

 

[Heaton]

The only time Filppula has shown real offense has been on the Wing. He was good when he played with Samuelsson/Hudler in '09, he was good for a time with Bertuzzi/Franzen. But he earned his money on the wing.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Early in his career, Flip got called up to the Datsyuk line and for the first time, showed he had some offensive chops -- averaging close to a point per game for a month or so.

Flip has been good with Datsyuk.
But last year's line of Flip-Datsyuk-Bertuzzi was really stupid.

One one line you had Franzen-Z-Brunner -- three guys who shoot the puck.
On the other line you had three guys who refuse to shoot

Flip did have good chemistry with Hudler, and I suspect a Flip Datsyuk Hudler line would have produced.

I think Babcock really missed the boat in 09 when he went Datsyuk-Hossa. Z-Franzen and Flip on line 3.

Franzen-Flip-Hossa would have been a dynamite second line.And, of course, he never should have torn apart D-Z.

I don't disagree with any of that, I just always felt he had more chemistry with the other players. And completely disagree with the statement that his comfort level was best with Datsyuk.

Flip had his moments with a lot of people, because that really is what Flip is. He is an inconsistent point producer, it mattered much more how Filppula was playing himself than what his linemates were doing in my opinion. He could be so much more, hopefully he will get in a grove in Tampa, he should get to be the first one to wheel around with Drouin and that just might help him a ton. But he has to consistently bring it, he has to go to the dangerous areas. Whatever line construction we wanted, the reason Filppula struggled at times was almost always Filppula's uneven efforts to fault what was happening.

 

[vladdy16]

Sorry for being a contrarian here, but regardless of regular season production, I always thought it was obvious that Filppula sucked as a winger.

His value is as a responsible, good skating center.

 

[ProPAIN]

Sorry for being a contrarian here, but regardless of regular season production, I always thought it was obvious that Filppula sucked as a winger.

His value is as a responsible, good skating center.

That's the problem with Filppula's game though. He doesn't fit as a center. He plays the perimeter too much, he doesn't attack the net and he never shoots. He's good at face-offs, but is style doesn't fit the mold of a good center.

 

[crashman]

On DATSYUK'S wing, specifically. He never did anything with any other center, or centering any combination of other players. He only made hay when he was playing with Pavel. And he hasn't always produced well in those spots, either.

I disagree. He played mostly with Z (on the wing) and Hudler during his "breakout" season. They had some amazing chemistry together.

 

[newfy]

Filppula has had one good season on the wing. The guy is a third line center plain and simple. You can put all the advanced stats you want and points per 60 minutes and blah blah blah but how can you have one season out of 7 with more than 40 points and 1 20 goal season (while playing on the wing) and be argued to be a better second line center than a guy with more than 40 points in 6 of the last 7 seasons. 2 times over 60 points another very close to 60 (57) and another with 49 points.

The actual gap in production is so large that there are more then just advanced stats to explain it. One is a better player plain and simple and even more so because Weiss can actually do it while playing center

 

[Opado]

The actual gap in production is so large that there are more then just advanced stats to explain it. One is a better player plain and simple and even more so because Weiss can actually do it while playing center

I think it would a good time to compare the two players in question.

 

[silkyjohnson50]

We really could use a monster performance out of Filppula tonight. So go Tampa I guess.

 

[WesNichols14]

I think it would a good time to compare the two players in question.

they were both 5 year deals we shouldn't compare them until we can both see them play full seasons or at least mostly full seasons.

 

[Kronwalled55]

This got bumped?

Some people just want to watch this board burn.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

I think it would a good time to compare the two players in question.

Weiss hasn't been healthy enough to even show us what he can do.

Filppula is having his second 60 point season in his career. This is a guy who didn't want to play here, frustrated us with his play when he was here, and isn't even lighting the world on fire in a different system.

Let's see what their numbers are over a few years before throwing in the towel (or until Holland buys Weiss out with our new logjam at center).

 

[SoupNazi]

I think it would a good time to compare the two players in question.

I don't think this was a worthwhile thread bump.