I was going to disagree but you might be right: there isn’t space for him anymore
At one point last year I was keeping track of all the goals allowed High Blocker on Bob. It got to be a lot.
There's a decent chance Saarela joins after Lukko's season ends though, right? There's always some hole to fill in May.
To add on: I think this is why we saw the betting markets where Deni was fourth fo the Calder.
He would've still had to fight for a spot without covid and take a 2-way contract, the sample size would've been like 20-ish games.
Many of those players will be fighting between each other and not directly Saarela. Lundell, Lammikko and Luostarinen are all natural centers.
Just a quick note: Duclair is a RFA next year so he will likely be back. His qualifying offer will be less than 2M!
Yeah, but he can take it to arbitration and get like 5M+, assuming he has a good season alongside HB.
Sure but that’s unlikely: there hasn’t been an award for more than 5M since Weber and the highest in the past five years has been 3.5M to Bertuzzi. Given that the comparable include this season I’m less worried but I guess it’s a leverage point!
This is one of my main concerns. Only playing 8-12 mins a night isn’t great for development. And I take no stock in world juniors for nhl readiness outside of raw tools. Nhl won’t be his peers. They will be grown ass professional men. His raw skillset is good enough no doubt. I have a hard time seeing translating to nhl successfully this early without a year of pro and solid minutes in North America
who said it was about the money? He didn't want to wait anymore. Salaries have been cut in Finland because of the coronavirus but at least he is part of the team and knows where he plays this season. Borgström is staying here because he isn't happy with his role in Fla. and the same might apply to Saarela. Of course the COVID-situation is complicated in North America and players might rethink whether they want to play there at all now but another reason might be that in discussions there was no sign that the player is going to get a fair chance. If he gets a 2-way-contract, then he could be sent to the AHL like an empty beer bottle and I don't think that players are interested in that kind of roles. Puljujärvi and Lammikko got NHL-contracts even after returning to Finland for a season. So it's very understandable that a player thinks especially now in this uncertain situation, that he can return to the NHL later.
Tbh this is probably just as mutual from Florida's side. You don't want a player around who's shown zero development at the NHL level the past 2 years and pouted for being sent to the AHL due to that very lack of performance. I've been saying since he signed with HIFK that he should stay there the whole season.
that last sentence is so true. Most players seize the opportunity to have a chance of a winning team, it is so rare.
Empirically Columbus has a problem: you’re right it might be Keka and not Zito although we don’t have the data: I don’t think Duclair or Wennberg are great examples because neither had much leverage; I’d say Jones signs in two years, it would strengthen your argument l.
you are correct that we cannot causally say with Hoffman/Dadonov; but we cannot also not say there weren’t acrimonious negotiationsWe need to see talent with leverage choosing to stay so Barky/Huby will be the tests
Would he even get a chance to establish himself? Last season the Panthers gave tons of games to players who weren't performing well. Q played Pysyk 58 games, Sceviour 69, Toninato 46, Hawriluk 15 ... that quartet is thrash. I can easily see Q playing Lamm and Lomberg even if they produce nothing because they play like bottom 6ers or something.
He did get back and broke up the play, and they scored because nobody else backchecked. He has always been good at catching up and breaking up those breakaways. If he doesn't develop his game a bit, he will become more of a liability when he loses a step so he can't make those hustle plays anymore.
