GDT: Free Agency III - Continues.....

[Celly Hard]

We should trade for Dustin Brown, he brings intangibles and he'll protect the kids, and he's signed for a bargain long term. Seems like the type of player we'd love to have around here.

Yeah a 5.8 Million dollar cap hit is so awesome to have. Not to mention giving up assets to acquire him

 

[LaPlante94]

I think we could have signed a dude who did the exact same thing for a lot less term and dollars...



Phaneuf took a lot of runs at Tavares over the years and I never saw Martin make Dion accountable for it.

Id much rather us draft our own Martin type player because you can sign them cheaper usually to stay, but we don't have any in the system and people would flip out now if we drafted a player like him. We didn't overpay for Martin and he'll help this team.

 

[Metal God]

We should trade for Dustin Brown, he brings intangibles and he'll protect the kids, and he's signed for a bargain long term. Seems like the type of player we'd love to have around here.

Yuck. You can't be serious?

 

[WTFMAN99]

Martin is a great shot suppressor, the most physical player in the league, and a decent PK guy. He can do more than one thing. And those teams have had worse deals.

He's a decent possession guy, especially at suppression which is what you want from a guy on your fourth line.
Who knows? That's bad logic though. We know others wanted him, we don't know the reason we won out. And players get traded even though they got signed as UFAs from time to time.
Much worse players. Martin can do more than one thing.

Perhaps. But he is much cheaper, more in line with a high end fourth liner. Which is what he is.
Not necessarily in a fourth line. And Martin is decent at possession.

Yep, fighting doesn't matter in the playoffs. For sure. Totally agree.
Completely right.

I think his play looks a lot better playing with Cizikas and Clutterbuck (who are a luxury on the 4th line)

I don't know of any other 4th line guys who makes what Martin is going to make beyond Clarkson and Brown this year. Seriously. Maybe the other guys we have in Laich, Greening and Michalek?

If you want to use analytics to suggest shot blocking and suppression then you need to acknowledge it says he's a 4th line guy, nothing more (2nd or 3rd line guy...)

 

[Cor]

Russell's agent says the rumored 5x5 offer from VAN isn't true. VAN never made an offer.

Hopefully TOR being involved is false too

 

[Nithoniniel]

I love you in a totally and completely friendship sort of way

I did good?

 

[Raymondo316]

 

[Sittler 27]

Yuck. You can't be serious?

He sn't, he's just not happy with the Martin signing

 

[Dreakmur]

I think we could have signed a dude who did the exact same thing for a lot less term and dollars...

Who's this mystery player that is going to sign for less?

 

[Menzinger]

This has been my favourite thing all day...

 

[dubey]

He sn't, he's just not happy with the Martin signing

He's totally serious

He watches hockey

 

[Leafy Undergrowth]

Is he going to be tradeable later? Maybe. No one else wanted him at 2.5M for 4 years apparently because we managed to sign him.

Good lord, by that logic no FA would ever get traded later.

 

[Rare Jewel]

Surprised by the lack of trades today actually.

 

[Metal God]

GM Lou Lamoriello addresses the media at 4:30 p.m. ET. http://sprtsnt.ca/29hTy5u

 

[nuck]

Pierre LeBrun ‏@Real_ESPNLeBrun 2m2 minutes ago
Pierre LeBrun Retweeted Allain Roy
Kris Russell's agentPierre LeBrun added,
Allain Roy @alroy42
Lots of false reports on Kris Russell signings floating around out there. Still talking to multiple teams. Some fake accounts=false info.

Calm down every one

Thank god. Sportsnet Calgary just said $5.5M over 5 as well.

 

[Mad Brills*]

do the leafs even have cap for russell?

Horton LTIR + RFA signings isn't cap compliant I think.

 

[Daisy Jane]

I did good?

yes

honestly for me. I don't know who this kid is.
at 27 - considering his skill set - it appears that we did decent.

thiis guy is really good defensively, he's a physical player, and can help on the PK: 3 things we needed.
i honestly don't understand the "Rome is Burning" here.

Lou is speaking at 4:30. so i think we're done anyway.

 

[bentharbour]

Russell's agent says the rumored 5x5 offer from VAN isn't true. VAN never made an offer.

Hopefully TOR being involved is false too

I don't want to seem like a pain in the ass, but do you have a source for this? I want to see what else he has said!

 

[TheDoldrums]

GM Lou Lamoriello addresses the media at 4:30 p.m. ET. http://sprtsnt.ca/29hTy5u

Gonna take this as a hopeful sign that Russell isn't happening. I want to believe.

 

[dubplatepressure]

GM Lou Lamoriello addresses the media at 4:30 p.m. ET. http://sprtsnt.ca/29hTy5u

not much to say TBH. Glad about it too.

 

[Metal God]

Gonna take this as a hopeful sign that Russell isn't happening. I want to believe.

Same here. Thinking positive!

 

[mallory67]

Okay let's spell it out

Do any of Chicago/Anaheim/Pittsburgh/Tampa Bay (class of the league imo) have 2.5M allocated to a guy who can literally do one thing (on the 4th line)? No

We play a puck possession game - Does Martin have any puck skills? No

Is he going to be tradeable later? Maybe. No one else wanted him at 2.5M for 4 years apparently because we managed to sign him.

Can you sign someone else who literally does this one thing (hitting) for less? Probably. Ryan White is available. Rinaldo was available for on waivers.

"But character, intangibles, and toughness" - These are ways you describe people who are bad at hockey - Clarkson, Bolland, Armstrong - This is the exact same type of addition, just a different name.

The main point is the original one- It's a stupid signing that has a lot of outdated thinking behind it. None of the best teams employ this type of player. It's about a speed, skilled and possession game.

Fighting doesn't matter in the playoffs, you might get one fight in the entire post-season. If you think you need need this type of guy to win in the playoffs, the Islanders have only won 1 entire post-season series (just recently) when John Tavares went legendary against Florida. This was despite having the *best* 4th line in the entire league.

If you think toughness is a detriment, tell that to Marc Savard - team of Lucic, Chara and Thornton and the dude got knocked out....

There. I spelled it out.

Relax Pointdexter ... Matt Martin will not be the reason we fail to win a cup next year.
Or the year after that or the year after that.

And yes, he is imminently tradeable at the deadline in the next year or three.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Relax Pointdexter ... Matt Martin will not be the reason we fail to win a cup next year.
Or the year after that or the year after that.

And yes, he is imminently tradeable at the deadline in the next year or three.

What other 4th line guy besides David Clarkson or Dustin Brown makes what Matt Martin will make?

 

[Cor]

i don't want to seem like a pain in the ass, but do you have a source for this? I want to see what else he has said!

 

[WTFMAN99]

Cor, I think you're okay man - now with the Martin signing, the Cowen buyout holding things up, and pending RFA signings, I don't believe we have the cap to do anything.

I'll probably throw my computer out the window if I see a Russell signing at 5x5 or more though.