Post-Game Talk: Free Agent Frenzy Part 7

[Whitesnake]

I understand that he DID a lot of work...but it can't be over. You still have to find a way with Tatar and Danault and Byron. There's Haula and maybe Granlund who is available. You have vets to put in Laval for scoring. Again, I understand that you can't do everyting in one day...but it can't be over and done. It's not.

 

[A55P2]

I understand that he DID a lot of work...but it can't be over. You still have to find a way with Tatar and Danault and Byron. There's Haula and maybe Granlund who is available. You have vets to put in Laval for scoring. Again, I understand that you can't do everyting in one day...but it can't be over and done. It's not.

He's done clearly. And he did good this offseason. I'd have liked Granlund too, but we got Toffoli so can't complain. We'll keep all of Tatar, Danault and Byron.

 

[angusyoung]

agreed...as long as CJ can resist the urge to play him higher in the lineup or even to relegate Evans to a periphery role.

Though I have no idea how much Boyle has left in the tank

 

[LyricalLyricist]

I understand that he DID a lot of work...but it can't be over. You still have to find a way with Tatar and Danault and Byron. There's Haula and maybe Granlund who is available. You have vets to put in Laval for scoring. Again, I understand that you can't do everyting in one day...but it can't be over and done. It's not.

Suppose you trade Byron and whatever to find space for Granlund.

Why would Granlund come to be on bottom 6?

Unless you're not already getting PP time...sharing that between 3 lines of decent wingers will destroy your point totals and make you earn less the next year.

 

[Tighthead]

I'm not sure these moves coupled with losing Dadanov and potentially Hoffman have improved them at all. If anything I'd argue they have regressed based on what has happened so far.

Florida has to be on a tight budget in this world, and they pay Q a big number. Hockey decisions may be driven by finances.

 

[sampollock]

Blue Jackets' head coach John Tortorella wasn't too happy about losing him.
“Josh loved it here, and the guys loved him, too. There was a nice thing going on with him. This happens with all teams. But losing him … I’m not going to say it’s going to bury this hockey team. I’m not going to say that. You know how I feel about Josh. I wish that kid nothing but the best. He can be one hell of a hockey player.”

 

[Kriss E]

I understand that he DID a lot of work...but it can't be over. You still have to find a way with Tatar and Danault and Byron. There's Haula and maybe Granlund who is available. You have vets to put in Laval for scoring. Again, I understand that you can't do everyting in one day...but it can't be over and done. It's not.

Bergevin said his next move was to go on vacation.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

Bergevin said his next move was to go on vacation.

...so basically what he did for his first 7 years here...not a shocker...

 

[26Mats]

Suppose you trade Byron and whatever to find space for Granlund.

Why would Granlund come to be on bottom 6?

Unless you're not already getting PP time...sharing that between 3 lines of decent wingers will destroy your point totals and make you earn less the next year.

This is a fair point.

Granlund is from Finland. Maybe he sees Kotkaniemi as an up and coming center that will help the National team for years to come and would like to play with him - and either Anderson and Toffoli on his opposite wing.

Also, this team is going in a very good direction. Maybe he wants to win. Maybe Montreal has a following in Finland because of the 3 Finns we currently have an because of Saku Koivu.

There could be reasons he'd come here on a short term deal. The covid situation and the fact that most teams don't have much cap space e means he may take a lower cap hit. But I think MB is done anyways. Too bad I would have loved:

Tatar Danault Gallagher
Drouin Suzuki Toffoli
Granlund Kotkaniemi Anderson
Lehkonen 700kVet4c Armia
Depth in Laval: Evans (1st Call up), Belzile, Poehling, Ylonen, Hillis, Teasdale, Dauphin

 

[26Mats]

Bergevin said his next move was to go on vacation.

Yes, it sounds like he's done for a little while at least.

But he did say right after he said that, we're like 7/11, we're always open for business if the right move is there to be made.

 

[Kriss E]

Yes, it sounds like he's done for a little while at least.

But he did say right after he said that, we're like 7/11, we're always open for business if the right move is there to be made.

Yes, that's just generic talk. Who isn't open to make the ''right move'' if it presents itself.

 

[26Mats]

Yes, that's just generic talk. Who isn't open to make the ''right move'' if it presents itself.

Well it's looking like there will be some "right moves" presenting themselves with teams up against the caps and many good UFA's being forced to take less money.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

Just need to add here again that Mikael Granlund would be a fantastic pickup...someone wake Bergevin up from his nap and get it done!

 

[Kriss E]

Well it's looking like there will be some "right moves" presenting themselves with teams up against the caps and many good UFA's being forced to take less money.

Well we definitely should be moving Byron out ourselves, creating more space as we have none now.

 

[salbutera]

Florida has to be on a tight budget in this world, and they pay Q a big number. Hockey decisions may be driven by finances.

The fact Canadian teams have been the most active this offseason is very revealing about the financial state of US teams IMO - except for those right up against the cap.

 

[26Mats]

Well we definitely should be moving Byron out ourselves, creating more space as we have none now.

Yeah it would be great to move Byron now, if only for next year when it will be tough to re-sign everyone under the cap.

If we put Weal in the minors that saves rouglhy 1.1M. Replacing him with Evans' 700k cap hit means a net saving of roughly 400k. That gets us very close to the cap lit - I don't know the details if we're just under or just over.

But that leaves us with 12 Forwards, 8D, 2 goalies. Bergevin said we may start the year with a 22 man roster. I suppose it's possible to start with only 12 forwards. You call up a forward only when there's an injury. But, ideally Juulsen looks good enough in camp that we don't risk losing him to waivers. That leaves us with 8D.

 

[Archijerej]

I understand that he DID a lot of work...but it can't be over. You still have to find a way with Tatar and Danault and Byron. There's Haula and maybe Granlund who is available. You have vets to put in Laval for scoring. Again, I understand that you can't do everyting in one day...but it can't be over and done. It's not.

Agreed on Laval. If Hudon's gone, they need a goal scoring winger to replace him.

The situation with the big club is tricky though. The roster needs some finishing touches, namely some quality depth. But we can't do anything unless salary is moved. Byron's an obvious candidate, but I just can't see there will be much appetite for his contract this offseason. Armia might be a possibility, especially if we don't envision re-signing him next season. On defence, we should try to clear Kulak's contract off the books.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

Agreed on Laval. If Hudon's gone, they need a goal scoring winger to replace him.

The situation with the big club is tricky though. The roster needs some finishing touches, namely some quality depth. But we can't do anything unless salary is moved. Byron's an obvious candidate, but I just can't see there will be much appetite for his contract this offseason. Armia might be a possibility, especially if we don't envision re-signing him next season. On defence, we should try to clear Kulak's contract off the books.

Moving Armia would be a mistake, imo...yes, he's frustrating at times and always looks like he needs to slow his head down a bit before he makes a stupid mistake, but he's a 3rd line beast when he gets rolling

 

[Archijerej]

Suppose you trade Byron and whatever to find space for Granlund.

Why would Granlund come to be on bottom 6?

Unless you're not already getting PP time...sharing that between 3 lines of decent wingers will destroy your point totals and make you earn less the next year.

Granlund will not be happening, unless there's just no money at all in the system and he'll have to choose between unemployment and signing a ridiculously cheap contract. But even then, as you said, he'll go to a team that can offer him opportunity to rebuild his value.

If we are able to clear salary it should be used to adjust the bottom of the linep:

- replace at a lower price whomever of our bottom-6 wingers leaves as a cap casualty (Byron - doubtful, Armia - maybe)

- acquire a RHD to play with Romanov, since we can't rely on Juulsen

- perhaps improve the #4 C position if we can't sorround Evans with 3rd liners playing on the 4th line (Soederberg?)

 

[Archijerej]

Moving Armia would be a mistake, imo...yes, he's frustrating at times and always looks like he needs to slow his head down a bit before he makes a stupid mistake, but he's a 3rd line beast when he gets rolling

Armia doesn't frustrate me at all. Actually, I like him very much. But the fact of the matter is that he's our #4 RW, he's paid much for this role and he's a pending UFA, whom we will likely lose anyway. Sure, I'd prefer to move Byron (whom I also like BTW), but it doesn't seem realistic.

We've built a potentially very solid top-9. It's going to be increasingly more expensive to maintain it, not to mention improve it, as soon as next season. We have to start trimming salary of our #10-14 F and #5-7 D.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

Armia doesn't frustrate me at all. Actually, I like him very much. But the fact of the matter is that he's our #4 RW, he's paid much for this role and he's a pending UFA and we will likely lose him anyway. Sure, I'd prefer to move Byron (whom I also like BTW), but it doesn't seem realistic.

We've built a potentially very solid top-9. It's going to be increasingly more expensive to maintain it, not to mention improve it, as soon as next season. We have to start trimming salary of our #10-14 F and #5-7 D.

I think Armia will still be on our "3rd line" with Toffoli/Tatar and JK...someone needs to play LW and Toffoli looks like he's getting the first crack at it...

 

[Archijerej]

I’d say his off season work deserves an A++

Well deserved vacation,

You really think that?

I'd say there's a real possibility we're going to start the season without a functioning 3rd pairing and one forward injury away from not having a functioning 4th line.

Would be a bummer if details like this were the difference between us making the playoffs or not, especially considering the amount of work Bergevin has done so far.

I would stay vigilant if I were him.

 

[Whitesnake]

Bergevin said his next move was to go on vacation.

Well it's been 2 days now. Vacation is over. Anyway, there are no places to go on vacation.

 

[Whitesnake]

Suppose you trade Byron and whatever to find space for Granlund.

Why would Granlund come to be on bottom 6?

Unless you're not already getting PP time...sharing that between 3 lines of decent wingers will destroy your point totals and make you earn less the next year.

'Cause at this point, you don't seem to be in demand. Your production might start going downhill. And if your idea is to join a team to win, why not? Who thinks that Mikael Granlund is aiming to get a lot more money?

 

[sampollock]

Well it's been 2 days now. Vacation is over. Anyway, there are no places to go on vacation.

the gym for him...pump that iron....
or

he bought himself a bow flex, if the gym is closed